One of my new favourite coaches:

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal: A thread:

Assistant to one of the greatest to ever coach in the game, played under a possession based Wenger and a defence first Moyes; it seemed he had all the foundations to succeed. Let me tell you why in the first few months he showed all that.

Out of possession they initially counterpress with correct spacing dynamics so that they’re in position to counterpress effectively. If that counterpress is beaten, they fall into a 4-4-2 mid-block as seen below.

But how did they line up in possession to maintain compact on the ball + have sufficient positional play for chance creation?

They line up in a general asymmetrical 4-2-3-1 in possession with emphasis on compactness and a 3-2-5 shape in the build up phase. Xhaka in the left half space to make a 3rd CB, an inverted FB into midfield to make the 3-2-5 shape. It looked like this:

Already a fundamental difference between Arsenal and City. Instruction to have 5 players centrally behind the ball for when they lose it, as preferred to City’s 4. A heavier emphasis on compactness to better counterpress + defend transitions.

However recently Arteta has scrapped the inverted FB dynamic with a wider/higher FB. Possibly because Bellerín isn’t good enough to play inverted or to give Pepe the licence to drift infield + dribble/create to offer another source of chance creation.

In the same picture you see Aubameyang as an inside forward inbetween the right FB + CB where he rigidly positions himself for spacing reasons. This offers more space for the touchline LB (Saka) and gives a predicament to the CB’s on whether to close the space inbetween the lines

Arteta’s spacing dynamics also allows space inbetween the lines for the striker + no.10 (Lacazette, Ozil). This offers the chance for players high up the pitch to counterpress effectively + provide combination play, chance creation, vertical passes to break the lines etc.

Whether the right FB is inverted or not another method of chance creation is overloads on that right hand side. They look to combine + create through the FB, no.10, right winger + (sometimes) the striker. (Bellerín, Ozil, Pepe, Lacazette usually).

In conclusion to their setup in possession they look to create chances via counterpressing, vertical passes into Ozil/Lacazette, overloads on the right hand side and combination play on the left with Saka + Aubameyang.

All sounds really good doesn’t it? Well yeah, if not for the personnel. The likes of Xhaka, Ozil, Lacazette, Torreira etc aren’t athletic enough to counterpress + deal with transitions efficiently.

Also don’t have the technical quality to control/dominate possession for 90 mins.

That’s Arteta’s Arsenal early on in his tenure. People will propose the argument of below-par results but that was never the point of his appointment. He has shown all the potential to be a truly top coach.

RT’s and feedback appreciated.