1. Lowering the backline
After the club’s first four games, it’s clear that Emery has committed to playing a high defensive line. They have caught opponents offside more than any other Premier League team thus far, 4.3 times per game which is a significant increase (2.3) from last season.
This seems good on the surface but when the linesman doesn’t flag, they also face a serious problem – having allowed 15 though balls to be played in 360 minutes. At that rate, they will allow 143 over the course of this season. Putting that into context, even Wenger’s backline last campaign only allowed 76.
A high line does have its benefits, though it’s important that the defenders are able to read the game effectively and Arsenal’s central defenders struggle.
In the 2013/14 campaign, they regularly started a significantly slow Per Mertesacker alongside Laurent Koscielny, playing a high line which allowed only 36 goals throughout the campaign. From this, it’s clear that Emery needs a change at centre-back or allow them less ground to cover. Rob Holding (22) and Konstantinos Mavropanos (20) are talented and deserve an opportunity of their own to shine, so it wouldn’t hurt for the Spaniard to integrate the pair into his first-team plans soon either.
2. Attack, Attack, Attack
This one is not really a solution, but hear me out. Years of neglecting their defence and underwhelming acquisitions has turned Arsenal’s squad into a top-heavy monster. In Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Gunners have two world-class attackers and there is excellent support from the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey.
So rather than trying to shackle these stars in a defensive system which might never work to their full potential, why not give them free reign and simply try to outscore teams?
If you think about it, this was evident in parts despite their loss to Chelsea. Despite a worrying 20-minute spell at Stamford Bridge in the first-half, Arsenal delivered an excellent response to going behind and players pushed up the pitch, not prepared to lose in such a characteristically feeble manner.
Emery made a substitution after the interval, with Lucas Torreira replacing Xhaka – before ordering his side to sit deeper, inviting pressure and eventually led to the Blues scoring their late winner.
It’s obvious they lack the defensive ability to cover large areas of ground, but they are also not good enough to effectively shut up shop against big sides. So it might prove beneficial to emulate Liverpool’s 2013/14 side and try to win games against the top sides in a goal fest. Naturally, this is a high-risk, high-reward strategy but one which could pay off well if the players are firing on all cylinders and motivated by Emery’s tactics.
3. Fix the press
In Wenger’s final season, Arsenal were the third-highest pressing team in the Premier League. Champions City and local rivals Tottenham were higher, though the Gunners averaged an interception, tackle or foul every 8.5 passes per interaction – which was even higher than Klopp’s Liverpool side.
Despite this pressing tactic, it did not prevent their opponents from taking plenty of shots on goal. They conceded an average of 11 per game, which was almost double City’s 6.2 and interestingly, Wenger set his side out to apply pressure in the opponent’s half, rather than their own.
This ultimately backfired, as Arsenal’s more defensive-minded players felt more inclined to commit to challenges in dangerous areas of the pitch, where they were more likely to getting countered. To resolve this, Emery should ensure the press begins straight from the front with players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. This would mean less pressure is placed on the midfield and consequently, defence too.