Examining Arsenal’s Tactical Approach: What Changes Are Needed After the Draw With Fulham?

Arsenal’s recent draw with Fulham at Emirates Stadium has left fans and pundits alike questioning the team’s tactical approach. This article will discuss the changes that may be necessary for Arsenal to improve their performance in future matches according to Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta. Hopefully, these changes will bring more confidence and surety to Arsenal fans and people who participate in Premier League betting, too.

Arsenal vs. Fulham: A Quick Review of the Game

The exciting and unpredictable match kicked off with Andreas Pereira surprising the home crowd by scoring in the first minutes. However, a spirited second-half comeback led to Bukayo Saka converting from the penalty spot. Only two minutes later, Eddie Nketiah capitalised on Fabio Vieira’s cross, completely changing the course of the game.

Despite Calvin Bassey’s red card for the Cottagers, the away team found a way to respond through Joao Palhinha’s 87th-minute equaliser.

Attacking Open Spaces

In the post-game interview, Arteta made clear that one area where Arsenal can improve is in their ability to exploit open spaces in the opposition’s defence.

Arteta said, “We can be much, much better in lots of things, huge margins… We can be much better attacking man-to-man situations, we can be much better attacking open spaces, in set-pieces, we have huge capacity still.”

By focusing on creating and exploiting open spaces, Arsenal can provide their attacking players with more opportunities to score. This could involve better movement off the ball, quick passing combinations and utilising the width of the pitch effectively.

Game Management

Another aspect that Arsenal needs to address is their game management. Against Fulham, they struggled to maintain control of the game after taking the lead. This allowed Fulham to grow in confidence and eventually equalise.

Arteta expressed, “In terms of game management we can be a lot better, we can be much more ruthless. There’s a lot of things we have to seek to improve.”

Arsenal should focus on maintaining possession and dictating the tempo of the game, especially when they have a lead. This can be achieved through better decision-making, intelligent passing and effective communication on the pitch.

Help Players Reach Their Peak

Arsenal has a talented squad, but some players have yet to reach their full potential. It is crucial for the coaching staff to identify and address any individual weaknesses that may be hindering the team’s overall performance.

In the words of Arteta, “We don’t have a single player that has reached their peak, no one. And we as coaches have to be curious to understand what can we do to improve them.”

Above all, the Gunners’ manager was frustrated with his team’s defensive effort on Fulham’s second goal, emphasising the significance of defending the box with tenacity and commitment.

“With all the effort that we made, the situations we generated, chance after chance, the attitude of the boys, the way the subs came on – then you go 2-1 up, with 10 men, the game is done. You give a ball away, you give a corner, you have to defend that box with your life if you want wins in the Premier League and we didn’t do that well enough,” said Mikel Arteta.

Clicking as a Team

Lastly, Arsenal needs to focus on improving understanding among the players and continue to build their chemistry. Against Fulham, there were instances where the team seemed disjointed, with players not on the same wavelength.

Arteta believes in improving team chemistry, stating, “They can empower each other and take their game to different levels. It’s about everything clicking and getting into players and getting something else out of them.”

By fostering a strong team spirit and encouraging effective communication on the pitch, Arsenal can improve their overall cohesion. This will lead to a better understanding of each other’s movements, improved passing accuracy and more cohesive attacking and defensive play.

To Sum Up

Most football lovers want to see their favourite team reach full potential. It sounds like Arsenal’s manager, Arteta, has a good idea of what areas his team needs to improve. Arsenal’s draw with Fulham in particular has highlighted several areas where improvements are needed in their tactical approach. By focusing on attacking open spaces, improving game management, helping players reach their peak and clicking as a team, Arsenal can enhance their performance and achieve better results in future matches.