Arsenal: 6 reasons Arteta deserves huge credit this season

5. Defensive Improvements & Positioning

Across the entirety of Arteta’s time as Arsenal manager there has been a clear emphasis on fixing the defence. The team he inherited from Unai Emery conceded chances at an alarming rate, were woeful in defensive transitions, and was swarmed with average players who were poor building out from the back.

It’s required money, and players, to fix. There is no avoiding that. But Arsenal are now one of the most defensively solid teams in the division.

One of the fundamental aspects of defending is team shape; positioning across the pitch from front to back with and without the ball. Arsenal’s shape in almost all situations is excellent.

Boasting the fifth fewest goals conceded in the league, Arsenal also rank fourth best for shots conceded, shots on target conceded, and sixth for npxG conceded. All the metrics paint the picture of a solid unit, one backed up with 11 clean sheets and bogged down by two heavy defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool respectively.

Add to that the ridiculous number of red cards the team has received and we see a different Arsenal, albeit an equally strong one. With 11 men on the pitch this side keeps most teams at bay, yet with ten they revert to a 5-3-1 shape that’s as effective in low block football as some of the more defensive oriented outfits around.

Arsenal already had a strong defensive record last season despite a forgettable campaign – conceding 12 goals in the remaining 14 matches will equal last season’s tally of 39 conceded – but this season they’ve found more aggression in how they play and their ability to turn defence into attack swifter is vastly improved.

When was the last time Arsenal got punished playing out from the back? Notable about Gabriel’s mistake against Wolves was the length of time it’s been since a similarly poor error happened. These aren’t coincidences.

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