This is part two of a series running on The Athletic taking the tactical temperature at each of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’. How have each side evolved this season, what are they doing well, and what are the issues — if any — that need fixing?
As Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal enter the second half of the 2025-26 season, there is hope that this can finally be their year.
Sitting on top of the Premier League and Champions League tables, securing their spot in the FA Cup’s fourth round after comfortably beating Portsmouth of the Championship 4-1 away, and about to face Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, Arsenal’s results have been backed up by impeccable performances.
There hasn’t been a major shift in the team’s style of play compared to the past couple of years under Arteta, but the minor tweaks have proved effective and, alongside their summer 2025 signings, have added a different edge to this Arsenal team.
“(We need to) make sure that when we are evolving, we are maintaining the great things that we do and just tweaking and making things that can give us big value,” said Arsenal’s manager in August. “That is what we have done, and we are going to continue to do — you will see them.
“The evolution comes from the individuals. It’s about the players, putting those players in those positions as often as possible to express their qualities.”
So, how have Arsenal doubled down on their strengths, introduced tweaks and evolved? Here, The Athletic breaks down their style in 2025-26.
Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
A more dynamic midfield
In possession, Arteta’s side haven’t deviated from the way they built up attacks last season, with Martin Odegaard often dropping to support in that phase of play.
The shape varies, though, depending on the available players, how Arsenal want to progress the ball and the opponents’ setup. There isn’t a single formation to summarise how Arsenal build their attacks, because it can be a 4-3-3 with Odegaard and Declan Rice aiding Martin Zubimendi, a 4-2 shape, or a 3-2-4-1 when Riccardo Calafiori moves infield.
As for progressing the ball through the thirds, the setup has been more dynamic this season. The sort of midfield fluidity brought by summer signings Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze is something Arsenal are keen on, as Arteta explained when asked about the interchanges between Zubimendi and Rice after the 3-0 win against Spain’s Athletic Club in pre-season.
“Especially with the qualities that they have and the way they can complement each other in that space,” the Arsenal manager said. “We saw another evolution today and things that the team can really benefit from to be much more unpredictable and more of a threat, especially from these inside positions.”
In this example, from the 2-0 defeat of visitors West Ham United in October, Calafiori is in a central position to complete a box midfield…
… but he roams towards the right half-space to overload that area of the pitch. Calafiori’s movement forces Mateus Fernandes to leave Odegaard, which in turn keeps West Ham’s left centre-back, Maximilian Kilman, in a higher position to track Arsenal’s captain.
This manipulation of Fernandes and Kilman allows Rice to find Bukayo Saka’s run behind the defence by playing a direct ball into the channel. Saka ‘scores’ from this move, but he was offside by a yard.
This season, Arsenal have empowered their attack with direct balls into the channels, which is enabled by their dynamic midfield — an attacking solution that helps them catch opponents out before they can drop into a low block.
As for the dynamic 3-2-4-1 shape in the progression phase, Arteta has illustrated how he can tweak it to manipulate the other team’s setup. Yet, the main idea of entering the final third through the wide areas remains.
Arsenal have followed the same pattern of focusing their final-third entries down the wings (34 and 26 per cent for their right and left flanks respectively), with a slight uptick in the central channel compared to 2024-25.
From there, the wide combinations or the individual quality of Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Noni Madueke is Arsenal’s main method of creating chances in open play, especially from the right half-space.
Even with Odegaard missing multiple games through injury, Arsenal have created 29 per cent of their open-play chances from this part of the pitch in the Premier League this season.
Set pieces (again)
The ways Arsenal suffocate opponents in the final third and focus on attacking the wide areas mean Arteta’s side are likely to win a large number of corners and wide free kicks from these open-play scenarios.
“A lot of teams are defending with low blocks, so open play is one thing, but set pieces aren’t something very different to the game,” said Arteta in October 2023. “It’s something that is connected, so it’s as important, because against low blocks we are going to generate more free kicks and more corners.”
Arsenal’s effectiveness at attacking corners needs no introduction, and there hasn’t been a change in their approach compared to last season.
Saka and Rice have continued their targeting of the six-yard box with inswinging deliveries that are complemented by diverse routines from their team-mates, which change from one game to another, or even during the same match.
An increase in verticality
“When it comes to chaos, I want to be the best. When it comes to positional attack, the best, when it comes to low blocks, the best,” said Arteta in October. “That’s the eagerness to constantly find ways to develop your team, to evolve your team and to give your players more tools to be unpredictable and especially more efficient.”
One of the modifications in Arsenal’s approach with the ball this season has been their increasing verticality. Direct balls into the channels is one thing, but the option of speeding up the attack isn’t limited only to their in-possession phase. Arsenal have been more open to attacking teams on the transition, which is visible in their direct-attacks numbers.
These are defined as possessions that start in a team’s own half and result in either a shot or a touch inside the opposition penalty area within 15 seconds — in other words, a counter-attack. Arsenal’s rate of three direct attacks per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season is their highest since Arteta was appointed in December 2019.
On the other hand, Arsenal have conceded the third-fewest direct attacks (43) in the 2025-26 Premier League. They may have dipped their toes in the pool of verticality, but Arteta’s side are still maintaining the controlled approach which has been the base of their success.
Arsenal’s organisation in possession provides them with a strong rest-defence structure, which means that when this team lose the ball, they are in position to counter-press the opposition and halt their transition — or even reverse it.
Arsenal have conceded just 14 goals in 21 league games this seasonBen Stansall/AFP via Getty Images
Out of possession, Arsenal’s biggest tweak has been the identity of the player supporting the centre-forward in pressing the goalkeeper and centre-backs.
Over the previous couple of seasons, it was mainly Odegaard moving up from midfield to do this. Though in 2024-25, there were instances of the right-winger starting in a narrow position to jump towards the opponents’ left centre-back instead of the Norwegian midfielder.
This has been the main approach this season, with Saka performing that role. As a result, the vertical jump now comes from Jurrien Timber down the right wing instead of centre-backs Gabriel or William Saliba pushing into midfield when Arsenal’s hybrid press locks into a man-to-man orientation.
In the medium and low-block phases, Arteta’s side haven’t moved away from the principles which made them one of the best defensive teams in the world.
They are still defending in a compact 4-4-2, with an emphasis on funnelling opposition attacks towards the wide areas where Saka, Martinelli, Trossard or Madueke are supporting the full-backs.
In 2025-26, Arsenal have added layers to their style and introduced minor adjustments, increasing the squad’s depth to help achieve that. The summer signings have enhanced the tools available to Arteta and his staff, while — theoretically — preventing the team’s star players from burning out.
And if they maintain their current level, at least one trophy may be on its way to the Emirates Stadium by the end of this season.
Source: nytimes.com
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