IM-PRESS-IVE

ARSENAL boss Mikel Arteta masterminded another brilliant win in the title race as they thrashed Manchester City on Sunday.

The 5-1 scoreline might have flattered them but it was their impressive high press which set them on their way.

Here, Dean Scoggins — from SunSport’s Tactics Exposed show — looks at how Arteta’s “double press” baffled City.

DOUBLE PRESS

NOT just one press but two.

Arteta sets up his Arsenal side in a 4-4-2 shape when they are defending, with Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard as the furthest foward.

Those two orchestrate and lead the press. But what Arsenal did against Man City, was force the visitors to play the ball into areas where they were ready to press again.

So after Odegaard and Havertz block off one channel and the pass is played — Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice charge towards the player about to receive the ball.

It worked perfectly as Manuel Akanji was robbed for Arsenal to score their first goal − with Trossard pinching it, Rice playing to Havertz and the German setting up Odegaard to tap in after two minutes.

Havertz should have scored another when Rice swarmed all over City midfielder Mateo Kovacic in the first half. It made the visitors jittery in possession and was just one of the battles Arteta’s side won.

Arsenal decided early in the match that two City players were not going to be a threat to them.

Matheus Nunes failed to create much on the right, even when he was given plenty of space.

Following his early error which resulted in Odegaard’s opening goal, the Gunners were also happy to let Akanji take the ball throughout.

To Arsenal, those two players were not going to cause a threat or any harm − they were almost redundant.

That made it seem like City were playing with just nine players.

As a result, the Gunners were able to focus more on the likes of Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, nullifying any threat they could have produced.

SIX & THE CITY

CITY’S new set-up didn’t quite work out this week.

The Prem champions had six attackers but they failed to phase Arsenal.

City had three at the back with Josko Gvardiol dropping in because Nunes was high on the right.

However, it proved to be a problem for Gvardiol − one of the club’s best attacking defenders − who struggled to move past the halfway line.

As a result, Guardiola’s side appeared to play with six midfielders at times which took space away from new signing Omar Marmoush, who has looked very promising since completing his January move from Eintracht Frankfurt.

In contrast, Arsenal also played with a six but through the centre with three pairs − an attacking duo, a midfield duo and a defensive duo.

They were then able to control and dominate a specific zone of the pitch − one that they considered to be the most dangerous.

Man City therefore were unable to create many good chances.

A SURPRISE PARTEY

ARSENAL had a plan − and it was Thomas Partey.

One of the midfielder’s key roles was simply to stand in front of Haaland, preventing the direct passes froPartey quietly had a great game in midfield, stopping the ball from getting to the feet of Haaland.

As for his goal, Partey was hiding behind the referee when Foden was about to make that pass across the centre.

He was subsequently able to step out and intercept the ball before scoring Arsenal’s second. − Sun.