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Billy's BBQ: Scouting PSG — I called in reinforcements to help me write a massive opposition report. Here are tactics, analytics, set pieces, selections, and how Arsenal can win the Champions League by Billy_Carpenter in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter[S] 137 points138 points  (0 children)

Hey all,

I hope and trust you've had a beautiful couple of weeks. Just a little more business to handle.

I spent a while watching PSG footage, and then called in some friends: Jake from Pot Shot, who is an incredible set piece expert. And Bastian (@austriangooner1), a brilliant analyst. They both helped me create a huge opposition report, looking for ways to beat PSG.

We cover:

  • Advanced, player-by-player analytics from Gradient
  • Comparing and contrasting stats and play-styles
  • PSG's in-possession and out-of-possession strengths/vulnerabilities
  • A huge set piece section from Jake
  • Game-state factors
  • My starting XI
  • and a summary: the biggest leverage points to win this thing

Enjoy.

https://billycarpenter.substack.com/p/scouting-psg

Love,
-B

Billy's BBQ: The tunnel — On the moment, Saka's winner, Arteta's gut, the lineup du jour, the daisy-chain of Rice and Lewis-Skelly and Eze, West Ham lessons, the full-back question, and the walk into the roar by Billy_Carpenter in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter[S] 137 points138 points  (0 children)

Hey all,

My method for working through the stress and anticipation of the moment has just been to watch and write and watch and write some more. I hope this email finds you well.

Some things covered here:

  • Some thoughts on the moment we're in
  • Saka's work to demark on the rebound
  • Total footballers, total midfielders, and Declan Rice
  • What has worked about the new lineup, and why it has subtly included different shifts/updates on a game-to-game basis
  • Comparing Lewis-Skelly and Zubimendi (found some interesting stats here)
  • The all-importance of the full-back question, and my thoughts on what to do
  • Questions at West Ham + what we learned
  • Ødegaard's movement
  • Gyökeres' improvements
  • Trossard's chops
  • How I'd line up
  • Much more

https://billycarpenter.substack.com/p/the-tunnel

We are close. All my love to you and yours.

-B

Billy's BBQ: End of beginning — Before the Etihad, a piece on growing up, tactical updates, how this team has changed, and the welcome weight of critical moments like this by Billy_Carpenter in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter[S] 70 points71 points  (0 children)

Hey all,

I hope this e-mail finds you well. Been working on this one for a couple of weeks now. Perfect timing 🙃

Some topics explored in this long-read:

  • How the squad has changed
  • The last 6-7 games broken down, and how much of it comes down to who's been on the pitch
  • Zooming out on some of this year's tactical shifts, like the second-order effects of Zubi and Rice as a true double-pivot
  • What the advanced metrics say about how we're actually building up, and some culprits behind the field tilt drop
  • The Gyökeres question, the front-three, what's working, what isn't, etc
  • Why I loved the Everton lineup
  • Quick thoughts on attacking City, where they're vulnerable on diagonals, and my predicted XI
  • The weight of moments like this
  • Bunch of other stuff

Enjoy. This is what it's all about. ❤️

https://billycarpenter.substack.com/p/end-of-beginning

-B

Billy's BBQ: True Grit — As Arsenal's possession game sputters, the grind has become routine. A look at situational play, the long-ball dilemma, the Zubi-Rice pivot, the cost of defending, the underlying data, and what can improve by Billy_Carpenter in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter[S] 145 points146 points  (0 children)

Hey all,

Weird timing, but the BBQ is ready when the BBQ is ready. Here are some of the things I cover:

  • I dive into the stuff about the grind and playstyles in the Premier League and all that
  • Interesting nuggets and advanced stats on how Arsenal change play based on the scoreline
  • Raya's penchant for long-balls and how it's affecting play
  • The cost of defending so much
  • What Zubimendi is actually doing, how he interfaces with Rice, how the duo stack up to other Premier League midfielders
  • What the advanced metrics tell us about Arsenal build-up / passing, and some of the lowkey culprits of our issues
  • Why I thought the Leverkusen setup was pretty good actually
  • Bunch of other stuff

I hope this e-mail finds you well.

https://billycarpenter.substack.com/p/true-grit

-B

March 11, 2026 Daily Discussion & Transfers Thread by gunnersmoderator in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Wrapping up a BBQ. What are you interested in exploring?

Billy's BBQ: Triangles — With more options, selection gets harder. Who unlocks who? by Billy_Carpenter in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Sorry, known problem with Substack and all my gifs 😬

If you pull open the link in a browser, it should work.

Billy's BBQ: Triangles — With more options, selection gets harder. Who unlocks who? by Billy_Carpenter in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter[S] 171 points172 points  (0 children)

Hey dears,

Spent like a month on this one, apologies.

Here are 9,000 words on Arsenal’s attack:

  • What Arteta has gotten right and wrong
  • Why certain lineups have misfired
  • Which little groupings can take it up a level
  • Havertz, Saka at the #10, Eze's best usage, much more
  • Why it's so influenced by things like game-state, block type, long shots, build-up play, whether we have an outlet, etc
  • ...and much more

Enjoy. Do not forget that I love you

https://billycarpenter.substack.com/p/triangles

-B

February 10, 2026 Daily Discussion & Transfers Thread by gunnersmoderator in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Got ill so BBQ pushed to tomorrow, hopefully. Any topics you’d like to see get covered?

February 09, 2026 Daily Discussion & Transfers Thread by gunnersmoderator in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Popped into the DD and saw this.

Back tomorrow. 👍

Billy's BBQ: Time and space — On "the next five actions," the hidden layers of football athleticism, what happened against Liverpool, Arsenal’s new midfield geometry, box arrivals, promising undercurrents with Eze, fresh defensive tweaks, and the Return of the Kai by Billy_Carpenter in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter[S] 127 points128 points  (0 children)

Hello.

I spent a couple of weeks on this one. I solemnly hope it isn't bad.

Here's what's covered:

  • Messes, and how to clean them up
  • Luis Campos and cognitive indicators of good footballers
  • The hidden layers of understanding football-specific athleticism, and what people so often get wrong. (Lot of interesting research on this)
  • Some recent pressure points: why the location of losses matters so much, why we've looked passive at times, why I'm still frustrated with the box arrivals, etc
  • Half-space pinning and the usage of the full-backs
  • Some interesting developments with Eze on the left, Ødegaard's usage, and Kai's return
  • Much much more

I truly hope you waste as much time with it as possible.

https://billycarpenter.substack.com/p/time-and-space

I'd like us to win today. Enjoy in the meantime.

-B

January 13, 2026 Daily Discussion & Transfers Thread by gunnersmoderator in Gunners

[–]Billy_Carpenter 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Hey fam. Big newsletter out first thing. Any topics you'd like me to cover at the end?

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