Manchester Metropolis vs Arsenal: Set-piece menace, use of Kai Havertz and restraining Erling Haaland are key soccer information for Gunners method

Manchester Metropolis beat Arsenal to win the title final season, however having no opponents makes life tougher for them. The Gunners gained 1-0 on the Emirates Stadium and drew 0-0 on the Etihad Stadium, turning into the one staff to attain 4 factors.

Will they trigger extra issues for Guardiola’s facet? tremendous sunday? The Championship facet have taken most factors from their first 4 Premier League video games of the season, taking them two factors away from their title rivals on the prime of the desk.

However Arsenal will likely be hoping to cease them for a 3rd sport in a row, taking a lift from the way in which they restrained Haaland final season and figuring out they’ve the means to trigger harm in assault even with out the injured Martin Odegaard.

Sunday, September 22, 4:00 pm

Begins at 4:30 pm

Assault vs. Protection

It will not be simple for Arsenal to repeat final season’s efforts, particularly given the brief turnaround following Thursday’s Champions League tie towards Atalanta in Italy.

Manchester Metropolis have an additional day to arrange as they host Inter Milan within the Champions League on Wednesday and have began the season strongly, notably in assault. They scored 96 objectives on their method to the title final season, 5 greater than Arsenal’s 91, they usually have continued the identical momentum this season.

Led by Haaland, who has scored 9 objectives, Metropolis have scored 11 objectives thus far, three greater than every other staff. They’re additionally tops in anticipated objectives, photographs heading in the right direction and probabilities created.

Their complete of 875 passes within the closing third was nearly 33% greater than every other staff, which highlighted their opening video games towards Chelsea, Ipswich, West Ham and Brentford. Dominance within the sport.

Arsenal, in the meantime, have solely scored six objectives and have a comparatively low anticipated objectives complete of 4.99, rating 14th amongst Premier League groups. Mikel Arteta’s facet additionally rank backside when it comes to probabilities created and passing within the closing third.

Arsenal have harder video games, in fact, away to Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur and at house to Brayton after Declan Rice was despatched off early within the second quarter. He additionally performed almost half of the sport in Dayton, with 10 gamers collaborating.

Because the season progresses and the schedule turns into extra pleasant, the Gunners will undoubtedly climb the rankings. Nonetheless, Metropolis presently prepared the ground when it comes to offensive output, they usually’ve additionally posted spectacular underlying numbers defensively.

Though they’ve conceded extra objectives than the Gunners and three lower than the Gunners, they rank larger in anticipated objectives conceded and photographs heading in the right direction, and Arsenal have some good work from David Raya to thank It took a save to maintain the opponent out.

The Spain worldwide continued his superb type within the Champions League on Thursday as his beautiful two saves had been key in Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Atalanta by which Arteta’s objective The staff additionally displayed spectacular defensive toughness.

For the reason that begin of final season’s Premier League, they’ve conceded simply 30 objectives to Manchester Metropolis’s 37.

How Arsenal dominated out Haaland

Arsenal will purpose to duplicate final season’s defensive efficiency towards Manchester Metropolis once they journey to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Not solely did Manchester Metropolis fail to attain in these video games, they even struggled to create probabilities when Arsenal’s defensive prowess was highlighted.

In truth, on the Emirates Stadium assembly in October, Metropolis’s anticipated objectives ratio was simply 0.48, the third-lowest complete in Guardiola’s 308 Premier League video games.

The scatter plot beneath illustrates simply how successfully Arsenal suppressed their probabilities. The Gunners are the one staff to have allowed fewer than two anticipated objectives to Manchester Metropolis in each video games, with Metropolis having simply 16 photographs in complete.

Haaland was contained brilliantly by William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, who continued to construct power as a centre-back partnership able to profitable bodily duels.

Final season, Manchester Metropolis’s away sport towards Arsenal was the one sport all season the place Haaland failed to complete, so the anticipated objectives had been zero.

On this 0-0 draw on the Etihad Stadium, he had 4 photographs, however solely value a complete of 0.31 anticipated objectives, properly beneath his common, and none of them had been heading in the right direction.

That is in stark distinction to final season, when Haaland scored in each video games towards Arsenal. Nonetheless, Saliba missed the 4-1 defeat on the Etihad Stadium because of damage.

The Gunners have improved defensively since then and their success towards Haaland final season will be summed up by video footage of Saliba working alongside the striker and pushing him to the turf on the Emirates Stadium.

The incident occurred close to the midfield line however Arsenal are more likely to sit deeper and put their our bodies behind the ball on the Etihad Stadium, as they’ve achieved of their away wins towards Tottenham and Aston Villa this season. Irritating Guardiola’s facet and additional limiting Haaland’s affect.

Arsenal’s attacking method

So, Arsenal have confirmed they’re able to conserving Haaland and Manchester Metropolis at bay, however how can they harm them on the different finish of the pitch?

The lack of Odegaard’s creativity is a blow, however his teammate Kai Havertz is more likely to play a key position because the goal of direct passes.

The Gunners performed extra lengthy balls towards Manchester Metropolis than towards every other opponent final season, utilizing Havertz’s aerial and ball-carrying skills to bypass Metropolis’s press and permit them to push ahead.

The effectiveness of this method was on show with Gabriel Martinez’s winner on the Emirates Stadium, Havertz establishing the Brazilian after a protracted ball from Thomas Partey.

Arsenal may also trigger issues on the counter-attack.

Metropolis confirmed their vulnerability in final weekend’s slender win over Brentford and in Wednesday’s goalless draw with Inter, conceding 10 photographs within the first half alone to Simone Inzaghi’s facet Always inflicting issues on the quick break, albeit with out capital letters.

Arsenal’s objective was to be much more ruthless. Their counter-attacking prowess helped them win a nook kick in Sunday’s north London derby towards Tottenham Hotspur, establishing Gabriel Magalhaes’ decisive objective, their greatest efficiency for the reason that begin of final season. Progress has been made, as proven beneath.

Throughout this era, 19% of Arsenal’s photographs within the Premier League got here on the counter-attack, making them essentially the most environment friendly staff within the league above Aston Villa.

Gabriel’s profitable header towards Spurs reminded individuals of their different greatest weapon: set items. For the reason that begin of final season, they’ve scored a complete of 24 set-pieces, which is unmatched within the Premier League. The identical goes for his or her set-piece conversion charges, as proven beneath.

Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Joffe, poached from Manchester Metropolis by Arteta, is predicted to be on the touchline once more on Sunday, orchestrating Arsenal’s dead-ball probabilities. They are going to be a key avenue for scoring objectives for Metropolis, who’re more likely to dominate possession.

Successful the longer term?

Arteta insists Arsenal are on monitor to win trophies in interview sky sports activities Performed earlier than the north London derby. A optimistic outcome towards Manchester Metropolis will gas that optimism.

The age construction of the present staff is encouraging. For a staff as younger as Arsenal, title wins in both of the previous two seasons could be unprecedented.

This season, nevertheless, their common age has exceeded 26, and their wealth of expertise places them at a stage extra in keeping with previous championship groups.

Gary Neville says their expertise confirmed of their efficiency at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “This can be a present of staff and experience,” he stated. “Crafty, not naive, not immature – fairly the alternative. That is an skilled, mature staff and that is what a staff that is gained a number of titles needs to be like.”

After all, it will not be easy towards the Manchester Metropolis machine. Arsenal have not gained the Premier League title in twenty years. They haven’t gained on the Etihad Stadium since 2015.

Watch Manchester Metropolis vs Arsenal stay on Sky Sports activities Premier League and Essential Occasion from 4pm; from 4.30pm