Arsenal: Shkodran Mustafi Gives Peak Behind Early Season Curtain

Shkodran Mustafi revealed that Arsenal’s tactic was to press high up the pitch against Manchester City, giving a peak behind the early season curtain where the team replicated the same approach.

Amid the aftermath of Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City, a result that should not be scoffed at whatsoever given the attacking threat that Pep Guardiola’s side offer, one of the most telling lessons learned is that this is a side very different from the one earlier in the year.

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They lack the confidence to play with the same intensity as previously, they lack the same pace and precision in the final third and suffer from a lack of organisation in defensive areas, especially when facing a side as fluid and interchangeable as that of City.

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However, that is not to say that they are not trying to replicate the same high-pressing tactic that served them so well in September and October. When asked about the approach that Arsene Wenger asked his players to attack the game with, Shkodran Mustafi revealed that they wanted to play at a higher tempo than recent games, reminiscent of how they played earlier in the year:

"“To be honest I’m not happy with the point, but I’m happy with the attitude we showed on the pitch. I think we played well, we attacked well and won the ball in their half often. This is what we wanted to do, we wanted to press high, try to win the ball as early as possible and then catch them on the counter-attack. I think we did that well.”"

Such comments were backed up by the performance. While there were clear issues that are needing to be ironed out during the remainder of the season, there were also positive signs to suggest that success could yet be found in the near future.

In the first half especially, Arsenal played with a drastically high defensive line, suffocating the space with which Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva could work in, winning the ball back with regularity and immediately in attacking positions, providing them with the opportunity to drive at an unorganised and unprepared back line that have been badly exposed throughout the season thus far.

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It is an approach that seems to eek the best out of players like Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott, allowing them to utilise their pace both with and without the ball, and is one that Wenger should look to use in the future. The fact that he was willing to instil it on Sunday is a promising sign. Consistency is now what needs to be found.