Vinay Shankar (Tactical Analyst)
A controlled performance, unlike last weekend, as attacking fluidity propels this team to the next level in the most gruelling week of Arsenal's season:
- After the chaos at Vicarage Road, the need for balance between committing numbers forward to support the attack and defending as a unit was crucial. Under Arteta, the latter has been preferred for most of his tenure but the last few weeks have seen a release of the handbrake.
- The passing triangles, movement, and understanding between the players were on the money from the start.
- Despite the smooth interplay in tight areas, Arsenal were struggling to play through the Foxes in the first half, as the visitors were very aggressive in their press. On the other side, Arsenal were very conservative without the ball and kept dropping deep from the front rather than the usual dual press from the front.
- Rather than Saka, it was Martinelli who was keeping the width on the left, and the long diagonals were always an option. This tactic was utilised quite often against Leicester when Luiz was in the side and in White, a defender with similar ball-playing abilities was recruited.
- Not keeping the ball well enough coupled with no press meant the Leicester midfielders were given a lot of time on the ball and created the overloads in the wide areas with ease. The visitors being toothless in attack kept things very comfortable but it's a dangerous game to play.
- Any notion of energy conservation for the other games this week was stamped out in the second half as Arsenal suffocated the visitors and played the way Arteta expects them to.
- Building out was much simpler with Leicester not pressing as much. Ødegaard kept drifting out wide to drag the defensive midfielder out of position, allowing Lacazette to thrive in the role that plays to his strengths.
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