Yeah I understand the crucial nature of these last matches, but I'll have to repeat that, you can hardly find any dedicated possession side with such a Plan B. A Liverpool(under Klopp), Roma(under Mou),Bayern(under Tuchel) even Real Madrid(under Carlo) and several others would have such a plan B, but you would rarely catch City, Barca or Sarri's Lazio ever have this kind as a plan C, even.

This might be something of interest for you @klye perhaps you are another Arsenal supporter.

Now, the latter three sides mentioned, play a dedicated possession game like Arsenal, highly unforgivably systematic in their processes. They see football a whole lot differently from other coaches.

Also, those sides I listed who can engage your said Plan B, have also practiced it at one time or the other on the training turf, so it is less risky for them to engage it, but a far riskier option for a Pep or Xavi team to engage in, something they don't practice.

But even if one were to engage a plan B, come on, he must exhaust his plan A first. Arsenal hadn't even go close to exhausting it's plan A, there were solutions on the bench! It's not the first time though, it's a learning process for Arteta.

For example I once said in February, "Must Nketiah play 90 minutes? There were times last season Saka needed a rest, but Arteta kept flogging him for 90mins even when there was a sub for him. This guy,Nketiah,just began starting matches after the World Cup please help him by substituting him at times. If a Mahrez can be taken off, De Bruyne can be taken off, what's wrong with taking off your precious striker when the going gets tough(and even when it isn't that tough) to give him a breather?" This is contained in my post here.

Well, I still hang unto my conclusion in that my post—

Best regards mate.