Martin Keown is all too familiar with playing in a back three.
The former England international can remember tactical walkthroughs with Bruce Rioch every Monday morning, making sure each player was comfortable with the formation.
Arsene Wenger inherited the system and, after 20 years of favouring a back four, reverted to it last season. But what has Keown made of the tactical switch?
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“Well I think with the group, football is essentially a numbers game,” he told Arsenal Player. “By playing three at the back and having one midfielder just sitting in front, which Xhaka was very good at, it allowed Ramsey to get forward and we weren’t in any danger with the counter-attack any more.
“That’s really been a problem over the past six or seven years. I can think of many occasions when the counter-attack has really undone Arsenal and that balance wasn’t there.
“The system is now in vogue. We’ve seen a Premier League team win with a back three, an FA Cup team, of course Arsenal, winning with a three, and I can see no reason why you’d change that next season.
“It’s been a real success story. We’ve won nine of the last 10 matches."
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