The Importance of Santi Cazorla
60 – Premier League matches Cazorla played in for Arsenal since the start of the 2014/15 season
9 – Number of those matches in which Arsenal went scoreless (Chelsea, Southampton, Chelsea, Swansea, Sunderland, West Ham, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leicester)
15 – Percent of those matches in which Arsenal went scoreless
25 – Premier League matches Arsenal played without Cazorla since the start of the 2014/15 season
6 – Number of those matches in which Arsenal went scoreless
24 – Percent of those matches in which Arsenal went scoreless
37 – League wins with Cazorla since 2014/15
13 – League Draws with Cazorla since 2014/15
11 – League losses with Cazorla since 2014/15
62 – League win percent with Cazorla since 2014/15
2.07 – League points per game with Cazorla since 2014/15
1.93 – Goals per game with Cazorla since 2014/15
.92 – Goals allowed per game with Cazorla since 2014/15
11 – League wins without Cazorla since 2014/15
10 – League draws without Cazorla since 2014/15
4 – League losses without Cazorla since 2014/15
40 – League win percent without Cazorla since 2014/15
1.72 – League points per game without Cazorla since 2014/15
1.56 – Goals per game without Cazorla since 2014/15
1.04 – Goals allowed per game without Cazorla since 2014/15
1 – Convenient charts I made for you to steal — all data League games only 
Ridiculous Middlesbrough Match Stats
707 – Arsenal passes
352 – Arsenal passes in the Boro final third
9 – Arsenal shots
5 – Arsenal shots on target
2 – Arsenal shots in the Boro 18 yard box
1 – Arsenal big chance (that Walcott shot when Victor Valdes was out of his area)
239 – Boro passes
93 – Boro passes in the Arsenal final third
11 – Boro shots
4 – Boro shots on target
8 – Boro shots in the Arsenal 18 yard box
4 – Boro big chances (3 saved by Cech)
0 – Goals scored
1 – Arsenal’s position on the Premier League Table
Player Stats
4 – Sanchez shots
5 – Negredo shots
93 – Elneny passes
95 – Pass completion rate by Elneny
1 – Key pass by Elneny
40 – Passes by Coquelin in the Boro final third (of 44, 91%, led lol players by volume)
36 – Passes by Elneny in the Boro final third (of 39, 92%, second among lol players)
18 – Top pass combination – Mustafi to Elneny and Bellerin to Mustafi
17 – Second top pass combination – Elneny to Coquelin (16 was the number of Coquelin to Elneny)
15 – Pass combination of Elneny to Özil
14 – Pass combination of Elneny to Iwobi
8 – Top pass combination TO Walcott – Mustafi to Walcott
5 – Boro’s second best pass combination – Victor Valdes to Alvaro Negredo
5 – Number of passes Elneny made to Sanchez (1 key pass)
6 – Number of passes Elneny made to Walcott
6 – Walcott dribbles (of 8, led all players)
2 – Sanchez dribbles (of 6)
0 – Iwobi dribbles (of 3)
77 – 0zil touches
1 – 0zil shots
0 – 0zil shots on target
Ö – 0zil dribbles (of 2)
Ö – 0zil Key Passes
@7amkickoff
Sources: Opta, Transfermarkt.com
Fatigue plain and simple
Fatigue, really?
Winning 6-0 at home in the CL is no reason for fatigue.
We got found out with this lineup when there is no space to run behind. Alexis and Theo thrive, this was a game where we missed Giroud or someone with presence up front. And it shows how much we need Santi or a runner/someone who tries like Ramsey. Not the right personnel today sadly for a Boro set up of this sort.
Still top of the table is better! Onwards and upwards.
I think those defending this non-performance are on weak grounds. Sure, they might be a bit jaded, but they are highly paid professional athletes for heavens sake, with world leading fitness care and regimes. And there is a squad, so use it. Also, our CL game was at home so no travel. Some people are just far too sympathetic at times, as if these players are doing it all for charity of something. They should have put Middlesborough away, at home, by at least 2. Not good enough, and a big missed opportunity to go clear at the top. With… Read more »
its not fatigue just that on day we were not good enough. I seem to remember quite a few games, 12 in total, that we drew in the invincible year. Even got lucky to nick a draw at Highbury against Portsmouth. So let’s stay in reality and acknowledge we were not at our best and boro defended superbly.
Or a Xhaka Thunderbolt…? to have some sort of threat outside of the box. I get Mr Wenger likes tap ins but surely most teams must set up knowing that there is generally 1 way we like to score goals in the box and from the flanks.
I was going to say the thing about Santi Cazorla before seeing the By The Numbers article and I just decided against saying anything more.
Cazorla is as big a star in that team, if not more, than Mesut Ozil/Alexis. Plain and simple.
We manage without Ozil most times on his off days. When Santi’s missing we’re mostly just huffing and puffing.
Or, and this might be a frowned up or, another option is for the DM to line up long shots just so that opposition defending deep run out of formation to block shots occasionally? Opens up space that the front four might need.
If we have Giroud coming off the bench after 60-70mins in games like this we will win 9 times out of 10. I thought the same against Burnley although we did eventually manage to somehow get the goal. Make no mistake there will be more games like this during the season where we miss our little magician, or we’re a little fatigued, or things just don’t quite click for whatever reason and Giroud will be crucial. I know if I was a CB and I had spent 60mins of physical and mental energy marking Alexis, Walcott, Özil and Iwobi etc… Read more »
Himself or even Welbeck when fit. He’s also probably stronger in the air than most the other options Avalonble as it stands.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Xhaka should have played against Ludogorets when we knew he couldn’t play today and protect Santi, subs should have been made sooner once the game was won. I don’t think Coq/Elneny works, nothing against them but they’re being asked to be the creative spark in the midfield and they are not that.
For me, Coquelin and Elneny are the pair you want holding central midfield when you’re 1-0 up in the 70th minute. Or you’re facing a heavy pressing team that plays a high line. Not starting against a very defensive Middlesbrough.
Awesome stats about Cazorla. Sign him up for life! He’s a Legend already! Oh Santi Cazorla!!!
Personally, I think those Cazorla stats are skewed and count for very little. When we lost cazorla last season, it was around the same time we lost Alexis and Coq, so a good amount of those games should be “Arsenal win % without Cazolra, Alexis and Coq” …not just Santi..
seems we need a plan B for the teams that bring their bus onto the field..
That plan b is Giroud, but he wasn’t available for this game, the burnley game was screaming out for him as well
“40 – Passes by Coquelin in the Boro final third (of 44, 91%, led lol players by volume)”
This is all you need to know about today’s match.
Was this not a game where Wilshere’s infiltration would have come in hand?
Santi was a huge miss as was HFB. Also, can’t help but think Granit’s passes would have been useful today.
Finally, and least certain of this, as much as I love the new Theo, so much of his game requires space behind, wonder if putting Perez on early for him and/or starting Perez makes sense against bus parkers.
Still, not terrible. COYG!
Also can’t not imagine granit putting in a late tackle on traore
Shut up
Ciao
7amkickoff reports that Elneny did 93 passes, but WhoScored.com reports the OPTA data as: Elneny had 101 passes and 109 touches, and his pass completion rate was 95% — https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1080582/Live . Eleny was substituted in minute 74, and rightly so. I have complained in times past that Cazorla recieved the ball too often, and Cazorla did too many passes resulting in sterile tiki taka play in the 3rd quarter of the field. I now complain the same about Elneny today. Oezil today had only two touches inside the opposition box. Iwobi today had only one touch inside the opposition box.… Read more »
I meant to say, in the game aginst Burnley on 2 Oct 2016, Cazorla made 108 passes.
The number of passes isn’t the problem. I think the problem is against packed defenses Elneny vs. Cazorla boils down to ability to play an incisive pass or a dink over the top.
I love Elneny and think he’s a good player but there were times where Cazorla or Xhaka might’ve cut a man out with a pass where Elneny goes the safe pass (expecting the receiver to then deliver the pass to the further man).
That extra pass slows things down and helps the defending team
I’m absolutely shattered from travelling 1200 miles to the 3 games in 8 days. So, I think it’s fair to suggest the players may be feeling it a little. With the benefit of hindsight, we probably should have rotated a couple. It’s a frustrating one because we had all the momentum to pull away at the top but fell short. Biggest problem appeared to be a lack of creativity. El Coq combo felt static. Santi is always a huge miss. Hard to not feel disappointed but still very happy overall.
Would like to see Santi compared with Ozil, Who is widely believed to be the creative fulcrum of the team
37 wins, 13 draws and 11 defeats with Cazorla since 14/15. Cazorla, 60 games played since 14/15.
That doesn’t add up.
How many floated crosses did Monreal complete? For me he always waits on the ball and just smashes it into the covering defender.
You been drinking since 7am?
In the absence of both Cazorla and Xhaka, against teams which sit deep, we should probably play Ox at CM alongside one of Coq or Elneny. Coq and Elneny is probably too defensive for these games. It would also have helped to have Giroud around to be plan B when we are forced to chip it into the crowded box. My biggest worry is actually that Monreal got destroyed again by an unheralded attacker who has pace and physicality. First Barrow now Traore. Plus was hesitant in the attack and did nothing but dither and then blast a “cross” into… Read more »
Like, I have always texted, Arsenal must develop plan B and learn to fire from outside 18, why must they want to score from inside 18, like it’s the rule of play! And pushing everyone forward on many occasions, didn’t even teach them a lesson! Against Paris st Germain, in champions league, keeper Osipina was luck not to get a penalty, however, in the next game in premier league, keeper Church wasn’t luck & got it…, Against Middlesbrough, it was sheer luck, they walked Scot free after the counter attacks
I thought Elneny played well. The problem is he doesn’t add as much going forward, he doesn’t provide that extra at the moment. This is why we missed Santi for large spells last season and all the opprobirum on Flamini and Ramsey was a little misplaced. Neither Coquelin nor Elneny without Santi beside them are as water tight. But the issue is also going forward. This is where Ox for all the ‘criticism’ adds an extra dimension going forward. We were also IMO missing a bit of the Giroud option. I said this before, that it is not a zero… Read more »
Great article and stats, thanks 7am. Coq and Elneny are supposedly a quite defensive combo, but that doesn’t help much if the opposition play long ball over all the midfielders to negredo and traore. I wonder if lots of pace vs iwobi/Monreal combination will become a tactic. One thing we do lack without Xhaka is aerial presence. And one thing Santiago does is recycle the play very very well, helping us to defend against direct teams by keeping the ball in places which the opposition can’t predict. The two tactics we will need against teams who have done their homework… Read more »
Anyone notice how they let coq keep his balls outside the box? It’s a disgrace how the opposition disrespect our ability to score with our coq and ball.
In the future perhaps our coq should be prematurely shooting outside the box
I thought the main reason we lost (apart from tiredness) was Traore. Amazing counter-attacking weapon. Really terrified our back four. Seems Aston Villa got rid of him for tactical indiscipline. What? Just give him the No 9 shirt and let him do whatever the hell he likes.
I am a little curious on Monreal case, he is nowhere near to last years Monreal who was Mr. Consistent for us. May be other teams have found the way to get past him easily. To be honest i have not seen him winning sprint against any winger who tries to race with him. Iwobi doesn’t help either he completely refuses to do the dirty work despite knowing he will be taken off within 70 min. it really is a concerning issue, i don’t know at which point do we start worrying about it. We should give some premier league… Read more »
I am very disappointed in you 7amkickoff. Cazorla is definitely one of our best players but the first thing they tell you in statistics class is that correlation does not equal causation. I mean goals allowed per game with/without Cazorla? When did he become this great defensive player. What you should have placed more emphasis on in this article instead is the last number which shows that Mr. Ozil did not pull his weight and frankly hasn’t been doing so all season. Yes his goals are welcome and maybe that masks his shortcomings but he is much more crucial now… Read more »
Let’s go Southampton!
I’ve always maintained that Santi is one of our most important players. He ignites our attacking play. Although, to blame this draw on the absence of Santi is somewhat short sighted. I watched the game again (beginning to end, not highlights) and below are some observations: * I was impressed with Elneny’s industry and distribution, esp in the first half. It’ll be interesting to see the number of advanced/ forward searching passes he made. * Le Coq was his usual self. * Our forward line were a lot less effective than in recent weeks, but not for lack of trying.… Read more »
You have summed up my thoughts to there. The reason in the past we have missed Santi so much is we lost him when we lost his partner, Le Coq (and Alexis) and also as we have not had suitable replacement. Elneny did well in performing that role. The game was no different than Burnley.
Also, ElCoq/Coqueney is a relatively NEW partnership; just as using Sanchez upfront needed time to bear fruit, it CAN mature. Considering how much I’ve been left surprised by a number of players under our current establishment, I tend not to question these changes till they’ve at least experienced a run of games.
For me the lineup wasn’t the biggest issue. It’s a very old problem, we have a lot of players who are able to keep the ball for as long as they want to, shift it and move it around quickly, but when that clearly wasn’t working we should have tried to be more aggressive, make runs into their box and force a few fouls. Boro don’t have the necessary skill to make clean tackles every time and considering Mike Dean’s tendency to award penalties this season, we could have gotten one, or at least make them abandon their positions a… Read more »
I thought we have lots of quality midfield players. Elneny is not one of them obviously.
Two sitting midfielders who honestly aren’t very creative didn’t work for us.
Could’ve subbed one of them at half time if we really wanted the win, but we played it safe and got a draw.
There’s bound to be a game like this after a good run, let’s hope it doesn’t last. Coyg!
It’s easy to complain that we should have rested a few more people in the CL given that we won 6-0. It’d be a bit harder to claim we needed to rest people for ‘brough had we messed up the CL game with 4 of our best players on the bench.
Özil would have probably been more effective in Cazorla’s position for this match.
I really do not understand why the players cannot organise themselves on the field if one strategy is not working. Arsenal is still a little weak when it comes to trying out new things on field, we will batter on the wall until a crack shows when sometimes it is good to shoot a cannon(see what i did there) at the wall or lob some balls over the wall. Many times a rebound can do the job of unsettling the defence too.