Shadowing Practice: Why Nobody Can Stop Arteta’s NEW Tactics - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Mikel Arteta has significantly upgraded Arsenal's tactics this season and after winning four games in a row, they look unbeatable.
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I'll be breaking down how Arteta has completely changed Arsenal's build -up,
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why Declan Rice is now being used as a defender and why Arsenal's one -man midfield has unlocked their attack.
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So, why has Mikel Arteta tweaked his tactics despite winning the league last season.
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Well, to understand this, we need to first look at the formation that Arsenal are using.
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So last season, Arsenal used a combination of both 4 -3 -3 and 4 -2 -3 -1.
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So far this season, Arteta is preferring the 4 -2 -3 -1 as his first choice formation.
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Now, at a glance, it looks similar to their team from last season with only two new signings.
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But not only has Arteta added new players, he's also tweaked the roles of many players who were at the club last season.
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Before the season even began, Arteta had a huge problem.
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Because last season, Arsenal had the best defence in the league, which effectively won them the title.
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Their back four was the foundation of that success, but coming into the season, two of those key players were out injured.
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But Arsenal have only conceded one goal and look incredibly solid.
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So how has Arteta dealt with this massive challenge?
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Because not only can nobody score against them, they're not really conceding chances either, with just nine shots on target against them all season long.
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And an important factor of this is their ability to play as a unit, regardless of who forms it.
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Look here, Sunderland have bypassed Arsenal's press and Muchiele has space to run into.
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Now, a lot of defenders would apply pressure here, pulling themselves out of the defensive line.
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But Arsenal, they drop deep and they ensure any potential runners are marked.
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So, with all passing options covered, Muchiele is then forced to try a shot from distance, which gets blocked.
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But what happens when an opponent does manage to find that space?
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Well, against Aston Villa here, Buendia is in possession and has multiple options ahead of him.
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Buendia gives it to Hemmings on the wing, who is suddenly 1v1 with Mosquera.
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But look at Gabriel.
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He's not focused on the ball.
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He's scanning for the player, who may receive the next pass and moves to cover the space.
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Meanwhile, Mosquera does his job in the 1v1 by slowing down the player on the ball.
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And as a two, they nullify this attack.
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But what happens when delaying the opposition isn't enough?
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Like here, where Morgan Rodgers is breaking away into space and Arsenal only have Esri Konza back defending.
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Well, as soon as Rodgers takes the touch into space,
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Konza decides to engage him and covers the ground brilliantly to deny what would have been an excellent chance for Chelsea.
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But even if you manage to get through their defence, there's still one final problem.
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Pretty big one as well.
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How do you beat one, and in my opinion, the league's best goalkeeper, David Rea?
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Well, for Arteta, Rea isn't just crucial when it comes to shot stopping.
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It's actually a key part of how Arsenal attack and his role in possession has changed this season.
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And here's the proof, people, because this is his passing map from Arsenal's most recent game against Sunderland.
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And what we can see is that there's pretty much an equal balance of short and long passes.
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Now, compare that to the exact same game from last season and we can see that Rea mostly went long.
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And mixing it up is clearly an instruction from Mikel Arteta this season.
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David Rea puts his studs on the ball here and intentionally slows down the play.
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The reason being, well, Arsenal are trying to bait the Sunderland players into advanced areas, drawing them away from their defensive shape.
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Now let's zoom out to the tactical cam for a full understanding here.
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David Rea is relaxed and has both Arsenal centre -backs as short options.
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Sunderland have been conditioned to think that he wants to play it short by this point so they begin to press.
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But Rea instead plays long, giving Arsenal a three -on -three in Sunderland's half, which almost sets off Saka through on goal.
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Now next, we need to talk about defence and midfield together, because Arteta has essentially blended the two,
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and nobody demonstrates that better than Declan Rice.
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Last season, even when Arteta moved to the 4 -2 -3 -1 formation, Declan Rice was almost always the left central midfielder.
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And not only that, he almost exclusively touched the ball on the left side of midfield.
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But I know what you're thinking, what's that got to do with Arsenal's defence?
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Well, look at where he's touching the ball this season.
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Not only is he on a totally different side of the pitch, he's also so much deeper.
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This is because during the second phase of build -up, Arteta is asking Rice to almost become a third centre -back.
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But the question you want to know the answer to is why would Arteta want him in this? position
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when you've got a stallion like Declan Rice ready to go up and down.
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Well, let's rewind that to here, where Rice is about to take a free kick from this position.
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Meanwhile, right back Ben White instantly vacates the area.
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And then Arsenal settle into this back three shape.
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But have a look at Ben White.
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He stays in between these two Aston Villa players to take up their attention.
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So when Rice then gets on the ball, there's now an open pathway to play it into Bukayo Saka.
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But this also changes Arsenal's build -up on the left too, because there's a Declan Rice -shaped hole there.
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There's no quiff.
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Or is there a quiff?
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Oh, it's a little bit longer, but it's a gorgeous quiff still the same.
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It's Ricciardo Calafiore.
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Check out his touch map against Villa.
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You can see that he's picking up touches at his natural left -back position, as expected, but he's also touching the ball repeatedly in more central areas.
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This is because Gabriel receives the ball and he's tasked with receiving it in quite a wide position.
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This allows Calafiore the freedom to move away from that area and to sit within Aston Villa's block.
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And suddenly, Gabriel has a passing lane directly into Eze.
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Calafiore is affecting Arsenal's build without even touching the ball.
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Moving from left back into central areas makes him a nightmare for opponents to mark.
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And this time he's become a forward passing option in an awkward space
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and it attracts the attention of the Villa players around him.
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And that creates space for new signing Solis to receive it and it leads to an Arsenal corner, which is the last thing that you want if you're facing Arsenal.
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So Arsenal have midfielders playing in defence and defenders playing in midfield, but Calafiore and Rice aren't the only examples of this.
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Last season, Myles Lewis Skelly only made five starts and this season he started all of their four league matches so far.
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And the thing you ought to add to that is
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that the majority of last season's minutes saw him play as a left back
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but now Arteta has changed his role and Lewis Skelly is only playing in midfield.
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And Arteta has given him one of the most important jobs in the entire team Because with Rice dropping into defence,
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Lewis Skelly regularly becomes Arsenal's only central passing option.
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So why would Arteta deliberately leave just one midfielder in the middle of the pitch?
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Well, it enables them to create this four -player diamond shape.
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Arteta wants this because it ensures that Lewis Skelly always has a safe pass backwards if there are no forward options.
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And so if opponents want to press aggressively, they have to commit four players towards that diamond.
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And that suits a player of the quality of Myles Lewis Skelly brilliantly
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because that would drag players away from a central area and provide Lewis Skelly with forward options, something that he is comfortable and always looking for.
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And Arteta knows this.
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He can trust Lewis Skelly with that responsibility because of his ability to play progressively.
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Look here, Rice has the ball in that ad hoc right centre -back position again.
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Now, Lewis Skelly is the only central passing option, as we've spoken about, but this is what Arteta wants.
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And so does Odegaard, who is pointing towards him.
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Without hesitation, Lewis Skelly receives the ball and then punches it through to Odegaard.
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And Arsenal go from patiently building up to attacking the final third in the flick of a switch.
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And Lewis Skelly isn't the only player who can do it.
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Bruno Gimoresh proved against Sunderland exactly what he can offer in this role
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because he was used as
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that sole midfielder looking to play it forward he had the
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freedom to move into more advanced areas to receive the ball
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like here receiving in space before moving it forward to quickly attack the gap ahead
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and the cherry on the top of this bruno g cake is his ability to receive it in congested areas
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and offer end product so now arteta has multiple players capable of operating as this one -man midfield.
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But the biggest benefit comes further forward with Martin Erdegaard.
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No Arsenal player has created more big chances than Erdegaard this season.
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The Norwegian is flying.
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He's averaging more shots, more key passes, and more touches per game than he did last season.
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And he's essentially becoming Arsenal's primary creator.
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Let's have a look at last season because his touchmaps looked like this.
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He regularly received the ball in the right half space, but rarely got it in and around the box.
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Now, let's compare that to this season, and we instantly see he is far more prominent in the final third.
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And that is the real benefit of Arsenal's new shape.
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Odegaard can stay high in areas where he can actually hurt teams.
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But once Arsenal reach the final third, Arteta's shape can start to look different again.
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And that's where Arsenal's attacking rotations come in.
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Let's start here with Rhea retrieving a loose ball.
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Rice receives the short pass, but look at where Havertz goes.
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He moves from his central position into the right half space, and that leaves Arsenal without the central striker.
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But also, it gives the Sunderland players nobody to mark in the middle.
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And Odegaard takes advantage of this by moving into that area to receive the ball.
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That triggers Calafiore's run into space, resulting in a shooting opportunity.
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And Arteta is constantly asking his team to use these rotations to get Odegaard into dangerous positions.
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Calafiori pops into that inverted role and immediately looks for Solis who has stayed extremely wide, stretching and pinning the opposition.
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Meanwhile, Erdogan is now Arsenal's most advanced player through the middle
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and this is exactly where you see Arteta's attacking plan for this season with Erdogan, right at the heart of it.
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You have two wide players taking up the Chelsea wingbacks, but you also have three central players all targeting different zones of the box.
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That makes it so difficult for the Chelsea defenders to mark them all at once.
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Odegaard goes undetected and it allows him to score.
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But why does Odegaard keep finding himself free in these areas?
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Well, a huge THE reason is Kai Havertz.
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Saka has the ball in an attacking area here, but look at Kai Havertz.
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He's scanning the Coventry defenders before making a run.
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Saka and Ben White make use of the width, whilst Kai Havertz makes a run towards the centre of the six -yard box.
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Odegaard then moves into the space that Havertz has vacated and he's left unmarked, allowing him to score.
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But this isn't a one -way relationship.
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No, no. Odegaard's movement also benefits Havertz.
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Zollis wins the ball back here in an advanced area.
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It allows Calafiore to receive it high up the pitch and now Arsenal have those three attacking runs once again.
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This time it's Odegaard's run that takes away the defender's attention and with Havertz not over committing his run,
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he can calmly come onto the ball and sweep it into the back of the net.
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Arteta's new tactical tweaks have Arsenal off to the perfect start as they fight to retain their title.
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The only other unbeaten team is Manchester City and Turkey is key to that.
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If you want to see why, click right here.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 146 sentences and 2107 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:14. The speaker talks at a natural 172 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| midfield noun | /ˈmɪd.fiːld/ | The portion of a team which typically plays centrally, between the attack (or forwards) and the defence (or backs). |
| defender noun | /dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)/ | Someone who defends people or property. |
| midfielder noun | A player who operates behind the attackers and in front of the defence. | |
| meanwhile adverb | /ˈmiːnwaɪl/ | During the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place. |
| pitch noun | /pɪt͡ʃ/ | A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand. |
| opponent noun | /əˈpəʊ.nənt/ | One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something. |
| compare verb | /kəmˈpɛɚ/ | To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it… |
| diamond noun | /ˈdaɪ.ə.mənd/ | A glimmering glass-like mineral that is an allotrope of carbon in which each atom is surrounded by four others in the form of a tetrahedron. |
| essentially adverb | /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/ | In essence: by nature. |
| defensive adjective | /dɪˈfɛn.sɪv/ | Intended for defence; protective. |
| possession noun | /pəˈzɛʃn̩/ | A control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights. |
| commit verb | /kəˈmɪt/ | To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto. |
| instantly adverb | /ˈɪnstəntli/ | At once; without delay. |
| tactics noun | /ˈtæktɪks/ | The military science that deals with achieving the objectives set by strategy. |
| rotation noun | /ɹoʊˈteɪʃən/ | The act of turning around a centre or an axis. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. | |
| left back noun | A defender who normally plays on the left side of the field. | |
| slow down verb | To decelerate. | |
| take up verb | To pick up. | |
| break down verb | To stop functioning. | |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
| go up verb | To move upwards. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as isn't, you're, aren't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: width /ˈwɪtθ/, pathway /ˈpæθˌweɪ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, possession /pəˈzɛʃn̩/, rotation /ɹoʊˈteɪʃən/, crucial /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, exclusively /ɪkˈskluːsɪvli/, repeatedly /ɹɪˈpiːtɪdli/, deliberately /dɪˈlɪb.(ə.)ɹət.li/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like midfield, defender, midfielder.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has unlocked · have only conceded · have bypassed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are marked · is then forced · have been conditioned |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.