Concept Unchanged, Only Different Roles Assumed
(✓) Season 2021-22:★ Tierney – underlapping and overlapping support for LW.★ Martinelli inside forward + Lacazette swap.★ Xhaka deep-lying playmaker + Partey volante.
(✓) Season 2022-23:★ Xhaka – underlapping and overlapping support for LW.★ Martinelli inside forward + Jesus swap.★ Zinchenko deep-lying playmaker + Partey volante.
(✓) Two Matches against Liverpool 2023-24 Emirates (image):★ Zinny / Kiwior underlapping and overlapping support for LW.★ Martinelli / Nelson inside forward + Havertz swap.★ Jorginho deep-lying playmaker + Rice volante.
Mikel Arteta Spent оver Half a Seasоn Experimenting tо Extract the Best Results:1 – Havertz – Fabiо Vieira – Declan Rice cannоt replace Xhaka’s suppоrt rоle оn the left.[!] While cоnsidering specific abilities, Havertz prоvides better bоx penetratiоn than Xhaka – Fabiо Vieira оffers better playmaking than Xhaka – Declan Rice brings better breakthrоugh ability than Xhaka.[X] Hоwever, Xhaka brings balance, especially in the crucial rоle оf the left-sided attacking midfielder, suppоrting Martinelli’s brilliance, which nоne оf the three players can fulfill due tо the specificities оf bоth the number 11 pоsitiоn and the оther three players.-> The best sоlutiоn is tо assign the underlapping/оverlapping suppоrt rоle fоr Martinelli tо the left-back pоsitiоn, where we have seen Zinchenkо, Tоmiyasu, and Kiwiоr perfоrm well, resulting in a much-imprоved perfоrmance frоm number 11.
2 – The interchange of the Declan Rice – Jorginho duo.(?) As mentioned before, the Rice – Jorginho pair has been used before and has been effective on several occasions, but in this phase, they provide better balance and fluidity to the system. Additionally, we can observe the impact of the left-back on Martinelli. Why is that?(!) The idea of transferring Xhaka’s support role to the left-back position was successfully implemented by Arteta in the victory against Man City in the first leg when Zinny assisted Martinelli’s impressive performance, and Tomiyasu’s late forward run contributed to Martinelli’s winning goal against The Citizens on that day, which is a clear example.(X) However, there are two issues here:
Firstly, when the left-back takes on an attacking role, Rice has to play deeper and replace the transitional role usually performed by Zinchenko. However, relying too much on Rice’s dribbling skills can pose a significant problem. This was noticed by Chelsea’s Pochettino, who strategically marked Rice during the showdown at Stamford Bridge, forcing Zinny back to the middle, and Martinelli struggled to make an impact.Secondly, Jorginho, who has spent most of his career on the opposite side, now has to take on Partey’s role, which involves covering a large space in front of the center-backs, especially in the rest defense phase when the team is in a high defensive line. This was noticed by Newcastle’s Eddie Howe, who exploited this aspect and launched swift counter-attacks, one of which led to Arsenal’s defeat.-> The best solution Arteta found to apply against Liverpool was to switch the roles of the two pivots:(✓) Jorginho moved to the left, with simpler decision-making and better vision, perfectly synchronizing with the role of a metronome, thereby allowing left-backs like Zinchenko or Kiwior to have more freedom to contribute to the attacking phase.(✓) Meanwhile, Declan Rice, with his ability to cover a vast space, formed the most solid and cohesive rest defense block in the current Premier League, alongside Saliba and Magalhaes.3 – Shaping two smooth and efficient operating systems.(✓) Firstly, to face weaker opponents or mid-low blocks, Mikel Arteta will use a 3-diamond-3 formation with a triple pivot of Zinny – Rice – Odegaard to establish control and provide quick transitions. Havertz/Smith Rowe will act as free players to create diversity and outnumber the opponent’s defense in the final third.(✓) Secondly, to face stronger opponents, as exemplified in the recent matches against Liverpool at the Emirates, Jorginho – Rice provide an overall balance, retaining the fluidity of the unchanged concept, along with a solid and synchronized defensive line capable of exerting pressure or dropping into a mid-block.Overall, Mikel Arteta deserves respect for his approach to solving the recent challenges. However, the current personnel may not be optimal,and there could still be room for improvement in the squad to further enhance the team’s performance. Arteta’s experimentation and tactical adjustments have shown promise, but it remаins to be seen how sustainable these changes are in the long run. The success of any tactical system also depends on the quality and suitability of the players involved, so future transfer windows and player development will play a crucial role in shaping the team’s performance.