Thread by @MT_Analysis

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

· Why Gabriel Benched
· Partey – White Rotations
· Rice No.6
· Arsenal’s LHS Problems
· Compact Defence
· Odsonne Edouard

[THREAD]

Partey started as the RB (again) but then he inverted to form a double pivot with Declan Rice.

From there, he can help the build-up from deep, create passing lanes to Saka/Odegaard on the right flank, and add more defensive security in central areas.

Partey usually formed a double pivot with Rice at deeper positions and moved to wide areas (right) in the final third to help the combination

With Saka – Odegaard – Saka often interchanging, he could allow Saka to attack the box while he holds the width.

White – Saliba – Tomiyasu Back 3.

I think why Gabriel didn’t start vs Palace is that he isn’t comfortable in CCB (Saliba), and Tomiyasu (LCB) often played in advanced positions to interchange with Rice - Martinell - Havertz which Gabriel can’t really do.

We often saw the wide triangle between White – Odegaard – Saka last season.

But with Partey operating more on more advanced positions (on the right side,) White became in deeper positions (where he can still affect the game with his variety of passes).

From deep, Arsenal often tried to stretch Palace’s backline and attack through the channels.

With Saka offering the runs.

Arsenal almost scored a goal from this situation.

They tried to overload more on the right side, with the left side entering the box like this.

At times, Partey – White interchanges which allow White to be more advanced.

We still can see White advanced but not as often as last season (more situational).

This actually can make Arsenal RHS more fluid than before.

Not only to the box, Partey's positioning also allows Saka – Odegaard to be more adventurous (to the left side).

Rice more often acted as the lone 6 and conducted the play from deep.

Before he still tended to play to the left side, but this game shows that he can play through both sides.

Really like this movement from Rice.

He saw that the right halfspace wasn’t occupied so he moved forward to receive and help the combination play.

Nketiah often dropped in between the lines to receive, his hold-up play was very useful in helping Arsenal progress.

With Arsenal often creating overloads on the right side, Martinelli could be isolated on the left side.

Same problem last season against Brentford.

Heavy overloads on the right side actually can help Martinelli to attack the box more often.

But when the play starts from the left, he could be isolated like before.

Last season, Arsenal created overloads more often on the left side. Martinelli could attack the box by the constant rotations between him - Zinchenko - Xhaka - Trossard/Jesus.

Arteta is flipping the dynamics.

Tomiyasu/Timber as the LCB/LB hybrid is like White as the RCB/RB last season

White as the deep RCB is like Gabriel as the deep LCB last season

Partey as the inverted RB is like Zinchenko as the inverted LB last season

Last season they created more overloads on the left with Zinchenko – Xhaka – Martinelli – Jesus, supported by Gabriel from deep.

Now Partey – Odegaard – Saka – Nketiah on the right side, supported by White from deep.

But the key difference (apart from the CF) is that last season Saka was accompanied by Odegaard while now Martinelli is accompanied by Havertz.

Havertz and Odegaard are two different profiles/players.

Palace defended with a narrow 4-4-2 (with the wingers close to the center) and had a numerical superiority in the center, which made it hard for Arsenal to break through the center.

Some of the chances Arsenal created were from wide areas and direct play

Arsenal had several opportunities but had difficulty breaking through Palace's block in the majority of the match.

But Arsenal finally got a penalty in the 2nd half, due to Nketiah's smart runs.

Odegaard – Nketiah often pressed Palace’s GK – CB while Havertz was tasked to cover Palace’s double pivot, with Rice helping him to cover.

Palace had numerical superiority in the 1st phase of the build-up against Arsenal's press.

With Arteta tasking Rice to cover big areas in central areas.

If the wingers (ex: Martinelli) decided to help Havertz, one of Palace’s FBs (Ward) became free so that Palace could progress.

As we can see from previous examples, Palace often tried to attack by an early cross from Ayew.

Arsenal’s press was more successful when they forced Palace through wide areas so they could press more aggressively (pressing trap).

The press resulted in a dangerous chance for Nketiah but he hit the post.

Palace relied on Edouard’s hold-up play to help Palace get the ball high up the pitch.

Palace then transitioned into 3-2-2-3 / 3-2-5.

Doucore – Lerma conducting the play with Edouard constantly tried to receive in between the lines

Arsenal’s 1st line press was too easy to get bypassed sometimes which makes it easier for Palace to progress

Tomiyasu’s red card changed the game.

Gabriel came on so Arsenal played with White – Saliba – Gabriel as the back 3 (back 5 with Partey – Saka).

Nketiah’s runs/hold-up play was very useful in slowing the game down for Arsenal.

Arteta also put on players like Jorginho – Zinchenko – Kiwior, so that Arsenal could control the game in the last minutes.

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