Tactical Analysis: North London Derby

In the 2015/16 season, Arsenal and their North London rivals were competing at the upper echelon of English football, the Gunners finishing second in the league behind Leicester City whilst Tottenham placed third in the table. Five years on with three games left to play, they came into this game directly competing with Burnley for the final Europa League spot.

Both clubs had festered in mid-table positions throughout the year, with two major managerial changes coming midway through the season. Arsenal would part ways with Unai Emery and embark on a new journey with former club captain Mikel Arteta leading the ship, whilst Tottenham reached the end of their project with Mauricio Pochettino and appointed three-time Premier League champion José Mourinho. 

With both managers preparing for their first ever North London Derby, the Portuguese manager quipped, “To be the champion of north London means nothing for me because I think you have to be much bigger than that and have much more ambitions than that."

Mourinho had already been perceived as one of the most hated figures in the Arsenal fanbase even before his affiliation to Tottenham. Boasting a nine-game unbeaten run at home in his career against the Gunners, "The Special One" has found more and more ways to grind out results against the Gunners in his time at Manchester United and Chelsea.

During this tactical analysis, we’ll look at Arteta’s unique structure design when playing out the back, Alexander Lacazette’s influence as a false nine, both team’s wing-back focused attacks, and how Mourinho counteracted Arsenal’s tactics to overtake them in the table.

Line-ups

Tottenham Hotspur played in a 4-4-2 variant that looked asymmetric in and out of possession. Eric Dier was unavailable through suspension and Tanguy Ndombele would make it ten games in a row being left out of the starting XI.

Lucas Moura was preferred over winter window signing Steven Bergwijn, whilst Harry Kane played up top next to Son Heung-Min. Kane hunted his 11th goal against his regional rivals which would make him the top scorer in North London Derby history, but that goal never came.

Arteta continued with his 3-4-3 formation from recent matches, making just one change from his previous match. Club record signing Nicolas Pépé replaced Bukayo Saka in the line-up on the right of attack, alongside Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Aubameyang had been involved in four goals in his last three games vs. Spurs.

Arteta's Unique Way of Playing Out of the Back

When Arsenal started playing out the back earlier in the season under Emery, it was ugly. The likes of Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis looked uncomfortable with so much creative responsibility placed upon them, and despite Bernd Leno’s fantastic passing execution, there was little direction and design.

Upon Arteta’s hiring, Arsenal's build-up play has come leaps and bounds. Since their victory away to Southampton, Arteta has had a unique design to playing out the back that has come when deploying a formation with a back three on paper, and it worked well against Tottenham's 4-4-2.

The left center back (Sead Kolašinac) shifts out wide, positioning himself as a fullback would, in the second line, providing a balance of width to stretch the opposition's configuration. The goalkeeper then splits the two center backs, making a defined three player back line that has numerical superiority against Spurs’s first line of pressure (3v2).

As such, the left-sided center back’s positioning frees up the left wing-back, Kieran Tierney. This offers Tierney a choice to come inside creating a 3v2 against the opposition double pivot or stay wider and create a progressive passing option in an advanced position. Tierney would opt to stay wider most of the time.

Arsenal found it easy to play through the first phase of build-up against Spurs. The home side’s second line of pressure was timid in pressing Arsenal’s double pivot, which gave them time and space to receive and progress the ball. Across 90 minutes, Arteta’s men completed 260 more passes than the opposition.

There were many situations like this one below where a vertical passing option was made very easy due to the front two being stretched against Arsenal’s three player defense. Once Dani Ceballos received the pass, he had time to turn, carry and scan the pitch to make his next pass.

Lacazette's Influence as a False Nine

Oft criticized on social media for his lack of goals this season, Lacazette had a fantastic performance on the day, opening the scoring with a rocket finish. Applying himself as a false nine, he created passing angles and overloads throughout the thirds and completed the most passes out of the front three.

Without an out-and-out attacking midfielder in the lineup, the use of a false nine would function as the primary connector of the midfield and attack in Arteta's 3-2-5 in-possession formation in the middle and attacking third. Due to Tottenham using a back four, they did not have an extra man to follow Lacazette’s movements. 

When making his movements, he most commonly was looking to offer a new passing angle, and he was particularly effective when entering the situation in midfield.

Here, Granit Xhaka and Ceballos are in a 2v2 situation with Son quickly closing down Xhaka’s immediate passing option of Ceballos. Lacazette recognizes the opportunity to give Xhaka a vertical passing option, allowing the Swiss to progress past Spurs’ second line of pressure and play Lacazette into a pocket of space.

When playing through the defensive third, Mustafi carries the ball into space but his immediate passing options and space are quickly congested.

The German international finds Lacazette freely dropping towards the bottom of the center circle to offer a vertical passing option, thus preventing a potential turnover in a dangerous area to give the ball away. 

Wingback-Focused Attacks

When attacking each other’s penalty areas, both sides primarily wanted service to come from the fullbacks, or in Arsenal's case, wingbacks. 

Arsenal’s 3-2-5 used their wingbacks provide the width in attack. This allowed the front three to position themselves narrowly and attract the Tottenham fullbacks with them as they moved inside, thereby opening space out wide.

The objective from here was to circulate possession between the midfield two at a high tempo in order to catch one of the wingbacks in space, who could then find the forwards in space.

This attacking sequence below is the perfect example. Hector Bellerín plays to Ceballos who spots Tierney in space. Tierney makes a cross to the front post but it leads to nothing.

Ball circulation sometimes was not optimal due to Arsenal playing a midfield two rather than a three, and in addition, there was no chance to win the second ball to recycle possession. 

In the opposing dugout, Mourinho used an asymmetric 2-3-5 with Serge Aurier overlapping on the right and Giovani Lo Celso playing more advanced on the right side of the midfield three.

When they tried to play through the center, they struggled, as Arsenal committed numbers to defending the central zones, trusting their wingbacks to go head to head in the wide zones and assigning a center back to track forwards who dropped between the lines. 

At times, this allowed them to find Aurier in underloaded zones. From this point, Moussa Sissoko and Son would make runs in and around the left sided defenders of Arsenal’s back five in order to disorientate their decision making. 

Aurier would most commonly pass to Sissoko who after receiving the pass would drag Tierney away from the right back even further.

A simple back pass would then leave Aurier in space to cross from, although he could just as easily find a forward in space within the box. Both teams would combine to produce a total of 32 crosses. 

Mourinho Counteracts Arteta

Coming into the game, Spurs had struggled defensively, averaging an xGA of 1.6 since losing to Southampton. But in this game, things were more stable as they limited Arsenal to an xG of 0.7.

A lot of credit can go to Mourinho's half-time adjustments as he looked to cut off Arsenal's supply line and exploit space left behind. He identified Arteta’s strategy in possession as he sought to prevent his fullbacks from facing 2v1 scenarios and shut off space to Arsenal's wing-backs.

Mourinho's solution was to have the ball near midfielder to track the movements of the forward, whether it be a movement inside or underlapping run. In this case, Aurier can stay with Tierney and prevent him from having space to cross.

As Pépé begins an underlapping run through the right-sided interior channel, Lo Celso latches onto him.

Not only did changes come out of possession to deal with Arsenal’s wingbacks, but in possession as well. Mourinho looked to exploit the space being left behind them when they pushed forward, as the midfield two of Xhaka and Ceballos could not cover the vacant space.

This would be exploited by Lucas’s pace during counter attacks as he’d carry the ball forward all the way to the attacking third with little to no resistance.

Lucas finished many sequences isolated against Mustafi, leading to some very good chances created from cutbacks into the penalty area. The Brazilian ended the game with the highest xA of all Spurs players.

Conclusion

In the end, neither team would score from open play passing sequences and the game would be decided on a set piece from Spurs. It was a well deserved win from the Lillywhites in the North London derby, as Mourinho proved that he still has what it takes to grind out results in crucial fixtures.

Arteta will be disappointed by the result but especially in the delivery of his wingbacks. Combining for a total of one chance created and many overhit crosses, they could have made the difference on the day.

Mourinho used Arsenal's 3-2-5 against them to create chances on the counter and counteract their possession-based game. Arteta may be inclined to switch back to his 2-3-5 as he attempts to rescue a sinking Arsenal side and fight for the final Europa League spot.

By: Craig Moniz

The upcoming weekend in the Premier League will be the first time that José Mourinho and Mikel Arteta will face off against each other in the North London Derby. Considering what is at stake for both clubs, it is highly unlikely that the match will disappoint.

Tottenham can leapfrog Arsenal with a win, which could be just what they need to turn around their dismal post-break form. Arsenal, on the other hand, could take a 3-point gap over their crosstown rivals with a win over Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, as both sides seek to push for the final Europa spot, currently occupied with the Gunners who sit in eighth place.

Spurs's Key Players

Harry Kane is still struggling to reach top form following his hamstring injury in January, but his clinical finishing in front of goal poses a threat to any team in world football.

He can find the back of the net with either foot, whilst his movement and hold-up play has been crucial in all phases of play since Mourinho's arrival in November.

Heung-Min Son

Heung-Min Son’s directness combined with the ability to threaten with either foot in 1v1 situations has seen him become a thorn in the side for many defenders. 

The South Korea international's unpredictability allows him to get shots off that neither the defenders nor the goalkeeper are expecting. Moreover, he has the energy to do both the defensive work and explode forward during counter-attacking opportunities.

Despite just registering 2 goals and 2 assists since his arrival from Real Betis in the summer, Giovani Lo Celso has arguably been Tottenham's best player this season. The Argentine is able to drive forward with the ball glued to his feet and break the lines with his passing.

He has formed a solid partnership with Moussa Sissoko at the base of midfield, and he'll be vital for Mourinho's rebuilding project as they look to brush off the disappointment from this season and push for a spot in the top four.

Spurs in Possession

Spurs build in a 3-2-4-1 shape. Ben Davies forms a back 3 with Eric Dier and Davinson Sánchez. Serge Aurier pushes higher up, maintaining the width on the right.

Kane drops deep, looking to receive a pass from the centre backs to progress play into the 2nd phase. The two 6s (Sissoko and Lo Celso) then make third-man runs further forward. Lucas Moura and/or Dele Alli attack the space in behind the centre backs, should they decide to track Kane deep.

Spurs push their players up to the 2nd phase. They compete to win the 2nd ball to then build their attack from the 2nd phase.

Second Phase

Spurs set up in a 3-4-2-1, with Aurier maintaining width on the right and Son staying wide on the left. Spurs look to break down mid blocks in their 3 + 2 setup with quick patterns.

Kane drops deep between the lines, looking for an opportunity to receive from the centre backs. When Kane is deeper, Dele looks to run in behind.

If the centre back follows Kane, Dele attacks the space that was vacated. Spurs’ back 3 are instructed to play this pass when this movement occurs, usually leading to Dele being played in on goal. Specifically, Toby Alderweireld has proved numerous times that he is capable of playing this pass to create goal scoring opportunities.

Lucas drops deep into the right half space. This manipulates the body shape and momentum of the outside midfielder, as he is forced to pinch in.

Aurier makes a run in behind, and after receiving the ball, he will either be free to cross or dribble against the opposition left back.

Dele drifts to the wide-left space to help progress possession up the pitch. Son moves centrally, whilst Kane pins the right-centre back. When Dele receives the ball, Son attacks the channel.

Sissoko drops deep into a false right back role, whilst Dele shifts inside to occupy the central space. Lucas starts high in the half space, with Aurier also in an advanced position on the right.

Lucas dropping deep is a cue for Dele to attack the space behind the back line. If this pass cannot be played, Kane drops deep to receive the ball into his feet. Upon reception, he can pass to one of the 6s or find Lucas with a quick pass.

Final Third

Throughout the phases, Spurs often break the lines both with horizontal and vertical passes. Even though the 2nd man may have a defender on him, their set-up is focused on setting the ball to a runner underneath.

Vertically, this creates space to attack space behind the opposition, as defenders are drawn out of their positions. Horizontally, this tightens the opposition’s block, creating more space for Son and Aurier out wide. These combinations are especially common in the final third.

Lucas or Kane will fill the right half space, attracting the fullback to close space inside, in turn creating more space for Aurier to arrive into. His natural starting position allows him to arrive with pace in behind the back line without being offside.

Dele and Kane arrive at the front and back posts, Son arrives from the wing into the area looking for a cutback, and Lucas arrives late to attack a deflection.

In Possession to Out of Possession Transition

Final Third

Sissoko and Lo Celso provide protection to pick up any loose clearances from the opposition. Dier, Davies, and Sánchez all hold more reserved positions, allowing them to stall counter attacks until the rest of the team can retreat back into their block.

Second Phase

Spurs’s 3 + 2 set-up allows them to have a good protection of space upon losing the ball in the 2nd phase. This usually buys enough time to prevent the opposition from progressing up the pitch before the attacking players can recover to defend.

Spurs Out of Possession

Press

Mourinho elects to not press goal kicks. The only time that Spurs press the opposition in their own third is when a pressing trigger (such as an under-hit pass) occurs.

Mid Block

Spurs's mid block is in a 4-4-2 shape, with their defensive and midfield lines remaining compact and narrow.

This fits the mid block’s goal of blocking the central spaces, but as a result, they leave opponents free to engage in 1v1 duels out wide. They rely heavily on winning these duels to regain possession of the ball. 

When the ball is wide in these areas, the block shifts, but they rarely double down on a player in possession in wide areas, in order to remain compact in dangerous central areas.

The midfielders rarely ever jump out of their position. They are patient and wait until Dele and Kane press the opponents and force an error that can be pounced on.

Deep Block

Tottenham's deep block is in a 4-4-2 shape, with all lines remaining compact and narrow. There is a maximum of 5 yards for the opposition to operate between the lines outside of the 18 yard box.

The wide duels are once again where Spurs rely to win the ball back. Their midfielders and defenders wait to spring on a mistake from the opposition. 

When the fullback steps out to engage with a wide winger, a midfielder drops in to block the open channel.

Out of Possession to In Possession Transition

Deep Block

Spurs immediately look to play direct into Kane, and Alli, Son, and Lucas all rush underneath Kane to win the 2nd ball. If they can win the 2nd ball, they have the momentum to hurt the opposition on the counter.

Mid Block

If the opposition play with a back two in possession, Kane or Dele moves onto the outside of the centre backs as an outlet.

When a pass is played into them, they protect the ball until more numbers join in on the counter attack. The pass into these wide spaces also spreads the opposition out, leaving more space to attack centrally.

If the opposition have a back 3 in possession, Tottenham look to play direct to Kane, who then plays it to Dele who can drive up the pitch or dish it off to Lucas or Son.

Tottenham's Threats

Runs From Deep Through the Centre

Kane dropping deep creates uncertainty throughout the opposition’s back line. If they leave Kane free, he can receive between the lines and pass back to a teammate behind him. If he is tracked into this deeper position, the likes of Dele or Lucas can explode into the space vacated by the centre back.

Aurier's 1v1 Skills

Spurs rely heavily on Aurier’s ability to succeed in the 1v1 duels. As seen below, Lucas drops deep from a high starting position, manipulating the body shapes of West Ham's left-sided duo of Aaron Cresswell and Pablo Fornals. This creates space (time) for Aurier to control the ball and attack Cresswell in a 1v1 duel.

Opportunities for Arsenal

Dropping Deep vs. Mid and Deep Blocks

Due to the reluctance of Spurs’s midfielders to jump out of their positions, the best way to force them to do just that is to have an attacker drop in front of the midfield line.

Spurs’ centre backs will undoubtedly pass the forward on to the midfielders, who will then have to pick him up. Once the center forward has made this engagement, his movement must be clever enough to open a passing lane for a teammate between the lines.

In the photo above, if Sergio Agüero drops deep, Harry Winks will have to shift over (due to Lo Celso marking Kevin De Bruyne). This will open up space for İlkay Gündoğan as the opposite interior.

If Fernandinho is unable to play this line-breaking pass before Dele pinches in in to shut off the passing lane, he can instead choose to play to Riyad Mahrez who would be isolated 1v1 vs. Davies (out of shot).

Isolate the RW 1v1 vs. Davies

Bukayo Saka has proven to be an incredibly versatile player who has added tremendous quality to Arsenal’s attack, and his ability to beat players 1v1 has been a useful tool for both Unai Emery and Arteta this season.

Due to the way that Spurs set up out of possession, Saka will undoubtedly have numerous 1v1 situations to attack. His production in these areas will not only help to eliminate a defender from Spurs’s defensive shape, but also force Spurs to send another defender out to close him down. This will create more space centrally to help break down Spurs’s block.

Tottenham - Plan

Anticipated Starting XI

Mourinho will likely set up his team in the 4-2-3-1 shape as he has elected this system in every game since the restart of the Premier League. Davies, Alderweireld, and Sanchez will form a back 3 in possession, while Lo Celso and Sissoko will form a double pivot to give Spurs a 3 + 2 shape in the 2nd and 3rd phases.

Aurier will push forward, aiming to arrive into 1v1 situations with speed. Lucas’ movement will be crucial to isolate Aurier in these moments.

Kane and Steven Bergwijn will be the front 2 for Spurs. Kane will often come deep, with Bergwijn looking to run in behind Arsenal’s back line. Son will play as a left winger, aiming to capitalize on transitions with his speed and unpredictability.

Surprise Starting XI

Mourinho could elect for a more defensive approach and opt for a 5-2-2-1, with Japhet Tanganga replacing Bergwijn.

This system had been used frequently by Spurs before the pause of the Premier League. The natural back 3 would allow for both Davies and Aurier to attack from wide positions without pushing Sissoko back as they do in their 4-2-3-1 system.

Once the wingbacks receive in these areas, Son and Lucas can penetrate with dynamic runs and create havoc for opposition's defenses. However, the lack of a high wide player could prove an issue for Spurs while in possession and in transitions.

How Arsenal Can Deal With Spurs

Barring no major surprises, Arsenal will likely enjoy the bulk of possession against Spurs’ mid block. When the ball is in play, it is necessary that Arsenal's players circulate possession quickly and stay focused.

This high intensity will lead to a higher chance of Spurs’ players making mistakes, creating potential forward passing lanes for Arsenal to break the block.

Arteta should opt for a 4-3-3 with Rob Holding, David Luiz, and Granit Xhaxa making up the back 3, forming a 3v2 vs Spurs’ first line. Xhaka’s quality from this deeper position will help to aid Luiz and Holding in finding forward passes more consistently.

It is important for the free CB to push forward after receiving a pass in an attempt to draw a Spurs player out from the 2nd line. This will create numerical superiority for Arsenal past Spurs’s first line. 

In order to create opportunities for the CBs to penetrate Spurs’s block, Alexander Lacazette needs to succeed in dropping deep behind Spurs’ midfield line. As he drops deep, he will need to engage one of the center midfielders with his movement. After the midfielder is engaged, he must drag the midfielder away from the passing lanes to create space for Joe Willock or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

If Lacazette drops deep and drags Lo Celso to a more central position, Willock will be open in the right half space. If Son is able to pinch in to block the passing lane to Willock, then Saka will be open to attack Davies 1v1 from a wide area. If a direct pass is not available, Lucas Torreira will be open to play wide.

It is crucial that Aubameyang occasionally looks to make runs in behind the Spurs’ backline in an attempt to push their defensive line back. This will create more space between the lines for Willock and Lacazette to operate in.

Torreira and Dani Ceballos will have a big role in breaking Spurs’s block not only on the ball, but also off it. Similar to Lacazette, they must constantly be thinking about how their movement can manipulate the Spurs midfielder out of position.

The 3 + 2 build up shape will give Arsenal protection if they lose possession. It can also lead to counter-pressing moments as Torreira, Ceballos, Willock, Lacazette, Aubameyang are all close to the area of a potential turnover. They must try to stop the counter attack by immediately applying pressure to the ball, with the others cutting off passing lanes.

Out of possession, Arsenal can set up in a 5-4-1 mid and deep block. This shape naturally cuts off access to the channels while also being able to cover wide areas effectively.

Kieran Tierney must constantly be aware of Aurier’s late movements in the final third in order to prevent Spurs from getting in behind Arsenal’s back line, as they could hurt Arsenal from these areas with cutbacks to the likes of Kane and Son.

Assuming that one of Lo Celso or Sissoko will push forward in attack at some point in the game, Arsenal will have opportunities to counter. With a 3+1 base for Spurs in transition, Arsenal can look to exploit the wide spaces through Saka and Aubameyang when countering.

Potential Threats to the Game Plan

If the players in the 3 + 2 buildup for Arsenal in the 2nd and 3rd phases make unforced errors, the pace of Bergwijn, Son, and Lucas will be a real test for Arsenal in transition.

The biggest shortcoming for Lacazette during his spell at Arsenal has been his lack of ability to play between the lines intelligently. The game plan relies heavily on him being able to manipulate spaces between the lines in order to create passing lanes for players in more advanced positions.

If Saka is unable to beat Davies 1v1 consistently throughout the game, Spurs will not need to draw numbers away from the middle for protection. If Arsenal’s midfielders and forwards take too long to press, Spurs will be able to break a half-hearted counter press with ease and progress up the pitch at will.

By: Ryan Lamping