How Arsenal’s ‘frozen man’ operation baffled Chelsea

Analysis of Arsenal's tactical masterclass using Kai Havertz's 'frozen man' role to dismantle Chelsea's defense in a 2-1 win.

Key Takeaways

Kai Havertz's role as a 'frozen man' was pivotal in destabilizing Chelsea's defense.
Arsenal's focused attacks down the right side were a deliberate strategic choice.
The interplay between Havertz, Saka, and Ben White created critical attacking opportunities.
Chelsea's defensive structure was exploited by creating large gaps between center backs.
Arteta's tactical planning and player roles were key to Arsenal's comeback victory.

What the video covers

Arsenal used a new tactical approach to come from behind and beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates.
Kai Havertz played a key role upfront, operating mainly on the right-hand side to disrupt Chelsea's back three.
Havertz's movement created a 'frozen man' effect, immobilizing specific Chelsea defenders and opening spaces for Arsenal attackers.
The tactic exploited gaps between Chelsea's center backs, allowing players like Califf Furlong and Odegaard to penetrate.
Havertz's positioning and clever interplay with Saka and Ben White were central to Arsenal's attacking strategy.
The heat map showed Havertz predominantly on the right side, targeting Chelsea's weaker defensive areas.
Arsenal intentionally focused 47% of their attacks down the right flank, leveraging the understanding between key players.
Chelsea's use of right backs in midfield (Reece James, Gusto) influenced Arsenal's targeting of that side.
The tactical setup led to numerical superiority on one side of the pitch, complicating Chelsea's defensive marking.
The video encourages viewers to revisit previous Tactics Exposed content for deeper understanding and highlights the launch of a new YouTube channel.

Chapters

What is the 'frozen man' tactic used by Arsenal?

The 'frozen man' tactic involves Kai Havertz positioning himself to immobilize specific Chelsea defenders, creating space and disrupting their defensive shape to enable Arsenal attackers to exploit gaps.

Why did Arsenal focus their attacks down the right-hand side?

Arsenal targeted the right side because Chelsea's defensive setup was weaker there, partly due to right backs playing in midfield, allowing Arsenal to exploit space and use the clever movement of players like Saka and Havertz.

How did Havertz's role differ from expectations in this match?

Although it was expected Havertz might operate on both flanks, he predominantly stayed on the right-hand side, where his positioning and movement were crucial in unlocking Chelsea's defense and facilitating Arsenal's attacking plays.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

Arsenal have got a genius new tactic that they employed to come from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates on Sunday. Dino, give us the first of three key tactical principles that Arsenal and Arteta put to good use in this game to beat the Blues.

Speaker A

use in this game to beat the Blues. Yeah, Kai Spy with my little eye, a little tactical genius named Havvertz, right, who's up front for Arsenal, back where he should be. And that front four were absolutely brilliant. And straight

Speaker A

Yeah, Kai Spy with my little eye, a little tactical genius named Havertz, right, who's up front for Arsenal, back where he should be. And that front four were absolutely brilliant. And straight away we're going to show it here. Kai Havertz going into the position on that right-hand side to fill that little triangle for Arsenal coming out of that position. And this was an early warning for Chelsea. The back three get split apart. 19 meters between the center backs and Califf Furlong is trying to run through that gap.

Speaker A

apart. 19 m between the center backs and Califf Fury is trying to run through that gap. Okay, early warning for them straight away. But they should have taken the early warning from tactics exposed team talk, shouldn't they? I did

Speaker A

Okay, early warning for them straight away. But they should have taken the early warning from Tactics Exposed team talk, shouldn't they? I did say that this was what Havertz would try and do to disrupt a Chelsea or any back three because you get a man frozen. It was Mr. Freeze, as I called it in Tactics Exposed team talk.

Speaker A

That is exactly what you did mate. So just highlight here who exactly is it that the frozen man is what Havitz has done and show us how many times he also did it elsewhere in the game.

Speaker A

That is exactly what you did, mate. So just highlight here who exactly is the frozen man, what Havertz has done, and show us how many times he also did it elsewhere in the game.

Speaker A

a second clip here and in this instance we show Havz again and it's Fara that's the frozen man in this instance. Laquire being behind him and this is going to free up the pass to Pica Saka to go up

Speaker A

Yeah. So in that instance there, you can see that he's taken Lacazette over into that position that he doesn't want to be, and Fara is almost frozen by it because he's blocked him off there. And then we go to a second clip here, and in this instance we show Havertz again and it's Fara that's the frozen man in this instance. Lacazette being behind him, and this is going to free up the pass to Saka to go up the inside because if then Fara has to go across to Saka and block that line, he leaves Havertz for that open pass there.

Speaker A

He doesn't do that and then that ball goes through to Saka. So absolutely fantastic from Havtz then there and in that little instance again this time look he's frozen him again. Can't do anything about it. You've still got the

Speaker A

He doesn't do that, and then that ball goes through to Saka. So absolutely fantastic from Havertz then there, and in that little instance again, this time look, he's frozen him again. Can't do anything about it. You've still got the three center backs there and again that enormous space in between the two of them to drive through, and you can see the connection there between that Arsenal three over on that side with Odegaard getting in that space.

Speaker A

we just look, we'll just focus for a second on Havz's touch map which is shown as a heat map here. He's just all over on that right hand side. Now in I said I was right in team talk. I think I

Speaker A

And if we just look, we'll just focus for a second on Havertz's touch map, which is shown as a heat map here. He's just all over on that right-hand side. Now, I said I was right in team talk. I think I thought he'd do it a little bit on the left. I didn't think he'd just be completely on that right-hand side, but they've targeted it over there and they forced them back into those positions, and it's just because they know that Saka's movement's so clever. They know the understanding with Ben White and Saka's very clever, and Havertz is just unlocking that.

Speaker A

Sacka's movement's so clever. They know the understanding with Ben White and Sacka's very clever and Havz is just unlocking that. I couldn't believe in some of the comments from the show from Chelsea fans thinking that Kai Havtz wasn't an incredibly intelligent player.

Speaker A

I couldn't believe in some of the comments from the show from Chelsea fans thinking that Kai Havertz wasn't an incredibly intelligent player. They're saying that he's not. I got called a mug in that as well, and I'm feeling a little bit smug after that show. Definitely.

Speaker A

Well, I did I did notice a few of your replies to some of those comments, Dino.

Speaker A

Well, I did notice a few of your replies to some of those comments, Dino.

Speaker A

let's not forget that's exactly where he was playing. I think you've got on there as well maybe towards the bottom Dean Arsenal's average attacking zones and it was very much sort of back towards last season was it not when it was all down

Speaker A

I mean, let us know again what you think of what Dino's had to say this week, won't you? And perhaps go and have a look back at that team talk episode and the comments there. That is remarkable, Dino, for a center forward. Of course, let's not forget that's exactly where he was playing.

Speaker A

bit more strategic thinking to it this week sorry to interrupt we've launched a brand new tactics exposed YouTube channel so make sure you go and subscribe to that right now like 10,000 other people already have. You'll get all the tactics exposed content you know

Speaker A

I think you've got on there as well maybe towards the bottom Dean Arsenal's average attacking zones, and it was very much sort of back towards last season, was it not, when it was all down that right-hand side? I was standing in the studio going, "Ah, yeah, it's 'cause Martinelli is no good, that's why they don't want to give it to him," but perhaps it's not because they brought in clearly a level up on Martinelli, but there was a bit more strategic thinking to it this week.

Speaker A

Yeah, we got to give props to Solis as well had a really good game and covered an enormous amount of ground. But 47% attacks down the right hand side. That's not an accident, is it? That's absolutely intentional way we're going

Speaker A

Sorry to interrupt, we've launched a brand new Tactics Exposed YouTube channel, so make sure you go and subscribe to that right now like 10,000 other people already have. You'll get all the Tactics Exposed content you know and love, plus so much more bonus content from mainly Dino and a little bit of me.

Speaker A

last week, didn't he? He's delighted to have Ben White, Sakarigard, that little trio working together again. Do you think there's an element uh that he might have wanted to target that side of Chelsea's defense and thought it might

Speaker A

Yeah, we got to give props to Solis as well. He had a really good game and covered an enormous amount of ground. But 47% attacks down the right-hand side. That's not an accident, is it? That's absolutely intentional way we're going to play through Odegaard, who we'll come back to, and obviously through Havertz and Saka.

Speaker A

top obviously Palmer Pedro and Xiao Pedro and Morgan Rogers, Morgan Rogers is the one that's the most advanced. So therefore, you know, forcing him back into positions he doesn't want to be is one advantage of it. And if he doesn't

Speaker A

Do we think there might have been an element of Arteta not just going, "My team are really good down that right-hand side"? He sort of alluded to it last week, didn't he? He's delighted to have Ben White, Saka, Odegaard, that little trio working together again. Do you think there's an element that he might have wanted to target that side of Chelsea's defense and thought it might be weaker?

Speaker A

better defenders on the right of Chelsea rather than the left. Yeah. And I suppose just a bit more space if Rogers is like committing to being attacking. Bit more space in that mid block almost.

Speaker A

Yeah, I think it's not necessarily the defense that might be weaker, but in a lot of previous games, Morgan Rogers is extremely high on the left-hand side. So in that 3-4-3 Chelsea shape, the three up top obviously Palmer, Pedro, and Xiao Pedro, and Morgan Rogers, Morgan Rogers is the one that's the most advanced. So therefore, you know, forcing him back into positions he doesn't want to be is one advantage of it. And if he doesn't go back into those positions, then you've got the extra man over on that side.

Speaker A

again, what's been different about Arsenal this year is getting into those attacking positions. So you see Califur and Havvertz there frozen those defenders and that big big space 13 meters this time in between the two which is where Solis plays the pass

Speaker A

And the second thing of that is we know that Chelsea have got right backs playing in midfield. Reece James started there. Gusto came on in there. Naturally better defenders on the right of Chelsea rather than the left.

Speaker A

into that position in between the lines very very close to Sacker again and this one was a lovely little flick between the legs of Fana as Saka makes that out to win run again. So it it this is not

Speaker A

Yeah. And I suppose just a bit more space if Rogers is committing to being attacking. Bit more space in that mid-block almost.

Speaker A

in this instance here, sorry before you do, can you call me by my proper name? I'll be reduced to the graphics man.

Speaker A

Absolutely. Yeah. Spot on. And there's a really good example here as well in this clip number four of Havertz, which is the buildup to Odegaard's goal. So we'll come on to Odegaard and the brilliance of him in a minute. But again, what's been different about Arsenal this year is getting into those attacking positions.

Speaker A

he knows the opposite can't [laughter] even do it. Look the rudimentary graphic there. He's not going to let me do it.

Speaker A

So you see Califfur and Havertz there frozen those defenders and that big, big space, 13 meters this time in between the two, which is where Solis plays the pass, which eventually Odegaard crashes the box for the lovely dummy from Havertz to score. But you can see there the number of players in the box, and let's just show it in this instance again with the frozen man, okay, where Havertz has gone into that position in between the lines very, very close to Saka again, and this one was a lovely little flick between the legs of Fana as Saka makes that out to win run again.

Speaker A

on one side and no players here. So it's very very difficult to mark. It's very very difficult to play against and just you know absolutely brilliant from Arteta and my man Kai Havtz and Martin Odigard as well. So point

Speaker A

So this is not an accident. This is not—I could have shown 25 clips, which the graphics man would have killed me for if I'd done that. But it just was happening over and over and over again. And if we show in this instance here, sorry before you do, can you call me by my proper name? I'll be reduced to the graphics man.

Speaker A

Yeah, I mean obviously he's part of nearly every single one of those clips in part one. So let's not let's not dwell on that too much. Okay. But in this instance here, this is this is another example of of Erdigard getting

Speaker A

Graphics man, Will Pew, in this instance here. But again, look, I'm just going to—I'm not going to do this as well as you. Like look at the rudimentary graphic here comes from this point where he knows the opposite can't even do it. Look, the rudimentary graphic there. He's not going to let me do it.

Speaker A

trust him obviously. He's the main main man on the ball at the moment. But also this felt different from Arsenal. This felt a little bit like the weight of the Premier League title has been lifted off their shoulders. And in games last year

Speaker A

Look, he doesn't know what he's doing. But you can see in that area that those three defenders are not occupied. So they're not doing anything, and Arsenal have suckered them into this position where they've got more players on one side and no players here. So it's very, very difficult to mark. It's very, very difficult to play against, and just, you know, absolutely brilliant from Arteta and my man Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard as well.

Speaker A

There was when they played Liverpool at home, you know, they almost invited teams back on to them again because it was a bit like, well, we're not going to go and kill teams off. And look, they didn't go and score a third, but the

Speaker A

So point number two is all about Martin Odegaard and the spaces he was taking up and how much braver he's been. Just talk to us a little bit about it.

Speaker A

different areas of the field. Me again. Have you subscribed yet? If not, why not? Well, there was a lot of time as well, Dino, where you spent last season with lots of different teams talking about a 325 attacking shape.

Speaker A

Yeah, I mean obviously he's part of nearly...

Speaker A

Might have been his debut when we were talking about, wow, hang on, we're seeing a bit of additional bravery from P.

Speaker A

The sixth man run was that show, right? And then all of a sudden, everyone's doing it.

Speaker A

Well, you're right. But not only here, you've got Odegaard plus the five we've highlighted. Ben White's not exactly thinking about defending over the other side. And you've got Gavin here in this position here. So that's that's almost that. Do you

Speaker A

remember we did it with Mark Gaye in the in the cup final where it was like I'm just pushing everybody into that space and I'm not allowing them out. It actually might have been the game at Stanford Bridge, but when you put the

Speaker A

pressure on like that, even when a team wins it back and they go long, Arsenal are the best recovery team in the world.

Speaker A

Odigard also controlled the game in deeper areas of the field. And if we just show this clip here, Chelsea when they manage to get a little bit of a press on and push onto Arsenal, Erdigard solves that problem as well. So he drops

Speaker A

into that space there. Four Chelsea players who have had a pretty good press and Erdigard comes in between them to receive the ball and from there he turns out and plays. So absolutely brilliant.

Speaker A

And then let's not overlook Erdigard in the goal as well in the Kai Havtz goal.

Speaker A

Okay. So, we're just going to highlight him there in there with Havs in that little area. There's our cluster. Got it now. Got it now. There we are in that little cluster with Hav. So, he's done the frozen man trick that time. He's

Speaker A

provided the space for Havverts by taking the defender out of the way. And then we should stop really and actually think about Emmy Martinez. We can't as overlook the fact that the goalkeeper has been beaten from there in that little space at the near post.

Speaker A

Great strike from Havz. Goes through the defender's legs. It does go through the defender's legs.

Speaker A

But you are right. But if he gets beaten far side into the top corner from that position, then you go great goal.

Speaker A

Esteal's chance at the end. Ryer makes a great save that way. Then fantastic. You cannot as a goalkeeper get beaten there.

Speaker A

You know what, right? You are you are right. I totally understand. You've only got to assume and you see it from his movement as well. Right Martinez is that little step to the right that he takes just as Havitz puts it through the legs

Speaker A

of the defender and it goes in. But I still am inclined to agree with you. You got to be getting down for that.

Speaker A

Yeah. And also like we you know we should we should talk about an Erdigard's goal as well. And you know that that we've got this clip we've got this grab to show here of what he got into in the Community Shield final. It's

Speaker A

exactly the same goal. It's exactly the same. He's gone crashed the box late and arrived in there in that stage. So this is Erdigard getting higher and higher up the field. And if we show his touch maps here when he's he's got way more touches

Speaker A

in the opposition half. Way way more. We can see the cluster over on that right corner of the box where he was doing his magic with Sacker and Hertz as well.

Speaker A

Far more spread out than Havitz to be fair. Yeah, absolutely. But miles more in the areas of the field that you want him to to impact on the edges of the box.

Speaker A

Touches and shots inside the area. crosses passes into danger zones. This is not superfluous touches on the halfway line that he doesn't need to make in in areas that he doesn't need to be. This is now your number 10 doing the

Speaker A

magic up around the edges of the boxes as he should be. Yeah. One man we always talk about Dena that we haven't already is Declan Rice who was also a key sort of part of of all of this and what Arsenal were doing

Speaker A

and where he normally drops in and picks up the ball. Odd was doing a bit of that but Rice was also integral to this game.

Speaker A

Yeah, absolutely. And and I'm going to call this all hands on deck because you can see that Arsenal work incredibly well as a unit and this is when they're trying to shut the game out. Look how high up they are up the field trying to

Speaker A

press man be man. But Declan Rice is the one that has to do the most ground coverage in this in this instance because if the goalkeeper goes long, he's got to drop back. If the pass goes into there, he's got to do the sprint to

Speaker A

go on the press. We know he can do it, right? Absolutely incredible. This is your last chance. Well, it's not really, but please go and subscribe to the brand new dedicated tactics exposed YouTube channel.

Speaker A

Little bit naughty with that foul on Morgan Rogers area. Oh, dear. I mean, I'm not at all surprised Morgan Rogers reacted in the way that he did. And look, two England internationals going headto-head with each other there. Was

Speaker A

good fun. To be honest though, I I for a long time have sort of criticized Declan Rice for being a little bit too obviously I'm only jealous because he doesn't play for West Ham anymore, but I think everyone's jealous he doesn't

Speaker A

play for their team. Yeah. [laughter] Oh, yeah. Right. But I've always sort of criticized him for for being a little bit too soft, a little bit too nicey nicy. To be honest, all we would call that is a cynical decent foul and and it

Speaker A

did a good thing for his team. He's not thinking of England while he's trying to win a game.

Speaker A

That doesn't mean it's not naughty, though, does it? That's it's still quite a little I mean, if it's a it's a Bernardo Silva tackle, wasn't it? It was a Bernardo Silva. And also, I can't believe the ref didn't see it for a

Speaker A

start. That was bizarre. It was right in front of him. But yeah, and I'm not surprised Morgan Rogers reacted the way he did. But from there, let's just show this is this is a few seconds later um where you know Chelsea do go through a

Speaker A

press and then go over the top. The two Arsenal center backs actually get caught out by Xiao Pedro there in this instance.

Speaker A

Yeah, doing the Harry Kane. So Cole Palmer could be through but no Declan Rice back on the recovery. Little toe poke back. And look, when we when we see that where where Arsenal were positionally throughout the game, you've

Speaker A

got Declan Rice and Mars Lewis Kelly Skellyy playing much more like a double pivot that I talked about in team talk as well. And that means you can get back into positions like this. And because you're getting Martin Erdigard in higher

Speaker A

positions to impact the game, there's less responsibility on Declan Rice to be the one trying to make things happen in the penalty area. commit those five players, six players forward without Declan Rice and you have him to do that

Speaker A

on the recovery. You can be braver in both instances.

Topics:ArsenalChelseaKai HavertzMikel Artetafootball tacticsfrozen man tacticPremier Leaguetactical analysisSakaOdegaard

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