Arsenal: 5 tactical improvements needed vs Man City

Has the victory over West Brom instilled an unprecedented degree of confidence in the Arsenal players and the supporters, or is it fairly recognised that their Under-23 side isn’t quite on par with Manchester City?

Perhaps it’s a combination of both. Any match in which you leave with a 6-0 win, especially away from home, should lift the spirits. If you can’t enjoy those moments then football is not for you. It’s fun.

Being of an Arsenal affiliation heading north to home of the Premier League champions, it might be worth holding on to that smile a little while longer, mind.

This has the potential to be a bloodbath. The scope is also there for an upset. Which side the odds favour doesn’t need a great deal of explaining.

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Arsenal: 5 tactical improvements Mikel Arteta needs against Manchester City for Saturday’s Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium

However, a result with individual performances that offered encouragement puts Arsenal about as well placed as they can be to secure a result that ensures it’s not zero points from their opening three Premier League matches.

The international break follows the weekend’s encounter and as players jet off around the world for various fixtures, having something to look at on the table during that period that isn’t entirely soul crushing wouldn’t go amiss.

Does anyone expect anything? Probably not. Many will be hoping for damage limitation and some form of improvement, however unrelated to the scoreline, to galvanise the fanbase and team as Norwich and Burnley follow next on the fixture list.

Ahead of the meeting with the champions there are a few key intricacies of the performance that we’d like to see. A win goes without saying, and if there is collective and individual solidity, perhaps it’s not totally out of the realms of possibility that a happy weekend will follow.

1. Albert Sambi Lokonga Tracking Runners

Cruising his way towards a Player of the Month gong – unless Emile Smith Rowe has a stormer on Saturday – the fanfare around Albert Sambi Lokonga is entirely justified.

The Belgian has made the step up from his native league to the Premier League fairly seamlessly, demonstrating all the tools required to be a success in this division.

Always on his toes and ready to receive, his maturity is reminiscent of Bukayo Saka: nothing fazes him and he plays the game, not the occasion. With a solid range of pass, his press evasion stands out and there are no hearts in mouths when he assumes possession while being swarmed by opposition players. The recruitment team deserve real credit for his acquisition.

But he isn’t anywhere near the finished article and one particular aspect of his game needs working on.

Proactive for loose balls and forward movements, he does struggle monitoring midfield runners beyond. There have been moments in the opening two matches where his tracking of those going past him, either second or third man runs, is lacking.

This is someone who is getting up to speed with the Premier League and while there were instances against Chelsea, not all were his fault as the midfield was found vacated by improper structure and pressing.

In City’s ever-interchanging system, these runs are even harder to track. He’ll have to be supremely switched on, especially with Granit Xhaka’s mobility limitations.