Forcing Chelsea to play out through the fullbacks

Tierney

Arteta has already faced Frank Lampard’s side twice in the league, and on both occasions, the Spaniard used an aggressive pressing style to prevent Chelsea playing comfortably out from the back.


Both games were tight affairs, a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates, and the 2-2 at Stamford Bridge when the Gunners had ten men for a large portion of the game. One common thread in the two games was Arsenal’s determination to force the ball to Chelsea’s fullbacks so they would cede possession by kicking the ball long. The ploy will likely be used again this weekend.

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.