Mikel Arteta explains slightly unusual tactical change during Arsenal win over Sheffield United

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained why he moved Bukayo Saka onto the left-hand side at points during the 5-0 win over Sheffield United on Saturday.

The Gunners thrashed the Blades at the Emirates Stadium, with Eddie Nketiah stealing the show with a hat-trick, while Fabio Vieira also scored from the penalty spot and Takehiro Tomiyasu steered in his first ever goal for the club.

Arsenal also, however, seemed to try something a bit different on the day as Saka moved from his usual spot on the right-hand side of the attack onto the left flank for periods of the game.

This tactical change didn’t go unnoticed, and Arteta was asked about it after the game, explaining that he felt there were certain weaknesses in Sheffield United’s game that Saka could exploit well on that flank.

“There was certain behaviours of the opponent that could allow certain spaces…in relation to how the midfielders were behaving with our attacking midfielders,” Arteta said, as quoted by the Metro.

“He did read that very good in certain moments.

“The timing sometimes was better than other times but it was another way to attack certain spaces that we believe were vulnerable to it.”

Saka started out his spell in the Arsenal first-team as a makeshift left-back or wing-back, so this shouldn’t be too unfamiliar to the England international, even if it’s probably not a move we’ll see him make on a regular basis.

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