Arsenal Column

Former personal zipper(er) to Arsène Wenger therefore privy to certain inside tactical information.

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

@vjlive It's so hard to call. I think we'll play high in the press and do a hybrid marking, but probably drop deeper quicker to stop those rotations. They do, not just the wingers, use the half spaces so well that blocking one side isn't enough, we need to be vertically compact

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Arsenal title win a culmination of the last 4 seasons. Arteta, the team, mastered all phases of the game (xg, press, set-piece), all game states - the most rounded team, capable of manufacturing outcomes such that it felt they always had something to keep opponent at arm's length

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Was so good as a 17 year-old v Arsenal for Anderlecht, glad Tielemans gets a European honour his undeniable talent deserves

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

A bit of a nothingness first-half. Some observations; Wilshere unlucky with final pass, Welbeck reluctant to do final pass. Tielemans v.good

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

This belongs to all of us.

[afcstuff @afcstuff]

📲 Bukayo Saka on Instagram, with Myles Lewis-Skelly. 😭❤️‍🔥

🗣️ “They called us bottlers! Now we’re holding a bottle!” 🍾

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

We did it, together.

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

AFC Bournemouth

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Really enjoyed this. One of those football articles that you come across less rarely online now; written seriously, but accessible, without talking down to the reader, smart enough to form their own conclusions (and no screenshots/graphics to tell the story rather than words)

[Jon Mackenzie @Jon_Mackenzie]

I really enjoyed having this conversation with @tomocurr and @JakeEntwistle about how the role of the midfielder has subtley shifted in the last few years.

LINK BELOW

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Arsenal winning the league, Millwall going up, Spurs going down; we might be about to see the collective suicide of a nation.

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Rather than Odegaard-Eze as the two no8/10s, Lewis-Skelly-Eze makes better sense, as it allows Arsenal to do more things with the movements, rotations. Plus the pair raises the dribbler profile of the team.

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

The equivalent of Arsenal using two inside wingers like City, to transform the fortunes of their season, would be if we used two no.10s - Eze and Odegaard. Rather, any changes will be subtle. Arteta believes in the process, doing it better than others, that the team will click.

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Rice already 50+ passes in the first-half. There's almost something classical about the combination - a no6 who dictates, excellent defensively, and Zubimendi (20 passes), at no8, a knitter, moving into space, playing quick passes to progress attacks

[Dezildez @Dezildezzzz]

Something different tactically. Rice is playing as the deepest of the midfield-3 (possibly to manage Alvarez/Griezmann who drop into that zone), whilst Zubimendi and Odegaard are asked to play high between lines & behind the Atletico midfield-2. That combination lead to the goal.

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

@kimischilling One thing that stuck out from their summer business was the lack of centre-backs they've got. I'm not sure who they were planning to use, except Diakite, who has now been dropped since Jan for James Hill. I suspect part of "defending deeper" is influenced by this

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Rice: "Most teams that come here... play 5-4-1/changes from a 4 to 5 so the space isn't there. It's on us to find ways to score and break it down..." https://t.co/QY4yxXardR

[Yureed Elahi @yureedelahi]

How deep to PL teams sit vs Arsenal?
Updated version of the viz. Worked on the design a lot so it's more easier to understand at least.

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Arteta needs to change something so Arsenal - influenced by midfielders habits of wanting to play behind the ball - pin the oppo higher up the pitch. They tried it with Harverz but as Arteta said: “a lot of opportunities when we break their press, we were far from efficient,”

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Bournemouth are 2nd for lowest % of oppo passes in build-up, and 4th highest for oppo danger zone possession lost, and shown today with Arsenal almost double danger zone loss than usual. Still, Arsenal have key players who can deliver - in a not completely convincing performance

[markstats bot @markstatsbot]

Bournemouth 2 : 3 Arsenal

▪ Penbox shots: 5 - 7
▪ Deep Entries: 10 - 13
▪ Buildup completion: 74.4% - 80.7%
▪ PPDA: 11.9 - 7.4
▪ High turnovers: 4 - 3

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

As such, Rice seemed to end up being more progressive drifting towards the right, but on the left, he was forced more to bump passes back, perhaps then to try get around the press. Problem is Arsenal spend so much time engaging in this type of game, behind the ball

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Doing just enough is enough for Arsenal from now, until the end of the season. It has been enough for much of the season. I could complain about the midfield not playing ahead of the ball more, but that's not Arsenal; they wait, they probe, they stutter - they just need moments

[markstats bot @markstatsbot]

Sporting 0 : 1 Arsenal

▪ xG: 1.17 - 0.85
▪ xThreat: 0.66 - 0.95
▪ Possession: 44.7% - 55.3%
▪ Field Tilt: 29.3% - 70.7%
▪ Def Action Height: 38.1 - 57.3

Donations https://t.co/nlgfzDqYhs

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

Arteta wants like-for-like in every position (x2 players), but doesn't have it in central midfield. Rice, Zubu, Ode, Eze - by design mainly and habits - play unusual, patterns so when teams like S'oton, City, bring something different, see a change in midfield, we labour more

[Arsenal Column @ArsenalColumn]

"Arsenal is an unusual team...Arteta has built an extreme model of systems play and controlled movement. Sequences in and out of possession are minutely planned and grooved. The ideal is sustained intensity, constant positional cover, attacks that follow an overwhelming pattern.'

[Barney Ronay @barneyronay]

Arsenal. They’ll be fine. No one has to be a fraud or a bottler here. And the tension is … interesting
https://t.co/5Am89GsrVa