West Ham United 0-0 Arsenal: 5 Talking Points
Arsenal were held by a resolute West Ham United as the London stadium witnessed a drab goalless draw. David Moyes went with the same eleven that beat Chelsea and got the desired result once again. Meanwhile, Arsenal have had a week to forget as consecutive draws have made them fallen off the pace in the race to the top four.
Arsene Wenger rotated his side and gave first Premier League starts of the season to as many as three players from his squad. But a change in personnel and a change in formation could not help Wenger to break down a West Ham side.
Without wasting more time, let's discuss the 5 talking points from the game
#5 A change in formation does not help Arsenal's cause
An injury to Shkodran Mustafi meant that Arsenal started in a 4-2-3-1 formation for the first time in a league game this season. This system has brought Arsenal success in the past but as per the personnel available for Wenger at his disposal, his 3-4-3 system gives them a finer cutting edge.
Against the Hammers, the defence was exposed on a couple of occasions on the counter-attack and due to having a man less in the back line, the Hammers could dominate the proceedings in the 18-yard box. Because of 4-2-3-1, the fullback duo of Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles had to be extra aware of their defensive duties and could not take those overlapping runs which are synonymous with the 3-4-3 formation.
Arsenal have looked dangerous with a three at the back system, scoring in each of their previous 11 league matches. It gives this side a sense of balance on both sides of the game - while going forward and at the back as well.
Though the traditional 4-2-31 formation is also a brilliant tool for this team to succeed, Wenger needs a solid defensive midfielder marshalling his defence which frankly, Granit Xhaka is incapable of doing to make the system work.