Thread by @EBL2017

Not seeing an Arteta team play football in nearly 3 weeks has been tough. However, Arsenal are *BACK* against a high quality Wolves, and I'm doing a thread TWO days early because I can't bloody wait.

Here we go...

MEGA-THREAD!

Wolves are an incredibly compact team who play within a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2, depending on the opposition. If the opposing team play a midfield 3, Wolves will typically match up (and vice versa in relation to the double pivot). Their block is intense and very tricky to break down.

Wolves defend deep with five defenders and this makes it very difficult for teams to exploit their last line. Typically, positional play teams like Arsenal and City will look to use their wide players to create in 1v1s or combine. Wolves deal with these situations very well.

A team who defends within a back four is more susceptible to switches of play than a team who defends within a back five for the simple reason that they don't cover the width of the pitch as well. There's less ground to cover for the wingback with the extra defender in defence.

As such, Wolves' fullbacks do their utmost to get tight to the wide player to prevent them from receiving possession in an aggressive body position (towards the goal) in an attempt to make the player receive with the body angles facing backwards (i.e. preventing the 1v1).

So the likes of Saka & Martinelli in the wide areas will have their work cut out. They'll need to be on top of their game to create moments where they can receive in aggressive body positions to attack their respective men in 1v1s. Arsenal will also need to circulate efficiently.

Efficient circulation and high quality passing will allow Saka & Martinelli to let the ball run across their body & attack the opposition fullback as opposed to coming towards the ball because they're being pressurised. Saka will need to be much improved on the Burnley game.

Furthermore, Wolves aren't just a good low block team because they have five defenders and an intense set of players. They also have fantastic technical quality and use their overload in the build-up to a top standard to A) keep the ball or B) use their outlets in transition.

Teams who don't press well typically struggle against Wolves. Teams who do, however, sustain pressure on them & dominate the ball even though they have top technicians & an overload in the build-up? How? Because Wolves don't press high themselves. They allow teams to attack them.

As such, when play breaks down when Wolves are defending deep, they are left in a position where the oppositions block are high up the pitch and in an immediate position to counterpress so it's very difficult for Wolves to play out of that. They do on occasion, but not reliably.

However, in natural game situations such as when Wolves or Arsenal go long from goal kicks & Wolves inevitably win some of the duels & ultimately retain possession, this is where they WILL keep the ball. The likes of Moutinho, Neves & Coady are too good not to in their structure.

Wolves can of course be countered when they retain possession via runs by the likes of Saka and Martinelli but the pro's do not outweigh the con's. Wolves keeping the ball is a very bad thing for Arsenal. They have the quality and structure to work Arsenal's block and punish it.

So, it is imperative Arsenal's general pressing structure is good. Certain situations cannot be avoided but that's okay, Wolves are a good team. However, the general theme of the game must be Arsenal dominating the ball. This is only possible if Wolves' overload is mitigated.

Wolves are not like other low block teams. They will play out from the back when they get the ball and if the oppositions press isn't good, they will keep it despite not pressing high. They had 54% of the ball in the first half at Old Trafford. That is no joke.

So, considering how imperative it is that Arsenal's press is good, how does it match-up against Wolves' build-up? The answer is not very well.

Arsenal press within a 4-4-2 block and that *WILL* get played around with relative ease unless Arteta adapts his press to match up.

If Arsenal press within a 4-4-2 block, they're in trouble. Wolves will keep the ball once the natural energy within Arsenal's press dies after 10 or so minutes.

Against Brighton, Arsenal were dominated because of this pressing flaw, as they were against Chelsea too

I have done an entire thread on Arteta's flaws against 3 at the back teams because it has cost Arsenal points this season. Look at the 5v4's in can result in. See, Wolves don't press high in settled play whereas these teams do so it won't be as bad, but Arsenal won't have control

However, Arteta is an elite coach. He ain't dumb. He has successfully pressed 3 at the back teams off the park in recent years. He has simply deviated from that this season. Against Wolves, it's imperative he adapts to his ways of last season against 3 at the back teams.

The solution is to match-up. Push Tierney and Tomiyasu onto the wingbacks with Saka and Martinelli on the outside CB's. Then, in midfield, match-up. If Wolves play a midfield 3, even better. If they play a pivot, Partey can drop deeper & take their #9. CB's deal with BTL players.

That's the solution. If Arsenal play this way they will control the flow of the game. They will build play with ease because Wolves don't press high. They will sustain pressure and create via counterpressing and settled pressing when Wolves have the ball.

Control is everything.

Again, it's crucial to note that it's impossible to entirely mitigate any good team, & that's what Wolves are, a good team. However, it's about limiting their technical quality with tactical nous. Ramsdale should exclusively play short. Don't give them a chance to win duels.

Arteta has to adapt his structure to deal with Wolves' build-up and even if he does that it's still a tricky game (Wolves have outlets, technical quality, a compact block). However, the likelihood of Arsenal winning is *FAR* higher than in a toe-to-toe possession based battle.

This is a bigger test than people may expect, and the likelihood of Arsenal winning the game boils down to Mikel Arteta's tactics. Each time Arsenal have played a 3 at the back team this season they have flat out failed, and for good reason.

It's time for Arteta to change that.