ArSeNaL aRe A lOw BlOcK tEaM 🤯

An in-depth THREAD designed to educate🔻 So, was Arsenal's plan to go to Old Trafford against a weakened United team to defend in a low block for large portions of the game?

The answer is no. Quite simply, no.

Arsenal were prepared to do it (as we saw), but it was not *THE PLAN*.

So, then, what was the plan?!

Chelsea have had the same problem all season - the midfield has been empty.

Inverting Cucurella has solved that.

The team is now closer together in and out of possession and the balance makes total sense in ALL phases.

The combination of fluidity and rigidity is perfect 🔵⚪️ In fact, this iteration of Chelsea is similar to Arsenal.

Palmer drops deep from the right half space like Ødegaard. Gallagher drops deep from the left #8 like Rice. Cucurella inverts inside but also takes up spaces when suitable outside the lines when suitable, like Zinchenko.

Since Arne Slot took over Feyenoord in 2021/22, they are FIRST in Europe's top 7 leagues for 'high turnovers', 'shot ending high turnovers', & 'goal ending high turnovers'.

It's time to take a deep-dive into how Slot & Feyenoord press, & what that means for Liverpool 🔴

THREAD! The first aspect of defensive play that needs to be addressed is the philosophical side of Slot's Feyenoord.

In this example, Feyenoord's #8 drops to get involved in the build-up before he loses possession.

Instead of retreating, Feyenoord's right back explodes to counterpress.

Arne Slot is the heir to Jürgen Klopp.

Below, in an in-depth thread, I break down his history as a coach and take a look at Feyenoord's in-possession principles.

'Staggered lines' in the build-up, inverted fullbacks, a 2-3-5 high build with strict positional play 🤯

THREAD! 🚨 Slot's managerial career has been short. His first managerial job came in 2017 at Cambuur before earning a move to AZ Alkmaar.

Here he earned 2.11 points per game in the Eredivisie, the highest of any AZ-coach in history, before moving on to a 'top' club in Feyenoord in 2020/21.

Last time Arsenal and Spurs played, Raya launched the ball from 40% of goal kicks. Vicario only did it 23% of the time.

Both teams pressed with similar man-to-man aggression, but Spurs had 61% of the ball at The Emirates at half-time.

Arteta needs to make some adjustments..

👇 Arsenal need to use Raya as a +1 in the build-up to play through Spurs' press.

Then, in the moments Spurs get effective pressure on the ball, it is okay to play long to Havertz. In fact, it makes sense to attract Spurs in and play over because Arsenal are more physical overall.

Villa, Bayern, and Wolves have all spotted the same weakness in Arsenal's high press.

It's time Mikel Arteta found a solution to give Arsenal the best possible chance of winning the Premier League title...

THREAD! 🚨 This is how Arsenal typically press against a 4-2-4 shape.

Ødegaard is capable of managing both the ball-side centre back and the ball-side #6 because they are in close proximity. This means that he can pressurise the carrier whilst shadow marking the #6.

It's a compact press.

As far as tactics go, Arteta's Arsenal are VASTLY superior to Tuchel's Bayern.

Tuchel is a great coach, but the decisions he is making towards the end of his Bayern tenure are not logical.

Arsenal can exploit Bayern in a number of ways if they manage their quality..

THREAD! 🚨 Bayern start in a 4-2-4 from goal kicks.

This structure is good at it occupies each key zone in both the build up and in the final third.

Bayern also often have the quality to play through teams, but they can play short to attract the opposition before playing over them too..

Arsenal vs Brighton was amazing.

Both coaches utilised specific strategies designed to exploit the opposing team. When special coaches like Arteta & De Zerbi tinker, it's time to take notice.

Below, in an in-depth thread, I break down how Arteta OUTCLASSED the Italian!

THREAD! De Zerbi and Brighton typically press in man-to-man fashion, but they changed to a zonal pressing scheme in an attempt to manage Arsenal's quality.

We can see that here as Baleba is central and ready to press the ball-side #6 before Brighton collapse the play to one side.

Liverpool and United are two fluid teams who excel in transition, but there are clear differences:

Liverpool’s press is elite.

They press in man-to-man fashion from goal kicks where you can try to play through them (good luck) or over them (where you hit van Dijk and Konaté) 🚨 In settled play, they leave the opposition with an overload, but they transition into a man-to-man high press to an elite standard as the fullback often pushes high against the opposition fullback which creates yet another ultra-compact man-to-man situation across the park.

As far as tactical battles go, Arteta vs De Zerbi is always up there with the most intriguing..

In the past, Arsenal have struggled to gain control against Brighton due to a lack of aggression in the press.

Arteta changed that this year, though, when they met at the Emirates 🚨 Arsenal pressed Brighton's central quartet in the build-up in the 'high build' with Jesus, Havertz, & Ødegaard managing 4 players at once (via shadow marking).

Although Brighton have the quality to find the spare man in this moment, Arsenal's aggression was excellent on the day.

Let me let you in on a little secret - Mikel Arteta's Arsenal did NOT go to the Etihad to sit back behind the ball. That was not the plan.

City simply forced them back, but Arsenal are one of the few teams who can excel when plan A fails.

They are ELITE defensively.

THREAD! 🚨 So, what was the plan?

How did Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, a team who so often dominate games with the ball average 27% possession

In the past, they have even dominated City possession-wise when they averaged 64% of the ball against them at the Emirates last season.

What changed?!

Both Liverpool and Manchester City utilised the same pressing structure against the opposition's 3-2-5 high build.

The #8's jumped to the #6's, the wingers shadow marked the #8's and pressed the wide centre backs, and the #6 was ready to jump to press the ball-side #8.

👇

However, there was a lot of variation within that from each team.

Liverpool pressed in man-to-man fashion from City's goal kicks. City pressed zonally here, though.

We can see that below as the situational #9's shadow mark the pivot with KDB ready to jump to the ball-side #6.

Let me explain to you why Mikel Arteta's 2-3-5 is ELITE!

Five players are evenly distributed in the final 3rd ready to combine, interchange, attack space, and use 1v1's.

Behind that, Kiwior and White provide extra dynamism from deep & good circulatory option alongside Jorginho. The potential for chance creation is off the charts, and we see Arsenal score thanks to White's excellent half space cross and Rice's run from deep.

However, what is also really important is the consequence of the attacking set-up on the defensive side of the game.

Martin Ødegaard is one of the most intelligent players alive 💯

We can see an example of that here as he single handedly orchestrates the offensive & defensive positioning of Arsenal in this moment..

Here, Ben White finds himself high.

Ødegaard drops & tell him to stay high 👇 With Ødegaard deep and White high, Arteta's ideal version of Arsenal's positional play in the final 3rd remains.

It means Arsenal continue to occupy the right half space between the lines whilst having a circulatory option behind that in midfield who also protects in transition.

Oliver Glasner has had an interesting start to life at Crystal Palace with a 3-0 win at home to Burnley & a 3-1 defeat away to Spurs.

At Frankfurt, his team had a reputation for compactness, & he emphasises this at Palace, but in a different way to his 'supposed pressing style'. In possession, Palace use the same 3-4-3 shape Glasner utilised at Frankfurt.

There is close proximity in the build-up and each player in the last line of attack occupies each lane in the final third (both wings, both half spaces, & the #9).

This is a great aspect of his style.

Ødegaard's new Bernardo Silva-esque role is great, but fans who expect him to dictate the build-up AND be the unstoppable game-breaker in attack at the same time are living in fairy land.

We must address Arsenal's collective dynamics as a consequence of his new role.

A thread. In possession, Ødegaard as the right-sided #10 limits Saka's influence because although they are elite at combining in tight spaces, Saka lacks a dynamic off-ball threat to create space for him outside of Ben White.

He is too reliant on heroic individual actions.

Conceição's Porto are famous for their out of possession 4-4-2 approach.

However, that 4-4-2 block often transitions into a full-blown man-to-man press.

Below, in an in-depth thread, I assess Porto as a whole & discuss ways in which Arteta's Arsenal can control them 🔴

THREAD! Porto may start off within a 4-4-2 block, but they can quickly transition into a man-to-man press, irrespective of how the opposition set up.

This is often achieved by one of the centre backs stepping into midfield to equalise the numbers in the middle & subsequently elsewhere.

Below, in an in-depth thread, I break down the City-Chelsea game with a specific focus on:

- Pochettino and Chelsea's build-up structure & shadow marking-oriented press,

- Pep's aggressive team selection with De Bruyne in a new role,

- & the use of Moisés Caicedo..

THREAD! 🚨 From goal kicks, Chelsea built play in a 4-2-4 shape against Manchester City with Enzo alongside Caicedo in the double #6.

The structure was good as they had players in close proximity who could combine & interchange effectively.

They also had good success when they went long.

Martin Ødegaard is an ELITE player is his new all-encompassing role.

In the #10, he had natural limitations that prevented him from reaching the likes of KDB. He's a different profile now, more like Bernardo Silva.

Somehow, Arteta's Arsenal are going to get better..

THREAD! 🚨 In yesterday's game, Burnley tried to match up with Arsenal's build-up in a 4-4-2 where they shadow marked balls into the players positioned high before arcing their runs to press the ball carries in the backline.

The approach was fine, but Arsenal are simply a far better team.

Why has it taken Mikel Arteta so long to invert Ben White into midfield?

White played there at both Leeds and Brighton, and Arteta consistently utilises the inverted fullback role.

It seemed like a move that always made sense, but context is key in this situation!

THREAD! 🔴⚪️ #1) When White inverts infield, it leaves Gabriel as the middle centre back and the 'primary ball-handler' in defence.

Alternatively, when the left back inverts, Saliba is the central centre back.

Not only is Saliba better on the ball, but he is right footed.

This matters.

Mikel Arteta came up with an ELITE solution in the absence of Zinchenko, Timber, and Tomiyasu in the inverted fullback role against West Ham.

That solution was Ben White.

White played a role that changed Arsenal's typical dynamics, so let's explore that in detail.

THREAD! 🔴⚪️ Arsenal started in the very first phase in a 4-2-4 build-up with both centre backs splitting either side of Raya, the fullbacks wide, and Ødegaard dropping deep alongside Rice to bring the proximity of the build-up closer together.

However, the players' positioning was fluid.