Arsenal have been struggling since the beginning of the season, losing their identity and failing to keep up with the outrageously high tempo the Premier League pushes them to. Despite the threatening attacking players, the lack of balance between the lines and the fragile defence has torn the team apart and left them conceding 34 goals in the league this season. That’s only two less than Watford who are 19th (in the relegation zone) fighting to stay in the top tier.
Their ex-captain, Mikel Artetas arrival on charge did make things feel and look slightly better when it comes to the Gunners’ motivation and connection. But the overall picture still looks like a puzzle with tons of missing pieces.
By changing players’ roles and trying to improve their performance individually, the Spaniard managed to tighten up the lines and make them look structurally better. But there are no (and should not be expected) signs of Arsenal playing on their potential anytime soon.
And to start with the changes needed, you’d directly point out to the defence, but what would make the difference and be the first step to strengthening the backline would be improving their midfield performance. Many of the team’s struggles this term have come due to the lack of communication and a good connection between the lines. The defence itself needs an immense improvement but what would affect Arsenal’s performance immediately is having strong support in front of them.
Speaking of defensive improvement, Arteta needs to find a way and bring the best version of the players as soon as possible. He would be able to start this long process by working on their understanding and decision-making. He needs to focus on finding the best partnerships at the back and make them look like a well-oiled machine. What Unai Emery previously failed to do is pick the right players against the right opponents. Let’s take the centre-defenders – picking up two players with the same weaknesses and having no one out there to cover them seemed like the worst-case scenario.
The problem is that there was no one to pick from. And that is something the new manager needs to check on his list. The January transfer window is close to its end and Arsenal were linked with a few defensive players, ending up signing a loan deal for the Flamengo centre-back Pablo Marí on whom we will do an analysis in this scout report.
What is his background and is he the type of player Arsenal need in order to improve? This tactical analysis aims to look into his performance and how he could fit into Artetas tactics.
Background and abilities
Marí has struggled to find his place throughout the years. He signed with Manchester City in 2016 but didn’t get the chance to play for them. He was loaned for the consecutive seasons in Girona, NAC Breda and Deportivo La Coruna.
Last summer, he joined the Brazilian Flamengo permanently and featured in 22 of their 38 Serie A games, winning the league 16 points clear.
Marí has proved to be a good passer, helping a lot with both retaining possession in his own half and helping with the build-up from the back. Being confident on the ball and managing to slow down the tempo, despite the opponents pressuring him is one of his best qualities. His range of passing is impressive as he reached an average of 91,3% accurate passes in the past year.
Being able to circulate the ball at the back but also distribute it further has been crucial in his time at Flamengo. He contributes with perfectly measured long balls directly to the opposition half which have a huge impact against teams applying high press and pinning their opponents back. His ability to bypass the press with chipped balls or switch play could help a team immediately come into a better position and quickly transition into attack.
As a left centre-back, he covers quite wide areas, often positioning past the midfield line too. His intelligent positional play and tactical awareness helped his teams to keep their structure and cover the gaps. His physicality makes him great in the air, where he wins a huge amount of his duels. That instantly turns him into a good option for both defending and attacking set-pieces. He could be frequently seen in the opposition box helping out as an indirect set-piece threat.
