Arsenal under Mikel Arteta have gone through plenty of changes and improvements to reach the level the club finds itself at now. When the Spaniard first took over, many questioned what style of play he was implementing when it wasn’t immediately obvious.
These days, Arsenal have become arguably so identifiable that it has opened up new challenges as teams look to work out how to restrict the Gunners. However, one area of the pitch that Mikel Arteta has worked to use to the highest effectiveness is the half-spaces, which has the potential to be made even better by the impending return of Gabriel Jesus.
Firstly, to clarify what the half-spaces are, because the terminology can be easily used but often confused with something else. The below image shows these regions are defined by the space running between the centre of the pitch and the wide areas often bordered by the edge of the six-yard box and 18-yard box; effectively two 12-yard wide strips running the length of the pitch.
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Arsenal use these areas in a number of different ways, either directly or by playing through and across them to create chances. Four of the most notable have been responsible for the majority of the Gunners’ goals and subsequent points this season.
From moving the ball through the half-space directly from the wide areas to the centre for a long-range shooting opportunity, to the wide players cutting inside into the half-space to take a shot on goal, to a parallel direct pass into the penalty box’s half-space to set up a shot or cut-back, and finally a narrow cross into the box over a deep block. All four have been critical to Arsenal’s success.
1. Drama-producing stunners
These chances should stick in the mind of Arsenal supporters more than most because they have happened most recently in the 4-2 victory over Aston Villa. Arteta has designed these types of passes to cut through three areas of the field quickly to set up a player in space to take a low xG but surprise effort on goal.
Firstly Oleksandr Zinchenko was supplied by Martin Odegaard from a short corner before taking a left-footed effort low into the bottom right corner. Then, in a moment of peak drama, Jorginho was set up by Gabriel Martinelli from the left and struck his shot off the woodwork before it deflected gloriously off Emi Martinez and into the back of the net.
The opportunities broke the deep defending of Villa and played on the Gunners’ strengths of quick movement and ever-increasingly accurate long-range shooting. As shown above, Martin Odegaard and Fabio Vieira have also benefited from this technique by receiving the ball sooner and progressively rather than the cut-back.
However, the player to arguably enjoy the most success from this technique has been Thomas Partey. The Ghanaian has made a name for himself scoring against both Tottenham and Nottingham Forest with a curling effort from a pass across the right-hand side half-space into the top right corner.
2. An inverted winger's bread and butter
Bukayo Saka scored a glorious goal against Manchester United to give the Gunners the lead at home. What has often been coined as the Arjen Robben technique, an inverted winger will quickly dart inside from the wide area into the half-space before either curling a shot to the far post or a low drive into the keeper’s near post.
Whilst Saka managed this against United, it’s not something Arsenal have been able to pull off all that often. Instead, Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have enjoyed driving into the half-space by the touchline before providing a cross or shot which has on occasion required some good luck to reach the back of the net.
3. Straight to the point
Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard have been critical in chance creation for Arsenal this season. Xhaka is on to beat his Premier League assist high of seven, having already got five this season.
The pair have created plenty of chances by pushing through the half-space on either side to either of the wide men. This has then resulted in either a cut-back or direct shot to the near-post or across the keeper.
This is arguably the most common attacking style that Arteta has utilised in his team and one in which opposition teams are becoming far savvier at defending. Teams have begun doubling up on Saka and Martinelli, keeping their defensive structure narrow, see Everton (A) for the best example, and mitigating this technique.
4. Effective and underused
The final offering has somewhat disappeared from the Arsenal, well arsenal, since the World Cup. Prior to Qatar, Arsenal scored a number of goals with the cross from just outside the box in one of the half-spaces, curling a ball to the back or near-post for a forward to run on to, and head or strike the ball into the net.
The two best examples this season have come from Gabriel Jesus’ header against Brentford away from home and Gabriel Martinelli’s opener against Nottingham Forest. Both Xhaka and Saka were the crossers in these examples and it could be a technique to unlock these stubborn low blocks.
The movement of the Brazilian is something the Gunners have lacked in recent weeks. Taking up these positions does present the half-space crosses with a greater chance of success, as shown with his goal against the Bees; but also shown with his half-space strike against Leicester City (H).
With Arsenal struggling to break down Everton and Brentford in their recent fixtures, Arteta could look to try varying up the attacks further and encouraging this use of the half-space cross. At a minimum, it challenges the opposition further and offers various attacking opportunities.
The fixtures coming include home and away ties against teams expected to sit deep, defend and counter where possible. It will be yet another challenge for Arsenal and Arteta to overcome but perhaps by looking back, they can make their way forwards.
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