My 4-3-3 is better than yours!

Arsenal starts the season with an awkward non conventional 4-3-3 formation. The Dutch invented formation is played anyway but Arsène’s way. It’s mostly a ball possession dominating game when most of the play is camped inside the opponents half where good dribbling wingers and overlapping full backs more than often make the difference.

Now let’s look at Wenger’s 4-3-3, there are no traditional winger. But before looking for those playing on the wing, let’s look at the center forward position occupied by Robin Van Persie. We all know that the Dutch is not the strongest striker, who can bully defenders on his way nor is he the all pace attacker. But he is capital in the 4-3-3 of Arsenal as the lone striker. He makes everything click with his movement but most importantly with his abilities to pick other players while in a very uncomfortable situation. His flicks and passes will help the team open any defense especially with options on the wings and from the joining midfield duo of Cesc and Denilson. What people also don’t realize is that RVP is one of the very best players when it comes to create space for himself or his teammates in the very tightest of situation.

One trait though that this formation has with the traditional 4-3-3 is the pressing effort the players put. And I have been very impressed with Arshavin in that regard but you also have Bendtner , Denilson and Cesc who are all excelling in the Energy spent in that department. While Song is making his mark as the tackle winning master, Denilson is winning a fair amount of balls back by intercepting balls and reading the dribbling direction of opponents. With our ever strong full backs and now Vermaelen showing he may be the defender we all wished to have and Gallas playing his best, defensively we have never been better under Arsène Wenger.
But I believe the biggest benefit is the departure of Adebayor, not that he wasn’t a good striker, but because we tended to change our way of play out of facility maybe but the “hoof it to Ade” from Touré and Cesc was hamming our game big time not counting the number of time Adebayor would kill the flow of the attack with his wrong choices or irritating offside positions. It’s so nice to see us move the ball from back to front with triangles and diamond passes.

Bendtner on the opposite wing of Arshavin could also be one deadly weapon as the Russian is the best if not the only good crosser of the ball at the team and Bendtner the best header; it really makes sense for the Danish to be attacking the little guy’s crosses from the extreme right rushing into the penalty box. Another trait of Bendtner on the wing is to use his body strength against smaller full back opponents as we witnessed against Everton especially knowing that for all his big stature the Dane is quite sound technically. This gives us a safe long ball option as a long ball down in the middle of the opponent’s defense is more often than not dealt well by big and strong center backs.

There are early days for this formation and I believe many players will offer a lot more than they are doing right now especially Van Persie and Arshavin. Opponents will also get time to study it more but the early signs are very good and may it continue!