Jamie Carragher has sent a note of warning to Arsenal over a tactical tweak that Mikel Arteta has employed recently because he believes Liverpool could exploit it.
The Gunners have earned some huge statement wins in recent matches and one reason for their fine run is how effectively they press.
Arteta’s players cover a lot of ground while attempting to close down their opponents high up the pitch.
This leaves them with so much space in front of the defence.
For now, no club has truly exploited it, but the former Liverpool defender warns that his former club might do that when both teams meet.
He said via The Sun: “Over the last eleven games, they have only conceded seven goals. It’s very reminiscent of Manchester City.
“I want to look at the pressing of Martin Odegaard and then Granit Xhaka, leaving Thomas Partey free. Odegaard is a pressing machine, along with [Gabriel] Martinelli.
“They are really high up the pitch and Xhaka is covering 11 kilometres a game because he is being asked to do a lot more.
“But sometimes it isn’t right to go [and press] and there are spaces either side of Partey.
“In the game against Liverpool, that is something they will have to be careful about when they press. They have to be mindful of that.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Arsenal has been effectively working Arteta’s tactics on the pitch, but every match is different and the team prepares differently for all of them.
Our gaffer already knows how Liverpool plays and he would get his players prepared to hit the Reds where it hurts the most.
It might not be in the same manner that they played against Leicester City.
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Arteta discusses the Leicester win, Thomas Partey, Odegaard, and the race for Top Four
The Law of average dictate timing is right for a great result against Liverpool.
We are better prepared for pressing Liverpool now , youth is in our favor and our defenders are much more mobile, meaning to deal with the space ahead that pressing creat.
This is a match Tomi would earn his wages in, we must be extremely patient and play them on the counter,
Liverpool need this victory more than us , so we must prepare to break swift with deadly accuracy
Ride on proff !!
I really don’t know how Arteta would do it but I think Tavares should be part of the team that plays Liverpool,
We need all the energy, pace we can get,
If we can play 3-4-3, would be bad,
With Ben-Gabriel-Tierney
Saka-Partey-Xhaka-Tavares
Ødegaard-Lacazette-Martinelli,
Just my thoughts 💭
*wouldn’t be bad
I understand it is just your opinion, but I wouldn’t want Tavares in this game.
He cost us 2 goals when we played Liverpool with him as a left back, one of them being a blind pass he made and it was intercepted by Jota, who then scored a few seconds later. Based on what I saw in this game, he lacks awareness of his surroundings in the game.
His passing is also terrible. Basically, the only thing he has in abundance is pace.