Well, we all knew we weren’t a match to Man City with their 33-goal scorer Haaland and the best midfielder on the planet in Kevin De Bruyne. But no one expected that we won’t show up for a fight. In the title race when a win was a 6 pointer, we lost and we lost badly. A 4-1 score is as bad as it gets, but the way we played it could have been worse.
So, where did it go wrong? As a starter, Arteta failed to adjust to the Pep’s tactics. Their first goal was a result of the free space De Bruyne was enjoying between our midfield and defence. In the first 30min, it happened couple of times when the pair of Haaland and De Bruyne were left with our CBs. I don’t think anyone can beat Haaland for the pace, it was a fight to be lost. We should have adapted, we should have dropped down and closed the space . We could have switched back to back 3 and fight on counters.
Second, we stuck to the playing XI which didn’t work against Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton. Yes, Xhaka was back in place of Vieira but it doesn’t make any difference. Both are poor! If you say what options we had, I would like to point out that it’s our own doing. We haven’t been polishing the bench. We gave Vieira couple of matches in spite of his poor performance in his first, but we didn’t try an ESR. We haven’t tried a Partey + Jorginho midfield pairing. Saka looked knackered but we didn’t see Nelson allowing him some rest. Kiwior was brought into the fold against Liverpool, in last 20 min; I’m sure it wasn’t the perfect time to begin your premier league career.
Arteta’s stubbornness to play his favourites and not adapting to what’s in front, has cost us games. If you expect a player to deliver in 60 games a year, and if he don’t, you switch things up. Jesus might be great in compact spaces and running into 3 opposition players, but where’s the end result? If your CF do not have a goal in him, bring on Eddie. Revert to Trossard at the front who looks more clinical.
I don’t know, there has been a lot of things which we can see is wrong, but our manager sticks to the same old – same style, same player, same tactics.
Here’s the bitter truth. We didn’t lose the title because of this City game. We lost it against Pool (going 2-0 up), West Ham (going 2-0 up again), and Southampton (going 2-0 down at home in first 15min). I understand we are a young team, but young guns can fire too. It don’t matter if it’s your captain, if he is not having a good day, bring on your other no. #10, who saved your career at some point and was considered the next DeBruyne.
I’m not sure how much Arteta will learn from this but I’m sure of this – he is going to spend another 200m to bring some more enforcements, but with this stubbornness and Champions League + Premier League next season, we will have the same conundrum. Unless he buys another playing XI, which is not likely.
Here’s another one – if you think it’s a progress to finish 2nd this season, remember that Arteta was appointed as the head coach of Arsenal on 20th Dec, 2019. It’s been 3.5 years, with half a billion spent on a completely new playing XI bar our academy products. This season has been anomaly, Liverpool is having a bad one, Chelsea are sh*t, Spurs are spursy, and United is going through a rebuild under Tan Hag. If you think allowing 3 years for a manager, only to see him finish second after having a 9 point lead at some point, is considered a progress, then you have very low expectation.
With money coming in for New Castle, Chelsea appointing Poch probably, united getting stronger, Pool back in their form, what happens next? It would be tougher than this season. There will be 2 games a week and more Saliba-esque injuries. Who will we blame? Fixtures? Injuries? Bad weather? Because that’s what we have been doing apparently from like last 10 years.
We need an upgrade. We need an upgrade on Xhaka, whose average performance looks like a world class by his standards. We need a midfield, because you buy all the 50m defenders as you want, but it’s not gonna work if you don’t have functioning midfield. We need a better goal scorer if you don’t have confidence in Eddie. And we need an upgrade on the manager. Learning on the job is not a bad thing, but the pace is too slow for a club as big and as ambitious as Arsenal.
We need courage. We don’t need a captain who goes missing in big games, we have had enough of Ozil for years. We need the winning mentality, not the one we saw against West Ham of dropping performance after going 2-0 up. We need players who make fun of the opposition, on the pitch; who can bully the opposition, who are not satisfied with 2-0 lead at Anfield and want more.
Frankly, it has been a depressing month. We have thrown away the title and there’s no one else to blame. It was ours to lose, and we lost it. I’m angry, I’m frustrated and I’m sure you are, too. I hope the players feel the same, and motivates themselves to make the best of rest of the season.
It’s over for me, but we fight again tomorrow.
TRVL
Its almost as if Arteta’s given up on the title and is side lining players who aren’t in his plans for next season.
The fan boys spin on selling Saliba is going to be seriously cringe worthy.
Marc-two things-if, as you’ve suggested, MA’s playing only those in his plans, we should be pulling out our fucking collective hair that both Xhaka and Jorginho are on the pitch together, and anybody who tries to spin the whole Saliba exodus possibility shouldn’t foget that presently his market valuation is just a tad below what we paid for GD White…now if someone was to offer us 70+M for a player that doesn’t want to sign, then I’ll have a rethink but that’s highly unlikely considering suitors will have two important leverage angles, in that they know he wants out and he only has a year left on his present deal
Sky execs brainstorming about personnel before the game. ‘let’s get two heroes from yesteryear to represent each team’. OK says one, what about Shay Given for the Barcodes? Great, and what about Arsenal? How about William Gallas he says? Sorted!
Marc,
Prepare yourself for the mind boggling conclusion that Saliba can go and do one if he doesn’t want to play for Arsenal one of England’s,nay,Europe’s footballing juggernauts. A club that simultaneously are working miracles just to qualify for the champions league and if you expect more than that you are an entitled twat who knows nothing about football!
Sky just really polishing a turd that this is an important game – they’re like snake oil salesmen.
Almunia
After that little gem, you should consider a name change to Arsenesaynomore. How’s it going mate?
Any Gooners from India out there today?
I would suspect that all of the contrived nonsense being spewed by those within the club this week, about how players are begging to be part of MA’s little plans, is a fll-on wag the dog attempt to deflect attentions away from those like Saliba and maybe even Saka who haven’t put to paper yet
Sky bullshit again.. I find it deeply annoying that they’re portraying this as a meeting of equals. Newcastle have been absolutely fuck all for decades. It’s enough to make you wonder if they’re being paid by our Saudi friends to fluff them a bit. Fucking egregious.
KP Cardiff need a win tomorrow is it likely?
the very notion that Jorginho is replacing an otherwise healthy Partey, yet again, is incredibly disconcerting…as I expressed at the close of the window our moves weren’t in our best interests moving forward…it’s one thing if you felt Partey was burnt out and you replaced him with a younger, healthy version, but the fact that he’s been twice replaced by someone who’s much slower and older is baffling to say the least…originally I just figured Partey wasn’t starting on Tuesday so that he was prepared for today’s fixture, so much for logic
if you listen closely you can hear Arteta’s balls shrinking as the roar of the Geordie crowd gets louder
Howe’s starting WIlson with Isak, instead of Gordon, which means he likes his chances against our makeshift back two CBs…not too worried though, as the master of in-game adjustments will surely be quick to react in kind LOL
only took 90 seconds to put us on our heels…thank fucking God for the post…meanwhile Xhaka’s plodding nature is being exposed as per usual
KP,
How’s it going? Just settling down to watch us now. Normally this kick off clashes with Sundays GAA but today’s matches have been very lopsided. Was watching Celtic at Hearts also,title won again. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Celtic boss poached. Has some fresh ideas in a stale league.
My word we are being swamped already.
How are tricks your end?
Just in case your looking for a non football treat to end your week,Jimmy White is playing in the world seniors final tonight at 7 on bbc red button. He had turned back the clock this week,a joy to watch.
Ramsdale looking to break the record for getting a yellow for time wasting!
Tony
No, mate. They’re safe thankfully. I’m hoping for a fun afternoon at turf moor (!) with the clarets on the beach. Either way, I think the Bluebirds fans will be singing for the entire 90 minutes.
It’s all looking a bit sad really
Not a pen for me
it definitely came off his leg first and foremost…maybe that’s the break in the match we needed to get our heads out of our collective asses
Aggrieved Geordies – as bad as Liverpool fans.
Odegard does it again.
1-0