Harm to Martin Odegaard, a one-game suspension for Declan Rice and a fixture record that noticed Arsenal travelling to Tottenham, Atalanta and Manchester Metropolis within the house of every week pressured Mikel Arteta’s aspect into a practical nook of late. Arsenal averaged 35% possession throughout these three video games and demonstrated their defensive mettle.
Two of the three objectives they scored in that interval have been Gabriel headers from corners, the opposite was an extended distance strike from a left-back. Arsenal saved their gloves up by their chin and didn’t throw many punches- an strategy borne out of necessity. Inside that framework, it’s maybe barely simpler to bridge the hole left by Martin Odegaard’s absence, even when the Norwegian is extremely arduous working off the ball.
He leads Arsenal’s press from the entrance however Arsenal performed a little bit deeper in these powerful away video games. In lots of respects, we discovered little in regards to the Gunners on this interval that we didn’t already know, they’re defensively elite and have an ‘aura’ in terms of shutting opponents down. In addition they have a variety of defensive depth.
Even with Tomiyasu and Zinchenko nursing accidents, which we’re effectively accustomed to by now, Timber, White, Calafiori, Gabriel and Saliba have all been capable of begin video games. Even when Timber, Calafiori, Zinchenko and Tomiyasu have been concurrently unavailable for the dying minutes on the Etihad, Jakub Kiwior was capable of come into the fray at left-back. He began the identical fixture final season when Arsenal saved a clear sheet.
However Arsenal’s capability to enhance on their 89 level tally from final season was at all times going to relaxation on how the assault improved. On the threat of repeating myself advert nauseam, Arsenal didn’t rating at Porto, Bayern, Manchester Metropolis, Newcastle and Aston Villa final season and scored from a setpiece at Anfield. Arteta’s squad has a wonderful assault however whereas their off-ball play is presumably essentially the most formidable on the planet, no person would fairly formulate the identical argument in regards to the assault.
Now that nightmarish block of away matches is out of the way in which, Arsenal have three dwelling video games in every week towards Leicester, PSG and Southampton and the query as to how Arteta amends for Odegaard’s absence within the attacking and artistic sense involves the fore. During the last week and a half, Arsenal fell on a form of 4411 system which concerned Havertz interchanging with Trossard or Jesus in 9 and 10 partnership.
Havertz would typically drift upfront to contest for prime balls and drop again into midfield behind Trossard and Jesus in assault in possession, whereas the midfielders behind him performed in additional of a double pivot. That strategy is unlikely to generate sufficient menace in video games the place the staff usually tend to dominate the ball (that is very true of the Leicester and Southampton video games).
In opposition to Metropolis, 21.2% of Arsenal’s passes have been lengthy, towards Atalanta it was 12.4% and towards Spurs it was 17.1%. Final season, 11.3% of Arsenal’s passes have been lengthy on common, so Arteta’s aspect superior on that baseline in every of the final three video games. Once more, upcoming video games are much less prone to name on a extra direct strategy and the way they address advancing their technical sport with out their technical prefect in Odegaard goes to be each fascinating and possibly even a little bit regarding.
When Odegaard’s absence was first established, I wrote a chunk about how necessary Kai Havertz would show to be (particularly with Mikel Merino additionally absent). It’s no coincidence that he performed all 270 minutes throughout final week, his bodily presence as an outlet was essential in a interval the place Arsenal have been happier to be extra compact and direct. However his capability to play a hybrid position between a 9 and a ten was additionally essential in how Arsenal wished to play.
Now Havertz’s extra refined qualities are going to be known as upon and I strongly suspect he will probably be requested to play a extra conventional midfield position with Gabriel Jesus taking part in upfront. It may very well be that he steps straight into Odegaard’s proper eight position. I actually assume there could be worth in him receiving the ball in positions the place his pure physique form will probably be inwards and in the direction of extra central positions.
Nonetheless, I believe it’s simply as doubtless that Arteta would possibly reinstate him into the ‘left eight’ position for which he was initially (primarily) purchased with Rice shifting over to the fitting. This is able to imply that Rice might concentrate on offering service to Bukayo Saka on the flank. But it surely additionally signifies that Arsenal might begin to create a pleasant quadrant on the left aspect.
Throughout pre-season, Arsenal performed consummately towards (an admittedly undercooked) Leverkusen. Havertz began that sport in midfield with Jesus upfront and Trossard on the left. Zinchenko performed at left-back and there was a really pleasing fluidity between these 4 gamers that Leverkusen discovered troublesome to deal with, as Trossard, Jesus and Havertz constantly swapped positions, underpinned by the technical high quality of Zinchenko.
The addition of Riccardo Calafiori provides one other factor to the combo together with his capability to dribble into that left half-space. The Italian can also be in a honeymoon interval the place his qualities will probably be barely unknown to different Premier League groups, a lot as Zinchenko’s have been in that golden autumn of 2022. Calafiori, Havertz, Jesus and Trossard strikes me as a quartet with some potential to make Arsenal a little bit extra fluid on a left aspect that has beforehand been a inventive junior to Arsenal’s proper.
The tremendous established trident of White, Odegaard and Saka on the fitting will probably be damaged up for the primary time in over two years, so it is sensible for the left aspect to essentially decide up a few of that slack and kind some networks which are at present much less well-known to opponents. There’s a potential for fluidity there. Even with Martinelli on the left as an alternative of Trossard, the 2 Brazilians share a fluid understanding primarily based on interchange of positions.
It may very well be a great time for Martinelli and Jesus to re-establish their kind and primacy on this Arsenal staff and it could even be a really useful time for Raheem Sterling to make his identify on the membership in whichever position(s) he seems in. In disaster, there may be alternative. As a result of Arsenal are going to have to indicate a lighter, flightier face than the snarling, decided one they’ve proven over the past 7-10 days on this upcoming block.
