Arsenal Analysis: Round 1 Player Analysis and Round 2 Team Selection

Following each round of the Premier League, each Arsenal player’s season-to-date performance is analysed and ranked against their internal competition.

In assessing the respective players on field production and their comparative internal rankings, each player is allocated into seven positional categories (with some players allocated to multiple positional categories due to their perceived versatility).

Those positional categories consist of:

• goalkeeper
• right fullback
• centre back
• left fullback
• centre midfield
• attacking midfield
• striker

Once categorised, each player’s output in defined key performance indicators (KPIs) for their respective positional category is then considered, using data sourced from Whoscored.com.

Different weightings are then assigned to the KPI data considered for each positional group based on the assumption that the cornerstones of Arsenal’s tactical approach is as follows:

• To provide a solid defensive platform, and allow for quick forward transitions and higher probability scoring opportunities.
• Arsenal’s goalkeeper’s primary aims are to stop shots and claim crosses.
• Arsenal’s centre backs’ primary aims are to recover the ball from their opponent (tackles and interceptions), win aerial duels, clear the ball from danger and block shots.
• Arsenal’s fullbacks’ primary aims are to recover the ball from their opponent (tackles and interceptions), cross the ball multiple times during a match (with the intent of providing assists), and contribute to the team’s offensive transitional play through multiple forward dribbles per match.
• Arsenal’s central midfielders’ primary aims are to recover the ball from their opponent (tackles and interceptions), and contribute to the team’s offensive transitional play through accurate passing, multiple long range passes, and multiple forward dribbles per match.
• Arsenal’s attacking midfielders’ primary aims are to provide assists, score goals, create goal scoring opportunities through multiple key passes, multiple through passes, and multiple forward dribbles per match.
• Arsenal’s strikers’ primary aims are to score goals, and record multiple shots and successful aerial duels per match.

The findings of the aforementioned analysis, provide an invaluable insight as to:

• how each player ranks against their internal competition within their positional category; and
• which 11 players make up Arsenal’s most productive team.

Internal player rankings

Following Round 1 of the Premier League, the player rankings are as follows:

Formation and line-up

While the above analytical comparison is a critical tool in which to base team selection on as the season progresses, as Arsenal’s Premier League campaign is only in its infancy, basing team selection at this stage of the season on the collated 2019/2020 Squad Profile data is more sound.

In light of that, Arsenal’s aforementioned tactical basis, and with Xhaka, Bellerin, Holding, Mavropanos and Tierney nursing injuries, the 11 players which comprise Arsenal’s most productive starting 11, for their round 2 clash versus Burnley, would appear to be as follows:

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