Arsenal, in what is becoming a regular sight this campaign, passed up the opportunity to keep pace with Liverpool in the title race. The draw against Aston Villa would have been frustrating in itself; however, the manner in which we dropped points is even harder to swallow. Incredibly, Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead in a fashion quite uncharacteristic of the team, with the goals conceded coming from balls into the box. Regardless, it still doesn’t justify throwing away a win that seemed to be in the bag. Though it’s the first time this season we’ve dropped points from a two-goal cushion, it’s certainly not the first time we’ve dropped points from winning positions—and that is becoming a real concern.
What’s even more worrying is that we’ve dropped more points from winning positions this season than in any of the previous four campaigns. Indeed, our total of 12 points dropped from such positions is the highest since the 2019/20 campaign (21 points). The troubling aspect of this is that we’re now putting up numbers reminiscent of arguably the most difficult period in our recent history. That figure could also increase significantly, as the season is far from over. Furthermore, the way we drew the game marked the first time since that same 2019/20 campaign that we’ve failed to win a home match despite holding a two-goal advantage. Crystal Palace in October 2019 was the last team to deny us a win under such circumstances.
Even so, the latter stat isn’t the most concerning aspect. The real issue is that we’re dropping far too many points from winning positions, which has led to us drawing far more games than we should. It’s difficult to admit, but this doesn’t look like the form of champions. While many factors have contributed—including moments of bad luck—it’s incredibly disappointing that we’ve surrendered so many points after being in control.
Thoughts?
BENJAMIN KENNETH
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
The author raises a salient point. It’s especially galling when you consider we supposedly strengthened our defense last summer…..at the expense of signing an attacker.
Although our defense, like our attack, has been decimated by injuries.
Also, I think this season, there’s been too much pressure put on our defense to keep clean sheets, or only concede no more than one goal because we haven’t been putting games to bed.
All said and done, we still have the second best defense in the league, only conceding one more than Liverpool.
Sending offs x 2 initially cost us 4 points plus the last minute Citeh goal another 2. Without those we would be joint top
And since then an awful run of injuries across the team. Liverpool haven’t had any really to their key players and also getting the rub of the green with ref decisions etc
So to still be 2nd after all that’s happened to date is pretty good though overall January ( as always) has been super disappointing.
I think also the Champions League format hasn’t helped rest players. In previous years we were thru league phase and could rest our senior players …hendr why everyone getting hamstring injuries a squad is threadbare.
Arteta’s style of setting up the team is costing us valuable points!! Why Thomas Party at right back? Don’t we have someone at the academy that can do the job!! Top four appears to be our target.
Tierney has played RB for Scotland.
Yes I think we can give up on EPL and focus on UCL now, unless Liverpool lose another game and Salah
We must never give up!
We must be realistic, since we have got too many injuries and would likely not sign new players in January
@Gai, Yea realistically it all looks like Epl trophy is Liverpool to lose. But the Boys give up on the Epl cup they will not end up been in Top4. Liverpool have been conceding goals, and you can’t bet in MSalah & VDyke going uninjured throughout the season, the two are the heart of Liverpool winning strick MSalah hardly play a season injury free.. Anything is just possible in football. We lose nothing as fans staying optimistic
#But if the Boys give up..
An injury-plagued team that cannot successfully defend a 2-goal lead should “focus” on champions league?🤣🤣🤣
Is there something I am missing here ?
UCL is a knockout competition, so luck is a big factor to win it
Not at the knock-out stage yet GAI.
In old format a total of 13 games would be played by the winner and runners up.
You are absolutely right they have to be lucky 13 times to win it. I wonder why that luck always falls to the likes of Madrid and never once to the likes of Celtic or Shaktar.
Under Zidane Madrid got lucky 39 times in a row!!!!
@gai
In the immortal words of Johan Cruyff” In football, luck does not exist”…
Yes, an injury plagued team actually went 2-0 up and it was the injury plagued defence that let in two goals that wouldn’t have been scored if White, Saliba, Califiori or Tomiyasu had been available.
We signed a defender, not at the expense of anyone. The striking target turned the club down. We lost Ben White, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko and the new signing, several times this season and some times together. If they were fitter, the addition would have showed.
Paul,
Yes the striker turned the club down, which he’s entitled to do.
But are you saying that just because a striker turns the club down, It’s then okay to go a complete season not addressing the striker situation.
Surely Arteta had a back up striker in mind in the event of being turned down by said striker.
Or at worst while possibly waiting for the preferred striker to come, you should either buy a stop gap striker if you like, or at least loan a striker.
But to then go through a season having not addressed the striker situation though out the season, is terrible management in my opinion.
And if that’s the case, which certainly looking from the outside looking in, appears to be what’s happened, then Arteta needs to be held accountable.
Just because you can’t get your first choice, doesn’t mean you should just try to get through the season without addressing the striker situation. 🙄🤦♂️
It’s not so much as to dropping points from winning positions but rather our wastefulness in not putting games to bed. I believe the false 9 that can lead the line with our system is Bryan mbemo. He is a ruthless finisher that has pace to burn . Hervtz is a waste of space in attack. Defenders don’t fear him. That cannot be said of the Brentford assassin. He is a nightmare for defenders. He , in my humble opinion is the answer if arteta wants to keep the false 9 conundrum going
Mikel is obsessed with defense, hence these drop in points do not irritate me anymore. Hiring square pegs to fit in round holes or hiring injury players & aging players is doing no good to the score board. Goals win you games, plain and simple. Goals will be conceded due to tactical/individual errors, latter cannot be stopped. We are not champions material yet, so lets park the ideas of winning silverware, as we are not supposed to, considering this is just phase 5 of the process. Lets enjoy the beautiful game. We are surely winning Wenger’s Top Four Trophy this year.
Phase 5 was apparently the end phase of the process when we would be crowned champions, there are no more phases to go. Anyway, there is someone else on here totally fixated with the “phases” and the “process” who will explain it to you, not that I ever understood it anyway😊
GB,
I’m with you on this one. All these phases, I’ll tell you what phase I’m in.
I’m in the phase of sacking this joker if a trophy is not forthcoming by the end of the season.
Now that’s a phase I like the sound of.😉👍
@GB
😂👍🏾
Our squad is unbalanced and in a nutshell that is why we are unlikely to win the Premier League.Apart from the injury prone Tierney, we do not have natural fullbacks,right or left and apart from Rice we do not have legs in midfield.Our crowning glory is our lack of central strikers.Our current football management team including our recruitment professionals are the guys who are accountable for our current situation.Injuries have undoubtedly impacted on our performances, but even with a full fit squad ,the balance is not there.
In addition to that, not even 2-3 players can do the trick. We need 6-7 new players at least when we realize we have so many players who are either leaving or needs to be sold.
Neto – leaving
Sterling – leaving
Jorginho – leaving
Partey – leaving
Tierney – leaving
Tomiyasu – injury prone, needs to be sold
Zinchenko – injury prone, needs to be sold
That leaves us with 15 senior players and 2 youths in MLS/Nwaneri. Although I believe Karl Hein and Fabio Vieira will be included next season so realistically, we need at least 5 new first team players. And that means we’re still stuck with our highest paid player Havertz, 31-year old Trossard and sick note Jesus!
Reiss Nelson will return from loan at Fulham, not that he’ll be much help.
You have a dry way with you Jax. 😉
Unfortunately Grandad,
Our club has a manager that seems to be obsessed with putting square pegs in round holes.🙄🤦♂️
10 days to go and still no signing or any concrete news of signing.
SJ,
Just a heads up, there’s still 14 days left of the window. I believe that the window shuts on February 3rd. I’m not sure of the reason, but that’s what I’ve heard.
Not that the extra 4 days will make any difference, I’ll be surprised if we sign anyone.
And if we do, it will probably be a last day rush job.
I can see Chelsea now, looking around there squad looking for their latest reject to try and hoist on us.🙄🤦♂️
Derek, that is what annoyed me most about Arteta. It’s like he is working for Chelsea under cover. What i couldn’t rap my around about our dealings with them was why cwe paid 13m pound for a player who had 4 months left on his contract. A player they specifically told they didn’t need anymore after they got Enzo.
And after I thought we couldn’t do any worse our dear coach dropped Sterling on our payroll. Enough has been said about Kai.
This habit of scavenging Chelsea’s dustbin to pick up their unwanted players is sackable offense if we are serious about winning trophies
Aviva,
What have you done, we have enough of some fans thinking that there’s a conspiracy concerning referee’s against us.
And now you’ve suggested that Arteta is working under cover for Chelsea, the conspiracy theorist’s will be going into overdrive. 🤣😂😉👍
Derek, of the twenty six players signed by MA since he became coach / manager how many came from chelsea?
Since MA became the coach / manager how many trophies have chelsea won?
Since MA became the coach / manager how many times have The Arsenal beaten Chelsea and visa versa?
Perhaps, when you’ve answered the four questions, the broader picture of the two clubs would be worth considering, especially as The Arsenal has ruled all of London these last two and a half seasons?
👍 Great questions ken1945.
I wonder if I’ll get answers though BB?
I doubt that Ken……. Some people just TALK…..sigh…
Actually Chronicle,
If you bothered to look, I did more than talk I answered Ken1945.
You really must look before spouting waffle. 🙄🤦♂️
Our main striker Saka has been injured for a few weeks now and, as far as I know, we are not looking for a replacement in this window. While our hierarchy are contemplating their respective navels City are cleaning up the transfer market this window. They are out of the title race but appear to be already planning for next year. Does anyone get the impression they already know the outcome of the inquiry? Why are they committing to a huge 10 year Haaland contract and spending big in this window? Imo they already know they will probably get away with a fine and a rap on their knuckles. Big points deduction or relegation? I don’t see it. The big guys always seem to get away with it.
Btw I wish we could have got Marmoush!!!!!
Ken1945,
Firstly, can you tell me where in my piece was I leveling the Chelsea rejects jibe at Arteta. I was leveling that at Arsenal.
They as a club seem obsessed with Chelsea rejects.
But in answer to your question, I believe it’s 4 Chelsea players signed.
Willian, Jorginho, Havertz, (Sterling on loan). Apologies’ if I’m wrong.
Secondly, who cares if Arsenal have beaten Chelsea more over the last 5 seasons, it still doesn’t deflect from the fact that we have a habit of signing Chelsea rejects.
Thirdly, Chelsea have won no trophy’s.
Fourthly, to you and Bruised Banana, I did answer your questions.
Whether the answer’s are what you want to hear is another story. 😉👍
Well Derek, your quote “latest reject” surely means the latest?
How else would you expect the “latest reject” to be interpreted as being other than under our “latest” manager?
I think that you are missing the second point here.
If, as you say, we have signed chelsea rejects, then Willian was a free, Sterling is a loan for the season, then the two players we are talking about are Havertz and Jorginho at a reported cost of around £77 million.
Of course, one might believe that the four you mentioned are the only chelsea rejects that have left the club since MA took over at The Arsenal.
Who cares? I would suggest every Arsenal fan does when it comes to bragging rights and your correct in saying that they have won nothing since MA arrived, so are we to assume that there are more rejects to be announced?
Meanwhile, we have been in a situation that saw us come very close to winning the PL with Havertz and Jorginho part of the squad and, this season,
with Sterling making up the three musketeers, we are second with over half the season gone.
I’m just amazed that when we buy a Chelsea player they are always referred to as “rejects”, yet here we are, currently the more successful club over the last five years under MA.
Thanks for the reply 👍
I take the view as well, Ken1945 that Chelsea bought (as of Aug2024) 36 players in 2 years and some of those will become rejects. That doesn’t mean they are useless but does suggest they tried to scoop up what they considered to be the best prospects.
Exactly SueP and didn’t they get their fingers burnt with Mudryk? 😂
Derek, I don’t understand what you mean by “their latest reject has nothing to do with Arteta” sorry, but can you explain?
As for being “any manager” you aren’t now changing the script my friend is, if you had said that in the beginning, I would have asked you to give me examples of managers from Billy Wright onwards who have bought chelsea “rejects.”
aren’t you now changing the script?
Ken1945,
My apologies, I didn’t put that point across the way I meant to.
I don’t mean all Arsenal managers, I think the two managers concerned are Wenger and Arteta if I’m not mistaken.
It’s been in their two tenures that we’ve been getting some of Chelsea’s cast offs, I’m now calling them instead of rejects.
For me, it doesn’t matter who was in charge. My point was that we always seem to go for Chelsea players, and while the likes of Gallas, Czech, were okay.
I don’t think that any other player we’ve signed from Chelsea have been a raving success if I’m honest. 👍
Unfortunately we have always picked up players from chelski
Petr Cech – had his best days at chelski
Gallas – fraud of a captain and we got a bad deal
Lassana Diarra so disappointed he didn’t make it with us
David Luiz – could be great on his day but always had a mistake in him
We have always bought from chelski back to John Hollins days and probably even way before
Some good, some bad but never great.
Onwards and upwards
Not sure on your point about Mudryk Ken ,this clown manager wanted him and asked the club to bid north of 80 million ,got lucky that Chelsea bid a few pennies more .
And please do not tell me Arteta was not interested .
As for Chelsea ,you do not have to be a complete idiot regarding their sales and knowing that they sell well ,another excuse from the Arteta fan club that will give any excuse for him .
Imagine given an example to excuse Arsenal and using Chelsea.😂
Some fans need to at least Learn to use the internet .
My point regarding Mudryk DK, was not to cover for MA, but to highlight SueP ‘s point about chelsea buying up anything that moved and which led to them having to let go of many of them because they were, either, in breach of the rules, or they hadn’t worked out for the money spent.
Of course we all know MA wanted to sign him and please don’t tell me you didn’t think he was a great prospect!!
You seem to forget that chelsea had Salah and De Bruyne on their books and sold them for peanuts and I’m sure I could find more examples if I had the time.
I’m not sure what you mean when you say “Imagine given an example to excuse Arsenal and using chelsea 😂” – perhaps you can explain it to me?
By the way, if you think bidding more than a reported £20 million more, with a five and a half year contract as “a few pennies more” I’m glad you live way down south west and I live in the Highlands, as I think any quotes you might give for building work would be eye watering!! 😂😂😂
Thank you Ken1945 for comprehending what I consider to be an obvious reflection of what Chelsea were doing. There were always going to be successes and those who did not fit in afterwards. How many clubs sign 36 players in 2 years?
Ken1945,
Their latest reject still has nothing to do with Arteta, which I stand by.
Arteta is the current manager granted, but it could have been any manager.
But what does their latest reject mean and how does it fit in with the debate?
Very difficult to fill key positions with quality players in the January window. Even if teams are willing to do business, you most likely overpay.
The problem was not addressed in the Summer, so that’s why it looks worse now; 5 months to reinforce what many already knew.
We needed a striker and winger in the Summer, many saw this need. If they wanted Sesko but couldn’t get it done, can’t force players to join. Maybe they feel he is worth the wait.
Even so, that doesn’t excuse missing out on a winger. We could have added a backup to Saka or someone to challenge Martinelli or Trossard. Instead we loaned Sterling late in the window and looks like bad business.
Have to do better this Summer. Striker should top the list, followed by B2B or AM, and winger. No need for more fullbacks and CB’s until we balance our attacking and midfield units.
Well said
100%
The amount of times I have seen the same people posting about Arteta not buying anyone and then on other posts saying he is awful at putting forward academy players !
Nwaneri has come thru and now MLS .. more to come so its a difficult balance to bring in new players that make a difference and also ensure a pathway for youngsters
Just imagine if Obi Martin had stayed. He would have been in the first team and a chance to cement a place with some goals
If we are getting Zubamendi as upgrade to Partey and a new sticker this month or Summer imagine how strong our team will be next season !
And ai hope we do get a striker because UCL could be very interesting
My question is why is Arsenal not considering Jonathan David of Lille? Dude obviously knows where the goal is and is a tenacious player with skills like G. Jesus and has pace too. Furthermore his contract is ending in the summer. Tempt Lille with an offer of $20m and they may sell this January. Sometimes I wonder what our scouting team actually does
It’s always next season though, isn’t it Neil. And if he doesn’t win the league title in 2025-6, what then? A statue? Somewhere down to he line he has to be held accountable. As a supporter I still dream, but reality check time tells me this season is shot and we have too many players in the squad who are there because of poor manager’s picks.