Coach Mikel Arteta accidentally revealed his tactical notes with three main principles, in the match where Arsenal beat Southampton 3-1 in round 7 of the Premier League.
At the Emirates Stadium on October 5, coach Mikel Arteta frequently took notes on a piece of paper. Some of the content was exposed to the media’s lens, with notes underlined in red showing positions on the field with many instructions with three main principles.
The first rule reads: “Force AR 6 yards”. According to British media, Arteta wants his players to put pressure on the visiting goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale (abbreviated as AR) and force him to only operate within the 5m50 area.
Arteta’s three tactical principles for Arsenal’s match against Southampton on October 5. Photo: Rex
The next two instructions are harder to decipher, partly obscured by Arteta’s finger. One note reads “Force our…” and the other “Avoid switch…”, which are believed to require Arsenal players to concentrate and prevent Southampton from getting the ball and counter-attacking. The Spaniard also showed his meticulousness when directing the execution of throw-ins with the question “Throw-ins, who will take them?”.
Arteta’s instructions worked as Arsenal came from behind to win 3-1 . After conceding a goal to Cameron Archer in the second half, the home side scored three goals in quick succession through Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to ten games in all competitions since the start of the season. In the Premier League alone, they have won five, drawn two, scored 15 and conceded six goals, and are second with 17 points, equal to Man City and one point behind Liverpool.
Arteta printed out tactical notes for the October 5 match and looked them up on the pitch. Photo: Rex
Arsenal’s style of play has been the subject of much discussion recently, with some suggesting that Arteta has been using the “dark arts” since the start of the season, with time-wasting tactics and defensive sloppiness. Following the 2-2 draw at the Etihad, several Man City players, including John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Manuel Akanji, criticised Arsenal’s style of play, particularly in the second half when the visitors were down a man.
According to British newspaper Sportmail , Arsenal’s pragmatic style is in contrast to the Arsene Wenger era. Currently, this legendary coach is also the head of FIFA’s global football development department, and is looking for solutions to prevent time-wasting in matches.
But former England manager Sam Allardyce has praised Arteta’s tactical versatility, saying that when he was in charge of Bolton, he used similar tactics against top Premier League clubs.
This week, the Premier League is on hiatus for international duty. However, due to fitness issues, Kai Havertz and Thomas Partey are not on international duty. They will join Martin Odegaard, Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus, Jorginho, and Ben White at Arsenal to prepare for the matches at the end of October.
| Ranking | Battle | +/- | Point | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1  Liverpool | 7 | 11 | 18 | TTTBT |
2  Man City | 7 | 9 | 17 | THHTT |
3  Arsenal | 7 | 9 | 17 | TTHTH |
4  Chelsea | 7 | 8 | 14 | HTTTH |
5  Aston Villa | 7 | 3 | 14 | HHTTT |
6  Brighton | 7 | 3 | 12 | TBHHH |
7  Newcastle | 7 | 1 | 12 | HHBTT |
8  Fulham | 7 | 2 | 11 | BTTHH |
9  Tottenham | 7 | 6 | 10 | BTTBB |
10  Nottingham Forest | 7 | 1 | 10 | HBHTH |
