Arsenal Vs Chelsea: Why three at the back is the only way

The Europa League final is in two days time. Unai Emery will have been planning his Arsenal line-up for some time. I believe that three at the back is the only way forward. Here’s why.

Unai Emery has a task on his hands: to pick a team that can beat the third-best team in the Premier League. Arsenal are on their way to Baku, Azerbaijan for Wednesday’s Europa League final against Chelsea. They will play the biggest game of the last five years desperately needing to win for several reasons.

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Consequently, it is absolutely vital that Emery gets his tactics spot on. This week, he has been speaking about how he wants his team to be a ‘chameleon’, capable of changing their approach each and every week depending on the opposition. He wants them to be tactically flexible, and we have seen hints of that desire this season, with Emery frequently flitting between different systems.

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On Wednesday, though, I believe there is only one system that Emery should play, one that fits the players currently fit and available for selection and that can deal with the strengths and exploit the weaknesses of the Chelsea system. That system is the 3-5-2, one that Emery has used with increasing frequency in the latter weeks of the season.

There are several reasons why I believe this is the best set-up. The chief one is the full-back positions and the options that are available at them. Sead Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal are hardly convincing left-backs, with Kolasinac a defensive liability and Monreal lacking the athleticism to play in the wider role, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles is far more adept in a wing-back role than a full-back one on the other flank.

Playing with wing-backs allows Emery to start Kolasinac, who is crucial to maintaining attacking width, without suffering the defensive drawbacks of fielding the Bosnian, and also provide help to contain Eden Hazard on the opposite flank, with both a right-sided centre-half and right wing-back present to double up on Chelsea’s primary threat.

It also means that both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can start up front without sacrificing a central midfielder. If Emery was to play with a back four but still wanted to use both Lacazette and Aubameyang as strikers, he would either have to sacrifice numbers in wide areas by using a 4-4-2 diamond or in central areas by using a flat 4-4-2. Both are far from ideal compromises.

The 3-5-2 system means that the wing-backs can provide the attacking width, Lacazette and Aubameyang can be pushed high up the pitch and onto the Chelsea defence, allowing Arsenal to press high up the pitch and shrink the game under their control, all while having three central midfielders, likely Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil.

Emery must get his team selection correct on Wednesday night. Chelsea are an extremely dangerous team and any tactical disadvantage will be punished. And in my opinion, the 3-5-2 is the right way to go.