When an Arsenal player is in possession of the ball it's rare to see them short of options. Passes are not executed and admired, they are delivered with precision and followed by an astute piece of movement to offer an outlet.
Pass and move are not seen as individual actions, but as a unified action built into the Gunners' footballing philosophy.
One automatically proceeds the other, say Arsenal's prince of open play, Jack Wilshere explains.
"The key is to get a bit of space so you can look for the pass or run with the ball, but once you’ve made a pass don’t sit back and admire it," the England international told FFT.
"Look at the Barcelona players: once they’ve released it they make themselves available for another pass.”
To hear more on north London's brand of tika-taka let Wilshere explain….
Also see:
How to keep possession: Perfect your first touch
How to keep possession: Protect the ball
How to keep possession: Alter the point of attack
How to keep possession: Work on your shape
How to keep possession: Be forward-thinking
Jack Wilshere: How to keep possession
Run the midfield: Jack Wilshere
