Lucas Torreira says Arsenal can take heart from the fact there are lots of games left this season even though they’ve fallen to sixth in the Premier League following a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.
The Uruguayan international and Matteo Guendouzi did their best to stem the flow of attacks by Pep Guardiola’s slick outfit but Sergio Aguero’s movement and finishing still saw the Argentine help himself to a hat-trick.
After the game, Torreira tried to emphasise the positives even though the gulf in class between the two sides was clear for all to see.
“It was a very difficult game but we know that Man City are one of the best teams in the country,” he told Arsenal.com.
“They’ve got some great players and they play some great football. That said, we prepared well and at times during the game we were able to stay with them.
“We matched them and we equalised to make it 1-1, but then we were unable to create chances after that. Then, because of how the game went, they got the second goal. That was telling.”
Today’s result sees the Gunners fall three points adrift of fourth-place Chelsea and one behind Manchester United, however, with matches against Sp*rs and the Red Devils coming up next month, Torreira maintains that his teammates should not give up hope of securing a Champions League place.
“We know there’s other teams around us fighting for fourth and it’s going to be an intense battle for the Champions League spots, but there’s a long way to go,” he reflected.
“We’ve got a great group, very united, and I just think we want to try to improve as much as possible.
“Today United have overtaken us. It’s important to turn the page as quickly as possible. This is football, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
“The most important thing is that we keep trying to improve. There’s a long way to go in the Premier League, so it’s about trying to achieve our objectives in the time remaining.”
Well said. Torreira is quickly becoming my favourite of the current crop.
Was really good in the first half but like most of the team struggled in the second. Thought we’ve put in a lot in the first half, when you then concede 2 such stupid goals although playing well it’s hugely frustrating. Would we’ve gone into the break level or even a goal ahead, I’m pretty sure the boys would have been able to get a little more out of their bodies in the second half. But against a team like City you don’t get anything when you concede 2 such goals and I had the feeling at least subconsciously they… Read more »
Those two stupid goals conceded from Lichsteiner’s defensive area, he was so poor and he is finished.
Granted, Licht was bad yesterday. But are you really going to single out him over Iwobi for those “stupid” goals? The first one is all on Iwobi – I still cannot believe what he did. The second one, if you look at it again, you will see Iwobi step forward and letting Silva drift in… so Licht goes to him instead of tracking his man (a mistake, of course).
I have no problem with people making stupid mistakes as long as they give their all. Iwobi as well as Lichtsteiner worked hard yesterday. We shouldn’t sinlge out players at all as long as they work as hard as they can. We lose as a team, we win as a team. We fans are part of that team. You can’t push people out of that team because they made mistakes.
Oh give me a break. You have no problem with people making stupid mistakes? Is this the schoolyard where everyone gets a pat on the back after the game? They are professionals and mistakes like that are unacceptable. Mistakes happen of course, not suggesting we abuse players. But holding Arsenal and its players to a higher standard is what it means to be professional
It’s not as if Iwobi makes these mistakes week in week out. And he tried hard to make up for it afterwards. That’s all I can ask for. Lichtsteiner has been brought in as Hector’s back up and a bit of a mentor and everybody was pretty happy about it. There weren’t few that wanted him to play instead of Hector at the start of the season. Now where everybody has seen that he’s not up to the speed anymore, it’s easy to complain about him in every game. He has been brought in as plan B, has become plan… Read more »
I’m all for getting behind the team 100%, and I also hate the knee-jerk reactions and abuse directed at players. But when it comes to mistakes like Iwobi’s, the fact is it’s just not good enough. To switch off like that in the first minute of a big game is awful. I think Iwobi himself would admit that.
Absolutely will he agree with that. That’s what I mean. He knew it in that very second it happened. But as I said, such things happen to everybody and Iwobi hasn’t been at fault for similar brain farts very often. He will learn from it. And if unacceptable means he shouldn’t do this, I totally agree, knowing that it has always happened and will always happen in football. But it shouldn’t. And the coaches should have a few words with him about it. If unacceptable means that this one mistake disqualifies him as an Arsenal player, what has been the… Read more »
Fantastic attitude Lucas
Man City 18 man squad cost £658,000,000 at an average of £36,555,555 per player.
Arsenal 18 man squad £277,000,000 averaging £15,388,888 per player.
Man City starting 11 £438,000,000
£39,818,181 per player
Arsenal starting 11 £214,000,000
£19,454,545 per player
The gulf in class today shouldn’t come at a big surprise
And yet I recon if we had one decent right back in there, this could’ve been a different game.
Once we drew, they were rattled, the game was supposed to get harder for them as it progressed, while we kept defensive solidarity, their intensity would fall and they would be disheartened. That was the plan all along. And it would have worked if we didn’t let them score in the 49th second, and then easily again near half time.
Iwobi and Licht killed us, and we didn’t have the chance to do much.
Hmmmm… Leicester could say something about that….
I don’t mean to play down what Leicester did because it was simply amazing.
That said, people have to stop using that season as an example for what could happen. It was a fluke, and even if something similar could happen to Arsenal, I’d rather us build a team that can be a long-term, consistent title threat than a one hit wonder. This club is big enough to do that, if only the owners had the right ambition.
City’s overpayment isn’t testament to their quality or organization or work rate.
Remember what they paid us for adebayor?
They use their unlimited money to end negotiations quickly and pay over the odds in the process.
I’m not saying they aren’t a better side at present, but using the cost of players to rationalize this is silly as we lost comprehensively to a southampton side with less than half our wage bill.
Yet we will finish miles ahead of Southampton in the table and miles behind citeh… the best predictor of final position in the table is still money (it’s not infallible mind)
Fucking miles, to be precise.
Long way to go,yes but start winning against MU and Spids.
The attack is too slow starting from the back.I don’t know but no 2 games are the same.
CP beat MC .Perhaps Emery shd study how other teams can stfle MC.If it
works why not follow suit.
I assume you mean Spurs. Did we not beat them?
They don’t count. Proper teams only.
1/2
I assume martin that you don’t know how the Premier League works because it seems like you had no idea that teams play each other on two occasions in the league and not one.
Well its not that long a way but I agree with him. And I thought he had an excellent match regardless of result today. Guendouzi was pretty good today too with his distribution. But it will be tooth and nail with a resurgent United and a reinforced Chelsea to end of season for top 4. Relying on Europa (as suggested by idiotic pundits) just doesn’t sound like a good alternative. The good news is there is I believe only United and Spurs left in terms of big 6 in league. The former will be a 6 pointer we must win… Read more »
I don’t know the point I’m trying to make, but there is no permutation that will give you 8 points from 3 games.
two losses and a draw=lost 8 points
Arsenal lost because Mr Kun was given too much room and space. In the CP game he was hemmed the moment he had the ball. Furthermore CP didn’t pass too much . Their forwards ran at the MC defenders giving them little time to regroup. Our 2 front men faced a mass of bodies . When Lacazette shot, two blues blocked the shot. I am not a coach. Better to learn from other teams. The moment you say you have nothing to learn is the day you stagnate. Wenger was too arrogant to change his mindset and he paid the… Read more »
Torreira is one of our stand out player this season. Played well against city along with Guendouzi, our central midfield was good but our wing backs were real shambles, all 3 goals scored were scored from wing areas (Both Lichsteiner and Kolasinac were aweful).
The question should be why play with weak wing backs, play a formation that gets the midfield more engaged, then they can work on supplying the attack. Isn’t this what building from the back is all about?
Are we just slowly turning into the Sevilla of the Premier League?
What does that even mean?
Chelsea are still in Carabao Final,FA Cup,Europe and some really tough matches inc City this weekend.
Man United the same except Carabao cup.
Spuds in Europe and some tough games.
Long way to go
Absolutely inane to think Mustafi could have conceded a penalty. Nothing in it.
What the fuck with Sokratis man wrestling?
No penalty and ref made the right call.
Mustafi made several big clearances against City. But all that can be mustered is a negative because that’s the narrative.