By pushing a full-back into midfield to form a back three in possession, Mikel Arteta built a structure that produced control in the middle of the pitch and the division's meanest defence.
Age limits, over-age wild cards and release deadlines make the Olympic tournament a distinct negotiation between clubs and national programmes.
When five attackers meet a set defence inside the penalty area, geometry starts working for the attack.
Passes allowed per defensive action is football's simplest pressing number, and its most misunderstood.
Related-party controls, ownership registers and a new English regulator are dismantling the opacity that multi-club structures exploited.
Coaching fashions rotate, but the rectangle at the edge of the box keeps producing the game's most valuable touches — and the data has never really argued otherwise.