Arsenal: Unai Emery’s pressing without pressure

Unai Emery likes to have his Arsenal team press high up the pitch. But consistently this season, they have not actually forced any pressure, especially on deliveries from wide areas. In Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Southampton, it cost them.

When Unai Emery arrived at Arsenal, he was asked what style of football he wanted to employ. Without giving too many tactical tendencies away, he highlighted two key features of his philosophy: players being what he called ‘protagonists’ — in other words, being brave in possession — and pressing high up the pitch.

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We have seen elements of both so far this season. Emery has demanded his team play out from the back, even if the opposition is trying to press high up the pitch, and he has implemented a high defensive line and an energetic strikeforce, even dropping the likes of Mesut Ozil because of his lack of intensity off the ball.

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But when pressing, Arsenal have not necessarily enforced pressure on the opposing players, especially when in the wide positions of the pitch in their own defensive half. Consistently this season, the Gunners have allowed space for the opposition in the wide channels, not closing down the deliveries into the penalty area and through balls from the midfield, which is rarely a recipe for defensive success, particularly when playing with a high line and leaving space between the centre-backs and goalkeeper.

So far this season, they have largely gotten away with this tactic. Opponents have missed plenty of chances, both Petr Cech and Bernd Leno have made some crucial saves, a strong and consistent attack has covered for the goals conceded at the other end, especially in second-half comebacks. But in Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Southampton, Arsenal’s luck ran out. And no one can deny that it was not coming.

Southampton scored all three goals from headers from crosses. That, in and of itself, is a damning indictment of Arsenal’s vulnerabilities against attacks from out wide. In commentary, Alan Smith highlighted the positioning of Laurent Koscielny for the first two goals, questioning his marking of Danny Ings on both occasions. Koscielny certainly could have had a tighter grip on the notoriously wriggly Ings, but the problems did not stem from his lapse awareness.

For the first goal, Matt Targett had far too much time on the ball to take two touches, set himself up and then whip a delicious cross past Koscielny and onto the head of Ings, who merely nearly needed to direct it past Leno, such was the speed of the ball. Hector Bellerin was in the vicinity, but there was no intensity to really ever close down Targett. There was vague pressing, but not extreme pressure.

Similarly, for the second Nathan Redmond, from a tucked in position, turned, drifted towards the penalty area and clipped a delightful cross up and over the Arsenal defence and onto the head of Ings. Again, both Alex Iwobi and Matteo Guendouzi were close to the Southampton winger and kind of feigned a half-hearted attempt to press him, but neither ever actually put any pressure on the cross, which is why it could be played with such accuracy.

This presence of pressing but absence of pressure has been an issue throughout the season. Arsenal have looked to implement Emery’s pressing game without ever executing the actual goal o the strategy: pressure on the ball to force mistakes and errant passes. This problem did not rear out of nowhere on Sunday. It has been present all season long. But it took Southampton to take advantage. Change, it seems clear, needs to come.