Arsenal vs Norwich: 4 things we’d like to see from Arteta’s side

3. Variety in Attack

Everyone knows how Arsenal line up in possession just as all sides in the division are aware of the preference to feed Kieran Tierney out wide and look for routes into the box laterally.

Aside from needing to change up the angles of attack, Arsenal may be forced to: Kieran Tierney played three consecutive 90 minutes for Scotland over the international break. He won’t be in his finest fettle.

The addition of Martin Odegaard isn’t solely with an eye on bolstering the overall creative numbers in the squad, it’s about bringing variety to the attack with playmaking qualities spread across the lanes of attack.

Thomas Partey will help. He brings progression in central areas and has the ability to pick out teammates in between the lines, cutting out the middle men, so to speak. Arsenal need to be progressing the ball quickly up to the forwards to cause unrest in the opposition before producing effective end product: detect, disrupt and deliver.

Predictability has been one of the primary qualms under Arteta as he aims to scrip the perfect goal each time, while his adoration for Tierney has gone to such lengths that every manager in the country knows where the danger is coming from.

Use Odegaard’s centrality, look to switch the play quickly to either flank and instill a balanced combination of runners in behind and players picking up half-space zones. Keep the opposition guessing.

Continued…