Arsenal‘s 3-1 win over West Ham was a huge confidence boost after the team’s nine-game spell without a win in all competitions. It wasn’t that exciting for the Hammers though, since they are in a worse position, getting closer to the relegation zone, after being defeated seven times in their last ten Premier League games.
Both Manuel Pellegrini’s and Freddie Ljungberg‘s jobs were put under question, but it looks like the Swedish has a better chance to stay on charge after their latest fixture.
This tactical analysis aims to break down both team’s tactics in their PL encounter. This analysis will also focus on the struggles of both the teams
Lineups
Manuel Pellegrini initially opted for 4-4-1-1 formation, starting off with David Martin. Aaron Cresswell, Angelo Ogbonna, Fabián Balbuena and Ryan Fredericks formed the backline. The midfield area was covered by Pablo Fornals, Declan Rice, Mark Noble, and Robert Snodgrass. The manager relied on Felipe Anderson and Michail Antonio to lead the attacking actions.
Freddie Ljungberg had to do a last-minute change in the starting XI due to the injury of Héctor Bellerín. Bernd Leno covered the goal, with Kieran Tierney, Sokratis, Callum Chambers, and Ashley Maitland-Niles as support. Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira positioned centrally with a more defensive role, whilst the trio of Gabriel Martinelli, Mesut Özil and Nicolas Pépé supported Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the attack.
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