The tactical tweak Arteta must make to unlock Arsenal's ruthlessness

By Danong 

Last summer, Arsenal secured one of the deadliest strikers in Europe, signing the red-hot Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swede arrived fresh from a brilliant 2024-25 campaign. He scored 54 goals in 52 games. These impressive numbers had Arsenal convinced they had finally solved their goalscoring struggles.

Yet despite his 18 goals in 46 games, some Gooners feel the attack is not performing at the level it should. The frontline is still misfiring, and things have not improved as expected.

So, what do Arsenal need to unlock an efficient attack? The obvious recommendation is for them to sign a dangerous left-winger, and maybe bring in another striker. 

But none of that may work if Mikel Arteta fails to address one fundamental issue: his midfield.

Arteta wants a midfield built around a number six and two eights. But in constructing that unit, he has erred on the defensive side.

When fully fit, Arteta's preferred midfield trio is Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Martin Zubimendi.

Zubimendi is a natural six, but so is Rice. The Englishman himself once admitted as much to TNT Sports, via the Metro:

"I think my best position is probably as a number 6. My biggest strength is breaking up the play and taking the ball from deep. I do get excited when I play number 8, though. I get to show the other side of my game. I didn't stop running tonight!"

With both Rice and Zubimendi most comfortable as sixes, the tactical solution is clear: Arteta must be bold enough to settle on just one of them in that role.

Playing Rice alongside Zubimendi, without the attacking full-backs that teams like PSG and Bayern Munich have, certainly suffocates Arsenal's creative play. 

But should Arteta commit to one holding midfielder, the Gunners would have fewer creativity issues. This is particularly true if two natural tens were deployed as the eights.

Arsenal's ambition has long been to surpass Manchester City, but in doing so, they have overlooked an obvious tactical set-up. The Rodri–Bernardo Silva–Kevin De Bruyne midfield should have served as the blueprint for the Gunners' rebuild in the post-Granit Xhaka LCM era.

Instead, they have played two defensive midfielders with just Odegaard as the ten. This setup has further suffocated Arsenal's creativity and forced the team to prioritise caution above all else.

Looking at the current squad, Arteta has four defensive midfielders in Rice, Zubimendi, Cristian Norgaard, and Mikel Merino, with just two number tens in Eberechi Eze and Odegaard. The balance is skewed, and it is showing.

Arsenal must reshape their midfield. With their world-class centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, they can play one holding midfielder and two number tens without being exposed defensively.

Reverting to such a system would help this Arsenal side generate more chances. This approach would give them a greater opportunity to win games with the ruthlessness they crave.

It may take time and sacrifice to perfect this tactical approach. But if Arsenal are serious about developing that fear factor, it could be worth it.

Starting this player, how to bypass the City block and the attitude needed to win

By Danong and 1970s Gooner 

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has equated the clash with Arsenal as the Premier League 2025-26 final.

Last time the two met, City tactically exposed an injury-plagued Arsenal side, fashioning a 2-0 win that clinched the Carabao Cup.

Much has happened since then; Arsenal have been knocked out of the FA Cup, suffered a defeat to Bournemouth, yet also just did enough to secure a Champions League semi-final spot. 

But all of that is behind them now. Arsenal need to deliver, find their rhythm and keep winning if they want to keep their title hopes alive.

Six points ahead of City, who have played a game less, a win would give Arsenal a comfortable cushion at the top. A defeat to the Manchester Blues, however, would cut the gap to just three points, heaping further pressure on the boys in red and white, because should City win their game in hand, the two sides would be level on points.

Arsenal have no excuses but to bring their A-game. Injuries, though, will still be a concern.

Bukayo Saka is confirmed to miss the game. Noni Madueke came off with a knock against Sporting CP, though Arteta was hopeful he would be fit. Ricardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard all remain doubtful; even so, given the sheer magnitude of the occasion, Arteta will surely field the strongest side he possibly can.

We could see Arsenal line up as follows:

Raya

White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie 

Zubimendi, Rice, Eze

Madueke, Havertz, Trossard

Why Havertz over Gyokeres:

Havertz can drop deep and link up play far more effectively. Gyokeres is a fine finisher, but with Havertz leading the line, Arsenal's attack would be more fluid, creating the space for the wingers to attack. The German could keep the City defence occupied before Gyokeres is introduced from the bench to prey on tired legs.

That said, in the Carabao Cup final, City caused Arsenal problems by exploiting their weakness in playing out from the back, something Bournemouth also capitalised on. 

Starting Havertz would be logical as one option for Raya would be to go long to Havertz. The Arsenal number 10, say Eze, and a winger should move up closer to him and give support moving the team further up the field.

Alternatively Raya could chip balls to either wing as City in their four man press involve their wingers and/or their full backs leaving space behind them. 

If Arteta has found a solution to that vulnerability, City are certainly beatable. However implausible an Arsenal victory may seem after the recent dire performances that have been served. 

Especially if the Arsenal players play with gusto, confidence and belief. 

This statistic augurs well for Arsenal in their game against Sporting

By Danong 

Arsenal are back in action on Wednesday, with the Gunners hosting Portuguese heavyweights Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium.

Yes, the Gunners head into this game with an advantage, a 1-0 lead in the tie, but that is arguably the trickiest lead they could hold in a Champions League knockout clash.

Sporting have reached this stage entirely on merit, and should Arsenal slip, they could easily turn things around and knock them out. Notably, the Primeira Liga outfit have failed to score in just one competitive away game all season.

Arsenal fans simply could not handle a Wednesday night Champions League heartbreak, not after that disappointing Saturday defeat, losing 2-1 to Bournemouth.

Mikel Arteta and his side will need to bring their A-game, yet doing so will be made harder by the absence of several key players.

A disappointing update from Arsenal's training ground confirms that Declan Rice was nowhere to be seen in their latest training session.

The Englishman joins a growing absentee list that already includes Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, and Riccardo Calafiori.

Even so, Arteta can still field a strong side that should be capable of handling Sporting.

That team could look like this:

Raya

White, Gabriel, Saliba, Lewis-Skelly

Nørgaard, Zubimendi, Eze

Madueke, Gyökeres, Martinelli.

It may not be the strongest line-up Arteta has put out, but it should carry more than enough quality to deal with a Sporting side that will be without key men Ivan Fresneda and Luís Guilherme.

Worth noting, however, is that their captain, Morten Hjulmand, returns for this game after missing the first leg through suspension.

What augurs well fir Arsenal is that Sporting have got a bad record in Europe when they lost the first tie losing 13 of 14 such ties. 

Three Arsenal wins and three draws, Sporting have never managed to beat the Gunners (over 90 minutes and extra time) and Wednesday is unlikely to be the day that changes.

Arsenal aim to lay St Mary's ghosts to rest with this patched-up line-up

 By Danong 

Arsenal return to action with a quarter-final FA Cup clash against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium.  

St Mary’s has long proved a difficult ground for the Gunners. In their last five visits, they have managed just one victory, a frustrating record given that, on paper, this is a fixture where Arsenal should be odds-on favourites.  

Even so, while Arsenal are expected to prevail tonight, they will need to bring their A-game.  

Southampton arrive unbeaten in 14 matches, enjoying their best run of form in recent memory, and they will be ready to put up a fight. Arsenal, therefore, must be prepared for everything thrown their way.  

Fingers crossed, most of our key players are fit, especially after several withdrew from international duty with injury concerns.  

From Mikel Arteta’s Friday press conference:  

- Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard are in contention. 

- Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie are ruled out with no timeline for return.

- Noni Madueke is sidelined, though expected back within days.  

Ideally, Arteta should field this line-up:  

Kepa  

Ben White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Lewis Skelly  

Norgaard, Havertz, Odegaard 

Dowman, Gyokeres, Martinelli  

Despite injuries forcing notable absences, Arsenal should still have enough to dispatch Southampton on Saturday night and book their place in the semi-finals, one step closer to clinching a record 15th FA Cup trophy.  

Losing the Carabao Cup to Manchester City before the break may have ended hopes of a quadruple, but the treble dream remains alive. Victory here would edge Arsenal closer to that ambition.  

Securing the FA Cup, Premier League, and Champions League would be a fitting and deserved way for Arsenal to crown this season.