Arsenal travelled across London yesterday to play Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham side hoping to turn the form book on its head against our biggest rivals.
But there was nothing to cheer about as Kane and Son both got on the scoresheet again, and Spurs were very comfortable at half-time with a two-goal cushion.
In typical Jose fashion, he was happy to defend the lead in the second half knowing that the Arsenal front line are having serious problems with scoring lately. The stats show that Arsenal had much more possession and attacking plays, but yet again the Gunners failed to put the ball in the net.
After the game Arteta decided to praise his team’s attitude, but with no end product we still came away with nothing. Arteta told Arsenal.com: “In terms of the performance they did everything that I asked them to do, absolutely everything. We played a way that I believe we had to play this game. You look at all our stats, they were in our favour, but at the end of the day it is about putting the ball in the box.
“The first situation they had, from 30 yards they put it in the top corner. You have to applaud it. The second one, Thomas has to come off, we can not fill the gap that he should be in and we get done. Just before we had an open situation to score a goal as well. After that, in this moment, normally the team will fall.
“And the team got better after the first one, the team got better after the second one. They tried to generate situations. We had chances. We generated probably more than ever this season, put the ball in the box more than ever, we had numbers there but at the end of the day you have to score the goals.
“When they had half chances they scored and at the moment we haven’t. So to build something you need results. I take a lot of positives from the way we played. When you come here in this moment and play with a personality, and courage, and passion, the energy, the belief that the boys showed, but at the end it’s a football match. You have to win it and we lost again today.”
Not only did we lose and drop to 15th place in the table, but Tottenham’s win put them back on the summit of the League again. I know it’s early days but it doesn’t feel good to be 11 points behind our rivals after 11 games played..
Not a good day to be a Gooner…
If he’s happy, then he doesn’t know what he’s been employed to do. The guy should be shown an exit door
He is dumb , no brain nor sense. Happily buried at 15th spot, with passion too!
Having all the possession doesn’t win you games!!
Their gameplan was executed perfectly.. and you could see exactly what it meant to Maureen at the final whistle!
Talk about a bitter pill to swallow….
I think every single fan, of all the teams, in all the leagues, Maureen has managed in, knows that this game plan is his bread and butter! The fact that we played right into it is quite embarrassing actually.
The trend I’m seeing is the higher our possession the worse our results tend to be.
Exactly! Somebody forgot to do their homework….
And those comments from Maureen congratulating us made me want to vomit..
Exactly Sue!!!!! It shows how far we have fallen, if even he isn’t having a dig at us….a level of pity I never wanted to see!
No surprise coming from a manager who has no clue.
The spectre of relegation hangs over us like the sword of Damocles. Yes I am being rather dramatic but fear breeds fear and Aubamayang looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Perhaps he needs to be benched for his own good but until Martinelli is fully fit, I cannot see who can replace him. Some wag on here yesterday suggested Balogun as he’s taller than Nketiah, but in fact he’s 2cm shorter. It was pointless putting in loads of high crosses to our team of midgets unless you are counting on the percentage factor. The crosses were not varied enough and were speculative rather than targeted. We played into totts hands yesterday, we didn’t gain possession, they gave us the ball as they knew we had no plan B, C or D. We have been found out and things need to change quickly with our next four games being Burnley, Southampton, Everton and Chelsea. Even Burnley at home next week seems a daunting task.
I agree about the crosses, Declan. It’s desperation football in a way. It’s like feeding a hungry fire with more and more wood. Only for it to burn as soon as it goes in the fire. Our crosses are useless and yet it seems like the only option we have. Because playing through any defense seems to be futile. No ideas. No dynamics. No invention. No movement. No clue. No hope!
This team looks devoid of passion, spirit or leadership. No direction. Not sure what the answers are but there are deep underlying issues at the club that are destroying its very soul!
That shows exactly where we are -dreading a home game against Burnley!! Sheesh!
I agree, GunneRay, where is the passion? Half – maybe more? – of the team look ghosts of their former selves… why?
After lifting the fa cup, if you’d said 4 months down the line you’ll be 15th (!) with just 10 (!) goals, I’d have laughed in your face!!!
our fault is not who is taller,shorter,wing play,crossing,or passing. its the way it’s done. no intricacies,no zip on the passes. no quick movement off the ball or with the ball. everything is so slow. so pedestrinian. arteta is a yawn. I can read him like a book. just imagine the top managers. they read his play without breaking a sweat.
If I bring 4 mates, you bring 4 mates and we play 5 a side football. Then That is exactly what I expect to happen.
Unfortunately if you ask Mourinho the same question it means il sit in and not play until you play then pick you off.
I understand why the big minds of world football talk about responsibility of playing the game in the right way. The alternative is this. The true Spurs fans will be humble because they know this is shitte.
Yes we have seen it for years now, yes it gets wins and victories But I condemn it.
Why?
It’s not how I want to enjoy football. I want to see my club progress. What comes beyond this style? Nothing. It’s why mourinho doesnt last wherever he goes…
I applaud the youngest manager in the league for getting it wrong the way he did.
Arsenal need personal, arsenal had 2 wingers – one at the start of his career and the other at the end of his against 2 established EPL top 5 forwards and so, we have some way to go But I will not discredit Mikel for wanting to play positive football. I will only if lessons are not learnt.
I will take short term pain for the long term gain If it means he will turn around the clubs fortunes.
It’s a big IF, but il rather that then sit top of the league playing defence for 75mins each game.
Completely understand what you’re saying Tom but history will not reflect on how games were won. History will reflect the success and score lines. If (god forbid) the spuds went on to win the EPL (possible), then a trophy and the bragging rights are theirs. Under George Graham Arsenal were know as boring. We defended and settled with 1-0 every game. It’s up to Mourinho how he plays. Maybe we should have settles for a draw and done the same?
GunnerRay It’s a bit of a catch 22, I agree with both of you. You want to win the league and look good doing it but if you had to chose I’m sure 99% of fans would take the winning of the league over good looking football.
Personally I’d rather watch good football by my team on a weekly basis and make UCL than watch boring football and win, but that’s just my personal preference.
I just don’t want to even watch football any more…I miss the football played by all teams from 1998 – 2005 era, man that stuff was great to watch.
We had great football and victories in Wenger’s early years. We had quality players then though with a manager who was ahead of the rest. Those days are gone and modern football has changed. Only a few teams can do it. You have to spend to donit and you need the manager and staff to bring it together..
bunch of rubbish. tell me how much title Mourinho have win? nobody remembers how you play they remember that you won at the end of the day. if you ain’t first dude, you are hardly remembered.
Do u really think we are playing positive football? I’m no getting fun watchimatching arsenal, even when de were winning matches
Morning my fellow Gooners! I was feeling a little more relaxed this morning. Reading this article though does make my blood pressure raise a little again though..
Firstly, Arteta says: “In terms of the performance they did everything that I asked them to do”. What was that exactly? If it was to play the exact same way we play every game then I guess it’s job done!
Secondly, when Arteta says: “When they had half chances they scored”? They were NOT half chances. They were tactical goals scored on the counter against a team who did NOT have the intelligence to realize the usual Mourinho game plan!
I am fully willing to back MA until January. He deserves that at least. But if we are further away from top six than we are now I believe the club will have to be prepared to make some tough decisions! I’m not sure if it’s right to put MA in this position in the first place as a rookie so-to-speak. But this club is too big to be fighting against teams at the bottom of the table! Now I just feel bad again. Might go back to bed 🙁
I’m done with arteta, I decided not to comment yesterday because my comments might upset some people. Like I said few weeks ago, bring Harry Kane Lewandoski and Aguero to this team they will not score goals, why because arteta is too scared to play attacking football. I’m not saying we could have won that match but we could have gotten at least a draw, play Saka in the wings stop using him as a wingback, the boy is wasted in defense. We have a team capable of challenging for top4 and the Europa cup but with arteta I really don’t know anymore. And Leno like have been saying all season, he’s an average keeper, he should have saved that first goal, I mean what is he doing in that position, the boy need to be benched or talk to.
Haha ,I knew you would stick Lenos name in there somewhere .
Let my guess Martinez would have caught that ball with his teeth
Haha ,I knew you would stick Lenos name in there somewhere .
Let my guess Martinez would have caught that ball with his teeth
Dan Kit seriously bro it’s pointless arguing with you, if you think Leno shouldn’t have done better then we maybe we watched different match.
The only 4 peopl on here who said he could have done better are the usual Martinez was better crowd
From an EX pro keeper, it wasn’t Leno’s fault, even if he was on his toes, he wouldnt have got there. it was bad defending, Son wasn’t closed down fast enough
To add to our woes, we now need a top goalie. To bed with the Leno/Emi debate, it is done, Emi walked out, Leno gets exposed time and again. Just not good enough. Runar, the lad has dreams of being no1, nice to have dreams but when you were the no2 of a relegation oriented team, then that is a very big dream if someone still thinks we are a big club. The only consolation is that he is much better than Joe Hart!
Time and again I get mocked for stating that Bellerin/Soares, Mustafi, Socrates/Luiz, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Cabellos/Elneny, Ozil, Laca, Willian, Pepe are not top 4 club players (except for their wages)
I no longer expect anything from these guys, finishing 17th would be like a top 4 trophy, now renamed as “top 17th trophy”. Blame the owner for not setting goals for the club, the messed up board / executives who agree unwanted/useless players (from what the manager / coach actually wants), uninterested players and the list goes on.
After this fiasco, then Emery was not at fault either. He just missed by a whisker UCL and the EL final with the rubbish that he had.
A sad and curious case of Arteta sticking with Bellerin, Xhaka, Cabellos, Willian, Laca.
A win against Burnely is a possibility, but as Xhaka was scared of Watford last year, he must be twice scared of Burnley, poor fella! S’ton, Everton 50% chance and CFC, 0 chance of a point. But as Keane mentioned, we have a good chance of staying up, so relax fellow gunners.
Don’t you waffle on
DAN KIT, whereas no one accuse your “four word masterpiece in brevity” of waffle, eh? Even though his long post made several points, from his own point of view, and yours said nothing at all of import!
Don’t you waffle on aswell
Loose Cannon Leno has always been an average keeper, it’s not a coincidence that ever since he came back from injury our defense starts conceding goals again, stoping shots alone is not a keeper job you should know how to organize your defense, soon we realized this the better, you can have all the reflexes in this world but if you are poor at organizing your defense, then you are a poor keeper.
The squad has no balance. You cannot have Bellerin and Willian on the same side as they are both looking to be wingers and leave a lot of space behind them, no wonder we conceded from that side twice. On the other side Tierney and Saka support each other and track back so we had no issues on the left side of the field.
For me Ainsley Maitlaind Niles should play on the right with Reiss Nelson with him as they will both track back and support each other like Saka and Tierney. I think that the manager needs to settle on his midfield once and for all. One week is Xhaka then Elneny then Ceballos is in and the next week he is on the bench. For me, this season should now be about staying up and attacking all 3 cup competitions we are in. Next year all the youngsters and 4 experienced pros with them. Amazed AMN cannot get a game on the right side.
Echoes of Arsene Wenger repeatedly moaning that the opposition wouldn’t play the kind of open football that would have suited Arsenal on some of these posts. Arsenal have been in slow decline for a long time now. Changing managers isn’t going to change anything while the people running the club are incompetent. It’s not so much that Mourinho is a better manager than Arteta, its more that Daniel Levy has a much more professional approach to running a football club than the people in charge at Arsenal. The manager can only work with the players he is given.
When news broke of MA being considered as our new manager I was extremely optimistic about it and thought that he would do very well, but it would take time for him to achieve great things for our beloved club.
He had a BIG job to do with how we were playing at that time and he performed above expectations, he made us more compact in defending as a team, from the front to the back we were a pressing with purpose, we counter attacked teams like we were a team possessed.
Everyone was on the same page and we managed to beat some big teams on our way to lifting the FA cup and the CS.
Then came some rather odd decisions, not registering a few players like Ozil and Saliba, yes i can understand that Ozil isnt the player he once was for whatever reasons but not having an option like him when we are up against it was odd.
Then Saliba, yes I get that he has had problem with losing both parents and moving to the UK but not giving him a chance to play at all, to improve and give him confidence again was an odd choice, especially considering the quality of teams in our UEL group, another odd decision imo.
Now we are 15th on the league, 10 goals scored.
Everything MA seemed to improve has diminished beyond belief, I really do feel that he has lost the plot and hasnt got any answers to move the club forward.
Now for me playing TP from the start yesterday was a big mistake and now we probably will lose him for the Xmas period as it really dont look good imo. MA blaming him for the 2nd goal was retarded, it’s MA’s fault as TP shouldnt have been on the pitch to begin with.
If we lose to Burnley, for me MA is done, I cant watch this shite anymore.
I wouldn’t mind too much if we played great football and lost, but we play like Stoke City not Man City!
On the nail, Val!
I still think MA needs until the end of Jan. By then we will know and he will have had time.
I think if this form continues, end of Jan will be too late, especially when you consider that he may be given a new signing or two, if a new manager were to come in then, he wont be able to get anyone in that he wants.
Guys relax.
That’s all I can say.
Breathe in and breathe out…
This is the best time to learn to support…
We could be better and we will.
Sorry to those that this comment offends.
true. gunners forever. I support arsenal win lose or draw.
Sorry MA but you can’t be happy when our team is losing
Exactly and especially to that lot….
Sorry Arteta we were all behind you, but it is clear you are too inexperienced. Also Pep’s methods are Pep’s methods and will not clone to Arsenal. It’s fake football. Your attitude to Guendouzi, Ozil, Saliba, Torreira and Socratis is akin to ‘self-harm’. Enbarassing and unfair to those players. The players are not happy and more confused than under Emery. ‘A change is as good as a rest’ goes the old saying. Arteta you must leave, you are just the wrong manager for this Big, Great, club. We are not an Arteta side we are ARSENAL.