Premier League · Manager Mikel Arteta · 8 league matches
Sample: v Coventry 3-0, @ Aston Villa 1-0, v Chelsea 2-1, @ Sunderland 2-0, @ Brighton 0-3, v Leeds 2-1, @ Nottingham Forest 1-0, v Everton 2-0
65% of Arsenal's final-third entries land on a wing, the highest of these 5 sides. 17% of central entries end in a shot, against 12% from the wings.
Final-third entries35.6per game
Vertical50%30m+ gained in 10 s
Via a wing65%outside the box width
Zone 14 touches28.5per game
Runs found10.8per game, inferred
The four routes
tempo × lane · open-play entries, from the entry to the end of the possession
Vertical through the middle
18%
6.2 a game · 50 entries
Reached box50%
Shot20%
Big chances2
Goals3
Vertical down a wing
33%
11.8 a game · 94 entries
Reached box46%
Shot12%
Big chances2
Goals1
Wing possession
32%
11.4 a game · 91 entries
Reached box30%
Shot12%
Big chances1
Goals4
Patient through the middle
18%
6.2 a game · 50 entries
Reached box48%
Shot14%
Big chances2
Goals1
Where the entries land
share of entries by lane
How they enter
Passes
180 63%
Carries
105 37%
Entries reaching the box
Left
42%
Centre
49%
Right
35%
Entries ending in a shot
Left
16%
Centre
17%
Right
9%
28% of vertical entries were long balls. 38% of open-play passes from 40% upfield were played from the wings.
Against the top end
best in bold · Arsenal 8, Man City 8, Liverpool 7, Chelsea 8, Brighton 8 games
Entries / game
Vertical %
Via wing %
Wing shot %
Middle shot %
Z14 / game
Runs found / game
Arsenal
35.6
50%
65%
12%
17%
28.5
10.8
Manchester City
35.9
48%
61%
12%
24%
37.6
11.0
Liverpool
40.1
50%
62%
15%
16%
34.7
12.6
Chelsea
30.5
51%
62%
18%
29%
20.4
9.1
Brighton & Hove Albion
35.6
53%
58%
18%
22%
30.2
13.0
Opta event data · 8 league matches1 / 4
Attack routes · 2026/2027
VERTICAL VS WINGS
Two ways up the pitch
Vertical progression vs wing possession
Vertical entries reach the box 47% of the time and bring a shot 15% of the time. Wing possession reaches it 30% of the time, with a shot 12%, Goals: 4 from vertical entries, 4 from wing possession.
Vertical progression
144 entries
From where the move started to where it entered the final third. 30m+ gained upfield in the last 10 seconds.
Wing possession
91 entries
The last action before entry, for slower moves that landed on a wing. Dashed line = start of the final third.
EntryLed to a shot
Who drives each route
180+ minutes · count, with rate per 90
Takes it in vertically
Ødegaard
26 3.4/90
Rice
20 2.5/90
White
13 2.0/90
Saka
12 1.7/90
Raya
11 1.2/90
Calafiori
8 1.1/90
Takes it in on the wing
Rice
39 4.9/90
Ødegaard
26 3.4/90
White
21 3.2/90
Calafiori
13 1.8/90
Magalhães
13 1.5/90
Saka
13 1.8/90
Match by match
final-third entries by route
v Coventry 3-0 · 64% poss
613107
36
@ Aston Villa 1-0 · 61% poss
1318
39
v Chelsea 2-1 · 54% poss
710105
32
@ Sunderland 2-0 · 57% poss
712116
36
@ Brighton 0-3 · 60% poss
1167
27
v Leeds 2-1 · 58% poss
8109
30
@ Nottingham Forest 1-0 · 73% poss
516196
46
v Everton 2-0 · 59% poss
109812
39
Vertical through the middleVertical down a wingWing possessionPatient through the middle
Opta event data · 8 league matches2 / 4
Attack routes · 2026/2027
ZONE 14
In-possession touches in front of the box, excludes set-piece restarts and duels
Touches in Zone 14
28.5 touches a game in Zone 14, 4th highest of these 5 sides. 10% become a pass into the box (highest), 9% become a shot, and 18% are lost.
ShotPass into boxOther touchLost it
Who touches it there
Ødegaard
43 5.7/90
Rice
34 4.3/90
Lewis-Skelly
33 7.0/90
Guimarães
20 6.5/90
Havertz
17 2.4/90
Merino
13 5.3/90
Calafiori
9 1.2/90
What happens next
Kept it moving
70 31%
Lost it
40 18%
Played back
25 11%
Passed into box
24 11%
Released a wing
23 10%
Shot
20 9%
Other touch
18 8%
Took a player on
8 4%
Match by match
touches, with possession share
v Coventry
41 64% poss
@ Aston Villa
18 61% poss
v Chelsea
24 54% poss
@ Sunderland
14 57% poss
@ Brighton
22 60% poss
v Leeds
35 58% poss
@ Nottingham Forest
27 73% poss
v Everton
47 59% poss
Against the top end
best in bold
Touches / game
Into box %
Shot %
Lost %
Top player
Arsenal
28.5
10%
9%
18%
5.7/90
Manchester City
37.6
5%
6%
17%
9.5/90
Liverpool
34.7
8%
12%
14%
8.2/90
Chelsea
20.4
6%
13%
19%
5.2/90
Brighton & Hove Albion
30.2
7%
14%
20%
7.2/90
Opta event data · 8 league matches3 / 4
Attack routes · 2026/2027
RUN RECEPTIONS
Inferred from on-ball events
Ball reception for runs
10.8 runs found a game, 4th highest of these 5 sides. 61 of 86 were received in the box and 26% led to a shot. Havertz was found most, 14 times.
Own last touch to receptionLed to a shotNo earlier touch in the move
Who gets found
Havertz
14 1.9/90
Saka
12 1.7/90
White
9 1.4/90
Eze
9 3.3/90
Tzolis
8 1.9/90
Ødegaard
7 0.9/90
Madueke
7 2.2/90
Calafiori
5 0.7/90
Who finds them
Ødegaard > Havertz
4
Rice > Ødegaard
3
Timber > Saka
3
Ødegaard > Saka
3
Rice > Havertz
2
Rice > White
2
Why it counted
Found in the box
44 51%
Ahead of last touch
22 26%
Ball over the top
19 22%
Took it in stride
12 14%
Opta through ball
5 6%
Against the top end
Runs / game
In box
Led to shot
Goals
Arsenal
10.8
71%
26%
4
Manchester City
11.0
76%
24%
6
Liverpool
12.6
57%
19%
5
Chelsea
9.1
66%
20%
5
Brighton & Hove Albion
13.0
56%
22%
4
How to read this. Opta logs the ball, not players off it, so runs are not measured directly. A run reception is a forward open-play pass of 10m+, received from 60% of the way up the pitch and not a cross or keeper pass, that also shows a sign of movement: Opta through ball, received in the box from outside it, receiver 12m+ ahead of their last touch, carried on 5m+ within 3 s, or a long ball gaining 25m+. Runs that were not found are invisible here. Small samples: treat goal counts as a guide.
