Mikel Arteta has acknowledged that Arsenal didn’t manage the game as well as possible after Erik Lamela was rightly sent off in the 2-1 win over Sp*rs at the Emirates today.
During that period, Harry Kane had a goal disallowed, and hit the post, but also escaped without censure for a disgusting foul on Gabriel.
Not even a card 😑
Pic via @rslashgunners pic.twitter.com/a5R4UvEWs4
— arseblog (@arseblog) March 14, 2021
It made the final stages of the win nerve-wracking for Arsenal fans, and it’s something the boss spoke about afterwards.
“We managed those 10 minutes really, really badly,” he said.
“We put ourselves in trouble and we gave them hope. After that [red card], you should have 200 passes in the opponent’s half, give the ball and attack in the right moment.
“It’s a big lesson. It’s great to get those lessons when you are winning.
“That’s the biggest lesson.”
However, while it’s good we can see that as a problem and something we have to do better next time, we still won and Sp*rs are miserable, Jose Mourinho is sad, Kane lost, Lamela got sent off and it was a great win.
Arteta was keen to talk up the mentality of his players at the end of what has been an excellent week, following on from the 3-1 win over Olympiacos on Thursday.
“We started the game really strongly,” he said.
“We were really dominant, played in the opposition’s half, regaining the ball really quickly, creating chances.
“Lamela scores an incredible lucky goal, really an incredible, unique, talented flukey-bastard piece. After that, we had to react.
“Obviously mentally it’s not easy. When you played two games ago, it’s not easy but I loved the way the team reacted, with the courage they continued to play with, the belief that I was sensing from the touchline.”
In conclusion: everyone involved with Sp*rs can stuff it up their bums.
Did anyone else realise before this game how annoying Lamela’s face is?
I only cottoned on when he scored that goal. God. That’s a really annoying face. Just awful. Step down Sami, your time at no 1 is over.
What a face. Unbelievable Jeff.
Also, and this is way way off topic, Jose is just a shit manager. I’m sorry but you’re coming to a mid table side with ambitions of a top four finish with Kane, Son and Bale in your team and you park it? If I was a Sp*rs fan (yuck) I’d be seriously offended. You’ve got £300m of talent in those three and you can only muster one shot all first half. I think he’s like the cunt you played Mario Kart with at school. He doesn’t just want to win. He wants to win by jumping the wall and… Read more »
Im friends with 2 spurs fans and they both absolutely hate him. They hate him more than we do as arsenal fans. Its hilsrious
Part of me would love to see him fired. I mean, fired by Sp*rs while your long term rival lifts the EFL. Sobering.
But part of me wants to see him go full Michael Douglas in Falling Down. And take Sp*rs with him.
His failure and sacking is inevitable but till then long may it continue.
Thats a great film. Truly underrated.
You know, speaking of films, I would happily sign up for just one video like that film they made about being “glorious” failures. Only this time, it would be about how they heroically beat the drop in 17th, but couldn’t pull that off a second time.
Yeah. That’s an Arabian Horse of a dream. But we can dream
The beautiful thing is that Danny Levy is too cheap to fire him and pay off the rest of the contract. They’re stuck together.
Falling Down is a good shout – I wouldn’t be surprised if Jose’s license plate also read D-FENS.
Enjoyed this article – a former Spuds player
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56393306
Jenas is a massive cunt. I thought he was a good pundit until last night.
Not a pen?? Unlucky to get two yellow cards?? Fucking clown.
But even worse, fucking Keown!! Agreeing with him. What the fuck was that?! Should’ve got up and booted him right in his “so sore from walking a long way for charity” calf muscles.
Then pissed on him while he was laying on the floor.
Also you used to be a professional athlete, Jenas. You WALKED 100k for comic relief? Run it you lazy cunt. Don’t you care about starving kids you heartless prick?
If Keown had never played for Arsenal, it would be easier to see that he is about as bad as any ex-player pundit or commentator that exists.
For me, I no longer associate him with his time on the pitch, but with “don’t write me off, Martin”–the words Per Mertesacker said as he left the Wembley pitch after winning the FA Cup for us.
I appreciate you rage!
Needs a drug test if you ask me. Seems way too highly strung!
Sounds more like he needs drugs then really…
When Lamela came on, I thought: he will commit two or three nasty fouls really quickly, as he always does and, unlike Kane, he’s not the captain of England, so he could be sent off by a referee like Oliver. I was shocked to learn he had never received a red for Spurs, because I thought I had seen him cautioned every single time he played. A horrible nasty prick.
When I saw Kane foul Gabriel like that I new the game was ours, they had nothing. until of course we tried to Arsenal it up in the last 10.
I know it’s a horrendous thought, but can you imagine being a Spurs fan and having to watch that kind of football week after week, bahahahaha…
That’s a red card. And surely as a violent incident it should be reviewed if not picked up by the referee? Oh wait, it’s Ser Harry of Kane, Protector of Her Majesty and the Realm.
That last period was horrendous to watch. Players went bonkers. Everyone of them choked up. Leno, Leno, Leno, what are you doing man?! [unconvincingly] Punching a corner that no-one is challenging, anticipating on a 30 yard free-kick (WTF!?). We couldn’t string more than 5 passes together a man down.
Thankfully we got away with it. Would have been a freaking disaster if we didn’t.
We need to improve our mentality – to be winners and ruthless. Hope this win gives them some of the confidence.
Leno’s really flaky when things go wrong and his nervousness infects the whole defence. Why the fuck he decided that kicking it long to a spud player was the best way to play against ten men is beyond me.
I mean you could twist that around and say why would he play short to a group of very nervous looking defenders/midfielders, who were at the time shitting the bed very badly, against a team pressing with nothing to lose. Especially given recent mistakes! The punch I can also understand. You don’t want to attempt to catch a ball you’re being challenged for – if the opponent makes even quite minor contact with your arm, you’re very likely to fumble it at your feet. It’s very easy to say ‘he needs to be stronger there’, but an attackers entire body… Read more »
You understand the punch? He wasn’t challenged. It is a simple catch. The free kick was terrible. Why is he guessing on a free kick that far out. Be bouncing on your toes and ready to move after you sight the ball. Given the distance he should be saving that. It should have never hit the post. Leno is a really good shot stopper, but he still flatters to deceive in terms of decision making, control of box, and his calmness. He had a shakey start to the season then was excellent for about 2-3 months, over the last month… Read more »
Like I said, once a ball is swung into the box you don’t have time to check behind you to see whether you’ll be challenged or not – you’ll likely lose the flight of the ball doing that. Most of the time when you claim the ball in the centre of the 6 yd box you will be challenged for it, and a punch under pressure is much safer than a catch. The execution of the punch itself was perfectly fine and caused no real problems. As a gk myself I massively appreciate it when a teammate let’s me know… Read more »
Agree on the Xhaka pass, don’t agree on the punch (which wasn’t great it went almost straight-up to just outside the edge of the box). He is consistent, without being great. All the while Martinez is continuing his great form with Villa and on the season is statistically the best keeper in the league.
I’ve consistently said all year we kept the good not great goalie. Leno is good and solid, and far from out biggest issue, but the choice sums up a lot about Arsenal.
Arsenal purchased Leno for 20mn pounds. We needed to sell him for 40mn to show profit. No one offered us anything like that for Leno, while Martinez had a 20 mn price named for him.
So, we showed profit on Martinez, and sold our future
He’d just been crucified twice in the space of a week for passing it out to one of his own players after it lead us to concede two goals and the players in front of him had decided to start playing like absolute cunts. They passed the ball out of play three times in that period, just as an example. I don’t blame him for having much confidence in them being able to play it out from the back in that situation!
But this is it. Decision-making. In this game he punted the ball long a lot and many instances where there was little-to-no pressure. Clearly there have been some discussions. He needs to make better decisions as to when it is right to hoof and when it’s right to pass it. His decision making abilities aren’t great, especially under pressure.
This is my point, his decision making is bad. There was no pressure and he still booted it long when there wasn’t an Arsenal player up there. He doesn’t seem to react to what’s in front of him.
So, after making the comment above I re-watched the last 13 minutes (plus stoppages). Leno went long twice in that period (85th minute and 92nd minute). I thought he should’ve passed to Luiz in the 85th minute and the one in the 92nd minute was touch-and-go. Otherwise he passed short. Meanwhile in that time: (78th min) Gabriel passed the ball directly out of play for a throw-in (79th min) KT underhit/miskicked a pass to nobody, which got intercepted (81st min) Partey kicked the ball behind for a corner, with an easy pass on to Luiz (82nd min) Partey underhit a… Read more »
Mate, my original comment (that started this discussion) stated how all of them were losing it in the final 10 mins (Leno included). But, they are outfield players and most of them played a whole game of intense football, a time when lapses occur. Leno wasn’t running around like that and he is our #1 GK, we don’t really have much behind him. Ryan is solid, but he should be #2. He has not been great this season and his decision making is an issue. You really believe he has been great or world class this season?
To be honest, I didn’t realise we were having a serious debate – I was just posing one side of the argument – but I guess this is the internet, so we have to be having a heated debate. In answer to the question, I don’t think Leno has warranted criticism this season. The only real errors he’s made are that crazy red card against Wolves and the pass to Ceballos against Benfica. I don’t think the goalkeeper makes much of a difference one way or the other, unless they’re making mistakes constantly (which I don’t think is the case… Read more »
Managed badly as in deciding to switch to defensive play with 15 minutes left and a one goal lead. They were shit most of the game and were one man down, why didn’t we go on the attack?
Absolutely. Taking off our only striker for another midfielder? Terrible decision really that we are lucky didn’t get punished.
Agreed. We rode our luck for the last 10-15 minutes of the game.
Guys, I get where you’re coming from, but Elneny came on for Lacazette in the 88th minute. Those two minutes plus five in extra time felt like an eternity. Lamela was sent off at 77′ though. After that we should have been in the driver seat, instead of that nerve wracking finish.
Bringing on Elneny was completely reasonable and, in fact, he probably helped a little. The right thing was probably trying to keep the ball, without necessarily seriously attacking their area, between Odegaard, Willian, Partey, Elneny, and Xhaka. (Also, maybe fouling Moura as soon as he touched the ball.) But when a player like Tierney–who had played so brilliantly–gives the ball away so cheaply, and Partey puts it behind for a corner for no reason, it’s hard to find a solution.
Agreed. Actually about 10 minutes earlier I had a sense that Elneny might be useful but I was thinking to take of Partey. Controversial perhaps but I felt his race was run. Partey made a few sloppy errors that contributed to us loosing our rhythm IMHO. Mo might be frustrating sometimes but generally reliable in keeping and circulating the ball.
It is hard to get 200 passes in the opposition half when the defensive line does not seem to have the confidence to press up much past their own 18. I know Willian lost some balls, but the forwards were in an island the last 10 minutes with no support when they had the ball or when they followed Artetas instructions to press for the ball.
I was following the last minutes on the liveblog here and I honestly thought the person typing was saying F**K sp*rs every few seconds. It was apparently harrowing the last few mins !
I wonder how much of it was due to the fact that we’d put Willian on and he turned in a typical Willian performance – no movement, no creativity, no defensive work, constant giveaways.
The problem was that right after they were reduced to playing with 10 players, so were we – and we kept giving the ball away by passing it to an area where there was no one who could help the team in any way.
Anything to blame Willian! Partey looked well off it. Tierney looked edgey. But no, single out Willian!
Partey had put in a hardworking if not great performance the prior 70 mins. Why cant Willian be expected to come on and do what a sub is meant to do…Help the team.
Please! Willian was sent over others like Auba and Gab, coz Arteta wanted him to hold up play and retain the ball, so that Partey, Xhaka & others need not make those rash tackles on the edge of the box.
I’m sure that’s not what he did – he didn’t retain possession, lost the ball and barely made a tackle.
But yeah, everyone made mistakes except Willian, coz he just didn’t do anything and conceded the one man advantage back to those lot!
Let’s keep playing him for another year coz he had a couple of decent games.
I don’t like the Willian signing one bit but everyone looked flustered. Not his fault
I agree that no one looked good in that period.
Having said that, Willian and later Elneny coming on for ESR and Lava meant we posed no real counter-attacking threat – which made it possible for the cunts to lock us down and keep battering without having to worry about their defense.
What was Willian gonna do to them, nothing?
The fact that Martinelli isn’t playing and this useless waste of space is really worries me.
Not so much Willian coming on, but ESR going off.
But my point is that ESR might as well have been sent off for all the good Willian did.
The chasm in quality between the players was one of the main reasons for our playing like complete wankers.
I assume Smith Rowe, who never stopped moving and is probably not fully fit, was done. If so, it was a reasonable substitution (a technically secure player with fresh legs). If not, it was a bad substitution, because Smith Rowe, with Odegaard, Xhaka, and Partey, were the players to keep the ball and see out the game. But we have no idea which is true; this is the sort of decision where I credit Arteta and his staff with more knowledge than supporters at home, including me.
The last 10 minutes felt like watching Dr Who as a kid. A evil malevolent being that feeds of negative energy trying for world supremacy, thankfully his plan failed and I could leave my place of safety away from the back of the sofa,
An evil ( for the pedantic) posted without glasses .
I think this is on Arteta. He messed up the substitutions and the players became anxious.
It’s on the players. Luis, Xhaka and Partey (team leaders) start getting edgy with each other instead of calming the team and using the one man advantage.
To be fair, Luis and Xhaka remaining on the pitch in a high-pressure situation like this is Arteta messing up substitutions.
You’ve got an agenda mate. Seek therapy.
Nah, he is totally correct. What kind of message does it send to the players when they see he took our only striker off and replaced him with Elneny? That says “defend the lead at all costs, don’t try and score another”. It’s the substitution you make with ten minutes left and you have a player sent off. It is not the substitution you make when your opponent has a player sent off!! That is on Arteta, he sent that message out there. He literally left us without a striker. In hindsight it was such a dumb move we are… Read more »
That was like four minutes before the end when the ball was bouncing off a tired Laca. Bringing on Mo was a good move to keep possession for a few minutes against ten men, instead of which Leno starts whacking it long, as fast as he can, straight to a spud player every time. They could see we were rattled and went for it. Just keep the ball ffs.
If that’s true, than winning the North London Derby is on him too.
During those last ten minutes, I made the mistake of checking my heart rate on my Fitbit: 133 bpm. For reference, my normal resting heart rate is 65. Briefly, it crossed my mind that Spurs would equalise and I would die on my sofa, leaving my son to mourn both the loss of his father and a victory in the North London Derby, Still, it all worked out well in the end and I could bask in my powers of prophecy. This conversation took place just after Son was substituted: ”Great! Not only is Son limping off, but he is… Read more »
Great story, particularly highlight by nightmarish visions of swap monsters, those fuckers sound evil!
I absolutely thought the same when Lamela came on. I am sure I have seen him cautioned almost every time I have seen him play (Argentina too) and was shocked he had never received a red. (I also thought “he’s not as much a threat as Son, but he is a lot more creative.” If we had lost on account of his goal, I would never have admitted having that thought which, obviously, was the cause.)
Misplaced passes, giving away dangerous free kicks and corners.
It was so weird to see the confidence suddenly drain from the team when you’d think the opposite would happen with a man up. It’s hard to explain but maybe it’s just that Spuds said fuck it let’s finally play and it took our players off guard.
Moura looked particularly dangerous the last 10 minutes. I was so relieved the whistle blew. Spurs are shit.
Played a high pressure game a few days ago and we battered the trash for the majority of the game. They only played well when we got nervous and tired towards the end and they had nothing to lose.
I’m an arsenal fan and all, but how is that a penalty compared to the like ten penalties we didn’t get this season that was more obvious. I take this one above anyone else, but it would be nice with some kind of consistency.
I thought it was a stone wall pen. If one of our defenders did what Sanchez did I would be cussing them.
Exactly. Remember when Luiz wiped out a Watford striker after they got their shot away in the box last season. Was it last league game of last season?
A penalty was given and I don’t remember anyone, pundits or even Arsenal fans, trying to argue against it.
If a player makes a pass and then gets taken out, no one even thinks to question that it’s a foul. It’s the textbook definition of a late tackle – so why is a shot followed by a take out any different
Yes, we did manage it poorly, but, hopefully, there will be lessons learned and next time we will do better. Have to grow somehow.
Good morning winners….
What a time to be a gunner
TBF, there certainly have been times when it has been better to be a Gunner, but now is certainly better than December 1st for example. Long way to go, but we’re trending much better in 2021. We need to win the Europa so bad…
If we can pull that off we’ll be bloody laughing!
You are right, I find joy watching Arsenal now than before.
Also when teams scored against us early I don’t panic anymore cos I am always confident we will respond.
Also we are not being battered in away games these days shows that we are improving
The narrative on the blog today that Lacazette was poor is worth of old AfTV with the angry man in it. I stopped reading after the second time you mentioned Laca was poor yesterday. I watched the game in catch up after reading the grades and comments you gave. I watched it like you, with lenses and i suggest you rewatch the game as he was one of our top player yesterday. He could have done better on a couple of occasions true but he was doing really well at getting the ball in the middle of 3 monsters and… Read more »
Laca was not good yesterday, please feel free to fuck off to aftv, I’m sure you’ll feel at home there.
I’ve seen the last 15 incl extra time again with normal heartrate knowing that we won. It was truly a really bad performance from most of our players. Two reasons, one technically and one mentally. The technical part was a general low quality on ball control and passes ( slow and unaccurate). The mental bit was “not me” attitude. with one man up, it shoud be really easy to give the passer at least two safe passing options,instead it was a hide game where nobody really wanted the ball and risky passes was the result. Bernd Leno : he ticks… Read more »