Bournemouth arrived at the Emirates well rested from a 22 day siesta, having last played in a match on the 20th March. In fact their manager Andoni Iraola was actually more concerned that his players may well have lost their competitive edge during those 22 days, he needn’t have worried.
Bournemouth were also the only team in the Premier League to not have suffered, during this time, any single injuries so they turned up fully recuperated and fully fit. Not an excuse, only perspective.
Arteta had lost both Odegaard and Calafiori from the team that had won in Lisbon and still lacked his first choice right flank in Timber and Saka but the team he selected was, on paper, up to the task. On the bench was the ‘fit again’ pair of Hincapie and Eze. 7 games to go, 7 cup finals.
The opening 10 minutes saw both teams attempting to suffocate the opponent with every avenue of progression covered. Bournemouth looked in those opening minutes sharper, fitter and more robust and it was concerning. Arsenal gradually began to exercise some control but the ball worryingly was far too slow from Raya and the usual tempo setters at the back as there seemed to be a reluctance to go long which given the front three of runners Martinelli, Gyokeres and Madueke was mystifying.
Then on 17 minutes Bournemouth won possession and the ball was switched out to their left where Madueke and White were ball watching leaving the Cherries left back free and as he swung in a cross it took a wicked deflection off of William Saliba and dropped perfectly for Kroupier to tuck home. A mixture of poor defending and misfortune.
An already nervous Emirates crowd was now bordering on the neurotic and that apprehension fed into the home teams anxiety, it was a corrosive mixture and left me wondering if the home games we have left could be our undoing? A few minutes after that blow a Rice corner was driven into the box and a virtually unmarked Kai Havertz shouldered the ball over the bar which reminded me of the headed chance he’d missed against Newcastle in the League Cup last season. Again, when we were up against it and needed a goal it was a terrible miss. Arsenal began to speed up their movement and increase the intensity but the frustration was growing in the crowd. 30 minutes passed with only one Arsenal effort on target and you could feel the fear emanating from everywhere. Bournemouth obviously could also smell the fear and they fed on that as their confidence grew.
On 33 minutes Declan Rice got in a fierce drive that was deflected for a corner, Arsenal needed some help now and they duly got a hand. Madueke drove his corner into the danger area and the away team made a mess of clearing it and then Michael Oliver pointed to spot. Handball, harsh but handball. Cue the nerves as two different Arsenal players stood over the ball, leaving it eventually to Gyokeres who blasted home the equaliser. We all needed that, but Evanilson went close on 40 minutes as a little reminder that we still had some suffering to go through.
Half-time 1-1.
It was now down to both coaches to see who could motivate their team the most at the interval and Iraola had already proved that he had an edge over Arteta. No changes in the line-ups and off we went. On 52 minutes White found Rice who drove in another shot, deflected for a corner which came to nothing.
Arteta aware of the situation made a triple change on 54 to inject some fresh legs as off came the ineffective Martinelli for Trossard, off came the disappointing Madueke for Dowman and off came the pedestrian Havertz for Eze. Two minutes later Raya almost gave us collective heart failure when he miskicked straight to Evanilson who seemingly surprised just knocked the ball out of play. There was definitely something wrong with our team yesterday, they just seemed scared.
Arteta was jumping around waving his arms about on the sideline and it did cross my mind that sometimes he overdoes the touchline coaching, maybe that actually doesn’t really help? 65 minutes of nervous energy clicked by then Gyokeres broke clear and finished beautifully into the corner of the net, but he was eventually flagged offside. 68 minutes and Rice got in another great shot that the keeper tipped over the bar, the corner was wasted. These are the types of games where you need a bit of luck, a defensive cock-up or a misplaced pass, but Bournemouth weren’t giving us anything. At this stage I was beginning to think ‘let’s take the draw’…
More defensive hesitation by Raya and Gabriel saw both of them fail to clear the ball and to make things worse and man did it get worse. The away team regained possession and then opened up the Arsenal defence like a sardine can and into the chasm Scott strode and smashed the winner past a helpless Raya, who was having his worst game of the season – not great timing David. Arteta threw on Jesus for the below par Zubimendi and Mosquera for the struggling White but it was all too late, the tank was empty.
At this point I really would’ve taken the draw, in fact I’d imagine so would have Mikel. Gyokeres had a couple more efforts but the rest created nothing. Neither Trossard or Dowman had an impact and Eze had a few touches but was pretty much on his own. As for Jesus, well we might as well have brought on Salmon! Arsenal had 15 attempts on goal with only 3 on target, it was a damaging blow to our title dreams. Just how damaging we’ll know by next Sunday evening but the knives are already being sharpened, not by me but there’s a lot of unhappy Gooners out there.
We march on, we have no choice.
By Kev
Afternoon Kev, all. Thanks for the post, a good yet sad read.
I recall back in January suggesting Arsenal bring in some kind of motivational coach, someone to help with the players mindset. I still do because yesterday I’m sure it was nervous display and as the nerves grew, so did mistakes.
Thanks Kev,
Our best player,as usual was Declan Rice.
It would be nice if others stepped up,what has happened to Zubamendi,he looks to be running on empty. I’ve rarely seen Gyokeres have as much of the ball,to be fair he did OK. Havertz was anonymous,I really like him as a player,that’s not his position. Madueke did his usual headless chicken impression.
But really we were shockingly bad,no urgency,moving the ball slowly, second best to Bournemouth all the way through.
If we could have hung on for a point,it could have been so important,totally undeserved but important.
Funny enough I thought Jesus did OK,although you’re really in trouble if you’re expecting him to save you.
Man City now have 3 league games before we play Newcastle,we only have one and it’s at the Etihad.
We can’t afford to lose that one.
I’m living in hope.
I thought Myles did well too, but our big money signings were poor barring Reliable Rice.
Afternoon Rico and all
A down to earth match report Kev. Couldn’t have worded it better. Straight to the point. Only one thing I didn’t agree….for the forst goal only Madueke failed to track the player and was ball watching. White couldnt have done anything else as he was caught in no man’s land due to Noni’s lack of focus. Infact White looked back to see if he was amply covered but saw ‘Mad’ueke strolling back. That split second gave them the chance which they took.
The team was playing at walking pace. Raya was faffing around with the ball. Instead of launching an immediate attack he took too many touches.
Tiredness?? No I dont think so. Injuries?? No neither. We had a very good team out there. Maybe the fact that we play next wednesday and then on Sunday. Maybe the players’ mind was on the next two games? Only that might seem the excuse however it doesn’t cut for me. The players weren’t focused and I presume even Arteta was lost. If not how on earth does he sub Havertz on the 54th minute?? Maybe Martinelli yes but not for Trossard who barely broke sweat. Dowman’s entry on the 54th minute was too early. Dowman is an 80+ minute sub but not earlier. 54th minute the opposition are not yet tired. but 20+ mins later they would have been. Dowman is still watery bones and ankles and it was too much for him to shoulder such an early pressure. Bar his loss of focus in their opening goal Noni was not having a stinker. It would have made more sense to leave him there till a bit later.
White and MLS were ok and it made sense to leave Hincapie on the bench.
And I feel that Zubi was carryng a knock from last game or two. In the 2nd goal he let the player get around him. Why is Norgaard at the club? Why pay 10mill for him and leave him there throughout the season?
I was almighty pissed off. Not with the result but with the attitude of the players. Against City, Southampton and yesterday their attitude left a very big lot to be desired. Its not the defeat which hurt. Its the attitude.
Does anyone here remember the game against Bolton in the latter stages of the 2002/2003 season when we were pipped by Manure for the title? We lost points that day but our attitude was spot on. It was simply the result of Fat Sam’s dirty team and tactics which beat us. The defeat hurt but we could not fault the player’s attitude. Can we say the same about the present team’s attitude in the last three defeats?? No we cant simply because the attitude stank.
I’ve now speed watched the match and can honestly say we were a bit unlucky to not get at least a draw. Marginal, very, offside ruled out Gyokeres strike and an unlucky deflection off Saliba’s heel which presented an unmissable chance to Bournemouth were the difference overall. Yes we played within ourselves, understandably so, considering the the number of games in such a short but intense period. Bournemouth had not played a game for almost three weeks and we go again on Wednesday against Sporting followed by the biggest game of our season so far away to City on Sunday.
Give ’em a break folks, they don’t deserve the over-the-top reactions.
White did ok imo. As I said before the first goal was Noni’s fault not White’s. However we miss the mental strength of Timber at the back.
In the last three games we have been exposed on the right. White did not have his mate Saka with him. If Odegaard was on the pitch together with Saka and White then the right would have been solid.
Timber works ok with both Saka and Madueke. However he was not available. Fingers crossed he will be against City. I believe that in midweek we will see more or less the same team as yesterday. And if Zubimendi has a knock I hope Arteta plays Norgaard or MLS in his place.
Spuds are easily London’s strongest team. Their loss today cemented their place (for now after 32 games) in the bottom three………meaning ……. they are holding all the EPL London based teams up. It takes great strength to hold them above. May it stay that way.
Hey Stuart.
It’s the day after the night before, but the feeling is flat.
Let’s start with the FA cup.
Three you say, two as captain.
It was a major trophy a long time ago, not so much since United refused to defend it (early 2000’s).
The first one of the three in 2014 was a deflection from Wenger having thrown the PL title away, when having led the PL comfortably through January and having lost Giroud and Walcott to injury, he refused to buy a striker. Arsenal lined up with Yaya Sanogo against Bayern Munich in Germany in the CL.
We went on to lose 5-1 at Anfield and 6-0 at Chelsea in Wenger’s 1000th game. In the cup final itself, championship side Hull took us to extra time. But as it ended a nine year wait for a trophy, naturally is was joyfully celebrated.
As far as I recall, the 2015 FA cup was more routine, thrashing Villa 4-0 at Wembley, although little Wigan pushed us in the semi-final.
Onto Arteta’s only highlight as manager in nearly seven years, his lockdown Covid FA cup.
George Graham won the FA cup as player (1971) and manager (1993) at Arsenal.
Arteta won it with a team he inherited from Emery, then he went on to ditch them, paying huge money to get some of them out of the club.
Since that rarified moment of personal glory, Stuart, would you say Arteta has taken the FA cup seriously?
The ongoing theme with Arsenal that has been running since the stadium move 20 years ago is always ‘Jam tomorrow…’
Arteta is the perfect proponent for this philosophy.
Did everyone watch the horror show that was the League cup final?
City played a level of football far beyond Arsenal’s capabilities.
They blew Arsenal away, and once they had their comfortable two-goal lead, they played the game out knowing Arsenal had absolutely nothing that could hurt them, and from an Arsenal perspective that is seriously depressing.
Decisions such as going all-in for Gyokeres instead of someone on the rise like Ekitike continue to be our bugbear.
Gyokeres is playing safe, Ekitike is sky’s-the-limit potential, and the difference in dyamics is night and day.
And before anyone points out the poor season Liverpool are having, they’re seven titles and six CL’s ahead so I’d back them to turn it around before Arteta. We played against them like we were terrified of losing and took only one out of the six points on offer.