The dark side of Arsenal's tactical evolution

Coach Mikel Arteta's tactical changes have made many key players redundant, but Arsenal are not yet finding a good outlet for these players.

It all started with a Tesco bag - a British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City. In June 2020, Arsenal travelled to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United in the FA Cup quarter-finals. The visitors endured a difficult match, needing a stoppage-time goal from Dani Ceballos to reach the semi-finals.

Kieran Tierney was named man of the match, but he caught the eye with an off-the-cuff issue before kick-off. The Scottish defender came on with nothing but a Tesco bag. In an era where Premier League stars often wear designer brands, Tierney's use of a Tesco bag was a surprising sight and immediately drew admiration from fans.

The quarter-final against Sheffield United – his 15th appearance for Arsenal – cemented Tierney as Arsenal’s most beloved player. His sublime performances on the way to winning the FA Cup that year, including an assist for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the semi-final win over Manchester City, further cemented his status.

Tierney was Arsenal captain at the end of the 2021-2022 season. Photo: AFP

In the following two seasons, Tierney became a focal point of Arteta’s Arsenal project. The Scotland defender embodied the commitment the Spanish coach sought from his players as he began to overhaul the dressing room culture. His ability to follow instructions made him the perfect leader on the pitch.

Tierney is a key member of Arsenal's leadership group and is a leading candidate to take over the captaincy when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaves in January 2022. Two months later, the 26-year-old defender wore the armband for the first time in the Premier League after Alexandre Lacazette - who had been appointed interim captain until the end of the season - was substituted early in the second half. That afternoon was considered the pinnacle of Tierney's career at the Emirates.

But then the former Celtic player had to undergo knee surgery and missed the rest of the 2021-2022 season. When Tierney returned, Arsenal recruited Oleksandr Zinchenko from Man City for $36 million plus $2.5 million in add-ons. From being a mainstay, Tierney gradually had to get used to the bench. Although Zinchenko was often out injured last season, Tierney was unable to regain his starting position.

Tierney made 27 Premier League appearances in 2020-21, 22 in 2021-22, but that number dropped to just six last season. With his status declining, it was no surprise that the Scotland defender had to go to Spain on loan to Sociedad this season.

But in another aspect, Tierney's declining status shows a change in tactics at Arsenal over the past year . From the three-man defense that brought initial success with two titles - the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2020, Arteta has switched to a more flexible, possession-based style of play.

Arteta's emphasis on using wingers like Zinchenko in the middle helps Arsenal's playing style become more varied, unpredictable and effective. Photo: AFP

The Spanish coach continued his change last season, using a left-back who could distribute the ball well and often move into midfield. The overlapping full-back who could deliver crosses into the box like Tierney was redundant in Arteta’s desired system.

Tierney’s passing ability and rigid movement make him unsuitable for this new setup. The Scotland defender’s pass completion rate has not exceeded 77.3% in four Premier League seasons. Zinchenko, meanwhile, has not dipped below 86.4% in six full seasons in the competition.

Despite losing his starting position so quickly, Tierney never showed any signs of discontent, and his departure was purely tactical, as Arsenal shifted their approach from counter-attacking to possession-based. Before Tierney, stars like Mesut Ozil, Emiliano Martinez, Bernd Leno and Aubameyang all suffered the same fate.

Arteta's constant changes in tactics have left many players unable to keep up and gradually becoming redundant at the Emirates Stadium. But Arsenal have not done well in resolving the future of these names .

Since 2019, Arsenal has only earned $155 million from player sales - the lowest among the "Big 6". The sale of Bernd Leno in the summer of 2022 is a typical example of the "Gunners"' loss-making business. The German goalkeeper was bought from Bayer Leverkusen for $28 million, played 125 matches for Arsenal, then was pushed to Fulham for $10 million.

Meanwhile, Liverpool sold Danny Ward - a Welsh goalkeeper who made just three first-team appearances - to Leicester for $16 million in the summer of 2018.

Another example came in the summer of 2021, when Marseille loaned Matteo Guendouzi and then bought the French midfielder outright for $12 million a year later. He was a key factor in Marseille finishing second in Ligue 1 in the 2021-2022 season, behind champions PSG. Also in 2021, Guendouzi made his debut for France and even participated in the 2022 World Cup - where he started the final group stage match against Tunisia.

Leno and Guendouzi have both failed to add much value to Arsenal after leaving due to Arteta's tactical changes. Photo: PA

Equally worrying is the fact that Arsenal often have difficulty finding outlets and have to release players who are no longer in Arteta's plans. From Willian, Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Shkodran Mustafi, the Gunners have terminated contracts with eight players since 2019.

Similar problems have cropped up this summer, with Arsenal having 31 first-team players and struggling to offload Albert Sambi Lokonga, Cedric Soares and Nicolas Pepe. Nuno Tavares, the defender on loan at Marseille last season, is close to joining Nottingham Forest, while Rob Holding has an offer from new signing Luton Town.

22-year-old striker Folarin Balogun is the exception to Arsenal's poor player sales, as he joined AS Monaco for $45 million.

"As Arteta continues to chart Arsenal's path to the top, there will inevitably be a number of players who are beloved by fans but cannot keep up, such as Balogun and Tierney. Arsenal need to find a way to recoup large fees when they part with these players," commented Sky Sports .

Hong Duy

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