da roleta： Facing a revolt louder, more volatile and more distracting than anything he’s experienced throughout his twenty years in north London, amid a run of just ten points gained from nine Premier League fixtures, Arsene Wenger did what any great manager, thinker, writer or musician would do – steal a good idea from someone else.
da dobrowin： 3-4-3 has been the story of the season in the Premier League and since Antonio Conte implemented it at Chelsea at the end of September, the Blues have rocketed to the division’s summit – whilst every other club in the top seven has utilised it or a variation at least once.
Arsenal were the last to the party, with Wenger selecting Arsenal’s first three-man defence since 1997 last week for a vital Premier League clash with relegation-battlers Middlesbrough – knowing a defeat would further increase the volume of calls for him to resign.
In terms of results, the change in system has had the desired effect. Arsenal beat Boro 2-1 at the Riverside Stadium and used the formation again for their FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City last Sunday – once again, a 2-1 victory for the Gunners.
In terms of performance, however, the statistics suggest Arsenal’s new setup is flattering to deceive. Whilst Arsenal may boast two wins from two, there has been an element of fortune to both victories. The Boro win depended on an Alexis Sanchez free-kick and a close-range poke home from Mesut Ozil, whilst City hit the bar, the post and had a goal wrongly chalked off at Wembley.
And as our infographic shows, Arsenal have finished the last two games with less possession, less efforts at goal and less chances created than Boro and City combined – whilst dropping significantly behind their season averages. Equally tellingly, they’ve been forced to make more tackles and more clearances – highlighting how Arsenal spent large periods of both matches under the cosh.
Of course, there’s only one statistic that matters and if anything else, having three centre-backs on the pitch appears to have improved the Gunners defensively, something that shouldn’t be overlooked considering neither Rob Holding nor Gabriel Paulista are Wenger’s first-choice centre-back options.
But have Arsenal shown true progress in the 3-4-3 setup or has it simply provided the shock required to awaken them from their slump in form? Perhaps more significantly, should Wenger use the formation when his side face Leicester City on Wednesday night? Let us know by voting below…