Arsenal FC: Lineups and Formations with New Signings

Arsenal have finally purchased a plethora of players with varying and hopefully complementary skill sets.

It is quite predictable to see how Arsene Wenger will line up with his signings as he is known for being quite conservative with his tactical style of play.

However, I will list hypothetical formations for the reader, hopefully taking full advantage of all the players Arsenal football club have.

4-1-3-2: Packing the Midfield

A 4-1-3-2 formation has no real winger, so the onus is on the full backs to provide width.

Andre Santos, Arsenal's new Brazilian full back is an astute attacker and can find a pass or a cross in the final third. He is also has a great engine, and can get up and down the left easily.

In the other side, you have the more reliable option of Bacary Sagna, one of the best crossers in the league in an overlapping full back role.

He tends not to venture forward, however and is Mr. Reliable for Club and Country.

This attacking full back system leaves the two defenders stranded, however, but it helps when the two are Per Mertesacker, a deep-lying limited defender and the Belgian Thomas Vermaelen, who likes to attack the ball.

The formation was conceived to best utilise an overflow of playmaking talent, and Arsenal clearly have this in spades.

They utilise two more dribbling playmakers (Nasri, for example) alongside an attacking, passing playmaker like Mikel Arteta.

The formation allows the three midfielders to start from central midfield positions and then to drift into wide or more advanced positions.

Yossi Benayoun and Jack Wilshere have both played this type of role before as Wilshere has played wide for the reserves and Benayoun has played on the left for Benitez's Liverpool. 

The strike force will consist of a deep lying forward, Robin Van Persie, threading the balls through for a more advanced poacher, Walcott/Park/Gervinho.

4-3-3: Play the Arsenal Way

This is a standard Wenger system and the Arsenal squad are very well drilled, astutely playing the position to greater levels of proficiency as this is their default formation.

The formation again consists of a flat back four with the full backs instructed to bomb forward.

The midfield consists of a bank of three, with one tactically disciplined, hard tackling holding player (Song), a more advanced holding player who has a more creative role (Wilshere) and a more creative playmaker (Arteta).

The formation also places impetus on inverted wingers, playing narrowly and coming inside to provide more creativity to the team as a whole.

This formation choice keeps most of the new signings on the bench and relies on players who have been bought earlier in the summer or seasoned players who have already been playing at Arsenal.

4-5-1: Back to 2009-10

In 2009-10, Arsene Wenger played a bank of five (almost) in front of Eduardo Silva (the Croatian striker), with the central midfield players being given box to box roles, except Fabregas who played a slightly deeper playmaking role.

This formation would allow for the new, effervescent Frimpong and the old favourite Diaby to be used in a new formation.