Morning all.
As feared, Thomas Partey started at left back and to be fair to him, he did well but as suggested before, his absence from midfield was an issue. Jorginho simply cannot do what a fully fit and healthy Partey does. Kai Havertz was still poorly so he was nowhere to be seen and Martin Odegaard wasn’t 100% either so dropped to the bench. Leandro Trossard, who was booed throughout the game by the home fans, started whilst Gabriel Martinelli had a bit of a breather. However, he had to replace Ethan Nwaneri after the young Englishman picked up an injury.
Having taken the lead through Ethan Nwaneri in the first half, we missed several opportunities to increase our lead which in the end, cost us two points. Brighton’s penalty was a strange one, one we’re unlikely to see awarded again for a long time, if at all ever. There are mixed views over Anthony Taylor’s assessment of the clash of heads between William Saliba and Pedro but one thing is sure, there was absolutely no reason for Pedro to roll around on the floor like he’d been caught by a Mike Tyson right hook. It was pathetic, he was pathetic.
I thought we started well and were in control of the game as far as possession goes up until halftime and then it all went a bit flat. Obviously the goal gave Brighton hope and in the end, we just about held on for a point.
Mikel Arteta:
We started the game well and we controlled it in many ways without really being too present with the ball, but scoring a beautiful goal and not conceding anything at all. Then in the second half, we had to make the change with Ethan because he was injured, adapt a few things, and then we didn’t sustain the level with the ball especially, a lot of the simple things we have to do better we didn’t. It allowed us to have certain dominance, momentum and playing in the right areas, and the game was open without really conceding much apart from the chance with Minteh, which is disappointing, and then the decision comes that obviously changes the course of the game and it’s really frustrating.
Yesterday’s performance was frustrating because we were pretty toothless when it came to finishing off the chances we did create. Yes we can moan and groan about the officials, after all, we have been doing that for a long time but in my opinion, it’s deflecting the blame for more points dropped.
As Kev suggested yesterday, had one of a number of players poked the perfectly placed free kick from Declan Rice home, a very different story would have unfolded. Had one of a number of other scoring opportunities been taken, we’d have won the game. Ifs and buts don’t win football matches though.
If Liverpool beat Man Utd later, we’ll be 8 points adrift of the league leaders which I know is catchable but they do have a game in hand. But, the kind of football we’re playing doesn’t shout “potential league champions” to me. Injuries and bizarre officiating has put a dent in our challenge but let’s not let them define our season.
Get out there on the pitch and start playing with a lot more urgency and determination to not only take a lead, but finish teams off too. That’s what wins football matches..
Catch up in the comments.
Morning Rico and all.
Looking at the injury to Nwaneri. is the reason why I don’t like picking players so young, he may look good but is his body ready to take the pressure of tackles from older stronger, wiser men.
Morning Geoff, there’s always a risk with young players but he’s only started two games. It’s just the way our season is, possibly because of playing so many games last season. Not Nwaneri of course but certainly others.
Sound like you are getting one hell of a snow down poor. keep warm
In places Geoff but where I am it’s thawing and raining…
Shame Liverpool’s game hasn’t been cancelled again, a nice pileup of fixtures for them might help us. 😂
Good morning at yours but good afternoon at mine.
I am still scratching my head trying to figure out how come that was a penalty. It was a coming together of heads. the only difference was that Pedro fell down as if he was pole axed while Saliba stayed on his feet. We gave the ref just one decision to make. Saliba, being naive or a gentlemen, didnt give him the 2nd decision which might have made it difficult for him….he stayed on his feet and did not fall down as if he received a straight knock out blow. Had Saliba fell to the ground, doubt would have crept in Taylor’s mind.
I still dont think that if we had a proper striker yesterday we would have won. We just had three shots on target and six off target. If we had over 10-15 shots on target I would say yes we def need a proper striker. however to create just 3 shots on target the entire game doesnt highlight the need for a striker. Rather it should be a revision in tactics and creativity. We bossed the game till we scored but after that we just managed to muster just one shot throughout the rest of the game. So I think that a change in mentality and tactics is a must.
And yes, definitely a big YES, if City should get stripped of their titles, I would welcome the last two with open arms. Simply because it would help the players themselves. I dont give a f**k if there is an asterisk behind them. The asterisk simply denotes that Arsenal were cheated by another club who was found guilty of irregularities and drive it down the PGMOL’s throats that despite what they contrived to conjur Arsenal still got two league titles.
Arteta called the penalty bizarre,I think Rico called it ridiculous,both descriptions sum it up,for sure if Virgil did the same at Anfield it would barely be looked at. Even Gary Lineker on Match of the day said no penalty.
It’s right to point out the second half performance wasn’t great,we still had chances to score though.
What’s with the time wasting? People say other teams do it,I don’t care about them but we always play better when we play fast,slicķ football anyway.
I agree Partey is more effective in midfield,no doubt he will do a steady job at Right Back but he drives the team forward in midfield and we miss that.
Probably the biggest factor is that we were without at least 5 first choice players. Take Salah and Virgil out of the Liverpool team and they wouldn’t be the same.
We just have to hope Man United pull of a shock….
I was thinking yesterday, was the penalty very different to the one Gabriel was awarded when Fabianski went for the ball into the box but missed it before catching Gabriel in the face?
Devil, there’s a chance those stats might have been the opposite if we had a striker…
We have had 15-30 minute spells in a number of games where we have played intense fast pressing and attacking but largely we are stupefying. Back line and keeper stood like statues foot on ball.
Midfield playing endless crab football.
Walking pace.
It’s artetas possesion tactics that fail to create disturbances or openings in packed defences.
Arteta is and always has been the problem.
He did well over hauling the squad but for 3 seasons now a solid group of players have been let down with moribund tactics
The time wasting over set-pieces and throwins just gives opponents time to regroup. Not suggesting Raya should pump the up the pitch at the first opportunity but all this dithering around with the ball does is help the opposition imo
That’s my gripe too, slow and tippy tappy football.
A chance would have to be created Rico. Whether or not we have a striker. If we had 10-15 shots on target and missed them then I would say you were 1 million per cent correct. But for a striker to convert changes they must be created first.
With regards time wasting yes its becoming tedious now. Arteta and the players should snap out of it. Had we scored the 2nd Brighton would have lost. In no world in any parallel universe would Brighton have scored 2.
I have been saying for age’s we are far too slow to bring the ball back into play from a throw in.
Perhaps Arsenal should make a cheeky bid for Liam Delap… 😜
We did create chances Devil, they just went high or wide. Or both.
we created 9 shots in hte whole game. 3 on target 6 of it. Yes one of them might have gone in. But even if we have a proper striker there is no guarantee of that.
Of course there’s no guarantee, there never is but at least get a striker and see. Imagine a Giroud kind of player in the box. It’s bonkers that we don’t have a single out and out striker in the squad.
Afternoon Rico et al.
I don’t think deliberately slowing down play is a problem, you’re trying to take the sting out of the game especially when you’re away from home, it’s a legitimate tactic and I’m sure that Arsenal aren’t the only team to employ it even if we think they are.
Brighton hadn’t really threatened our goal until Taylor awarded the penalty, anything else that you read online or hear in the media is gaslighting.
Arteta isn’t the problem, the problem is the officials, the fiddling with the fixtures by TV and people on some other social media platforms who are easily led.
As far as the ‘goalscoring issue’ is concerned, maybe Odegaard’s 1 goal in 13 appearances has an influence or Rice’s 1 goal in 19 appearances or Trossard’s 3 goals in 20 appearances or Merino’s 2 goals in 13 appearances.
Last season, without a striker we scored more goals than in any season since 1963!
Afternoon Kev, we had Nketiah last season. 😜
You’re right though, the contribution from a number of players is down but expecting the same kind of goal tally this season was hopeful imo. Add to that, we moved on three attacking players and brought in Merino.
Giroud?? As much as I loved him and his type of player for me its a no no. What we need is a Wright, Pippo Inzaghi, Rush, Aldridge. The type of player who just stay in the box during attacks and who convert half chances. But contemporary coaches dont want that type of player. They are considered as pre historic.
Yes as Kev pointed out its normal that play is slowed down. But I dont think that City, up till last season at least, slowed the game down. Rather they went for the jugular. We dont do that Kev. We should impose ourselves and keep pumelling until we get three goals. A good cushion. One from which no team would have the energy to claw back from.
Kev @1.24….spot on. The others aren’t contributing. Saka, Odegaard, Trossard, Martinelli, Rice, all contributed. Havertz has contributed more this season. Even Big Gabi has stepped up. But those others are also guilty. Merino I would excuse a bit…still finding his feet although a goal and an assist in the last two games seems to point out that he is adapting slowly.
He was just an example Devil but at least you admit we need a striker. 😂
We need a player who thinks about one thing only when he gets the ball, shooting and scoring.
Of course Rico, how could I have forgotten Eddie, I was hoping that he’d get the winner against Chelsea, I like to see most of our ex-players do well but he’s not exactly setting the world alight in S.E.London.
I think if the club could have got the striker or strikers that they wanted last summer that they would have done it, but we don’t want to be like Man Utd who seem to sign the flavour of the month and are no better off.
We dropped two points at Brighton because of other circumstances, not because we didn’t have a striker, I mean how many times was Gabriel fouled in the box and got nothing?
We’re facing the biggest game of the season on Tuesday let’s hope that our sick and walking wounded can get us a lead to take to St James’ because I suspect a stitch up in the works for the 2nd leg, Gillette on VAR for example…
He’s not Kev, perhaps he’s struggling to adapt.
Not for one minute do I think we drew yesterday because of not having a striker, mind you, nor to I fully blame the officials either because they are nothing new. I’ve always maintained that if we don’t give them a decision to make, they can make it and if we do, don’t let it be the reason/excuse for not winning. Even Arteta said we should have taken our chances..
What a great game between Fulham and Ipswich. The purists won’t agree but for the likes of me, entertaining.. 😂
Better than the stalemate at Anfield I hope. This one looks like a bore draw. Finishing is awful from both sides.Oliver is letting all sorts go on without taking action, Fernandes pick up the ball at a throw in and walked over to the ref disputing the decision, he should have been booked, he wasn’t.
Half time 0 – 0
Ooh 0-1. That’s interesting. Normally I’d hate the Mancs to win but this is different.
That’s better Utd one nil up. Martinez with a shot from an acute angle into the roof of the net.
Hojlund, Zirkzee, Anthony, not much change out of £250m for that trio, so yeah there’s plenty of strikers out there, but would you really want them at Arsenal, Rashford perhaps?
No, not me either..,
Maybe Mohammed Salah is having that kind of season that Pierre Emerick Aubameyang had when we won the FACup? Therefore after, Liverpool give him a nice big stonking new contract his form the following season then falls off of the edge of a cliff – here’s hoping eh Cicero?
Liverpool penalty to make it 2 – 1
2 – 2
This game has proven that if you go for them Livarpool are not as good as they think they are.
Of all people it goes to slab head shovel foot
Liverpool drop two points.
what a game. I dont think that it would have flattered United if they nicked a winner. It was dreadful from dippers….I think they expected to just turn up and United to roll over.
How come Nunez wasn’t sent off? he never intended to play the ball
Cos he didn’t have white sleeves?
The striker debate rumbles on and the riddle will never become solved until we get one.
Devil it’s easy to say that we do not make enough chances and that is mainly true but the next question is WHY ?
If we had a mobile presence in the opponents box would the creators create more ? Rico mentions Giroud and as an alternative and I believe that a moving target could have similar results in the air to the ones we get from set pieces when our defenders go forward.
Then the other argument comes down to the Graham period , 1 nil to the Arsenal . We had that tight defence just as we have now but we had a Wrighty that had an insatiable appetite for goals . We used to stand on the North Bank and say “don’t worry Wright hasn’t scored yet ” . Considering his age when he arrived with us his record was phenomenal . We could do with that again.
This has been sitting on my lap top since this morning , I thought that it had gone but apparently not.
Potter, what I didnt write is that everytime we dont win, but draw or lose, the striker argument usually crops up. We created so many chances against Crystal Palace and converted 5. In many games we create chances.
However in games like yesterday, we did not create as many chances as usual. Hence why we just scored only one. Imo we are not that consistent in chances created. That is normal with many teams however as had been said above, those around the striker are not contributing as much as they are meant to.
Well the result at Anfield suits us,to be honest I thought United were the better team on the day. When Liverpool went 2-1 up it had a horribly familiar feel,but United deserved the draw. It’s amazing how the game and the atmosphere changed in an instant after the Gakpo goal.
Good result at Anfield, hope the tide is turning for the scousers…
Agree Potter and only then will we know if we’re missing a striker. I know my Delap comment was slightly tongue in cheek but someone like him who is strong, mobile and can hold the ball up would be good imo.
Perhaps Arsenal are too snobbish when it comes to scouting players.
Great to see Pool draw, hopefully therenext match they loose as they have a match in hand over us.
Good morning all.
I wonder how significant that last minute miss by Slab Head Shovel Foot will be at the end of the season. Could the the one point Liverpool got for the draw make the difference.
As it stands, in the Premier League, the big spenders are:
Tottenham…. (£15.8m) and
Man City……. (£12.5m).
Still got a few weeks of horse trading to go before we probably see any real action – or not as the case might be.
My immediate thoughts on United’s improvement at Anfield was that they have a week to prepare for their FACup tie at the Emirates and that Arteta is going to need to rotate quite heavily for that game given how stretched our resources are and that it comes in between the Newcastle 1st leg and the NLD.
I did read on one of those injury news blogs (seemed reliable) that Tomiyasu is due to return on 18th January and White in early February, here’s hoping…
The final say from that paragon of truthfulness Dermot Gallagher . Apparently the ball hit Saliba before he touched Pedro as opposed to Saliba playing the ball .
They have had a few days to come up with that one , it’s always amusing to see how far they will go to cover their arse.
It’s all about controlling the narrative, just ask Kier Starmer.
I don’t believe him either.
I reckon a few years ago if he had turned up at Highbury , the crowd would have roasted him.
He’s a man of no depth or substance.
Cunha not playing for Wolves this evening? 🤔
It’s ex ref like Dermot Gallagher, that turn people of the game.
Cunha has not yet signed the new contract that Wolves has offered. Not in the squad for last night’s game either. He’s either injured or on his way out.