By Vinay Shankar (Tactical Analyst)
A tight scoreline, not reflective of the controlled one-sided match in the London derby:
· Zinchenko being fit is a huge boost for this team because his familiarity with the role and the positions to take up with and without the ball makes a difference. Not to mention, his creative abilities only make the side more dangerous in possession.
· Graham Potter is still experimenting with Chelsea in terms of line-ups and this game saw Havertz and Mount as floating 8s.
· Without the ball, Arsenal's plan was very clear. Preventing any build-up through Jorginho and setting traps to force the wingbacks into zones without any passing options. The dangerous moments from Chelsea in the whole game came when one of Zinchenko/ White was caught upfield and subsequent slow rotations to cover the threat. They also looked to target Zinchenko aerially or 1v1 against Sterling but the second balls were dealt with effectively.
· For large parts, Arsenal dominated all parts of the game except in the final third. A mixture of solid defending and a lack of cutting-edge seemed reminiscent of the game at Old Trafford. The key difference is the structure without the ball and the presence of Partey.
· Odegaard was marked strongly to block the build-up but Xhaka's emergence as a ball carrier has improved the balance in the mode of attack.
· Thomas Partey has been playing at a very high level in the last few games with his close control and ball retention. This was synonymous with Arsenal's performance in this game. The efficiency and quality in tight spaces opened up the pitch to exploit on either side.
· Jesus may not be scoring but he's always trying to impact the game in other ways. He's constantly drifting to either wing to receive the ball and be a threat, allowing Saka and Martinelli to not be isolated or triple-teamed. The ease with which Arsenal played through the lines meant the Brazilian wasn't needed to drop too deep to progress the play.
Comments