Arsenal: Mikel Arteta has Pep Guardiola-style vision for the Gunners, says Martin Keown

When Mikel Arteta first arrived at Arsenal, he deployed a back-five system and it was very successful as a short-term option, winning him the 2020 FA Cup. But you feel Arteta’s long-term vision has always been something closer to the formation and style that his mentor Pep Guardiola uses at Manchester City.

It isn’t exactly the same as City’s system but it is similar and it was on show in their 3-2 win at Watford last weekend.

Thomas Partey acts as their deepest midfielder — the nightwatchman who patrols and protects the back four. Either side of Partey and pushing up high in midfield and into pockets of space are Granit Xhaka on the left and the increasingly influential Martin Odegaard on the right.

Mikel Arteta (left) has slowly been implementing a Pep Guardiola-style system at Arsenal

The eye-catching Odegaard moves intelligently between the opposition’s defence and midfield and links up perfectly with Bukayo Saka. 

There’s a blossoming relationship developing between those two as Odegaard releases Saka so he can raid forward down that right wing, or he can also look inside to link up with Alexandre Lacazette instead.

Right back Cedric is also getting up in support by making underlapping runs and outnumbering the opposition on that side of the pitch. 

One of those runs was essential in the build-up to the team’s third goal at Watford as Saka’s quick throw-in found the marauding Cedric. Arsenal’s left-hand side is different to the right as there’s a carousel in play.

The setup includes Thomas Partey sitting as the anchor in midfield and protecting the defence

Martin Odegaard also moves intelligently between the opposition’s defence and midfield

Often you’ll see Kieran Tierney fly down the left flank, Gabriel Martinelli move into midfield and Xhaka drop to left back to receive the ball. In that motion, it is very difficult for the opposition to pick up all three of those players.

Meanwhile, Lacazette isn’t an out-and-out No 9 who religiously stays at the top of the team — he is mobile and allowed to roam deep to get involved in the build-up. He’s used as a backboard to play the ball off, so that Saka and Martinelli can make their darting runs.

Under Guardiola, Arteta learned a great deal as his assistant, so it is only natural he would implement tactics similar to his old boss’s.

This system is by no means perfect, though. Arteta knows it needs fine-tuning and that they need better game management.

Alexandre Lacazette’s deeper attacking role helps Arsenal create opportunities in attack

Against Watford, at 3-1 up, Arsenal looked vulnerable to the counter-attack and were lucky at times not to concede. Tomorrow’s opponents Leicester are re-emerging and are back to performing well so this will be a tough test for Arsenal. The race for the Premier League’s top four is speeding up as the games come and go.

Although it would be wrong to dismiss both Manchester United and West Ham, if they can’t get maximum points this weekend it will start to look like a north London battle for fourth.

It is striking how Arsenal and Tottenham’s run-ins nearly mirror each other. Of their remaining fixtures, both clubs have to face the same eight opponents — as well as each other.

Arsene Wenger told us for years that finishing fourth was like winning a trophy and now Spurs boss Antonio Conte is saying the same.

Arsenal and Tottenham will see securing Champions League football as a way to relaunch their clubs back into the big time and it is shaping up to be one almighty battle.

Alexandre Lacazette (L) and Bukayo Saka (R) are also key components of Arteta’s system