Revealed: Mikel Arteta's Arsenal Tactical Masterstroke that Could Choke West Ham

Arsenal travel to West Ham on Sunday for a crucial London derby that could have significant implications for the Premier League title race.

Fresh from their Champions League success, Mikel Arteta's squad aims to cap off a perfect week. However, they face a determined Hammers side fighting to escape the relegation zone and desperate for points.

According to tactical analyst Dean Scoggins, the Gunners are set to deploy a clever new "pendulum" system designed to break down West Ham's defensive block, featuring teenage prospect Myles Lewis-Skelly.

"Arteta has been practising and is now using this really clever pendulum trick in games to get them playing out," Scoggins explained as per The Sun. "It’s unleashed this double pivot with Declan Rice on one side and Lewis-Skelly the other. It makes the pitch bigger."

The system is designed to counter the common 4-4-2 press by creating space in congested central areas. Arsenal's wingers push high to occupy the opposition's full-backs, while Rice and Lewis-Skelly operate in a dynamic vertical partnership.

"They are keeping Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice almost vertical in that position," Scoggins noted. "If the play is on one side of the field, Rice will drop in and Lewis-Skelly will move... and if the play is on the left, it’s vice versa. It’s really opening teams up. I’ve been so impressed by the understanding between those two."

Attention also turns to who will lead Arsenal's attack at the London Stadium. While Viktor Gyokeres was a powerhouse against Atletico Madrid, Scoggins suggests a different approach may be needed to unlock a stubborn Hammers defence.

He believes Kai Havertz could be the key to linking play in a match that is unlikely to be decided by counter-attacks.

"I think we might see Havertz, and I think there’s a good reason to play him in this game," Scoggins said. "This is not going to be a counter-attacking game against West Ham. It’s not going to be, ‘Let’s sit back and soak up pressure and hit them on the break.’"

Scoggins argues that Havertz's tendency to drop into deeper spaces could disrupt West Ham's defensive structure. "If you play Havertz, he will drop into spaces to receive the ball, hoping a defender comes out," he added. "The link-up play in those triangles on both sides makes more sense for Havertz against West Ham."

Beyond individual roles, the most formidable aspect for West Ham is the newfound balance in Arsenal's attack. In previous seasons, the Gunners often favoured their right flank, but recent statistics show a near-perfect distribution of attacks across the left, right, and centre.

Scoggins believes this balanced and "rigid" attacking shape makes Arsenal incredibly difficult to defend against.

"Against Atletico, the stats are almost a third, a third, a third: left, right and centre. That is what a top team does," he concluded. "They are getting the ball from Rice to Saka in a 1v1 situation earlier, and the same the other side... They are now going to take some stopping."