Heading into the 2023–24 season Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have all eyes on them as they are perceived to be Manchester City’s number one threat to a fourth successive Premier League title.
All thanks to a spectacular 2022–23 that saw the Gunners transform into a beast with an appetite to end their 19-year major trophy drought.
Unfortunately it did end in disappointment but it was a clear sign that Arsenal were back at the top of world football after a relatively prosperous campaign.
With success comes more attention and the likelihood that teams will study diligently to crack the code to their system and Arteta knows this as he told The Athletic:
“The idea is to be more unpredictable every year, to become more difficult for the opponents to stop and nullify what we want to do.
“That’s what we have now, especially at the back and in the midfield. The options we have, to open up the spaces… we have many more options than we had last year.”
Last season Arsenal made the fewest changes to their starting eleven in the Premier League so the incoming signings of Kai Havertz, Jurien Timber, and Declan Rice will go a long way to improve the flexibility Arteta can utilise.
The Spaniard may liken himself to an American football or basketball coach with several plays in his book ready to counter anything the opposition brings.
Let’s have a look at Arsenal’s signings and how they will fit into the squad as part of Arteta’s multifaceted plan:
Kai Havertz
Upon the £65m signing of the former Chelsea man Twitter went into a frenzy as many laughed at and questioned the move.
Why would Arteta invest so heavily in someone who has struggled to solidify a position he excels in?
It was speculated that Havertz would replace Granit Xhaka as the left-sided eight and that is precisely what he has done throughout pre-season.
However, the German has not been instructed to mimic Xhaka’s role which saw the Swiss international collect nine goals and 7 assists last campaign.
Instead the manager has further complicated what it means to play as a number eight in his system with the introduction of the Raumdeuter.
A German term which translates to space investigator or space interpreter and a role that encourages the player to find gaps in the opposition’s defence and exploit them.
Arteta has granted Havertz the freedom to no longer be limited by a fixed position and is instructed to explore and manipulate space in the final third. This will also be the case whether Havertz plays as the right-sided eight or as a striker.
Against the MLS All-Stars Havertz was often the highest midfielder as Martin Odegaard dropped deeper to allow for the №29 to drift centrally and even across to the right half-space.
For his goal Havertz rotated with Gabriel Martinelli who occupied a position near the edge of the box allowing for the Raumdeuter to approach the back post and convert a half volley. A position he has continued to occupy as proven by his goal against Barcelona.
Aaron Ramsdale was also instructed to go long at times to evade the high press, targeting the six-foot-four Havertz who often pushed up alongside the striker to serve as a target man.
Similar to what Erling Haaland did when facing Arsenal at the Etihad allowing for Kevin de Bruyne to run onto the centre forward’s knockdowns.
Jurien Timber
The Dutch defender gives Arteta the option to flip the full-back inversion from left to right which adds another layer of unpredictability.
Last season Oleksandr Zinchenko’s role within the side was arguably the most important, especially in terms of their press resistant build up play, but as the season continued teams began to target the left side.
Just like the Ukrainian Timber has the magnificent technical ability to dribble using his agile turning axis and find a man in space with an opposition cutting pass.
A skillset that has prompted the debate of whether it will be either Zinchenko or Timber who starts as the inverted full-back but having both players on the pitch allows for in-game changes from left to right.
Timber can also slot in as a third centre-back allowing for the left-back to get forward no matter if it is Zinchenko or Kieran Tierney.
What interests many fans is that Tierney can do the same as he has shown on international duty in Steve Clarke’s back three, meaning that Arsenal’s back line can effectively work as a pendulum if Timber is on the pitch.
Timber is also capable of stepping into the midfield to press the opposition into a turnover and begin the counter as he did against the MLS All-Stars.
The attack quickly developed into Timber joining the frontline as the sixth man but instead of overlapping Bukayo Saka as Ben White usually does the Dutchman entered the right half-space.
And if need be Timber can fill in at left-back as he did against Monaco proving that he is a highly versatile player that can invert from his unfavoured side.
There were also instances where the former Ajax player swapped flanks with Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Declan Rice
The former West Ham man will have one of the hardest roles within the XI ahead of next season.
Arsenal typically play with a lone six, a role Thomas Partey took a while to familiarise himself with before he stamped his name as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league.
In games versus teams who can go toe-to-toe with Arsenal, Rice may assume the position of a ‘traditional’ left-sided eight as the Englishman is more comfortable in deeper areas facing pressure than his German teammate.
Versus Monaco Rice deputised alongside Partey and was key to serving as an outlet for Timber, often coming out wide as an option.
Likewise to Xhaka last season Rice also found himself in positions ready to send the ball across the box thanks to rotations with Gabriel Martinelli.
Leandro Trossard has also operated in the space of an eight, drifting from the left wing and dropping deep to form a double pivot with Partey as Havertz transitions into an advanced position.
Rotations have become even more integral to Arteta’s brand of football ahead of the 2023–24 season.
Multiple players in the squad are able to play several positions which build on the idea of having a team of Swiss army knives to create an unpredictable and adaptable squad.
Squad depth and rotations
GK: Ramsdale, Turner
LB: Zinchenko, Kiwior, Tierney, Timber, Tomiyasu
RB: White, Timber, Tomiyasu
LCB: Gabriel, Kiwior
RCB: Saliba, White, Timber
CDM: Partey, Rice, Jorginho
LCM: Havertz, Trossard, Smith-Rowe, Rice
RCM: Odegaard, Vieira
LW: Martinelli, Trossard, Nelson, Smith Rowe
RW: Saka, Nelson, Jesus
CF: Jesus, Trossard, Nketiah, Havertz
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