Arsenal: 3 things to improve despite unbeaten run

2. Finding Ways to Control Matches Without Pressing

Arsenal do have this tendency to sit off and relinquish the majority of possession when they’ve got their noses in front, but losing the lion’s share of the ball doesn’t have to mean they can’t control matches.

How Arsenal build out from the back is crucial to this. By bringing in Aaron Ramsdale they have found variance to their build up, or at least get the ball far away from their own goal, through his excellent range of pass. Both centre-backs can do this too, but it can be too hurried.

All good sides are willing to defend deep but their intentions remain on maintaining control through possession. Possession-based teams that want to build out from the back have to press or the approach is futile, which Arsenal can be guilty of is losing their intention to do, but it’s fine to knock the ball around every now and then when you’re in front.

Pressing isn’t the be-all and end-all. It’s not the only way to impose yourself on a match. As seen against Palace, when Arsenal went one goal up their passes per sequence dropped; there was too much of a desire to go back to front in quick time.

When it’s a positive game state, just keeping the ball away from the opponent is totally fine. It needn’t be all out pressing or a low-block. There is a middle ground and Arsenal need to find that balance. Certain players help this, like Martin Odegaard did against Leicester when the team managed to find control with and without the ball, but it’s something the whole group need to work on.

Continued…