Out of sorts Ole Gunnar to blame for Arsenal loss; here are facts

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Arsenal leapfrogged Manchester United into fourth place with a 2-0 victory that, despite Romelu Lukaku missing several big chances, was just about deserved.

Arsenal’s tactics were complex and measured, whereas Man Utd’s confusion was betrayed by their manager’s frequent formation changes during the match.

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The xG stats suggest Man Utd were unlucky to lose an even contest at the Emirates Stadium in a match that was defined by its opening 20 minutes. The Red Devils were sleep-walking, second to every 50-50 and unable to match the tempo of Arsenal’s football thanks to Unai Emery’s surprisingly attacking line-up.

But the most important reason for the disparity between the two sides was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s use of a 4-4-2.

Arsenal Man Utd tactical piece

A 4-4-2 very rarely works against a 3-5-2 because the latter has numerical advantages all over the pitch: a three-on-two in defence, a three-on-two in midfield, and spare wing-backs to support the two-on-two up front.

On Sunday, Man Utd’s shape was so flat that they could not build out from the back, meaning aimless passing towards the strikers as Paul Pogba struggled to make an impact from the left wing.

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From a defensive standpoint it was even worse.

Nemanja Matic and Fred had to push onto Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka, which meant Arsenal had a spare man – Mesut Ozil – to drift into the number 10 space. He dominated early proceedings, while Arsenal’s numerical advantage in central midfield led directly to the first goal.

Xhaka had acres of space to shoot because of the mismatch caused by Solskjaer’s formation.

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