Arsenal: 5 tactical demands for Martin Odegaard in 4-2-3-1

2. Add Attacking Balance & Variety

What is Arteta’s approach with this group of players? The simplistic view is that it’s about giving the ball to the best three players in the team – Saka, Smith Rowe and Kieran Tierney – and crossing your fingers.

The left-sided bias was prevalent throughout last season and has carried over into the current campaign, largely dictated by Tierney’s brilliance and the lack of attacking craft from the right-backs on the books.

Tierney is effectively not a defender anymore. So advanced in attacking phases, adopting a back three with the right-back taking up one of those slots opens the five lanes of attack Arteta prefers.

It’s also dreadfully predictable. Every attack doesn’t have to stem from fine work by a double-marked Scotsman and result in a dangerous cross with no recipient. The issue is that he’s the best at what he does and thus the patterns of play regularly drift into those areas of the pitch.

Being someone who loves to drop into the right-half space and facilitate attacks in different areas to the current crop, Odegaard can add variety in distribution that presents Arsenal with new avenues to goal. Tierney isn’t going to suddenly cut his attacking forays by half, but so long as the opposition aren’t easily prepared for the approach taken there can be greater diversity in movement of the forward players.

The Norwegian will provide greater central presence as Smith Rowe loves to drift out to the left in any case, and his abilities in passing as opposed to Smith Rowe’s specialties in dribbling will, in theory, provide a more symmetrical forward frontier. Arsenal have lacked creativity on both flanks.