Christian Nørgaard to Arsenal ✅

This move is smarter than you think.

Let’s break it down through the lens of Mikel Arteta, the man who wanted Nørgaard in the first place.

THREAD! 🚨 Christian Nørgaard is a well-rounded midfielder.

A proactive, mobile, and attentive defender with aerial qualities.

Not a natural #6 with the ball as he plays with a right-sided bias, a bit like Jordan Henderson, but is brave to receive, has top range and underrated 'deftness'.

But but Viktor Gyökeres doesn’t score vs low blocks!!!

I laugh every time I read it.

An analysis on why Viktor Gyökeres is going to score an obscene amount of goals for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.

THREAD! 🚨 Remember Luis Suárez in the box?

Like how he barged his way through defenders and the ball somehow stuck to his feet?

Gyökeres is also relentless when dribbling.

Not always squeaky clean, but he has a relentless mindset to create separation & the finishing to capitalise on it.

Zubimendi's signing has HUGE implications for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal 🔴⚪️

You know how Vitinha rotates with Neves/Ruiz?

Partey & Jorginho were not mobile/technical enough to do that — Zubimendi is!

Arsenal's ability to control games is about to go up another level 🤯
THREAD 🚨 Get used to rotations like this (see Oyarzabal and Zubimendi).

Zubimendi will have the license to move high along with the technical quality & mobility to pull it off.

Jorginho was intelligent enough to try it, but lacked the mobility in these areas.

Zubimendi is more dynamic.

Chelsea under Enzo Maresca — the bigger picture.

🇧🇷 João Pedro
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jamie Gittens
✅ They have the quality to dominate with the ball
🔐 But if they want to win, the culture has to change

Let’s break it down.
A thread 👇 João Pedro is an exceptional footballer, and Jame Gittens has the potential to be one.

But the key for Chelsea and Maresca is to address their lack of physicality and entire culture which is not obsessed with defending the way it needs to be to compete with the elites.

Cesc Fàbregas might be football’s next elite manager.

Relentless pressing. Clear principles. Tactical detail you rarely see this early in coaching.

But his idea is not flawless — his defensive model still has cracks.

What sets him apart — and what he must refine 👇

THREAD! 🧠 Cesc Fàbregas' main idea in the defensive moment is to press with maximum aggression within a 4-2-3-1 base.

Man-to-man — even releasing to press the goalkeeper.

Ultra-aggressive!

You can also see how Como sensibly adjust the structure to match up with back 3's, for example.

Cesc Fàbregas isn’t just a name from the past — he might be Spain’s next elite coach 🇪🇸

La Masia DNA. Mentored by Pep, Wenger, Mourinho, Del Bosque, and Conte 🧠

Now shaping something serious at Como 🇮🇹 — like Mikel Arteta or Luis Enrique before their rise...

MEGA-THREAD! 🚨 Unsurprisingly, with that background, Fàbregas has had a successful first season as a coach with Como.

In an interview with @IJaSport, Cesc reveals his philosophy.

Instead of committing to one way, he wants his team to have as many solutions as possible.

Thomas Frank is one of the best defensive coaches in the SPORT! He also sets special standards, both on & off the pitch 🤯

Spurs' identity is about to change - his team will be a nightmare to play against.

Below, I reveal Frank's tactical ideas from start to finish.

THREAD! 🚨 Thomas Frank did an absolutely unbelievable job at Brentford.

The evolution epitomised common sense.

Early on in the Premier League, Brentford almost exclusively played a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2 which was ultra compact and aggressive in every phase with physicality in every area.

Rodrygo, Arsenal.

Let’s talk about it 🔻 Rodrygo is an advanced iteration of Martinelli.

Martinelli plays rushed. He does not play with the ‘pausa’ of the elites (like he has time on the ball).

Martinelli focuses on things that are subconscious for Rodrygo.

It gives Rodrygo splits second advantages that are decisive.

An in-depth thread on Manchester United's summer and their future under Ruben Amorim:

🔺 Cunha with Mbeumo would be exceptional business,
🇵🇹 Bruno Fernandes staying is a mistake led by Ruben Amorim,
🔐 Kobbie Mainoo's role,
🤯 United's squad is criminally underrated..

A thread. Cunha is basically Kudus except with more 'pausa' to dictate attacks.

That is nothing short of a special player.

How many players can dictate to break down a low block whilst being a huge threat in transition thanks to their unstoppable ball-carrying and ball-striking/passing?!

Benjamin Šeško vs Viktor Gyökeres 🔴⚪️

It is the question on everyone's lips: who should Mikel Arteta, Andrea Berta and Arsenal Football Club sign?!

In an in-depth thread, I ANSWER that question! I guarantee that you will not expect to read what you do below 🤯

MEGA-THREAD! 🚨
I'll be honest, guys.

Šeško and Gyökeres have been dominating my thought process.

In the last days, in an attempt to identify who is the most suitable #9 for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, I broke down both players in full, so let's apply that analysis to the environment at Arsenal 👇

Viktor Gyökeres guarantees goals. No matter what way you spin it, 67 goal contributions in 52 games is ELITE output 💯

For that reason, he is on Mikel Arteta & Arsenal's list.

Below, in an in-depth thread, I reveal how his profile and MENTALITY makes him undeniable!

THREAD! 🚨 I write this thread with a sense of urgency. A sense of fire. A sense of anger.

Viktor Gyökeres has been disrespected quite heavily in recent weeks on X.

Not that this matters in the grand scheme because EVERYONE with attention on them gets criticised, but it has been too much.

Bryan Mbeumo is the closest profile to Mo Salah.

Physically, technically, tactically, mentally... you name the parameter & he EXCELS there.

Not only that, but he is PL proven, 25 years young & will only cost £50m. It's ELITE business from Amorim & Manchester United!

THREAD! 💥 Mbeumo epitomises everything that Manchester United have not been since the good ol' days.

He is direct, lightening quick, works as hard as possible and is not afraid to take on big responsibility on the pitch.

That alone should be enough to excite Manchester United fans!

Benjamin Šeško has the potential to become the best #9 IN THE WORLD 🤯

We are talking about a 6'4 speed demon. Someone who is unstoppable in transition. An elite ball-striker. Oh, and he can dribble. Šeško is an ALIEN!

The exact profile Mikel Arteta's Arsenal need..

THREAD! 🔴 Imma be real with you.

When I watch Benjamin Šeško, I can barely sit still.

I watch football every day. Every damn day. I love it, but at times you become desensitised to it, like anything.

But with Šeško.. man. This ain't some 'tactical spin', either. The guy is pure quality.

United play the same way ALL of the time so to reach damning conclusions based on the loss to Spurs in the Europa League final does not make sense.

The likelihood of winning long-term is all that will ever matter for any football club.

Amorim’s idea has been flawed since day 1. Tactically, the back 5 struggles to get pressure on the ball in open play, the goal kick structure with the centre back inverting into midfield doesn’t work, the system is rigid and easy to prepare to face and United play with 7 defensive-minded players in conservative positions.

The harsh reality of the situation regarding Bilbao-United is that Ernesto Valverde's team dismantled Ruben Amorim's side with & without the ball until the red card.

This does not matter so much in the short-run, though, because United are likely to reach the final now.

Thread. In the long run, though, we cannot ignore many of the issues that are abundantly clear in Amorim's system.

From the goal kick or via back passes, the issues are extremely clear regarding the middle centre back inverting into midfield.

But it is also VERY predictable to press...

Some thoughts on Ange and Spurs, centering around verticality, both with and without the ball 👇

The lack of 'pausa' is their biggest problem, both on and off the pitch.

Spurs were 'fun' last season, but that 'fun' has evaporated..

We can attribute that to Ange's philosophy 🛑 As a pure tactician it is actually quite difficult to criticise Ange, even from a defensive perspective.

However, a lack of respect to defensive principles is where Spurs go wrong.

Too many forward thinking players, not enough emphasis on defending the space and not pressing.

A tribute to Arsenal's historical performance at the Bernabéu.

Every player gets a mention before we talk about the man at the helm.

The man who is responsible for this special moment in Arsenal history. The man who constructed a game-plan from heaven, Mikel Arteta.

THREAD! 🔴 David Raya, your ability to assess the press to play short & use the overload in the build-up OR go long against Madrid's man-to-man press & play pinpoint passes deep into Real's half demonstrates braveness beyond comprehension. Not to mention how you claim crosses. Mental giant.

Real Madrid are going to make the Arsenal game not-so-tactical.

They do this because of their collective quality.

Like City vs Madrid match-ups, control is not reliably achievable because Madrid can play through all types of pressure and have beyond elite quality in attack.

🧵 Real Madrid supersede tactics.

It is why they have dominated the Champions League for the last decade or so.

Their press is not bulletproof & they always suffer in moments against good teams because Vinicius/Mbappé don't defend much.

But their mentality/quality bails 'em out..

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal blend 'Positionalism' with 'Relationism'.

A tactical analysis on the entirety of their special style.

🔻 Positionalism vs relationism - a constant debate in the tactical sphere.

Arsenal blend both ideas together.

Positionalism.

Triangle on the left, triangle on the right 👇

The smartest teams press with players in 'half' positions.

PSV are set to play short, but oftentimes teams who come up against man-to-man pressure play over the press & into the top of the pitch.

As such, Nwaneri and Timber are 'half and half.'

In other words, ready for both.. If PSV play short, both Nwaneri and Timber can jump aggressively to their respective men.

If PSG play long, both Nwaneri and Timber are not too aggressively positioned so they can recover and provide Arsenal with an overload to deal with direct play.

A very, very smart approach

Mikel Arteta has elevated Arsenal to a level BEYOND tactical familiarity.

Forget physicality, technical quality & the 'will to win'. It is obvious Arsenal have these qualities.

What is often forgotten is their collective INTELLIGENCE, all of which stems from Arteta.

THREAD! 🔴 The first goal is a prime example of Arsenal's tactical intelligence.

Here we see Arsenal press in zonal fashion with Akanji being the spare man in the build-up.

Stones tries to find him, but Trossard takes the situation into his own hands & jumps to press Akanji.

1-0 Arsenal.