Laurent Koscielny says that the 1-1 draw at PSG tonight is a good point, but says Arsenal must work on their concentration.
The Gunners fell behind after just 42 seconds, Edinson Cavani remembering for that brief moment how to play football and nodding the home side in front. It could have been much worse as he went on to miss a host of easy chances, and Arsenal could have been more severely punished.
The French international was pleased after Alexis Sanchez’s goal rescued a point but says the team can’t keep going to sleep.
Speaking after the game, he said, “I think it’s a good point but we came here with our ambition and we wanted to have the three points, but when we start like this it’s difficult to play.
“Maybe in the final third we didn’t find the good ball to score, but we came back. During the game against Southampton in the Premier League we slept and we need to change this in the future.
“We need to be strong from the first minute to the end. During the game we played pretty well but if you start like this it’s difficult.”
It is a welcome point but the balance of the Arsenal team seemed all wrong, especially in the first half. It’s definitely something the manager has to address because we won’t keep getting away with defensive performances like that.
Amen, Laurent!
this was a bloody craaazy game! Everytime they attacked they looked like they would score where on earth was our bloody midfield??? until Xhaka and Elneny came on it was sooooooo easy they walked through our midfield i dont know if its the system we played or the players not doing their jobs in midfield but wow that was too easy for a good solid 70min they absolutely did whatthey wanted if it wasn’t for Ospina man that could’ve been about 7 or 8 nil???? Arsene Wenger got his selction absolutely wrong again! I expected Xhaka or Elneny to start… Read more »
The only conclusions I can come up with after season, after season, of the same damn thing: – Ox is being given unusually large amounts of faith, which is not unusual for Wenger, so I disregard his inclusion over Campbell, etc. If he comes good, then he’ll probably be excellent anyhow. If not, then legally squirm back Campbell. I’m a glass half full kind of guy. – Wenger is trying to test a separate rotation of players that he can rely on in order to maintain fitness levels throughout the season. But of course none of the players can adapt… Read more »
According to your formation that would mean dropping Ozil. Wenger did get it wrong but I reckon he anticipated PSGs game wrong. I reckon Wenger thought we’d sit deep, soak pressure and counter. But that didn’t happen at all because PSG were all over us as soon as there was a turnover. We have a problem with high-pressing teams. I’m not sure what the solution is though – and I don’t think Wenger has quite figuered it out yet either, or like Koz said, the team was asleep. Maybe Wenger should’ve dropped the Ox and Iowobi, put Ozil out wide… Read more »
Koz needs to get the back 4 to wake up. If it werent for the great saves from Ospina we would have been well beaten. Worried that Alexis seemed in pain when the final whistle blew.
Yes the Kos/Mustafi partnership has looked shaky but defense is a team game. A porous middle and wingers missing defensive assignments isn’t helpful
More drive needed in our attack as well. Once again, in another season, our attacking intent seems very blunt and predictable. Something else needed to drive these guys over the edge. Their defense was there for the taking.. We only discovered it too late. Credit goes to the lads for keeping the fight going on. I guess this is what he meant by having men who’ll fight to the end. But still … Not yet satisfied with our attacking threat…
One can only guess at Wenger’s reasons for persistently using Alexis as a striker. Regardless of the fact that he’s not very good at it, the player himself has said he dislikes playing there. And a time when we’re trying to get Alexis to sign a contract extension, it seems strange that Wenger appears to be doing his best to antagonise him.
Can’t wait to see player ratings because Ospina deserves a 10!
Wow, we were lucky yet could have won the game! Crazy stuff.
Giroud really needs to stop whining.
If the ref had eyes for once and actually gave Giroud the decisions he deserves maybe he would.
Several times, Coquelin was the player making runs forward into and around the penalty area from the midfield. On one hand, I liked it a bit because I would really love to see him score a goal, but on the other hand, that’s the exact opposite of the purpose he’s out there on the pitch to serve.
Is this what stability and cohesion brings? Doing the same stupid shit year after year? God I swear only Koscielny and Sanchez give a shit in this team.
Love Coq, and he definitely has a place in the team but I’m beginning to wonder if Elneny and Xhaka are the partnership for the future. Certainly for home games
He is of course right and having the wingers track back (mainly the Ox) would help the defence too.
The most concerning thing is that Arsenal do not look like a team in attack or defence, a theme continuing from last season.
The lack of movement and runs in the last third was infuriating, especially after seeing Man City over the weekend.
The second half looked a little better because our wide players stayed wide. I think if we compare our players’ heat map vs Barca/Bayern/Man City (this season) or any team with good wingers, we are way too narrow. The midfielders cant pick out the wingers because everyone is close to each other and the opposition’s defenders have a nice little zone to defend. Stretch the damn backline! Also, if your wingers aren’t having the best game, there needs to be someone in the central midfield that can run at the other team. As brainless as Moussa Sissoko might be, he… Read more »
His name is Aaron Ramsey.
Also Elneny can do that, not as effectively though.
Monreal and mustafi were caught badly for cavani’s goal. Two games in a row we’ve been let away by dodgy finishing
“We need to be strong from the first minute to the end. During the game we played pretty well but if you start like this it’s difficult.”I swear I’ve heard that before, actually seven millionty billion times, yet they’ll still come out half asleep in the next game, I’d rather have Cech play right wing than see Ox on the pitch again. Why Wenger keeps playing him and Ramsey when they are better players beat my imagination. Thank you Ospina and Alexis for the point.
I would also like to Alexis stop playing up front. He loves coming deep and that’s great when you have someone in the box but not when he’s supposed to be the one running in behind.
I’m not being attention-seeking or over the top when I say this is up there in terms of burglar jobs with the 1-2 late Poldi win vs Anderlecht. Even though we only got the point and back then managed to get all 3, comparing the quality of the opposition and the amount of CLEAR CUT chances they had; it comes close. Should have been 0-3 at half time and 0-4 by the time we scored, and apart from the Iwobi chance, we didn’t look like creating much while they arguably had the better chances after we equalised. Then Giroud comes… Read more »
We were very lucky today, but also worked hard to keep the game alive and get the point, a very good away point. Wenger’s selection baffled many, but I think the rationale was speed and fresh legs up front (Alexis relatively fresh, Iwobi and Ox 100% rested), Coquelin to play his high-intensity interception game all over the pitch, and Cazorla to turn us forward; a good counter-attacking setup. Problem is, we let in a goal in the first minute, and that forced us to chase the game, which is why we had so many absurd team defensive errors. Last year… Read more »
Exactly. We were set up to sit back and counter them on the break, which is a strategy that has worked well in the past away against big teams.
Getting sucker-punched in the first minute wrecked that plan, and for the rest of the first half we had to change strategy; without the right personnel on the pitch. No one to hold the ball up (corrected eventually with Giroud), and no runners from midfield – only Coquelin, who had another job to do.
We got lucky and eventually fixed it, and a point that we sort of deserved.
A point is a point is a point. Let’s get three next time.
I disagree with our Bosscielny on one point; we definitely didn’t play pretty well. We had moments but we were generally a bit if a mess.
We underestimated our opposition. We attacked without thinking about defending. Alexis is not (yet?) a striker. OziI was not himself. Giroud and Xhaka were on the bench?!?
Wake up Arsene and co., next time we are not going to be so lucky. Champions definitely do not win games the way we did that one..
Ozil is yet to impress this season. He will come good we know that, class always rises to the top. but man I hope its next game!!
He looked pretty damn good to me against Watford.
Glad we got a point from a nervy game
Coquelin is the new Alex Song.
Also, any time you have a chance to buy a holding midfielder with game-dictating passing skills for $35 million and then leave him on the bench for important games, you have to do it.
Hey Blogger, I think you missed his point. He seems to imply that only the “start” was bad. The team was asleep throughout the game it was embarrassing.
You have to give it to Wenger…Managed to piss off literally everybody today. His insanity keeps things interesting.
I think that once Mustafi/Kos have a few more games together they will gel. Here’s to hoping!
The first person that needs to wake up is Arsene Wenger.
Ox is a liability, his passes are awful and he goes missing on defense. He needs to step up if not I hope Arsene ship him away on loan. Coq needs to stay back to anchor the defense of midfield, there is no shape and the whole midfield looks out of sorts against PSG. Thanks Ospina for saving us. Relieved to take a point out of this.
Ox needs to step up his game or ship out,at this stage we cant continue to make excuses for him. At times in recent games its like his heart is not in it,he derives more pleasure posting pictures on Instagram being goofy than actually standing out making a difference in the game ,he used to be a game changer but now i just don’t know what he is any more to be honest.
“During the game against Southampton in the Premier League we slept and we need to change this in the future. “We need to be strong from the first minute to the end” This is nothing against Kos because he’s like a real life super hero, but just the team in general. Various players have been saying this for literally years. We have to learn to stay concentrated We have to turn up from the start We have learned from last season We have to learn from this (any given mistake) and move on. I’m afraid if it hasn’t happened now… Read more »
OMG what do you guys see in Coquelin?!! He’s ok for fighting and defending, but Elneny and Xhaka are far superior players in the middle. Coq is fine to come in to secure games, but Xhaka cost 35m for a reason! And I like Elneny more too, he can defend and has technique going forward.
Besides, Wenger decided to play Coq forward, wtf is that, he can’t do that. We looked disjointed until Sanchez went back to the wing and Xhaka finally played.
Hope all this experimentation stops for the Hull game, we will be fine then.
next game, we have learned, …who can still hear this?
its quite obvious that, regardless of who is in the team, the boss cannot motivate the team anymore.
hes got many qualities, no doubt about that, but if a coach cant motivate players, he has no chance of building a team. he has to admit that.
he just cant do it. we could have messi, ronaldo or whoever, if they were coached by arsene, they would fall into the same kind of apathy within half a season.
Maybe they should blast the song ‘Wake Up’ by Suicide Silence in half time.