Arsenal suffered their second defeat of pre-season as Sevilla ran out 2-1 winners on the second day of the Emirates Cup. The Gunners, who yesterday hammered Benfica 5-2, still claimed the trophy on goals scored, just pipping their Spanish opponents.
The best of the action came in the second half as Alexandre Lacazette grabbed his second goal of pre-season to cancel out Joaquin Correa’s opener. Steven Nzonzi’s stunning effort on 69 minutes proved to be the winner.
Both sides had chances to score in a well-balanced first half but unlike yesterday’s goal-fest with Benfica, there was a lack of cutting edge in front of goal.
Ben Yedder hit the post for the visitors on 14 minutes, there were claims for a penalty when a cross hit Jo Willock on the arm and Nolito had Petr Cech scrambling after a well hit volley that dipped wide.
At the other end, Bellerin, who looked rusty, skied a half volley at the back post after great work down the left flank by Chamberlain, Welbeck toed wide after a strong charge and Ramsey fashioned a chance for himself with a tenacious bit of dribbling only to fluff the shot.
Alexandre Lacazette looked destined to tap home a Welbeck cross before Nicolas Pareja made a vital interception. Laurent Koscielny was forced into a similarly impressive piece of defending in the final seconds of the half after the defence fluffed an attempt to play offside.
Four minutes after the restart, the Spaniards broke the deadlock. Neat interplay sliced through the Gunners leaving Joaquin Correa one-on-one with Cech. The Argentine produced a deft finish.
In response, Arsenal stepped up the pace and Lacazette, who was quiet in the first half, tested Sergio Rico in the Sevilla goal after nice build-up work by Ramsey and Ozil.
The France international didn’t have to wait too long for another opportunity and when it finally came, following great work by Chamberlain and a trademark fluffed shot assist by Welbeck, he found the net. The record-signing looked relieved to have his first goal at the Emirates.
Lacazette equalises for Arsenal. 1-1 pic.twitter.com/pM3hadTPNn
— Terje (@ArsenalTerje) July 30, 2017
Sevilla restored their lead on 68 minutes as ex-Stoke midfielder Steven Nzonzi channelled his inner Yaya Toure to wand a curling effort into the top corner past a stranded Petr Cech.
Ramsey curled an effort wide from the edge of the box as Arsenal huffed and puffed in their quest for an equaliser but the Spaniards held on.
we really need to ( Seri + Lemar + top class central defender)
Seri is unknown quantity to many of us,so we can not presume he can just come in and make a difference, Lemar is by me but i still believe Mahrez would have been of much use to us today in our attempt to unlock their defence.
Either way,i don’t think we should read too much on today’s result,although losing has never been nice even in friendlies..
We have the defenders.
Mustafi still recovering, Gabriel a bit further away.
I mean considering we are using Elneny…its more like a stress test I feel.
But we also have Per, Holding and Chambers who are all more experienced positionally.
Welbeck remains our only main forward who hasn’t scored. Theo Giroud Laca even Iwobi has bagged 2 goals in pre season. I think it’s time welbeck steps up drastically or be sold in January. Every time I see him on the teamsheet I don’t feel confident he’ll score which is not a good thing to think of your forwards. With that said I still this he has something to offer I just wish it was goals. He has everything pace height but lacking in Theo movement and Laca positioning. It’s like he doesn’t know where to be as a forward.
January is too far. Welbeck should be relieved of his contract obligations if he can’t be sold for half the value we paid for him. He is a striker who never seems to be able to do what a striker is supposed to do. In fact, between him and Lucas, I would keep Lucas and sell Welbeck.
The prospect of Ox and Kolasinac terrorising defences is quite appealing
Thought Ox was immense today, has to work on his end product tho. Still, win tomorrow and we’re on for the preseason treble!!
Is a trophy available in training tomorrow?
He’s right about one thing though. To become a good player, Ox need to work on his end product.
True.
In all fairness he made the goal for Lacazette and put one on a plate for Bellerin that he should have scored and that one was with his left.
good effort award
I don’t think they will train tomorrow?
If he hasn’t figure out his “end product” yet it is not going to happen. It’s Feo all over again. What looks like potential turns out simply to be effort. Really good player, but not a reliable goal scorer. At a certain point, if the top is your goal, its management that needs to be a little more ruthless.
19 goals in 37 apps from the flank and he has no end product?
If anything, Theo is nothing but end product.
Fruitful careers have been made of that. Solskjaer, Inzhagi, etc etc. I think the 2 striker system with Giroud (or Laca once they’ve got there automatisms down) makes for goals for both strikers.
Theo first there to clear the ball after Ospina parried a shot is a worry – mind you Theo’s shot on their goal was much like the clearance!
If you can’t see a difference between Walcott and ox, you need help. Here’s a few pointers; work rate, strength, technical ability, dribbling
,Goals.
Different players altogether these days. Horses for courses. Theo’s not going to play wingback or CM, and Ox isn’t going to play forward. Barring injury crises in each respective position, mind.
And goals…
End product is one of the few things theo DOES have in abundance. It’s his dribbling and defensive play that has let him down.
Well not his defensive play last season. In fact he improved in every department but that seems to have been forgotten here at Arseblog
Ox does most damage IMO from the right.
AND I feel we will get more out of him if we can switch to 4-2-3-1 again.
But that means fixing the midfield.
Ha really, not like a few months ago when you claimed the Ox should be playing left-back.
lol
Agree with the first part of that statement but not the second. RWB is the ideal position for him, at this stage of his career. (And if we sell him to Pool or Chelski in the next month, I will not be amused.)
I disagree as well. If he doesn’t have goal scoring efficiency he’s better in this creative attacking wingback role. In a 4-2-3-1 he’s got to add goals. So far that’s not happening. For me he’s a wingback that MIGHT move inward to CM, box to box. But I have to say, the high speed, high risk running style he’s got does not tell me CM is his best role.
Yikes! That defense…
At times it looked like Koscienly was playing on his own back there
Its because they need coaching and organising and no amount of new signings can make up for the fact that we are not great in that dept, we can but 10 new players but unless you can make them into a cohesive unit and change the lack lustre attitude that often finds its way into our games season after season then we will continue to struggle to compete with the best.
buy
The positive is that Laca started his goal count at the Emirates, hopefully the first of many to come. Ox played a great game I thought.
We clearly need a Cazorla kind of player in central midfield, we lack creativity there and it’s shown against the stronger teams in this pre season. Hope Wenger finds somebody for that role
Welbzzzz with a comedy miss that turns into an assist. That guy!
The guy has a couple of those, still – he gets an assist for that!
Giroux and Lacazette are both looking sharp in front of goal.
As I said many times last season …all this talk about pace is useless if you can’t finish.
I like Welbz and think he has potential but he needs to sharpen up bc IMO he is down the pecking order.
Its to me either of Giroux or Lacazette offering different qualities.
Welbeck and Walcott either run in off them or are 3rd and 4th choice.
It’s become his trademark now
DW is a good footballer but a terrible finisher. AL does the job, and I hope to see many more this season.
You can’t say that a forward is a good footballer when he is terrible finisher. You just can’t.
Oh yes, you can say that when each of those terrible finishes becomes an assist. Eventually the team gets a goal – that’s all you want as a fan? If Welbz adds goals & subtracts injuries he’d win the Ballon D’Or – Holy shit!
Um, yes you can. Counterexample to your claim: Danny Welbeck.
You can in Wélé’s case, as he excels in many areas of the game. I actually think he makes a brilliant option on the wing for a game that demands hard work on the flanks. The infernal Fergeh agrees with me, actually
No one impressed the same way they did yesterday, apart from Ox in the second half who was notably better on the right than the left
He is more effective ri chemo t.
But I also think if we can get to 4-2-3-1 again, we can profit better from Ox AND Bellerin.
There should be an option to switch between both set ups.
Flexibility is crucial or we will again set ourselves up to be contained by better tacticians.
Final table standing: Arsenal & Sevilla both on 9 points. Arsenal& Sevilla both on +2 goal difference. Arsenal lead by 6 goal scored Vs Seville’s 3. One goal was all it took to lose the cup. Football are really about fine margins! Hopefully we don’t do this come next season because I can’t take this emotional ride much anymore!
Joke system that – win both games but Seville don’t win the trophy? Goals count double. Surely wins first then goals or head to head results or corners won or fair play should decide?
Oh well, we. Won our own trophy anyway and got to see some of our prospects from youth team – and got our most expensive player taken off injured!
I thought we did ok … it was pretty even in the first half, second half we took our foot off the gas for a while and they didn’t
Laca is gonna be so good for us! I can feel it.
He didn’t seem to turn up in the first half. Came alive in the second and looked a lot more dangerous.
He had little service to be fair.
He didn’t, but he wasn’t moving enough
It’s a fair comment about movement, It was Henry who said that the stickers job is to move, the person on the ball has the job of finding you. Now granted, Pires, Bergkamp, Viera, could find the Ark of the Covenant with a football, but it doesn’t negate the fact that no moment, means easy to mark, means go backwards.
anyway, its a friendly, the real tactical discussion starts next weekend 🙂
I haven’t decided if next weekends game is a meaningless friendly yet, I’ll make my decision at the final whistle
Obviously
I’m sorry but what is the ‘Ark of the Covenant’? and what did all those guys you mentioned do once they found it? I’m sorry but it’s all a bit too intellectual for my football brain (I’m Walcott’s best friend)
According to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Ark of the Covenant was an elaborately designed wooden chest containing the ten commandments that once resided in the Temple at Jerusalem, but was lost after the Babylonian conquest in the sixth century BCE. I would point you in the direction of the biblical books of Exodus, 1 and 2 Samuel, etc., but probably you’d have more fun watching the first Indiana Jones film…
Thanks a lot for enlightening me – I am ashamed I didn’t exactly know that even with 20 years of reading the Scriptures & related stuff, but the question remains how did Viera, Pires & Bergkamp manage to find the Ark with a football?
As a striker it will take him time to adjust to where and when he needs to make his runs to suit our style of play, likewise his team mates need to get used to how he moves. But whenever he gets a chance I really have confidence he will put it away. Personally I don’t feel that with giroud and even more so wellbz
Any striker would score goals if they got good service. What separates world class striker from good ones is one could score out of nothing.
Not necessarily, a striker that scores goals from nothing is rare. You can still be world class if you have world class movement and world class finishing, but lack the ability or pace etc to do it all on your own. Like Lewa for example.
A world class striker is one who scores when the opportunity arises. Van Nistelrooy and Christian Vieri didn’t make their goals through individual brilliance, but by knowing where to be and finishing the chance created.
Why the thumbs down. So many negative supporters. Did well with the limited opportunities he had.
Bcos some arsenal fans are little bitches unfortunately, sad but true.
Why when I thumb down or up does it add to both.
I think the website is adding up other upvoters, downvoters in between the time your page loaded, and when you finally submitted your vote. Hundreds of visitors online all over the globe at any given time.
Thanks sir. That makes sense.
I just green thumbed your comment and it added 4 to the count. I think its because I clicked the mouse really hard
Cos you did something wrong in the past. It a punishment
Pissed again?
Not tonight Paul. A large mug of green tea and a few too many fig rolls
Good for you, I am going for lamb chops to make everything wonderful!
Mmmmm mm – hope you had mint sauce with it.
Yep they probably reprogrammed the site just to fuck with you
It’s just one of Life’s little ways to remind us all that we don’t matter.
Arsenal win another prestigious trophy! Well done! I think the fans put up a good show, better than the jaded crowd we get during the season. Next time don’t invite teams that are better than us (I think Seville were very tidy
They thought they could easily beat a team that finished 4th in la liga . next time we surely won’t make that same mistake.
Do the phrases ‘pre season friendly’ and ‘not at full strength’ mean anything to u?
Cant say much until our main defenders are back in action but for this match, the defense from our midfielders are missing.
Oxlade and Ramsey are too busy with their own shows.
Often seems like everybody is attracted to the ball
Unfortunately, not many positives today.
Welbz looked sharp, but – again – far from deadly in front of the net. Bellerin didn’t look match fit. Ox’s bursts forward are joy to watch. He should start the season at RWB ahead of Hector.
Putting someone at RWB purely because of his attacking play is not very intelligent. Especially with the defensive troubles the team has had.
I would imagine it to be more intelligent to find a role for Chamberlain in the attacking half instead since he has definitely been the standout attacking performer since the last few months of last season.
Man The Ox gotta be thrilled we’re still trying to find a role for him after 7 years with us. Surely he’s bringing a pen with him everywhere these days.
Ended up as full back – only goalie or centre back to go now.
We have to get the Ox to sign a new deal, felt he’s been on the verge of a breakthrough for a while now.
His numbers were up last season and he looks really powerful now, to see another PL club benefit from our work would feel like Cesc going to Chelsea all over again.
Yes, but it’s so clear he doesn’t want to be a backup rwb.. and can you blame him?
If he keeps playing like that he will be first choice rwb
He has been for a while imo.
Exactly
He should be first choice rwb imo. But whether he actually wants to play there is another matter
I’m not sure he’s ready for a central midfield birth at Arsenal or anywhere else.
He’s still an important member of our squad and if he stays fit he should get 30-40 starts in all comps.
Alexis played in all four positions across our front line last season and he’s 28, I don’t see a problem for Ox being asked to cover 3 or 4 positions for us at 24
me thinks they need to rejig how they hand out the Emirates cup. A team that goes 1-1 has no business lifting the trophy over a team that finishes 2-0.
we had some good possession but still looked woefully unprepared for quick counter attacks. In other words, same ole Arsenal 🙂
Would have liked us to try different formations. I hope we turn on the intensity now, agree that we need someone like Cazorla. Giroud should start with Laca against Leicester. Would like to see Toral get a game against Chelsea, his attitude seems good and surely we should reward that.
What is the point of Welbeck? Whenever I see him, I think 16 mn pounds, down the drain…
He is a good all round footballer to be fair, and very athletic. Shame he hasn’t found his shooting boots.
I feel when someone calls a player a “good all round footballer” what they mean is someone who is great for a team in sixth but should not be starting for a team fighting for the title.
Oh and most top quality squads have “good all round footballers”, but in utility roles and definitely not as a backup striker.
She has a really good personality!
lol
Ljungberg was a “good all round footballer” and he is an invincible.
Welbeck is quite similar to Thierry but unfortunately without the end product so far
He can attack, defend, set up goals, pass, dribble, score. He can do a job for us in multiple positions. Ferguson always liked him, so have the various England managers, and so it seems does Wenger.
As it stands he will probably have to settle for being more of a squad player but we need them as well. If he gets better who knows. He has spent most of the last 2 seasons injured so it’s probably a bit too soon to write him off.
Ummm not really. He is a poor scorer and not a very good passer of the ball either. Neither is he a dribbler in the sense of beating a marker with technique. He has pace, an ok first touch and a good work ethic. If you think that’s enough for an Arsenal striker then it says more about the standard you think Arsenal should be aspiring to than about Welbeck himself.
I’ve seen Welbeck turn many a defender with technique. But I agree he needs goals.
Nothing new.
If anything this result should serve not to mask the deficiencies still inherent particularly in deep midfield.
Defense-wise, I’m not sure what this Elneny experiment is about but we are of course missing Mustafi and Gabriel.
Not sure why Holding or Chambers don’t get time.
Midfield is STILL problematic.
They managed to stifle us better after half time.
We need someone who can hold control in that area but also penetrate vertically like Santi gave us.
If anything this result should not lull us into any false sense of security for start of season.
It’s a pre season friendly man, lacking the usual intensity, fluidity and personnel that a real game would. What you should take from that game is absolutely nothing. Because it means absolutely nothing.
Next week, assuming both teams start something close to their best sides, we’ll get a slightly better idea of where we’re at.
But basing anything at all on pre-season performances is a mugs game
a trademark fluffed shot assist by Welbeck…ha! Couldn’t say how enjoyably true that is!!
The Ox was fantastic today. Don’t want to face him playing for a different Premier League team! El Neny also put in a great performance.
Elneny did well, didn’t really put a foot wrong.
Wonder if Wenger is trying to improve the defensive side of his game.
Why wasn’t Chambers in the squad. Looked impressive when he came on against Benfica and is a more natural defender then Elneny.
I was wondering that also, maybe Palace have come back in with an improved bid. Shame as he’s better than Elmeny & Mert & Kos are going to be injured a lot I expect.
We seem short of a trophy winning club right now.
Don’t know. We are missing our best player for one thing, plus half of our defence for most of these games.
That Joseph Willock chap could be the new Viera in a few years? Impressive.
Well, I thought he was really good…?
Did you watch the same game?
Maybe he watched it on crack.
Original Paul, he was shocking.
What the midfield bloke that got a good round of applause when he came off? Maybe I am losing it sorry.
Perhaps you were watching his brother in the other game
I did see Chris, a great cross that lead to them going close…
He may have a great future but today he was way out of his depth
Find a CM and a CB before the season start, please don’t repeat the same mistake by not ready in the first game of the season, you’ll only triggers the fans again by not learning from last season.
Find a CM and a CB before the season start, stop penny pinching in transfer market.
Another CB? We already have 7 (8 or 9)
I still think Ox would be best as a winger. He’s so good in one-on-one situations and his crossing is probably better than most we have. I’d have him as a touchline hugging winger if/when we revert back to 4 at the back.
Another superbly disguised assist from Welbeck! Unplayable
He needs to go let’s be honest here…
Laca, Giroud, Alexis and Walcott in front of him surely?
He’s a striker that is really poor in front of goal ffs!
The hell…we need to unleash the guy. How many more such fine piece of skills can we expect from the him.
I see people saying we need “top class” central defender, whatever that means. The problem is in poor positioning in midfield whenever we transition from attacking situations to defensive situations. It is atrocious. It can be fixed in training.
However, the switch from defensive situations to offense is the best I’ve seen in a very long time for this team. I’ll say since the 2008 team. The pace and speed at which they move the ball is electric
A question: Why isnt Ox considered an option to partner Ozil in the role behind the striker?
He used to be considered an offensive midfielder before the change to wing back, has a better touch and control than Walcott, is more decisive than Welbeck and has a better eye for a pass than both. He has had zero minutes in that role so far.
Probably because we’ve had Alexis there for so long and Ox was so good at wingback. But it’s an interesting idea I think.
Ox said himself that he struggles with the off-the-ball aspects of forward play and that playing at wingback helps take advantage of his strengths while nullifying those weaknesses. Presumably playing at CM would do the same.
Can someone tell Wenger and Mr.Dick to be fast about Seri or Carvalho pls
We are kidding ourselves if we think we have ‘strengthened’. Some people are still delusional hoping Alexis will stay. IF he does, great but likely we will sell. IF so, we have only added Lacazette to replace Alexis for goals but not for the ‘unpredictability’ element. AND we have not found solution in deep midfield which will be a problem (AGAIN) if not tackled for coming season. Two defeats in pre-season is hopefully a wake up call. I don’t think we will do business before start of season so we have to go with what we have but certainly the… Read more »
The more I see Laca on the left wing, the more I feel he was bought as a replacement Alexis and not a replacement for Giroud. Starting lineup in two weeks will be Giroud in the middle, Laca on the left, and Alexis being transferred or benched. Benched if we are lucky. AW will come out and suggest he’s not playing because he’s short fitness wise due to his illness from two weeks before. But there will be hundreds of reports of him joining Pep at Man City. This team seems to be missing a lot of pieces. But if… Read more »
Basing it off preseason lineups is the problem right there.
So far Lacazette is Defoe like. Not that involved but highly efficient in scoring goals.
Like the opposite of Welbeck.
Hmmm,Defoe? More like Darren Bent!