Arsenal: 4-3-3 Formation The Undoubted Way Forward

With Arsenal having used their standard 4-2-3-1 formation for a number of seasons now, a tactical formation tweak seems unlikely. But could a change in midfield structure and formation prove fruitful for the Gunners?

The game against Lincoln City and the first half against Bayern Munich were both relatively successful in terms of performance. While Arsenal capitulated during the second half against Bayern following Laurent Koscielny’s red card, the early signs in that game looked promising.

The reasons for this may not be so simple. But one observation I picked up on was more noticeable. In both games, Arsenal started with a three, rather than a two in midfield. It may seem like only a minor difference, but it is one that could have big implications.

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Arsene Wenger is famous for his adoration of the 4-2-3-1 formation and in many ways, that is rightly so. The system has many advantages. It allows significant support for the lone striker as well as utilising the full-backs for width and setting the tempo with two deep-lying midfielders.

With Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil fit and firing, the formation is usually very effective. Their combination play along with that of Alexis Sanchez, Alex Iwobi and Olivier Giroud often produces spectacular results. Yet this season, Wenger’s system has become stale.

Teams pressing Arsenal from the front making it difficult for the deep-lying midfielders to dictate the game. This starves the front four of regular service and reduces the possession game that Wenger is so fond of.

With Ozil out of the side due to illness and lack of form, it seems Wenger has stumbled across a slightly different approach. The Frenchman has looked to increase the number of central midfielders with a 4-3-3 formation.

This has allowed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to continually blossom centrally, giving more balance to the side. A midfield trio of Granit Xhaka, Aaron Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain has shown some promising early signs.

Playing with only two midfielders deep (in a 4-2-3-1) means the back six is often detached from the front four. This means the opposition has an easy route to the back four when counter attacking. Both Liverpool and Chelsea have done this to devastating effect recently.

Yet with a 4-3-3, it means the midfield is more compact and less easy to penetrate. It also means there is less onus on the wingers to help out defensively so they can stay wide and pin teams back. Consequently, there is also less reliance on full backs to provide the attacking width, making the side far more solid and organised.

Xhaka has played the deepest role of the three in recent games and is the deepest distributor of the three, while both Ramsey and Chamberlain play box to box roles, utilising their stamina to great effect. Not only does this system suit our current starting trio, but it can also benefit our other midfield options as well.

Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny can both easily slot in as a box to box midfielder if Wenger wants a more cautious approach. Similarly, either Iwobi or Ozil can play in the three if a little more creativity and ingenuity are required. Even youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bournemouth loanee Jack Wilshere would both be comfortable playing in such a formation.

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Results have certainly been sub-par lately, and with Wenger under pressure from the media and fans, a successful tactical alteration could silence his doubters, showing that he is still the best man to lead this club. Tweaking the XI to play 4-3-3 would not be a bad place to start…

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