Arsenal Vs Atletico Madrid: More than attack vs defence

Arsenal host Atletico Madrid on Thursday night in a game that has been dubbed as a free-flowing, creative attacking side against a resolute, discipline, defensive one. But there is much more nuance to this game.

The season is very much on the line. Arsenal, who have toiled through yet another difficult campaign that eventually saw the end of their 22-year king, host Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the semi-final of the Europa League. Given their position in the Premier League, this is now the only competition that offers either a chance of a trophy or a place in next season’s Champions League.

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And this game is wonderfully intriguing.

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Two managers, in Arsene Wenger and Diego Simeone, that are seemingly at odds with one another, at least in regards their styles. Two contrasting clubs — one the cosmopolitan, commercialised, slick, modern organisation; the other blue-collar, hard-nosed, industrious, working man’s joint. Two teams that are very different, very much built in the image of their managers and their clubs. That is not to say that Arsenal and Atletico are rivals or that Simeone and Wenger do not have respect for one another. Simply, they do things differently.

And many have focused on the ‘attack vs defence’ element of this game. Can the free-flowing, creative, attacking football of Arsenal break down the resilient, disciplined, well-organised and regimented defending of the Spaniards? But for me, that is not where this tie will be decided. There is a far greater nuance to this game than some would recognise. For me, this game will be decided at the very opposite end of the spectrum, when Arsenal suddenly lose the ball and Atletico are presented with the chance to break forward.

Not only is this an aspect of the game that Atletico excel at — with Antoine Griezmann, Diego Costa (or Kevin Gamerio or Fernando Torres depending on the fitness of Costa and the whims of Simeone) and the deep-lying playmaking and distribution of Gabi and Koke, it is no surprise that they excel at it –, but it is also an element of the game that the Gunners have been caught out in time and time again.

Even with the athletic centre-halves of Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi anchoring the defence, a team filled with naivety and a lack of defensive awareness, allied with Wenger’s blinkered attacking philosophies leaves vast spaces in defence that the opposition can exploit, as has been displayed on several occasions in the past.

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This, for me, is where the tie will be determined. How successful will Atletico’s counter attacks be? Can Wenger’s side control the game through their possession, create chances, but then also be wary of the danger on turnovers? These two teams may be dubbed as ‘attack vs defence’, but there is much more to this game than that.