Arsenal could be set to return to a back three for their next Premier League game against Norwich City after adopting the same shape in a friendly win on Thursday.
The Gunners have had a below-par start to the season, losing all three Premier League matches so far and are yet to score a goal, conceding nine in the meantime.
Despite a tricky opening, Mikel Arteta has been without a number of his key players through injury and illness, including Ben White and Thomas Partey.
But a 4-0 behind-closed-doors victory over a youthful Brentford side might provide Arteta with a platform to kick on and for his team to pick up their first three points of the campaign.
The Bees, however, fielded an inexperienced line-up, whilst Arteta threw in some of his big guns as Gabriel Martinelli, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe all started in a front three.
Cedric was the one who stole the show, though, after he netted a late brace to put the game beyond the visitors' reach, with Gabriel and Lacazette also finding the net.
The quality of the two teams should be taken into consideration when analysing the result, but there's no doubt it provided Arteta with a chance to look at some of his new additions.
While the Spaniard was supposedly happy with the workout, the interesting point to conclude from the London Colney Training Ground game was the use of a back-three.
Arsenal have deployed either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation in their opening three matches, but they are yet to be successful using those shapes after losing against Chelsea, Manchester City and the Bees.
It did appear that they used a three-man defence at City, but that often looked like a back five with Cedric and Kieran Tierney pushed back.
Pablo Mari started in the friendly with White and Gabriel either side of him in the centre of defence; Callum Chambers and Cedric were used as the two wing-backs.
Although they came off early, Arteta was pleased to see White and Mari feature again having previously seen the pair just once, which was in the defeat at Brentford on August 13.
He said: "Yes we had the possibility to play Brentford again.
"And we had quite a lot of players who needed some minutes.
"Some of them coming back from injuries, some of them after Covid. So it was a good test and a good work-out."
One man who didn't feature was new £17m signing Takehiro Tomayasu after his deadline day switch from Bologna.
Arteta has hinted that the Japanese international can play in a back-three, as well as on the right side of defence and he could slot straight into the starting XI.
"Again, we followed him for a while," he added.
"We needed a full-back who could be very versatile, can play as a centre back, can play in a back three, Tomi has this capacity.
"He is 22 years-old but he has some really good experience in Serie A and at international level and with the qualities we are looking for."
This formation served Arsenal well last season and they used it in the final of the FA Cup in 2020, where they beat Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley.
The Gunners' next game against Norwich could prove to be Arteta's most important in his managerial career and he will want to turn their fortunes around sooner rather than later.
Their transfer business has been successful, having signed six players in the window and the Arsenal boss will hope that they can make an impact in the coming weeks.
