Aaron Ramsdale lamented a “very tense and slow” performance as Arsenal suffered a hugely damaging 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton.
Coming into the game off the back of Monday’s 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, manager Mikel Arteta had emphasised a need to put things right immediately but the Spaniard’s tactical decisions seem to throw his players off their game as they produced a horribly cumbersome showing.
Despite problems of their own in recent months, Graham Potter’s side had little problem containing Arsenal’s attacking unit and on the break they showed a ruthless side as Leandro Trossard and Enock Mwepu finished off slick moves either side of half time.
“It’s not good enough,” Ramsdale told Arsenal.com. “Two games on the spin where the first 45 minutes has got away from us. You make it an uphill battle against any team in the Premier League if you’re losing at halftime.
“We were not in the rhythm of the game, that’s unlike us, especially at home where we’ve normally started really well all season. It was a really poor performance and as I said we, went to the end but that’s a given at any club, especially this club. When you give a team a step up in the Premier League it’s always hard to get back in the game.
“One-nil down is tough enough, two-nil down in the Premier League is even harder, so if we’d have got the first goal back even earlier we might have pushed and pushed but there was too much to do in the end.”
Today’s defeat means Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are no longer in their own hands. What’s more with a daunting run of games ahead, it’s going to be a real scramble to even secure a place in the Europa League.
The manager said afterwards that his players “lacked purpose”, created a “cold atmosphere” and are currently on a road that “is taking us nowhere”.
If the pressure is on, Ramsdale is keen for the players to try and strip things back to basics.
“This was supposed to be the reaction game but it wasn’t,” he said.
“We’ve lost and not managed to pick up any points and next week is even bigger. I think we just need to go out there and be free and play our game, you know?
“It’s a game of football and I think in the first half we were very tense and slow so we just need to go out there next week, trust what the manager and the coaching staff are saying and go and play our football, which we’ve done all season.”
We offer nothing, in any part of the pitch, I can’t see any change in the next performance. Arteta will just play the same team, same way, no doubt, same result. Bored now with his stubbornness
Partey is a colossus! We saw that today… should have started with xhaka in the middle…..who else noticed they’re triple teaming saka these days? Finding us out… closing all attacking outlets….it’s all down to the gaffer now….edu and himself refused to bring in quality reinforcements on loan in January…you wonder if wilshere would have done a job as a carrier in these last few games… weldone all the same…we would have taken 5th at the beginning of the season
We certainly missed Partey – and Tierney. All those that have been critical of these two guys are now getting to see what life is like at the business end of the season without both of them in the side. It ain’t pretty. And before any of you start harping on about injuries – name me any player who takes to the field hoping to get injured. It’s not their fault. It is what it is – part of the game. If you want to get mad – get angry with those cunts masquerading as match day officials who allow… Read more »
Another game losing at half time and lose the game. I think Arteta has only turned one game round when losing at half time. That’s very worrying
That was also the game where Laca scored.
A broken clock and all that…
I don’t think he’ll play the same team at Southampton. I expect Xhaka will be back in the middle and that makes a massive difference to us.
That makes a difference if xhaka has partey covering his weaknesses, otherwise he’s exposed as the fraud he is. Slow, overrated and a liability. But sure… Convince yourself otherwise another 50x before he retires and then come up with the usual excuses “oh the injuries, the refs, the calamity”…
If you have watched our last ten games or so, you can see that Xhaka, whatever his faults, is not being “covered” by Partey. We have not played a genuine double-pivot in months; it is a 4-3-3 with Partey having the deepest-lying starting position (or, if you like, a kind of diamond midfield with Lacazette at the tip and Partey at the base). Xhaka’s main problem is simply his lack of pace; almost all his mistakes–including most of his yellow cards–are caused by this. I will repeat what I and several others have said several times: Somehow, Wenger, Emery, Arteta,… Read more »
I did. And if you watched you would know it’s not a double pivot. It is has been xhaka playing well ahead of partey. ESR or lokonga could easily play that role and more effectively. But sure, carry on the delusion he’s world class.
I just said it’s not a double pivot, that Partey plays a deeper role. I think we have been played our best-structured, most consistently effective, and most attractive football in years with a midfield of Partey, Xhaka, and Odegaard. You are free to disagree.
It was a good stretch that is ultimately falling apart without Partey, and undoubtedly the most meh of that trio as ever has been Xhaka. Playing him as a #8 is just another means to hide his weaknesses. Partey becomes the lone 6 and plays as the anchor so Xhaka is removed from defensive responsibility particularly against counters. The whole midfield formation is to once again cover Xhaka’s weaknesses and he still doesn’t bring strengths and upside to balance that out. Sure though, 6 seasons now of red cards, penalties, brain farts, and no champions league football…and here we are… Read more »
Daveo is not a listener mate. Better to let it go – but yes your position is reasonable and correct
Somehow, all those coaches that always started him for Arsenal failed to finish in Champions League places.
Correct. Our teams have not been good enough, including Xhaka. Xhaka is our second-best midfielder, and we are a better, more balanced side when he plays. Also, we need a player who is better than Xhaka to advance to the next level. Can you hold both those ideas in your mind at the same time?
I think the frustration is not replacing him. He wanted out last summer. No club in world football considering him worth more than 12 million. Arteta then says he’s so important to our team. Praying we get rid of him in the summer.
Groundhog day.
It is actually incredible that there was no energy. We’re the team not instructed to start fast and press them all over the pitch. We are at home they have scored one goal in last 7 games. We let them get a foothold in the game and start to grow in confidence. That must be on Arteta. This is 3 years now. Trust the process 😫
This is what he need to do now;
Play the same formation that got us here (433) against smaller teams. Those games Tavares starts, Xhaka Lokonga and Odegaard in the middle.
Against Chelsea, Tottenham and Man United play 5 at back (with Saka as left back) Lokonga and Xhaka in the middle and forward of 3 (Gabriel, Odegaard and ESR/Pepe).
Then we Pray 🙏
Lacazette should not play against the top teams and when we play 5 at the back as he is not quick for counter-attacking style the way we used to utilize Auba. Both Smith Rowe or Pepe should start.
Totally agree. Good analysis. One thing I would change (at least try) is Nketiah over Laca…..I’m not particularly impressed by Eddie but Laca is gone / needs a rest
Agreed Chris. The recent good patch was a deception and our inability to score is still forefront. MA seemingly having an unforgiving nature is worrying for progress.
Yeah, I think some of Arteta’s words in the press have been fairly interesting recently, particularly when talking about Nuno and the mistakes he made away at Palace. Mikel said its something he must learn from as young player, or words to that effect. Yet interestingly enough, Mikel has made the exact same mistake he made basically 12 months ago to the week when he shoehorned Xhaka into left back which cost us our Europa League second leg against Villarreal — clearly no such lessons have been learned. Something else which has been an interesting point of contention for me… Read more »
As a wise man once said, A little less conversation, a little more action, please
He also said that you ain’t nothing but a hound dog, crying all the time, but that you ain’t never caught a rabbit and you ain’t no friend of mine.
It’s something to ponder.
Hmmm.
At least they don’t play ‘The Wonder of You’ before the kick off at the Emirates these days.
They sure as hell don’t have to……🙄
He’s right. Release the handbrake FFS
Am very disappointed with today’s performance..our guys are not playing with confidence they are playing with tension…I really don’t understand what’s happening with Arsenal😢😢😢😢
A young team and a young manager playing in a psychologically uncharted territory.
That and the refs, VAR and those antiGooner tv pundits on Sky doing their level best to screw us into the ground.
Which is why, should we now make top four, it will be the sweetest thing since Anfield ‘89.
It’s tha hope that kills ya
No Tomiyasu, Partey and Tierney. Arguably our most important players bar Gabriel in the backline and midfield. Unfortunately the fringe players did not step up. And Laca has tried his best, but we do lack options upfront. We should still have enough to edge Brighton, but it looks like Arteta has problems managing a squad. He’s alright when coaching his 1st eleven, but the bench players seem like they’re coached by a different team.
I’d completely forgotten Tomiyasu it’s been so long. Why do previously healthy players develop bizarre injury records as soon as they arrive?
Unlike Partey, Tomi actually had an extensive injury record at Bologna. I think he missed ~18 games in his last two seasons through injury. It’s a similar thing with Tierney too.
You’d have thought after Ramsey, Diary, Wilshere etc. we’d be a bit cautious with that type of player.
I said w’ll finish 8h but now 9th
We’ll definitely finish top 7 as Wolves aren’t catching us.
7th will be the Conference League unless Palace win the FA Cup.
I don’t know how many top clubs would give a rebuild job to a rookie manager.
We have referenced the rebuild job at Liverpool as the template to follow. The only thing we missed is that Liverpool went for top-class, experienced manager in Klopp.
We have relied on a rookie… and an equally inexperienced DF.
Look at what Conte is doing at Spurs.
Arteta may come good, but it seems the journey is not for the fainthearted.
Conte isn’t doing anything special at spurs, it’s all Kane and Son.
Whilst the first part of your answer is spot on, the unfortunate thing is that the scum are currently playing reasonably well as a team – whether we like to admit it or not.
Kane and Son. As opposed to Steptoe and Son.
That would Jamie Vardy and Son.
*Be
Another Cedric photo bomb!
Not wanting to tempt fate, but that little dude is currently making me eat my words with a generous side order of humble pie.
Long may it continue…!! 😊
Just in case anyone needs cheering up:
http://haveyoueverseentottenhamwintheleague.com/
Not the best moment to poke fun at a team higher than us in the league.
Oh FFS put a sock in it.
Anytime is a fucking good time to rip the piss out of those trophy dodging cunts.
Anytime.
Even when this is the 6th time that spurs could finish above us again?
I refer you to the answer I gave to Avo below.
Arsenal fans having to be encouraged and taught how to mock Spurs – I think I may have just seen it all….
Even if those trophy dodging cunts have always finished above us in the league since 2016/17?
Of course! We’re Arsenal fans aren’t we? They haven’t won ANYTHING for 14 years. They haven’t won an FA Cup for 31 years. They haven’t won a European trophy for 38 years. They haven’t won the Title for 61 years. Their supporters, quite simply, are the biggest mugs on the planet, who’d celebrate getting a throw in with an open top bus parade, if they thought they could get away with it. The last time they won the title, Steam trains were still in operation in the north of England, Princess Diana hadn’t been born, Antonio Conte hadn’t been born,… Read more »
Seventh paragraph:
Today’s defeat means Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are no longer in their own hands.
This is simply not correct.
Win (or even draw) the game in hand, beat Spurs, and match the rest of Spurs’s results, Arsenal are in the CL*.
*Obviously stay ahead of Man U. and West Ham as well.
yes, not all doom and gloom is it.
Laca hat-tricks for the rest of the season.
Laca needs to be nowhere near the pitch.
The hope kills you and unfortunately one can envisage spurs winning 4 or 5 of their remaining 7 (Arsenal and Liverpool aside perhaps) and I just don’t see us scoring enough goals to win 6 of our remaining 8.
The last 2 games were far more than missing a couple of players. The passing is way off, the urgency has gone and players off the ball are static.
We have to accept we managed to play above expectations for a few weeks against poor teams. You’d be brave to bet of Arsenal now finishing top 4.
Have to disagree. Between Everton and Palace, the only truly poor performance was against Forest. Got results and performances against some quite decent teams, and also played pretty well against Liverpool multiple times and City, despite the poor results. That’s a stretch of 17 games – let’s not act like this was always right around the corner. A dip was to be expected at some point because of the age profile of this squad, but the shockingly low level on display the last two games has plenty to do with missing three key starters.
Qualification for the Champions League is absolutely still in our hands, but this is not a situation that fills me with confidence right now.
I’m praying that he’ll now opt for three at the back, namely, White, Gabriel and Holding.
Playing Tavares now at this stage of the proceedings, with the stakes as high as they’ll be at Southampton, will be to court complete and utter failure.
I share your grounded opinions regarding the current state of the table, but also high anxiety regarding Arteta’s selection for the next game, particularly at the back.
Of course, it goes without saying that Lacazette will be a waste of a shirt if he is ever selected to start again.
If the players ‘are currently on a road that “is taking us nowhere”’, who is leading them down that road?
Just wondering.
Now that we’re fcked maybe we will play with more freedom 🤦♂️
Bloody “Handbrake”. I thought only Arsene’s car had one. It seems Arteta’s got two. 😫😫😫
It’s not the can’t see where the next win is coming from, it’s the can’t see where the next goal is coming from. We just do not have goal scoring forwards. Laca cannot do the role that Spuds have Kane in – 9 goals and he didn’t score any of them – and we don’t have the proven hit men to feed off him anyway. I love Saka and ESR and Martinelli but they seem to be more interested in play-making rather than shooting practice. We will need to play a back 3 again but that means the players need… Read more »
The big man is spot on.
We have to chill out, calm the fuck down, get the ball on the park and move it forward at pace, a lot quicker, right from the kick off.
We need to be losing our markers and looking for the centre halves to play it out faster. We’ve done it before – we can do it again.
It’s time for cool heads, working smarter and moving the ball quicker.
The manager also needs to ditch Lacazette once and for all – then we’ll actually be playing with eleven men again.
Everyone needs to calm down. You all watch enough football to understand that it only takes a win next game, and this will all feel more hopeful again. Yes, we have injury problems, but we have a game in hand, Tommy will return soonish, and we can take points from Sp*rs. Just get behind the team. We can all bitch after the season is over.
Well said.
Arteta took a long long time to convince me that he was the man for the job, but these catcalls for him to be replaced are just plain dumb.
Whatever happens now, you wait until the end of the season before nailing those colours to any particular mast.
I’ve stayed elsewhere that we are only 3 points behind the scumbags with a game in hand – and we still have to play them – and they have to go up to Anfield to play a title chasing Liverpool.
Hardly the end of the world.
And there it is!
I get downvotes for BACKING Arteta.
Fucking hilarious. 😂
🤣🤣
Groundhog Day
Looks like Arteta is back to his old tricks again. Throwingplayers under the bus. When the going gets tough, hold players responsible for stuff. 😕
Whatever else you might accuse him of, not taking responsibility for poor performances isn’t it. He always acknowledges his own part.
Full quotes from yesterday here: https://www.arsenal.com/mikel-arteta-post-match-press-conference-transcript-brighton-premier-league
This form is worrying. It feels very similar to the way Emery’s first season faltered at the end. We should be beating teams like Brighton and Palace with all due respect to them. Especially if the team really wants Champions League football. We have to get into form immediately otherwise the derby won’t even be important. With Chelsea, United and Sp*rs to play I’m concerned about our chances now. The Xhaka at left back thing needs to be left alone. Keep him in the middle where he’s most effective. I’d rather have Saka at left back with ESR ahead of… Read more »
image the mauling we’d get in the cl (and pl) with this squad. I like where we’re going but this may be a blessing in disguise. the priority now is to somehow hold on to saka and martinelli
And guess which is the best way of doing that……?
In your own time…
I get it. the point I was making was that we need to hold on to them without cl. which will be harder than with it. sorry if I wasn’t clear
Ok mate. 👍
This is the hope that kills. I really like that team and we had an incredible momentum, I believed we could return where we belong, the champions league. It seems a very far possibility given the remaining fixtures. I’m not giving up but the last 2 games hit me hard. COYG forever