Result: Arsenal 1-2 Wolves
Competition: Premier League
Date: 29 November 2020
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Ceballos, Xhaka, Willock, Willian, Saka, Aubameyang
Subs: Runarsson, Cedric, Holding, Elneny, Nelson, Lacazette, Nketiah
Arsenal succumbed to a third successive home defeat in the Premier League as Wolves secured a 2-1 win courtesy of first half goals by Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence.
The Gunners had been quick to reply through Gabriel’s header but despite pressing hard in the second half we couldn’t take any of the half chances we created to find a leveller.
Pre-game
Lots of changes from Thursday night but only two from our last league game; Bukayo Saka, having missed the trip to Norway with a dead leg, replaced the suspended Nicolas Pepe and David Luiz came in for Rob Holding. As was the case at Elland Road a week ago, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was asked to lead the line meaning Alex Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah had to settle for places on the bench. Willian and Joe Willock provided support with Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos anchoring midfield.
First Half
Sunday nights at the Emirates have not been much fun in the last couple of months, so the hope was for a fast start to calm the nerves of a Gunners side who are very much out of form on the league front.
Any hopes of that were curtailed inside 6 minutes when David Luiz and Raul Jimenez suffered a sickening clash of heads as they rose to meet a Willian corner. The players frantically beckoned the medical teams onto the pitch as both players lay out cold on the turf.
After a couple of minutes, Luiz got back to his feet with his face covered in blood. He needed bandaging but was seemingly fine to continue. His Mexican opponent, who he was quick to check on, required lengthier attention and eventually had to be taken away on a stretcher. Fabio Silva came on in his place. The stoppage lasted more than eight minutes.
Understandably, a flatness descended on proceedings. The game was scrappy and devoid of chances for either side. Eventually, though, Wolves grew in confidence. Playing a back four for only the second time in Nuno Espirito Santo’s time at the club, they started to make good progress down the flanks. On 27 minutes, Traore attacked Tierney on the right, got to the byline and stood a teasing ball up into the six-yard box. Dendoncker met it with full power to crash a header against the bar – a lett off – but the rebound fell kindly to Pedro Neto who smashed home despite Gabriel’s desperate attempt at a block. (0-1)
Given our recent attacking form, you wouldn’t have backed us to respond quickly. But we did. A brilliant pass by Willock freed Tierney behind the Wolves defence to attack the box. His cross was inches away from reaching Aubameyang when Coady stuck out a foot to deflect the ball out of his reach. We went short from the resulting corner, Willian exchanging passes with Bellerin before curling in a great cross for Gabriel to head home. (1-1)
That should have been a platform for us to take a grip of the game. Instead, we became more and more passive. Repeatedly we’d work the ball out to the wings, only to play it back, back and back some more. It was drab and dreary and all too familiar.
In contrast, Wolves looked lively on the break. With players willing to run at defenders and midfielders keen to break into the box, they showed us how’s it done. On 42 minutes, Neto charged towards goal unchecked and fired off a left foot effort. It took a slight nick off Bellerin’s heels which made Leno’s life more difficult. The German did make a save but Podence collected the ball, clipped it over a lunging tackle by Gabriel and fired home clinically. (1-2)
We halfheartedly went in search of a second equaliser; David Luiz fired a terrible free-kick over the ball and Aubameyang, who barely touched the ball all 55 minutes of the half, tried a tame shot from an unlikely angle.
Wolves will have been annoyed that they didn’t extend their advantage. Troare, played in by Neto and Silva, fired into the side netting. Exasperated, Xhaka closed out proceedings hurling abuse at players in front of him for not being available for a pass. It was not pretty.
Second Half
The medical team decided that David Luiz shouldn’t continue which meant Rob Holding came on at the break.
We created an early chance, Bellerin crossing into the box but Saka unable to convert on the volley. He probably should have gone with his head but instead he shinned it.
Things were very much on a knife-edge. At the other end, Gabriel produced a couple of decent bits of defending, including taking a shot to the face, but then had Arsenal hearts in mouths when he seemed to clip Traore in the box. Referee Michael Oliver felt the winger had dived and produced a yellow card. Surprisingly, VAR agreed.
In the build-up to the hour mark, Willian went over with a free-kick and Bellerin had to make a last ditch block to clear a Podence shot after his own sloppiness had put us on the back foot.
Holding went over with a header, Nelson replaced Willian and Bellerin got a booking as the clock continued to tick down.
We didn’t exactly have Wolves quivering in their boots but half chances started to come.
Aubameyang, who really looked out of sorts, stole a ball off keeper Rui Patricio and had a shot blocked and Nelson fired over the bar from a good position.
The pressure continued to mount as the visitors switched to a back three. Willock had a shot blocked for a corner and Aubameyang headed a Bellerin cross wide. Inbetween, Arteta threw caution to the wind by sending Lacazette on for Xhaka.
Even though we finally committed numbers forward, Wolves were relatively comfortable defending balls into the box. That was on the occasions where we actually got the ball into the box. Our set-piece delivery was largely atrocious.
At the final whistle, Arteta looked deep in thought. He needs to find answers and quick. His side sit in 14th in the table heading into the North London derby and any ambitions we might have of securing a top four place already seem fanciful.
Things are bad. They can’t keep getting worse.
Arteta is 11 months into the job and still screams at his players from the sideline. Nuno stands quietly and observes his well drilled team carry out his instructions. On at least three occasions I spotted Arteta’s barked orders directly effect the decision of the player. It is NOT a managers job to effect the game like that. It is the managers job to instil his tactics and game plan into the players on the training ground. We have some wonderfully expressive footballers – Auba, Saka, Tierney, Bellerin, Ceballos – but none of them can express themselves. They don’t even… Read more »
Loss next week and my faith will be gone.
Please EVERYONE.
Let’s not turn into AFTV. That would just add to our misery and adds to the enjoyment of those who enjoy seeing us struggle…
Hes really testing the faith isn’t he.. Willian is going to be for Arteta what Xhaka turned out to be for Emery.. stop playing him or get booed, fans are back in the stadium soon. The way things are going, you’ll regret wishing for them to be back. Auba had absolutely no interest in the 2nd half. Bellerin has no link up play, can’t pass, can’t defend, doesn’t overlap, what exactly is he good at? What does he do better than AMN? Willock is so out of his depth in the PL, he needs two transition years if Saliba needed… Read more »
Do you have pictures of Ozil on your bedroom wall?
“Banish” made me think you had a special place soz mate 🙂
That’s a bit rich coming from someone who has built an altar or ten on this page to Mustafi.
No not really, just saying as it is.. I mentioned others too, however, you only picked up on Ozil which indicates you must do target practice on his picture
And they will lose next week. Mourinho has his sp#rs team well drilled. On current form there’s no other outcome. I like Arteta but he is in serious trouble now..
Can we just forfeit in advance?
Shithouse.
Weren’t you the guy who used to complain because Arsene Wenger sat in his seat and didn’t rant and rave from the touchline?
Nope.
That is a very sound analysis. But if as many people thumb that down as up, we can’t even agree on that. What is certain is that MA is just not instilling any confidence into these players – any more than Emery did. But he can’t have the communications problem that UE had. So there must be something else.
Since start of 2019/20 season our most creative players.
Pepe 39 games 42 chances created.
Ozil 18 games 38 chances created
Cellabos 32 games 37 chances created.
Aubamayang 38 games 37 chances created.
Ozil walks into this team. It’s embarrassing, I doubt it’s Arteta as he spoke so highly of him when he took over. If it’s the club the it’s shameful, they supported Black Lives Matter but distanced themselves from Ozil comments on treatment of Muslims in China. The club use to be class.
Shhhhh… don’t pronounce the name of The One We Don’t Talk About…
An Ozil neutral here, but at this point I agree with you. He walks into this team, no doubt, and Auba, Laca, and Pepe would be so happy for that. Put Elneny and Partey behind him and we at least look coherent if not better. Right now we have no ideas. Like, at all.
The issue is he also walks once he’s in the team.
It’s a myth, try not to follow the lazy pundits, journalists and those few sheep like arsenal fans who struggle to think for themselves. Check out the distance Ozil covers in games. You will be surprised.
Do you have those stats, I can’t find them. Honest question.
Its on the internets
Most recently he dominated against Man U: https://dailycannon.com/2020/01/mesut-ozil-covered-more-ground-than-any-other-player-against-manchester-united/
From a few years back:https://www.dreamteamfc.com/c/news-gossip/211361/the-surprising-mesut-ozil-stat-that-proves-hes-not-at-all-lazy/
There’s plenty of similar articles
Hank, I remember some of these graphics at the time. I’m looking for average stats over the season, not isolated matches (where he was outstanding). It might show the same thing, I don’t know.
The second question is whether running stats show the overall picture. I don’t think the issue with Arteta is that he doesn’t run. It’s that he doesn’t press effectively, which is why Lacazette also lost his place to Nketiah.
With all due respect try using your eyes 👀
One of the mostly unnoticed assets to ozils game is his movement. He reads the game and opens up spaces for others without the ball.
The argument was that stats exist to back up these claims. The chance creations stats exist (he’s good at that) any on running? Pressing? Average over the season for a good comparison. If your argument is ‘use your eyes’ and parts of his game are ‘unnoticed’ then stats don’t come in to play. Do you think Ozil is a good presser? Also, I think it should be obvious but if you think he’s not a good presser but his chance creation trumps that part of his game (and therefore Arteta should set up his team differently) then that’s a different… Read more »
Except if you check the stats we are not a pressing team at all so that argument doesn’t stack up
That’s just not true. Measured by Passes Per Defensive Action (PPDA) we’re top 10 https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/blueprint-for-brighton-aston-villa-4712921. It’s also one of the easiest things to see that Arteta wants, you can hear him constantly shouting at players (mostly Laca and Willi) to go close down their man. We might not be the best at it, but we try to do it.
Help me out, did you find any average running data?
That’s because he makes the ball do the work. And if you think he ‘walks’ check out the distance the guy covers during the games he has actually been allowed to play.
Arteta is getting everything he deserves at the moment for that crass decision to omit him from the squad.
Ozil.
It is a natural consequence of a loss like these that his name will come up. In situations like these, people will always think of what could’ve been.
It was to be expected. Arteta says he expects that.
For me that chapter is closed. The team can and should be able to do better as is.
I am happy that this team is in a position where no one (that matters) can, or, will want to take advantage of a loss like tonight’s to put negative pressure on the club and the manager.
Erm, I don’t think you have been following results and performance levels. I am not happy that this team is 14th in the league and playing utter shite.
In other words, you’re happy with the league position we’re currently in and the utter shit being served up by the players. As long as Ozil doesn’t play in this side, you’re happy.
Perhaps Father Christmas will come down the chimney and give you what you’ve always wanted – a relegation battle.
I understand where you’re coming from but what is not in doubt is that the decision to exclude Ozil, combined with the subsequent collapse in creativity and form, makes it a bad decision. But we have the benefit of 20:20 hindsight.
Top post well said.
I see, however, that (at the time of writing) there are 33+ idiots out there who still can’t get it through their thick heads that Ozil would improve this side and that the omission of his creativity is one of the major reasons why this team is struggling so much.
Then again, those same idiots are probably already blaming him for last nights defeat.
Agree 100%. It was one thing when he was turning the ship midseason last year. Now he’s a micromanager and players will lose patience. Based on what I see on the field, I worry he’s losing the dressing room.
I can’t remember a game with a good result where Ceballos featured. And I think we can say that Auba to the center has been a flop. Also, Willock is a squad player. Also, we lack the technical quality, the movement, and the attacking scheme to (what feels like) ever score again. A set piece header doesn’t tell me anything. Argh.
Willock would be fine if we were playing Dundalk and Molde every week.
I agree, he’s a europa league player, I love Tierney but so many back passes it would drive you insane. I thought Gabriel was good.
I’m not as enamored, he gets beat by quicker players on the outside all the time. Opponents target him for these situations. I guess he’s got pashun. Willock has no final pass awareness. Nelson is supposed to be a tricky winger who beats his man and puts in a cross.
We lack hart, spirit and passion.
Hart isn’t the answer, nothing wrong with our keeper. Sorry, had to try and get a laugh out of anything today. So fucking depressed.
Feels like we have coached the freedom of expression out of the side at the moment. I worry for Arteta, he seems lost in the pressure of being a top manager. All his fresh ideas we saw pre lockdown seem non existent now, it’s like the two losses post lockdown to city and Brighton has cemented his faith in this defensive system and we’re seeing very little alterations to it. Positions might be tweaked but the overall safety first mindset is still there. Puzzling for someone who has Barca DNA, played forward thinking football under Moyes and played/work along two… Read more »
Arteta is finished. I can understand things going against you but caving under pressure from fans and press to try something else and he obliges. Aubameyang through the middle is the worst idea ever. Games just pass him by as he jogs around jumping out of 50-50 tackles, waiting for a tap in that might not come. We saw this before and now we are repeating it again. Good reason why nobody was calling for Emery to try it to save his job. The best thing about Arteta was making us solid at the expense of attack admittedly. Now we… Read more »
Anyone playing at no. 9 will need service from team-mates. It’s not as if Laca, Nketiah or Willian have gone on great scoring runs.
In fact, I’m suspect Arteta is deploying Auba at no. 9 as a reaction to the demand by supporters. We have a very poor goal-scoring record in the league this season, so great if we profit from it but a “Happy now? I knew it wouldn’t work” insurance policy if we don’t.
Exactly. The lack of service has been mainly due to the very negative but defensive solid game we were playing. But with or without service Auba was disastrous as a 9 in his early days with us. Jumps out of any 50-50, gets marked out of games etc. On the wing he is a menace. Runs at defenders with pace, curls it in beautifully, and ghosts in for the tap ins. We can just keep putting it down to service but when you see him hold off a challenge and slip in a runner or get a 1-2 chance wake… Read more »
I agree, we are now neither solid at the back nor effective in attacking play. The problem was not 3 at the back, but lack of single attacking midfielder in the pitch and overly choreographed move via flanks.
And sorry Joe willock is not the new Mesut Ozil.
I also don’t understand the role of Xhaka in the current set up. He was never the most defensively solid deep-lying midfielder, but at least he used to pass the ball well and play those long diagonal crossfield passes. Now a days, he plays the safe 10m passes to nearest player.
Just had to add this to my previous reply…
While it might be an unpopular opinion, we were nowhere this shite even at the very end of the Wenger years.
Sorry this is an unpopular opinion, I am huge Wenger fan, but I was tired getting thrashed regularly by big teams. Remember the annual two legged spanking ceremony with Bayern?
Now we just get screwed by Aston Villa, Leicester and Wolves. Flat track bullies against Dundalk and Molde.
Happy?
Yes, but which competition were those Bayern thrashings in? Seems like the good old days now.
Wenger had weaknesses as the game evolved to the high press and all-running, but his teams were highly technical and often lovely and poured in goals. We just bled them as well.
My memory says we were in Europa league when Wenger left, and we were getting “screwed” by smaller teams such as Stoke, swansea even back then. Things are not great now, but the solution is not later Wenger days.
At least we were playing against the likes of bayern
My biggest disappointment is the manager abandoning his belief to go all out for the suggestion. Play Auba central, play Willock more and forget a back 5 so you can attack.
Now don’t get me wrong, Willock has earned it with the performances. But does the boss doubt what he was doing previously with a solid defensive base?
We look lost and need to keep a lazy eye on the action in the bottom 5 as we can’t seem to get any performances and points presently
Both of you can be right.
Some coaches yell at players, some sit quietly. Some sit in the dug out, some stand by the touchline, some sit by the touchline. Until @Orbinho tweets out a coach decibel vs. shots on target stat, let’s find a more rational stick to beat him with.
True enough but not many that coach players through entire games.
But my point was more that these players are clearly trying to do what Arteta wants them to do instead of what comes natural.
They are professional football players, not children. And the lack of creativity in the team echoes the tyrannical nit picking that Arteta displays from the touch line.
How good would you be at your job if your boss stood behind you and barked orders at you all day?
If the results or even the signs were positive nobody would care what he’s doing through the game. I was happy with every gesture during that post lockdown FA cup run.
Problem is now our defensive solidity is gone and we haven’t improved the attack. Stick to a back 5 and less than 2 goals against per game and we move on till you get better players or maybe we find out the unthinkable at the moment because we love you.
True, but maybe he listened to the fans. ‘We’ were crying for a back 4, and Auba up top. Turns out the reason we do 5 is we can’t defend with a 4, and Auba is not good at holding up, linking the play, or playing anyone else in (you can look at his assist statistics). He’s a very very good goalscorer that needs a 10 or system where he’s doing those things less.
But he’s the manager and not the fans. What he was doing seemed ok but needed a little adjustment, not rip it all apart and take us 3 years back with our best player out of position
I agree with this. I understood the constant coaching when he first arrived and needed to make big changes with the team stylistically. However, there comes a time when you have to let the players play and figure out the match and address issues at the half and in the training ground. He is stifling them.
Seems rational…
Arteta wanted fans back in the stadium, wonder what he thinks now.
I mostly agree, but your list of “wonderfully expressive footballers” is a hell of a reach – it includes two moderately creative fullbacks, a striker who doesn’t do shit without service, a 20-year old kid and Ceballos – who is very much not expressive, wonderfully or otherwise. We have very poor midfielders. Apart from Partey, they’re neither “workmanlike” – able to consistently win the ball, “expressive” – able to create chances, nor particularly “tidy” – able to keep possession. The only chances today came from the wingbacks flinging crosses in (Sead says hi). I keep saying it – it wasn’t… Read more »
Agree with this. Even when we had possession Ceballos didn’t make a single run from midfield. It’s like he had been told not to cross the halfway line, similar to Willock in the mid week game in first half. Some strange decisions in the game starting from Luis continuing in the first half to the free kick and the corner takers.
Honestly when we are less emotional we will realise that the squad is awful.
…no attacking player would get into the wolves team.
…our best midfielder is injured
…and for the youngsters we are clamouring to start, apart from saka no premiership club would take them on loan, there is a reason why they play better in the Europa.
…only way this team gets results is if we go back to playing compactly at the back and then play on the break
I am trying to come to terms with the FACT that we have lesser players than Wolverhampton Wanderers. I am trying to come to terms with the FACT that we do not have a manager as good as Wolverhampton Wanderers. It’s the board, executive committee & fans to blame for it. Yes, fans. We wanted Arteta. Why? Which big team gets a permanent manager with Zero managerial experience? And before someone says Pep or Zidane, you’d be wrong as they did manage B-team of the same club so atleast their boards knew some of their capabilities. We, fans, pushed for… Read more »
The spurs you want us to play like IS a Mourinho team you tool
What we usually associate with a Mourinho team, you anonymous person on the internet whom I wouldn’t call names.
That said I have to agree Wolves have better players. Moutinho bossed our disfunctioning midfield. Much like Mendy with Leicester, Kelvin Phillips with Leeds. Etc etc.
Agree, but at least we know we have Thomas there. Add to that, they also have very good dribblers that could beat their fullback. We were terrorized whenever there was a 1 v. 1 with Traore/Neto/Podence on either side.
Thomas? Not for another 6 weeks if this evenings news is true..
That’s the thing. Teams always manage to create a 1 v 1 against our fullbacks. But our wingers are always doubled up.
Guardiola’s half season in PL is more experience than a year in Segunda.
It was also pretty damn promising.
The problem is, it’s all gone to shit.
This is absolute bullshit!! We have a quality squad. Saying that we have a “lesser” squad than Wolves is absolute nonsense.
All our attacking woes lie squarely on the manager. He plays timid, strict football and can’t seem to come up with any attacking tactics.
I don’t blame any single player whatsoever for our poor season so far. This is all completely 100% on the manager’s tactics
Hypothetically Ballz, who would you take from Arsenal that would improve Wolves? Auba? Who else?
Auba yesterday wouldn’t even have improved Molde, let alone Wolves. Does he have the potential? Of course. He has shown that countless times.
However, if Auba was transferred to Wolves today, their manager wouldn’t have him start next weekend based on something he has seen in the game yesterday or current form.
I do not agree with your statement. If you believe willock, Nelson, Eddie, willian are PL level players then you are mistaken. It is always very simple to put everything on mangers rather than understanding resources he is been working with. I don’t think squad is good enough. Ceballos and Xhaka gave away cheap ball in dangerous areas. Did you see any Wolves player losing balls in midfield and it is just an example!!
Completely demonstrably false. Next manager will have the same challenges
How is it ‘completely demonstrably false’? Your statement is an opinion not a fact. I firmly believe we can do better with the players we have. Individually we have a number of quality players. Collectively we can’t produce performances of any fluency and cohesion. I’m not even talking attractive football. We clearly have gaps in our squad but it does not follow that we are as terrible as our performances suggest and that the manager is powerless to do anything because of squad limitations and gaps.
I semi agree. One thing this game has pointed out so glaringly is the lack of a damn dribbler. Arteta is going to die on this hill he made for himself by outcasting Guendouzi, Pepe and ozil to an extent. We have no one to drive us forward and cause some chaos with just direct running with or without the ball from the midfield. Partey might very well be the answer but time is running out and our success shouldn’t be based on just one player. Our attack now is one big horseshoe and the opposing team just needs to… Read more »
Mourinho’s teams were organised, knew their role man to man, kept clean sheets and didn’t look clueless.
Juventus appointed Andrea Pirlo with no managerial experience what so ever.
Arteta might be the biggest problem, but his job is difficult after years of trying to fix problems with short term solutions. The team has been å sinking ship for years, and instead of realizing the hull has been rusted throughout we’d tried to patch the holes with parts not needed for the hull but for a well run machine.
Zidane too is a similar example
Yeah amidst all of Arteta out calls, why no one is pointing impotent management by KSE carried out over the years! Letting Ivan’s, Raul’s to ruin the club is in itself is a blunder.
Cant even blame it on Willian. The guy in commentary said it, our league position isn’t false at all. We look like such a mid table team at the moment. No kind of dominance in matches and being a bit unlucky, we just look average across the park. It’s sad and I dont know where we go from here. A big rethink is needed
No. You’re wrong. We DON’T look like a mid table teams. Because even mid table teams TRY. We are in a league of our own. We’d see fixtures like these and lick our lips, once upon a time. That time is well and truly gone. Clearly Arteta isn’t Premier League material. I wish he was, but he continues to prove that he isn’t. Because even Sharjah FC can win a game or two in the Europa League. We should be able to kill off these games before HT with the kind of quality we have on paper. We should have… Read more »
Do you think matches are played on paper? We have shit on paper and on the pitch!! Open up your world young man
Willian did OK today. But he really shouldn’t be out on the wing. He doesn’t have the legs to take on players anymore it’s too obvious. I wanted Willian to move inside, and sub Xhaka for Nelson or Martinelli. When we press we can’t do it as efficiently as the top teams do. Our fullbacks, wingers and Auba press very well but their back line always find a pass to a free man in midfield – most times that man should be closed down by Xhaka, who in my mind had a terrible game today. If you look at when… Read more »
if ozil was a luxury player, xhaka is exclusive limited edition player. I laughed when the commentator said “xhaka the defensive midfielder coming off for lacazette the striker”. He’s been in the premier league for 4 seasons now and still cant keep up with the speed and physicality. He’s basically a 16 year old fabregas.
that comparison is disrespectful to 16 year old fabregas
Sad but true. We play like a team worried about relegation. I fear for our cup games this year. I think any Championship or even League 1 team would feel they have a chance, and they’d be absolutely right to think so.
#everybodyout
Wenger in.
Yep
Ironic the banner that said “Thanks for the memories. Wenger out”.
Memories is all we’ve got at the moment.
Top comment
Pretty clear we’ve hired Andre Villas-Boas, not Guardiola. This is at least as bad as the end of Emery’s reign. Sort it the fuck out.
This is a legacy mess can’t you see!! MA didn’t create it. KSE, Raul, Ivan all played a part. If you go on this firing spree you can never run an organisation.
Arteta’s reign has become a trainwreck. I hate the idea of rashly sacking managers as it just creates more turmoil. Serious question though for level heads within the club to address. At what point is Arteta’s position untenable? That time is coming if these results continue. I don’t think that’s a kneejerk statement either and I am not advocating Areta be sacked tomorrow. His talk is not even translating to gameday improvements let alone improved match outcomes. Soon enough hard decisions will need to be made. Hopefully the right ones are made….whatever they may be
I’d be completely open to Arteta staying if they’d tell us what the plan was. But at some point you run into the issue of having someone who has burned through all their goodwill in charge of the exciting new plan, and then you have less buy-in.
If the Spuds give us a good hiding next week, then you’ve got to start asking if he’s the man for the job.
For me, he’s hanging on by his finger nails. And it’s all his own stubborn fault.
When Arsene Wenger gives you advice about including Mesut Ozil in your squad – you listen.
Here you are again without any iota of a clue that dropping Ozil was not his idea. I can understand for Guendouzi but decisions about Ozil is not his. I would be happy to see back of Ozil after 28 or so paychecks!
Jiminez conscious and responding to treatment. Shame we didn’t. For the first time, I’m wondering about Arteta.
Now I’m not saying Arteta out, but I’m also not not saying Arteta out…
I now want him out, but only if we can bring in someone like Poch, otherwise may as well stick with him.
Get Poch in, I think he would do wonders with these players
KSE will stick with him because they didn’t run the club properly before.
How the average have fallen.
Yeah I’m done. This experiment has failed, we look so fucking disjointed. If Emery was in charge we’d all be calling for his head by now.
If bringing in someone like Pochettino is a possibility, do it asap.
Amen.
Narrator voice: it isn’t
Why would Poch come to us when he can go to any team in Europe?
You’re right. Just look at the stampede for his services
If the team made the effort put in during the final 15 minutes, maybe there would be better results.
Arteta has spent plenty of money, but most of it was wasted.
THE PLAYERS ARE NOT TO BLAME. All that is wrong is squarely 100% down to the manager’s tactics. It doesn’t matter how much “effort” they put in as long as the underlying tactics are shit
The Agent’s work….and Gaspar and MA as his accomplice to save Brazilian and Spanish players in distress.
Excluding the free transfers which are a different issue not worth going into, he has bought three players – Gabriel (excellent), Partey (looks excellent in the very small sample size) and Mari (only three games before his injury so you can’t really judge him).
Big investment in Willian and Soares.
I mean what the fuck
We are right now a hot steaming pile of shit. End of.
If it’s a process (as it’s being said by so many people) why are we moving backwards match by match? This whole thing is becoming increasingly similar to the nightmare of the Emery-era. It’s all said but nothing gets done. How is it possible that coaches like that c*nt Mourinho or even Ancelotti are capable of building well performing teams during the same period with squads of similar quality? I feel completely hopeless with the current state of this club and don’t even have a clue what bigger humiliation needs to happen in order to rip this whole thing apart.… Read more »
Wolves deserved that. We played with the handbrake on, a fogged windscreen and two flat tyres. Hope Raul Jiminez is ok. Hope Luiz is ok but he needs to stop taking FK’s.
No creativity again. Ceballos poor, Xhaka worse. Whatever Laca was drinking, he shared with Auba. Neither have any confidence. I’d play Nelson before Willian all day long.
Three straight losses at home. Top 4 is not happening this year. Arteta needs to stop this slide quickly, the honeymoon is over and that scraping noise is knives being sharpened.
I agree with pretty much all of that, but I’m not 100% sure the handbrake is on etc. I think we just lack players with pure pace, particularly pace when on the ball.
Top 14 mate!
Where is Ozil, Mesut Ozil, I just don’t think Arteta understands.
I found him in Erdogans butt. Crawled up there a while ago the little dictator fanboy.
In all honesty this is the most depressed I’ve felt since Emery was at his lowest point. We are a complete shambles at the moment. And what on earth is the deal with playing Dani at RB. All these little experiments Arteta is trying just aren’t working.
This is pretty bad honestly. We’re not even to mid-season and we’re dropping so many points & completely deserved from the way we’re playing that our only route to the CL is quickly going to be via the Europa League. I understand Arteta has some sort of long term vision for the club, but he needs to figure out a way to start scoring goals and winning games. I doubt we do it but we desperately need a creative midfielder in the winter window.
We have one in our squad but cannot mention his name. I’m all for buying one and buying one soon but it takes time to integrate with your teammates and potentially a new league
Says a guy who was only too glad to see the back of Ozil.
Pretty standard league game for Arsenal this season.
A lot of waste to sell…
I know some people will accuse me of being overly optimistic, but that was heartbreakingly abysmal.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=17KmNrG9pE4
Complete shitshow again
Dogshit football
Can we panic now?
Wait. You mean you weren’t panicking already?
I was, but there was that one little atom of optimism left.
Which has now f*cked off.
But I gotta tell ya, as an Arsenal fan, its the hope that kills you. :’)
Too true. The FA Cup and that opening day win over Fulham seem a long way away now. Then again, even beating semi-minnows like Molde in the EL seems to resurrect that last atom of hope once more. Bugger.
Ahh..Fulham, heady times when Willian was good! 🙂
This was quick Blogs. After seeing this looks like we might be needing a new striker too.
We are consistently performing like the sum is less than the whole of the parts. About the only positive is we are not conceding 20+ goals to rubbish teams at home like we did under Emery. This team is incapable of constructing any coherent attacking play and most damning our rawest players seem to be providing the most attacking intent. At this rate I’m predicting we’ll finish 10-15th. There is no evidence that this is heading anywhere positive
What positive?, like losing 3-0 at home to Villa
Sorry that should read 20+ shots on goal . We were regularly doing this under Emery at home to relegation battlers
Arteta doesn’t seem to know how to play attacking football. This is the best squad we’ve had in a very, very long time. You can’t tell me that this is the most you can get out of the team.
He seems to have no idea on how to get them playing attacking football. Players seem so timid when going forward. Even the defense which he had massively improved now seems to be crumbling.
Kick him out if there’s is no clear improvement in our style of play over the next month!
It’s not our best squad in a very, very long time because our best player isn’t in it!
Partey should be back for the derby don’t worry bro
Henry is retired bro…
You’re joking…. this is the worst squad I have ever seen as an arsenal fan. The team before xhaka joined would absolutely trash this team man for man.
I disagree on the best squad. Ramsey, Iwobi, Nancho, Kos (not accounting the decline because of age) all have a good chance of improving our starting 11 now. We may have replaced Monreal and Kos adequately but I definitely think Ramsey>Ceballos, Willock, ( can’t judge partey yet) and Iwobi>Willian. However I do think Arteta really messed up having outcast both Ozil and Guendouzi. Regardless of what people think about both of them, their qualities of carrying the ball forward is totally missing from any other players in our midfield. How Arteta doesn’t value this is concerning. Our midfield of Xhaka,… Read more »
Trust the process they said…what process we supposed to trust?? Awful stuff
Can we give some serious thought to removing Arteta before or around Christmas? Its clear HIS process is not working, no matter the opposition in the Premier League we look a billion miles from anywhere. He has had nearly 1 year to make us challenge in the league and right now we are 14th after 10 games with table toppers Spurs next. I don’t know how anyone can look at Arteta’s style and say, wow don’t we play good football. It’s Anti football if anything. Slow, predictable and boring. Right now I think we need a saviour to salvage this… Read more »
Absolute dogshit from start to finish. Couldnt deal with their pace on the counter attack, offered nothing in midfield and created nothing up front. Set pieces (1 aside) were rubbish. Another season of garbage by the look of things
I honestly find it unbelievable. I cannot understand this anymore. Something needs to change and it needs to change very, very quick. They said Özil’s name will come up whenever we’re poor. It is coming up well and truly right now. We look confused. Distraught. Unorganized. Willian was at right-back. Aubameyang was putting it balls from the right. Nelson’s crosses don’t go farther than the first man. Leno is clearly not better than Martinez. What is going on? They said surely we’re not that desperate that we’d let a passer-by like Özil play again. Well, desperate times call for desperate… Read more »
Passer-by, Özil? Last time he gave 3 points to the club with a golden assist to Laca…
Arteta’s ego will not allow this. Move on from this and bathe in the greatness that is Willian. After he’s done in 3 seasons don’t forget to thanks Arteta
The way things are going, Arteta’s ego will get him the sack.
Arteta OUT. Wenger IN.
Well, – for argument’s sake – we’d start scoring again, that’s for sure.
Another fucking awful display. We can’t attack and we now can’t defend either. We’re a shambles. This is relegation form. A new owner is urgently needed. Arteta is not the real problem: it’s deeper than that.
Good luck to Raul Jimenez.
I wonder what the football’s like in the Championship?
If Arteta is not the real proble, then what is? What will a new owner solve? We have a fantastic squad with great individual players. Gabriel, Tierney, Hector, Partey, Auba, Saka, Leno are all pure quality and would get into most teams easily. Pepe was coming off one of the best individual seasons in Europe when we bought him, and it’s clear that the quality is there. Laca was our player of the season just a couple of seasons ago. This is not to mention the young talent we have coming through. The squad or owner aren’t the problem. The… Read more »
More than half of the team you mentioned are defensive players and partey is injured….outside of those we have a terrible squad
As for the youngsters, apart from Saka no premiership club would take them on loan
Bollocks. The squad is very average. We have a mixture of decent young players that may or may not be make it, and we have a number of mediocre senior players who are just not good enough. And the owner has been pathetic when it comes to appointing managers and senior management.
We’re a shambles and have been for many years.
The squad may not be title winning material but they are not 14th & sinking like a stone level average. Arteta has been supported in his short time at the club. He wanted Willian and Cedric and got them. He got Gabriel and Partey too and got them. He’s brought in his own staff. Can’t argue abut the owners and running of the club. Arteta though must take a large portion of the responsibility for performances just like every other manager out there.
I’d say the recruitment is a big problem. How involved Arteta is in that process we have no clue. Did he really green light Cedric and Mari signings? He didn’t want Martinez to go but the club sold him anyways. The club didn’t manage to get rid of a single one of the players that Arteta didn’t fancy. Ozil, Guendouzi, Papa, Torriera, even Saliba’s loan back to France go screwed up. Even the signing of Arteta doesn’t make sense looking back at it. You picked an inexperienced manager and decided to overhaul a lot of off field staff from our… Read more »
I’ve been saying for ages that Stan Kroenke is a massive part of our problems – but what happens on the pitch is down to Arteta, make no mistake.
– We are 14th in the league
– we have lost three games in a row at home
– W just lost at home to a club who hasn’t beat us in our arena since 1979.
– We now have our worst start after 10 games in the Premier Leaugue era.
I am getting really tired of all these little stats and quips coming up about our club. There is very little joy in all this. I need help understanding where there is actual progress being made.
We.ve still got our health? 🙂
Not after watching this team. 😢
Your mate Mustafi is waiting in the wings.
Let’s play him against Spurs next week. Come on, it’s nearly Panto season. Let’s play Mustafi and all have a fucking good laugh.
My mate Mustafi?? I think you are mixing me up with someone else Qwaliteee…
I was at that last home defeat in 79. Now I feel old as well as depressed!
Impressive and a thumbs up for that. I guess the only positive is, that you weren’t able to attend the defeat yesterday, cause I don’t think that would have been good for the health of anybody in attendance.
Disappointing but certainly not surprising. Barring the Fulham and Utd games, our performance have been utterly dreadful. Analysis this games and arrive at the same issues that lead to the defeats against Leicester and Aston Villa which is a bad look for the manager to be honest. A bad defeat against sp*rs and there will be justifiable calls for his head. There is just no progress.
That was fucking excruciating! The last time we were playing this badly Emery was sacked! What the fuck has happened to the team that won the FA Cup??? Something is very wrong! And what the fuck has happened to our captain? Nice pay rise and new contract and not a single goal from open play from him this season, just the one penalty goal!
Absolutely terrible and MA needs to turn things round bloody quickly. Play some of the bloody youngsters, they can’t do any worse, drop Willian and bench Auba until he get’s his act together!
So tough to watch us at the min confidence is so low we can’t even do the basics 🙈
What a terrible performance , absolutely wasted 90 minutes of my free day. Absolutely PATHETIC !!! Willock ? New no10 ? Dont think so ! Willian ? Where should to start ?? Bellerin ? Needs some time on the side ! Aubameyang ? Can we be fair and treat him same as Ozil now ? New Big Contract = No INTEREST and declining performances ? Please someone give me one reason to be optimistic right now ? MOURINHO is gonna bury us next week, if we play like this !!! Sorry rant over !!! Goodnight wherever you are, hope Arsenal… Read more »
“Aubameyang ? Can we be fair and treat him same as Ozil now ? New Big Contract = No INTEREST and declining performances ?” I will admit it now. I thought that keeping Auba at any cost was crucial. But exactly what you say here is what I saw yesterday, no interest. I can’t blame the people who signed him now, cause I wanted that, but Auba did “the Özil” much quicker than I expected. Fat contract and no interest anymore. I have no problem with a dry spell of a striker, but no interest and no effort is simply… Read more »
Even if we get another manager in, we need quality players. Arteta now has to prioritise attack and sacrifice one of ceballos or xhaka or partey to get an extra attacking minded midfielder in. We don’t have good options unfortunately.
I’m not buying this “quality” players nonsense. You can bring Messi, Ronaldo, Lewandowski and even they would struggle to score given our style of play. We are totally disjointed in attack and create close to zero clear chances. This starts and ends with the manager
Oh boy, Emery 2 Arteta boogaloo is in full swing!
It’s a sad day.. but I will always be a goner, but we are just not very good at football… we play the same boring way nothing thru the middle always down the sides and we just don’t have a target man… I’m puzzled how the manager thinks this will work… but I see it every game…. and it’s like a constant Groundhog Day… we are slow at moving the ball rarely have movement in the final third…. and the opposition only have to hoof it long to get at us… we just are not very good at playing football…… Read more »
Not good enough, simple as that.
And, mark my words, we have to win next week – or draw at the very least.
If this guy can’t motivate The Arsenal to give their all in a North London Derby, then he’s in the wrong job and we have a major problem.
I completely agree.
The team was playing much better at the beginning of the year… oh, yeah… with Özil…
I knew we’d struggle without him, but even I didn’t think we’d crumble to 14th and be serving up that sort of clueless boring directionless shit before the end of November.
And some clowns on here were informing me back in August that with Willian, we’d be putting in a tilt on the title.
I’d rather play in the Championship than seeing that Erdogan lover in our colors again.
You’d rather The Arsenal were relegated than see Ozil play for them again.
Congratulations mate; Ozil won’t play for Arsenal again and we are now in 14th place.
Four places shy of the relegation zone.
Happy fucking Christmas.
Does anyone else think that the squad selection for both premier League and Europa leagues says a lot about arteta’s management?
Yes.
He’s playing not to lose in the prem. Just like David Moyes used to do.
It speaks volumes.
We’ve lost as many games in our first 10 games of the season as Liverpool have in their last 86 premier league games. We’re so far from our supposed ambitions that it’s less of a big gap to close and more of a canyon.
There’s not a manager out there that could turn these useless, over paid, championship/league 1 quality players into respectable footballers. Fucking shit, even Aubameyang. Has done fuck l since he signed his big contract, shoulda sold him and used the money to invest in some quality midfielders
Keep blaming the players and ignore the dogshit tactics they’re playing under.
Auba is a world class centre forward. Ozil is a world class number 10, whose game-changing creative skill sets are still very much at his disposal. Partey is a top drawer defensive midfielder. Bellerin and Tierney are both quality fullbacks. Leno is a keeper whose performances have bailed out poor central defending time and again. Saka, AMN, Martinelli and Eddie are all highly promising youngsters. We have good players We also have a micro manager who plays an injured centre half instead of taking him off, plays his top attacking players out of position, omits his top creative midfielder from… Read more »
*Force of habit – we won the cup, of course, last August, not last May. 🙄
Fucking Covid.
And Luiz should have gone off and stayed off and not played the rest of the half with possible concussion! God help us next weekend!
Genuinely left with an empty feeling after this. Not even as angry as the last losses.
All I can say is I wish Arteta good luck in trying to get these boys to start playing for him again.✌
Absolutely shocking, so so many passes back to Gabriel and Leno. We have no midfield, nobody in the mold of a Cazorla or dare i say it an Ozil. I’m sick of reading about another Arsenal loss in work on Monday morning. I like Arteta but if its not working something has to be done, sentiment will only get you so far. Xhaka should be sold, so slow and no clue. The filthy spuds are top of the league and we are currently enjoying our worst ever start to a premier league season.
Players are lucky there are no fans in the stadium.
Time has long gone when I used to feel against second half teams we will win easily.
This spell will either be the making or breaking of Arteta, I really hope it’s the making.
It’s not like we have a shit manager or a board that won’t spend anymore. I really don’t know where we go from here? I do know that leaving Luiz on was madness on many levels.
I wouldn’t call Arteta a shit manager – but if by this time next week Spurs have handed our arses to us on a silver platter, then I may be sorely tempted to use that expression.
Next week’s NLD is a massive game for Arteta. Win or draw – and he stops the rot. Lose – and serious questions will have to be asked about his ability to do his job properly.