Arsenal‘s players rotate positions to make it difficult for opponents to pick them up. They aim to maintain the balance of the side while playing in this fluid manner. Zubimendi, like the others, vacates his position based on the movements of team-mates.
By dropping into a deep position against Chelsea, Bukayo Saka opened up space on the right flank to allow Zubimendi to push into this area. Rice, the far-side midfielder, filled in at defensive midfield, ensuring Arsenal‘s shape remained similar, only with different players arriving in each zone.
It is unusual to see a defensive midfielder make such adventurous runs off the ball but it appears to be the next step on from the more popular use of roaming full-backs, such as Riccardo Calafiori, Nuno Mendes and Marc Cucurella.
The logic is that the players often tasked with marking defensive players are unlikely to defend them as closely. Finding defensive players who possess attacking quality to contribute in the final third is a rarity but Zubimendi has the skillset to punish teams in this way.
Defences set up in a low block will often drop even deeper when faced with a winger or forward trying to run in-behind. It leads to space opening up in front of the defence, rather than in the box.
Arsenal spend large parts of the game looking to unlock deep defences. This allows Zubimendi to arrive into a position to receive a pass, without being picked up, before executing on the idea he has in his head immediately. This could be a precise through ball or a dinked chip over the top – riskier passes that pose new questions for deep defences.
Alternatively, when Zubimendi sits at the base of midfield, Rice is free to push up and rotate with the attackers, knowing there is protection behind him.
And the England man will likely feel safe to play freely after seeing his 5ft 9in team-mate beat 6ft 6in Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade to a header earlier this season.
Meanwhile, Zubimendi’s willingness to shoot from distance provided Arsenal with the much-needed opening goal against Nottingham Forest and Sunderland, after which more space opened up for the Gunners with their opposition forced to play more adventurously.
Arteta said “if the space is not in one place, it will be somewhere else” – and against deep defences, long shots have become an increasingly viable tactic this season.
Signing Zubimendi, therefore, could not have been more timely.
