Arsenal Vs Palace: New formation the way forward?

Arsenal played a 4-1-4-1 in their win over Palace on Saturday. Could this new formation be the key to finding the balance between attack and defense?

Arsenal routed Crystal Palace on Saturday to the tune of a gentle 4-1 scoreline. Alexis Sánchez was left out of the 18-man squad for the second successive fixture, which not was particularly surprising, and a convincing win was needed to ease the fans’ minds. The team delivered.

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It was nice to see the Gunners kill the game off before halftime, as it seemed like a long time since they had done this. There were more positives to the game: Alexandre Lacazette broke his goal drought, Nacho Monreal returned from injury with a goal and two assists in 34 minutes, and the midfield played with a far greater blend of stability and creativity than in recent weeks.

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And it was this change in formation that Arsene Wenger implemented, which could either be described as a 4-1-4-1 or, perhaps more accurately, a 4-3-3 — it is only a matter of perspective; both are almost identical –, that had the most impact on the collective performance.

The noticeable tweaks that Wenger made were clear to see: Mohamed Elneny was playing as the holding midfielder, Granit Xhaka was pushed into a more advanced, box-to-box-type role, and Mesut Ozil was shifted to the right wing, which he has only played in a 3-4-3 this season, and even then, it is in an extremely free-roaming role given that he has no responsibility to provide width in the attacking areas of the pitch.

This could be the new formation Wenger uses going forward. And, if so, it is fair to ask whether it is an improvement on the 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3 systems that we have become accustomed to in recent months.

The first thing to note is that slight upgrades may need to happen at certain positions. Specifically, a holding midfielder to replace Elneny would perhaps be the most pertinent area in need of addressing. Steven N’Zonzi seemed like a good option to play in this role, but the transfer scent has waned somewhat in regards to a possible North London move. And there does not appear to be any great talents in a holding midfield position that would be available in January.

But Monaco midfielder Fabinho is someone Wenger should certainly consider moving for in this role in the summer. The Brazilan is averaging 4.5 tackles and interceptions per game, which is more than Xhaka’s 2.7, and Elneny’s 1.5, and also contains impressive stats like an 87.1% passing percentage, 1.3 key passes per game, 1.4 dribbles per game, and 2.9 aerial duels won per game.

Another position that looks like it will require addressing is in the two wide roles. Thankfully, it seems as though Wenger is aware of that. The Alexis-Sanchez-Henrikh-Mkhitaryan swap seems imminent. With the Armenian joining soon, the two wingers in the 4-1-4-1 would be him and Özil.

This brings a problem, though, one that has been surfacing all season: a painful lack of width. With Mkhitaryan and Ozil on the wings, both players will be looking to cut inside and occupy creative spaces. That will compact the width of the team’s attack, making it easier for the opposition to remain well-structured and positionally disciplined.

Next: Arsenal Vs Palace: 5 things we learned

This formation may not have longevity though, especially if Pierre-EmerickAubameyang is signed this winter. Arsenal would probably go back to a 4-2-3-1 if the Dortmund man does join, which perhaps begs the question of why Wenger introduced the system on Saturday. Having said that, it had success at Palace. Why could that not continue?