Mikel Arteta lamented two soft goals and Arsenal’s attacking toothlessness as his side started the new campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Brentford in front of a full-capacity Community Stadium.
The Gunners fell behind in the first half when Sergi Canos crashed home a low strike inside Bernd Leno’s near post and were caught cold from a throw-in on 73 minutes when Christian Norgaard headed home from close-range after Pablo Mari had failed to clear the danger.
Arsenal did have more chances, even if the xG went in favour of the home side, but familiar problems around the box proved decisive.
Here’s what the boss had to say when he faced the Sky Sports cameras.
On the result…
I’m extremely disappointed. It’s very different from how we wanted to start the season. We didn’t start well the first half, we conceded a goal in an isolated action but we didn’t cope well enough with the long balls or the second balls and that’s all they needed to create some difficulties for us in the backline. And then we conceded a second one on a long throw that we know they can do. The biggest worry is the threat that we had in front of goal. Many times we arrived in the final third in great situations but we had no threat, no shots on target. If you don’t do it then in the Premier League it’s very difficult to win.
On missing players…
I don’t want excuses, honestly. We miss players, it’s where we are. We have other players. I don’t like to hide and I don’t like excuses.
On what the result came down to…
We weren’t good enough to beat them. To do certain things, you have to do some basics right and we didn’t. In the box we needed more threat, as much as possible. When we get in these positions we need to be much more ruthless. We weren’t tonight.
On it being frustrating to concede from a long throw…
It is, but it’s very difficult. They put somebody on the keeper, they can hold the keeper, there’s no free-kick, the keeper cannot move and then it’s a goal. It’s allowed in the Premier League.
On whether Flo Balogun should have had a penalty…
I don’t know. I haven’t seen the action. There’s nothing to do now.
On what happens next…
It’s a long run. We started in a disappointing way, we’ll review the game, speak to everybody with calm heads and try to put them right as soon as possible.
“i don’t want excuses, but i also don’t have any answers”
He doesn’t have any answers. Brentford played like a team this evening. We have far better players at our disposal but Arteta does not know how to get them to play together. Such a mess. It’s a real shame but I think we need to make a change ASAP.
Who we going to get?
Arsenal sacked a great manager in emery and Wenger and got this excuse, lame ,no good guy.
Suddenly Emery is a “great manager”…lol, weren’t around here much couple of years ago then…lol
we didnt look ready for the season, we were playing in 3rd gear the whole time!! this is my worry too many side passes too many lazy jogging no intensity until Tavares came on and bullied that striker off the ball until then we didnt win any major duels we were so weak and passive… where is the aggression??? the season has started this is not pre season where is the tackles where is the physicality???? Ben White is rubbish btw just pointing that out. I knew this before we signed him he doesn’t have the physical attributes that’s needed… Read more »
If only we had a young dynamic midfielder with a habit of making runs into the box and scoring goals…..
Ben White will end up playing right back with 5 back up right backs on the bench. Lukaku must be in fear to face this brave defence on his debut next week.
Poor Arteta. Whatever he says now appears idiotic. This was such a horrible performance. The team is not ready for the season. I don’t even know where to start. We’ll be lucky to finish 8th.
appears idiotic? he speaks like he’s not watched the match at all, let alone been managing one of the sides participating.
You are spot on.
Reading this “we conceded a goal in an isolated action” honestly had me getting a flashback to the final moments of Emery’s time here. That’s not a good look.
Hes almost combining Emerys and Wengers post match interviews. At least Emerys were ironically funny and Wengers were always entertaining.
Maybe we could use a few isolated actions, all I’m seeing is a lot of accompanied inaction.
You think this team with these tactics and this manager is capable of finishing 8th? Ok 😂
Coming into the game I was looking forward to seeing Arsenal bullied Brentford into submission with our high line…What I saw instead was Brentford bullied us into submission with high balls…..😢😢😢😢😢 ..Oh well ….
‘We’ll be lucky to finish 8th’
We’ll be lucky to finish 20th 😂
You gotta cut the team some slack, they’ve found it difficult to adjust to the country.
🤣
I hear McDonald’s is looking a new manager Arteta.
mcdonald’s employees are let go if they turn in a performance like this
Not if its his first managerial position.
Customer: I didn’t get the fries I ordered.
Arteta: That was an isolated action.
👍🤣
”Put it right as soon as possible”. Me hole. How much time does he get to keep churning out the same mediocrity? He needs to go now.
Yeah that’s the way. One season out of Europe and Wenger has to go, our most successful manager ever. Oli was crap at Utd but they had faith and are looking more likely now !
He’s not the fucking problem. Since the dog days of Wenger regime the club has been steadily run into the ground by the Kroenkes, and we see the result of this mismanagement every fucking year. Arteta is still working thru the fucking shite brought into the club 2015 onwards…and newsflash! We can’t get rid of any of that dross because who the fuck wants to pay their astronomical wages for fuck all in return? And yeah before anyone piles on, Willian was a big mistake by Arteta but fuck me the likes of guendouzi, sokratis, mustafi, kolasanic, parasite Ozil that’s… Read more »
Yeah right. Absolve Arteta of all blame. This guy won’t win even if we had the MSN like Barca.
And why do you think that is…?
Are the players going to threaten the opposition goal of they’re constantly passing backwards and sideways, like you’ve ordered them to….?
Seriously, this guy hasn’t got a clue. He needs to go and the sooner the better.
ARTETA OUT
What fkn game were you watching? Constantly passing backwards? My fkn arse. Plenty of possession plenty of attacking opportunities we just have no one to put the ball in the net…something that edu should have addressed back in fkn June.
Spot on. Some people just comment for the sake of it. We played more direct passes than we’ve managed in a while. But yeah we lost, so everyone’s saying something. We need better strikers and a mobile replacement for Xhaka
Minty, I wouldn’t call passing to Tierney and crossing a genuine attacking chance..
From my point of view the only genuine attacking chances we had yesterday were Pepe forcing a save from Raya and ESR doing the same when he shot at the keeper.
No amount of signings will improve this team until Arteta ditches this style of play. You shouldn’t need to spend £200+ million to be able to confidently beat Brentford. There are some bad players still at this club from before Arteta but most of his own signings have regressed under him.
Oh but of course.
It was just one wave of Arsenal attack after another.
Give me fucking strength……🙄
We started well, great passing to boost the opta stats. However, zero genuine threat. We can’t keep playing like this and expect different results. That lies squarely with the manager. Change is gonna come.
He needs to go. With Edu. Out of their depth. Get an experienced manager in and put a rocket up their sorry arses.
Arteta is the most inexperienced of the top 8 managers, I believe. He’s playing with essentially the same team as last season. I’d put the blame on Edu, he should go if he cannot find the right players.
This squad is not good enough for top 4. If we want to change the manager, then get Rodgers, he has done well consistently over years. Prospective players would want to play for Rodgers.
We just blew 50mil on White because Arteta wanted him. Last season it was Willian. We’re holding off buying an attacking mid seemingly because Arteta wants Odegaard and only Odegaard. Far too rigid a way to operate but that’s hand in hand with Arteta’s approach to setting up his team. Seems like the manager has too much decision making power.
And wants to sign Ramsdale…
Rodgers doesn’t want to come so what next?
Who you going to get in? No use moaning unless you have the answers or suggestions.
Offering a massive salary and promising transfer funds that we have never been willing to spend is the only way we will get someone accomplished. I think barring being threatened with relegation arteta is here for the season. Maybe even the following one.
He doesn’t how to change it. Has he only just noticed that we are clueless in the final 3rd ? We’ve been bloody clueless there since he arrived…and nothing has changed, regardless of who he plays. Maybe he needs to look closer to home for the problem.
If only we had used that £50m to recruit a creative player or 2.
I’m not sure the issue is players so much as tactics at this point. We play so slowly and give teams plenty of time to reset – leading to us just pinging in hopeful crosses. Our inability to score has been a theme through Arteta’s 18 months – thus far he doesn’t seem to have the answer.
Yes, good point. I think my judgement is just clouded by the fact that I think Arteta’s decisions on players have been nearly all dreadful.
I genuinely hope the guy figures it out as starting over again isn’t all that appealing. That said he needs to change soon or we need to cut our losses.
Should have spent he 50mil on a right back !
Utter shite…
Embarrassing…
No game plan, did we ever had a game plan under Arteta?
“We started five weeks ago on our preparation, we worked so hard with them to try to get them every tool, every necessary tool, to compete in the best possible way and now it’s time to compete.” Arteta We have a system that doesn’t work, a mentality that doesn’t work and sadly a manager that doesn’t work. Arteta is, and has been, out of his depth from the start. I hope Arsenal sack Mikel and Edu immediately. The worrying thing is that Kroenke is not capable of hiring a new manager so we are a bit fucked at the moment.… Read more »
So yeah sack him now take a chance that someone will fall into the job. Great idea
My biggest worry is Kroenke staying on as owner.
I doubt he’ll do the needful and put you and Edu out of your misery.
I can’t trust you with another dime for signings.
Arteta and Edu are completely out of their depth.
At this rate, we’d be lucky to finish in the top half.
stan is old. we can only hope josh loses interest by making it a hostile environment every time he appears in public.
I really don’t know how far Arsenal have to fall until a, someone appoints an experienced manager, not a deluded climber living off Guardiola’s praise about him to the media about how good a coach he is. or b, the fans just get used to mid table and stop living in the Arsene Wenger glory years. Those days are gone and that Arsenal has gone.
‘ARTETA: BIGGEST WORRY OUR LACK OF GOAL THREAT’ No mate, there was also the lack of midfield and defence too and quite frankly, the biggest worry is your’s and Kroenke’s management of our club – both clearly haven’t got a clue and are making it up as they go along. #KroenkeOut #ArtetaOut
Forget everything else, the manager should go just for starting and making Xhaka captain (and come back when he has more experience) but if he does go, who the hell would want to come to our basket case of a club? Silent owners happy with no progression. A non existent recruitment strategy. Average players. Just very sad indeed.
Biggest worry is you’re still here.
I feel embarrassed watching my team arsenal now, any team we play doesn’t feel any threat, bring back arsenal please!!!!!
we have far and superior players compare to them but there will and determination exceed ours. Man I think Mikel is nt the right man to lead arsenal Bcox he’s always promising and sweet talking us that tins are on the right track while actuality is we are not Cox wts as he been doing on the training ground for 5 good weeks with this players? I don’t see anything new in our mindset or our mentality or see d will to win. I see players looking confused and out of sought.
Arteta tactics are not working… Same old way of attack, same old way crossing from left back. I wonder do Arteta analysis his tactics? Can’t he see the problem? Why he keep insisting using the same old tactics again and again???
I used to come to Arseblog for a comments section that was reasonable reflection and analysis rather than whinging reactionary entitlement. Not anymore it seems. “Wenger Out”.. “Emery Out”… etc. Arteta may not be up for it but fans shouted out possibly our best ever manager… Then shouted out one of the best managers in European football at the time… Now shouting out a young inexperienced but, when signed, a well regarded coach. Just saying Arteta doesn’t know what he’s doing is too easy and ignores our decline way before. I genuinely think there is something toxic hanging over the… Read more »
Maybe Arteta can blame the fans next. Some people may have an issue with the manager out of some blind dislike but most are fed up with his rubbish tactics and inability to instil anything that looks like cohesive football. Something lesser teams and their supposed lesser managers seem able to do.
Fans aren’t without blame. I can’t remember the last time, when the fan base stood behind someone who fucked up or was out of form.
Mikel might not be the right guy, but guys behave yourself. Hold yourself to the same standard you hold the likes of Xhaka to.
Frustration and anger doesn’t condone how our fans foam at the mouth at every given opportunity:
Xhaka got a contract!
Willock is gone!
Buendia didn’t come!
White missed a header!
This is a game not your balls in a twister.
Sachin, I get what you’re saying but football is very much a passion-driven sport. Perhaps we (myself included) could do better to not overreact but bear in mind how much it costs, financially and emotionally to support Arsenal compared to how little is shown in return. Compare the financial support Chelsea and City fans received with travel in last season’s UCL final to what Arsenal fans received when travelling to B*ku. I also don’t know if you are aware but when fans returned into stadiums at the end of last season, Arsenal were the only home fans whose players didn’t… Read more »
I’m not saying the fans are to blame. Just pointing out that we’ve been going backwards under different managers which include a couple of proven ones so there is something bigger… And theat the toxicity from fans only contributes to a negative culture that we’re struggling to shake.
You sort of make my point (perhaps better than I did) that lesser teams and lesser managers seem to be able to do something we can’t so this isn’t just a ‘sack the manager’ problem.
You make a good point about all the knee jerk, hysterical “(insert manager here) out” wailing with Wenger and Emery. That makes the patience Arteta has been afforded even more bizarre. If either of the last two mangers had come eighth once, they wouldn’t have been given a chance to do it a second let alone third time. Their biggest failing was not making top four, last season we would have been grateful to hit the Euro Conference League or whatever it is. I accept it’s not the first time we’ve been shit but if Arteta is an integral part… Read more »
There was nothing ‘kneejerk’ about WengerOut, EmeryOut or even ArtetaOut – in fact, just the opposite. In the case of WengerOut, the fans had been the most patient of any PL team, putting up with mediocrity for at least 10 years before Wenger went, (although, granted, perpetual 4th/always the bridesmaid was better than his successors have managed). Arteta’s managerial performance last season was at the very best mixed and at worst, woeful, proving that he has very little clue on what to do (who could have guessed that, seeing as he’s never managed a first league team before?) Arteta being… Read more »
Saying fans putting mediocrity for at least 10 years before Wenger went is ridiculous. Which manager in the PL had successfully and consistently maintained his team (which is full of debt and need to sell their best players every season) to top 4 finish every season while we fighting against the likes of Chelsea / City / United? I know the last 2 season under Wenger had been mediocre, but he still finished in the top six which now we are not even close to it.
Exactly. These guys talk about ‘results’ as if the league position determines their kids going hungry or not.
Under Wenger this club had an identity, a pull that wasn’t dependent on trophies or the wallet of an oligarch.
Even when other teams’ fans lose their shit, they know they are doing it because they love the club. With every passing day our fans seem to hate Arsenal, using the same language as Spuds or Chelski fans do to taunt and snipe at “our” guys.
‘I know the last 2 season under Wenger had been mediocre…’ – ‘2 seasons’??!! Are you having a laugh/do you have a short memory? The Invincibles season was 2003-2004 and for the next almost 14 years we were ever increasingly average as Wenger ran out of ideas until it came to a head and he left his managership early.
Wow, if going into the Champion league Final in 06 is average, if the youth project is average, if finishing in top 4 and go into champion league every season is average, I am not sure your definition of average.
We got to the Champion League final – but didn’t win it. Wenger’s reliance on cheap bargain basement youth was *precisely* the reason we were average – and it repeatedly showed when we played ‘the bigger (and more experienced) boys’ of other teams. The repeated scraping in to top 4 revealed the Kroenke’s business model – have players just good enough to get in the top 4 to collect the £20 million Champions League pay, without the Kroneke’s having to spend more – and Wenger did their bidding.
I’m not defending Arteta necessarily. He’s definitely on borrowed time but our problems seem bigger than him. I hope I’m wrong and all we need is a change of manager but both Wenger and Emery were proven top class managers yet here we are. If our problem was Arteta, Arteta wouldn’t be in the job. My point about the fans is how we deal with being crap. Most fans have to deal with their teams being crap. I’m old enough to remember us being crap and see other top teams be crap but don’t ever remember the vitriol and whinging… Read more »
Financially, the bigger question is ‘Does the team effect the fans or not?’
‘I genuinely think there is something toxic hanging over the club‘
Is this what passes for ‘reasonable reflection’ in your world ? Look up ‘Dunning-Kruger’
Arsenal fans online are overreacting Knobs. I blame shite like AFTV for fanning the fannies.
AFTV is the majority of Arsenal fans. Sadly.
Well said, if arteta was sacked and klopp given job it would be the same moaning after 1st bad result. It’s going to be a while before city and Chelsea come back to the pack. The squad we have is a long way off, no matter who the manager is. I have a feeling a lot of the posters don’t watch the games, take it for what it is enjoy watching the games. Makes the good times better after sticking with them through the lean times. Part of the problem is there’s a lot of Piers Morgan’s out there started… Read more »
Exactly wrong. It’s not based on one game! A good manager wouldn’t give us this crap football game after game, season after season.
A great Manager did, maybe the players aren’t that good.
Biggest worry?
EVERYTHING!
Arteta should be looking at the man behind the mirror- himself.
Partey is the most important plater on the team. His presence would;ve made a vital difference. I’d have played Eddie at CF … he’s showm improvement in the pre-season.
Partey has proven to be yet another over-hyped/under-performing player that helps keep this team average. And, believe it or not, I say that in sympathy with such players – it’s not their fault: they are only as good as they are – it is Edu/Arteta that choose these players for the team – and it’s their responsibility.
Omg Leno is shocking. Cost us another game
No, Arteta cost us the game.
Leno has actually saved our bacon on countless occasions over the past few years, particularly when we still had Mustafi performing his German Frank Spencer act.
1st Game of the season. We had a really young team against a physical newly promoted side with their crowd in full swing It looked like a banana skin anyway with even our best 11. . The fixture list has been super unkind it really could not have fallen worse for us. This. followed by the 2 best teams in Europe. If we spent 500m on 10 players our squad would still be behind City & Chelsea. Missing Partey, Gabriel & not having an experienced CF is massive & no way to start the season. The Spine of the team… Read more »
Good points. There are a lot of negative reactions which is understandable given such a poor performance and result. The team however remains severely unbalanced. it is noteworthy that Chambers became effectively first choice right back last season and did reasonably well. This match however highlighted why Arsenal still need a right back. The central defence was awful. Ben White does not look strong enough and lacks aerial presence. Mari is slow and despite his height he is also not dominant in the air. I was actually impressed by Lokonga who it must be remembered was playing his first premier… Read more »
Yeah Lokonga did fine. I actually think we will have a really good side in 2 or 3 years but its too young at the mo & as you say lacks creativity & goals, As i type this Bruno has just got 3 for Man U.
We do have not enough peak players. Laca & Auba are past their prime & Pepe is too inconsistent. I am happy with building a younger squad but there will be days when we fall short.
With due respect to all Arsenal fans and the Arsenal board, I still hold a view that Arteta is not the right Manager for Arsenal. We need a better coach, the squad we have is good but the coach is simply inexperienced.
If Mikel was headhunted for another premier league club, what club would it be and why?
I think it would be telling to canvas this opinion and compare the comparative league positions of those clubs
With what he had done till now, I think his CV is not good.
Spurs.
They live in cloud cuckoo land – he’d fit in perfectly.
Get Conte
Conte will bench Saka and ask for Hazard. He’s a big club big talent guy.
Our chances with Conte is significantly better I have to admit. He’s a winner and will actually transform the players’ mentality. Arteta only wins admirers in interviews. On the pitch he’s been found wanting. 20 mins spent talking about building a winning mentality on his 1st press conference, yet here we are 3 transfer windows after and nothing had changed.
How on earth can he claim that lack of goal threat was his biggest worry? Even with the full squad healthy, that issue remains. I’m not sure we watch the same games. Our ownership is content with mediocrity. Kronke’s have to go, and they should carry Arteta and edu to another franchise. That is when Arsenal will change. Until then..
“Lack of goal threat”, yet you sent your best scoring central midfielder from the last 2 years to Newcastle?
Don’t you just know ‘Willock’ is going to hit the ground running and score goals at Newcastle
On a positive note though it felt like there were many more forward passes than we’re used to seeing. Lokonga and Smith-Rowe especially, even Xhaka looking to get play moving in the right direction. Awful result though with Chelsea and City on the horizon.
After each game Arteta is honest and direct about where we went wrong, but annoyingly its as if each time its an unfathomable one off. When in reality its the same problems every time, we are a slow pedestrian side that struggles to put the opposition under sustained pressure. We have plenty of the ball but its telling that teams like Brentford can create dangerous chances and score two goals from simple attacking play while we are mucking about trying to find the exact triangles that Arteta wants. I worry that its irrelevant who we get in as it might… Read more »
Are fans going to call for him to be sacked everytime we lose this season? He has a point saying we got into some good positions.
The Arsenal fan cycle: lose game —–call for manager to be sacked—-manager is sacked——–new manager comes in——arsenal lose game——-“our players are shit they have been shit under successive managers”——–lose another game——-“Kroenkeout”——“the manager has to go he’s not getting much out of these players”——-repeat.
It’s over to Edu and co to make signings. Players are simply not good enough. I will question Arteta when we lose with better starting XIs
Arteta hasn’t helped his case with his interviews or his transfer strategy.
Fans see him as over confident.
Sadly I think he might have even lost the faith of a few key members in the squad.
He is a dead man walking.
The biggest worry, Arteta, is that you are still here.
My faith in Arteta is exhausted. Arteta out! The RB situation is a joke. Arteta has killed those players. The CB buying obsession seems to have replaced our old “lightweight winger” buying obsession. Looks like the next obsession will be RBs. The repettitive tactic of Tierny blindly smashing it into the box is predictably mind numbing. Xhaka lacked dynamism. Our retention of possesion is passive. We play the passes teams allow us to. Ie. Backwards. Play through the middle appears off limits. Same BS excuses and logic speak after every game. Give me a George Graham arsenal any day and… Read more »
Arteta: Biggest worry our lack of goal threat.
No the biggest worry is Arteta!!!
Keeping Xhaka and selling Willock sums it up really.
Fire him or we will riot 🥵🥵🥵😡😡😡
No attacking cohesion at all. We rely on our left back for creativity. How sad is that. Who would have thought so long under Pep and it’s scoring goals that’s our main problem. Did Arteta learn nothing under Pep? He has them way too organised and structured. There is no fluidity or movement, it seems like they are all too scared to drift somewhere else on the pitch as it would break his rigid structure. Lose against City and Chelsea, honestly, he has a few games after those two to bounce back otherwise he should be shown the door, with… Read more »