The three secrets behind Arsenal’s astonishing away form – and the one thing they still need to prove on the road

Two hours before Arsenal‘s home match against PSV Eindhoven last September, their first Champions League match since 2017, the competition’s famous anthem could be heard booming down Hornsey Road outside the Emirates.

Sound tests were being conducted inside as the Gunners returned to the competition after a six-year absence. The excitement was palpable.

Understandably so, given they had been scrapping it out in the Europa League for most of that period, during which rivals Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City each lifted European football’s biggest prize.

Ultimately, however, the adventure ended with a 1-0 loss away to Bayern Munich in the quarter-final, a gallant run on their return to the big time.

Ahead of their opening match against Atalanta tonight, Mikel Arteta‘s side are no longer newcomers on this stage. As consistent title challengers in the world’s strongest league, there is no reason they shouldn’t challenge in Europe, too. 

Mikel Arteta has tweaked his tactical blueprint and turned his side into formidable visitors

To do that they will have to win at places like Atalanta or Munich.

Yet the signs are good – because in England, Arsenal have become kings on the road.

They have won all but one of their 11 Premier League away games in 2024 – a hard-fought draw at the Etihad. They have kept nine clean sheets, and haven’t fallen behind once. It makes mightily impressive reading.

The incredible run has been achieved through a masterplan tailored for the games on the road. Unlike some big teams, they do not presume to use the same style that brings success on home soil. Instead, Arteta likes to tweak his tactics and in doing so has turned Arsenal into formidable visitors.

There are three main areas where Arsenal play differently away from home. 

With the ball, they play frequent, short passes to control possession and look to break away less. Without the ball, they are more compact in order to limit the opposition to fewer big chances.

And they tend to play more for set-pieces on the road – an area in which they have become the most lethal in the land.

Ahead of their Champions League opener, Arsenal are no longer newcomers on this stage

Arsenal tend to play more for set-pieces on the road – an area they have become lethal in

Playing away in the league in 2024, they have made 5,015 successful passes. 

That far surpasses the 4,624 successful passes in their 11 games at the Emirates, where they raise the tempo and risk losing the ball more often.

The number of attacks consisting of 10 or more passes is higher on the road than at the Emirates (184 to 152), as is the average number of passes per sequence (4.4 to 4). They tend to be calmer away from home, keeping the ball to silence the home supporters.

This is backed up by their shot conversion rate. On the road, they score 18.5 per cent of their shots as they work their way patiently into scoring positions.

At home, the shot conversion rate is 13.9 per cent as they play faster and take more potshots. At the Emirates in 2024, they have taken 209 shots – compared to 168 at other grounds.

At home the wingers are given licence to push forward. Declan Rice plays higher up the pitch. The average position of the full-backs is over the halfway line.

Away, they form a midfield five with Thomas Partey dropping the deepest. 

The physically imposing Kai Havertz drops back into midfield, the two wide men track back when Arsenal are not in possession and Martin Odegaard relentlessly presses from the front.

With the Norwegian now set for an extended period on the treatment table, Arteta must figure out who fills that role.

This watertight formation has made them all but impenetrable. Over the calendar year, Arsenal have only faced 28 shots defined by stats gurus Opta as ‘big chances’ away from home, compared to 42 in north London.

When asked about the Gunners’ success away from the Emirates, manager Mikel Arteta yesterday said: ‘If we want to be at the level that we want to be, we have to be really good on the road and at home.

‘There is not a choice! So we have to continue to be consistent, get a result, especially with great performances that are going to get us results.

‘I noticed it game by game and the team has been able to compete, to perform and get results in difficult stadiums and against difficult opponents in a really consistent way.

Away, they form a midfield five with Thomas Partey (pictured) dropping the deepest

Captain Martin Odegaard then leads a relentless press from the front in a watertight shape

‘Winning matches in different ways as well which is really important if you want to be consistent away from home. We have managed to do that and hopefully we can take those learnings into the Champions League.’

There are other reasons for Arsenal’s amazing away form. Arteta has forged a togetherness within his squad which has been evident on away trips. There’s a morning group walk before most games, sometimes just around the hotel grounds.

Arteta tries to recreate the home comforts of the Emirates, too. 

Arsenal string up banners with slogans such as BASICS (Boxes, Attack, Shape, Intensity, Compete, Set-pieces) in the changing room to remind players of key messages and give a sense of familiarity.

One subtle change regarding travel may have made a difference, too. During the Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery days, the team would rush straight back to London after an away European fixture.

Arteta prefers to travel the next day after the team have had a light, morning training session. Tonight, however, they will have to travel straight back to London from Bergamo as they kick off against Manchester City at the Etihad just 66 hours later.

Arteta prefers to travel the next day after a European fixture to enable his team to train

So Arsenal have it sussed on the road in the Premier League but in Europe they have found it harder going.

Of Arsenal’s five away European fixtures last season, they won one (Sevilla), drew one (PSV) and lost three (Lens, Porto and Bayern Munich). The two away records do not align.

A clear difference is Arsenal’s failure to effectively utilise set-pieces. The Gunners, under set-piece specialist Nicolas Jover, are usually deadly. 

Since Jover joined Arteta’s staff in 2021, Arsenal have scored 42 set-piece goals – that’s more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues.

But in European fixtures, they are yet to score from a dead ball. To compound matters, the Gunners’ shot conversion rate drops to a paltry 7.7 per cent in Europe.

On the difference of playing in Europe, Arteta added: ‘You don’t know the opponents as well and the boxes become crucial.

Since Nicolas Jover (left) joined Arteta’s staff in 2021, Arsenal have scored 42 set-piece goals

‘At this level, there are small details, small moments that defines the story of the competition and the story of the game.

‘In the Premier League it is a bit different. But in Europe, the teams are ruthless and you better be at your best and be very effective.’

Arsenal have shown they can make opposition turf their own in England. It is now time to see if they can be kings in Europe, too.