Morning all.
After the game, Mikel Arteta said:
No complaints. This is football. We were really good in the first half and controlled totally the game, we created loads of big chances that we didn’t put away. In the second half we put ourselves in problems.
I bet deep down he was seething. Not because of the two points dropped but the performance of the officials. How many times did Southampton get away with shirt pulling and tugging back our guys. Why on earth was Bukayo Saka booked after being fouled, or Gabriel Jesus not be awarded a penalty? Towards the end, Lyanco should have seen red for his reaction towards Eddie Nketiah – there were more incidents but going through them all won’t change a thing.
That said, our last three fixtures have been similar. Start well, control the game, create plenty of chances but can’t take them. Second half, we drop off, allow the opposition back into the game but unlike in the previous two fixtures, yesterday we conceded.
What a great strike from Granit Xhaka, yet again. And with his right foot, yet again. Difficult, yet made to look so simple. The cross from Ben White wasn’t bad either. We needed a second goal but it never came and eventually, Southampton equalised.
Of course the result was disappointing, as was the second half performance but at least we didn’t lose.
Faint alarm bells were ringing in my ears during the game, to be fair, they have for the last three but not because I think Arsenal are losing their way, just that we create chance after chance, but aren’t taking them. We could have been 2/3 up by the time Ralph decided to change things. A win could have been all but secured by half-time.
As said, the second half performance was poor by this Arsenal team’s standards. Perhaps it is a simple case of certain individuals being knackered. Is the Thursday/Sunday football catching up with the player’s bodies. Probably in my opinion.
We have six fixtures still to play between now and November 12th when domestic football stops for the World Cup. Three Premier League fixtures, two of which are away from home at Chelsea and Wolves but next up is Nottingham Forest at The Emirates on Sunday. The others are two in the Europa League and one in the League Cup.
If one was to guess at which competition is the priority for Arsenal, if there is one of course, surely it has to be the Premier League and doing everything possible to finishing the season in one of the top four places.
The Europa League is just pot luck. We could have a favourable draw all the way to the final but equally, we could draw one of the clubs who drop down from the Champions League, like Ajax, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan or Sevilla in the next round and be beaten. We’re already through to the knockout stages but securing top spot is means we’d not have another two fixtures added to our already hectic schedule.
If fatigue is playing it’s part in our drop in intensity as games go on, surely something has to give. Personally, I hope that not one of the starting eleven from yesterday make the trip to Holland this week but I doubt that’ll be the case because unless Mikel Arteta is prepared to include a number of under 23 players, we don’t have the depth/strength to do that. For a start, who is there in the under 23’s could play alongside Rob Holding? That’s just for starters.
What a difference having ESR and Mo Elneny fit right now would make, Oleksandr Zinchenko too. Injuries are part of the game I know and having strength in depth helps to overcome them but I’m not sure Mikel Arteta quite has enough to really compete in all four competitions. It would be easy for me to sit here and type ‘he could have or should have’ rotated his players more than he has but just imagine the outcry had we lost in Zurich or were beaten by Bodo/Glimt and/or PSV Eindhoven? None of those fixtures were a walk in the park were they? Statistics will tell us they were of course, but if we can’t take our goal scoring chances, possession and 20 odd shots on goal become irrelevant when the game is over and we’ve dropped points.
Even so, we’re still top of the league and we finished the weekend with one point more than Liverpool and Totts managed and we equalled Chelsea and Man Utd so all is not doom and gloom.
See you in the comments.
Morning Rico
NIce measured post.
I think the players are starting to get jaded. The intensity of Arteta’s pressing tactics is starting to take its toll.
Southampton is one of those grounds where we have had little success in recent years, so a point isn’t that bad a result. We can’t win every match.
Arteta’s trying to squeeze every last drop out of the 1st team before the World Cup. With injuries and fatigue from that competition the Premier League could be a very different place after Xmas.
I get the feeling the Forest game next Sunday could be a tricky afternoon.
Good morning Rico, I’m pretty certain that fatigue played a significant part in the second half, Partey was out on his feet for the last twenty minutes, and he wasn’t alone in that.
The elephant in the room, however, is our lack of efficiency when it comes to converting scoring chances into goals. The chief culprit being Gabriel Jesus, he has gone five Premiership games without hitting the back of the net. As a main striker that is just not good enough. To say I am becoming disillusioned with our Summer signing is an understatement. I fear he may turn out to be another in the long line of Manchester based players who have come and gone with little to show for their presence.
On a similar theme, Zinchenko seems to be almost permanently injured, did Guardiola sell us a pup? Or is it just bad luck? I know what I’m beginning to think.
Thanks for the post by the way Rico.
Morning Pete, Cicero.
I too think it’s a case of getting through the best we can until 12th November, after then, those not at the WC can get some warm weather rest and those out the WC, will hopefully return home early. 😂
Jesus worries me a bit too Cicero, I know he gets fouled a lot but I wish he’d at least try to stay on his feet a bit more, perhaps then the idiot with the whistle will spot the fouls. Equally as worrying is Nketiah who seems to be off his game.
Nketiah just isn’t getting the minutes he needs and deserves. By the time he gets on the pitch the rest of the team are knackered so he doesn’t get any service or support. I believe he is the sort of player who needs to be involved, playing second fiddle to Jesus doesn’t suit him.
But you could say that about every player who isn’t getting minutes.
Morning Rico and all
Just looked at the leading goal scorers. Haaland 17 – Kane 10 and Fulham Mitrovic is on 9.
now our players Jesus 5 – Martinelli and Saka on 4 while Xhaka and Odegaard are both on 3.
We need to get more out of our strikers.
Arteta say’s we started to get tired in the second half, then why not make changes earlier than he did.
Morning Geoff, I think it’s the strikers who need to get more from themselves unless they want chances to be put on a plate for them. Imo, it’s easy to suggest changes come earlier but who do you think might have changed the game for us from the bench?
Geoff , Haaland is 6 foot 4″ , Kane 6 foot 1″ , Mitrovic 6 foot 2″ Jesus 5 foot 9″. There could be theme here
When your centre backs are allowed to pull and push you from pillar to post perhaps a little more physical presence or nous is needed .
Ian Wright was the same size as Jesus but he would not have kept backing into the defender he would have moved away and run the centre back ragged .
What’s more we do not have an alternative with the size and presence , this is something which we need to address in January , Eddie is fine as a like for like back up but sometimes you need something different
I agree re our two strikers, we have no plan b. I know Arteta probably doesn’t want to play in a way where we lumps ball into the box but we are looking a bit lightweight in the box. Fine when things are going our way, but on days like at Leeds and yesterday, we need a bit of strength, especially as the refs are continuing to be selective in their view of shirt tugging etc.
Gallagher, on ref watch this morning said ‘he’s looking for everything’ – he was talking about Jesus.
It sounds as if Jesus is getting a reputation among refs for drawing fouls. It’s not for officials to ignore a foul because the player has forced the defender to commit one. If that were the case, Kane would not have “won” anywhere near the number of penalties concede against him.
Potter yes those players are taller than ours but if that is why there scoring then why are buying small strikers,
Rico maybe we could have swapped Party for Viera – Tomiyasu for Tierney and finally Saka who on yellow cards or Jesus who the ref hated for Nketiah
Gallagher also said that Saka goes to ground too easily a few weeks back, but always sticks up for Kane
Ah the tall striker option. I’ve been impressed with Toney for a few seasons. He causes a lot of problems for central defenders, but I think he’s only 5’10”. Mitrovich is the old-fashioned no.9. Big, slow and powerful, with a great header.
Unfortunately, either would now cost upwards of £30 million. Plus I doubt they want to sit on the bench if they’re plan B.
Not suggesting any of those three but a player of their style.
Incidently :- Fixtures Changed for December and the new year all for TV coverage.
Our Premier League matches against West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United spanning the New Year have all been selected for live coverage in the UK.
The Boxing Day clash against Hammers has been moved to an 8pm kick-off, and will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video.
Then on New Year’s Eve, we will travel to the south coast to take on the Seagulls, which has been moved to 5.30pm and will be broadcast on Sky Sports.
Our next game sees Eddie Howe’s Magpies head to N5, and that game has been moved to Tuesday, January 3 at 8pm, and will again be live on Sky Sports.
All fixtures up to this point have been confirmed by the Premier League, with an update on the rest of January’s games to be announced in due course.
Vieira for Partey Geoff? Wasn’t it windy on the south coast? 😂
https://twitter.com/LiamCrook1/status/1584454017714823169?s=20&t=z44Nk6PhJebpf2rFo_kWmQ
Shocking!
Unai Emery heading back to the PL with Villa it seems.
That video is beyond irritating.
It is.
What about the bloke on VAR, how man6 times can he look at things?
And he did nothing, he is actually a bigger culprit…
Rico @7:30 pm video, as I said on match day this ref has won the wanker of the month award.
If Vieira can’t play in the wind then get rid of him after all it’s always windy in England.😉
We are going to be world leaders in on shore wind power according to our new government.
Maybe Arteta needs to hire another coaching person whose sole job is only to turn up on match day and instead of Arteta losing his temper with the 4th official this extra person does all the arguing for him and do media interviews during the week and show video like one above. Yes, he would suspended regularly but it saves Arteta from any suspensions.
Ex-premier league referee Mark Hasey has claimed that Jesus should have been given a penalty in the first half and Saka should have been given a warning only but not worth a yellow card, he then said that the match highlighted the inconsistency of decision making by match officials.
Morning
New post up