Each line is generated from a finding that cleared its evidence bar; nothing here is a generic coaching point. The grey line says what it rests on; the button opens the sequences.
In your own build-up area, play on one or two touches: don't try to dribble past their press, and keep first touches clean.
31% of their high regains come straight after the opponent tries to dribble past someone or takes a bad touch (league median 29%); only 25% come from forward passes.
When you win it, go down their left side immediately.
57% of the xG they concede after losing the ball comes down their left side (40 attacks, 8 shots), against 40% of their own attacking xG through that channel.
Let the ball go to David Raya and press him when he receives.
Build-up exits made by David Raya: the build-up carried on cleanly 50% of the time, vs 74% through anyone else (24 times).
If they go ahead, expect more direct play: win the second balls rather than press their first line.
When leading their long-ball build-up exits rise to 38% (from 13% when level).
Avoid conceding corners; mark Kai Havertz first.
31% of their corners end in a shot; first contacts: Kai Havertz (4), Riccardo Calafiori (3), Ezri Konsa (3).
Where each player takes the ball in each phase of their possession, and who passes to whom. Event data has no off-ball positions, so this is the shape of their touches — the standard event-data proxy. A phase is defined by where the ball is, so the dots sit inside that phase's third (shaded): read the order and the width, not the depth of each line. Arsenal attack left to right.
attacking → · shaded = the build-up zone
422 build-up phases. Dot = the median spot of a player's touches in this phase; size = share of touches; lines = consecutive touches between two players.
attacking → · shaded = the progression zone
606 progression phases. Dot = the median spot of a player's touches in this phase; size = share of touches; lines = consecutive touches between two players.
attacking → · shaded = the final third zone
464 final third phases. Dot = the median spot of a player's touches in this phase; size = share of touches; lines = consecutive touches between two players.
Tackles, interceptions, recoveries, blocks, challenges and fouls in the opponent's final 40%.
162 in the window. The press on a build-up = the first two rows: 27 (3.4 a match).
| source | times | share | per match | shot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| press: settled build-up taken off them | 26 | 16% | 3.2 | 4% | |
| press: their restart forced into an error before they settled | 1 | 1% | 0.1 | 100% | |
| counter-press: won straight back after losing it | 8 | 5% | 1.0 | 0% | |
| second ball: the opponent touched it but never controlled it | 127 | 78% | 15.9 | 20% | |
| ↳ rebound after their own shot (saved or blocked) | 15 | 9% | 1.9 | 27% | |
| ↳ their cross / ball into the box, cleared | 48 | 30% | 6.0 | 27% | |
| ↳ their long ball, only headed or touched away | 12 | 7% | 1.5 | 8% | |
| ↳ after their own throw-in / set piece | 13 | 8% | 1.6 | 8% | |
| ↳ loose ball in their combination play (pass blocked or tackled) | 39 | 24% | 4.9 | 15% |
| opponent was | share | league | rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dribbling or a loose touch | 31% | 29% | 10 / 20 | |
| passing forward | 25% | 25% | 10 / 20 | |
| passing to a full-back | 17% | 13% | 7 / 20 | |
| going long | 11% | 7% | 4 / 20 | |
| passing back | 3% | 3% | 10 / 20 | |
| passing sideways | 3% | 6% | 18 / 20 | |
| passing to the keeper | 0% | 0% | 9 / 20 | |
| a loose ball | 0% | 0% | 1 / 20 | |
| taking a throw-in | 0% | 3% | 13 / 20 |
The opponents who went long most (53% of build-ups) got out 41% of the time; those who mostly played short (27% long) got out 39%. That is a lean, not proven at 20 matches (p=0.7557).
Best escapes: Chelsea 54%; Coventry 50%; Everton 47%. One dot per match; hover for the opponent.
Most often started by Declan Rice (13), Bukayo Saka (11), Ben White (11), Martin Ødegaard (11).
| lost in | losses | won back within 5s | led to a shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| own third | 31 | 48% | 3% |
| midfield | 139 | 25% | 4% |
| final third | 258 | 27% | 2% |
14.1 opponent attacks per match after winning the ball in open play that broke forward fast or reached the final third. Shading and % = share of the xG they produced, by the channel they used. Arsenal's goal is on the left. Central attacks carry more xG for every team, so compare with Arsenal's own attacking xG in the same kind of channel (centre, or the average flank): left 57% conceded vs 40% own, right 24% conceded vs 40% own, centre 19% conceded vs 20% own.
Every real turnover, named by the situation it came from. "Fast" = the side with the ball reached the final third within 10 seconds. Only real turnovers appear here: for everything the press wins high, including restarts it forced into an error, see "Every ball won in the opponent’s third" in the press section.
| type | times | share | fast | shot | xG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won high from a settled build-up (press) | 21 | 4%lg 5% | 29% | 0%lg 11% | 0.0 | |
| Won after their long possession (10+ passes) | 36 | 8%lg 9% | 6% | 3%lg 3% | 0.1 | |
| Won straight back after losing it (counter-press) | 57 | 12%lg 13% | 30% | 4%lg 7% | 0.1 | |
| Won by stopping their counter | 28 | 6%lg 4% | 18% | 4%lg 0% | 0.1 | |
| Won in midfield | 115 | 25%lg 25% | 35% | 10%lg 6% | 1.1 | |
| Won deep in own third | 182 | 39%lg 38% | 16% | 3%lg 3% | 0.6 | |
| Won from their set piece | 30 | 6%lg 5% | 30% | 10%lg 3% | 0.2 |
| type | times | share | opponent fast | shot against | xG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lost in own build-up under pressure | 23 | 4%lg 5% | 43% | 0%lg 13% | 0.0 | |
| Lost after own long possession (10+ passes) | 82 | 16%lg 9% | 18% | 4%lg 3% | 0.1 | |
| Lost straight after winning it | 56 | 11%lg 13% | 38% | 11%lg 6% | 0.5 | |
| Lost during own counter | 20 | 4%lg 4% | 10% | 0%lg 0% | 0.0 | |
| Lost in midfield | 108 | 21%lg 25% | 30% | 4%lg 7% | 0.3 | |
| Lost in the final third (attack broke down) | 194 | 38%lg 39% | 18% | 3%lg 3% | 0.4 | |
| Lost from own set piece | 31 | 6%lg 5% | 3% | 0%lg 3% | 0.0 |
Every controlled possession is typed by how it was played, and every real turnover (a possession that was established and then lost) by what the losing side was doing, how it lost the ball and what the winner did next. "Settled" = sustained or worked possessions; "unsettled" = short, second-ball, counter and direct possessions.
| type | times | share | ended in a shot | avg passes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sustained circulation (10+ passes) | 115 | 18%lg 11% | 18%lg 15% | 15.1 | |
| worked possession (4-9 passes) | 186 | 28%lg 26% | 11%lg 10% | 6.1 | |
| direct attack | 75 | 11%lg 14% | 1%lg 2% | 1.6 | |
| short possession (0-3 passes) | 102 | 16%lg 22% | 4% | 1.4 |
| the side losing it was in… | times | fast attack | secured | lost straight back | can’t keep it | shot | xG | how it was lost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sustained circulation (10+ passes) | 83 | 18% | 8% | 11% | 47% | 4% | 0.1 | pass cut out 49, long ball lost 12 | |
| worked possession (4-9 passes) | 129 | 23% | 11% | 14% | 47% | 2% | 0.2 | pass cut out 70, long ball lost 22 | |
| direct attack | 62 | 26% | 21% | 10% | 39% | 3% | 0.2 | long ball lost 31, pass cut out 21 | |
| short possession (0-3 passes) | 81 | 30% | 5% | 7% | 51% | 6% | 0.4 | pass cut out 42, bad touch 14 | |
| second-ball possession | 102 | 26% | 9% | 7% | 46% | 6% | 0.5 | pass cut out 54, bad touch 25 | |
| counter / fast transition | 26 | 12% | 4% | 12% | 65% | 0% | 0.0 | pass cut out 15, bad touch 5 | |
| set piece | 31 | 3% | 13% | 0% | 68% | 0% | 0.0 | pass cut out 22, long ball lost 4 |
| mechanism | times | share | led to a shot against | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pass cut out | 273 | 53%lg 51% | 3% | |
| long ball lost | 99 | 19%lg 24% | 2% | |
| bad touch | 80 | 16%lg 14% | 4% | |
| tackled / dispossessed | 31 | 6%lg 6% | 3% | |
| failed dribble | 26 | 5%lg 6% | 4% |
| the opponent was in… | times | fast attack | secured | lost straight back | can’t keep it | shot | xG | how it was lost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sustained circulation (10+ passes) | 38 | 11% | 16% | 8% | 50% | 3% | 0.1 | pass cut out 23, long ball lost 10 | |
| worked possession (4-9 passes) | 94 | 21% | 16% | 6% | 49% | 4% | 0.3 | pass cut out 47, long ball lost 28 | |
| direct attack | 77 | 30% | 18% | 5% | 42% | 10% | 0.6 | long ball lost 38, pass cut out 22 | |
| short possession (0-3 passes) | 97 | 23% | 7% | 7% | 61% | 2% | 0.2 | pass cut out 46, long ball lost 23 | |
| second-ball possession | 98 | 22% | 14% | 8% | 48% | 5% | 0.7 | pass cut out 57, long ball lost 16 | |
| counter / fast transition | 35 | 23% | 17% | 14% | 40% | 6% | 0.1 | pass cut out 18, bad touch 8 | |
| set piece | 30 | 30% | 7% | 17% | 47% | 10% | 0.2 | pass cut out 16, long ball lost 9 |
Fast attack = their final third or box reached within 10s. Secured = kept 10s+ or 4+ passes. Lost straight back = controlled, then lost within 5s. Can’t keep it = won the ball but never got it under control (cleared it, headed it away, blocked it or lost it at once).
Each phase split into the situations it is made of, every row with its league median and clips. Shots are their own category: a possession that ends in a shot has finished, it has not lost the ball.
| type | times | share | got out | reached the box | lost in build-up | shot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| from the keeper / goal kick, played out short | 34 | 21%lg 17% | 79% | 24% | 21% | 12% | |
| from the keeper / goal kick, went long (bypass) | 15 | 9%lg 13% | 47% | 20% | 53% | 20% | |
| from the keeper / goal kick, stuck / recycled | 13 | 8% | 0% | 0% | 31% | 0% | |
| from the back line, played out short | 18 | 11%lg 8% | 72% | 39% | 22% | 6% | |
| from the back line, went long (bypass) | 5 | 3%lg 5% | 60% | 0% | 40% | 0% | |
| from the back line, stuck / recycled | 7 | 4% | 0% | 0% | 43% | 0% | |
| from a throw-in, played out short | 16 | 10%lg 4% | 88% | 38% | 12% | 6% | |
| from a throw-in, went long (bypass) | 5 | 3%lg 3% | 60% | 40% | 40% | 20% | |
| straight after winning it, played out short | 28 | 17%lg 16% | 82% | 11% | 14% | 4% | |
| straight after winning it, went long (bypass) | 11 | 7%lg 11% | 27% | 18% | 73% | 0% | |
| straight after winning it, stuck / recycled | 10 | 6% | 0% | 10% | 30% | 10% |
| outcome | times | share | opponent shot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| won it high | 14 | 10%lg 10% | 0% | |
| forced long, then won it back | 41 | 29%lg 26% | 0% | |
| forced long, they kept it | 18 | 13%lg 5% | 17% | |
| they played through short | 32 | 22%lg 30% | 16% | |
| kept them stuck (recycled back) | 38 | 27%lg 24% | 5% |
Won high = the ball won in the opponent's own third. Forced long = the opponent left its third with a long ball (then either lost it in that possession, or kept it).
| created by | shots | share of open play | xG | xG per shot | goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cross | 9 | 12%lg 12% | 0.9 | 0.10lg 0.11 | 1 | |
| cutback | 10 | 13%lg 9% | 1.1 | 0.11lg 0.12 | 2 | |
| through ball | 5 | 6%lg 3% | 0.9 | 0.18lg 0.17 | 0 | |
| short pass / combination | 48 | 62%lg 52% | 4.4 | 0.09lg 0.08 | 7 | |
| long ball | 1 | 1%lg 4% | 0.1 | 0.05lg 0.08 | 0 | |
| individual (dribble / self-made) | 1 | 1%lg 9% | 0.1 | 0.08lg 0.08 | 0 | |
| rebound / second ball | 4 | 5%lg 9% | 1.3 | 0.33lg 0.13 | 1 | |
| corner (set piece) | 20 | – | 2.3 | 0.11 | 1 | |
| free kick (indirect) (set piece) | 5 | – | 0.7 | 0.14 | 0 | |
| direct free kick (set piece) | 2 | – | 0.1 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| throw-in (set piece) | 1 | – | 0.1 | 0.06 | 0 | |
| penalty (set piece) | 1 | – | 0.8 | 0.79 | 1 |
| created by | shots | share | xG | xG per shot | goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cross | 4 | 7%lg 12% | 0.3 | 0.07 | 0 | |
| cutback | 7 | 12%lg 9% | 0.5 | 0.07 | 1 | |
| through ball | 1 | 2%lg 3% | 0.1 | 0.13 | 0 | |
| short pass / combination | 31 | 53%lg 54% | 1.8 | 0.06 | 2 | |
| long ball | 5 | 9%lg 4% | 0.4 | 0.08 | 0 | |
| individual (dribble / self-made) | 4 | 7%lg 11% | 0.3 | 0.06 | 0 | |
| rebound / second ball | 6 | 10%lg 9% | 0.5 | 0.09 | 0 | |
| corner (set piece) | 13 | – | 1.2 | 0.09 | 1 | |
| free kick (indirect) (set piece) | 6 | – | 0.3 | 0.06 | 1 | |
| direct free kick (set piece) | 3 | – | 0.1 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| throw-in (set piece) | 5 | – | 0.3 | 0.06 | 0 | |
| penalty (set piece) | 1 | – | 0.8 | 0.79 | 0 |
| ending | shots | share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| goal | 12 | 11%lg 9% | |
| keeper held it | 10 | 9%lg 9% | |
| keeper parried it | 11 | 10%lg 12% | |
| blocked | 39 | 37%lg 32% | |
| off target | 34 | 32%lg 39% | |
| hit the woodwork | 0 | 0% |
Penalties excluded. A "save" by an outfield player is a block.
After their keeper held a shot (10), median release 6s; league share turned into a fast attack 10%:
| their keeper held it, then… | times | share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| keeper released fast -> fast attack | 3 | 30% | |
| keeper released quickly, no fast attack | 4 | 40% | |
| keeper slowed the game | 3 | 30% |
After their own shot was held by the opponent keeper (10); league share broken against fast 17%:
| the opponent keeper held it, then… | times | share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| keeper released fast -> fast attack | 1 | 10% | |
| keeper released quickly, no fast attack | 6 | 60% | |
| keeper slowed the game | 3 | 30% |
Fast = the keeper's side reached its final third within 15s of the save. Quick = first pass within 6s.
The other half of each phase above. Their own phases break down when they lose the ball (real turnovers only); their press and block break down when the opponent gets through. Each card: how often, how, where, who is involved, and what it costs them.
99 balls lost in 422 build-up phases (23%)
giveaways per 10 build-up phases: 2.1/10 · league 2.7/10
What it costs: 36% turned into a fast attack · 37% the opponent can’t keep · 4% led to a shot · 0.2 xG
161 balls lost in 606 middle-third phases (27%)
giveaways per 10 middle-third phases: 2.2/10 · league 2.8/10
What it costs: 27% turned into a fast attack · 43% the opponent can’t keep · 4% led to a shot · 0.6 xG
235 balls lost in 464 final-third phases (51%)
deliveries into the box that fail to arrive: 38% · league 60%
What it costs: 13% turned into a fast attack · 55% the opponent can’t keep · 3% led to a shot · 0.5 xG
37 deliveries into the box did not arrive
26 of 39 counter-attacks lost (67%)
attacking transitions that produce a shot: 19% · league 18%
What it costs: 12% turned into a fast attack · 65% the opponent can’t keep · 0% led to a shot · 0.0 xG
39 counters: 11 ended in a shot, 26 were lost, 2 slowed down or went out
50 of 124 opponent build-ups got out (40%)
opponent build-ups that get out cleanly: 40% · league 46%
What it costs: 40% reached the final third · 10% led to a shot · 0.3 xG
Sides are their own: "down the left" = down their left.
100 box entries in 356 opponent final-third phases (28%)
opponent final-third phases that create: 51% · league 50%
What it costs: 40% led to a shot · 3.1 xG
Sides are their own.
31 set pieces lost in open play
What it costs: 3% turned into a fast attack · 68% the opponent can’t keep · 0% led to a shot · 0.0 xG
Their corners and free kicks that were lost in open play, and what the opponent did next.
Takers: Declan Rice (21), Bukayo Saka (18), Martin Ødegaard (5)
First contact in the box: Kai Havertz (4), Riccardo Calafiori (3), Ezri Konsa (3), Martín Zubimendi (2), Gabriel Magalhães (2)
What each player does in the phases, counted over the window. Only lines that clear a minimum count are shown.
The comparison behind the report: each behaviour as a rate per opportunity, ranked among the 20 Premier League clubs' full seasons, with how many of the 8 matches sat on the same side of the league median. "Style" is never a verdict.
| behaviour | Arsenal | league median | rank | matches | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style | opponent build-ups forced long but kept by the opponent | 13% | 5% | 1 / 20 | 7/8 | |
| style | run in behind per 100 final third phases | 11.9/100 | 6.3/100 | 1 / 20 | 6/8 | |
| style | layoff per 100 final third phases | 1.5/100 | 0.5/100 | 1 / 20 | 6/8 | |
| strength | middle-third giveaways per 10 middle-third phases | 2.2/10 | 2.8/10 | 20 / 20 | 8/8 | |
| style | build-ups from a throw-in played out short | 10% | 4% | 1 / 20 | 6/8 | |
| style | one two wall pass per 100 final third phases | 3.4/100 | 1.8/100 | 1 / 20 | 7/8 | |
| style | build-up exits by carrying it out | 22% | 11% | 1 / 20 | 5/8 | |
| style | early cross per 100 final third phases | 3.2/100 | 7.4/100 | 20 / 20 | 8/8 | |
| strength | non-penalty xG conceded | 0.72 xG | 1.26 xG | 20 / 20 | 7/8 | |
| style | box entries with a short pass | 35% | 21% | 1 / 20 | 5/8 | |
| strength | middle-third phases whose possession ended in a shot | 16% | 10% | 1 / 20 | 7/8 | |
| strength | build-up giveaways per 10 build-up phases | 2.1/10 | 2.7/10 | 19 / 20 | 6/8 | |
| style | third man combination per 100 final third phases | 26.7/100 | 16.5/100 | 1 / 20 | 6/8 | |
| style | turnovers won by stopping a counter | 6% | 4% | 1 / 20 | 5/8 | |
| style | layoff per 100 progression phases | 0.0/100 | 0.6/100 | 20 / 20 | 8/8 | |
| strength | deliveries into the box that failed to arrive | 38% | 60% | 20 / 20 | 7/8 | |
| style | controlled possessions that are short possessions (0-3 passes) | 16% | 22% | 20 / 20 | 7/8 | |
| style | forward drop link per 100 progression phases | 1.8/100 | 0.8/100 | 2 / 20 | 6/8 |
| phase | route | times | shot | their average |
|---|
| split | behaviour | a | b | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| against the more aggressive pressers vs the deeper / passive sides | build-up exits down the left | 51% | 26% | 0.0055 | |
| against the more aggressive pressers vs the deeper / passive sides | build-ups that carried on into the next third under control | 45% | 68% | 0.0059 | |
| against the more aggressive pressers vs the deeper / passive sides | build-up exits played by the goalkeeper | 30% | 13% | 0.023 | |
| when leading vs when level | giveaways regained within 5s (counter-press) | 21% | 34% | 0.0031 | |
| when leading vs when level | build-up exits with a long ball | 38% | 13% | 0.0042 | |
| when leading vs when level | box entries with a cross | 0% | 9% | 0.0273 | |
| when trailing vs when level | box entries by carrying it in | 73% | 46% | 0.0198 | |
| when trailing vs when level | chance-creation phases that produced a shot | 53% | 33% | 0.0493 | |
| second half vs first half | final-third entries down the right | 38% | 58% | 0.0122 | |
| second half vs first half | build-up exits by carrying it out | 12% | 31% | 0.0148 | |
| second half vs first half | build-up exits down the left | 47% | 28% | 0.0284 |
| date | opponent | result | npxG | opponent press | what happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-21 | vs Coventry | W 3-0 | 1.7–0.2 | sat deep / passive | Won 3-0, chances 1.66 v 0.21 xG. Coventry defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 30.8, league median 14.4) and went long on 62% of their own build-ups. Biggest departure from their norm: opponent final-third phases that created 31%, far below their usual 52%. |
| 2026-08-31 | at Aston Villa | W 1-0 | 1.2–0.4 | sat deep / passive | Won 1-0, chances 1.15 v 0.41 xG. Aston Villa defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 21.5, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: final-third phases that created (box entry or key pass) 28%, far below their usual 45%. |
| 2026-09-06 | vs Chelsea | W 2-1 | 1.9–0.6 | mid-intensity press | Won 2-1, chances 1.94 v 0.59 xG. Chelsea pressed at roughly league-average intensity (strict PPDA 13.8, league median 14.4) and went long on 50% of their own build-ups. Biggest departure from their norm: build-up exits with a long ball 55%, far above their usual 29%. |
| 2026-09-12 | at Sunderland | W 2-0 | 0.9–1.0 | mid-intensity press | Won 2-0, chances 0.93 v 1.02 xG. Sunderland pressed at roughly league-average intensity (strict PPDA 12.8, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: final-third entries by carrying it in 36%, far above their usual 21%. |
| 2026-09-19 | at Brighton | L 0-3 | 1.2–1.4 | pressed aggressively | Lost 0-3 and the chances agreed (1.21 v 1.42 xG). Brighton pressed harder than a typical Premier League side does (strict PPDA 10.6, league median 14.4) and went long on 83% of their own build-ups. Biggest departure from their norm: ball given away during build-up 20.0/match, far above their usual 11.2/match. |
| 2026-10-10 | vs Leeds | W 2-1 | 2.0–0.8 | pressed aggressively | Won 2-1, chances 1.96 v 0.78 xG. Leeds pressed harder than a typical Premier League side does (strict PPDA 11.3, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: box entries with a cross 11%, far above their usual 6%. |
| 2026-10-18 | at Nottingham Forest | W 1-0 | 0.9–0.8 | sat deep / passive | Won 1-0, chances 0.90 v 0.83 xG. Nottingham Forest defended deep and let them have the ball (strict PPDA 27.3, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: build-ups that carried on into the next third under control 84%, far above their usual 57%. |
| 2026-10-24 | vs Everton | W 2-0 | 2.0–0.5 | mid-intensity press | Won 2-0, chances 2.01 v 0.54 xG. Everton pressed at roughly league-average intensity (strict PPDA 16.3, league median 14.4). Biggest departure from their norm: middle-third phases that progressed into the final third 82%, far above their usual 74%. |