Arteta’s Unsolvable Puzzle – The Low Block

Arsenal have not scored a goal in the league this season from a losing position. The recipe to defeat Arteta’s Arsenal has been to go up a goal and to set up a low block. Most people will point to our lack of creativity and a #10 to be main contributors for why we cannot break down low block teams, but the truth is that a good low block generally negates your creative players from creating in those central positions.



Today, I offer three main ways to break down a low block:



1. Crosses into the box



2. Movement to pull defenders out of position (usually overlapping and underlapping runs)



3. Quick switches of play from one flank to another to create overloads



In order to do #1 effectively, you either need a target man (like Giroud) to capitalize or at least be a threat (we don’t have one) or swing in a mix of fast, low and early ...