Arsenal: The one tactic I love to hear

Arsenal and Unai Emery conducted their first training session that the media could attend in Singapore on Wednesday. And there was one tactic that was the focus of the session: pressing. It’s the one I love to hear.

Unai Emery is in his fourth actual week as Arsenal Head Coach. Although he was announced as Arsene Wenger’s successor in late May and plenty of preparations were being made ever since that point, the Spaniard couldn’t actually get on the training pitch until July. But now that he is on the training pitch, he is making his mark.

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The Gunners are currently in Singapore for their summer preseason tour. They will play two friendlies in south-east Asia against Atletico Madrid and then Paris Saint-Germain before returning to London.

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They have a training facility in Singapore and are undergoing vigorous training sessions at the hands of Emery and new assistant coach Juan Carlos Carcedo. These preseason training sessions are invaluable for the season ahead. Implementing new technical and tactical elements, two aspects that are especially important for Emery given that he is managing a new squad that has never worked with him before, and building base fitness of the players are just a part of the focus for these next few weeks.

And in the third session in Singapore, the only one that has been open to the media so far, there has been a clear strategy that the team has been solely focused on: pressing.

As this report from Charles Watts details, Emery and Carcedo have been keen to hammer home the importance of a high press, to try and suffocate the opposition and recover possession as high up the pitch as possible. It is a staple of Emery’s 4-3-3 system that he is set to employ at Arsenal.

For those that have read my pieces on the subject in the past, you will know that this is music to my ears. I have long argued for the compatibility of the players that Arsenal have with a high-pressing scheme that allows them to play on the front foot in an aggressive, attacking manner.

From having mobile, intelligent attackers who have both the athletic and mental qualities to cover vast spaces and press from the complementary angles, to energetic, dynamic midfielders who excel on collecting loose balls and instigating attacks with quick, direct passes into advances areas, to defenders who like to play aggressively, intercepting passes, hounding the opposition attackers, while also having the pace to defend with a high line.

It is a tactic that, I believe, has produced the best performances of the past few seasons. Wins over Manchester United, Chelsea and Spurs all came because of the use of a high press, exploiting a mobile front three, spatially aware central midfield, and high defensive line. It is the one tactic that I am desperate to see Emery use next season simply because I think it will work.

Next: Arsenal: 3 things Unai Emery will offer

And so, to hear that they are practising it in preseason is music to my years. Long may it continue.