They are going to try to play that Pep formation, just like Klopp switched too. Everyone plagiarizing. Arsenal was doing similar already but with their signing this summer, really seems they are going to go all in on that.
GJ up front
Martinelli Havertz Odegaard Saka
Rice Lavia
Gabriel Saliba White
Timber probably starts somewhere eventually if he adjusts well, but I don’t think Arsenal is necessarily trying to throw him in the deep end
Yeah, don't think this is the plan. Lavia won't be starting. If Timber plays, I think we see a dual inverted FB, but I think he's not being brought in to start immediately. White's strength last season was providing overlaps for Saka to play off of, because Saka likes to cut in more compared to the left side, where Jesus drifts out. Rice being able to cover CB makes him valuable.
Martinelli - Jesus - Saka
Havertz - Odegaard - White
Zinchenko - Rice
Gabriel - Saliba
Basically if the above is in possession, immediately after a turnover, I think Zinchenko drops in toward LB, Rice sits down to let Saliba slide right some to cover White, who will be dropping, and the front 5 press. Once White recovers, Rice steps forward, but there's nothing coming through the middle with Rice, Gabriel, and Saliba all there.
That would make sense but seems pretty different from how you played this season. So not sure saying Kai just needs to replace Xhaka's goals is really appropriate given that the whole formula is changing.
Sure, but I meant in terms of pure goal numbers. Havertz scoring 5-10 goals is fine if Jesus, Martinelli, Saka, and Odegaard are scoring around 15 each (averaged across the 4). Essentially, if we can get 65 goals out of those 5, we'll have enough from everyone else to be sitting real pretty.
It’s going to look similar to what Pep and Klopp ended the season with. Think I was on the right track here. That’s going to be the new vogue formation next season because it’s a copy cat league.
It's basically the same way that Arsenal played the whole season.