Firstly let’s have a look at Arsenal’s set attack positionings. Always the attacking shape is like 2-2-6. Arteta uses 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1 line up but the attacking shape is the same.
In set attacks, Arsenal’s 2 stoppers try to support attacks. Especially Magalhaes and David Luiz are good that. Arteta usually uses Magalhaes and Holding. They don’t support attacks with dribbling but they can pass the ball to his teammates. Only David Luiz can support attacks with dribbling comfortably. Magalhaes can too but not as comfortable as David Luiz.
Arsenal’s all the centre midfielders can pass the ball to teammates and support both attack and defense. Not any player goes to the penalty box but it is normal because there are only 2 centre midfielders and it’s too risky for the team to 1 centre midfielder’s run to the penalty box in set attacks. Because this time the opponent can use centre more comfortably for transition attacks.
Also sometimes one of them or both go to wings and support attacks. Try to make game from the wing. They don’t support like a full back. They just take position in the opponent’s side’s first 22 metres. They don’t go more because if they go, this time centre midfield can be free for the opponent’s transition attacks. When there is only 1 centre midfielder in centre, they can’t make game from this centre midfielder. The centre midfielder which one is in centre, usually can’t make game alone. Because the opponent’s centre midfielders can cover him comfortably. And because of that Arsenal usually have to make game from the centre midfielder who is in the wing.
Sometimes one of the centre midfielders comes to the between stoppers. They try to expand defense line’s length and try to make game more comfortably. And also with that positioning, the centre midfielder can escape the opponent’s centre midfielders’ marking. But they can’t make game. Because with that positioning, stoppers should use wings and make him busy with the opponent’s players. And when the opponent’s players focus on them, the centre midfielder can find more space and make game more comfortably. But Arsenal can’t make game with this positioning effectively because Arsenal’s stoppers can’t use wings and pitch’s all width. And because of that still the opponent focuses on to the centre midfielder and Arsenal can’t make game. But Arsenal’s all the centre midfielders have movement. They don’t take a fixed position.
Wing backs support attacks from wings and usually try to cross to the penalty box. They use touchline’s beside. They think defending than attacking. So they support attacks in a leery way.
There are 2 natural and 1 unnatural wingers in set attacks (unnatural winger is Saka). They have the key role to score goal with centre forward because Arsenal has 2 centre midfielders and they don’t run to the penalty box. So only wingers, Saka and centre forward are close to scoring.
Aubameyang and Willian play in winger positions. Sometimes Pepe plays instead of Willian and Saka’s position be the left winger but roles don’t change. Also sometimes with 4-2-3-1 line up Saka plays in the left winger position and Willock or Lacazette be the offensive midfielder but in set attacks, roles and set attack line up don’t change.
Firstly let’s have a look at Aubameyang, Saka and their around. In set attacks, Aubameyang, Saka and Tierney take position in the left wing. Tierney uses touchline’s beside. Saka and Aubameyang accord their roles to each other. If Aubameyang is in the left wing, Saka uses left half-space, if Saka is in the left wing, Aubameyang uses left half-space. Usually Aubameyang uses left wing and try to escape the opponent’s behind and Saka uses half-space. Saka tries to escape the opponent’s behind too but Arsenal players especially try to use Aubameyang because if he can escape the opponent’s behind and takes the ball, he can score the goal. His finishing ability is very well.
Saka uses half-space usually to escape the opponent’s behind. He doesn’t use half-space to take position in between the opponent’s defense and midfield lines and take the ball and then make game. But this time Tierney can’t support attacks well from the wing because Aubameyang uses the wing, Saka uses half-space and both try to escape the opponent’s behind. So 2 players try to escape the opponent’s behind and Tierney can’t find enough space to escape the opponent’s behind. Because of that Tierney has to be the game maker role from little bit behind in the left wing. But he is not a great full back about make game like Alexander-Arnold so this role causes to fail to show his best features and Arsenal can’t use him with his best.
Now let’s have a look at Willian’s around. Willian uses right half-space and right wing. He uses the right half-space to take the ball and make game, contact with centre. He uses right wing to dribble and past his rivals. But if Willian uses right wing, this time Bellerin can’t be effective because Bellerin can’t use half-space effectively. But if Willian uses right half-space, Bellerin can find enough space to support attacks from the wing. This time both have more space in the wing. Sometimes Willian takes position really close to centre and plays in the number 10 role.
Lacazette plays in the false 9 role. His role is very important because there are only 2 players who can make a connection between the forward’s centre and the other players in Arsenal. And these players are Willian and Lacazette. Both use space in between the opponent’s midfield and defense line. Lacazette closes to the wings and midfield to take the ball and try to make game.
In crosses, Lacazette, Aubameyang and Willian take position into the penalty box. Aubameyang takes position in Lacazette’s beside. Willian takes position in the opponent’s full back’s right or left. Saka takes position in the opponent’s full back’s right or little bit forward of penalty boxes’ entrance. One of Tierney or Bellerin, who is in the opposite wing, takes position in the penalty boxes’ approximately 16.5 metres behind, little bit right or left (if Bellerin takes position, little bit right, if Tierney takes position, little bit left). Centre midfielders take position in penalty boxes’ behind. Stoppers take position in front of the half-way.
In transition attacks, Lacazette tries to take the ball and gain time for his teammates. Aubameyang and Saka run to the opponent’s behind from wings, half-space. Aubameyang uses centre too. Willian tries to make game and help Lacazette about that. Centre midfielders try to pass to the forward players. Full backs don’t support transition attacks aggressively and quickly. They usually stay in the defense line’s little bit forward but don’t run from wings much. Also Arsenal doesn’t try to seize all the transition attack opportunities. If they have the ball, they usually try to have the ball as they can have much. They don’t try to increase tempo.