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The three-man defence is working wonders for Arsenal. With wins against Liverpool and Manchester City in the space of a week, Mikel Arteta's tactical changes have certainly paid dividends.
With each passing game, the Gunners grow more accustomed to this tactical setup and the results are gradually following. Moving forward, this formation could be the best option for Arteta as it greatly mitigates the defensive frailties in the squad without compromising on the attack.
Tried and tested defensive solution
Shifting to three central defenders has become a standard operating procedure for sides struggling at the back. While it can compromise on the attack to an extent, it is an effective alternative to sides who want to prioritize defensive improvement in the short term.
In the 2016-17 season, Arsenal's defending was so poor that even Arsene Wenger, who had not changed his starting formation for over 15 years, switched to a back three. Unai Emery did the same when the Gunners were bleeding goals in the second half of the tenure. Arsenal's defending has markedly improved since Arteta arrived, but clearly the Spaniard wants to implement a better defensive structure before focusing on improving their play going forward, prompting this switch.
Unfortunately, Arsenal do not yet have the quality to dominate games. This is especially evident against better sides. Consequently, the Gunners are forced to endure long periods without possession and an incessant barrage of crosses.
Therefore, Arteta has intelligently implemented a system that makes it easier for them to cope with what they are dealing with.
Frees up the attack
An underrated aspect of this formation is the freedom it offers to the wingers of a side. By playing wing-backs, the formation allows the wingers to operate as inside forwards and relieves them of their defensive duties. In this case, it has allowed both Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to play closer to the goal, increasing their output and influence on games.
Pepe has especially benefited from this, as seen by his recent showings. The Ivorian is far better suited playing at the edge of the penalty box than as a traditional winger.
The wing-backs are also able to overlap, providing him support and preventing him from being isolated. If Arteta does persist with this tactical approach, Pepe's output of goals and assists will greatly increase.
Mitigates individual weaknesses
The collective effort demanded from a 3-4-3 plays an important role in mitigating individual shortfalls. Starting from the defence, having three centre-backs provides far more room for error, with two defenders covering the third should he make a mistake.
David Luiz thrives in this setup as his defensive errors are less exposed while he can be more adventurous with his passing. Similarly, even Shkodran Mustafi looks more assured with cover behind him. The win against Manchester City was a perfect demonstration of the same as the defence collectively made an incredible 33 clearances and kept a clean sheet. Luiz was also at his imperious best in the FA Cup semifinal against Man City.
The same applies to the double-pivot of Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos. While Arsenal may not be able to control the midfield as well, this formation enables quick transitions on the counter.
Ceballos and Xhaka complement each other with the former being an adept dribbler and the latter, an exquisite passer. As a result, Arsenal have plenty of options to get the ball up the pitch in a matter of seconds. The increased incisiveness of Arsenal's counter-attacks and pressing has yielded results.
Moving forward, there's a lot of uncertainty with regards to the overhaul that Arteta will be able to make. Should a cash crunch handicap Arsenal's activities in the transfer market, Arteta will need to make the best use of what he has. It seems like the current tactical setup could be the answer.
