Zubimendi's Ploy in Arsenal's Positionless Scheme

LONDON, SATURDAY — At Arsenal's headquarters, the magical effect of having a new coach was evidently not enough for Nottingham Forest. The debut of coach Ange Postecoglou with Forest turned out to be a showcase for Arsenal's new players, particularly midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal secured an easy 3-0 victory against Postecoglou's team at the Emirates Stadium, London, on Saturday (13/9/2025) evening WIB. Goals from Zubimendi (2) and striker Viktor Gyokeres reflected the dominant performance of the home team on the scoreboard.

Zubimendi was named man of the match. His performance was a unique one. He scored a brace for the first time in his career. Zubimendi's goals against Forest equaled his total contribution for Real Sociedad last season (2).

Zubimendi's first goal, which opened the scoring, was produced through a volley from outside the penalty area. This marked his first goal in an Arsenal jersey. At the end of the match, the holding midfielder doubled his tally with a header to give the hosts a three-goal lead.

Many were surprised by Zubimendi's offensive attributes, including Gyokeres. "Honestly, I have never seen that (a shot like the first goal) during training. So it's really great that he could do that. His header as well, I was somewhat surprised by that," said Gyokeres.

Zubimendi may seem invisible and less involved in Arsenal's attack, but he is always in the right position at the right time. Those two goals were not a coincidence. The key player of the Spanish national team is indeed tasked with making a real impact without many touches.

As the sole holding midfielder in Arsenal's 4-3-3 formation, Zubimendi should be one of the players with the most touches. His role is to bridge the team coached by manager Mikel Arteta. The hosts dominated possession with 54.4 percent.

In reality, it is not the case. The touches by Zubimendi (48 times) were still fewer than those of substitute attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri (49), who played 18 minutes less. This record is even more striking when compared to the visiting team's anchor midfielder, Elliot Anderson (93).

From the statistics on paper, it is difficult to understand Zubimendi's influence. His dominance can only be seen on the field. Although he may not have many touches, Arteta believes that the midfielder has absolute control in the midfield. "The way he acts, the authority he shows, is truly remarkable," said Arteta.

Upon closer inspection, Zubimendi consistently opens up passing options. However, he often merely serves as bait. When opposing players are drawn to his movements, he indirectly creates gaps in the midfield. Other Arsenal players take advantage of these gaps.

Interestingly, Zubimendi was given more freedom to move. He frequently exchanged positions to the right and left with Nwaneri or Merino. This made his movements increasingly difficult for opponents to read. So fluid and flexible was their play that Arsenal seemed to be playing without a pivot midfielder.

The maneuver led by Zubimendi was a resounding success. The defensive structure of the high block Forest was very easily broken. Arsenal players were able to cross the midfield line without significant difficulty. Forest was thus forced to defend more with a low block.

It is only natural that Zubimendi was praised by his teammate in the Spanish national team, Rodri, last week. "He has the discipline and mentality to be one of the best, if he is not the best at the moment. It is time for me to pass the keys of the team to him," said the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner.

Arsenal played their first match after the international break without many key players. Winger Bukayo Saka, striker Kai Havertz, and defender William Saliba are still absent due to injuries. Team captain Martin Odegaard was also substituted due to injury just 18 minutes into the game.

However, all of that does not have much impact due to the presence of the players who were newly brought in this summer. In addition to Zubimendi, Arsenal is also supported by Gyokeres, defender Cristhian Mosquera, as well as two wingers Eberchi Eze and Noni Madueke.

Gyokeres contributed the second goal for Arsenal through an assist from Eze during a counter-attack transition. Madueke was the best creator with five key passes, the most in the match. Meanwhile, Mosquera, with the highest number of passes (76 times), successfully orchestrated Arsenal's early attacks.

Postecoglou once again had to acknowledge Arsenal's superiority. While still managing Tottenham Hotspur, the rival of "The Gunners," he also lost in the last three encounters against Arteta. The coach stated that the team's preparation was inadequate as he had only been appointed as the successor to Nuno Espirito Santo four days prior.

"Certainly, this result is disappointing for us, but what can be hoped for at this moment is the effort of the players. They (Arsenal) are a great team that is difficult to contend with and plays at home. Today, the gap between the two teams is too wide," said Postecoglou, who was dismissed from Tottenham last July. (AP/REUTERS)