Manchester City 2 Arsenal 2: tactical analysis

Manchester City salvaged a point with seconds remaining against an Arsenal team reduced to 10 players for 56 minutes of this enthralling game. The result – especially at such an early stage of the season – made it difficult to read too much into the impact it will have on the Premier League title race. Indeed, both teams could take positives and negatives away from a game that for so long appeared to be heading towards a seismic Arsenal victory. 

It was Manchester City who struck first after nine minutes, when Erling Haaland scored his 100th goal in only 105 appearances for the club. Events then swung in Arsenal’s favour; first, when City’s talisman Rodri went off injured after 21 minutes, then moments later when defender Riccardo Calafiori equalised with a stunning shot.

Arsenal’s set-piece prowess was in evidence again, as Gabriel went close with a header from a corner routine. He made no mistake with a similar opportunity just before half-time, only for Leandro Trossard to be sent off for two bookable offences and turn events on their head again.

Nonetheless, Arsenal – with just 12.5 per cent possession in the second period – were on the brink of handing City a first league defeat at home in 33 games. That City avoided this fate – courtesy of a John Stones finish – was a victory of sorts for the reigning champions. But the fact a depleted Arsenal came so close to winning was surely a boost to their belief, too.

Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed the tactics from this heavyweight fixture.

How the managers saw it

“10 against 11 is [a] different [game],” said Guardiola. “The space is not there in between and they defended really well. [Mateo] Kovacic and Rúben [Dias] is the option for the shot, but they are not the best. Maybe it would have been different with Rodri. I thought to put Ruben on the right, but I doubt it. [We couldn’t win] crosses – except Erling and maybe John, they are stronger than us.

“The most important thing in that position was when [David] Raya had the ball and [Kai] Havertz challenged, we didn’t make fouls. Fouls would have taken one minute and been a long ball [from Arsenal].”

“We had a very difficult start in the first 10-15 minutes,” said Mikel Arteta. “We were struggling to control certain spaces and we didn’t have enough ability to get out of the first 25-30 metres of the pitch… [Then] we were thrown into a context that made it almost impossible for 56 minutes, but anyway, we adapted to that context in the best possible way, and the way the team competed was just unbelievable.”

Manchester City’s fluid right

Manchester City’s 4-3-3 started on the front foot as Arsenal initially attempted to press into the host’s half, in a 4-4-2 shape. Arsenal went player-oriented in the wide areas, with Declan Rice and Thomas Partey tracking Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gündogan’s forward runs. However, Silva’s wide runs to City’s right-side created space for Savinho to drive inside, penetrating against the aggressive jumping of Arsenal’s left-back, Calafiori. This helped disrupt and stretch Arsenal’s back line in the early stages, including when Haaland was slid in-behind to calmly open the scoring (below).

It wasn’t long before Arsenal formed a low block, while City responded with a 3-1-5-1 shape. Josko Gvardiol moved into a left-side number eight role from full-back, with Gündogan as the central option underneath Haaland. Rodri – soon to be replaced by Kovacic – acted as the single pivot. Still, it was City’s right side that proved most potent, with Silva’s wider positioning supporting Savinho’s direct movements and dribbles against Calafiori (below). 

With the home side totally dominating the ball, Gabriel Martinelli took up a very deep defensive position to support Calafiori – providing similar cover to Bukayo Saka on the other side. Rice and Partey then screened central access to Haaland and Gündogan, with Havertz and Trossard also screening particularly deep (below). Although this limited most of Arsenal’s counter-attacking potential, it began to nullify the dangerous right side where City had threatened most. And, having kept the score to 1-0, Arsenal equalised through Calafiori’s strike from a Martinelli lay off.

Arsenal’s full-back and winger combinations

To establish better spells on the ball, Rice and Partey then dropped to link with the centre-backs. Trossard dropped late to drag Dias out of City’s back line, with Saka, Martinelli and Havertz ready to stretch beyond. Calafiori started deep, but advanced to continue his support around Martinelli, with Timber inverting on Arsenal’s right side, as they began developing combinations in wide areas.

These wide connections meant Arsenal approached the end of the first half with positive moments. Martinelli’s width was supported by Calafiori’s late runs, with Timber providing similar support to Saka on the right. Trossard and Havertz operated as split strikers, working on the outside shoulders of the centre-backs (below), limiting City’s ability to add cover on Arsenal’s wide combinations. Where possible, Rice or Partey added further support to the wide areas, which resulted in moves around City’s defensive shape, and two corners – the second of which Gabriel scored from.

Arsenal’s low block

Trossard’s red card completely changed the outlook of the second half. Arsenal adopted a 5-4-0 low block, as Ben White replaced Saka, giving them a strong defensive presence in the back line. Havertz, Partey, Rice and Martinelli formed a narrowed second unit, focusing on covering and screening access and combinations within the inside channels (below). With no counter-attacking outlet, Arsenal were set up solely to defend their penalty area for the entirety of the second half.

Although City had 28 attempts in the second period, few were particularly noteworthy or dangerous. They hardly attempted to overload Arsenal’s wing-backs, instead placing too many bodies central, in similar roles. Meanwhile, Martinelli essentially dropped into the back line to form a 6-3-0 for the visitors, giving them seven players defending the width of the six-yard box. Rarely attempting to double up against Martinelli or Timber, the likes of Manuel Akanji, Kyle Walker and Dias resorted to ineffectual efforts from range.

The introduction of Stones and Jack Grealish on 78 minutes - for Walker and Savinho, respectively – ultimately got City out of jail. A quickly taken corner by Grealish caught Arsenal out, creating a chance for Kovacic, from which Stones converted after his teammate’s shot had been blocked.

City’s unbeaten home run is now the sixth longest in the Premier League era, overtaking the 32-game run achieved by Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’. Whether the current Gunners squad can emulate their illustrious predecessors and finish top of the pile remains to be seen. But at present, despite not managing to hold out for victory here, Arteta’s team feel closer to Guardiola’s all-conquering City than ever before.

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