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Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Top five genius Premier League 2024/25 tactics from Arsenal jigsaw to Tottenham's ‘wheel of chaos'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Premier League campaign is over - and it is time for Tactics Exposed's awards. Our tactical expert Dean Scoggins has unpacked the systems, shapes and styles that managers have deployed to varying levels of success this season. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 29 Arsenal create a 'jigsaw' at corners by slotting into the gaps between defenders Credit: Reuters 29 Omar Marmoush made an immediate impact with his runs against Chelsea Credit: Getty Manchester United and Tottenham only narrowly avoid relegation. Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Spurs ended their long wait for trophies, Nottingham Forest will play in Europe for the first time in 30 years and Manchester City endured a nightmare year. And SunSport's record-breaking show has delivered top-quality analysis for its first full season. As the curtain falls on 2024-25, in our final episode, we pick out our top five genius tactics from the Premier League... READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS Sky Sports Blues Melissa Reddy among 7 Sky Sports News stars leaving in major shake-up 5. Arsenal's sensational set pieces Assuming the timing and the trajectory of the delivery are sorted, then it is all about the runners, who form a love train at the back post. All but one run in and slot in between each gap between the defenders, creating a jigsaw. Assuming the corner avoids the front man, the next person in the train is an attacking Arsenal player. They jump in sequence which sounds simple but it's not, especially because you can't see the ball so they have to trust their team-mates - as soon as the man in front jumps, the next one jumps. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Sometimes they identify a weak link and will put two men into the gap in front of him. 29 They jump in sequence and it proves a nightmare to defend against Credit: The Times 29 29 29 4. The double Enzo at Chelsea Enzo Maresca was forced into a switch against Tottenham in December where he dropped Enzo Fernandez into a deeper midfield role and abandoned the box shape. How Tottenham won the Europa League final v Man United 29 Enzo Fernandez was superb as Chelsea came from behind to beat Tottenham Credit: Getty 29 29 29 Fernandez partnered Moises Caicedo in a two and bossed the game in the second half. He was fantastic. His movement off the ball and understanding of what is happening in the game is brilliant. A manager might see it - but you still need a player to carry it out on the pitch. He may have been more than £100million but his performances for Chelsea went under the radar. 3. Omar Marmoush's arrival In January, City came from behind to beat Chelsea - thanks to new arrival Omar Marmoush. City paid £64million to land the Egyptian from Eintracht Frankfurt and what a signing he is, making an immediate impact. He said upon his arrival that he is "dangerous" and that is no exaggeration. Marmoush started three or four yards in front of Reece James to make sure he was well onside, pointed where he wanted it - and backed himself in a race. 29 He proved too hot to handle for Reece James Credit: Sunday Times 29 29 29 29 By scaring James, the Chelsea man knew he couldn't let Marmoush get away and therefore stuck with him... and kept Marmoush onside. Marmoush offers something different from Savinho, Jeremy Doku and to an extent Jack Grealish who are fast but crucially want the ball to feet - Marmoush is happy to run behind on to it. To start with, City were not releasing the ball quickly enough to set him away - but they soon learnt. And it was good news for Erling Haaland to have a runner in the half-space - not out on the wing but also not as a second striker but in between. This was long passes, not long ball - there is a difference. 2. Liverpool's offside-busting move We talk a lot about how teams change formations between defence and attack. Like many teams, Liverpool move into a 3-2-5 in attack. But the genius is that they use runners off the ball to bust the offside trap. These runners don't want the ball and the runs are wild - it could be Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai or more often than not Andy Robertson. It is a lung-busting sprint of about 40 yards from their own half in behind the opposition defence to force them back. 29 Andy Robertson's runs forward create chaos for the opposition defence's offside trap Credit: Alamy 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 It makes a usually straight flat back four all jagged and ensures the attacking players who want the ball are not offside. As well as the confusion, it also creates a gap between defence and midfield - which creates more space for the creative playmakers to operate. Against United, Robertson ended up in the left striker position, Harry Maguire dropped two steps and that was enough to keep Cody Gakpo onside. A VAR world is changing the game for Liverpool as these marginal ones get properly checked. 1. Tottenham's Wheel of Chaos Everyone thinks it's a wild way of playing because they concede silly goals from silly mistakes but Ange Postecoglou has a very rigid structure the players have to play within. I see the Spurs team as two 'wheels of chaos' with three players on each side - a high No8 like James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski on either side, then a full-back on either side and a winger on either side. They don't cross over across the field much but will rotate within the threes. It is based on a ball out wide which then enables quick, first-time passes to progress up the wings. It leaves the goalkeeper, centre-backs, holding midfielder and striker as a central spine. The rigidity does, though, make Tottenham susceptible to teams setting up against them by dropping midfielders in to stop the underlap. 29 29 29
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Top five genius Premier League 2024/25 tactics from Arsenal jigsaw to Tottenham's ‘wheel of chaos'
THE Premier League campaign is over - and it is time for Tactics Exposed's awards. Our tactical expert Dean Scoggins has unpacked the systems, shapes and styles that managers have deployed to varying levels of success this season. 29 Arsenal create a 'jigsaw' at corners by slotting into the gaps between defenders Credit: Reuters 29 Omar Marmoush made an immediate impact with his runs against Chelsea Credit: Getty Manchester United and Tottenham only narrowly avoid relegation. Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Spurs ended their long wait for trophies, Nottingham Forest will play in Europe for the first time in 30 years and Manchester City endured a nightmare year. And SunSport's record-breaking show has delivered top-quality analysis for its first full season. As the curtain falls on 2024-25, in our final READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS 5. Arsenal's sensational set pieces Assuming the timing and the trajectory of the delivery are sorted, then it is all about the runners, who form a love train at the back post. All but one Assuming the corner avoids the front man, the next person in the train is an attacking They jump in sequence which sounds simple but it's not, especially because you can't see the ball so they have to trust their team-mates - as soon as the man in front jumps, the next one jumps. Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Sometimes they identify a weak link and will put two men into the gap in front of him. 29 They jump in sequence and it proves a nightmare to defend against Credit: The Times 29 29 29 4. The double Enzo at Chelsea Enzo Maresca was forced into a switch against Tottenham in December where he dropped Enzo Fernandez into a deeper midfield role and abandoned the box shape. How Tottenham won the Europa League final v Man United 29 Enzo Fernandez was superb as Chelsea came from behind to beat Tottenham Credit: Getty 29 29 29 Fernandez partnered Moises Caicedo in a two and His movement off the ball and understanding of what is happening in the game is brilliant. A manager might see it - but you still need a player to carry it out on the pitch. He may have been more than £100million but his performances for 3. Omar Marmoush's arrival In January, City came from behind to beat Chelsea - thanks to new arrival Omar Marmoush. He said upon his arrival that he is "dangerous" and that is no exaggeration. 29 He proved too hot to handle for Reece James Credit: Sunday Times 29 29 29 29 By scaring James, the Chelsea man knew he couldn't let Marmoush get away and therefore stuck with him... and kept Marmoush onside. Marmoush offers something different from Savinho, Jeremy Doku and to an extent Jack Grealish who are fast but crucially want the ball to feet - To start with, City were not releasing the ball quickly enough to set him away - but they soon learnt. And it was good news for Erling Haaland to have a runner in the half-space - not out on the wing but also not as a second striker but in between. This was long passes, not long ball - there is a difference. 2. Liverpool's offside-busting move We talk a lot about how teams change formations between defence and attack. Like many teams, But the genius is that they These runners don't want the ball and the runs are wild - it could be Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai or more often than not Andy Robertson. It is a lung-busting sprint of about 40 yards from their own half in behind the opposition defence to force them back. 29 Andy Robertson's runs forward create chaos for the opposition defence's offside trap Credit: Alamy 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 It makes a usually straight flat back four all jagged and ensures the attacking players who want the ball are not offside. As well as the confusion, it also creates a gap between defence and midfield - which creates more space for the creative playmakers to operate. Against United, Robertson ended up in the left striker position, Harry Maguire dropped two steps and that was enough to keep Cody Gakpo onside. A VAR world is changing the game for Liverpool as these marginal ones get properly checked. 1. Tottenham's Wheel of Chaos Everyone thinks it's a wild way of playing because they concede silly goals from silly mistakes but Ange Postecoglou has a very rigid structure the players have to play within. I see the They don't cross over across the field much but will rotate within the threes. It is based on a ball out wide which then enables quick, first-time passes to progress up the wings. It leaves the goalkeeper, centre-backs, holding midfielder and striker as a central spine. The rigidity does, though, make 29 29 29 29
Scottish Sun
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
How Dembele and Vitinha outsmarted Arsenal as Odegaard and Timber struggled to show up in biggest game of season vs PSG
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN claimed a 1-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final with Arsenal. Ousmane Dembele struck after just four minutes with a superb first-time finish to give the French side the advantage to take back to the Parc des Princes next week. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 27 PSG claimed a 1-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final with Arsenal Credit: Getty 27 Ousmane Dembele grabbed the only goal of the game in the fourth minute Credit: Getty In the latest episode of Tactics Exposed, SunSport's Dean Scoggins ran the rule over the Emirates clash - and picked out five key tactical talking points... The match went the way I was expecting - I thought PSG were the better side and their plan came off better. But we shouldn't overlook the missing Thomas Partey factor - he will be big in the second leg. Both goalkeepers made great saves. The last ten minutes were key: if PSG took one of those late chances, we would be talking about a real, real uphill struggle for Arsenal. The Gunners stayed in it, created chances of their own and it was a great watch. 1. OU LA LA I said in the preview Tactics Exposed show one of the midfielders would drop into defence, Achraf Hakimi would go out, Nuno Mendes pushed out and they drew the press before Dembele dropped deep to collect the ball, turn and go. They did it four or five times and it wasn't until half-time that Arsenal worked it out. Join SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from The Emirates Having Declan Rice and Mikel Merino dragged out allowed space for the false No9 to come in between and receive the ball in areas where he can't be marked - Dembele was brilliant in the first half. Someone - either William Saliba or Jakub Kiwior - needs to go out with Dembele, he can't be given the freedom of the Emirates in midfield. Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry give their verdict on Arsenal's defeat to PSG 27 Dembele was given too much space on the edge of the area Credit: Getty 27 PSG lined up in a 4-3-3 formation Credit: SunSport 27 Dembele dropped in as a false No9 Credit: SunSport 27 He was not tracked by either Arsenal centre-back Credit: SunSport 27 That allowed him to pick up the ball in midfield Credit: SunSport 27 He then drove forwards on the attack Credit: SunSport Then with the goal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia holds the width but Jurrien Timber stays narrow before squaring him up on the edge of the area. Declan Rice goes and doubles up, Saliba is free but Merino gets back into the box before the shot - but the Spaniard doesn't occupy the space Rice vacated. Rice is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't - Merino is the one who doesn't do the midfielder's job and cover. Dembele's little side-step to his left was genius, too. 27 Dembele benefited from Thomas Partey's suspension Credit: SunSport / Amazon Prime Video 27 For the goal, he played the ball out wide to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Credit: SunSport / Amazon Prime Video 27 The Frenchman then got on the end of the pull back Credit: SunSport / Amazon Prime Video 27 Declan Rice went out to double up with Jurrien Timber Credit: SunSport / Amazon Prime Video 27 Mikel Merino worked his way back into the area Credit: SunSport / Amazon Prime Video 27 But he did not get close enough to Dembele Credit: SunSport / Amazon Prime Video 2. TIMBERRRR! Timber had a really tough night and committed four fouls in the first 20 minutes and didn't get a yellow card. The referee was very poor for both teams and didn't help the game as a spectacle. PSG force you to isolate full-backs with wingers - do you go and engage or hold off? 27 Jurrien Timber struggled to cope with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Credit: Getty It wasn't just Timber's fault because PSG's midfield make a diamond shape and Arsenal's midfield weren't sure who was supposed to block the lane. After those fouls, Bukayo Saka did a great job of screening, coming in off the touchline to help out but that also meant Saka was not in the position he wants to be when Arsenal won the ball back. Of Arsenal's attacks, 44 per cent came down the right-hand side, but only ten per cent of their shots came from that channel. PSG starved Saka in the position he likes to pick up because Timber was struggling. 27 Bukayo Saka was forced to play more infield than usual Credit: SunSport 27 PSG's system makes use of their strong midfield and attack Credit: SunSport 27 Arsenal attack largely down the right wing Credit: SunSport 27 Only ten per cent of their shots came from that area Credit: SunSport 3. UN PETIT FRERE Vitinha was absolutely fantastic. At any level of football from grassroots to elite, you can see when a midfielder runs the game at their pace and for the first 30 minutes at least, Vatinha did that. If he wanted to slow it down, he did. If he wanted to hit Arsenal quickly, bang, they were on the attack. Vitinha actually had a similar number of touches as the anonymous Martin Odegaard but it was the areas he got the ball and acting as the bounce man. In the build-up to the goal, he got his body in the way to ping the ball back to the defence and that sort of play is unbelievable. It was like PSG had 12 men. 27 Vitinha orchestrated things with a masterclass performance Credit: Getty 27 He was the overload man in every area of the pitch Credit: SunSport When they are three at the back, with three Arsenal men pressing, he makes it four for a 4v3. Then he moves into midfield, Arsenal drop into a 4-4-2 shape out of possession and he makes it a five in midfield for PSG. Then when they attack, there are five going forward with only forward with only four defenders and he is the one joining in. He is the overload man in all three areas and was the best player on the pitch, especially in the first half. Vitinha joins the play up. He is a genius. He is like Alexis Mac Allister on the ball and Dominik Szoboszlai off the ball. Arsenal need to work out how to get hold of him in the second leg. 4. ODE OH DEAR I'm not sure what has been going on with Odegaard for the last ten or 12 games - his level has really dropped off. He relies on Saka stretching the game to give him space which I've already explained was not the case but he had a really off night on the biggest night of the season. Arsenal have leaders all over the pitch but for me, Rice should be captain. 27 Martin Odegaard failed to turn up for the biggest game of the season Credit: Getty 27 27 Odegaard got the timings of his presses wrong Credit: SunSport 27 That almost caught Arsenal out as Bradley Barcola dragged wide Credit: SunSport / Amazon Prime Video Odegaard got the press wrong against PSG, the team follow his trigger and he has been brilliant at it for years and it's how Arsenal can set up in a 4-4-2 out of possession. But on Tuesday he kept going at the wrong time because Vitinha was dragging him into positions he didn't want to be in which opened spaces up in midfield - which is where the goal came from. Odegaard was getting stuck in a half No8, half No10 role and it was epitomised by the Bradley Barcola chance. 5. RAYA HOPE The save from Desire Doue when he got down low to his right... incredible stop. Gianluigi Donnarumma made two world-class saves at the other end but Raya was crucial for Arsenal. What he also did was take pretty much all their free-kicks in their own half right up to the halfway line - it was almost old school sending it long. People may criticise the long-ball tactic but it was the right tactic because PSG were vulnerable with the diagonal long ball and the bouncing ball which came from Raya's excellent distribution. It forced chances, they could have scored and it also led to corners where we know Arsenal are dangerous. Aside from that, Arsenal carried the ball really well and got out of positions well to feed Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. Myles Lewis-Skelly was excellent again, his one-v-one defending and duels are as good as anyone I've seen for years in that position. Hakimi got very little joy in duels against him and where Timber could not work out what to do with Kvaratskhelia, Lewis-Skelly did miles better with Doue and Hakimi. That forced Doue to come inside, so Lewis-Skelly came inside and inverted and bolstered Arsenal's numbers in the middle. This is 1-0, it is half-time and this is not done. 27 David Raya made a superb stop to deny Desire Doue Credit: SunSport / Amazon Prime Video 27 His long kicks upfield were a throwback but successful tactic Credit: Getty
The Sun
30-04-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
How Dembele and Vitinha outsmarted Arsenal as Odegaard and Timber struggled to show up in biggest game of season vs PSG
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN claimed a 1-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final with Arsenal. Ousmane Dembele struck after just four minutes with a superb first-time finish to give the French side the advantage to take back to the Parc des Princes next week. 26 26 In the latest episode of Tactics Exposed, SunSport's Dean Scoggins ran the rule over the Emirates clash - and picked out five key tactical talking points... The match went the way I was expecting - I thought PSG were the better side and their plan came off better. But we shouldn't overlook the missing Thomas Partey factor - he will be big in the second leg. Both goalkeepers made great saves. The last ten minutes were key: if PSG took one of those late chances, we would be talking about a real, real uphill struggle for Arsenal. The Gunners stayed in it, created chances of their own and it was a great watch. 1. OU LA LA I said in the preview Tactics Exposed show one of the midfielders would drop into defence, Achraf Hakimi would go out, Nuno Mendes pushed out and they drew the press before Dembele dropped deep to collect the ball, turn and go. They did it four or five times and it wasn't until half-time that Arsenal worked it out. Having Declan Rice and Mikel Merino dragged out allowed space for the false No9 to come in between and receive the ball in areas where he can't be marked - Dembele was brilliant in the first half. Someone - either William Saliba or Jakub Kiwior - needs to go out with Dembele, he can't be given the freedom of the Emirates in midfield. Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry give their verdict on Arsenal's defeat to PSG 26 26 26 26 26 26 Then with the goal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia holds the width but Jurrien Timber stays narrow before squaring him up on the edge of the area. Declan Rice goes and doubles up, Saliba is free but Merino gets back into the box before the shot - but the Spaniard doesn't occupy the space Rice vacated. Rice is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't - Merino is the one who doesn't do the midfielder's job and cover. Dembele's little side-step to his left was genius, too. 26 26 26 26 26 26 2. TIMBERRRR! Timber had a really tough night and committed four fouls in the first 20 minutes and didn't get a yellow card. The referee was very poor for both teams and didn't help the game as a spectacle. PSG force you to isolate full-backs with wingers - do you go and engage or hold off? 26 It wasn't just Timber's fault because PSG's midfield make a diamond shape and Arsenal's midfield weren't sure who was supposed to block the lane. After those fouls, Bukayo Saka did a great job of screening, coming in off the touchline to help out but that also meant Saka was not in the position he wants to be when Arsenal won the ball back. Of Arsenal's attacks, 44 per cent came down the right-hand side, but only ten per cent of their shots came from that channel. PSG starved Saka in the position he likes to pick up because Timber was struggling. 26 26 26 26 3. UN PETIT FRERE Vitinha was absolutely fantastic. At any level of football from grassroots to elite, you can see when a midfielder runs the game at their pace and for the first 30 minutes at least, Vatinha did that. If he wanted to slow it down, he did. If he wanted to hit Arsenal quickly, bang, they were on the attack. Vitinha actually had a similar number of touches as the anonymous Martin Odegaard but it was the areas he got the ball and acting as the bounce man. In the build-up to the goal, he got his body in the way to ping the ball back to the defence and that sort of play is unbelievable. It was like PSG had 12 men. 26 When they are three at the back, with three Arsenal men pressing, he makes it four for a 4v3. Then he moves into midfield, Arsenal drop into a 4-4-2 shape out of possession and he makes it a five in midfield for PSG. Then when they attack, there are five going forward with only forward with only four defenders and he is the one joining in. He is the overload man in all three areas and was the best player on the pitch, especially in the first half. Vitinha joins the play up. He is a genius. He is like Alexis Mac Allister on the ball and Dominik Szoboszlai off the ball. Arsenal need to work out how to get hold of him in the second leg. 4. ODE OH DEAR I'm not sure what has been going on with Odegaard for the last ten or 12 games - his level has really dropped off. He relies on Saka stretching the game to give him space which I've already explained was not the case but he had a really off night on the biggest night of the season. Arsenal have leaders all over the pitch but for me, Rice should be captain. 26 26 26 Odegaard got the press wrong against PSG, the team follow his trigger and he has been brilliant at it for years and it's how Arsenal can set up in a 4-4-2 out of possession. But on Tuesday he kept going at the wrong time because Vitinha was dragging him into positions he didn't want to be in which opened spaces up in midfield - which is where the goal came from. Odegaard was getting stuck in a half No8, half No10 role and it was epitomised by the Bradley Barcola chance. 5. RAYA HOPE The save from Desire Doue when he got down low to his right... incredible stop. Gianluigi Donnarumma made two world-class saves at the other end but Raya was crucial for Arsenal. What he also did was take pretty much all their free-kicks in their own half right up to the halfway line - it was almost old school sending it long. People may criticise the long-ball tactic but it was the right tactic because PSG were vulnerable with the diagonal long ball and the bouncing ball which came from Raya's excellent distribution. It forced chances, they could have scored and it also led to corners where we know Arsenal are dangerous. Aside from that, Arsenal carried the ball really well and got out of positions well to feed Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. Myles Lewis-Skelly was excellent again, his one-v-one defending and duels are as good as anyone I've seen for years in that position. Hakimi got very little joy in duels against him and where Timber could not work out what to do with Kvaratskhelia, Lewis-Skelly did miles better with Doue and Hakimi. That forced Doue to come inside, so Lewis-Skelly came inside and inverted and bolstered Arsenal's numbers in the middle. This is 1-0, it is half-time and this is not done. 26 26 Arsenal ratings vs PSG as Raya saves keep Gunners in it and poor Odegaard subbed off ARSENAL face an uphill battle next week. The Gunners suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germai n in their all-important Champions League semi-final home leg. Ousmane Dembele stunned the Emirates Stadium into silence when his first-time shot hit the post and bounced over the line just three minutes into the match. After a nervous start, it took the Gunners around 20 minutes to settle. But when they did, the momentum began to swing in their favour. Just moments into the second half, Mikel Merino finally put the ball in the net - only for it to be chalked offside after a lengthy VAR check. And Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard forced worldy saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma. David Raya then produced stunning stop from Goncalo Ramos as the Gunners held on at 1-0. It's not over - there is still at least 90 minutes to be played. But away from home, it will not be easy.
Scottish Sun
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
How Arsenal can outsmart PSG in Champions League semi-final as Mikel Arteta faces Declan Rice dilemma
ARSENAL face Paris Saint-Germain in one of their most important games in recent history next week. The Gunners welcome PSG to the Emirates Stadium for the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday. 6 Arsenal beat Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals Credit: Getty 6 The Gunners face PSG in the semi-finals Credit: AFP And should they win across two games, they will reach the final of Europe's elite competition for the first time in 19 years. It is certainly doable, given the club's performance against Real Madrid earlier this month. But PSG will prove another tough test. In the latest edition of SunSport's Tactics Exposed, our expert Dean Scoggins takes a look at how Arsenal can beat the Ligue 1 champions. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL CASH WOES Ex-England star facing bankruptcy battle over £36k unpaid taxes WILL PSG PLAY WITH A 4-3-3 FORMATION? Aston Villa showed in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals that you can get at PSG. On paper, they will play 4-3-3 with three midfielders in a triangle including Vitinha at the base. 6 PSG usually start in a 4-3-3 formation but shift to a 3-2-5 on the attack 6 Achraf Hakimi will be key for PSG Credit: Alamy However, that is rarely how a team ends up. PSG and Luis Enrique are massive disciples of the 3-2-5, so the 4-3-3 will convert very quickly into wide players going up, a centre forward going forward, midfielders joining in and a full back going in to make a 3-2-5 shape. Join SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from The Emirates Manchester City and Arsenal both do it in the Premier League on a regular basis. The tactical flexibility of Achraf Hakimi in this situation is key, because what may happen is that whoever plays on the right - possibly Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue or Ousmane Dembele - may go inside. 'I already mentioned that twice' - Mikel Arteta takes issue with reporter's question as Arsenal title hopes all but end Hakimi would then be the wide high man and the midfield player would stay inside. They're very flexible, but it's a rigid structure. PSG have an attacking shape that they want to play within. They will commit wide men right up on the line and try to maintain their width all the way through. PSG are not afraid to be direct - they will switch play a lot and they will try and target those wingers in behind. For Arsenal, the gaps to attack will be high and wide. PSG are very brave in possession. They are more than happy to take the ball under pressure in a bid to create more space for the attackers. Should Myles Lewis-Skelly play as a left-back for Arsenal, it is unlikely he will invert to the middle like he usually does, because the Parisians will have a field day on the wing with the remaining space. Mikel Arteta could go with Riccardo Calafiori or Jurrien Timber on the left with Ben White on the right because they are out-and-out full-backs. WILL RICE BE THE HOLDING MIDFIELDER? Thomas Partey will not feature for the Gunners in the first leg due to a one-match suspension. It leaves Arteta with a few dilemmas - not just about personnel. 6 Declan Rice will have to adjust his position due to the absence of Thomas Partey Credit: Getty The Arsenal boss could decide to play Mikel Merino next to Declan Rice in midfield. Or, Rice could push up next to Martin Odegaard, leaving the dilemma of who will be the holding man. It could be White, Timber or potentially Calafiori. But Arteta is risk averse. It's very unlikely that he is just going to switch up a player that he hasn't used in that position that much. Therefore, Merino will likely stay in midfield with Leandro Trossard moving into the No9 position. How do PSG combat that? Enrique absolutely loves the diamond shape - that's why he likes that 3-2-5 formation. It means they can overload when moving forward. They want to create an overload so that opposition players are dragged in, leaving space behind for the attack. Rice will therefore have the job of his life moving across the pitch so that Arsenal's full-backs don't get dragged inside. DO PSG HAVE MOST ATTACKING THREATS? PSG are breathtaking going forward. They are so comfortable in every position. We could see any of Bradley Barcola, Kvaratskhelia, Doue and Dembele on the left - and then all of those in different positions. And because they regularly switch play during a game, it causes major problems for the defenders. The changes of positions out wide and into the middle will also be key. It's not just the attackers that are the big threats, it's Hakimi as well. That is why PSG are the hardest team in Europe to defend against right now.
