One of many main criticisms all through Mikel Arteta’s first two years accountable for Arsenal was that all the things was far too predictable. Arsenal nearly at all times lined up with a again 4 — save a spell with a three-man backline — the place gamers on the alternative flanks did various things.
On the left, the left-back performed like a winger, with the extensive midfielder chopping inside as a kind of second striker or second quantity 10, relying on who was enjoying. The central midfielder on that facet of the pitch. On the appropriate, the winger stayed extensive, as did the nominal ‘quantity’ 10′, with the right-back tucking in.
The outcome was a 4-2-3-1 that morphed into both a 2-3-5 or 3-2-5 in possession.
It was predictable. All Arsenal followers knew the right-back wouldn’t overlap however that the left-back would, and the Granit Xhaka (often) would then drop in on the left. If we may all see that, then clearly everybody else may too. The system made sense, it allowed Tierney to maraud down the appropriate and guarded Xhaka, who tends to be higher with the sport forward of him however uncovered when alone in midfield. It additionally served as a approach to get Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette each right into a crew that lacked objectives.
And generally it labored. But it surely was so inflexible, that it was by no means more likely to result in dependable, long-term success. Not as soon as groups figured Arsenal out and never with gamers penned into roles that didn’t permit for freedom.
Approach again in December 2020, Arteta insisted a again 5 wasn’t his long-term plan and steered he didn’t consider the personnel at his disposal had been able to enjoying in a 4-3-3 the way in which he needed.
“We need to transfer to a 4-3-3 however for that, you want a whole lot of specificity in each place however now in 5 – 6 positions, we don’t have it.”
With Bukayo Saka moved additional ahead and Emile Smith Rowe introduced into the crew, Arteta completely departed from the again 5 that helped him win the FA Cup. However the again 4 system stayed the identical because it ever was. It was simpler — Arsenal improved on the again finish of final season, clearing an exceptionally low bar — however wins weren’t overly convincing. Arsenal gained video games however didn’t appear to dominate them, with a whole lot of defending being completed in their very own half and few probabilities being created.
That has modified currently. Per Statsbomb, Arsenal accomplished over 50 pressures within the remaining third in simply 4 of their first 58 Premier League matches beneath Arteta earlier than this season.
They then accomplished over 50 remaining third pressures in three of the opening 17 Premier League video games of 2021/22. Since then, Arteta’s Arsenal have accomplished over 50 remaining third pressures in 5 of their final seven league matches. Arsenal are urgent greater and with extra depth, boxing groups in their very own half, forcing them to play lengthy, and regaining possession rapidly to start out assaults once more.
Arsenal additionally managed 20 or extra pictures in simply two of Arteta’s first 58 Premier League matches in cost. They’ve taken 20 or extra pictures in 9 of 24 Premier League matches this season, together with 5 of the final eight.
Enjoying with the ball and enjoying with out it are linked, however I need to focus extra on how Arsenal abruptly look completely different in possession. Arteta has extra of the specificity he needs within the squad now, because of the summer time arrivals of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, however Arsenal have solely actually began to alter their strategy in possession in current weeks.
Beginning on the left, and specializing in video games in opposition to Brentford and Wolves, Kieran Tierney has taken up a way more orthodox left-back place than earlier than, with Granit Xhaka not completely overlaying the Scot’s marauding runs. Tierney not acts completely like a winger when Arsenal are in possession.
That change has allowed Granit Xhaka and the left-winger — Emile Smith Rowe in opposition to Brentford, Gabriel Martinelli in opposition to Wolves — to differ their very own actions extra.
Xhaka and Tierney, principally, now typically seem like they’re now within the fallacious sections of the crew. Tierney stays again, Xhaka advances centrally, and the winger stays extensive. It has grow to be widespread to see Xhaka not concerned within the first section of construct up in any respect, leaving that to Tierney, Thomas Partey, and the centre-backs whereas he occupies gamers additional upfield.
Up to now, you’ll have nearly at all times anticipated him to be to Gabriel’s left on this scene.
Or to Partey’s left, the place Tierney is, on this one.
However as a substitute he’s a lot much less concerned in these areas, occupying opposition defenders as a substitute. On this occasion he drags Tierney’s marker away, giving the Scot time and area to hold the ball to the midway line unopposed.
There are some things the brand new positioning supplies. Firstly, it’s slightly extra sophisticated to press Arsenal if Wolves can’t merely go man-to-man as a result of the actions are much less predictable. Daniel Podence follows Xhaka within the above instance however ordinarily, on the appropriate of the Wolves entrance three, he can be there to press Xhaka within the place Tierney is in. Xhaka tucking into that form allowed groups to push Arsenal again however this does the alternative, with Arsenal rotating in a much less apparent method and utilizing it to stretch groups.
One other issue is that Smith Rowe or Martinelli get the possibility to tackle their reverse quantity one-on-one on the flank, extra like Saka does on the appropriate, with out Tierney overlapping and bringing one other defender with him. This form initially had Aubameyang on the left and was designed to launch him inside — the Gabonese wasn’t the very best at maintaining the ball shut and taking gamers on — however the want for that isn’t so sturdy with the choices Arsenal have within the form now.
One different factor is it makes Arsenal much more safe on the break.
A clip of Ben White dropping the ball after which tripping Raul Jimenez proved fashionable final week however look away from White in the identical state of affairs and also you see Tierney in what had grow to be Xhaka’s normal place.
When the ball is misplaced, which means Tierney — not Xhaka — is the overlaying defender. The left-back has nice acceleration and defensive instincts, having him all the way in which on the wing (the place Gabriel Martinelli is under) is a whole waste when Arsenal must recuperate from a free move. Having him nearer to, or part of, the backline is far more smart and it means Xhaka, notoriously sluggish to get off the mark, isn’t in a weak place.
In that occasion Arsenal gained the ball rapidly and you can see one other profit: Xhaka may flip and search for Martinelli. Often, within the earlier method of attacking, the reclamation of possession would’ve seen Martinelli making an attempt to string a ball by way of for Tierney. There’s nothing fallacious with that however everybody would fairly have Martinelli or Smith Rowe launched within the remaining third than the left-back.
This new strategy could also be constant however it’s not at all inflexible, and that’s the distinction to earlier than. Tierney nonetheless will get ahead. When he does, Cedric Soares at right-back has taken his flip to be extra conservative.
When Smith Rowe scored the opener in opposition to Brentford, after Tierney had flown exterior him, Xhaka and Cedric had been very a lot within the ‘previous’ positions you’d have anticipated from them in Arteta’s Arsenal. The distinction was that they weren’t fastened there all through the sport. Defending territory stays the important thing — Arsenal outnumbered Brentford 5 to 4 if Smith Rowe misplaced possession and the ball broke free — however Arsenal are discovering other ways of making the identical shapes.
And that’s why this new strategy gained’t see the crew hamstrung by having placing an excessive amount of attacking reliance on Xhaka or not sufficient on Tierney. The left-back has nonetheless gotten ahead too, whilst Xhaka has offered an possibility within the penalty space, with the 2 at all times cautious to cowl each other.
Xhaka will get within the field as Tierney sits however the ball breaks to the sting of the realm …
… so then Xhaka sits as Tierney drives on in possession.
Xhaka has proven the intelligence a couple of occasions to sit down in, with Tierney nonetheless getting concerned upfield and maybe wanting much more threatening as he can arrive late, fairly than standing excessive and extensive as he waits for possession to achieve him.
Tierney remains to be receiving the ball excessive up the pitch in these video games, he’s simply additionally receiving it nearer to his personal objective as nicely.
At occasions in the previous couple of video games Tierney has gotten ahead centrally too, including to the variation and rotations. On this occasion he has occupied a defender so his winger can obtain the ball in area on the touchline with out being pressed immediately or outnumbered. In these instances, Smith Rowe has been more durable to mark and Xhaka has offered the duvet.
The form stays the identical because it ever did: somebody holds the width, somebody performs contained in the winger, and the third participant on that facet tucks contained in the left-back place to offer cowl.
However the rotations have elevated and Arsenal go from Tierney being the bottom of that triangle and Smith Rowe being exterior, to Tierney being exterior and Xhaka being the bottom in a matter of seconds.
And you’ll see the area it creates for the person on the touchline when the nominal extensive man’s out-to-in motion is that bit much less predictable.
And that’s simply the left-hand facet, Arsenal have modified on the appropriate as nicely, with Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka now actually in sync and having fun with the liberty of getting Cedric behind them.
Whether or not or not that continues when Takehiro Tomiyasu returns stays to be seen however I’ve already acquired some ideas on the evolving Odegaard-Saka relationship for subsequent time.
In the end, particularly down the left flank, Arsenal are doing all the identical issues they’ve been doing for some time now. They’re simply doing them in another way and it seems like it’s working very nicely certainly.
