Mikel Arteta Tactics At Arsenal 2023/24: How Timber, Havertz And Rice Can Transform Arsenal’s System

Arsenal Formation Analysis

It can be said that under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal now find themselves fueled by hope and ambition to reach the first row in football again.

They showed significant growth last season by challenging Manchester City until the final hurdles and laying the groundwork for future success.

The Gunners showcased their most impressive form, playing attractive and sharp football.

The acquisitions of players like Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus and the development of talents such as Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka had a notable impact on this.

Recognising the need to address their squad depth, which proved to be a disadvantage against Manchester City, the club is making significant investments this summer.

They focused on acquiring talented and experienced young players, with Artetas persuasive abilities said to have been crucial in securing the Kai Havertz deal.

At the same time, negotiations for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber are also so close.

Indeed, the inclusion of Declan Rice, widely regarded as one of the worlds top midfielders, will significantly enhance Arsenals squad depth and provide Arteta with increased tactical flexibility.

Rices versatility as a defensive midfielder and central midfielder — as either a No.6 or No.8 — adds valuable options to the team.

Also, the picking of Kia Havertz is precisely Artetas choice.

Despite the German not reaching the anticipated peak of his performance at Chelsea since his move from Bayer Leverkusen, Arteta seems to have a specific plan in mind for him.

Havertz is likely to be utilised as a false nine or an advanced No.8, capitalising on his excellent movement in the box and his ability to exploit spaces.

Additionally, Havertzs height brings a new dimension, especially in effectively utilising long balls, which was lacking in the previous season.

Moreover, Jurrien Timbers dynamic playing style, featuring pace, aggression, and on-ball skills, will significantly strengthen Arsenals defence, providing high-quality depth; his tactical versatility enables him to be utilised in various positions (inverted RB, centre-back).

This tactical analysis aims to delve into Arsenals strategies.

How do these new additions enhance the teams tactics?

Furthermore, how can we expect Arteta to experiment with innovative approaches in the upcoming season? Is a 3-2-2-3 box midfield on the cards?

Mikel Arteta Tactics & Managerial Style

During his era as a coach in North London, Mikel Artetas coaching philosophy has been heavily influenced by his time as an assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

The playing styles of the two managers converged, with Arteta adopting a vertical positional approach that prioritised quick, incisive attacks rather than solely focusing on possession.

Verticality is considered a hybrid approach which incorporates direct and positional play together, where Arsenal work side to side if there are no vertical options available and wait for the opportune moments or gaps to penetrate using quick passing combinations.

Unlike a rigid adherence to the 15-pass rule, which stipulates that a team must complete at least 15 passes before transitioning or building a well-structured attack, Artetas Arsenal does not heavily rely on this concept.

Arteta emphasises a short build-up from the back.

The graphic below illustrates the most common patterns employed by Arsenal last season against various pressing schemes, keeping in mind building with the fewest numbers while seeking numerical and positional superiorities.

In the first scenario, Arsenal adopt a fixed 4-1 base with the goalkeeper (two centre-backs, two full-backs, and a defensive midfielder).

Meanwhile, the wingers and striker pin the opponents backline, creating space for the dynamic movement of No.8s to receive.

The false nine strikers ability to drop deeper serves as an essential passing option.

Adding Declan Rice as No.6 to this pattern would be highly beneficial.

Rices physical attributes and accurate short passes in tight spaces enable him to play under pressure effectively.

As also as a No.8, he would comfortably make dynamic movements to receive the ball behind the press.

Timber, as a right-back or centre-back, is crucial.

His passing abilities, especially his dribbling skill to get out of the opponents pressure and his aptitude for selecting the right angles in narrow spaces, make him an essential asset in creating a free passing lane under challenging situations.

Although Havertzs effectiveness as a No.8 midfielder may be limited during this phase (Xhakas role), his potential as a false nine becomes significant here.

His ability to drop off creates gaps in the opponents backline to be exploited by the runners.

In the second scenario, Against +4 in the front lines of the press, Arsenals build-up is through six players and the goalkeeper, where the left No.

8 (Xhaka in the past) positioning alongside the No.

6 to form a fixed 4-2 base.

In contrast, the No.8 (Odegaard) advances centrally as the striker drops into the empty space