"As the game progressed, Arsenal began to gradually increase their attacking intensity."
"This was a high ball passed to the edge of the penalty area... Giroud grabbed the first spot and headed the ball down."
"Wilshere got the ball and then made a beautiful pass to the left."
"Chilean striker Sanchez made a reverse pass here. What a great opportunity! Facing Zouma's defense, he passed by with a sway and made a cross!"
"Danger! But David Luiz resolved the crisis with a beautiful header. Otherwise, the ball would have been headed in by Giroud."
"In other words, David Luiz is not only strong offensively, but he is also becoming more and more stable defensively."
"However, this clearance did not keep the danger away from Chelsea's penalty area. Arsenal's offensive is coming again!"
"Still on the left, still looking for Sanchez."
"He also wanted to break through Zouma, but this time the French teenager held his position firmly and did not let Sanchez succeed."
"Sanchez made an emergency stop and wanted to pass directly to the middle..."
"But the kick was not high enough and was intercepted by Ake. Chelsea launched a counterattack on the spot."
"The long pass went to the front wing and Chelsea counterattacked quickly."
"Arsenal also quickly returned to defense..."
This offensive and defensive scene that appeared in the 20th minute of the game is almost a microcosm of the first 20 minutes of the game.
Arsenal mainly attacked and Chelsea mainly defended. Chelsea counterattacked when they got the chance, and then it was Arsenal's turn to defend.
"Although Arsenal is playing very lively, it still seems a bit fragmented in the frontcourt." Scaloni said to Pan Yi on the sidelines, "Obviously this 4231 set relies heavily on the attacking midfielder to organize the offense, but there is very little Put the ball in Wilshere's feet."
Pan Yi nodded.
It seems that Scaloni's disciple has made great progress, at least there are no problems in observation and tactical analysis.
He can really go to York City to coach independently next season and get some good training.
Speaking of why Wenger likes to use 4-2-3-1, it is because it is a more balanced formation compared to 4-3-3 or 3-4-3.
Compared with 4-3-3, the midfielder actually changed the direction of the triangle and became a combination of two defensive midfielders and one attacking midfielder. The most obvious point is that the thickness of the midfielder is increased and the barrier in the middle is strengthened. effect.
At this time, the player at position 10 will occupy a large space by himself, and he will also need to take on greater responsibilities and use his personal abilities in the middle to connect all the midfielders and frontcourt players.
The attacking midfielder in 4-2-3-1 needs both physical and technical skills in the current football world, and one is indispensable, otherwise it will be easy to be targeted because there is a lack of helpers around.
Otherwise, you need to move the position of the attacking midfielder to one side, as close as possible to the center and the winger on the corresponding side.
In the absence of special arrangements, compared with the flexibility of the 4-3-3 formation, the 4-2-3-1 formation is slightly stiff in the dynamic transformation between with and without the ball.
Now Arsenal have such a problem in attack.
Wilshere, who serves as the midfielder today, is a very comprehensive player, good at almost everything, interception, offensive and defensive organization, creating opportunities, scoring goals, passing...
But being good at everything actually means that everything is a little short of top-notch.
Especially in terms of his ability to organize responses and link up frontcourt attacks, he is still far behind the world's top midfielders.
In fact, his best position should be behind the offensive core of the three midfielders and in front of the defensive midfielder, so that he can become an important linker and metronome in the midfield.
So today his Arsenal teammates were obviously a little uncomfortable with Wilshere's connection in the front midfielder position, and they were always accustomed to handing the ball to Sanchez on the wing to organize.
Once the front midfielder gets less of the ball, the connection between the four frontcourt attacking groups will become distant, so there will be a sense of fragmentation.
Of course, Wenger's 4-2-3-1 is not a fixed formation. It will often change according to changes in the situation on the field. The formation usually goes back and forth between 4-2-4 and 4-4-2. Switching, which also includes 2-4-4 or 4-2-2-2 in transition.
In a high-position press, there are four people on the defensive line. If the opponent's ability to play the ball is average, they can give the opponent the highest intensity of pressure.
In the mid-section defense, it is easy to form a hexagonal cage in the middle. On the basis of cutting off forward passes, after the opponent's key players get the ball in the middle, they can quickly tighten to form an encirclement. To guard his key points in the middle.
If you fall into low post defense, it's a 4-4-2.
The existence of two midfielders can also ensure the numerical advantage in local areas of the backcourt. On the basis of regional defense, the two midfielders can focus on the opponent's attack or organizational core.
For example, you can choose to close the door to block the retreating center, or you can open up and retreat to the two ribs to track the opponent's central midfielder.
And if you put the 4-2-3-1 formation, which often appears on the scene during the transition between offense and defense, and the transitional form of 4-2-4 on the tactical board, then the two holes along the left and right wings will appear. On paper.
This is obviously a double-edged sword.
When there is no ball, it is easy for the opponent to create a numerical advantage in the midfield and break his own high press.
But when the ball is on the ball, especially during counterattacks, our side can also quickly advance through simple passes, and then use the mobility of the front four to seize the space behind the opponent.
In other words, 4-2-3-1 is actually a formation that needs to maximize the use of transition moments.
The overall formation transformation of the 11 players on the field must be quick. After the ball is lost or the high post is broken, they must quickly recover to form a 4-4-2 mid-low defense. During the counterattack, they must spread out from the compact position and penetrate deep into the opponent's hinterland. The pace should also be fast in order to seek the fatal blow.
From this perspective, the ball-playing ability of the backfield players in the 4-2-3-1 formation is very important, because there are many fewer passing routes in the advancement than in the 4-3-3.
The hole in the midfield requires at least one of the defensive midfielders to have a certain ability to pick up and dribble the ball, as well as the awareness to pass forward through the defense.
The defenders must also have a high-level long pass to achieve a combination of length and length when playing the ball in the backcourt, so that they can maximize the advantages of the 4-2-3-1 formation and avoid the disadvantages.
However, today, when facing a solid defense like Chelsea, Arsenal's tactics seemed to be aggressive, but in fact it was difficult to achieve the expected tactical effect.
The first is that too much offensive force has been invested, resulting in a weak midfielder, especially a serious lack of protection for organizational midfielder Cazorla.
Putting Cazorla at the back is actually because Wenger wants to use him as a Pirlo to play a more gorgeous offense.
But this move is also a double-edged sword.
Although Cazorla, who is in his 30s this year, is indeed very strong in offensive organization, like Pirlo, he also needs the protection of his teammates.
As a result, although Arsenal's offensive intensity has become stronger, once they fail to score goals as soon as possible, there are huge hidden dangers in defense that can easily be caught.
Apart from anything else, if the Chelsea midfielder starts to surround Cazorla, his physical fitness will decline rapidly and he will start to make mistakes.
That's why Pan Yi told Wenger before the game that if Arsenal couldn't score in 70 minutes, they would lose!
It would be like a sword of Dalímos hanging over Wenger's head.
As for Chelsea, what they have to do is very simple, wait for the opponent to get anxious and make mistakes!
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"Okay, now Cazorla has the ball and he passes it to the right."
"This time it was Ramsey. He dunked past Ake and then quickly passed the ball into the penalty area!"
"Giroud, great turn and hit the goal!"
"What a guy! Giroud's kick turned around and hit the goal. It was so wonderful and so sudden!"
"This is the characteristic of Giroud. He is actually a bit like Yin Bu, that is, he can complete the last shot at any angle, in any position, and in various postures!"
"David Luiz looked a bit clumsy in front of Giroud this time."
"But this time Giroud's shot did not succeed. Arsenal's old player Martinez firmly held the ball in his arms and pressed it to the ground."
"Martinez's save was wonderful, but this ball was also the result of the Chelsea team's defense."
"We can see from the slow motion that Kanter retreated very deep during this defense, and David Luiz formed a defensive angle with him. After Giroud turned around David Luiz, the angle of his shot was already It was small, so Martinez was able to position himself in time and seal the angle.”
"This shows that Chelsea's defense is really tight! Of course, Martinez's desire to perform is also very strong. He hugged the ball on the ground and actually... delayed time? It seems that he wanted to let himself My old teammates are even more impatient."
"Because Arsenal is now investing a lot in offense and actively trying to open up the situation from both wings. But whether it is the left or the right, Chelsea's defense is very strong, and it is difficult for Arsenal to create a real threat."
"Because of this, we have played for half an hour now, and the score is still zero to zero. The Arsenal players who want to win at home are really a little anxious."
"From the data point of view, Arsenal created six shooting opportunities, three of which appeared in the penalty area, and three were long-range shots, but they failed to create a true absolute scoring opportunity."
"Chelsea had two shots on target but both times they couldn't hit the target."
"It is not difficult to see from this data that Arsenal has a clear advantage on the field, and Chelsea can only resort to defensive counterattacks. But if they want to break through Chelsea's iron wall, Arsenal seems to have to think of another way."
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Breaking dense defense is a common problem for all teams around the world.
Breaking the defense of a strong team is even more of a difficult problem.
Why are Mourinho's teams often difficult to play?
Because even if he leads Real Madrid to play against a team like LaVante, he will still be able to defend and counterattack with peace of mind.
Now, Chelsea unexpectedly adopted a defensive posture in today's game, which made Arsenal very uncomfortable.
As Giroud shook his head again and missed the goal, Wenger on the sidelines waved his arms in a ventive manner, cursing some words starting with f.
The main reason is that Giroud's attack is actually not a good opportunity.
Chelsea's central defenders pushed Giroud to the penalty spot. At such a distance from the goal, even if Giroud was strong enough, it would not be easy for him to threaten the goal guarded by Martin.
Big Martin played really well today!
At least judging from his performance during the first half, he was no worse than Cech standing opposite.
This can't help but make Wenger a little confused, whether this business has also made a loss...
Why add "also"?
That's of course because Gnabry, who is also on the court today, can be said to be worth tens of millions in his recent performance, which is definitely not the mere millions that Arsenal sold to Chelsea to reflect his worth.
The two old players who were sold to Chelsea cheaply have performed well, and now Arsenal has been unable to open up the situation. The combination of multiple unhappy things makes the professor want to curse.
Then look at the defenders who made Giroud a little uncomfortable.
David Luiz is nothing more. This Ake and this Zouma are obviously young people in their 20s, but they look very mature.
Usually, as soon as Giroud stops in the penalty area, Zouma will quickly come up and use his thick body to push Giroud outward;
Ake, on the other hand, was also stuck in front of Giroud, squeezing Giroud's body while also preventing Giroud from making any contact with nearby teammates that was similar to hitting the wall.
Therefore, it is really not easy for Giroud to grab a few opportunities to head the ball under the care of David Luiz, Ake, and Zouma.
"Pan Yi's ability to recognize and train people is really beyond the reach of my generation." Wenger couldn't help but sigh.
In the world of football, the professor is already the coach who is best at finding and training little monsters, but Pan Yi's "perfect shot" really makes Wenger feel inferior to him.
But now is not the time for him to lament this.
The cruel reality in front of us is that Arsenal's offense has made no achievements. The first half is about to end, but the score is still zero to zero.
As time goes by, Chelsea gradually gains a firm foothold, players gradually enter the game state, and the Blues' defense becomes stronger and stronger.
But the problem is that Wenger really can’t come up with any practical plan right now...
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"The most important thing for Arsenal right now is patience!"
In the live broadcast room of Sky Sports, Arsenal star Ian Wright said:
"As a sport of football, offense itself is more difficult than defense. To break through the door of a well-trained team like Chelsea requires more effort and more patience."
The host came to Inker and asked: "So Yin En, what do you think Wenger should do now?"
Ian Wright said: "There is nothing else but to be patient. To be honest, I think it is a good thing that Chelsea did not play against Arsenal today. At least I think Arsenal's defense may not be able to withstand the opponent's attack." The impact of young people..."
"But now that such a situation has formed, we must grasp it. Be patient, be patient, and don't worry about gains and losses just because we can't attack for a long time."
"At this time, the test for both sides of the game is not only at the technical and tactical level, but also at the psychological level, and the latter is even more important."
"Of course, Chelsea's defense is indeed quite well organized, I have to admit this. We used to see too much of Chelsea's offensive organization, but now it seems that Pan Yi's team's defensive execution is also very strong. "
"Sometimes Chelsea will even hoard seven players in the midfield and backfield, guarding their own 30-meter area, creating an iron wall here. This makes it difficult for our frontcourt offense to cooperate in this area, and the players' personal performance It’s also restricted.”
"So, you should be patient now, don't press blindly, withdraw first, control the ball, patiently look for opportunities, and wait for the opponent to make mistakes. There is also the opportunity to take advantage of set pieces. We have good set-piece players in our team. "
Reinker laughed and said: "What on earth is Pan Yi doing today? He suddenly started to defend intensively. Isn't he training for the Champions League knockout games in a few days? He is going to Turin and set up a bucket first. Formation?"
Yin Wright shook his head: "Maybe he just wants to use a preemptive way to win this game. This is what I am more worried about. All games this season have proved that Chelsea's physical fitness is definitely unique. of."
Reinker nodded: "Then I understand. Is this kid showing off his skills? He just wants to tell the world that he can defeat other strong teams using various tactics..."
The discussions among the guests were quite lively, but except for what Yin En Wright said about "patience", no one could actually give a specific response.
After all, it is difficult to break the defense, and basically everyone can think of conventional tricks such as enhancing long-range shots and using set kicks.
The question is, if everyone can think of it, can Pan Yi not think of it?
Nowadays, Arsenal often get the ball at the front of the penalty area. Players come over before they have room to raise their legs. It is difficult for long-range shots to have a chance.
In terms of set pieces, Chelsea's defensive tactics were also used very appropriately, leaving Arsenal with no opportunity to take advantage of them.
Faced with this kind of tight defense, even the experienced veteran Arsene Wenger was unable to come up with effective measures for a while and could only hope that his opponent would make mistakes on his own initiative.
Of course, the advice to be patient makes sense.
This kind of stalemate battle between offense and defense is also a psychological test for both sides. Whoever can't bear it first and makes a mistake first will lose.
Therefore, Yin Wright hopes that the team will remain patient and is giving advice from a strategic level.
But with the current mental state of Arsenal, can they really continue to play with a normal mind? …
Not long after, with the referee blowing two whistles, one short and one long, the first half of the game was finally over.
Wenger stood in front of the Arsenal coaching area and watched the sweaty players walking off the field one after another. He was very reluctant.
Arsenal had more advantages in the first half, created more opportunities, and got more shooting opportunities, but they were never able to break through Chelsea's goal. How could he be willing to do so?
It should have established the advantage of the game early, but now it was forced to zero to zero. The pressure in the second half was even greater.
On the way back to the locker room, he couldn't help but kick away a mineral water bottle in front of him, and then found that the bottle was blocked by another handsome guy wearing a sports coat.
It's Pan Yi!
"Why are you so angry?" Pan Yi laughed.
Wenger was so angry that he almost vomited blood.
Isn’t this asking questions knowingly?
Attacking for most of the game had no effect at all, and anyone else would be anxious!
But instead of getting angry, he smiled and said to Pan Yi: "Just wait and see the second half!"
Pan Yi picked up his fingers: "Seventy minus forty-five, equals...how much? Oh, you still have 35 minutes."
Wenger couldn't help laughing: "Your math was taught by your physical education teacher? It's 25 minutes!"
Pan Yi also laughed: "Oh, yes, 25 minutes. You know, you only have 25 minutes!"
Wenger: "..."
Only then did he realize that Pan Yi was trying another way to remind himself of the so-called "Pan Yi time in 70 minutes"!
This bastard!
Wenger shook his head, not wanting to get angry with the kid, so he turned around and walked into the tunnel.
I only heard Pan Yi shouting from behind: "Professor, your zipper..."
Wenger turned his head angrily: "I've zipped it up a long time ago! I decide the zipper of my coat myself!"
Pan Yi pointed down: "I'm talking about the zipper below, which exposes your Arc de Triomphe..."
