Morning all.
After Arsenal threw away a two goal lead against Aston Villa yesterday evening, the media described the day as ‘title defining’. Liverpool had beaten Brentford in the final few minutes of the game, the difference between title winning teams and those in chasing pack.
Mikel Arteta bemoaned having fewer options on the bench than Liverpool which of course, he’s right but as he also said, his teams defending wasn’t as good as it should have been.
On a day when we finally found the back of the net through Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz, the defence couldn’t do their bit.
As for yesterday being a title defining day, I beg to differ. Whilst Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table was catchable, Arsenal’s squad was never going to be deep enough to do the catching up. The injuries we as a club have suffered has made that task even more difficult, but when 2 or 3 of the players within a small squad are injury prone to start with, it doesn’t help.
The injury to Mikel Merino was just rotten luck but Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko, well, they are usually more out than in. The only surprise is that Thomas Partey hasn’t joined our long list of absentees.
There are moments, and obviously they (Liverpool) managed to do that (win),” They made the subs, and the subs made the impact and changed the game. On our side it was the opposite, even after conceding the two goals very close to each other. The danger was that I knew half the team could go downhill because we were physically drained.
He’s right, Liverpool were able to bring on game changing players at 0-0, but we’d already scored our goals so we just needed to be smart. We weren’t.
Once Tielemans had pulled one back, Villa had the momentum. It was then that we needed to be smart. Regroup, slow the game down and tighten up in defence. If that meant parking the bus for five or ten minutes, fine, just ride the Villa storm. We didn’t and Villa scored a second.
I am incredibly proud of this team. It was an immense performance. But I am very disappointed because defending the way we did for the second goal cannot be a part of our game if we want to be at the highest level in this country. It was nowhere near the standard required.
There’s always something or someone to blame in the game, we do it all the time but ultimately, win, lose or draw, it’s on the manager. It’s his team selection, his players and his tactics. His decision to replace Gabriel Martinelli with Raheem Sterling. The only change he made by the way.
Arsenal scored what I’m sure we all believed was a winning goal at the time but having watched a number of replays, I think the decision to disallow it was right. I know I’d had been cheesed off had it been scored up the other end and not been disallowed.
Arteta said post game that the club needs reinforcements but we’re already halfway through the transfer window. However, every other club will know we’re in need of reinforcements too so can hike their player valuations up as much as they like.
Fingers crossed the news on William Saliba’s injury is positive today because to lose him for a few weeks would be awful.
Catch up in the comments.
Difficult to add anything that has not already been said . It ‘s all on for Wenger’s top four trophy . Seriously thinking about season ticket renewals now . I think that I have had enough.
I think so too. CL? Not a hope in hell, as you say, top four is probably the best we can achieve and with Newcastle, Chelsea, City and Forest all better equipped than us, even that’s not certain.
Agee 100% with your reply to potter,
Rico. How Arteta’s got the cheek to complain how short we are of players when he started the season with one of the thinnest squads in the league, defies belief. Why not play Kiwior for the injured Saliba and leave Timber at right back. Every Gooner must shudder when they see a team sheet with Partey at right back. Talk about square pegs…….
I do Anthony. Not because he’s at right back so much but because he’s not in midfield. I think we all know our best midfield is Partey and Rice.
Good afternoon Rico and all
Just check out this reel…..it seems that the ball never touched HAvertz’ arm but rather his ribs….
https://www.facebook.com/reel/3808616909350698
Afternoon Devil, depends on which angle the camera catches.
Watching that reel in “slomo” suggests something else to me….. and now accept that that decision was probably correct. Ball misses his leading arm but then deflects off his more opened right arm…. Look at the way the arm is knocked back after contact- it does not seem to be a continuation of an initial arm movement.
Till now I had not been looking at that arm.
whatever the angle…and the above clearly shows it….the ball never touched neither his hand nor his arm. had it touched his arm/hand the ball would have angled down….in this case the ball continued its upward trajectory albeit with a deflection
Whether it hit is arm or not the goal was disallowed. The decision will not be looked at again, even if it was the goal cannot be awarded in retrospect. Good or bad decision, we have to live with it. Just get over it.
It’s obvious to say our players look exhausted,makes our lack of substitutions even more baffling,and it’s not even just yesterday. Rarely do we seem to make the 5 allowed.
Maybe Kiwior,Tierney and Zinchenko will be moving on,certainly Kiwior seems out of favour,the other 2 have had minutes recently so it makes no sense.
It’s also obvious we need a couple of new players,even if it’s only on loan,will we actually use them anyway?
Looking forward we have a 10 day break,then an 11 day one,soon after that an international break,at least our injured players might be nearer coming back.
yes we have to grin and bear it. but it goes to show that although the video is important to review the person/s operating it are a scam.
Nice post Rico, ‘Arsenal not smart enough’ that’s an eye-catcher, I guess after 120 minutes and a penalty shoot-out followed by a NLD there’s bound to be tired limbs and tired minds but we kept going until the end. Maybe fatigue played its part and substitutions at 2-1 might have helped?
I’m not sure after seeing Kiwior bullied by Mateta that I fancied him at right-back or centre-back, he’s probably great in a low block team or Serie A.
Thing is Devil, accidental or not, any handball which directly leads to a goal will always be penalised.
Good question Limey, Arteta’s not a man known to always use his full quota from the bench.
I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but when Villa scored, why not waste a bit of time by making a change. Jorginho could have helped sure up our midfield/defence.
Thanks Kev, he might as well head off to Italy and he probably would if we didn’t have so many injuries.
I’d rather see Heaven get a chance, or Maldini.
I am not saying it was accidental or not Rico. I am simply stating that according to the above reel the ball never touched his arm/hand. it touched his rib cage.
the ref decided it touched his hand and made his decision. c’est la vie
But it did touch his arm Devil..
according to the above reel no it never did
We’ll have to agree to differ…
Whether it is a hand or not, as has been the practice for many years, depends on the Clubs. If it’s MU or Liverpool (and others), it was “a clever deflection by the striker to take the goalkeeper out of the ball’s path”; when it’s from Arsenal “there was a clear deflection with the hand that altered the trajectory of the ball, and therefore, the goal is well disallowed”.
From what I’ve read: Tierney is on his way to Celtic; Jorginho may or may not stay because he has a market in Brazil and at the end of the season he leaves at zero cost; Kiwor stayed, because there was a lack of defenses (at the time there was a market).
It;s all immaterial now just be thankful that there is always Spurs to cheer us up. This might be Anges last game with Levy at Goodison.
Arsenal Women 5 – 0 Crystal Palace.
I hope they keep big Ange.. 😂
Excellent result for the ladies..
Clearly hit his 2nd (RIGHT) arm Devil, are you only watching his first arm? I’m glad it did, I was livid enough at the loss after thinking we had won, and then hitting the post, but if it hadn’t hit his arm, I would still be inconsolable!
Utd lost again too. 3-1 against Brighton at the old toilet… 😜
And City have started their charge.
Poor old Tractor Boys, hammered 6 – 0 at home to Man U.
Man City mate.
It was always likely to happen, plus they’re busy in the transfer window.
Yeah Jorginho was an option but who would you have taken off for him, Merino?
Any other substitutions would have been problematic, Kacurri for who? Butler O for who? Zinchenko for who? Fresh legs yeah, raising the level, I’m not so sure?
We had a Merino goal disallowed, hit the post and Trossard missed a great chance in those final minutes, I’m not sure any of our available subs would have had that effect and we might have conceded?
Jorginho might have shot, hit the bar, the ball rebounding onto the back of Martinez’s head and go in…. Lol
Jorginho might have injected some brains and held the ball and closed the game before they scored their goals . He is the most experienced at closing things down at 2 nil we should never have let them back in , in the first place.
Yep, if not at 2-0, at 2-1..
Now that’s just fantasy Rico, Jorginho never shoots. 😁
Maybe Potter, maybe?
Ha ha Kev, apart from against Villa. Just ask Martinez 😜
Saliba rumoured to be out injured for a while..
Afternoon Rico and all.
Devil, you must of seen the same angle as me, as I said yesterday it come of his chest not his arm, and they disallow the goal but yet the other there was a player from another side who had his arm our to the side and yet the officials allowed that goal.
I agree with others about season tickets, I get up at all weird times of the night and mornings to watch up play, but the last few matches I could not be bothered staying up.
As for Partey, he will leave for free at the end of the season, so clubs don’t have to buy him and that way they can afford his pay demands.
Morning Rico, nothing happening in the transfer market, Ipswich are the biggest net spenders with £20m on one player, next come Wolves the next biggest net spenders with a £16.6m outlay also on one player.
So we can see a pattern and how PSR has affected the clubs’ spending power, but it’s across Europe as a whole.
Villa also spent £20m on one player but they recouped that from Ipswich for the same amount.
Morning Kev, Geoff.
Now all clubs have been cleared of overspending, I’d imagine more deals will be done.
Will be interesting to see if Man C buy anyone, considering reports that they have just exstended Haaland contract for 10 years.
It’s likely Geoff as they’re linked with 2/3 I think including an Egyptian winger who would look good in red and white…
It’s interesting that Guardiola hasn’t, to my knowledge during City’s downturn, asked for help from his ownership and maybe that’s because he knows they’ll do whatever is needed to put City back on top of the pile.
Meanwhile in North London we wait to see if Arteta’s cries for he’ll are answered adequately by KSE or are they reverting to type?
To be fair to the Kroenke’s Kev, they’ve certainly back Arteta financially. Not all that has been spent has been done so wisely. Also, look how much the club has lost financially too with the likes of Ozil, Aubameyang and Lacazette going for free.
Yes, that’s true Rico, it’s a few years ago now but Arteta had a lot of residual mess to clear up from both Wenger and Emery signings although to be fair to Emery they probably weren’t all down to him.
The Arteta / Edu duo signed Kiwior and at the time the reason given was that he could play right across the back four.
Now that Saliba is unavailable due to injury, one would expect that the Pole would be selected in his place, particularly as Partey at right back has proved to be a disaster each time has has played there.
On Saturday, Timber was moved to centre back with Partey outside him, this disrupted not just the back four but the midfield too.
The logical thing to do was, surely, keep Timber at right back and play Kiwior alongside Gabriel thus allowing Partey to move to his favoured position in midfield.
As it is reported that Saliba has a hamstring problem, the likelihood is that he will be absent for sometime. This could open the door for either Zinchenko or Tierney to step up. The problem being that they are both likely to leave this month as well as Kiwior .
Another fine mess…….
For sure Kev, but I just think it would be harsh to suddenly blame the Kroenke’s for our lack of squad depth. We’ve made a few poor signings over the last five years..
I’m still amazed Kiwior didn’t start against Villa..
I wasn’t amazed Rico, I kinda expected it and maybe on reflection Kiwior should have started and maybe he will this Wednesday?
I’m not sure I recall anyone claiming that Kiwior could play across the back-four Cicero, maybe I missed that one, all I recall was his long, accurate passes out of defence being held up as a major asset.
It’s only my opion, but I wonder if Kroenke is starting to second guess Arteta, except for 1 FA cup that Unai Emery helped to set up Arteta has won nothing, yet people like me who didn’t like Kroenke have over the last few years have seen them put money back into the club and buy players that Edu and Arteta wanted.
You can injuries and the ref, for some of our results, but at the end of the day Arteta has to take the blaime for not trusting the bench players and over playing others that needed a good rest.
I know you weren’t Kev. 😂
I looked up Kiwior’s positions, he’s left sided only and a CDM. I think it’s Timber and Calafiori who can play across the back line.
With Saliba out for a few weeks, I just hope Arteta can find a better solution at right back than Partey.
Morning guys.
Rico, I might be wrong but I think Calafiori can play on either side.
Yes Geoff, he can. Timber and White too I think.
New post up.