Morning all.
I thought I’d be a nervous wreck pre yesterday’s final but weirdly, that wasn’t the case. The news that Jurrien Timber and Eb Eze weren’t in the squad dampened my mood somewhat. Not that I didn’t have faith in Ben White and Kai Havertz of course but Eze has been in fine form of late, Havertz, well, I still don’t think he is fully fit.
I’m not going to go over the game because what’s the point, we all watched it I’m sure. Our first golden opportunity fell at the feet of our German but he couldn’t make it count. We had other chances too during that first half albeit few and far between but just like the opportunity to win silverware, they went begging. With Piero Hincapie on a yellow card for nothing, Semenyo was getting the better of him.
I thought Mikel Arteta would change things at halftime, just as I thought Arsenal would come out and show a bit more mettle after a team talk but exactly the opposite unfolded. We were poor. We were passive and we totally lost control of the game as we dropped deeper and deeper, allowing City to drop into training mode. Yes, that’s how it looked.
When Kepa allowed a soft ball to squeeze through his hands, gifting City their opening goal in the process, the writing was on the wall. When Mikel Arteta finally made changes, we perked up a bit. Riccardo Calafiori was certainly doing his best to find a goal and had Leandro Trossard been a bit quicker, he might have got his boot on the end of a shot from the Italian which went centimetres wide.
When it’s said that football is a game of two halves, yesterday couldn’t have been a better example of that phrase. Hindsight will tell us that David Raya would have been a better option in goal and on current form, it’s hard to argue otherwise but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Kepa hadn’t put a foot wrong through the knockout stages and let’s not forget the penalty save he made against Crystal Palace. I’m disappointed we lost the game yesterday but I’m more disappointed with manner in which we lost.
If that second half performance was a sign of how the players react to pressure, then Lord help us as we try to negotiate our way to a Premier League title. However, if Arteta, his staff and the players use the defeat to spur them onto success then maybe, just maybe, it’ll prove to be a blessing in disguise.
Yes, that’s the only positive I can come up with this morning. We might be down, but as yet, we’re far from out of three other competitions.
Catch up in the comments.
Sorry guys, I scribbled this in a bit of a rush this morning.
Morning Gooners, morning Rico, that was a great post under the circumstances. I tore my notes up at the final whistle, but I couldn’t have any better Rico.
I can’t escape from the feeling that the team lost their bottle in that second half and although I find Kepa most at fault, I also think that Arteta was too slow to react. I would have subbed off Saka, he was so poor and he should not be untouchable. Madueke off of the right would have maybe stopped O’Reilly charging into the box?
In the final analysis Guardiola still has the edge over Arteta, since we beat them 5-1 he’s totally changed how they approach playing us and Arteta hasn’t found the answer, maybe he will at the Etihad?
Morning Kev.
Couldn’t agree more re Saka, goodness knows what is going on with him. If he’s knackered, take him out of the game, certainly take him out of the England squad.
Trossard, Havertz and Hincapie could have been changed at halftime.
Morning. I don’t think the players bottled it. It was Arteta and his Coaching Team that bottled it!
Arteta’s biggest mistake, letting his heart rule his head re Kepa and playing into Pep’s hands by putting in Kepa because Pep played his 2nd Goalkeeper, who is good and Pep knew Kepa is no match against his team. Got to give it to Pep for playing that “cat & mouse” game which Arteta fell for.
What was Arteta thinking of when we have the best Prem Goalkeeper. At Cup Finals you go for the kill and not the kind-heartedness approach.
Halftime no changes! Come on Arteta we all saw that changes were needed! At halftime, he should have brought on Raya, Martinelli, Madueke, Calafiori and Dowman. Not make changes 15 minutes before the end!
The game would have turned around.
Slightly embarrassing that a 21 year old won it for them against some of our big players!
Yes not all lost but lets hope Arteta has learnt a BIG lesson here.
I have always said that games are won or lost in midfield and despite Kepa’s foul up I think that was where things got away from us . Pep lined up 4 across our penalty area and prevented us from playing out from the back . Consequently we played it long and as with all long balls the odds are about 75% in favour of the back 4 which means the midfield collecting the “”second ball “” which we failed to do.
Rodri , Silva and Cherki were having a field day as Rice and Zubimendi were chasing shadows , defensively Saka and Trossard were anonymous and the ball kept coming onto our defensive line in which I have to praise Saliba in particular who had Haaland in his pocket .
It became one way traffic and Arteta seemed to have no answer , sure we missed Odegaard and Ese but there seemed to be a lack of desire to fight for the cause .
I am not sure if I was involved in a ruckuss I would want some of them holding my coat.
What went through my mind at the time was had it been MLS at left back, being roasted by Semenyo whilst on a yellow card, Arteta would have subbed him at halftime. But he left Hincapie on the pitch to struggle.
Agree re our playing out in defence, that’s where Arteta needs to earn his stripes because hoofing the ball up the pitch wasn’t the answer. Personally, I thought Havertz was really poor yesterday, Saka and Trossard too.
‘morning all.
Nothing to say that hasn’t already been said really, just the sense of disappointment at such a lacklustre performance.
Perhaps the Wembley experience was too much for our lot. 😕
Calafiori should have started but I agree Rico, Arteta should have brought him on earlier for Hincapie. Ricky made an immediate difference to us offensively when he came on but by then we were 2-0 down and the game was done.
If it was Cicero, they should know better when we play the FA Cup final. 😜
I don’t think he should have started Kev, not with White at right back but after Hincapie was booked, he had to be really careful. He couldn’t get too close to Semenyo after that.
I was beginning to think that I would prefer to see MLS in the middle rather than Zubimendi who I feel is reaching the over played limit .
At least as Dowman showed the other day the young ones are prepared to die for the cause.
I reckon he’s well into too many minutes played. Why he’s not been rested more when we have Norgaard and MLS I really don’t know. Well, I probably do actually.