Arsenal’s Attacking Shape and Chelsea’s Struggles
In more settled possession phases, Arsenal played in a 3-2-5 shape with Lewis-Skelly intermittently dropping into central midfield. Ødegaard and Rice also dropped deeper at times, trying to create confusion with their movements.
However, what stood out was Arsenal’s lack of central penetration. This has been a recurring theme throughout the season, where they have rarely played through defensive blocks. Even with Chelsea providing openings, Arsenal funneled most of their attacks down the right side.
Chelsea’s high-pressing approach against Arsenal’s build-up shape from goal kicks was a simple man-oriented setup. While it effectively prevented Arsenal from building out from the back, it did not matter much, as Arsenal have shown throughout the season that they prefer going long anyway. Arsenal positioned themselves in a 4-2-4 structure, with Ødegaard dropping deep alongside Partey.