da dobrowin： Adaptation is not a word often associated with Arsene Wenger. Principled, stubborn and thoughtful, Arsenal’s long-serving boss sticks to what he believes in. Whether that be in the transfer market or on the pitch, it has been both of great benefit and detriment to Arsenal over the years. On the pitch it has been costly in recent years, Wenger has failed to adapt to his opponents, resulting in some humiliating defeats to his most bitter of rivals.
da aviator aposta： Facing Chelsea this Saturday, Wenger must adapt. He cannot afford to have another poor first half performance before making changes, Chelsea have rolled through the league at a canter. Arsenal’s current system and setup is vulnerable to the Blues.
The Gunners will likely dominate the ball and look to play through the Chelsea defence. With the channels compressed, the space for Alexis Sanchez and Arsenal’s other forwards is limited. Trying to play through Chelsea’s defence, which has hardly conceded a goal since switching to the back three, is not advised. Teams who have had success against Chelsea – although any success has been very limited – have attacked aerially in behind the wing backs and to the sides of the back three. With Cesar Azpilicueta particularly vulnerable, Chelsea can be got at if the ball is played wide.
The 3-4-3 formation does not lend itself to defending well down the flanks. Arsenal must instruct their wide forwards to hold the width and challenge Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso defensively. Their best hope of finding holes in Chelsea’s defence is to force Gary Cahill particularly to defend in areas he is not comfortable in.
Wenger, though, will unlikely change anything about Arsenal’s approach. Pulling Olivier Giroud towards Azpilicueta for aerial duels is a no-brainer. However, history tells us that Wenger will stick to how his team play. There may be a tweak in personnel, but the Frenchman believes in how his team plays and seldom adapts for the opposition. That is one of the great positives about him as a manager, yet it could cost them against Chelsea.
Should Arsenal continue with their 4-2-3-1, they are not condemned to defeat. In fact, their performance that ripped Chelsea apart at the Emirates will be remembered by Antonio Conte and his side. That was the result that led to the change in system from Conte and triggered the long winning streak that took Chelsea to the top of the table.
The Blues are by no means unbeatable. Arsenal have the players to trouble them, too. This match could well be a classic, but the respective midweek performances make an emphatic Chelsea victory very possible. Wenger does not have to switch to a back three – it would be unwise to unless they have practised that shape for several weeks – but tweaks to his team’s approach would be sensible.
Pragmatism often prevails over the course of a league season. While success on the back of an engrained philosophy may be significant in its legacy, sometimes managers must find a way, rather than finding the ‘right’ way. Wenger’s failure to adapt previously has seen some ugly results, Saturday is another test of his flexibility in the toughest circumstances.
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