Kai Havertz has yet to beat the Arsenal loyalist Photo: Getty Images/Stuart McFarlane
The new season has brought a new system for Mikel Arteta, who made small changes to his Arsenal squad after a summer outlay of over £200m. The principles remained the same as last year, as did most of the players, but the Arsenal manager tried to develop and develop the structure of his team.
The return of seven points in three games represents a good start to a new campaign, although there is some dissatisfaction among fans that Arsenal are not yet as sharp and creative as they were for most of last season. Saturday's 2-2 draw with Fulham, in which Arsenal conceded two cheap goals, was a source of great disappointment.
In this article, Telegraph Sport analyzes the changes Arteta has made to his team this season, and possible reasons. what is behind these changes and do they work after three games.
A new form of defense
Last season, following the move of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, Arsenal generally followed a system in which the left-back hid in midfield when Arteta's side had the ball. Zinchenko could do it because Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães provided him with a protective platform.
So far this year, Zinchenko has not been fit enough to play from the start. So Arteta decided to reverse the system and asked Thomas Partey to play the “role of Zinchenko” on the right flank alongside newcomer Declan Rice.
There is a difference, however, in what happens behind Partey when he enters midfield. Last season, Saliba and Gabriel usually sat in midfield as defenders. This year, Arsenal at such moments effectively plays with the sole defense – Saliba. White still presses the right flank from time to time, and the left-back (different players in each of the three games) plays wider on the other flank.
The dangers of this became apparent in the first minute of Saturday's match against Fulham. Partey advanced into midfield while White shifted to the right to help build up the attack. Behind Saliba was the only central defender. When Bukayo Saka lost the ball cheaply, Fulham's Andreas Pereira faced a huge hole in the center of Arsenal's defence.
The difference can be seen in Arsenal's average positions against Fulham this weekend compared to the average against Fulham this weekend. the same match last August. The two matches were remarkably similar, with Arsenal dominating both.
Arsenal's average position against Fulham
Given the ongoing rumors of Saudi Arabian interest in Gabriel, the Brazilian's exclusion from the team came as a surprise. However, Arteta insisted it was a tactical decision, and there is an obvious logic to it: last season, Gabriel provided the balance when the left-back moved into the center of the field. This year, the right-back comes into play. So Arsenal need a different left-back profile.
If this new kit seems risky, it's worth considering that Arsenal have mostly played solid defensively in their three matches. In the first matches, they missed only seven shots on target. They lack control, and the opposition rarely threatens. Their problem against Fulham was not structural, but rather stupid mistakes they made in key defensive moments.
Joao Paligna celebrates a belated goal that equalized Fulham against Arsenal on Saturday. Photo: Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs. Xhaka leaves, Havertz – Kai Havertz, who joined Arsenal from Chelsea for £65m, has started in all three Premier League games. in the same position as Granit Xhaka last season, on the left side of midfield.
However, Havertz and Xhaka are completely different players. Traded to Bayer Leverkusen, Xhaka spent most of his career as a defensive midfielder before being moved further forward last season, while Havertz usually played as a striker.
Swap Xhaka for Havertz – a bold and attacking move by Arteta. Theoretically, Havertz is much more comfortable attacking the box and getting the ball between the lines in the last third of the game, but he is less experienced when it comes to defense.
Understandably, Arteta instructed Havertz to run into the box, as he did to promising effect in pre-season. What is less clear, however, is Havertz's role in shaping Arsenal's attacks. In the match with Fulham, he simply did not participate for most of the game: in 56 minutes of the game, the German made only 28 touches of the ball. In the same match last season, Xhaka scored 71 touches.
This is a new role for Havertz in a new team and it will obviously take him some time to adjust to the Arsenal system. However, he is under increasing pressure to put on an impressive performance as he appears to have inherited Jaka's role as the most divisive player among the fans.
When asked if he was confident that Havertz would beat those who mutters Arteta's supporters said, “Yes, I think so. I think he has already done some good things and on Saturday he had a hard time at certain points. He again hit some great areas, but the ball did not reach. He should already have scored a lot of goals this season, which is what's missing here.”
Mikel Arteta has introduced a new system this season and it will take time to implement. Credit: Getty Images/Chloe Knott Left side blunt
At the club's training ground, Arsenal's coaching staff hold “unit meetings” where, for example, the left side of the team work together to create a collective understanding. Arteta believes in building relationships between players and Arsenal's left flank played a crucial role in the attack structure last season.
Zinchenko started, Xhaka moved between free throws, and Gabriel Martinelli attacked the opponent's right-back. Arsenal had an exciting balance of speed and control on this side of the field.
This year the left flank has been successful. didn't work so smoothly. The arrival of Havertz has changed the dynamic and he is not yet on the same wavelength as Martinelli. There were times when two players tried to crash into each other's zones, as well as moments when passes were not made where the other wanted.
The chemical interaction on the left flank was not helped by the fact that Arsenal have so far had to play with different left-backs in each of the three matches. New player Jurrien Timber started against Nottingham Forest but has since suffered a serious knee injury. Takehiro Tomiyasu entered the match against Crystal Palace but was sent off. Jakub Kivior started there on Saturday.
Undoubtedly, there is hope that Zinchenko's return to fitness will be decisive. The Ukraine international helped open up Xhaka and Martinelli last season, and Arteta certainly hopes he can do the same with Havertz.
When Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira took the left flank against Fulham, Arsenal was a team transformed. Both of their goals came on that flank, and Zinchenko's smart forward pass kept Fulham on the ball throughout the second half. It seems to me deeply unfair to judge Havertz until he has had the opportunity to play in front of Zinchenko and build a relationship with Martinelli.
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