Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he deliberated over tweaking formation earlier this season but held off until the club's unbeaten run ended.
The Frenchman switched systems earlier this month after seeing his side slip to defeat away to Crystal Palace, being rewarded with three wins from three games since.
Wenger believes that the 3-4-3 setup adopted, which he last used some two decades ago, works to get the best out of individual players and has helped to get Arsenal out of a "frustrating" period.
"In fairness I wanted to do it a month-and-a-half ago, but I thought no, maybe we shouldn't destroy the way we have played before, because we were 20 games unbeaten," he told Sky Sports News. "When the confidence becomes fragile, sometimes just to focus on something different is important.
"At the moment it looks like it gets the best out of every player. It's not a new system because I played it 20, 30 years ago! But it's a system that sometimes brings some reassurance when the defensive confidence is not at the best.
On the club potentially missing out on the top four, Wenger added: "It is very frustrating because I want to win every game for this club. The disadvantage is that I have been here for some 20 years, you know and are conscious of how important it is, your love comes in and I don't sit here like a brutal, professional guy who says: 'Ok, if it doesn't work I'll walk away.'
"I contributed to build what exists, and therefore if it doesn't go well of course I suffer more than a normal guy who is just here for a year or two. At the end of the day my job is to get the best out of the potential of the team; my job is to fight like mad to get the best out of the team.
"It's been better and more connected recently, but you know that in life as well, you forget very quickly how good you are. Nobody reminds you in a bad period that you're maybe not as bad as people judge you. Even when you are bad for a moment, that situation is not permanent."
Arsenal have defeated Middlesbrough and Leicester City in the Premier League and Manchester City in the FA Cup since reverting to a three-man backline.
Daniel Lewis
