How Arsene Wenger’s final years at Arsenal inspired Unai Emery’s tactical revolution

Unai Emery has revealed how watching videos from the final two years of Arsene Wenger’s reign gave him new insights to develop the tactically fluid and disciplined Arsenal side he leads today.

Under Emery’s stewardship the Gunners, who defeated Newcastle 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night, have become increasingly varied and responsive in their tactical approach to opponents. No longer the side who played the same way on the road at Manchester City as they would at home to a relegation candidate, Arsenal have displayed an impressive range of formations and approaches under their new manager.

Emery began the season in the 4-2-3-1 favoured by his predecessor and at various points has experimented with playing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a wide midfielder, lining up in a 3-5-2 with three shielding midfielders and using Granit Xhaka as an auxiliary center-back.

Of late the Arsenal head coach has made use of a 3-4-1-2 that appears to be allowing him to get the most out of a trio of talented players who have sometimes struggled to fit around each other: Aubameyang, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil.

Ramsey impressed defensively alongside Xhaka in wins over Manchester United and Rennes, both games in which Aubameyang scored, whilst Ozil inevitably looked at his most comfortable as a No.10. With Alexandre Lacazette also in the attack Arsenal look to be a formidable attacking force.

“I used the information from the last two years,” Emery told football.london when asked how he had found the struggles of fitting his many attackers into one side. “This team played with a three, with a four [in defence].

“Mesut can play right or left or as a No.10 in different systems, also with Ramsey playing with three or two, getting more in the opposition box.

“I used this information to repeat to the players and I think the players are very open in their mind to playing in different positions to help us but giving us big performances and a good attitude.”

Emery added: “We are taking good performances using different systems and different players. In the last two matches, we started with 3-4-1-2 but we finished playing 3-4-3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMGigiA_IpA

“In 90 minutes we have different systems and different players. We need to continue doing that and maybe we can be consistent. “The best possibility for us is for all the players to be ready to help us with good mentality.”