Over the last few days, Michael Carrick and his assistant, Steve Holland, have been trying to formulate a tactical plan for Arsenal on Sunday that is necessarily less adventurous than in their first match together at Old Trafford.
That uproarious 2–0 win over Manchester City did not just stand out in Manchester United's drab recent form, after all. It also stood out in a drab Premier League weekend that provoked a lot of discussion about the quality of football in the competition right now.
A further two goalless draws brought the total for this season to 18, which is up on the last two campaigns at the same stage. The current goals-per-game figure is also down at a mere 2.73 – the lowest since the Covid-affected 2020–21 season.
This follows on from an early-season debate about a new emphasis on direct play and set pieces, for which league leaders Arsenal were seen as setting the tone. Mikel Arteta's tactical variability – and his willingness to go much more compact than Pep Guardiola – is at least one reason why United have to approach Sunday's match differently.
Overall, though, instinctive attacking play certainly appears to have declined. The football just feels more functional.
Typically, those on the inside of the sport do not quite see it that way.
Many sources do not think the Premier League has become more reductive at all. They believe it is actually because the league has become more sophisticated – at least in terms of how complex match preparation now is.
Pressing, the great evolution of the last 20 years, is now moving to another level. Even teams near the bottom, such as Wolves, are now so advanced – where sides have to constantly think through responses and counter-responses – that, as one senior manager repeatedly says, "the margins are so fine".
This has temporarily helped to bridge immense financial gaps in the Premier League, and that can be seen in another highly relevant goal statistic.
Now, with almost 60 per cent of the season gone, there have been just four victories by a four-goal margin and one by a five-goal margin.
Those games are:
Arsenal 5–0 Leeds United
Aston Villa 4–0 Bournemouth
Manchester City 5–1 Burnley
West Ham United 1–5 Chelsea
Wolves 0–4 Manchester City
In other words, the classic football thrashing – a 5–0 – has become a rare thing. No one has hit six. This is unusually low. And, for an illustration of why, there is a good example from another Arsenal game.
Inside Football has been informed of the evolving pressing plans from Arsenal's recent match against Liverpool – yet another 0–0 – and how this now creates an almost unseen matrix within open play that we see, but which occupies the thoughts of players and coaches far more.
These plans are highly instructive, showing how modern teams control space, press intelligently, and prepare for every eventuality.
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