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Emery vs Arteta in the Showdown
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter! Today, our focus revolves around the analysis of the following match:
⚽ Match Analysis: Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Introduction
Behavior in Possession
Behavior during Opponent's Possession
Transition Moments
Summary
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Introduction
Last Saturday, Aston Villa and Arsenal clashed in a highly anticipated duel. Two teams, both in splendid form, promised a match full of drama and intensity. In this edition, we'll delve deeper into the tactical approaches of Spanish managers Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta.
Let's begin by examining the line-ups of both teams before delving into the various phases of the game.
Behavior in Own Possession:
When in possession, Aston Villa under Unai Emery demonstrates a specific approach:
Within the initial playing zone, the team adopts a formation with a back four and a double pivot in midfield. Goalkeeper Martinez is actively involved in the game, although playing with the ball at his feet might not be his greatest strength. Hence, he tends to opt for longer passes more frequently to avoid risks. Fundamentally, Aston Villa possesses technically adept players capable of good ball control and circulation, such as Spaniard Pau Torres or Douglas Luiz. However, the long ball often becomes an option in the game, particularly because Arsenal is known for pressing high and aggressively.
In zones two and three, Unai Emery's team shifts their positional play:
As the team advances into the higher areas of the field, they adopt a 3-2-2-3 or 3-2-5 system. This spatial distribution has proven effective for many top-tier clubs. Full-back Digne, wearing number 12, takes up a position on the wing, while McGin (number 7) moves into the half-space. Pau Torres (14), Carlos (3), and Konsa (4) form the defensive trio in this setup.
Rest defence:
Rest defence is a concept where top coaches consider the potential loss of possession even during ball possession. Defensive players not only serve as passing options near the ball but also secure their own goal in case of a turnover. At Aston Villa, the rest defence comprises five players: the back three and the two defensive midfielders. The use of five players for defensive coverage has become standard among most coaches, as it's considered a balanced approach – and this can even be explained mathematically without being a math genius. Half of the ten outfield players are deployed for attack and the other half for defensive coverage. Of course, this doesn't mean that, depending on the game situation, more players can't be involved in the attack. This example simply aims to illustrate the logical reasoning coaches use, mathematically.
Arsenal's build-up play in Zone 1 looked quite similar:
Arteta's team also favored a back four and a double pivot when situated deep in their own half. Worth mentioning is goalkeeper Raya, who displays strong ball-playing abilities and serves as a reliable additional passing option. However, due to Aston Villa's decision not to press high, this formation was rarely observed.
Positional Play in Zone 2 and 3:
In zones two and three, Arsenal followed similar patterns to Aston Villa by organizing themselves into a 3-2-2-3 or 3-2-5 system. However, they displayed more versatility with two observed variations:
Variation 1: Zinchenko, marked with number 35, shifted from the full-back position into midfield, forming a double pivot with Rice (41). White (4), Saliba (2), and Gabriel (6) constituted the defensive trio.
Variation 2: Another frequently observed variation involved Rice dropping back to form the defensive trio with Saliba and Gabriel. Zinchenko then assumed Rice's position, White occupied the wing, and Saka moved forward into the half-space. Essentially, this created a 3-4-3 system with a diamond shape in the middle. As Rice is a very assured ball-playing player, Arteta aimed to gain more control in the build-up play with this setup.
Rest Defense:
The coverage after a loss of possession was equally dynamic. In the first described variation, the rest defense consisted of five players: the back three alongside Rice and Zinchenko as the double pivot. However, in the second variation, the rest defense reduced to four players. Since Aston Villa operated with only two players in the front line, Arsenal still held a numerical advantage. The two attackers from Aston Villa faced three Arsenal defenders, supplemented by Zinchenko, who could intervene in support.
Behavior during Opponent's Possession
Aston Villa primarily opted for midfield pressing. Initially, they allowed Arsenal some freedom to combine, but then actively and extremely compactly engaged in midfield. Unai Emery's team positioned themselves relatively high and compact, attempting to use the offside line to their advantage. Their high effectiveness is evident in the following statistic: In the Premier League, they have by far forced the most opponents into offside positions.
The defensive organization took place in a classic 4-4-2 system, which, depending on the advancement of Arsenal's two midfielders, transformed into a 5-3-2 system.
In the second half, Unai Emery's team opted to apply earlier pressure compared to the first half, aiming to disrupt Arsenal's build-up play. During goal kicks, they attempted to press with five players in the opponent's half. However, given Arsenal's high ball possession and few goal kick situations, it was challenging to discern Emery's tactical disruption plan. In one goal kick scenario, Arsenal swiftly and easily combined their way out, making it difficult to decipher Emery's intended disruption strategy. Yet, in another instance, they seemed to wait for the pass out wide to the full-backs to initiate their pressing. In this specific example, Saliba was put under pressure as Ollie Watkins (11) directly attacked him, while Moussa Diaby (19) prevented the back pass to Raya by closing in and shadowing defensively.
Arsenal is known for employing high pressing tactics under Mikel Arteta. They, too, engaged with five players during goal kicks. Here's a good example of how Arsenal attempts to provoke a pass to the center to win possession there. During Aston Villa's goal kick, Emiliano Martinez played the ball to Diego Carlos (3). Havertz (29) and Odegaard (8) covered the two midfielders, while Martinelli (11) positioned himself between the midfielder and the full-back, ready to apply pressure if the pass went wide. Gabriel Jesus (9) pressed the player in possession, Carlos, forcing him through his positioning to pass back to the goalkeeper.
Saka (7) positioned himself between Douglas Luiz (6) and the full-back, observing the unfolding action. After the pass back to Martinez, Saka didn't immediately press but positioned himself between the wide and center defenders, waiting for the right moment of the pass – that was his cue to initiate the pressing.
You can clearly see how he attacked the center-back Pau Torres (14) in a curved run. Gabriel Jesus followed, blocking the potential pass back to Martinez, forcing Torres to play the ball into the middle, where Rice was already positioned, making it difficult for McGinn (7) to control the ball. This action then led to a dangerous attack, although it wasn't cleanly finished.
Arsenal also defended in the popular 4-4-2 system when Aston Villa managed to combine from their own half. It was noticeable that, depending on the position of the full-backs, either Saka or Martinelli assisted in the back four, forming a 5-3-2 shape. From the 4-4-2 formation, it's possible to transition extremely quickly and flexibly into practically any other formation, which is why it's so favored by many coaches.
The Two Transition Moments
Due to Mikel Arteta's team employing a higher press, they often succeeded in winning the ball in the final third and swiftly advancing towards the goal. A good example of this was how Arsenal transitioned after regaining possession to conclude the attack and exploit the numerical advantage. A 4v3 situation emerged, which could have been exploited more effectively.
On the other hand, it's evident how Aston Villa transitions after losing the ball: The three defenders immediately converged to close the center and provoke a pass out wide. Their compactness subsequently led to an unsuccessful attempt by Saka, which was intercepted by Pau Torres.
Overall, there were very few counter-attacks from Aston Villa, as they tended to sit deeper and faced immediate counter-pressing from Arsenal upon losing the ball, hindering their swift transition play. Consequently, they aimed to retain possession initially after winning the ball back from Arsenal, seeking to reset and organize their actions.
Summary
Aston Villa had a strong start, putting pressure on Arsenal early on through poor proximity to the opponent and numerous lost duels. In the seventh minute, they scored a beautifully crafted goal from the wing, taking a 1-0 lead. However, Arsenal improved thereafter and should have leveled the score, but on this evening, they squandered many opportunities.
In the second half, it was evident that Coach Arteta had instructed his players to play the ball more frequently behind the high defensive line.
This worked at times; however, crucial moments were hampered by offside positions – whether due to imperfectly timed runs or imprecise passes. Aston Villa, after their spectacular win against Manchester City, managed to secure victory against Arsenal as well, continuing their streak of 15 undefeated home games.
Highlights:
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