Arsenal: How the back three makes sense

In Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Vitoria SC, Unai Emery switched to a back three for the first time this season. It did not work. But the decision does make some sense when viewed through the prism of Saturday’s trip to Leicester City.

In an eerily reminiscent move to Arsene Wenger’s lunge towards the back three in the latter stages of the 2016/17 season, his successor at Arsenal made the same ostensibly desperate tactical switch on Wednesday, securing a 1-1 draw against Vitoria SC.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Unai Emery out, again

But while Wenger’s change yielded greater defensive security and counter-attacking potency, Unai Emery’s installation of the trendy back three did not quite have the desired impact. Seven shots on the day, four of which came from set-pieces. 10 shots conceded and a first half in which bottom-of-the-group Vitoria were much the better team.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Yet, when Emery was asked about the match in his post-match press conference, he spoke at length about being top of the group, seemingly satisfied with the draw. He was pleased with the defensive effort, bar the late equaliser conceded. He also referenced the upcoming match against Leicester City on three different occasions. Here are two of the references:

"“Our objective this evening was also to keep a clean sheet because we need to improve defensively and be strong in that moment,. We are using each match to achieve that. We didn’t do that this evening against Vitoria, but we are going to take that challenge against Leicester <…> Now we need to prepare for the match on Saturday. It’s going to be different and it’s a different competition. The same objective to win, but above all, to improve defensively and continue being strong.”"

Saturday’s trip to Leicester City is very much at the forefront of Emery’s mind.

This, I feel, was a key motivation for his tactical switch-up. Emery recognises the importance of the Leicester match — should Arsenal lose, they will slip to nine points behind Brendan Rodgers’ vibrant, vivacious team — and I believe he wanted to test out a back-three-based system with the idea that he might replicate it in that contest.

The Foxes are a ruthless counter-attacking team. Jamie Vardy is the best run-in-behind centre-forward in the Premier League, James Maddison and Youri Tielemans are superb midfielders with the creativity and guile to prise open exposed defences, while the defence is solid and secure, excelling in a deep block to repel attacks and spring fast-flowing breaks. Should Arsenal play in their usual 4-3-3, possession-based manner, they would open themselves up to a team perfectly built to rip them to shreds.

While in a one-off match against sub-par Vitoria, using a largely counter-attacking system like the 3-4-3 is curious, to say the least. It is certainly not the wisest decision, especially when you then try to execute it in a possession-based manner. But if it was done with the Leicester match in mind, Emery looking to acclimatise his players with the system before the truly meaningful contest, it makes a little more sense — perhaps this is why Kieran Tierney and Nicolas Pepe, two usual Premier League starters who did not practise the 3-4-3 with Emery last season, played the full 90 minutes.

Does this justify Emery’s odd tactical switch? No, not really. Even if Arsenal beat Leicester using a back three on Saturday, the manner of this draw likely will not have played a major role. Nevertheless, it is the only way I can make sense of the selection. Either that or, like Wenger, pure desperation.