Arsenal - the new BPL champion team in making......?
Talking tactics: The reasons behind Arsenal's renaissance
They may be five points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League but some would question whether they are able to hold on to their lead and become champions for the first time since 2004.
Given the club's eight-year run without silverware that is perhaps understandable. Even so, there can be no doubting Arsene Wenger’s men are in a fabulous groove right now; a fact illustrated by their barnstorming 2-0 victory over in-form Liverpool last weekend.
With a pivotal clash away to Manchester United approaching this Sunday, it is the ideal time to study how and why the Gunners are making such positive strides
Defensive misconceptions
Many assumptions are made about the way the Gunners defend and they tend to be historical and misguided. Descriptions of their off the ball work in the media continue to regularly include phrases such as 'easy to play against', 'defensive frailties' and 'vulnerability'. Yet the truth is Arsenal have worked incredibly hard to successfully eradicate that perceived aspect of their play.
Last season Arsenal boasted the division's best defensive record away from home - shipping a measly 14 goals - and they finished second only to Manchester City when it came to goals conceded over the course of the season. In 2011/12 it was different; they were eighth-best.
How has this improvement occurred? Well, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny have formed a central defensive partnership of real quality that should be beyond reproach. As shown in Table 1 below they have tasted defeat just once in the 22 Barclays Premier League matches they have started alongside one another since the start of the 2012/13 campaign, and it really is not a coincidence. With the giant German reading the game expertly and Koscielny being one of the best man-markers around, the duo click perfectly and possess natural chemistry. Either side of them, full-backs Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna have been the model of consistency too.
As a team Arsenal now play with far greater aggression and discipline than in previous years. Where possible they will press high up the pitch - Mesut Ozil has turned the ball over 18 times already in the opponents' half - but the side are also equally content to funnel back into solid positions behind the ball. Here, they will block spaces and crunch into more tackles than they used to, and an example of this more thoughtful and combative approach is outlined in Image 1 above.
Accusing the Gunners of lacking leadership in the middle of the park is also outdated. Aaron Ramsey has made 47 tackles this season, more than anyone else in the league, while defensive midfielders Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini both have tremendous records when it comes to winning duels (58.2% & 56.4%), tackles and interceptions. Strong characters are not in short supply.
Arsenal may have been caught out by the occasional counterattack this season but that is the exception rather than the rule. From the goalkeeper to the centre forward, Arsene Wenger's men are as well-drilled without the ball as they have been in years.
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