Former personal zipper(er) to Arsène Wenger therefore privy to certain inside tactical information.
London, England
Joined April 2009
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Myles Lewis-Skelly promises you instant technical security, and at least one heart-in-your mouth moment, in the centre of midfield.
Arsenal Column retweeted
This week’s column is about Declan Rice and, not for the first time, he is being asked to do something quite different this season and, not for the first time, he’s doing it really well. His capacity for learning and application is significant 👇🏻🔴⚪️
arseblog.com/2026/10/declan-…
There's been interesting man-marking battles across the pitch, despite Bayern opting to drop-off more than I expected. But Konsa, following Kane, has been key, and Bayern have used that attack the space behind, for the goal, to isolate Davies against Timber
Harry Kane with an OUTRAGEOUS assist, and Alphonso Davies equalises 🥵
📺 Stream on TNT Sports & HBO Max: streamonm.ax/4ySzugq
It really strikes me how congested Brighton were willing to allow their man-marking to be. Arsenal, especially with Lewis-Skelley, tend to overload the backline - here, they weren't allowed to settle into that pattern. The lack of left-side presence also seems conspicuous
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Odegaard has played this game on his own terms. That's partly what makes him so thilling; he plays with own idionsyncracies, his own habits - feels uniquely his own player - and he's confident to strut it.
The way Arsenal use the left-side over the years has been interesting, and it looks like Arteta is trying to get a better, different balance. Previously, that side has been less optimised, galvanised by Trossard whilst the team heavily biased the right-side... 1/
Though against Aston Villa, Arsenal flipped the script a little bit in the second-half, bringing on Eze for Tzolis, and giving a bit more parity to their attacks. For the only goal, they overloaded the left, showing that that side is more than a decoy
Love it. Somehow Lewis-Skelley has got away with 5 tackles with being booked. Two of them right after another.
Arsenal seem to be stuck between trying to play through Villa's mid-block, and quicker over their high line, but getting neither correct. This could be a commentary on Villa's shape - both hurrying Arsenal, and forcing the ball where the men are. The connections not there
This can be summarised by the full-backs pass charts - Calafiori more of a decoy, trying to open space for Tzolis who has struggled when isolated, and White, who seems a little hurried, when in advanced positions, as Villa quick to close down those combinations
Arsenal Column retweeted
Is it just me, or too many of the game and tactical analysis pieces that people write on here are way too fucking long and way too fucking boring?
The mistake was conceding the right half-space/flank to Messi, and he smelt it. 5-3-2 meant England could no longer double up, no longer push out to him from midfield - he even put Rodgers on LCM for the legs - and the LCB was too deep. A massive tactical disaster
🚨🚨🎙️| Thomas Tuchel post match on Semi-Final loss to Argentina:
"Journey ends here. Disappointed — so close. We got too passive after we scored, conceded too many crosses and chances. I made offensive subs the last few games to help the players, conceded straight away, gaps were far too open. Went to a back five to close the gaps but we kept conceding crosses.
"We wanted to go for the second goal but stayed in our 4-4-2 — couldn't win the ball, couldn't keep the ball. I analyse on the pitch, I take 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. No regrets. The team gave everything — we were very, very close, we deserved to be 1-0 up, played one of our better matches.
"Strong group. We played strong teams, lots of miles, lots of travelling, altitude, heat — we overcame every obstacle and we were very close today." 🏴
"We needed back 5 to close the gaps/crosses, to have more width because they play with two wingers/two strikers - 4 players in the last line. So it made sense to have 5 players in the last line. But we didn't stop the second line..It's not a matter of structure-we got too passive
"I take the responsibility"
Thomas Tuchel reacts as England's World Cup dream comes to an end following defeat to Argentina...
🎙️ @gabrielclarke05
