Arsenal Football Formation

Starting Lineup

David Raya (Illan Meslier) · Gabriel Magalhães (Tarik Muharemović) · William Saliba (Ezri Konsa) · Riccardo Calafiori (Piero Hincapié) · Jurriën Timber (Ben White) · Declan Rice (Martín Zubimendi) · Myles Lewis-Skelly (Bruno Guimarães) · Désiré Doué (Christos Tzolis) · Bukayo Saka (Noni Madueke) · Kai Havertz (Viktor Gyökeres) · Martin Ødegaard (Eberechi Eze)

Arsenal aims to dominate the ball and win it back quickly through an intense high press. This style of football is delivered using a 4-3-3 formation. The team seeks to control the tempo and move the ball vertically to exploit gaps in the opposition.

David Raya stands behind a back four that can push high to squeeze the space. William Saliba works as a ball playing defender with great recovery pace, while Gabriel Magalhães is dominant in the air. Jurriën Timber provides defensive stability at right back, while Riccardo Calafiori functions as an attacking wing back to provide width. The whole unit works to hold a compact defensive block and set the offside trap.

The midfield is built around a three man unit that connects the defence and attack. Martin Ødegaard plays as an attacking ten who uses his passing range to play through the lines. Declan Rice acts as a carrier who shields the defence and wins the second ball. Myles Lewis-Skelly works to connect the lines and recycle possession. This group works to win it back high up the pitch to press the goalkeeper and drive the team forward.

The attack features three players across the front. Kai Havertz acts as a pressing striker who can hold up the ball and link up play between the lines. Bukayo Saka stays wide on the right before he cuts inside to use his dribbling style. Désiré Doué operates on the left wing to stretch the defence and look for cutbacks from the byline. These forwards work in combinations to hit in behind on the transition.

This lineup offers the ability to press high in coordinated waves to force a long ball. Arsenal also creates wide overloads when the full backs overlap the winger to isolate a one on one situation. The midfield dominance through Martin Ødegaard allows the team to control the centre of the pitch and spread wide when needed.

The 4-3-3 formation is built on high intensity pressing and controlling the game through the middle. It is best suited for matches against teams that try to play out from the back.