Arsenal FC (4-1-3-2) vs Newcastle United (5-2-2-1) - English Premier League - ShareMyTactics.com
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How Arsenal should line up against Newcastle on Sunday. This 4-1-2-1-2 formation features an Ceballos heavy left wing that can be supported by LWB Kolasinac when he is on the run. Aubameyang would drop back and have Özil enter the box for Ceballos to pass to Lacazette, who would feed the ball to Özil or Lacazette in the box. If Ceballos wanted to cross, Aubameyang would feint a run back and then loop around Özil to enter the box and receive the cross. Torreira plays an important role in holding midfield, playing in front of the centre backs who are covering their attacking wingbacks. The right wing could feature Maitland-Niles making an overlay on Mkhitarian and going for the cross or whipping it in to Mkhitarian or Özil while Aubameyang makes his way into the box as a goal threat from either cross or ground pass. During attack Torreira should almost fold into the defensive line, supporting the centre backs. On defence, Mkhitarian would come back forming a two-man holding midfield with Torreira while Özil and Aubameyang make themselves counter-attack targets with two strikers still up front in Lacazette and Aubameyang. The pace of Ceballos and Lacazette and the pure talent of Özil and Aubameyang should be able to overcome the five, sturdy defenders. Özil's position within the triangle between the two CMs and Lascelles allows him to run onto a pass between Lascelles and either Yedlin or Schär, forcing Lascelles to come out and forcing the choice on either Yedlin or Schär to commit to the press or mark the attacker. If they commit to the two-way press, Özil has an easy pass to two barely-opposed strikers in the centre of the box, but it will take some skill to pull off the pass in time and I believe Özil has the skill, and would also benefit from Yedlin or Schär marking the attacker. Özil would feint back, into a press from Lascelles and the midfielders and attempt a one-two with Ceballos or Mkhitarian to draw Sung-Yueng or Shelvey (respectively) wide and open up some space, OR flick it over the top to the strikers and hope that they can secure a header or play it to each other in front of goal. No doubt Newcastle's attack focusses on Ritchie running out of defence towards a slow Mkhitarian and make use of Atsu, Shelvey and Sung-Yueng to make a fast but effective switch to Hayden, who is a masterclass on the wings. This is where Torreira and Mkhitarian would cut passing lanes, Maitland-Niles would follow Atsu and make sure he doesn't receive the ball, Kolasinac and Ceballos would press Hayden from both sides with pace, forcing a rushed move and hopefully a turnover in possession, but if he managed to fire it in to the box, Koscielny and Sokratis would be waiting in the box, marking Joelinton and the holding midfielders, Torreira and Mkhitarian would be making Sung-Yueng and Shelvey unusable as a passing option, forcing the turnover and allowing a counter-attack possibility through a long ball to Özil or a through pass to Ceballos. Pepé would be waiting as a substitute, with Iwobi, Guendouzi, Welbeck, Sokratis, Ospina and Xhaka. When Pepé returns to form, he would be able to slot into a 4-3-3 formation in more attacking games. When Bellerin recovers, he would take over from Maitland-Niles.
