Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: 4 key Vieira tactics & how to stop them

3. Use of a High-Line With Technically Comfortable Centre-Backs

The tactical change: Much like Arsenal play White and Gabriel over Pablo Mari and Rob Holding, Palace’s summer signings Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi allow them to completely change the way they play.

Gone are the Gary Cahill and Scott Dann days. Palace now have two central defenders with more composed technical quality, greater mobility and a dynamic range of pass. Despite playing only seven matches, with three of those coming against Premier League ‘big six’ sides, Palace’s average possession has risen from 42.9% to 49.2%. Equally, their long passes are down from 14.5% to 12.7% (The Analyst). The shift in approach is clear.

While Vieira has looked to play with more impetus this season, he may revert to a slightly more reserved gameplan heading to the Emirates. If he doesn’t, however, then there are areas to expose.

How to exploit it: It’s an approach designed to suffocate the opponent with an attacking press where the ball can be recycled higher up the pitch to maintain pressure. It’s nothing especially new.

As with any high press there are pros and cons, which roughly equate to the same set of principles that can be used to exploit it: pace in behind and deep runners coupled with a forward dropping off. Funnily enough, Vieira was superb at this. Dennis Berkgamp would come short and the Frenchman would gallop beyond him into the box with a centre-back drawn out of position.

This is an area that may be Palace’s undoing. They’ve been exposed this way already this season by the likes of Jamie Vardy and Neal Maupay, thus the pace of someone like Aubameyang and perhaps later Pepe to continuously stretch the pitch and leave Cheikhou Kouyaté vacant in midfield needs to be pounced upon.

Continued…