Thread by @oltsport_

HOW MIKEL ARTETA WANTS ARSENAL TO PLAY IN THE 23/24 SEASON

TACTICAL ANALYSIS THREAD 🧵
#analysiswithclassicadez @Classicadez01

Mikel Arteta has made some interesting signings to add to his Arsenal team that narrowly finished second in the EPL last season.
Havertz, Rice and Timber are very versatile players who have been signed to play several roles, also create fluidity and rotation on the pitch.

Arsenal have looked to build up in several ways in their preseason games. In the first phase, they could look to set up in a 3-2-2-3 shape with a FB inverting or in a 4-2-4 shape. The former mostly leads to Arsenal playing out from the back while the latter for long balls and

winning 2nd ball with the front four.
The front four of Arsenal push the opposition backline to create massive space btwn their defence & midfield, needed to win the second ball to go beyond direct play. If they fail to win the 2nd ball,they counterpress

1. Long ball from Goal Kick, Trossard wins the second ball and scores.
2. Building up short in a 4-2-4 shape
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy



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Whenever Arsenal build up short and they bypass the first press. They look to form a 3-2-5 shape against the opposition low/mid block.
This will be done by inverting one of the fullbacks (Timber, Zinchenko, Kiwior) into Midfield while having a front five in attack.
{Timber here}

Whenever Arsenal find it difficult to get past the defensive block, the striker can drop deeper to help with progression. This is something we have often seen with Gabriel Jesus and Trossard, Nketiah has massively improved in this aspect.

ARTETA wants to build a team that players can move into different positions during the game and also create link ups and combination play especially in attack.
Against Barcelona, Arsenal front 5 were all involved as they won a PK that Saka missed, sadly.

For the first time, against Monaco, we saw Rice playing in the LCM role where he is expected to attack the half space as Xhaka did. He combined well with Martinelli and Timber where he also exchanged position with Timber.

If Rice continues to attack like this with quick improvement and understanding of the new role, he might end up with similar goal output as Granit Xhaka. Havertz also played that role throughout the preseason.
I would prefer Rice against stronger teams

Out Of Possession(OOP), Arsenal look to press high with different ways, depending on the opponent. Their most used pressing structure last season was the Saka/Martinelli pressing the LCB/RCB, then they'll be supported by their RB(White)/LB(Zinc) in pressing the Fullback.

Arsenal press poorly in the absence of Odegaard who leads the press and instructs his teammates.
1. GOOD PRESS
2. POOR PRESS with space in midfield which Arteta needs to address as there's always a free man in midfield.



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Against Man United and Monaco, Arsenal's press was very poor as United and Monaco were almost always having numerical advantage and have a free man to find behind Arsenal's press.
ARTETA needs to find solutions to this as teams will hurt them if solution isn't found.

Against Barcelona, Arteta had a better pressing structure. Man to man marking in midfield, wingers on the Barca FBs and Jesus on both CBs. They pressed in a 4-2-3-1 shape which could turn to a 4-1-2-3 depending on the movement of the Barca Midfielders.

1. A quick analysis on the pressing structure against Barcelona by @GauravAnlyst

2. A good press against Barcelona leading to a stunning goal by Fabio Viera



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When Arsenal choose to sit back, they form a 4-4-2 shape with Odegaard and the ST as the front two or if Kai plays, he could be the one with the ST.
Unfortunately, a midfield of Kai and Ø8 or either of them as a double pivot with the DM leaves Arsenal vulnerable in defence.

When Arteta noticed this issue in his Midfield, he adjusted to a more secure 4-1-4-1 defensive shape to cover for the inability of his double AM to defend properly and minimize central progression. Against Barcelona & Monaco, Arsenal defended in a 4-1-4-1

With Havertz in midfield, Arsenal can have a genuine goal threat from set pieces and crosses, he could also act as a target for long balls. He is also very brilliant in making late runs into the box to get at the end of crosses.Expect more of that esp from Saka/Odegaard's crosses

Trust @oltsport_ and @Classicadez01, you'll see more of these from Arsenal.
•I'll be there no matter what•



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@m8arteta will have headache selecting players for certain roles in different games.
My opinion - against stronger teams Rice and J5/Partey should be paired in midfield with Ø8
Against teams who will sit back, Havertz should be in LCM for more bodies and attacking threats.

He also has TIMBER, KIWIOR, ZINCHENKO to invert.
WHITE, TIERNEY to overlap
TIMBER, WHITE, TOMIYASU, KIWIOR as defensive side center backs.
In total, he has a top quality and quantity of
RCB - Saliba, White, Timber, Holding
LCB - Gabriel, Kiwior
FB- A very long list 🥵🥵

End Of Thread 🧵

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