By Vinay Shankar (Tactical Analyst)
A game decided in the 2 boxes with clinical finishing by the home side making the difference despite Arsenal's dominance for most of the game.
This match-up was going to be decided by how Arsenal's midfield matched up against McTominay and Eriksen. The duo of Sambi and Xhaka struggled to deal with the spaces occupied by the opposing trio initially and couldn’t take control of the game. A lack of high press caught the midfield flat-footed and made the game more chaotic than it needed to be.
The pressure on United’s forward players when United had possession was very unlike our recent structure without the ball and the players were second-best in most duels. The occasion may have contributed to the poor start because the quality in possession started to show much more as the half went on.
United’s deep block meant that the rotations along the left flank weren’t as effective as in previous games. The focus was on creating consistent 1 v 1s in the wide areas without the overlapping threat from the fullbacks. The lack of end product from the dangerous moments is the main thing that Arteta would rue from this game along with the turnovers.
This game was decided on poor decision-making in dangerous areas to leave the backline exposed to the pace and movement of their attackers. All it took was a couple of direct passes and the defence was cut open with ease. This was perhaps the first time that this backline has been exposed in such situations this season, but these are the dangers of keeping a high line for any top team. A couple of simple passes and a through ball were all it needed, and it all comes back to the positioning when the ball is given away. This was United’s gameplan from the start and this played into their hands.
The direct passes into the channels are usually bread and butter for Gabriel but the Brazilian was not comfortable in this game and struggled to deal with Rashford’s movement. Handling these moments allows this team to recycle possession and keep up the pressure but mistakes in these crucial moments stopped any momentum.
Despite going down 2-1, Arsenal was the dominant team, and the game was there to be won. The timing of the switch to the 3-5-2 was not the best but this formation has worked effectively while trailing. Timing of the substitutions is not an easy task but taking off Zinchenko and Lokonga simultaneously upset the balance immediately and made matters worse. After a 3-game week and a crazy schedule coming up, this is an important aspect for Arteta to worry about.
コメント