Mikel Arteta Aiming To Stop Man City’s ‘Long Ball’ Tactic

By The Editor
on 7th October 2023

Mikel Arteta is aware of Man City’s alternative tactic…

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta stated that he’s well aware of Manchester City’s alternative tactic and preparing to face an aerial assault on Sunday, he told the press.

Man City haven’t, over the past season, been afraid to go long when pressed high up the pitch and utilise the size and strength of their lethal marksman in Erling Haaland.

We saw it in full flow during last season’s Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium as Pep Guardiola recorded his lowest possession in a league game in his entire career.

Our off-the-ball intensity therefore forced Ederson to find his striker early and then focus on recovering the second balls closer to our penalty area.

It’s something we struggled to deal with in the second half of that match and Guardiola’s men ran out eventual 3-1 winners.

“They did that against Brighton when they were super aggressive or against Liverpool,” Arteta told the press when speaking about Man City’s direct play.

“It’s about adapting to the behaviour of the team.

“You know what you’re going to provoke when you have certain ideas, you want to get a team really high up the pitch and now they have different qualities, ones we are aware of with Haaland as well and there are different qualities because they have Ederson and another goalkeeper.”

We certainly put up a better showing in the Community Shield and Declan Rice’s athleticism in the midfield was the gamechanger.

The 24-year-old is able to join our high press, but has the explosive recovery skills to get back in a deeper midfield position should the opposition beat the press.

Arteta lined up with four central defenders across the back four at Wembley in August, it will be interesting to see if he needs that security this time, even in Jurrien Timber’s absence.