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Arsenal vs. Real Madrid: A Tactical Review of What Led to 3-0 at Emirates

By mac14 on April 24, 2025

On March 8, 2025, I watched the underdogs and the one with the pedigree in the Champions League went head-to-head. The result? The Champions League favorites were demolished by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. It was joy to watch only if you were watching from the eyes of a North Londoner. And it would be a pain in the eyes if you were a Madrid fan.

Anyhow, Declan Rice opened up the scoring, and then there were two more goals after the opener. Real Madrid had their chances via Vinicius and Mbappe, but they couldn’t capitalize on them. Anyhow, the match went on, with Arsenal creating more quality chances.

How were they able to do just that? Let us talk about that in detail.

A Solid Backline to Back It Up

That might come off, but that was true with their two starters absent from the starting eleven and the bench. Somehow, their defense line was solid, and they didn’t leak any goal. The Brazilian center-back Gabriel and Japanese full-back Takehiro Tomiyasu are their starters, but they didn’t get the green light from the medical team to start this match.

Replacing them were 25-year-old Polish center back Kiwior and the young Englishman Lewis Skelly, who had an assist to his name as well. Both were solid in the defense, and Lewis Skelly helped in the offense as well.

From the ground tackles to the air battles, they didn’t put a foot wrong. Though they were outpaced by Real Madrid’s front four sometimes, overall, they matched their defensive capabilities to their offensive ones.

All in all, they were good at keeping Vinicius Jr., Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham silent. The second leg of this quarter final tie is at the Bernabue and I will definitely be catching the live action in highest quality via my Optimum Internet – my choice of internet provider that offers affordable plans, network reliability, and 24/7 Optimum servicio al cliente en español.

Mikel Arteta’s Tactical Masterclass

If you have been watching Arsenal, you would know that they have come a long way from a dispersed group to a team that is tactically and positionally disciplined. Each position is well-drilled at Etihad.

Let me explain, there are two ways in which football is being played. One is free-flowing football, where players are allowed to do whatever they want according to their individual skills and intellect. On the flip side, we have a positionally stabilized and disciplined team that plays football according to principles. For example, in a positionally disciplined team, a fullback might not provide a significant attacking threat while he defends. A defensive midfielder might not be allowed to shoot the ball at all. That is called tactical team.

And if you take a close look at Arsenal, it is a tactical team, and only a few players have the flexibility to roam freely around the field. Arteta has been a student of Pep Guardiola – a master at teaching the juego de posición (positional play). Arteta teaches the same principle to his team, and that is one of the reasons why they leak very few goals when compared to the teams in the rest of the table of Premier League. That is a reliable team, in my opinion.

The Winning Mentality

Whether it is tactical discipline or a free-flowing system based on individual quality, nothing can’t be pulled off if you don’t have a winning mentality and Mikel Arteta knows that through.

If you have been watching Real Madrid, you might know that they have made comeback from situations where most of the watchers don’t expect. They weren’t favorite to win, yet they did win not just once but 16 times solidifying their position as the ultimate team in the UCL.

Well, this time around it was Arsenal who showed their winning mentality. Real Madrid tried but they weren’t successful.

I was really impressed to see that Arsenal were pressing till the last minute. Their front three weren’t letting the back four of Real Madrid, and that is why they struggled to progress the ball.

The bottom line is that the 11 from North London showed real grit on the pitch.

Wrapping It Up

It was a wonderful day for the Gunners. Will they be able to hold up in the second leg of the quarter-final tie? I think yes, but only time will tell. Until then, let’s see who comes back from the injury and how this prestigious title will take its turn.