After a performance like the one against Chelsea, it’s difficult to identify key changes the manager needs to make; so instead, I’m going to analyse why Arsene Wenger’s plan has worked so far and why he should continue to use it against Basel, regardless of personnel.
As I mentioned in the Chelsea preview, the right sided overload is key to offensive success. Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott are up and down the flank all game, overlapping one another and really pinning the opposition left side down – this worked well against Eden Hazard, who was forced into a defensive performance.
As for the rest of the attack, Alex Iwobi cutting in on the left is key as it allows fluidity for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to drift, pulling the defence one way and another.
Meanwhile, the ‘Coqzorla’ or ‘Xhakneny’ double pivot is different to recent seasons – usually, Arsene plays one holder and one box to box midfielder – but instead, both tend to sit back, and only during a possession overload (when everyone is forward surrounding the penalty area) do one of them split off and drive forward, primarily to occupy a defender. This limits our culpability to counter attacks.
This should continue – but let’s take a look at Basel. With 11 out of 12 wins domestically, they come into the game in high spirits.
They, like Chelsea, set up with a 4-1-4-1, with Xhaka’s older brother sitting in front of the defence.
As such, I’d expect a similar system, with perhaps Lucas Perez replacing Sanchez and Mohamed Elneny coming in for Santi Cazorla.
