Phantomn AFC

Beating an aggressive m2m press. Ft. Arsenal | #AFC Zubimendi, Merino, Gyokeres and the wide men were superb in allowing us to escape pressure yesterday. → Merino was often the deep outlet for progression, drawing the press → Zubimendi would advance further up the pitch with the wide men remaining as wide as possible and Gyokeres isolated 1v1 vs a CB → That created tons of central progression space. It was a consistent and effective theme that allowed us to effectively break out from Prague's aggressive m2m structure. This is why Gyokeres is a suitable player for this team. Not discrediting Havertz at all but both offer two very different skillsets and allow us to play in different ways. Zubimendi was also brilliant in this press breaking system. #Arsenal

Kai Havertz (and some Gyokeres), all action compilation. #AFC The video covers every touch/action Kai Havertz took vs Liverpool. Sections: #1 - Hold-Up Play & Combination Play (Strong & Weak Moments) #2 - Movement & Box Occupation #3 - Defensive Contribution My Notes/Analysis: An overall decent performance. There was a clear shift towards greater central occupation during final third situations, mainly due to the high intensity, high tempo nature of the game. He did superbly to arrive at the back post and finish the only goal. However, he really struggled physically, particularly when engaging in contact. He ended up on the ground on numerous occasions and struggled to impose himself. Technically flawless, with most of his dispossessions coming from physical contact. I cannot question his ability on the ball. There were some decent combination moments, despite the game not particularly relying on his technical qualities. Defensively solid. He carried out his responsibilities and was crucial in cutting off passing lanes. He was effective for the most part in pressing situations, despite our relatively low-intensity approach. Strong inside the box and more positionally disciplined. I rated him 6/10 last night, which, in hindsight, was slightly harsh. However, I stand by my assessment that he struggled physically. His movement was much better than in recent performances, and I'm hoping to see a real improvement in form and more consistent performances going forward. His numbers: Attacking: 1 shots, 1 goal 0.64xG → 0.99xGOT 2 Offsides Passing: 13/17 Passes (76% acc), 0 Key Passes Dribbling: 35 Touches, 4 Carries, 1/2 Dribbles 1 Was Fouled 10 Possession Lost Defending: 1 Interception, 4 Clearances, 1 Block 3/9 Ground Duels, 2/6 Aerial Duels 3 Fouls Committed Running: 10.3 km covered, 32.9 kmph top speed #Havertz