Arsenal finally doing what they should have done long ago

It’s been an enjoyable December. Working on the basis that, obviously, the month doesn’t start until the 11th, because that’s when it’s been fun watching Arsenal.

Scoring their 19th goal in five matches when they obliterated a dreadful Norwich side on Boxing Day, the smiles haven’t stopped beaming on supporters who can barely believe they’re watching the same side from earlier in the campaign.

And not just the side who lost their opening three Premier League matches, but also the new look side in those early months.

Every new young coach these days wants to ‘play attacking football, have lots of the ball and press teams high’. It’s a bit trendy.

Arsenal are pressing higher up the pitch under Mikel Arteta and the approach is key to the volume of chances and goals the team are producing

Mikel Arteta has gone down the route of juego de position, a philosophy his former mentor is rather keen on himself, although the hallmarks of his approach haven’t featured pressing high up the pitch.

That appears to have tweaked over the past four or five matches. Whether it is an understanding of the qualities of the players and what they can produce with such an approach, or one centred around the individuals playing, doesn’t necessarily matter. Arsenal are doing it. That is what is important.

Alexandre Lacazette is cited as a key figure in Arsenal’s improved pressures in the final third, and Martin Odegaard too. However, it is the collective that is making a considerable difference as Lacazette as the focal point now has Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and, recently, Granit Xhaka aiding this.

Thomas Partey’s growing confidence has also seen him more willing to push up from midfield if the first line is broken, with the synergy across the team contributing greatly. The bemusing aspect of it all is why it wasn’t applied sooner.

Arsenal have excellent transitional players with a high level of technical quality, and when a team can’t score goals as this one couldn’t previously, forcing the matter in this way creates more openings. The two first goals against Norwich, for example, both came from battling Martinelli counter-pressing.

It’s also been a weirdly unused approach considering the club went out to sign two central defenders 12 months apart who boast the mobility and agility required to compress the pitch and play in the opposition’s half.

Arsenal are finally doing what they should have been doing long ago. This youthful and energetic team have been calling out for a more dynamic attacking approach, and now it has been implemented it has come as little surprise that Arsenal are finding the back of the net with greater regularity.

This is not the only way to score goals, but when you have this group of players, it’s easily one of the more effective tools available.