Mikel Arteta Lays Out Tactical Changes For Chelsea Clash

Mikel Arteta outlines the tactical changes he will make going up against Chelsea.

The London derby will be his first home game as the Arsenal boss, following a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth.

Arteta said, “The overall structure, the way we play and approach the game and the things that we do on the pitch have to be right. We can’t demand attacking players generate things just like that. We must have play sustained behind them, to tie everything together.

“We need to arrive in many better positions, as many times as possible, for them to be able to create as many situations as we want.”

Sunday will be Arteta’s first acid test as a manager, competing against a fourth-spot Chelsea side. The Gunners are languishing in the 12th spot of the Premier League, just 6 points above the relegation zone.

Arteta has recognized how high Arsenal’s defence line was against Bournemouth which led to them conceding the first goal. He added, “The deeper we go, the closer we are to the box. We are not the biggest team in the Premier League, so we have to try to defend as far as possible from our box – that means using a structure that can support these scenarios.”