'clean Sheets Matter' - Why Arsenal V Spurs Might Be Tighter Than Usual

One of nan astir fascinating things for maine erstwhile I watch modern-day shot is that it feels for illustration no-one values defending decently immoderate more.

Over nan past fewer years, nan Premier League has developed a much possession-based strategy and, individually and collectively, defending has without uncertainty been restricted by our obsession to play shot 'the correct way'.

That's why I deliberation what Mikel Arteta has done astatine Arsenal is brilliant, because though their attacking play is still amazing, he has looked astatine nan stats that really matter and seen that each bully teams are built from nan back.

The measurement Tottenham person changed nether Thomas Frank this play is based connected nan aforesaid measurement of thinking, of uncovering a equilibrium betwixt scoring goals and stopping them, and some coaches understand nan value of a team's building successful and retired of possession.

That intends Sunday mightiness not spot nan benignant of high-scoring crippled we person been utilized to erstwhile these 2 teams person met successful caller years - nan fixture has averaged much than 3 goals per crippled complete nan past 5 seasons - but it is simply a northbound London derby truthful thing tin happen!

Good defending is not thing which fans ever admit anyway, but you only person to look astatine nan apical of nan array to spot really important it is to beryllium coagulated astatine nan backmost - earlier this weekend's games, nan apical six teams had each only conceded a extremity a crippled aliases less.

I admit that stat because erstwhile I started retired successful guidance a cardinal years ago, I worked disconnected nan ground that a cleanable expanse was worthy doubly arsenic overmuch arsenic scoring a goal.

By that, I mean that each cleanable sheet, connected average, earned a squad 2.4 points per game, while scoring 1 extremity successful a crippled sewage you an mean of 1.1 points.

Those stats were a reality for Stoke successful our difficult first 3 seasons successful nan Premier League, erstwhile we were looking to found ourselves successful nan apical flight.

Between 2008-09 and 2010-11 we kept 35 cleanable sheets - 12 successful our first season, 14 successful our 2nd and 9 successful our 3rd - which earned america a full of 83 points, aliases an mean of 2.37 points per game.

Looking astatine it that way, nan existent worth of a cleanable expanse for america was astir nan aforesaid arsenic scoring 3 goals successful a game... and thing has changed successful nan Premier League now, though nan worth of scoring 1 aliases 2 goals successful a crippled has dropped.

In fact, arsenic nan number of goals per crippled successful nan Premier League rises, and nan number of cleanable sheets drops, each cleanable expanse is worthy much now than it was successful 2008.

Back then, 70% of cleanable sheets would springiness you a win, now it is 83%.

You'd deliberation much group would look astatine this information and spot really important defending is, but instead, location has been a attraction connected a definite style of play which I judge is linked to nan higher number of goals we are seeing successful nan Premier League compared to 10 aliases 15 years ago.

The emergence of possession shot has been a awesome power connected nan English game, and has had an tremendous effect connected young coaches, teams and players.

They person been brainwashed into reasoning it's not conscionable 'the correct way' to play, it's besides 'the only way' - but location are galore pitfalls to this attack and my priorities were ever very different.

Winning shot matches is astir being amended astatine each facets of nan game, but my principles were that some last thirds were nan areas that mattered nan most.

Modern-day shot has moved distant somewhat from nan accepted English style of play erstwhile I was successful nan game, of nonstop guardant passes which encouraged much last 3rd entries. It produced little midfield play, but much nonstop action successful some boxes.

Instead, possession shot has go an obsession, wherever teams are prepared to consequence playing retired from nan backmost to accommodate nan cognition of playing shot 'the correct way'.

Defenders now walk much clip passing nan shot to 1 different than ever before. In fact, defending successful immoderate ways has taken a monolithic measurement backwards, arsenic much and much coaches ore solely connected possession.

Ball-playing defenders passing their measurement retired from nan backmost are thing caller - nan champion I ever saw were Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen successful nan awesome Liverpool squad of nan 1980s.

I was a subordinate astatine that clip and a defender excessively - though not a ball-playing one! I recognised that though Lawrenson and Hansen were superb connected nan ball, their protect attributes were besides apical drawer.

If you person players for illustration those two, past playing successful your ain half is fine. If not, you are asking for trouble, arsenic nan information shows.

As a manager, I had immoderate perfectly awesome defenders astatine each of my clubs and astir of them were competent successful possession.

But I besides had awesome shot players for illustration Matthew Etherington, Chris Brunt and Yannick Bolasie truthful I wanted group to springiness them nan shot arsenic early arsenic possible, because they could play and make things happen.

I wanted america to play done nan pitch, whether it was pinch short passes aliases agelong passes, alternatively than keeping nan shot heavy and bringing teams connected to us.

Tottenham nether Frank look to person nan aforesaid approach, which is very different to nan measurement they played nether Ange Postecoglou past season. They were seen to beryllium gung-ho, and very seldom was location a equilibrium betwixt scoring goals and conceding them.

Now they are playing successful their ain half less, and conceding less chances and goals. The 2 things are not a coincidence arsenic acold arsenic I americium concerned.

Looking astatine nan stats truthful far, Frank has surely added a much pragmatic approach, which has propelled them into a very encouraging position successful nan table.

All bully teams will undoubtedly person a coagulated guidelines for illustration that, which enables them to cod cleanable sheets and produces a level to beryllium successful.

Frank's large task will beryllium to execute nan aforesaid equilibrium betwixt defence and onslaught which Arsenal person now. Yet I'm convinced that fixed nan aforesaid clip Arteta has been astatine their fierce rivals, he will win successful uncovering it.

Arsenal person recovered stableness pinch Arteta, who has been successful complaint since 2019 and produced a squad that is now tin of playing immoderate superb free-flowing shot erstwhile successful possession of nan ball, but are truthful coagulated defensively that teams find it highly difficult to break them down.

Football has galore fundamentals but, very simply, arsenic a squad you person to put nan shot successful 1 extremity and support it retired of nan other!

I watch a batch of post-match study wherever pundits proclaim aft nan arena what is correct pinch nan winning squad and incorrect pinch nan losing one.

They decipher games pinch a fine-tooth comb erstwhile nan truth is that they are decided either by protect mistakes aliases bully play successful nan last third, some of which nutrient goal-scoring opportunities.

There are much of those than ever - nan full of Premier League goals scored went up somewhat betwixt 2010 and 2020 but has risen much dramatically successful nan past 5 years.

Aligned pinch that has been a staggering summation successful nan number of goals conceded successful a peculiar way, from teams losing possession successful their ain half of nan pitch.

As I've explained, I did not want my teams to consequence that by trying to play quadrate passes astatine nan back, but they still had to beryllium capable to take sides good erstwhile it happened.

At nan apical level, players person nan expertise to counter-attack astatine awesome velocity truthful it is really important that, erstwhile you are successful possession, you do not let teams to break quickly done you pinch 2 aliases three-pass moves erstwhile they triumph nan shot back.

Most players who worked pinch me, from my humble beginnings successful nan little divisions to nan Premier League, will attest of my determination for my teams to beryllium wholly structured, pinch aliases without nan ball.

I enjoyed coaching 11 versus 11 connected nan training field, and I americium judge I person driven a batch of my players huffy pinch my attraction connected squad shape.

Every subordinate I worked pinch would understand that their domiciled was captious successful enabling nan squad to beryllium a squad and wrong those hours of perpetually moving connected our organisation, 1 area I specifically focused connected was being good group up down our attacking play.

It was ever emphasised that, if we were group up right, we could regain possession - but besides extremity nan guidance counter-attacking america which, arsenic nan stats show, tin origin you awesome damage.

As I talked astir in a erstwhile column, goals from set-pieces are besides connected nan rise, truthful communal consciousness should push coaches towards realising that arsenic good arsenic needing a protect strategy against counter-attacking play, they request a measurement of stopping goals from corners, free-kicks and throw-ins.

That seldom seems to happen, though. It amazes maine that today's set-piece coach is lauded for goals scored, yet ne'er criticised for set-play goals conceded by his team.

It is thing that Arsenal and Tottenham person some addressed this season, but for Arsenal it is still a weakness erstwhile you look astatine nan proportionality of goals they concede from these situations.

Watching teams take sides set-plays coming is astatine times laughable, pinch galore defending players not moreover looking astatine nan shot that's being delivered.

In almost each crippled I watch, referees could and should grant penalties for fouls committed against nan attacking players, and nan full principles of defending a one-v-one business pinch balls into nan container has been lost.

There seems a deficiency of individual knowledge and, successful galore cases, courageousness from nan protect subordinate to put themselves astatine consequence by challenging a forward, and I americium acrophobic that is paramount to truthful galore goals being conceded astatine set-plays.

Arsenal's protect grounds is 2nd to nary successful nan Premier League this play but it is not conscionable erstwhile you are trying to triumph things wherever being coagulated is important.

In nan past 2 campaigns, nan 3 promoted teams went consecutive backmost down - pinch nan 3 worst protect records.

This season, Sunderland are associated fourth-best for goals against and are fourth. Burnley are 18th, while only 3 teams person conceded much than Leeds, and look wherever they some are successful nan table.

You tin beryllium judge that nan teams pinch nan worst protect records will beryllium adjacent nan bottommost travel adjacent May - and nan stats supra show that uncovering nan equilibrium betwixt onslaught and defence is perfectly vital, whether you are going for nan title aliases fighting relegation.

Tony Pulis was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.