How Arsenal could lineup if Mikel Arteta copied Ralf Rangnick's bizarre 4-2-2-2 Man United plan -

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has experimented with a number of different systems this season.

The Gunners manager has deployed his favoured 4-2-3-1 alongside a 4-1-4-1 system and most recently a flat 4-4-2 that consisted of veteran duo Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in attack.

Arteta could even take inspiration from Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who set his team up to play in an unusual 4-2-2-2 system during their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

Here, football.london explains Rangnick's setup and how Arsenal would look if they adopted a similar approach.

Pressing attack

Rangnick's 4-2-2-2 is primarily focused on rapid transitions in attack and a compact aggressive press when out of possession, with the wide midfielders sitting extremely narrow to stop the opposition from passing between the lines.

Unlike the press imposed by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, the strikers in this system are less likely to hunt down opposition centre-backs, instead of cutting the passing lanes to the central midfielders and forcing them to go out wide instead.

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By forcing the opposition out wide, their build-up becomes more predictable and less likely to damage Rangnick's side.

In recent weeks, the aforementioned Lacazette and Aubameyang have been hunting down the opposition defenders in an attempt to win the ball high up the field, however, this approach was abandoned against Liverpool and Manchester United during large spells as Arteta's men decided to retreat into a deeper block for the majority of the contest - resulting in 4-0 and 3-2 losses respectively.

Below is one option that the Gunners could utilise, with Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka supporting Gabriel Martinelli and Alexandre Lacazette in the attack.

Lacazette's ability to hold the ball up would make up for Martinelli's deficiencies when it comes to ball retention whilst the Brazilian is able to bring high-energy and pace, attributes that Rangnick had claimed are extremely important to the role.

After the game against Palace, the German said: "For me, the question was how do we get pressure on the ball, how do we get control? So I decided to play 4-2-2-2 with two strikers, not Cristiano (Ronaldo) alone upfront, together with Marcus (Rashford), using pace for vertical balls."

Midfield roles

In this system, much of the creative responsibility comes on the shoulders of the roaming number 10s, a role that suits Smith Rowe and Saka down to a fee considering they possesses a rare blend of energetic pressing, elite ball retention and speed in transition - attributes that are crucial in order for the system to be successful.

Rangnick added: "If you play the way we played today with regard to intensity, with regard to being on the front foot, playing proactively and having four offensive players ahead of Scotty (McTominay) and Fred, with Jadon (Sancho), Bruno (Fernades), Cristiano, and Marcus, it's highly important you have players who are very disciplined, proactively aggressive against the ball."

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"The most challenging, demanding positions in that formation are the two 10s but I still think, especially when Palace was in possession, Bruno and Jadon did well.

"It was a little bit new but not that new, it doesn't make that much difference if Jadon plays a little further inside or outside but defensively they both did well."

Considering the Hale End duo have both regularly operated on the wing and as no.10s, they would require barely any time to successfully adapt to this setup.

Similarly, the midfield pivot is tasked with quick vertical passing between the lines in an attempt to transition quickly and progress the ball to the attacking quartet in the final third.

Rangnick admitted that sideways passing is not acceptable in this role, meaning the progressive Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey would likely be the ideal candidates when looking at Arsenal's midfield options.

The German said: "Scotty and Fred are almost perfect defensively on that. There were one or two or three mistakes, in the first-half, two square passes, one from Scott and one from Fred, I don't like those kind of balls in midfield from those positions."

Defensive shape

The back four would likely be similar to Arteta's current setup, with the fullbacks tasked to provide energy and defensive acumen, driving from box-to-box to help support in and out of possession, something that Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are both more than happy to do.

Tierney is famed for his crossing delivery whilst Tomiyasu is particularly proficient defensively but has also shown an ability to create chances for his teammates, as shown by his delicate through ball for Martinelli during last month's win against Newcastle United.

When discussing his fullbacks, Rangnick said: "So they (the fullbacks) almost played like wing-backs. Especially in the first-half, Alex (Telles) and Diogo (Dalot), did extremely well offensively and that's why I played 4-2-2-2.

"I'm a big fan of every player playing in his best possible position."

Meanwhile, the centre-halves are also important, particularly in possession, as they are told to release the ball quickly and attempt vertical line-breaking passes, something that both Gabriel and Benjamin White, particularly the latter are more than happy to do