Analysis: Amorim has surprise on his side for tough test at Arsenal

Football writer Adrian Clarke looks at some key tactical points ahead of Wednesday's big Premier League match at Emirates Stadium.

Team analysis: Man Utd

Looking to chase down leaders Liverpool with a fourth successive league win against Manchester United for the first time in their history, Arsenal are all set to provide Ruben Amorim with his sternest examination since taking over as head coach.

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2-0

MUN

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Man Utd have impressed as an attacking force under the 39-year-old, scoring eight times in three outings.  

That will not have gone unnoticed by Mikel Arteta, who has overseen just one clean sheet in the last nine Premier League games.

Yet as they adjust to a new 3-4-2-1 formation, we have also seen a few teething problems within the United ranks from a defensive standpoint.  

Arsenal, who have found the back of the net 13 times in their last three fixtures, are performing well enough to test whether Amorim’s new players really understand his off-the-ball demands.  

The stage is set for a fascinating midweek clash of the titans… 

Duel to keep an eye on

Amad has not just been getting used to working with a new head coach across the last few weeks, he has also been learning how to play in a brand-new position.  

The 22-year-old is accustomed to operating as a right-sided forward but in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 shape he is currently the first-choice wing-back. 

After producing three assists in two Premier League matches, the Ivory Coast international has certainly made a terrific first impression. 

Amad uses his blistering speed to good effect, as well as displaying a penchant for pressing – a core trait of Amorim’s tactical philosophy; the new Man Utd head coach must be delighted with him.  

The long-ball carries Amad made to set up two goals, for Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee, were thrilling in their execution.

Amad's assist against Everton (shown below) began when he pressed and won a tackle on James Tarkowski just inside the opposition half.  

As you can see from his combined touch map for the matches against Ipswich Town and Everton, Amad has spent more time than usual on the ball in deeper areas.  

Yet sporadically he has burst forward to show he can still make a positive impact inside the final third.  

Facing Arsenal away from home in this new position will be a much stiffer test of course.  

He will find himself pushed back a lot more frequently, perhaps marking Gabriel Martinelli at times, as well as following the raids of Italian left-back Riccardo Calafiori.  

The Italian does not get forward as much as Jurrien Timber on the other flank, so with Amad such a threat on the counter he may choose to sit in and restrict his attacking urges.  

This cat-and-mouse duel between Arsenal's excellent summer signing and United’s on-song wingback should be interesting to watch.  

Arsenal will target United’s left

Arteta’s side are built around supplying Bukayo Saka with quality service, and the return of Martin Odegaard has helped facilitate that in recent matches.  

Across the last four in all competitions, the fit-again Arsenal captain made 52 passes to the England star.

Revelling in the special connection they share, Saka has scored three times and made four assists during that spell.

The graphic below highlights how much the Gunners have favoured the right flank when attacking in the Premier League this season. Saka, who has scored and assisted in four different matches already, will be given as much of the ball as possible.

Arsenal's flank attacks - Premier League 2024/25

To make matters more complicated, Amorim has an issue with balance on the left side of his defence.

Luke Shaw is injured again, announcing his latest setback on the eve of the fixture, and his fellow left-footed player Lisandro Martinez is suspended.

United’s head coach could therefore field two right footers on the left, with Diogo Dalot almost certain to start at wing-back.

Ipswich and Everton both targeted United down that side of the field, and Arsenal will follow suit.

Whoever starts down that flank will expect to have a busy evening.

Opposition flank attacks v Man Utd in last two PL matches

How will United deal with Arsenal’s overloads?

While Amorim’s style has been bold so far, a visit to in-form Arsenal may prompt a slightly cagier tactical outlook.  

For example, his use of Bruno Fernandes as a central midfielder in his first two appearances does not feel the right fit this time around, especially as the Portuguese was stationed on the left of a pair.  

That would pit him directly against Odegaard, so it is more probable that defensive specialists Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte are asked to fill that role.  

If you look at Arsenal’s average positions and passing network for 2024/25, you can see how Arteta’s men are always looking to create 2v1 or 3v2 overloads on the right.  

Kai Havertz leans to that side, and Netherlands international Timber has started to become more adventurous with his attacking play too.  

Arsenal's passing network and average position 24/25

Dalot at wing-back will need the left-sided centre-back (Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Shaw or Leny Yoro) to support him closely on his inside.  

This means the rest of Amorim’s back three must also shuffle across.  

In addition, it will be essential for United’s left-sided central midfielder to drop off and provide defensive cover.  

During Odegaard’s lengthy absence, we saw most of Arsenal’s opponents double up on Saka with two or three markers, but the Norwegian’s return has made that almost impossible.  

If players are drawn to Saka, it leaves Odegaard in extra space to hurt rivals instead. Any lapses in focus from United down that wing are likely to be punished.  

Who will start for the visitors?

This will be Amorim’s most intriguing team selection to date, and his starting XI is virtually impossible to call.  

Across three matches where his side were considered overwhelming favourites, he took an opportunity to look at 21 different players.  

Remarkably, none of his outfield players completed three successive 90 minutes, with rotation and early second-half substitutions being commonplace.  

Most used players under Amorim 

All three of his centre-forward starters have scored and impressed, which makes his choice of striker problematic, in a positive way, for this trip to north London.  

Zirkzee was outstanding against Everton when scoring a brace, Rasmus Hojlund was superb when netting twice at home to Bodo/Glimt, while Rashford has three goals under the new head coach already.  

Arteta will find this a very awkward match to plan for, as his opposite number has experimented almost constantly since taking charge. Fernandes, Shaw, Mazraoui, Rashford and Casemiro have all featured in more than one position so far.  

The upside of this rotation for United will be freshness within the group, and that all-important element of surprise.

Arteta v Amorim is a great head-to-head, but all over the pitch there are plenty of exciting match-ups. 

Premier League

Position Pos	Club	Played Pl	GD	Points Pts
1	Liverpool LIV	17	+23	42
2	Chelsea CHE	18	+17	35
3	Nott'm Forest NFO	18	+5	34
4	Arsenal ARS	17	+18	33
5	Newcastle NEW	18	+9	29
6	Bournemouth BOU	18	+6	29
7	Man City MCI	18	+4	28
8	Fulham FUL	18	+3	28
9	Aston Villa AVL	18	-3	28

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