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 game against PSV Eindhoven last September, their first Champions League match since 2017, the competition’s famous anthem was played on Hornsey Road, just outside the Emirates Stadium.

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

That is understandable, given that they spent most of that period in the Europa League, with rivals Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City each winning the biggest prize in European football.

Ultimately, however, the adventure ended with a 1-0 defeat in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich. It was a courageous return to the top.

For their opening match against Atalanta tonight, Mikel Arteta’s side are no newcomers to this stage. As consistent title contenders in the world’s strongest league, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t try their luck in Europe.

To achieve that, they will have to win against clubs like Atalanta or Munich.

However, the signs are positive: in England, Arsenal has developed into an away club.

They have won all 11 away Premier League games in 2024 except one – a hard-fought draw at the Etihad. They have kept nine clean sheets and have not gone behind once. That is impressive to read.

The incredible run has been achieved through a masterplan tailored to the road fixtures. Unlike some big teams, they don’t presume to use the same style that brings success on home soil. Instead, Arteta likes to adapt his tactics and in doing so has transformed Arsenal into formidable visitors.

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

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

And they are increasingly playing from set pieces away from home, an area in which they have become the country’s most lethal players.

In the 2024 competition they played away and made 5,015 successful passes.

That is far more than the 4,624 successful passes in their 11 games at the Emirates, where they upped the tempo and risked 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 series (4.4 to 4). They are generally calmer away from home, and hold the ball to silence the home fans.

This is backed up by their shot conversion rate, where they score 18.5 percent of their shots away from home as they patiently work their way into scoring positions.

At home, the shot conversion rate is 13.9 percent, because they play faster and take more potshots. At the Emirates in 2024, they will have taken 209 shots, compared to 168 at other venues.

At home, the wingers are given the freedom to move forward. Declan Rice plays higher up the pitch. The average position of the fullbacks is over the halfway line.

Outside they form a midfield of five, with Thomas Partey dropping the furthest.

The physically imposing Kai Havertz drops back into midfield, the two wingers crawl back when Arsenal are not in possession and Martin Odegaard applies tireless pressure from the front.

With the Norwegian injured side now out for an extended period, Arteta must figure out who will fill that role.

This watertight formation has made them almost impenetrable. In the calendar year, Arsenal have conceded just 28 shots that statistics gurus Opta classify as ‘big chances’, compared to 42 in North London.

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

‘There is no choice! So we have to be consistent, get a result, especially with great performances that will give us results.

‘I noticed it game after game and the team managed to compete, perform and get results in difficult stadiums and against difficult opponents, and in a very consistent way.

‘Winning games in different ways, which is very important if you want to be consistent away from home. We managed to do that and hopefully we can take those lessons into the Champions League.’

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

Arteta is also trying to recreate the homely comfort of the Emirates.

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

A subtle change in travel may also have made a difference. During the Arsène Wenger and Unai Emery days, the team would rush straight back to London after an away game in Europe.

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

So Arsenal are doing well on the road in the Premier League, but they are struggling in Europe.

Of Arsenal’s five away games in Europe last season, they won one (Sevilla), drew one (PSV) and lost three (Lens, Porto and Bayern Munich). The two away games do not match.

One obvious difference is that Arsenal fail to make effective use of set pieces. The Gunners, led by set-piece specialist Nicolas Jover, are usually lethal.

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

But in European matches they have yet to score from dead balls. To make matters worse, the Gunners’ shot conversion rate in Europe drops to a paltry 7.7 percent.

On the difference playing in Europe, Arteta added: ‘You don’t know the opponents that well and the penalty areas are crucial.

‘At this level there are little details, little moments that define the story of the competition and the story of the match.

‘In the Premier League it’s different. But in Europe the teams are ruthless and you have to be at your best and very effective.’

Arsenal have shown that they can make the opponent’s turf in England their own. Now it’s time to see if they can become kings in Europe too.