Why Arsenal's switch to a 4-3-3 led to mixed results (2023)

FAQs

What are the advantages of 4-3-3 formation in football? ›

What are the benefits of playing with a 4-3-3? The 4-3-3 creates natural triangles, often giving the player in possession several passing options at any given time. This makes implementing a possession-based style of play slightly easier than some other formations.

This formation is made up of 3 key layers, and is generally seen as an attacking formation. At the back, the goalkeeper is protected by 4 defenders (a right-back, two center backs, and a left-back). In front of them are 3 central midfielders, who can be organised in a variety of ways (we'll expand on that shortly).

The 4-3-3 system can be traced back to the 1920/30s. Football was in a period of change. Herbert Chapman (Arsenal, Northhampton, Leeds) is credited with the development of the W M system. Football had now evolved from 2-3-5 to 3-2-2-3.

One of the main weaknesses of the 4-3-3 soccer formation is that it can be extremely vulnerable to counter-attacking play. This is especially true when the 4-3-3 playing team's full-backs push up high to join the attack.

The 3-4 defense is more flexible for defending the pass and plays on the edge. This is because it's easier to drop a linebacker into coverage than a defensive end. However, the 4-3 defense is generally better at stopping inside run plays because there are more defensive linemen in the game at once.

The 4-3 defense also has more inherent weakness in the secondary than the 3-4 defense, as there is one less linebacker in the scheme. This means that, if a ball carrier escapes the four defensive linemen, they will have fewer secondary defenders to deal with.

With the 4-3-3 formation, you are guaranteed an attacking outlook right from the start. By controlling the midfield and taking advantage of the flexibility that the line up gives the team's forwards, the 4-3-3 can overwhelm, confuse, and force the opposition back towards their goal.

The advantage of the 3-4 defense is that with four linebackers on the field you have more speed on the field. The basis is simple—the more athletes, the better. To understand the 3-4 defense, we have to look at the other defensive alignment popular in the NFL.

The ability of the formation to field three central midfielders is one of its greatest strengths and one of the reasons for its popularity. A conventional 4-4-2 has only two central midfielders. Clearly, there is a numerical advantage in central areas for the team that uses three midfielders against a team the 4-4-2.

What is the most effective formation in football? ›

The 4-2-3-1 is the de facto best formation in modern football.

The 4-3 defense is great against the running game because it is a one-gap defense. That means the front seven players on the field – the four defensive linemen and three linebackers – all have a responsibility for one of the gaps along the offensive line.

The key to beating the 3-4-3 shape is to concentrate on the wings. Overloading the flanks and finding space in wide areas will allow you to take advantage of the space that 3-4-3 seeks to exploit.

If you want to have a strong defensive setup and be protected from dangerous counterattacks, the 4-1-4-1 formation is a good choice. Both the defensive midfielder and the two central midfielders are a tactical medium that can be used against three central midfielders (e.g. 4-2-3-1).

What are the Weaknesses of the 3-3-5 Defense? The edges are a very vulnerable spot in the 3-3-5 defense. Buck Sweep for example, a running play where both guards pull can be very troublesome for a 3-3-5 defense.

So as training camp goes along, you'll see the Eagles line up an odd front - two defensive ends, a nose tackle and four linebackers. And you'll also see them working in a traditional 4-3, with two ends, two tackles, a middle linebacker and two outside linebackers.

The primary weakness of Cover 4 is the underneath zones. Cover 3 puts 4 defenders underneath and Cover 2 puts 5 defenders underneath while Cover 4 only leaves 3 players to cover the short to intermediate portions of the field.

So by creating a pitch in the shape of a diamond, what Tuchel does is to force his full-backs or wing-backs to bring the ball back into the central areas while entering the final-third. This way, the ball-receiver has more space, better angles to receive, better shielding and more passing options as well.

During the 2021 season, the Lions operated out primarily a 3-4 defensive front with three down linemen and four stand-up linebackers. For 2022, they've shifted more towards a 4-3 front with four down linemen and three stand-up linebackers.

What are the roles and responsibilities of 4-3-3? ›

In the 4-3-3 formation, there is less of an onus on the centre-backs to be good with the ball at their feet as more of the play will go through other players on the team. Ideally, they're comfortable on the ball, but their main priority is to put their bodies on the line and limit the opposition's goal scoring chances.

Width of the defensive line, should not exceed 40 yards. Slow down the opponents play with a compact defensive block.

The 5-1 Formation is the formation of highest level in Volleyball, used by high-performance teams. In the 5-1 Formation all of the players have specialized functions.

The other weakness of the 4-2-5 is the general smaller personnel associated with this defensive alignment. The defense allows for high pressure, but a big offensive line and bigger backs will be a struggle for 4-2-5 personnel.

Chicago Bears. The 4-3 formation is football's most classic defense. It puts four defensive linemen along the line of scrimmage and three linebackers behind them in the second level.

Mario also makes great points about midfielders in professional soccer, arguably the most physically fit of any major-5 athlete.

From the perspective of coaching balance and cohesion, the classic 4-4-2 formation is perhaps the easiest to master for any team. With this system, players can be deployed in two simple banks of four, with one of the strikers potentially dropping in to supplement the midfield.

The snake or 'Elastico' is an incredibly difficult move to pull off. It's perhaps the hardest in football. A few players may have performed the move before Ronaldinho, such as Rivelino or Zinedine Zidane, but the current Flamengo play-maker has utilised it more than anyone else.

At one point, the 4:3 (technically 1.33:1) aspect ratio—created in 1892 by William Dickson, an employee of Thomas Edison—was the standard. The numbers “4:3” describe the literal size of the film, meaning it was four-by-three inches on 35mm film stock.

When did shows stop using 4:3? ›

For television, the original screen ratio for broadcasts was in fullscreen 4:3 (1.33:1). Largely between the 1990s and early 2000s, at varying paces in different nations, 16:9 (1.78:1) widescreen TV displays came into increasingly common use.

The main reason why players prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio is the change on the character models. The stretched resolution causes everything to appear bigger. The model for the player characters are almost 50% bigger with the stretched resolution. This will let you have an easier time hitting enemies.

4-1-4-1 is one of the least used attacking formations in modern football due to its requirement of specific players in specific positions. The sole defensive midfielder plays a crucial role in this formation between the back four and midfield four.

From the front end of the pitch, Arsenal will frequently defend in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Xhaka and Ødegaard working to limit passes into the nearest central midfielders, thus aiming to force play long.

The 5-2 is built to stop the running game. It has five defensive linemen and two linebackers. This is a popular defense in high school and middle school where running is often the primary offensive play. The 4-4 is another popular defense to help stop the running game.

The 4-3-3 (3) is much more defensive-minded with three midfielders whereas the 4-3-3 (4) is more attacking-based with two midfielders and then one attacking midfielder to assist the wingers and striker. Both are viable and really just come down to the individual play style of whoever's using it.

Perhaps the best way to line up against 4-4-2 is by playing a 4-5-1 shape. This allows you to overrun the opposition midfield, while maintaining plenty of width both for attacking purposes and in order to stop wide midfielders from causing problems via counter-attacks.

Using DVOA once more, the Vikings rank 11th in “mid-zone” defense (plays between the opponents' 40-yard line and their 40-yard line) and 15th in “front zone” defense, (plays between their own 39 and 21-yard lines).

The Tampa-2 is a version of the “Cover 2” defensive scheme with one important wrinkle: it asks the middle linebacker to be quick enough to recognize a pass versus a run, and when a pass is coming, drop back deep in the middle of the field between the two safeties and cover a third passing zone.

The first formation that is really good for setting up counter-attacks is the 4-1-2-1-2, this formation is a relatively narrow setup for your team, and this may not sound like the most likely way to catch your opponents out, but it can be deployed correctly.

What is the easiest soccer formation to teach? ›

The 4-4-2 is possibly the most popular soccer formation in the world because it is one of the easiest to understand. It also happens to be one of the most balanced formations since the two central midfielders need to put as much or more focus on defense as they do on offense.

The Double G (or double 2i) look is the best against a Wing-T offense. With any Wing-T or Slot-T offshoot, the defense must address the guards. It is imperative for the defense to eliminate these to lineman from ever being able to pull.

The 4-4-2 is the most basic formation that is deployed by football teams throughout the world. It is a very balanced formation and players are spread out well across the field.

The 4-3-3 attacking formation is one of the most popular in the sport. All levels, from high school soccer teams to FC Barcelona, have found success with the 4-3-3 setup. This formation includes a line of four defenders, three midfielders, and three strikers.

By those parameters, the 4-2-3-1 is the perfect football formation. The 4-2-3-1 makes use of four defenders, two defensive midfielders, three attacking midfielders, and a striker. It utilises the 4-4-2 Diamond's strength in midfield, while successfully avoiding the weakness of having no wide players.

The 7–1–2–1, or seven-diamond defense, used seven "down linemen", or players on the line of scrimmage at the time of the snap, one linebacker, two safeties relatively close to the line and one safety farther downfield. The formation was created by Minnesota Golden Gophers coach Henry L.

According to gegenpressing guru Jurgen Klopp, the best shape for a high pressing game is the diamond formation. Klopp articulates that even when his team are playing in a 4-3-3, one of his central midfielders (likely the closest to the ball) has a crucial role in the diamond press and shutting down the opposition.

One of the hardest skills in football to pull off, the Elastico was a favourite of Ronaldinho. It involves rolling your foot over the ball in such a way that when you bring it down on the other side, you are able to knock the ball past an opponent in one swift movement.

If you want to have a strong defensive setup and be protected from dangerous counterattacks, the 4-1-4-1 formation is a good choice. Both the defensive midfielder and the two central midfielders are a tactical medium that can be used against three central midfielders (e.g. 4-2-3-1).

The 4-2-3-1 provides a good, staggered defensive presence when in a mid or low block, making it harder to penetrate through, especially in central areas. A 4-2-3-1 shape also provides lots of different passing lines and angles to play out from the back.

What soccer formation is best for attacking? ›

1. 4-4-2 Soccer Formation. The 4-4-2 is a popular attacking tactic and has been used by teams, including Atletico Madrid, Leicester, and Manchester United, with great success. It's one of the easiest soccer attack formations to learn and play, and the chances are that most of your players are already familiar with it.

In a 4-3-3, the wide end of the funnel is pointed towards the opponent's goal, so the ball naturally drifts into wider areas as it advances. In a 4-2-3-1, it is the opposite, the narrow end is pointed towards the opponent's goal so the attack is pinched in centrally.