Arsenal’s back 3 returns, while Manchester United’s front 2 don’t gel

Arsenal’s back three returned for a key win, while Manchester United’s plan to play Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic together failed.

Arsene Wenger prefers a four-man defense, but two of his players are grateful the Arsenal manager returned to a back three for Thursday’s 3-2 win away to Crystal Palace.

Switching to three at the back saved the Gunners last season and probably Wenger’s bacon. Yet the Frenchman has rarely appeared comfortable seeing his team play with a trio of center-backs.

Wenger has consistently taken every chance he can to revert to a back four and put an extra player into the heart of midfield. It’s worked wonders for Mesut Ozil recently, with the languid playmaker getting involved more often and becoming the conductor of play Arsenal miss while Santi Cazorla remains injured.

Ozil put on a masterclass in the 3-3 draw against Liverpool prior to Christmas. But right-back Hector Bellerin and center-back Shkodran Mustafi prefer life in a five-man defense.

Bellerin was allowed to play higher up the pitch as a wing-back. He has rarely looked as purposeful and threatening as he did against the Eagles. As for Mustafi, the Germany international was put into the middle and asked to be the progressive passer from the back.

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The fusion of both roles was most vividly illustrated with the Gunners already 3-1 ahead at Selhurst Park. Mustafi had the ball deep and swept a breathtaking long pass across the pitch for Bellerin to meet in the box. The Spaniard’s shot had Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni at full stretch.

Ozil was not as effective as in recent matches, a consequence of being asked to drift wide more often to double up with Bellerin, the way two-goal hero Alexis Sanchez did for the returning Sead Kolasinac on the left.

What Ozil missed in possession he made up for by making more runs beyond striker Alexandre Lacazette. The 29-year-old should have scored when he found himself in the No. 9 position after being put through by Sanchez, who was terrific on the night.

One consequence of Ozil vacating deeper areas more often was the onus put on Jack Wilshere to dictate play. The classy No. 10, who still needs a new contract, took to the responsibility superbly, with Goal’s Chris Wheatley detailing Wilshere’s busy night:

Wilshere’s ability to play a more balanced game, mindful of both defensive responsibilities and the need to play quickly going forward, can make this formation work. But the true benefits of Arsenal’s 3-4-2-1 setup will show in Bellerin and Mustafi, whose particular sets of skills are given more license by this tactical structure.

Arsenal are generally more potent as an attacking force when they load a four-man midfield with central schemers. Yet Wenger sought greater stability after the way Liverpool picked his team apart on the break.

Select use of the back three can give the Gunners the extra security they need.

Lukaku and Ibrahimovic partnership doesn’t click

United are 15 points off the top because they have lacked inspiration in forward areas since manager Jose Mourinho decided to play “19th century football” at Anfield back in October.

Seeking to give his side back its scoring swagger, Mourinho played with two strikers for the 2-2 draw against Burnley on Boxing Day. He restored Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the starting XI after a serious knee injury and played him just off Romelu Lukaku.

The idea was for Ibrahimovic to be the creative focal point for Lukaku to run off. But playing the big Swede at No. 10 didn’t work.

Instead, Ibrahimovic’s target-man qualities made United predictable, evidenced by this statistic from WhoScored.com:

Chucking crosses toward a pair of big men in the middle is exactly what Burnley are built to repel. Clarets’ center-back Ben Mee and his rough-and-ready colleagues relished the aerial duels.

United were static and slow-paced until Mourinho hooked Ibrahimovic for Jesse Lingard. The dynamic attacking midfielder was quick in everything he did, moving swiftly between the lines.

Lingard’s runs took him beyond Lukaku and encouraged fellow substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata to also break in behind. Quicker, more fluid movement made United a greater threat and there was hardly any surprise when Lingard scored twice to salvage a point.

Mourinho himself summed up the difference changing the style up front made, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

"And then instead of more positional players like Zlatan and Lukaku, we decided to go with Mkhitaryan, Lingard and Mata all three trying to play in these areas behind Lukaku and we can say we had some success."

The success begs the question why didn’t Mourinho start this way in the first place?

It’s becoming increasingly fashionable for people to view United’s squad as wholly inferior to leaders Manchester City. The difference in points is significant, but United boast at least as much talent in attack as any team in the division.

Mata, Mkhitaryan, Lingard, Lukaku, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford is hardly a threadbare group. What the Red Devils lack is a manager progressive enough tactically to make the most of what he has. Playing Ibrahimovic as a No. 10 ahead of someone with Mkhitaryan’s flair is ridiculous to the point of being offensive.

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Putting Ibrahimovic alongside Lukaku is always going to be a difficult fit, even if the two lack time as a partnership. There are too many similarities between their respective games, with both wanting to profit from the same kind of service in the same kind of areas.

United have all the pace, vision and ingenuity needed to be an exciting attacking force. But Mourinho must combine players who best embody these qualities.