So tomorrow we are back at St Marys for Arsenal’s second clash with Southampton in three days, and we were very tamely despatched in the first meeting, although it must be said that Arteta chose a very weak line up for the FA cup.
So now Arteta needs to pick the squad up for Tuesday night’s crucial EPL fixture, and he is well aware that to come back so quickly is not going to be easy. He told Arsenal.com: “It’s always strange. I think nobody likes to play the same team twice in three days. It’s what it is so let’s review the game, try to lift the players up because that was a big disappointment for us, and be ready for another battle.”
The Gunners were hardly exciting on Saturday, and Arteta made a point of pointing out the things that his own team didn’t do very well, and also the reasons that Southampton made it hard for us. He said: “Very sad because we wanted to progress in the competition. Disappointed with the way we lost it and the way we conceded the goal but we know that we should not be doing that in that area of the pitch. Then when we had our moments and our chances, we didn’t hit the target. That is really complicated to go through.
“Sometimes because the opposition does well and forces you to make those errors. This is a really high-pressing team and you have to be really sharp and know really well what you have to do in every area. Then it’s about execution and it’s about the way you lose that ball, in which areas you lose it against these types of teams. It’s something that we have to be better at.”
We did have a lot of the possession especially in the second half, and he was asked why we didn’t convert that superiority into a win. “Because we missed the chances.” he continued. “You’re not going to have 10 or 12 chances against this team. They’re really organised, they make it hard for you. But when we have three or four, we didn’t hit the target. It could’ve been a different game if we did.”
Let’s hope that our fresher, more experienced side put away a few more chances tomorrow than they did on Saturday…
Leno
Cedric
Holding
Luiz
Tierney
Partey
Xhaka
ESR
AMN
Martinelli
Lacazette
AMN for Saka?
Good thing u’re not the coach
Ha ha
It’s called squad management 😉
Ha Ha? You think it funny to put out a weaker team than necessary? I doubt any other Gooner shares your warped sense of humour! AMN instead of SAKA is nonsense and it ypu think that is a laughing matter, then more fool you! And a silly winking emoji doesn’t let you off the hook either , sonny!
As Southampton fielded their first choice PL team (subject to availability) we should be fresher, fitter and have a point to prove – let’s see if we can get the win.
👍 Ken, it won’t be a good look, if the Arsenal players don’t stand up.
Ozzie, what is the coach there for if you keep pointing to the players. He is there to drop the underperforming players but he keeps playing them. Xhaka would would have 90% pass completion and 95% of that would be either back pass or sideways and he get picked in the next match and the next. From where I stand it shows he is ok with the way they play. Slow, lethargic, no urgency or desire to play to win. I watch every other team plays and other leagues and I have never seen any team make more back pass than our team and Arteta is doing nothing to. change that or bench the players that are letting him down according to you. How do we will win when we keep attacking our goal, how?
Mobella, I am not giving Arteta a free pass; he selected the team surely believing that they were good enough to win. On the result he was misguided, but Arteta isn’t on the field mistiming and misplacing passes, fluffing goal scoring opportunities, losing the ball etc. These guys are well paid professional footballers, who appear to have little personal or professional pride.
FORMATION 4-2-3-1 meaning LENO,CEDRIC,HOLDING,LUIZ,TIENEY, PARTEY,XARKA,SAKA,SMITH,MARTILLENI,LACAZETTE Predix ARSENAL 3-0 SOUTHAMPTON
I’ve been talking about Xhaka’s back passes but the media will always say that the guy has improved. Xhaka will never hus opponents by pressing in the midfield. Xhaka, Willian, and Pepe should be given a very long rest up until they change their mindset. Willian and Pepe wastes lots of free kicks
They should indeed be ” given a very long rest” not until they change their mindset, but until they change CLUBS! I want none of these useless threesome ever in our side again.
Lacazette.
Martinelli. Smith-Rowe. Saka.
Xhaka. Partey.
Tierney. Luiz. Holding. Cedric.
Leno.