Wolves vs Arsenal: 4 key tactical areas to exploit

2. Exploit Nelson Semedo’s Attacking Instincts

Lage picked up mostly where Santo left off by maintaining a 3-4-3 shape in possession that can fluctuate to a 5-4-1 without the ball.

One hallmark of the latter part of Santo’s reign was Nelson Semedo at right wing-back constantly getting caught out of position as he takes assumes the role of being the most attack-minded of the wide players in the squad. He likes to overlap, underlap and help build play in advanced areas, and it’s this tendency to over-extend that can be exploited.

Gabriel Martinelli looks set to be the man tasked with playing out on the left, and having been recently subject to opposition sides double or even triple marking him on account of his brilliance, a wandering wing-back presents a fine opportunity to try and isolate his man.

Wolves are, however, outstanding at the back. When they do sit in their low block that leave precious little gap in between the lines, get Conor Coady man-marking the No. 9 and have Moutinho and Neves shuffling across the centre of the pitch to congest spaces.

Whenever the ball is turned over it is almost always Semedo who gets on his bike. His spatial awareness is one of few weak points in Lage’s team and the gaps between him and Max Kilman are the ones where Arsenal, and Martinelli, can find joy.

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