Chelsea talking tactics: Another final against Arsenal

Chelsea will face off against Arsenal in yet another final. What tactics might be at play for Frank Lampard and Mikel Arteta?

When Chelsea faces Arsenal in the FA Cup final, it will be the third final between the two sides this decade. Arsenal won the last FA Cup final the two met in, but Chelsea demolished Arsenal in the Europa League final just last season. Both sides will be hungry to pull ahead in that tally.

The match will mean more to both sets of supporters given who their managers are. Frank Lampard and Mikel Arteta both returned to their former clubs as managers over the course of the season and both have breathed life into sides that had somewhat lost their way. The FA Cup will offer one of the two their first piece of silverware in management while the other will go back to the drawing board.

There are dozens of other narratives flowing in and out of the match. Olivier Giroud and David Luiz pitted against their former clubs. Arsenal needing to win to have any European competition next season. But perhaps most interesting will be the tactical battle between two of the game’s up and coming exciting managers.

Both managers would probably prefer a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, but neither really has the personnel to pull it off right now. Chelsea could if N’Golo Kante is deemed fit, but the Blues have rushed him back only to see him injured too many times this season for that to be a smart play. Arsenal simply does not have the players that can line up in that way and make it effective against a side like Chelsea.

So it is incredibly likely that this turns into a battle of 3-4-3’s. That can have positives and negatives for both sides. A well drilled 3-4-3 can create overloads in every situation, but it requires constant precise movement of both the players and the ball. If just one piece slips, the whole foundation is compromised and the house comes crumbling down.

Beyond that, when a 3-4-3 is matched against a 3-4-3, one of two things can happen. The first is the two sides simply match up and stagnate against one another. That is what happened for much of the first half when Chelsea faced off against Wolverhampton. The second is one side decides to focus on the center of the pitch or the flanks and shifts a player to do so. That can give a new overload, but it also exposes another area of the pitch.

Scenario two requires even more precise movement from the players so that they do not overextend. If Chelsea decides to take this route, they will likely pull a wide forward into midfield. If Arsenal tries it, they will likely tuck a wing back into midfield. Both will require the opponent to play through the flanks or direct to the striker and in both situations, Chelsea will have the advantage.

In general, Chelsea will have the advantage. The three forwards will be able to wreak havoc on Arsenal’s back three. The wing backs are simply better than the Gunners’. Chelsea’s midfield pair, whoever it is, will also be able to control and push the ball better than Arsenal’s. The only area of concern the Blues should have is Arsenal’s front three against Chelsea’s back three.

Arsenal lacks the ability to play direct to any of them though, so they will have to play through. The forwards will need to press and force a long ball because that is how Chelsea will gain an advantage. If that fails, the midfield will need to harry Arsenal’s before they can play in one of the forwards. If it gets into any of the Arsenal forwards, that is where the Gunners will have the advantage over Chelsea and the Blues cannot allow the match to develop in that way.

If Mason Mount plays, the match will likely turn on his efforts dropping in and out of the midfield. Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud will need to find the right pockets of space to be dangerous. Jorginho will need to not be bullied off the pitch if he starts. And the back line can make no mistakes.

One on one, Chelsea has all the advantages. But Arteta has proven that he can shift and change his approach this season and Chelsea has to react before he can or as quickly as they can when a change is made.

This match is sure to be a tactical dream. That generally means it will be low scoring though. Expect this one to drag on before someone finally finds the space to put the match into checkmate.