Arsenal took a solid first step under Mikel Arteta against Bournemouth today. Despite having just 2-3 days of training, Arteta has implemented a few basic tactical ideas, which I would like to discuss.

To start, on paper our formation was a 4-2-3-1.

This shifted to a 2-3-3-2 in possession. Arteta pushed Saka forward so he could provide width to the left-side of our attack. Xhaka was asked to cover the space left behind. Since Xhaka was occupied with covering the left side of the pitch, AMN tucked in as an inverted full-back to add another body to the midfield. Reiss Nelson stuck to the touchline, providing the width to the right-side of our attack. Nelson was prefered over Pepe because he is more comfortable playing wide and dropping back to support the defence. Pepe’s tendency to move inside would have congested the middle of the pitch and harmed build-up.

Xhaka performed very well in his LCM/LCB role. His left-foot and ability to split defensive lines helped our build-up in 2 ways: releasing Saka and finding Aubameyang. It is worth remembering that his pass to Aubameyang started the attack that led to the goal. Xhaka’s deeper positioning suited his quarterback playing style as he was not as aggressively pressed and given time to pick his pass.

Arteta used Torreira as the #6, arguably the most important part of Arteta’s system. Torreira dropped deepest, splitting the centre-backs in the build-up from Leno. Torreira’s defensive tenacity, simplicity on the ball and agility makes him the most suitable player in the Arsenal squad to play as Arteta’s #6.

With Saka providing the width on the left, Aubameyang was allowed to move inside, towards the box and focus on his strengths (finishing and movement). The quasi-three-man midfield constantly looked to find Ozil and gave Arsenal more defensive security from a quick turnover. Ozil is most effective when he drifts between wings, combining with his wingers to create overloads in certain channels. Ozil made four key passes vs. Bournemouth, the most he’s had this season (whoscored.com).

Emery played Ozil as the #10 in two systems, but neither system got the best out of him. in the 4-2-3-1, Ozil was crowded out by Emery’s insistence on playing his wingers in the half-spaces. In the 3-4-1-2, Ozil did not have wingers to progress play with, and instead, he was having to play to the feet of Lacazette and Aubameyang.

Against Bournemouth, Ozil prefered working on the right-side of Arsenal’s attack because of AMN’s movement, which made combination play easier.

Depending on Nelson’s positioning AMN moved in two ways: 1) if Nelson was wide, AMN moved into the midfield. 2) if Nelson was inside, AMN stayed wide. This ensured that the RB and RW were not in the same vertical line and that the right half-space was always occupied.

Whenever the first option was taken (Nelson wide, AMN inside) Ozil was able to move into the right half-space and combine. This combination often resulted in either Nelson or Ozil being set free.

Arteta’s quick fix for AMN was a breath of fresh air from Emery’s use of full-backs. Emery relied on his full-backs for build-up, which led to a lot of backwards passing and made our attacks predictable.

AMN’s central midfield qualities give him the perfect profile for an inverted full-back. Also, his effectiveness going forward gives Arteta a dual option that could make Arsenal tactically flexible during matches.

Looking at Bournemouth’s setup

It is important to consider Bournemouth’s setup when thinking about Arteta’s tactical decisions. Bournemouth’s started in a compact 4-5-1 shape, one of two formations they predominantly use.

Down Arsenal’s right side, Dan Gosling and Josh King pushed very high, both supporting Wilson in attack and in the press. Perhaps Howe pushed the left-side of his team higher to target Sokratis, whose distribution is an obvious weakness. As a result of Gosling’s aggressive positioning, Lewis Cook stayed closer to Lerma, almost moving Bournemouth to a 4-2-3-1 in attack.

Arsenal experienced most joy in the build-up when both Cook and Gosling pressed Torreira, Luiz and Sokratis. Gosling’s high positioning opened up more space in the right half-space for Arsenal, which is another reason Ozil chose to operate there. Through combination play at the back, Arsenal could bypass Bournemouth’s press and set Ozil free.

On the other wing, Fraser aimed to stretch Arsenal’s defence by hugging the touchline. Jack Stacey supported Fraser, getting forward more than Jack Simpson, who had to cover for King and occasionally Gosling.

Bournemouth were frustrated by Arsenal’s solid start to the match and after 24 minutes King and Fraser switched flanks. However, King was most effective after switching back to the LW, with AMN and Nelson struggling against his physique. This was surprising because AMN is typically solid one-on-one. Nelson defensively supported AMN and helped limit King’s danger.

Next steps – Chelsea (H) and Man Utd (a):

Calum Chambers’ return from suspension will most likely force Sokratis out of the team for Chelsea on Sunday. Opposition teams often use Sokratis as a trigger for their press, who has a difficult time progressing the ball. Chambers will improve Arsenal’s build-up, but he could also give Arteta a new tactical dimension. Chambers’ progression from a winger to full-back to centre-back means he could move from centre back to a wide option at full-back or provide overlapping runs in attack (link). This is a bit of a long shot. Regardless, I am looking forward to a Chambers and Luiz centre-back pairing. I would not be surprised if David Luiz becomes vital to Arteta’s tactics. Luiz’s distribution could be key to build-up, as shown already vs. Bournemouth by his two through balls and 86 passes (whoscored.com).

How will Arteta integrate Pepe, Guendouzi, and Martinelli into this system? Perhaps as long as Saka has to fill in at left-back Arteta won’t be able to play Pepe in his best position. Arsenal were a little predictable down the left side in the first half and the combination play between Xhaka, Aubameyang, and Saka was not always fluid. Guendouzi’s dynamism and powerful runs with the ball could give Arsenal another option down the left. Could Martinelli play as a wide RW or will he have to serve as a backup to Aubameyang and Lacazette?

Overall, this was an encouraging start to the Arteta era. Arsenal play four matches in the next two weeks, including crunch matches against Chelsea and Man Utd. This should give us a better indication of Arteta’s tactical philosophy, as Arsenal embark on a daunting rebuild.