Arsenal played the home leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Slavia Prague last night, but yet again we were let down by our strikers not being able to put the ball in the back of the net as usual.
But Arteta did change his forward line, but Saka, Smith-Rowe, Willian and Lacazette couldn’t muster one shot on target between them, and we only scored when Aubameyang, Martinelli and Pepe were brought on for the last ten minutes. Other than Pepe’s goal, the only other player with a shot on target in the whole game was Rob Holding!
So it was no surprise that Mikel Arteta had to face the press once again and rue the chances we missed that could have given us a healthy lead to take to Prague next week. “What was missing is that when you create big chances in Europe, you have to take them.” he told Arsenal.com. “I think we merited much more than the result that we got. When we made the most difficult thing, which was to score the first goal and just wait for the last four or five minutes and manage the game much better than we did, we failed to do that and then we gave them the opportunity in the corner and they scored the goal to tie the match and [put us] in a different position. Looking back to what happened on the pitch, it’s not what we expect.”
Yet again, we have been creating the chances but not finishing them, but Arteta refused to ccomplain about the players spirit. They were certainly better than they were against Liverpool at the weekend. “I think the players stepped in and have [given] absolutely everything. It’s a really difficult opponent to play against with the amount of individual duels and man-to-man situations they create and we managed that really well in certain moments. We were much more aggressive today, and ambitious to play the game we wanted to play and we created some big chances.”
But despite only drawing and giving away an away goal, Arteta is still confident we can go on and reach the semi finals by winning in Prague next week. “I totally believe we can go there and win the match, or I wouldn’t be sitting here. The mindset has to be to go there and score goals and win the game, because we need to score if we want to go through.”
Let’s all hope that Arteta has all his forwards taking shooting practise all week before the next leg, they should get a few chances against Sheffield United at the weekend.
We could certainly do with a boost to our confidence right now…
A clean sheet is always important.. now that that’s out of the way. There’s no doubting we can still qualify, but we’ll need an early goal.
Onwards, looking forward to next Thursday.
BTW Is Xhaka had played half as terrible as Partey did last night.
Y’all would’ve come at him in every article
You never see anything bad that Arteta do, all you keep doing is blaming the players, if not aubamayang it will be Lacazette or Ceballos or Partey. We are all arsenal fans and we want our team to do well but this your obsession with Arteta is starting to look like some of the fans obsession with ozil where everyone has to be blamed except ozil. I’m not really a football experts like some fans on here, but I can mention at least 3 mistakes the coach made yesterday, and the sad thing is that yesterday was not the first time he will be making such mistakes but he never seem to learn from it.
A very valid point you make too Lenohappy
The minimum of three mistakes that you can rightly think of don’t take into account the absolutely disgraceful end product. At least 2 of those goals were easier to score than miss. Would we be having this conversation if they had gone in? It might not have been pretty but I’m sure we’d have won
Oh SueP I’d like to see his response please be as they love deflecting all of the blame onto the manager.
He’s ready to be three mistakes the manager made but would leave out shít tons of mistakes and errors the players made.
Like you said, would this be a discussion if the players had put away the clear cut chances they had?
and thats the problem “it might not have been pretty but I’m sure we’d have won” in the worst wenger times we would have probably scored like 4-5 goals against slavia and thats on the manager, we didnt have that many clear cut chances as GAI portrays and we arteta critics dont exempt players from any critics but thats exactly what eddie does (you dont do it you are pretty sensible) eddie only criticizes the players and worships arteta while he shifts the blame onto us who criticize both the team and the manager
oh just stop with your blind worshipping, arteta critics arent just blaming arteta for everything many of them criticize the players rightfully too while you are the one who adores and is in love with a mediocre arteta
We need to get rid for ma and half of the team keep the young guys get rid of the old ones
It is clear Thomas Party is a quality player who is f*****d by Arteta’s lack of skill, experience and player trust. Only Arteta can turn him from a top player into a poor player. It’s……..ARTETA!!!! P45 please.
Sean come to think of it, how can a top quality player like Partey who was one of the best DM in the world for the past 4 years suddenly become an average player, how can aubamayang who was 2 times top scorer suddenly become a bad player, Saka has been carrying this team for months and needed rest but this our genius coach didn’t see that, Man utd has been using Henderson as there first choice for like 2months now but Arteta is too scared of using Ryan in the europa cup, whats the essence of loaning him then, Leno Make the same mistakes over and over again but he has never been dropped, what kind of message is he passing to the rest of the team.
Even though I don’t agree with most of your point defending Arteta, I agree with your point on Xhaka.
I have come to realise that, nobody is better than Xhaka in his position at Arsenal and I would blame him till we find a better replacement.
But for now, nobody is worthy of his position.
With Partey’s performance last night, Xhaka would have been beaten and crucified.
About the chances created, every fan knew we will always lose some chances and I especially knew Laca would lose that goal.
Though not trying to define Laca, but the Laca chance was not about Arteta’s way of playing but is all on Laca.
Our overall play against SP is so poor, if we continue to play like this, I’m sorry something must give way.
Have seen Messi and Ronaldo loses 3 chances in a match but still win bcuz there team create chances upon chances.
Do you know how many chances Auba squandered in Dortmund? But he still scores so many goals bcuz Dortmund creates so many chances.
Adebayor wasn’t prolific than Auba but he scores more than Auba in a single season in Arsenal 24 against Auba’s 22. You know why, cos Adebayor got enough chances upon chances in a single match.
And Suep
You always complain about coaches like Julian Nagelsmann that he can’t do anything cos he never win a single trophy.
I want to ask you this…
Does Sarri win a trophy before he managed Chelsea? Chelsea wasn’t in CL but he came and brought them back and won the Europa.
Does Pochettino win a trophy before he turn Tottenham to a force?(except is last season)
So because Arteta won a trophy, we should persist with him.
Then we can as well sack him and hire Roberto Di Matteo cos he has better CV than Arteta.
Take it or leave it, most Arsenal fan were happy Arteta was made manager even most will be happy if it was Freddie but the thing is, when you don’t perform and is obvious your style of play is not recognized(I’m not talking about a fine game here and there cos Emery has a better one than Arteta) then I think is time to go.
How many youth has he given a chance? You can’t credit him for Saka and ESR.
Talk about him been strict?
Laca(3goals in 3 games) got benched
Pepe(getting into form) got benched
Holding (playing well) got benched (now we want him to perform straight away bcuz Luiz got injured after 10games without playing.
Martinelli not use
Balogun (perform in little cameo) not use again. If Emery did that to Saka, I believe he won’t be here now.
Now compare Arteta to those you said, doesn’t win a trophy but know how to play youths to get results.
And if you don’t know anything about Julian Nagelsmann, I will glady tell you.
He was injured as a 20years old CB and he turned scout even if it was unofficial scout, he was still a scout, which means he has eyes for good talented players.
And to top it off, he was the youngest permanent manager in Bundesliga history at age 28 and led Hoffenheim to their first-ever Champions League berth in 2017.
Leipzig were not this recognise till he got the job and look at them now.
So that he never won a trophy doesn’t mean he never make history for himself and if he had manage big club, I believe he would have won 1 exactly like Sarri before he won a trophy.
Even Roberto Martinez won FA CUP with Wigan, so Arteta doing it is not special.
And moreso, if we have to credit Arteta for using Emery dross players to win the FA cup, then we have to critise Arteta for adding his own 7players to the dross and failing miserably.(adding Xhaka cos he stop him from leaving, Elneny cos he retain him, Ceballos cos he loaned him back, Nketiah cos he allowed him to stay, Luiz(the better one among them) cos he signed him to another contract) That is 12 players of his chosen, so why don’t he perform than when he uses Emery dross?
Anyway, I will give him my support till he leaves, cos I don’t have any say in the board even if I want him to stay or leave.
Sorry for the long message.
The reply is for…
SueP and Eddie
Bobs,
I have only ever mentioned Nagelsmann twice. – hardly a habit – and I have absolutely nothing against him whatsover. There is nothing wrong in mentioning that he hasn’t won anything because he hasn’t yet. Thanks for the resume which I have actually read on Wikipedia and I do admire his achievements so far. Poch, I think is a fine manager, but he hasn’t won anything either yet and got the boot from Spurs. How long did Sarri last at Chelsea? It seems that most owners want their managers to win things.
I have supported Arteta from the start, but do not do so blindly even though you probably think so. I have tried to look at the club as a whole before making a judgement on him. It is a bit like an iceberg where we can only see what sticks out of the water without knowing what is going on underneath.
I hope I have at least given you a reasonable assessment of how I see it.
How long did Sarri last at Chelsea? It seems that most owners want their managers to win things
For your information, Sarri was not sack, he willingly left cos he wanted to manage Juventus.
And if most owner want there managers to win things, then Arteta should be sack if we fail to win EL.
Atleast there are many manager sacked in there 2nd season after not performing well.
Raineri
Van Gaal
Mourinho
Pellegrino
Conte
Many coaches that are more experienced than Arteta and yet they were sacked in there 2nd season.
So Arteta should be sacked if we don’t win the EL, don’t you agree?
Hi Bobs
You raise fair points
Leicester after winning the league with an ambitious owner wanted more of the same
The others you mentioned also fell to ambitious owners, Mourinho twice with Chelsea and Utd. I presume you refer to Pellegrino at West Ham which is the only one on your list that differs – although I wouldn’t describe Gold and Sullivan as un ambitious just not as wealthy enough.
AW had been at the helm for so long that the after shock of Emery losing the dressing room in his second year forced the club to act.
I do not support Arteta unconditionally although I call for patience. The club has taken the decision to employ a totally inexperienced manager and on that basis they will continue with him unless results dip further. The hierarchy didn’t go for a big name so these are the consequences as Arteta is a man learning as he goes along
I presume you refer to Pellegrino at West Ham which is the only one on your list that differs
I’m talking about Pellegrini at Man City who was sacked the season after he took Man City to there first ever Semi-Final in CL.
The club has taken the decision to employ a totally inexperienced manager and on that basis they will continue with him unless results dip further
If you don’t call this season result been dip further down, then I don’t know what it is.
So you want us fighting for relegation before you know is dip further down?
We are only 10 points to Brighton in 16th and 16 points to relegation.
I wonder which further down you need more.
The hierarchy didn’t go for a big name so these are the consequences as Arteta is a man learning as he goes along
You’re right on this but the hierarchy will never know it will be worse like this same as we Fans cos I believe no Fans will ever believe we will be in this situation with Arteta when he was appointed.
They made that mistake, which it can still be corrected after this season IF Arteta never redeem himself with the Europa.
Though if not sacked even if we lost Europa, I will continue to support him cos there is nothing I can do about it.