Before the ban, Mikel Arteta was required to use a 4-2-3-1, but has had to use this system since the start of the project.
Instead, he used 4-3-3 and 3-4-2-1, with one being much more successful than the other. With two Arsenal wins [against Southampton and Sheffield United] With the last three, the decision to switch has paid off very well.
Since his arrival as head coach in December, Arteta has been trying to keep his balance. In the early months of his reign, the Gunners were incredibly dependent on David Luiz, Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang uniting on the left. So much so that left-sided Arsenal players had scored 23 [47.8 per cent] Arsenal’s pre-lockdown goals under the Spaniard.
This dominance on the left was once again present when Arsenal moved to the last three at St. Mary’s for the first time. The chain of Kieran Tierney in the center-back, Saka in the center-back and Aubameyang as a left-sided striker worked seamlessly because everyone performed their roles almost perfectly.
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At the bottom right, Hector Bellerin and Nicolas Pepe couldn’t say the same thing because the couple just weren’t as well connected as the one on the left. Bellerin was far too unreliable with the ball at his feet and forced Pepe to go deeper where the game largely avoided him.
Testing the combinations at Sheffield United led to better results, however, as Ainsley Maitland-Niles performed excellently on the right-back. There he not only helped Pepes play with his positioning and decisions on the ball, but his defensive work also showed how important he could be for Arteta in the long run. Even if he regularly plays in midfield, he will always be a good option when Bellerin or Cedric Soares are absent if necessary.
Given that Cedric is getting closer to fitness, Norwich could be a great opportunity to make his debut and try another combination in the bottom right. After impressing enough in training to get a long-term contract, it will be incredibly interesting to see how well he fits in Arteta’s right-back role.
Given the demands Arteta places on his right-back to be heavily involved in more central areas of the field, this, along with his delivery accuracy in the last third, will be what sets Cedric apart from one of the key players.
“He’s a different quality in the full-back than we are. He’s a talented, technical player and probably the best we have in the last third to make the right decision and attack the box. He can play in a game.” Four or five, he’s a really good player with Premier League experience who can help us. “Arteta said about him before the game.
When Maitland-Niles and Bellerin played on the right, it was evident from the end of December until the last game in which a back four was played [Brighton away].
Finding out which combinations work and which ones don’t is not an immediate solution to Arsenal’s problems, although it is an important solution to the imbalance problem.
Some players may only need time to adapt to their new roles. Bellerin is an excellent example of how despite his performance in Southampton in Brighton he did well when he supplied Pepe on the contact line and so often made room for his goal later in the game – as analyzed here in more detail.
The problem with the left center-back didn’t have a complete solution either, as Sead Kolasinac didn’t look half as effective there despite Tierney’s prominent role. An uncomfortable performance on Bramall Lane, in which he could not position himself correctly or react quickly enough to danger, made it look like a real task to get him there.
Because the game board is so full, Tierney cannot play every game. It is therefore important to find another partnership between the left center-back and the left full-back. Sokratis, who jumped in as a middle man in the back three rows, could see Rob Holding pushing to the left, but the ideal option to fill that gap would be Luiz, considering the impact he will have from this position before the lockdown Arteta is not sure when the Brazilian will do this. Be fit again, it will take a while until he is on the side again.
It is also a must to find the best partner for Granit Xhaka in midfield to achieve more balance in the team. Although Dani Ceballos seemed to be the answer before the lockdown, he failed to combine creativity and defensive awareness so that he rightly took Lucas Torreira’s starting place. Now he still does the defensive well, but the ball lacks the urgency that made it so effective and most of the time it was a strain that slowed the side.
Joe Willock partially impressed at Sheffield United, but on the whole didn’t seem to have found his rhythm yet. It might be a case for him to get more minutes since there were moments when he was a real driving force for the Gunners, but it looks like the door for Maitland-Niles could still be open to itself to prove his preferred position or Lucas Torreira when he returns to get fit.
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With games so crowded, it may be difficult to find consistent lineups, and a 3-4-2-1 may not always be the system used, but Arteta, who lays the groundwork for how it works best, could be for Arsenal be crucial when playing bigger games [the FA Cup semi-final, for example] are on the horizon and he knows it.
“We will change the game plan in terms of what we want to generate aggressively and how we can limit the opponent and better control his strengths.” said the head coach to Southampton.
“As with the players we have, it is best for everyone to play in their positions and feel more comfortable and confident about their work. We do not have the flexibility I would now want to change more things, but that’s part of it. ” of the process. “
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