Arsenal's Defense: Modern Masterclass or Historic Hoax?

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

People Mentioned

• Chris Murphy (Head of ETF Specialist at T. Rowe Price) - Discussed what ETFs are, how they work, and T. Rowe Price's philosophy.
• Jose Mourinho - Managed Chelsea's 2004-05 team, which holds the record for the fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season.
• Rafa Benitez - Managed Liverpool and emphasized the importance of wide players doing defensive work.
• Joe Cole - Chelsea player mentioned for his offensive contributions but also defensive duties.
• Claude Makelele - Chelsea midfielder, referenced for his role in their defensive solidity.
• Petr Cech - Chelsea goalkeeper whose performance in 2004-05 was key to their defensive record.
• Carlo Cudicini - Chelsea goalkeeper who conceded two goals in the 2004-05 season.
• Stan Cullis - Managed Wolves teams in the late 1950s that had strong defensive records.
• Pep Guardiola - Manchester City manager, mentioned for his emphasis on fullbacks being solid one-vs-one defenders.
• Andre Villas-Boas - Former Chelsea manager, referenced for his time at Porto where his team had a strong defensive record but struggled at Chelsea with a high defensive line.
• Joao Cancelo - Manchester City fullback, mentioned for having the most shots for Manchester City in the 2021-22 season.
• Thomas Tuchel - England head coach, whose team completed their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign with zero goals conceded.
• Gareth Southgate - Former England manager, whose teams were seen as uninspiring but defensively solid.
• Stale Solbakken - Norway coach, mentioned for simplifying tactics after failing to qualify for previous tournaments.
• Ricardo - Former Portugal goalkeeper, known for launching quick counter-attacks after defending set pieces.
• Ben White - Arsenal player, mentioned in the context of defensive adjustments during set pieces.
• David Raya - Arsenal goalkeeper, noted for his role in organizing set pieces from the center circle.

Organizations & Institutions

• T. Rowe Price - Investment firm discussed for its active ETFs and investment philosophy.
• Xero - Accounting software for small businesses.
• Ulta Beauty - Retailer mentioned for holiday gifting.
• Olympiacos - Football club that used a tactic of leaving players up front for corners against Arsenal.
• Brighton - Football club that used a tactic of leaving players up front for corners against Arsenal.
• Monaco - Football club that used a tactic of leaving players up front for corners against Arsenal.

Other Resources

• "Arsenal's Through Balls" (Article on The Athletic) - A piece written by Liam Tharm about Arsenal's varied through ball techniques and how they contribute to their attack.
• World Cup 2026 Qualifying Campaign - England's campaign under Thomas Tuchel, where they achieved eight wins from eight and zero goals conceded.
• Euro 2004 - Tournament where Portugal's strategy of leaving three players up when defending set pieces was noted.
• World Cup 1990 - England's qualifying campaign for this tournament, where they did not concede a goal.
• World Cup 2022 - Morocco's performance in this tournament, reaching the semi-finals by employing deep defensive tactics.
• Last Euros - Mentioned for Spain and Austria being the only teams that effectively pressed.
• Club World Cup - Referenced for varying conditions impacting team setups.
• World Cup 1994 - Referenced for Ireland playing in Florida and adapting to conditions.
• World Cup 2010 - Described as a "dull tournament" due to Spain's controlled, low-scoring victories.
• World Cup 1998, 2002, 2006 - Tournaments where winning teams (France, Brazil, Italy) demonstrated strong defensive records.