Arsenal slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the Emirates this evening in what was a hugely dispiriting performance.
Goals from Ollie Watkins and an own goal from Bukayo Saka were the difference, while at the other end Alexandre Lacazette and Willian were wasteful from the little Mikel Arteta’s side created.
A bad night at the office.
Read the Arsenal 0-3 Aston Villa match report and see the goals here
Arsenal 0-3 Aston Villa – Player Ratings
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We need Özil, man. Auba needs to play in the middle. Laca should be benched and the real Willy should be started.
Barring trophy games, PreCOVID Arteta ball was much more entertaining than PostCOVID ball.
Ozils numbers weren’t great but we could sustain attacks at least and play high up the pitch. I don’t really want him in the team either but they did not replace him and there is no one in the current squad better than him in that position. Imagine how embarassing it will be if we are forced to call upon him now. And with no finances that looks likelier the more we continue to play like this. Just look at Villas first goal.. That used to be us.
I thought about it too, but with him out of the squad, it is impossible. So it’s good-ish that it’s not an option for them.
Ozil is not in the team, and won’t be for at least another 2 months and likely never again, so we have to move on and Arteta has to find a solution. I know one player would not have made a difference tonight, but how Willock didn’t make the bench after his recent EL performances makes me wonder about Arteta’s reward system and what messages are being conveyed. I love Arteta and think he’s going to be great, but I’m having trouble watching this stuff right now as he can’t seem to see what is painfully obvious to pretty much… Read more »
Forget Ozil lads a line has been drawn under that situation. Some strange results all over the league this year we will get better just probably not enough for top four this season.
That’s what i’ve been saying. Ozil even though he didn’t contribute to those premium stats (assist, goals) we seemed to be able to hold the ball higher up on the pitch and have more players contributing to the attack/possession in the final third.
Our game used to be more dynamic precovid. Now Arteta just seems scared to lose but I don’t understand why, he has strengthen the spine decently yet we seem to play even more conservative.
Yep. There have a been a litany of poor decisions since the FA cup win.
Martinez
Bellerin Luiz Gabriel Tierney
Partey Elneny
Ozil
Pepe Auba Saka
That team gets at least top 4 for me. At the very least.
In fewer words, Aubameyang is the best finisher at the club. I don’t care about formation or even players, he is the key and should be on the end of every single ball. Not trying to build play in his own half.
He can’t build play anyway
How does the ghost of Ozil turn a mid table team into a top 4 team? C’mon, you’re talking nonsense mate.
Ozil hasn’t had a solid midfield base since Real Madrid.
Partly and Gabriel behind, Auba, saka and Pepe in front? You put him in this team and he would fly, I guarantee it.
He wont fly. He will walk around.
To be fair, walking around would have fit right in today.
thousand of excuse for ozil form/performance over the year never his fault, we are paying him for a superstar performance someone who can carry a team ,not someboddy who need a defender, a DM a wide player and a striker to bring anythin to the team , i call that a liability
Ozil didn’t improve the team when he played (during the the past 1 to 2 seasons). Why would he make a difference now? Time to move on.
He’s 32, got barely 7 months left in his contract, and by the way, last night performance proved anything but we have a “solid midfield base”. We got overrun pretty much everywhere. So Sir, despite your Guarantee, Sir, for now… if nothing else emerged from the current set of starters in the coming weeks, I rather Arteta take chances with our youngsters, and if they indeed perform no better, take our chances with external solutions in the Jan/Summer window (if Stan wouldn’t budge in Jan).. We might just got lucky with our own “Fernandez”. I know, i know, Fernandez was… Read more »
He alone doesn’t need to change our fortunes nor should he play every game. People might not want to face it but he’d be more effective than Willian or Laca in these games. Fact is despite being in and out of the team last season he created more chances per 90 minutes played than anyone else with Willock in second place. Incidentally Willock was also top 3 successful dribbles per 90 minutes. Right now Ozil & Willock are the best we have in the advanced midfield role and neither can get into the team with the former almost certainly never… Read more »
Now I really miss fans being in the stadium who would have demanded accountability from the manager and the players. If a system isn’t working change it, if a style isn’t working move to plan B, if a player is missing chances or playing badly, come on get them out. No one should be living on old glory. If that’s the yardstick for Ozil, that better damn be the yardstick for others. Cuz it makes no sense to have a Willian on huge wages getting played week in week out playing shit and you can’t give an old servant a… Read more »
Well said Looney. If our squad had some members who had an eye for a pass like Ozil, fine, but the fact we don’t and we banish him when it is blinding obvious we lack any sort of creativity is literally handicapping yourself for no good reason.
Well said Looney 👏👏👏
Arteta hasn’t heard of the phrase ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’
MAGA- Make Arsenal Great Arsenal. Reminds me of one certain Donald Trump. 😀
Great Again
Alexandre Bendtner
Seems harsh on Bendtner lol, but could be my rose-coloured glasses for the past
Wow, what’s with all the dislikes? The way we lack creativity at the moment is embarrassing at the very least. We used to score 2-3 goals at the Emirates against this kind of opposition in the first half itself. And there no better creative player at the moment than Özil. You have to be ready to throw everything at it when worse comes to worst. And it has been that case for quite a while now in terms of creativity. He’s still an Arsenal player. Still on our wage bill. Make him earn it. I don’t condone all the games… Read more »
Well, Ozil isn’t even a possibility, since he hasn’t been named in the squad. Might as well be asking for Bergkamp to solve our creativity issues.
People don’t like being shown up. Simple as that. No matter how logical your arguments or what facts you present they’ll hit the thumbs down. They’d rather this team keep playing as is, disregarding the 3-year Willian-shaped shit-show Arteta has bestowed upon us, completely bereft of any attacking cohesion than admit Ozil could contribute. You are completely right though. From a pragmatic point of view it makes sense to use the player. He’ll be gone soon enough but why not use him in the meantime
Ozil is an enigma, playing or not, I am struggling to see the reason why he’s always the target when we lose, even though he doesn’t contribute to our bad defending. Mustafi and Luiz make sense, even Xhaka and Kola can be held responsible but why Ozil? The lack of creativity has been an issue post COVID, but there was a kind of seige mentality so it didn’t get noticed. Tbf Arteta just hasn’t shown any attacking identity or consistent intent in his managerial career so far. At the same time, you just can’t make an objective argument how Ozil… Read more »
He is a player that just doesn’t work in this day and age, he’s a complete luxury. There is not a leading team who would play a player like him. I would say he has an attitude problem as well if you look at his history and falling outs.
That’s an oft repeated mantra but not a fact. Are you saying the players we are using at the moment would provide more than he would? As for attitude, a few former teammates have come out and said he’s a professional who trains well and gets along with his teammates. Kos was the most recent to state this. Mourinho & Wenger didn’t have a problem with him and neither did his national team managers.
Some observations/inferences/questions on my mind since the transfer window slammed shut. To the people who think Ozil wouldn’t have created anything – what could possibly be the logic for signing Willian? His age? His crossing ability? We didn’t have a player in that position? And that’s after how Pepe played (quite well) towards the end of last season. I can’t help wonder what Pepe makes of this situation as Willian will be here for 3 years (unless he turns in a blinder of a season compelling a money-bags club to “make us an offer we can’t refuse”). However, the Arsenal/Arteta… Read more »
Our tactics are becoming a real issue. Laca really needs to be benched
Just chatting to my mate who’s a Villa fan. He had such praise for Martinez. He said that the defence is just so much more confident with him between the sticks.
Now I know this game didn’t come down to goalkeeping. But we seem to be panicked at the back a fair bit this season, especially playing out from the goalkeeper. I think there’s an argument that Martinez may have been exactly what this club needed. And we let him slip through our fingers.
This. Leno is jittery and can’t catch the ball, I was furious when we sold Emi, and so was David Seaman, who knows a bit about goalkeeping.
I feel like Leno was boss during the Emery era when he was just a hero every game in terms of shot stopping.
But in games where we just need a solid and sturdy presence, I feel he doesn’t really evoke a sense of calm confidence.
Leno just seems weak with no presence or authority.
Another in a long list of bad decisions this club has made in recent years.
Our biggest issue isn’t defense (odd to say after today) but that we can’t score in open play against PL opposition. The cup run was brilliant but it also was just us sitting back, countering and converting 1 out of the 2 or 3 chances we got. That simply isn’t sustainable. We’re averaging 3 shots on target per game in the PL – you’re not going to win a lot of games like that. Part of the issue increasingly imo is the defense knows if they give up a goal it’s game over
Yeah man, really poor in that respect again tonight.
I just don’t think that, for all the implications that it’s a 433 going forward, we get enough bodies forward. And there’s never any link up between midfield and attack. Bellerin and Saka are expected to do all the creative work for the side.
It doesn’t help when we want to play down the wings but have 2 players in Auba and Pepe who are not natural wingers, but are there simply to accommodate a completely out of form Laca. I feel that until Arteta starts playing our top attacking players in their best positions (whether that be through change of formation or personnel) then I think we’re always going to struggle… whether we add a CAM for extra creativity (which I think we should) or not.
I don’t think Arteta is trying to accommodate Lacazette; I think he believes he needs a nine/false nine to link play because he can’t add a play-making midfielder without playing a true back four–and he doesn’t think Holding, Mustafi, or Luiz plus Gabriel is good enough.
Yes, yes yes and yes. I’ve been saying this for months. The defence looked so much more assured with Emi back there and we won a trophy off the back of it.
before this game, we had the best defensive record in league. how can u even say that?
Our problem is not our defensive record, it’s our offensive impotence. I’d rather lose against Villa 4-3 than what we saw yesterday. Wenger’s teams were always great in offense and were frequently beaten on the break, but it was still football that was entertaining to watch.
I honestly don’t believe we would’ve won those trophies with Leno.
I agree, we shouldn’t have let Emi go. Though Martinez’s last two games were pretty bad if you watch them. The biggest advantage of Emi tonight was distribution
The club has some good young goalkeepers who should be getting more senior games
I believe Martinez makes Villa better, and I’m glad for him. And it has zero to do with this match. If we had sold Grealish and kept Willian, that would be different.
Dreadful – wake up Mikel please!
1 goal in the last 4 PL matches, and that was a penalty. So 0 goals in open play in 360 mins. This is bottom half of the table production.
Bottom half? That’s bottom three.
Yet when I saw this and said Arteta needs to change or out by winter I got downvote. This team is still a joke to me because of Arteta’s team selection and how he manage the attacking way.
Yet same top three over and over again. It’s madness, literally.
Artetaball
Remember how Arteta played? All those back passes. Solid but boring. No surprise his team plays that way too.
I’m with you on Willian for once. So Poor. 😔
drop Willian and Laca, start Pepe and Willock
Auba in the middle or pitchforks blogs?
Auba in the middle wont change shit!!! Unless Arteta rips up his blueprint and starts us playing like a top 4 contender
True, the method needs to be changed first but still let’s put our best players in their best positions too. Personally I’m not holding my breath for either to happen any time soon. 4 wins and 4 defeats and with the exception of the Fulham game those wins were very hard to come by. Hope those wins don’t start to switch into draws or we could very easily end in the bottom half, maybe bottom third
He played for Wenger and coached for Pep but manages with the mindset of David Moyes Everton underdogs
He was hopeless down the middle in the 2nd half, would make no difference at all. Lacca out of the team might make a difference, so if it facilitates that, then I’m ok with it.
Text to some friends shortly before 2-0: “Seeing a lot of Unai out there”. In hindsight, that may have done Emery a disservice.
I’d rather be told to be patient that to have “trust the process” thrown in my face, because I cannot discern a process. This isn’t just in reaction to a [deserved] heavy defeat, but because we’ve looked bereft of a plan for much of this season. Going 4 straight games without a goal from open play is evidence of that. If there is a plan, clearly it needs to be reworked or ditched.
Can you imagine Dean Smith playing Watkins at left wing and omitting Grealish from the PL squad?
No, me neither. But that’s what Arteta has done here. Either he’s getting the wrong advice from his team, or he’s not what he’s cracked up to be.
It’s really not. Grealish is providing assists, goals and work rate. Ozil has given none of that in the last three years.
Grealish is a big fish in a small pond where everything flows through him. Emery completely dismantled Ozil by cutting his free roaming role from horizontal to vertical. Ozil would regularly find spaces to exploit on the wings but Emery made him stay center and drop deeper. Maybe a bit late for him to adapt so quickly to his new responsibilities.
To be fair to Arteta, it was Xi Jinping who omitted Ozil from the first team.
Along with more than half the uighur population from the planet.
Just atrocious. If willian or Lacazette start again after the break it will be time to give some real consideration to whether or not we have the right manager.
The problem is the two replacements! 🙁
Fuck off pepe oofday is still better than Willian…
Put auba in the middle nd play 3 midfielders
I agree–but that means a back four. A real back four, not just when we are in secure possession. And do we have two centre halves who can do this together? Holding is not good enough; Mustafi is good enough 80 percent of the time, but the other 20 percent can be catastrophic; Luiz is . . well, we know. Can any one of those three, paired with Gabriel, do the job? I’m for taking the chance, because the alternative is 0-3 to Villa, but it’s not simple.
Nelson is overdue a chance on the right. Auba through the middle. Saka on the left. With plenty of flexibility and position swapping between the 3
Play an actual 4-2-3-1 at home and against weaker teams, with Ceballos given a chance in the 10 position to begin with
Please don’t start with this arteta out shit
I haven’t, I expect this is the last we see of that 11. But we are going in the direction of Emery’s final months, where everyone could see the problems and he kept refusing to fix them. Tons of time left to change course, but 4 games without a goal from open play is a *big* problem.
We dominated Man U away from home a week ago, stop being fickle
Bang on. I was giving Willian the benefit of the doubt as he is adapting to new tactics. But he is so static and when presented opportunities he is a shambles.
Lacazette has missed more sitters this year than anyone else in the league surely? Wish there was a stat for that.
You know he will…
I don’t quite know it, but I’m certainly not worrying about it yet.
Thanks bro, it’s like you read my mind. To me Arteta is not the solution to our problems. How can you play 8 games and lost 4 already, I can’t just comprehend that
I hope during Arteta’s think, he concludes that Auba should play centrally and that Willock needs to be involved in PL games.
Leeds next, a very tough game but winnable
Villa were a decent team on a bad run and you’re welcome Villa, we broke the spell for them.
Leeds are a decent team on a bad run…can you see where I’m going with this?
Play Auba up top, drop Lacazette, play a back 4. Give ourselves the best chance and take it from there
It’s not like Auba has been much since he signed the big contract.
He’s not been great since he signed and he didn’t look at all interested today. Auba is a legend but he was easily one of our worst players today.
There is no service for Auba, no creativity from midfield.
Hard to blame Auba, he’s not a wide player and our play is so lethargic he cant get involved. He is playing out of position, hes a striker not a winger. He needs the ball fed to him in front or near of goal, not 40yards away on the by line.
Is he a footballer?
How can he when he’s out on the touchline? And saka or laca are stepping on his toes. He doesn’t build play, he’s a bloody lethal finisher, so GET HIM ON THE END OF THINGS. Not crossing or laying it off for Elneny.
Being out on the touchline is no excuse for poor passing. You’re right he needs to be in the box though to be effective. He’s a great finisher.
Same applies to pepe…..WHEN he plays
Absolutely and this seems another topic that Arteta is fed-up with although, I don’t understand why he would do this to himself, the team and Auba!
Ofcourse the lack of creation is an issue but don’t see putting Auba on the left makes a difference to that particular problem, if anything it makes it worse?
Agreed, Auba recieving it out wide is the deadliest of dead ends to our play. It’s so obvious how awkward he is on the ball as a winger, AND Laca is not doing an-y-thing to justify keeping this system in place with him as focal point. I’m worried for the direction for the first time since Arteta took over.
I’m really proud of Emi. He may have beaten us today but I wish him all the best. May he win a world cup for Messi. He’s never said a bad word about the club either.
We let a real gem go there.
He wipes the floor with Leno. Martinez will be at the next world cup, mark my words.
Not to take anything away from Emi’s brilliance but with only Romero as the competition, I don’t see that as much of an ask.
Martinez is not going to play for Argentina unless Armani does bad in there. The guy unfortunately is a cult hero at River and country. That said, Martinez is twice the keeper.
Blehhhhhhhh :((((((((
When I first saw the scores, i thought it was written in Arabic!
Modern numbers in Europe are derived from Arabic numerals. Not that it matters tonight😂
If Willian is an Edu signing he’s going on my shit list. At his best he was a good squad player, nothing more, and he’s far off his prime. Waste of wages and more terrible recruitment of attacking players
Arteta is the one who keeps picking him, what the f*ck you blaming Edu for? And Arteta sanctioned the signing in the first place
Most definitely an Edu signing. Either Edu needs stop giving away money to his buddy Kia (they worked together at Corinthians doing dodgy deals) or he needs better agent contacts.
I think he’ll be the next Arsenal staff member to go.
I thought willian looked decent last year. I’d question how we use him. Having said that he shouldve been dropped weeks ago
what was that song’s title… pissing in the wind?
One of Sir Elton’s most heartfelt songs if you ask me.
Whoever sanctioned the Willian deal needs their P45 sharpish.
Congratulations. You have another three years left of Willian.
Unfuckingbelievable.
Likely killing Nelsons arsenal career at the same time.
Only a couple of months ago a majority were going mad for Willian and had no issue with 250k a week for three years. Well here we are.
Most must have known For 3 years it was a terrible deal. Worth a punt for a season or two but……
The worst part is he keeps playing him, the bloke shouldn’t even be in the match day squad.
Totally agree. One season would have been worth a punt. Chelsea offered him 2, which was generous of them.
But here we go and blow them out of the water with a whopping three year million quid a month deal. Juzt cuz we can, like.
That’s simply not true. The only thing people were positive about is that there was no transfer fee for him and he’s been proven as a good player, so there was a chance of him succeeding here. It could still happen, let’s hope it does.
That would be £duardo C€$ar David Gaspar, more commonly known as Edu.
Stop buying Chelsea rejects.
Stop dealing with our rivals, unless we sell them our rejects.
We have a sub-par squad that the manager is using badly. He needs to shake things up a bit, but even if he does, top four looks very unlikely.
We do not have a sub par squad. I don’t know why people keep saying that. We have a forward who won the golden boot just a season ago. We have one of the most promising wingers in the EPL in Saka. We have a midfielder who we all were going gaga about last year in Ceballos. We have a world-class DM in Partey. We have two amazing wing backs who are easily top 4 materials. And we have a really good center back in Gabriel. What else do people want? And we have a really good shot stopper. Also,… Read more »
And there’s the problem. We have 7 good players, Villa had 4 at most yet made us look mugs.
Every time Villa got the ball the thought was go forward, ours was go sideways or backwards. Fine if we are creating at the end of it but there’s no movement up front or passer to hit them if they do.
Is it time to part ways with Laca after this season?
Who is going to buy him? Our management can’t get rid of anyone, half our squad are players we don’t want
Sell him for £1 and just get rid.
Just had a look and we signed a five year deal which means he’s here for another two years. I thought his contract was up this summer.
Shiiieeet!
It’s crazy that for the majority of our players in their summer or autumn years, we actually can’t wait for them to leave on a free, rather than bemoaning missing out on a fee for them. They’re so overpaid, and frankly so useless, that we don’t have a hope in hell of selling them. Mustafi, Ozil, Kolasinac, Lacazette, Sokratis, Luiz, Cedric, Willian, maybe Xhaka if his current form continues. Why have we had to bribe these fools so much to get them to play for us?? Very glad Huss Fahmy and Raul are gone if they are indeed to blame… Read more »
We signed Cedric, Willian, Mari, Luis to deals they didn’t deserve. We didn’t sell a single player that deserved to be sold, instead we sold our best GK for less than market price.
I honestly think Partey was not a planned buy, but Edu and Arteta promised the owners something to get their money back, probably selling Saka if it doesn’t work.
There is interest interest in all of those players from other clubs though. What’s preventing us from selling them are their high wages.
I’m glad Don Raul and Fahmy are gone too. The verdict is still out on Edu who is responsible for some of the questionable deals of late. Maybe he’s the last piece of the puzzle to be let go.
It was time last summer, but we left ourselves too much to do to replace him as well
ARE YOU CRAZY!!!!
January sounds sane to me
I know your frustrated… but Auba upfront changes sod all about tonight.
Sticks away Laca header to equalise
How do you know that? We could have another creator on the left wing. We could have Auba making more runs as Villa weren’t really playing a deep block. We could have played Pepe instead of Willian and have the left winger hold the width.
I agree. If he has to take tablets to play when he’s not even likely to score then he needs time-out.
Even Ole for all the claims he got for being soft has benched players when they needed it
Elneny was bullied off the ball too often tonight. Think he really needs Partey alongside him to be at his most effective
Stop playing a world class striker on the wing. Set the team up so it plays to his strengths.
This result is an eye opener, there’s no getting away from it.
Even Auba needs a timeout. You noticed the tablets he’s been taking?
huh, he needs rogaine
Tired of our managers always making life difficult for ourselves. Always happens. The weaknesses of our squad and players are evident to all. It’s a positive that it is instilling a better work ethic, but to pretend that Auba works well wide and Willian in midfield is just bizarre. No amount of work rate can overcome that. We’ve lacked a midfield and creativity all season. Got in Partey to allow Ceballos to fill that 10 role.. but again, he’s been asked to sit deep and play an axis type role. Makes no sense. I hope Arteta sorts it out ASAP,… Read more »
This is going to be a terribly long season because we have zero athleticism in the team barring a few players. Arsene, emery and arteta all choose to play conservative horseshoe football to cover this fact, the end. This summer is going to be a big one, lots of slow undead wood need to go.
Freddy definitely had the right idea, fill the team with hungry youngsters….auba, partey and Gabriel to boost and see what’s what. Time to be brave.
Didn’t Chamakh score in like 8 on the trot when RVP was injured
Yeap he did alright in his brief period as a 1st choice striker. He was just unlucky to be in a team when RVP decided not get injured again and followed with 1.5 season of EPL best player.
Managers mistake can’t start with lakazet and William they are not good enough use ounly as substitution sabalos is the same it’s time to get places to Wilcock and more new faces
Blog please give each and every one of them 0/10 and rest the performance don’t deserve the stress to do the ratings
I’m 100% on favour of Arteta, but he need a serious rethink now. I didn’t understand why we brought in Willian then and even less now, his sun is now well below the horizon. Auba need to play centrally,but our offensive moves or lack of those worries me. I can understand the cry for Ozil , but also he in his prime needed clever movements in front of him. What this team lacks big time is fast, powerful runners with the ball. Willock is our man, but compare him with Grealish is a juvenile vs a grown man. A worrying… Read more »
The only players on our team who look like they can tussle in duels are Partey and Gabriel. Not even Auba, Lacazette. For me this is an area Saka needs to work on and it’s only a matter of time
Grealish used to be slim just like Willock but now he’s the most physical no. 10 in the league. Watch when he out-muscled Elneny off the ball.
And Bellerin too!
I feel like Nelson is our closest thing to that strong runner, he’s shown flashes of that in the few games he’s played. Willock can make the runs and has some strength, despite his size. We really need to get them game time in the PL to inject some dynamism into this stale side
Willock not even on the bench….
That was the worst part for me. He plays a blinder when he was given a chance and then nothing. Wonder what he could’ve done if brought on at half time.
Lacazette is becoming an issue. Play our best striker in a position where he can influence the game (i.e. Aubameyang). I am genuinely disappointed that we aren’t using our best resources in their rightful positions. Lacazette really needs to be replaced. He’s europa standard at best. As for Willian, he just seems like an expensive mistake. I hope he proves me wrong, but I am not holding my breath.
Were not even playing Laca in the right position, he’s being asked to drop deep all the time but no-one is moving into any space that creates, so might as well tell him to stay in box.
Arteta seems to have completely flipped from his merit based squad selection approach. Willian has been poor for over a month, Laca over a year. I’m sure we’ll see them next week and the week after ….
Honeymoon is well and truly over Arteta. The football is boring as fuck, made us harder to beat….well against the top teams, now sort the attack out. Trying to be to clever for his own good.
None of the goals were really his fault but there’s just this intangible difference between Emi and Leno that makes Emi a better fit for the way Arteta wants to play. We don’t seem to ever have a plan B. Whether we are winning or losing, we just continue this tepid playing style. I was really disappointed not to see Willock on the bench. It’s always the same punt when we are losing or need a goal – throw in Nketiah. Come on, give us something different – Change the style, change the system – just something different from this… Read more »
Nailed it.
Arteta scores the lowest rating for me. Under performing players getting picked just because we won against united. We’re such a bad team going forward. That’s partially tactical (which is on the manager) and partially personnel (also on thanager). He done so much right especially in the big games at the back end of last season. Sorted out defensive structure and made the team competitive against bigger clubs. I fIgured the rest would come. Dominate more against perceived lesser sides. Be more adventurous. Bring the best out of out attacking talents. He’s done none of that and I genuinely watch… Read more »
No problem with using a winning team again but the problem is the result flattered us at OT. Just imagine if Maguire header had gone in. If problem was clear from outset then make early changes.
Most of what can be said about our performance tonight has already been said. Hopefully Arteta starts starting players in their correct positions before it costs him his job. Saka – LW Aubameyang – CF Tierney – LB What shocked wasn’t the score-line but how disinterested the players looked. Arteta, now is your time to show why you’re the manager. If you can loan out Guendouzi and freeze out other players then you need to give certain players some time on the bench. For me that includes: Aubameyang – Illness & Out of form Lacazette – Out of form Saka… Read more »
Some points: Pressing game: Cool when it works, but tires players and it’s much more important to have a solid midfield than being able to chase after the ball all the time. We don’t have the players who can do this twice a week. Aubameyang wasted on the flanks Insisting on playing Lacazette who works hard, but ultimately should be playing somewhere in France Having no creators on the pitch. We know the Özil situation, but our game is not working right now, we should make place for him, a system where we can use his abilities. No movement in… Read more »
I’m so f’in tired of seeing Flopazette waste chances. I’ve been hard on him since last year and warranted. He’s just not a premier league striker. We’ve gotta get Aba central and find ways to get him service. That second half was hard to watch.
Well done Aston villa,for arsenal no committment and spirit .
Turned the telly off after 20 minutes. Knew where it was going. Then checked the live blog later, and was just happy I hadn’t watched the rest of the game. I’d rather lose with the youngsters that fight their hearts out, than watch the “professionals” tick some passing-statistic-boxes. I like results, and I’ll take 1-0 v United – but I can’t bear watching 90 minutes of football where we create no chances every week. It’s SO utterly boring and frustrating. All the while, my mate and I spent the weekend having MotoGP on in the background, and it was constantly… Read more »
I’ve defended Lacazette and Willian on here a few times before, but those were genuinely appalling performances. However, Aubameyang deserves criticism as well. Yes, he’s not at his best on the wing, but you still expect more than literally 0 attempts on goal! Whatever Arteta is telling him to do, he’s not doing it. Which takes us to the manager, who just hasn’t been able to solve the puzzle against sides that are switched on and well organised in defence. If this game wasn’t the wake up call he needed about our shape and personnel then I don’t know what… Read more »
Grealish roasted and toasted Bellerin today. Played with him all game. Outnumbered and dominated in the middle of the park even with Partey. Laca just bumbling about failing to do the base requirements of his job and missing easy chances. Lightweight, no athleticism, slow all over the pitch. The amount of times Watkins just ran off Holding. Awful going forward, fucking fraud Willian still getting starts. The guy does nothing. He is so shit hes not even in the game enough to be shit, Non entity. Can understand putting Ozil out to pasture but theres not even a half decent… Read more »
please dont forget Tierney who, despite tough competition from holding and bellerin was by far our worst defender tonight.
“he lost possession a staggering 23 times over the course of the 90 minutes, by far the worst of any Arsenal player on the pitch. He made no tackles or interceptions whatsoever, and lost seven of his ten total duels too.”
To be clear this thing with our LB and RB tucking in the middle has hardly produced anything but discomfort with Tierney and Bellerin.
Did Arsenal play a league game yesterday? We were SO abysmally POOR. What a frustrating way to start the week!😑
Arteta Out. Allegri In.
I am sorry Arteta but you have had a year to sort things out, we are worse than a year ago.
If this kind of safe/defensive possession is the whole plan going forward…boy we’re in some deep mud…Auba’s dying a slow career death..and now the interlull…great!!!
Definitely think the 6 for KT is a bit generous, man had a shocker today but I do think its fair that it happens once in a while.
Spot on! Lots of wasteful passes into Villa’s half today. Blog’s rating is too generous for them all. Best score should have been a 4😖
Yeah, but he tucks his shirt into his shorts.
Willian is still a Chelsea lad deep down, dread to think how he will play against them.
no one mentioning the time he passed to barkley?
Willian and Laca are fucken shite
Growing more concerned by the week. Arteta’s tactics only work against certain teams and certain approaches. His team selections are a cause for concern too; Lacazette and William are absolute garbage, and the former’s presence in the team results in our best striker being dumped out wide.
Sure Arteta has made us more organised, however we have been very poor this season. We are extremely one dimensional, we pass side to side, then to the wing and then try cut it in. There are very few 1-2 pass and goes, no triangle plays, players arent making diversion runs, no overlapping through the middle, no quick pass and moves, It’s just too easy and too predictable. This formation isnt working with the players we have, there’s no midfield link to the attackers. 9 goals in 8 games!! That’s shocking. I’m ranting, yeah, I’m pissed off, yeah! Arteta needs… Read more »
A third of which were against Fulham.
A rookie manager like Arteta shouldn’t be this rigid so early on in his career.
It’s a team full of average players it is senseless to expect much from them. Having the manager make Herculean efforts is beside the point.
I feel like Leno is a bit of a non-neutonian goal keeper.
the more shots he faces the harder to get past him he becomes.
wheras emi will give you 80-95% assurity at the back. not consistently amazing but rarely drops to the level where his defence second guesses him
I dont recall Blogs ever rating anyone a “2” Willian has been so poor aside the Fulham game
Every person the fanbase has scapegoated has now gone. From Wenger and Gazidis to Ozil, Emery and Sanlehi. How long will it be before we realise the demise of this club is overseen by the Kroenkes and only the Kroenkes? And remember, the Arteta Out signs are already being made.
Hear hear. This is all down to the owners way of running the club.