Arsenal Vs Spurs: The time for change that breeds control has come

Arsene Wenger has persisted with the 3-4-3 formation that he closed last season with. However, with the North London Derby on the horizon, the time for change that breeds control has come. Arsenal must revert back to a back four and dominate the midfield.

Arsene Wenger tried something a little different against Manchester City. Although he played the same formation, many of the same players, and fielded a team that very much resembled the one that has played for the majority of the year, there was one key difference: Alexis Sanchez played up front and Alexandre Lacazette dropped to the bench.

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It was a decision that was somewhat questionable. Leaving the club-record signing on the bench in the toughest fixture of the season is a little odd. But there was reason for Wenger’s recklessness.

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What Wenger attempted to do was play a high-pressing, game-controlling style, where Arsenal suffocated City of time and space on the ball, trying to win back possession in advanced areas, meaning that instigating attacks was much quicker and the threat was immediately evident. At times it worked. Arsenal were able to press City, they limited passes into the midfield areas, and forced mistakes, often driving at a vulnerable and exposed defence after receiving the ball.

The issues, however, came in the system that Wenger played. While Sanchez was willing to scamper his way around up front, there were only two players — Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey — in the centre of the pitch. City, eventually, learned that this was where their numerical advantage lay. They then asked Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane to stay as wide as possible to stretch the pitch, before allowing Sergio Aguero to drop into the central spaces to provide an outlet.

Arsenal, in their pressing, were able to hem City in. But because of the absence of a third central midfielder, they could not stem the outlet through the middle. The strategy, in essence, worked. The system did not.

And that leads me to Saturday’s North London Derby, the first of the 2017/18 season. If Wenger wants to play in a high-energy, high-intensity style again, as I think he should as it best suits many of the more limited players in the squad, then he needs to add another midfielder, sacrifice a centre-half, and contain the outlet balls that a pressured opposition will be searching for.

With the spatial awareness and attacking cuteness of Cristian Eriksen and Dele Alli, Spurs will be able to find and exploit space in the midfield. Against a two, those spaces only widen, and an already vulnerable defence is exposed further. With a third player in the centre of the pitch, such spaces can be somewhat restricted.

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I sincerely doubt that Wenger will be bold enough to make the change. But then I never thought I’d see him play three at the back. The time has come for a change that intensifies pressure and breeds control. Hopefully, Wenger will embrace it.