The main talking points in Arsenal’s season have been injuries, missing chances at crucial moments and their open-play attacking, but there is one constant lingering in the background.
Despite the in-possession concerns, Arsenal’s performances without the ball have been elite and, alongside set pieces, have been the most important facet of their game.
Out of possession, Mikel Arteta’s side are one of the best teams in the world — perhaps even the best — and in the north London derby that part of their game more than rose to the occasion.
Arsenal’s pressing smothered Tottenham Hotspur in the first half and when their intensity slightly dropped after the break, they still managed to win the ball in midfield and defend their own penalty area to see out a 2-1 victory.
GO DEEPER
The north London derby was a test of attitude for Arsenal – it was one they passed
Usually Arsenal press out of a 4-4-2 shape — or a 4-1-4-1 on some occasions — but the dynamics of their pressing scheme depends on the opponent and where Arteta’s side want them to play.
The structure of the high press against Tottenham on Wednesday evening consisted of Martin Odegaard shadowing Yves Bissouma, Kai Havertz pressing Radu Dragusin and Raheem Sterling in a narrow position between Archie Gray and Djed Spence.
When Tottenham tried to build the attack down their right side, Havertz pressed Dragusin from an angle that forced the centre-back to play the ball to Antonin Kinsky…
… before arcing his run to block the passing lane back to Tottenham’s right centre-back as he harried the goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Sterling maintained his narrow position to press Gray if the ball was played to Tottenham’s left centre-back, leaving Jurrien Timber to pick up Spence.
As for Odegaard, Declan Rice and Thomas Partey, they closely marked their midfield counterparts to limit Kinsky’s passing options.
In this example, the press forces Tottenham’s goalkeeper to go long and Arsenal regain possession.
On the other flank, the scenario was slightly different.
Here, Sterling pressed Gray while blocking the passing lane into Spence, which forced the centre-back to play the ball to Kinsky because Odegaard was covering Bissouma and Havertz was in a position to press Dragusin.
Unlike Havertz, Sterling didn’t press Kinsky and maintained his narrow position. That task was left for the Germany forward, who first moved towards Dragusin before adjusting his run to press the goalkeeper…
… while blocking the passing lane into the centre-back. As that was happening, Rice, Odegaard and Partey locked onto Tottenham’s midfield three.
However, here, Partey exchanges markers with Timber because Spence moves inside and Lucas Bergvall is in a wider role.
Kinsky tries to find the narrow left-back…
… but Partey is in the perfect position to press him. Spence’s options are limited — Rice and Odegaard are marking Pape Matar Sarr and Bissouma, Havertz is ready to press the goalkeeper and Sterling is close to Gray.
The left-back is forced to go backwards and exchange passes with Gray, but they are boxed towards the touchline by Sterling and Partey, with Havertz still on the goalkeeper and Timber marking Bergvall.
Spence tries to find the dropping Bissouma, but Odegaard is breathing down his neck and prevents the midfielder from controlling the ball correctly, which wins Arsenal a throw-in.
In another example, Sterling, Odegaard and Havertz are in their designated positions when Kinsky plays the ball to Dragusin.
Havertz then presses the centre-back from an angle that forces him to play the ball back to the goalkeeper…
… as Rice, Timber and Partey (out of shot) move up to be in position to press their markers.
Havertz continues his movement…
… and presses Kinsky while blocking the passing lane back to Dragusin.
The marking of Tottenham’s midfield by Rice, Odegaard and Partey (out of shot) reduces Kinsky’s passing options, especially with Sterling in a position to press Gray (out of shot) and Timber ready to move up towards Spence.
Kinsky’s hesitation allows Havertz to close him down, and the goalkeeper is fortunate that the loose ball drops next to him.
When Tottenham were building the attack higher up the pitch, Arsenal adjusted their pressing scheme: Leandro Trossard continued man-marking Pedro Porro, Odegaard stuck to Bissouma and Havertz focused on pressing Dragusin, but Sterling’s narrow position was deeper.
Here, Gray plays the ball to Dragusin and Havertz darts towards the centre-back…
… while Odegaard maintains his role of marking Bissouma.
As Havertz closes down on Dragusin, the centre-back’s near passing options are marked: Rice is keeping an eye on Sarr, and the switch between Dejan Kulusevski and Porro doesn’t catch out Arsenal’s left side because of their man-oriented marking.
Dragusin tries to find Kulusevski near the touchline, but Myles Lewis-Skelly beats him to the ball…
… and the left-back dribbles inside, before putting Sterling through in front of the goal.
Despite reaching the ball first, Sterling slips.
In another first-half example, Odegaard is covering Bissouma, while Rice and Havertz are ready to press Sarr and Dragusin, and Sterling is in a narrow position, which persuades Gray to play the ball to his left-back.
Once that happens…
… Sterling moves towards Spence, whose only forward option is Bergvall down the line. When the pass is played, Partey presses the Sweden midfielder…
… who has no choice other than to dribble forward because Odegaard is marking Bissouma, William Saliba is tracking Dominic Solanke and Sterling is blocking the backwards pass to Spence — even the switch of play to Porro is covered by Trossard.
Bergvall fails to dribble past Partey, and the Arsenal midfielder wins the ball for his side.
Arsenal’s pressing in the first half nullified Tottenham and created goalscoring opportunities for Arteta’s side — including Trossard’s winner.
In the build-up to that goal, Tottenham are trying to move up the pitch, with Havertz, Odegaard and Sterling maintaining their pressing roles. When Dragusin plays the ball to Gray…
… Odegaard focuses on blocking the passing lane into Bissouma and Sterling’s narrow role persuades the centre-back to play the ball to Spence. When that happens, Sterling pounces…
… and because Bergvall is distant from the action and marked by Rice, Odegaard can move towards Gray and leave Bissouma for Partey.
Under pressure and without options, Spence plays the ball to Bissouma…
… who is pressed by Partey and Odegaard. Partey wins the ball and starts the transition that ends with Trossard’s shot hitting the back of the net.
Considering the game state in the second half and the physical effort made by Arsenal’s players in the first, their drop in intensity was understandable. Even so, Arteta’s side still generated two chances via their high press after the break.
Victory in the north London derby narrowed the gap on Liverpool to four points. If Arsenal want to overhaul Arne Slot’s side they need to maintain their performance without the ball while finding a more clinical edge in possession.
