Arsenal v Man City – Who should start, Bellerin or Lichtsteiner?

The honest official match report.

1-1 is generally seen as an even contest on paper. But most games are far from that. Today in the first 20 mins Chelsea could of scored 3 goals.
Throughout the game they pressed high but where smart in so much as not going in to tackle but take up advance positions (unless the tackle was on). Out balls where difficult because the second set of pressing was set upon the inexperience mix of Guendouzi, Rowe and Eleny. It was old Arsenal at times who if you press high you shake them up. Sokratis, Mustafi, Bellerin and Kosasnic are a new block of back 4 and so time should be given of cause but bellerin has to kick on, mustafi needs to save his arsenal career, sokratis needs time to settle and our LB is still not got a no1.

The lack of cover to the back 4 has been the focal point for arsenal fans for many years now too. While Chelsea didn’t have Kante, there 4 in front of their defence sat meters from their defence while arsenals split on attack build up and offered too much space between the lines in defensive set up.
So seeing torriera and what balance he can add is going to be interesting.

In this particular game guendouzi played the quarter back and kept things moving but Chelsea where happy to let arsenal pass and move at times. Most of it had little end product. Ozil, Auba, Mhikt – who I feel is unai’s desired top 3 for the league, didn’t actually offered enough penetration. They have all played less then 10 games together so this will take time but the concern being Ozil and Mhikt are not going to high press for even 60 mins is a concern. It breaks down everything unai wants to do. Maybe in the league it starts but in reality, neither player has the energy level. So it’s why a wide pacey (Dembele type) player is desired. Until then arsenal will look to ball retention and control.

And ball retention and control is what arsenal gave the game after the shaky start. Many might indicate it as pro Wenger style of football and maybe so, but it’s what unai did at Seville well. It grows confidence in the players and team by having the ball, and being 1 nil down and the opponents missing a pen makes the need for just keeping the ball important.

But arsenal need more then that, and to unai credit he did what we haven’t been too use to, he tactically educated the players at half time. The players came out and offered more (as much as a friendly pre season allows them) and suddenly Chelsea didn’t have the solutions they worked with in the first half.

Laca is for me a top player. Not in the league of the very best but a player who knows how to score. If having a top 2 like the late 90s was in fashion, arsenal would arguably have the best 2 – but a balance in attack and defence is key and with Mhikt and Ozil wanting to come infield meant Auba was needing to link up and therefore coming deep and it all seemed to break down. It was only when energetic nelson and a runner in iwobi that Chelsea looked stretched and the goal came from width work.
In 90mins of football arsenal had more pocession and possibly equal amount of chances but there is, as expected much work still to do.
Unai, speaking English to his squad and staff is needed to be given time to not only communicate his philsophy but also to learn fully the language.
I ask you, go to Spain and teach a team to do something you want them to do in Spanish. We take for granted the reality of football. We just want to win and when we don’t we abuse.
The percentage of them on this site is as high as 70%, I can only imagine what match day is like When things go Pete Tong!!

The fact that Chelsea have more money and also therefore more better players means arsenals road to competing starts within London on a tuff playing field. I said it before, arsenal need to be top dogs of London first and that takes time.

For Chelsea, going off this game; Morata will be given every chance to get shots on goal, but his confidence is completely gone. Rudiger and David Luiz looked solid. Jorginho is going to be a wonder to watch this year.

For Arsenal, my concern is the high press isn’t yet implemented until you see the young chaps come on as subs. Unai will need to make a call on playing both Mhikt and Ozil even though both are excellently gifted footballers.
In attack, counter attack we seem to be deadly because Mhikt and Ozil can find Auba while following up to support him. In pocession and break down opponent play, we lack the knowledge to press and kill.

The game told us everything about nothing. Both teams are in reshape mould, all will be different in 1 month, 2 months..

For now, all this match report will tell you is, it was 1-1.

I think Bellerin will begin the season first choice and if he plays like he did last season then Lichsteiner will come in at some stage. But when we face huge pace on that wing I’d expect Bellerin to come back in unless Lichsteiner’s positioning nullifies the threat. Its a difficult one, Lichsteiner’s a household name but it would’ve been some purchase if he’d been only 29 or something.

Bellerin maybe great going forward but asa defender he has been found out not once
but in the big games as well. The Swiss defender lack of pace could be fatal especially in a one on one scenario. Then in that case there must a 2nd/3rd defender to back him.
I have been pleased with the defence to date . Sterner tests await.But I am pretty
confident the defence would perform better than under the fm.
The latter did not believe in defence and he would have played with 11 attackers if
he so desired.Such arrogance was bound to undo him and I believe if he had not
left on his own he would have been axed/