Manure H Sun 3rd Sept KO 430pm

[robbo10]

"Unfair to judge Havertz until he's played in front of Zinchenko"

So if Zinchenko's out, don't expect anything from Havertz. That sounds promising.

He (Haventz) has no excuse,he’s not arrived from some shit league this season,he’s had 3 appalling years at Chelsea to “adapt”,so he has zero excuses,Artetas ego thinks he can find a player in there somewhere,to the detriment of results and team balance,try this shit in America preseason not when it matters most.

[DB10GOONER]

here we go (I still don't know how I'm able to read it but anyway )

Three reasons Arsenal are lacking last season’s fluidity
Mikel Arteta has introduced a new system for Kai Havertz's arrival and Oleksandr Zinchenko’s fitness struggles, blunting their left side

By
Sam Dean

Kai Havertz is yet to win over the Arsenal faithful CREDIT: Getty Images/Stuart MacFarlane
A new season has brought a new system for Mikel Arteta, who has made subtle changes to his Arsenal set-up after a summer spend of more than £200 million. The principles remain the same as last year, as do most of the players, but the Arsenal manager has attempted to evolve and develop the structure of his side.

A return of seven points from three games represents a solid start to the new campaign, although there are grumbles within the fanbase that Arsenal are not yet as sharp and creative as they were for much of last season. Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Fulham, in which Arsenal conceded two cheap goals, was a source of major disappointment.

Here, Telegraph Sport analyses the changes that Arteta has made to his team this season, the possible reasons behind those tweaks and whether, after three games, they are working.

A new-look defensive shape
Last season, following Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival from Manchester City, Arsenal usually operated with a system in which the left-back tucked into midfield when Arteta’s side had possession. Zinchenko could do so because Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes provided a defensive platform behind him.

So far this year, Zinchenko has not been fit enough to play from the start. Arteta has therefore decided to flip the system, and has asked Thomas Partey to play the “Zinchenko role” from the right-hand side, tucking in alongside new signing Declan Rice.

There is a difference, though, in what happens behind Partey when he comes into midfield. Last season, Saliba and Gabriel usually sat in the centre of the pitch as a defensive two. This year, Arsenal are effectively playing with a one-man defence – Saliba – in those moments. White is still pushing down the right wing at times, and the left-back (a different player in each of the three games) is playing wider on the other flank.

The dangers of this were made clear in the opening minute of Saturday’s match against Fulham. Partey pushed into midfield, and White drifted out to the right to help build an attack. At the back, Saliba was alone as the only central defender. When Bukayo Saka lost the ball cheaply, Fulham’s Andreas Pereira ran into an enormous gap in the heart of Arsenal’s defence.

The difference can be seen in Arsenal’s average positions against Fulham this weekend, compared to their average positions in the same fixture in August last year. The two matches were remarkably similar, with Arsenal dominating both occasions.


With continued murmurings of Saudi Arabian interest in Gabriel, the Brazilian’s exclusion from the team has raised eyebrows. Arteta has insisted that it is a tactical decision, though, and there is an obvious logic to it: last season, Gabriel provided the balance when the left-back came into midfield. This year, it is the right-back who comes inside. Arsenal therefore need a different profile of player on the left of their defence.

If this new shape sounds high-risk, it is worth considering that Arsenal have been defensively solid, largely, in their three matches. In their opening games, they have conceded only seven shots on target. They are not lacking control, and the opposition have rarely threatened. Their problem against Fulham was not structural, but rather the foolish errors they made at key defensive moments.


Xhaka out, Havertz in
Kai Havertz, Arsenal’s £65 million signing from Chelsea, has started all three Premier League games in the same position that Granit Xhaka operated in last season, on the left side of the midfield.

Havertz and Xhaka, though, are totally different players. Xhaka, who has been sold to Bayer Leverkusen, had spent most of his career as a defensive midfielder before he was pushed further forward last season, while Havertz has generally played as a forward.

To swap Xhaka for Havertz is a bold and attack-minded move by Arteta. Havertz is theoretically far more comfortable attacking the box and receiving the ball between the lines in the final third, but less experienced when it comes to the defensive side of the game.

It is clear that Arteta has tasked Havertz with making runs into the penalty area, as he did to promising effect in pre-season. What is less clear, though, is Havertz’s role as Arsenal build their attacks. Against Fulham he was simply not involved for much of the game: in his 56 minutes of action, the German had only 28 touches of the ball. In the same fixture last season, Xhaka had 71 touches.

It is a new role in a new team for Havertz and, evidently, it will take some time for him to adapt to Arsenal’s system. He is under increasing pressure to produce an impressive performance, however, as he also appears to have inherited Xhaka’s role as the most divisive player among the fanbase.

Asked if he is confident that Havertz will win over those muttering supporters, Arteta said: “Yes, I think so. I think he’s already done some really good things and on Saturday it was tough for him in certain moments. He got in some great areas again and the ball didn’t arrive. He should have already scored a lot of goals this season and that’s the thing that is missing there.”


Left side blunted
At the club’s training ground, Arsenal’s coaching staff hold “unit meetings” in which, for example, the left side of the team work together to create a collective understanding. Arteta believes in building relationships between players and, last season, Arsenal’s left-hand side was crucial to the structure of their attack.

With Zinchenko starting moves, Xhaka shuttling between boxes and Gabriel Martinelli charging at the opposition right-back, Arsenal had a thrilling balance of speed and control on that side of the pitch.

This year, the left side has not functioned so smoothly. The arrival of Havertz has changed the dynamic, and he is not yet on the same wavelength as Martinelli. There have been times when the two players have attempted to run into each other’s areas, and other moments when passes have not been played where the other wanted.

It has not helped the chemistry on the left side of the pitch that Arsenal have had to play with a different left-back in each of their three matches so far. New signing Jurrien Timber started against Nottingham Forest, but has since suffered a serious knee injury. Takehiro Tomiyasu came in against Crystal Palace, but was sent off. Jakub Kiwior started there on Saturday.

The hope, no doubt, is that the return to fitness of Zinchenko will make all the difference. The Ukraine international helped to unleash Xhaka and Martinelli last season, and Arteta will surely hope he can do the same with Havertz.

When Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira came onto the left-hand side against Fulham, Arsenal were a team transformed. Both of their goals came down that flank, and Zinchenko’s intelligent forward passing helped to pin back Fulham throughout the second half. It feels deeply unfair to judge Havertz until he has had the opportunity to play in front of Zinchenko, and to build a relationship with Martinelli.

The most pointless stat in the world of football stats: "in his 56 minutes of action, the German had only 28 touches of the ball. In the same fixture last season, Xhaka had 71 touches."

Up there with "expected goals".

[SteveO 35]

Here's a stat

Xhaka had 300 games to consistently prove he was utter shite

Havertz has had 3 - shall we give him a wee bit more time?

[rodders999]

Here's a stat

Xhaka had 300 games to consistently prove he was utter shite

Havertz has had 3 - shall we give him a wee bit more time?

Amen brother.

Not sure he's going to get it though, there were Eboue level groans in the ground when he misplaced that pass second half Saturday. I think a lot of fans have already made up their mind about him, saw that he was unconvincing at chelsea, weren't on board with the signing in the first place and are unwilling to see how it plays out. I said on the transfer thread that I'm waiting until he's played 10 league games before passing judgment, I think at that stage he'll have had plenty of time to settle in to his new surroundings/position to make a proper evaluation on him.

He badly needs a standout performance to buy him the luxury of that time with the decent section of the fanbase though and Sunday would be a good time to start.

[Retro Gunner]

"Unfair to judge Havertz until he's played in front of Zinchenko"

So if Zinchenko's out, don't expect anything from Havertz. That sounds promising.

[Retro Gunner]

Here's a stat

Xhaka had 300 games to consistently prove he was utter shite

Havertz has had 3 - shall we give him a wee bit more time?

Mate, do you honestly think people haven’t noticed three pony years at Chelsea? That’s a lot of baggage to bring with you, so failing to make an impact of any kind in his first three games is hardly going to promote the notion that there’ll be some glorious transformation under Arteta.
Robbo makes the point very well in his post above.

[falkirk goon]

I've got a stat Xhaka was shite and a bulbeye..Havertz is is also shite and a bulbeye 65 mill I wouldn't give the fanny a cock or a hen doon the park ffs

[the playing mantis]

Sam Dean is a well known mouth piece of the club. He only reports on Arsenal and only says what they want him to. He is very very rarely critical. (basically doesn't want to disrupt his kushi number a la le grove and arseblog)

Nothing with his name against it thats an 'opinion' piece is reliable.

Shame the telegraph and sunday telegraphs sports reporting is like this these days, they have a correspondent who mostly sticks with one club for the big boys and it isn't good for journalistic standards, wheras it used to be the lading sports paper, less said about domestic cricket coverage the better as there is nowt.

The times is superior on football as they rotate reporters around (for us at least) and you get impartiality mostly unless on the scum. Plus the words of wisdom of fat slug martin samuel.

[Retro Gunner]

I've got a stat Xhaka was shite and a bulbeye..Havertz is is also shite and a bulbeye 65 mill I wouldn't give the fanny a cock or a hen doon the park ffs

I haven’t got a clue what that’s all about Falky, but fuck it, I agree 100%.

[falkirk goon]

I've got a stat Xhaka was shite and a bulbeye..Havertz is is also shite and a bulbeye 65 mill I wouldn't give the fanny a cock or a hen doon the park ffs

I haven’t got a clue what that’s all about Falky, but fuck it, I agree 100%.

A cock or a hen was the term we used as kids when picking sides at fitba down the park Havertz would defo be last pick the fucking anushole that he is Although come to think of it he would probably have been a cock

[Retro Gunner]

I've got a stat Xhaka was shite and a bulbeye..Havertz is is also shite and a bulbeye 65 mill I wouldn't give the fanny a cock or a hen doon the park ffs

I haven’t got a clue what that’s all about Falky, but fuck it, I agree 100%.

A cock or a hen was the term we used as kids when picking sides at fitba down the park Havertz would defo be last pick the fucking anushole that he is Although come to think of it he would probably have been a cock

Ah, now I've got it. In the street or down the park, picking sides...I remember it well. Usually in the street for us. The last kid picked, or in other words, the one no one wanted. Used to happen in PE at school too, when it was the fat kid or the one with glasses that was always last picked. Poor bastards.

In our case, the one none of us want is probably the first one on Arteta's team sheet. Granit Havertz.

[Gunner Rob]

Arteta on Havertz

"He got in some great areas again and the ball didn’t arrive"

[mcdowell42]

Anthony Taylor will take charge of Arsenal vs. Manchester United on Sunday.

#ARSMUN

[Reno Gooner]

Arteta on Havertz

"He got in some great areas again and the ball didn’t arrive"

Aaaaah, so it's the rest of the teams fault.....as Havertz continues to march to a completely different drummer.

[OneBardGooner]

I've got a stat Xhaka was shite and a bulbeye..Havertz is is also shite and a bulbeye 65 mill I wouldn't give the fanny a cock or a hen doon the park ffs

Is this yoooo Falkaaay!?