Bukayo Saka in a central role, can refresh Arsenal for the 2023/24 season. Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s most brilliant player, but in the last weeks of the 2022–23 campaign, his style of play grew old because of how simple it was to defend him in his usual right-wing position.
Fortunately, Mikel Arteta can energize his squad by moving Saka to the center of the field more frequently, something Arsenal tried out in their 5-0 victory over Wolves on the penultimate day of the Premier League.
When Arsenal thrashed Wolves, Saka scored one of the goals, breaking a streak of five games without a goal. Although Saka’s incredible strike came from the flank, he provided an intriguing look at how powerful he could be across the center.
Because Arsenal’s No. 9 Gabriel Jesus veered to the right, he was allowed to wander centrally more frequently. Jesus frequently occupied this position during his final campaign with Manchester City, and the ease with which he interacted with Saka ought to have given Arteta some food for thought for how to change things up in 2023–24.
Even if a formula is effective, Arteta understands the value of adjusting it. He has witnessed his former boss Pep Guardiola at City excel at it.
City defeated Arsenal to win the season’s championship, but it wasn’t just because of Erling Haaland and unending sums of money. Guardiola alters his tactical blueprint frequently by placing well-known players in new roles, which helps the Citizens maintain their league-leading position.
Bukayo Saka, in a central role, can refresh Arsenal for the 2023/24 season
This required employing a “false 9” throughout the 2020–2021 and 202–2022 seasons. Jesus played wide right more frequently during the second campaign.
In the form of the incredible force Haaland, Guardiola discovered a real (in every meaning of the word) no. 9 this season. The manager nevertheless changed the shape of his team despite his presence.
John Stones, a center-back for City, has been moved to midfield, where he has taken on the role of the play’s coordinator. Oleksandr Zinchenko used to play an inverted full-back, a position Arteta hired the Ukrainian to fill for Arsenal, and Stones is doing the same by keeping opponents guessing.
What Dean said about where Jesus shifted to make room for Saka across the middle is significant. It illustrates how the Brazilian can alter Arsenal’s offensive strategy.
When Granit Xhaka gave the Gunners the lead on the final day, it was clear that the team had changed shape.
Jesus stormed the right wing while Saka lingered around the penalty area. It demonstrates that both can easily play the other’s position, providing Arsenal with more tactical benefits.
When Jesus dropped out of the middle and into deeper areas, teams became accustomed to stepping up and compressing space. His entry into the middle of the field enabled Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to cut inside and score goals, but the pattern soon became clear.
In contrast, Jesus’s widening creates space for Saka’s direct, central runs. Instead of attempting to win one-on-one duels on the wing, such runs can better utilize his straight-line speed.
Saka has demonstrated that he has the coolness and ability to finish when he is in a central position. Similar to his second goal, he scored in March against Crystal Palace.
Allowing Saka to lead the line will naturally cause opponents to defend more deeply out of respect for his speed. Chaos can also be caused throughout opposition backlines during games by Saka and Jesus switching positions frequently. Both central defenders and full-backs will be unsure of whether to pursue Jesus out of the middle or follow Saka inside.
