Arsenal: 4 benefits of 4-3-3 tactical shift under Arteta

2. Thomas Partey Can Dictate Play and Add Balance

Back when chances were at a premium and Arsenal looked devoid of idesa going forward, the amount of emphasis on Xhaka funneling the ball out to Tierney to whip a cross into the box was deeply concerning.

Tierney possesses a wicked delivery from wide areas, but the whole ploy was predictable and, for the most part, aimless, given the lack of aerial threat from any of the Gunners’ attacking options.

Xhaka does what Xhaka does best: progress the ball from deep into those left spaces. He is very one dimensional and one-footed, and as effective as he is in moving the ball in that manner it was always readable from the opposition’s point of view.

Moving him further up the field puts more emphasis on Partey to be the deep creator. This is what Arsenal want. The Ghanaian sitting in that No. 6 role has the agility to turn his man, the vision to look both ways and the speed of thought to vary his distribution. It results in Arsenal attacking both sides of the pitch with much less bias, as he often receives possession with two No. 8’s in view for a pass.

The pitch opens up for him. Going sideways is less of an option anymore, unless lanes are blocked and he shifts the ball out to one of the full-backs as Arsenal practically line up in a 2-3-2-3 shape in possession. Everything moves quicker in this system and, crucially, isn’t as heavily reliant on one point of attack.

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