Get back on the horse quickly. That seems to be the message from Mikel Arteta following last night’s damaging 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Unwilling to blame his squad’s overall lack of experience or injuries, the Spaniard said his players must take responsibility for a performance that was so below par that a defeat seemed inevitable from the moment Patrick Vieira’s side took the lead.
“We weren’t at the races, especially in the first half,” said Arteta in his post-game press conference.
“We were late to every ball, we were soft in the duels and we didn’t earn the right to play, and when we did a little bit we were sloppy on the ball.
“We didn’t have any dominance or sequences of play when we could take control of the game and we conceded two poor goals as well, so overall it’s unacceptable.
“We need to put our hands up, apologise, regroup, and tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity to prepare for the game against Brighton.”
After working hard to earn fourth spot prior to the Interlull, Arsenal were the last of the Champions League hopefuls to play this match week. While Chelsea lost and Manchester United dropped points to Leicester, Sp*rs tightened the screw with an easy victory over Newcastle to leapfrog us in the table.
Arteta refuted suggestions that his players subsequently felt the pressure of the occasion at Selhurst Park.
“No, because the pressure has been there for the last seven or eight weeks,” he said.
“We are talking all the time about the race for the top four and the boys have been performing extremely well and getting the results and playing really well.
“Today we didn’t perform and it’s as simple as that, we were second best in every department, especially in the first half, and when we tried to change in the second half, we did and we played much more of the game that we wanted to play.
“In the final moments we had three of four big chances that we didn’t score to get back and give ourselves a chance to get back in the game.”
He also made clear that he wouldn’t be blaming an bad day at the office on youthful inexperience.
“These young boys have been doing really well, so I don’t like to be unfair [and say] ‘because when they do something it’s because they’re young’.
“They’ve been playing extremely well, they’ve been performing under pressure and doing what we ask them to do, and today we didn’t do it.”
The boss also reiterated that as things stand, Arsenal’s fate remains in their own hands.
“We’ve got a game in hand still and we need to play [Sp*rs],” he said.
“We know that with nine games a lot of things are going to happen, we have to play each other and we have to play some big games coming up. We have to focus on ourselves and the problem that we had today is not Sp*rs, it was us and what we did in the first half.”
When the going gets tough………..the tough get going. We can do it.
That’s the spirit. 👏🍺
I think we will win the Next vs Brighton at home. Hopefully it will boost the energy and we get back to our good run.
Even if we don’t quite make top 4 this time round I’m still proud of our young team and manager. This upward trajectory is evident for all to see. Regardless lets keep behind our lads even during the low points, that’s when they’ll need us most and then see where we are come the end of the season. COYG
Your loyalty is admirable.
But the lads have no awareness of our existence, so in a literal sense they don’t need our virtual support.
It makes perfect sense to be proud of the team and the manager if we finish 4th, but similarly reasonable not to support the manager if we fail to reach the 4th spot after record spending in the summer, no other competitions to split the focus, and all other competitors struggling with consistency this season.
Going by your logic, your comment and your existence is worthless to Arsenal since they don’t know you exist…
Is it manager or sports director deciding not to get in propped bodies to the squad in winter?
On the day the season started, I would have said that Arsenal in the top four on points with a game in hand after 29 matches was the very top of my expectations. Anything more was a fantasy. We may finish top four (or–incredibly–the table says it is not ridiculous to look at third) or we may miss out.
The idea that Arteta deserves fan support for what he has done up to now, but deserves to lose it if we don’t finish top four, makes no sense.
I think we have to change things up even if it’s not in a direction we want to go in long term. If Palace knew how to deal with us that easily, they won’t be the only team to have figured us out. It wasn’t just that we were outcompeted physically, we knew they had our number tactically, demoralising us and leading to those lethargic individual performances. We need a tactical trick to scramble the opposition for a bit and get us over the line Just feels like one of those games where a wall was hit Maybe a 3-5-2,… Read more »
Mateta outsmarted Arteta
Mateta and his eight foot buddies had the protection of the ref all night – whilst they in turn were allowed to push, pull and kick every yellow shirt up in the air.
That’s not outsmarting. That’s cheating.
I agree……..they fouled us with impunity.
But let’s not blame the ref, we were brutal.
And so were they.
Ask Thomas Partey.
Mikel’s Brave New World Checklist
I think we should go back to 4-2-3-1 …. it’s more secure and Sambi will get isolated if he’s the only holding midfielder.
I know I’ll get shot down for this…, but Saka has played LB for us before and has been amazing there, he still gets forward, links with ESR and causes danger all over the park….maybe we should play him there again… we then get our best remaining players one the pitch…..sorry, but Tavares looks like a liability atm
I upvoted as no reason to shoot you down for a perfectly reasonable suggestion. I wouldn’t do it personally as it changes up both flanks with I suppose Pepe coming in on the right. Switching Cedric across, assuming Tomi is finally ready, gives us a better shape on the right and less change to how we’ve been playing – fairly successfully until last night…. Anyway, maybe MA has an unexpected magic trick up his sleeve….
Martinelli one the right, ESR on the left……Pepe as unpredictable super sub
*on FFS
In possession we have been playing, effectively, a 4-3-3 which has depended on a lot of things to work. Most important, Partey’s confidence on the ball, and his ability to receive it and progress it quickly (he has been superb recently, though obviously not last night). Then, Odegaard’s motor and his willingness to get back to support Partey when possession is lost. Third, Xhaka and Tierney’s developing understanding to cover the left with Gabriel when possession is lost. Can Lokonga play that role, even with Odegaard’s help? Probably not–so, unfortunately the 4-2-3-1 or even three at the back (when Tomiyasu… Read more »
Actions speak louder than words, Mikel.. let’s see a reaction on Saturday
I’d give Tavares another chance against Brighton, Xhaka needs to stay in midfield with no Partey, option of moving Saka to left back if needed layer in the game. Tomiyasu will not be starting so Cedric right back. Thought he did great against Zaha and was our best player. To be fair despite being very good they created little and clear chances created was level so no need to over react. Only unenforced change for me would be Pepe up front. I don’t think Martinelli as central striker gets the best out of him and we need his energy up… Read more »
Just finished listening to the pod and I actually find it spooky there wasn’t one mention of Vieira. Like from an Arsenal POV it’s not even a talking point.