Arteta pleased with the energy but disappointed with the Chelsea defeat

Mikel Arteta watched Arsenal completely control Chelsea in the first half yesterday and Frank Lampard’s team looked punch drunk and on the ropes the longer the first half went on.

But the Gunners simply couldn’t continue at the same pace in the second half and allowed the Blues to come back into the game and ultimately claim all three points in the last ten minutes. Our new coach was a bit critical of our decision-making on the pitch as we tried to hold on to our lead.

Arteta told Arsenal.com after the game: “I’m really disappointed with the result and the way we conceded the goals, and the timing of them as well. I’m pleased with a lot of things that I’ve seen. I’m pleased with a lot of things we worked on in training that actually happened in the game, and how they bought into this. But I’m disappointed to lose the game obviously. We had to sustain that level for longer periods against a very, very physical team like Chelsea. We have to move on.

“I don’t think [it’s a lack of concentration]. We’re 1-0 up, pretty comfortable even if we were defending much deeper than I like. I cannot think about any clear chances for Chelsea before that. The decision-making happens and it will happen again for sure, but when it happens against this type of opposition you get punished.”

To be fair to the players, they were magnificent in the first half and the mentality has improved drastically, but of course our recent habit of throwing away leads when in control must have been laying on their minds.

There were, as usual, the contentious decisions from the ref and VAR, but Arteta refused to use that as an excuse. In fact when asked directly if he blamed the players or the referee, he replied: “I blame my team. We are responsible for everything we did wrong on that football pitch. The decisions we didn’t get right, obviously. The other things we cannot control or change them now.”

It was a cruel end to a great game for Arsenal fans, and our appalling record of one win in 15 games is not going to give us much hope for the New Year- We will just have to have hope for Man United’s upcoming visit, but at least there were many positive things on the pitch yesterday..

Admin Pat

12 Comments

    1. Don’t you think this is due to the pedestrian football played under Emery? The team played at snails pace then. Yesterday they played with high energy and I hope the have enough time to recover before ManU game
      COYG

  1. We should have controlled the game better in the second half. We allowed chelsea to dominate and paid the pre. Anyway great mentality from the players after a long time. Hope we have better days to follow.

  2. In my view it was a much better performance from us, but once Jorginho came on, they were the better team. We need 3 or 4 points from the next 2 games to ease the pressure and build a little confidence.

  3. For all the talk of player selection, formation, energy, focus and tactics
    so much comes down to individual player quality and decision making.
    Both goals were conceded by the central defenders as usual.
    Leno’s individual error changed the whole game.
    The second goal was CB Mustafi failing to shut down Abraham on half way then again
    in the area allowing the striker to turn and shoot on his strong right foot.
    The club has wanted Mustafi gone for a while but as Gary Neville said the club is not yet
    ready to take a financial hit to replace Mustafi nor Ozil nor Mkhi for that matter.
    Saliba was bought on tick and had to be loaned back.
    The one silver lining is that another of the weak central defenders Xhaka
    wants out opening the way for the quality DM fans have craved for a decade.
    Just let Arteta go get the player he wants. Sanllehi and Venkatsham stay out of it.

  4. I knew it was only a matter of time for Arsenal to concede with Mustaphi coming in to replace Cham I have seen that game before.. remember our preseason game against Barcelona?! Not blaming Mustaphi for the loss but for being on the team.. He had a good game in my opinion but his presence is not doing Arsenal any favors.. I remember the moment he got on the field the Chelsea players started pressing high because they knew he could break easily.. football is a mental game if I believe you have a weak link I will be pumped to get one and that is how Chelsea’s confidence came back.. having said that good game Arsenal.. the team lost but I am not worried about that.. I have seen enough to trust Mikel to take us into the new era.. I only hope he can get the support of the board to bring in his own players because he has made me fall in love with football again.. who else thinks if Xhaka had played we would have won the game? lol never thought would ever say that.. anyways in MA I trust!!! Coyg!!!

  5. This tells you were wecsand with Arteta, draw and lose a game but sees progress and satisfied; not with result tho. Makes no sense but worrying, scary for our future!

    He is gonna lose next game and will see progress from 12th to 15th spot on table then. Lose next one at Palace; we will indeed progress to 18th spot then!

    Wenger and Sir Alex are two monsters in EPL history, representing each club forever, can’t be replace as easy, takes a long transition with him around and patience to allow it.

    To see Sir Alex in every games with Man U brings so much; keeps club spirit & legacy alive and great support for manager in place.

    They are turning that Sir Alex page as supposed to, with a transition he is fully involved as in coach choice!

    We have no more Prof around, no more image and football nor spirit and pride he was putting into players! No more management at all, a sinking ship with no Captain he was as sir Alex still is, they feel stronger and obliged to fight as he watches!

    We lost our value and that great ora is drifting away, we are completely lost in every ways!

    To have a coach who sees progress losing games and falling off table makes it pure logic, we should keep it same, for same result!

    Until we do not have a top CB, we must play 4-1 with Luiz infront of CBs, makes it 3 instead of 2, for now to make up for a top CB needed!

    He always runs and play forward; allows other midfileds to focus in attacking. Or we have 2 players playing DM, defending as they can all game long, all team ends up doing so, playing backwards as we do most games…

    This is no progress at all but laim excuses highlighting how much we are in danger with such a coach.

    It is nothing better than Emery since sacked but worst, we can’t win one in 16th games!

    Anyone here truelly believe we can beat MU with such football? They found their team and flow, playing a great football, attacking with incredible speed and great defending!

    They are better than Chelsea by far, that is progress indeed and from latest game, it is only team I can see beat Reds, as Spurs can in a good day!

    We are victim of Kroenke ruling and cheapness; instead to bring a top coach to help stabilized our ship, he brought Emery, fired him only because stadium was empty, whch means no money.

    Got Eddie to bring us back in stadium and in spirit with a club player. Still no plan at all, another trick with Arteta to have us hoping and mainly in stadium.

    Mourinho is 3 times more expensive than Arteta, Ancelloti more than twice! Precisely type of top manager with experience we needed!

    Both available, we went for cheap assistant coach with no experience as a manager! He doesn’t know what he’s doing at all, guessing! Or that 4-1 back formation would be in effect for past 3 games he had a say on formation.

    Results shows progress, not BS excuses losing! We in deep trouble and it is boomerang of Kroenke coming back to knock him in the head each time he plays tricks on us!

    That Pepe deal and past window tricks back at him; we never spent 120M on Pepe Tierny and Saliba; but 30 upfront on Pepe, 10 for Saliba and Tierny each in a payment plan!

    The initial budget of 45M was not exceeded, but less considering sales of Kos and other players!

    Emery asked for Zaha, Maguire and Partey, but all required all money upfront! 60M were securing Zaha, cheaper than Pepe, way better deal in every way, no need to adapt!

    Look at Pepe, a total flop, useless, Tierny injured and Saliba fighting for CL football in France! That’s boomerang of vicious greedy Kroenke back at him!

    The only way to save Arsenal is get rid of this low life greedy owner who only cares for us to be in stadium to make profits.

    Minute we not in stadium, he reacts and fires Emery, makes sure we back, he makes cash!

    Therefore, we must not go to stadium and few ones there must put a sign, Kroenke out!

    3 games will ruin his business and force him to sell to someone who cares for football and respects this club! Put the money we bring into a top coach, top CBs and reinforce team where needed, as everyone else does but us!

    If anyone think we can beat Man U and palace home with same losing formation in progress, you will still see us progress to 15th then 18th spot!

    Meanwhile, Spurs got a top coach, passed us by, same for Everton infront of us now!

    1. Arsenal has a grueling schedule upcoming.
      Man U (H)
      Leeds U (H) FA Cup.
      Palace (A)
      Sheffield U (H)
      Chelsea (A)
      Burnley (A)
      FA Cup 4th .
      Newcastle (H)
      Olympiacos (A)
      Everton (H)
      Olympiacos (H)
      Man City (A)
      By the 2nd of March we will have a much better idea about the “progress’ of this team.
      3rd or 13th, alive in the cups or not, progressing or not…
      Lots to look forward to these next 12 games as well as the transfer window
      I am calling a home win v Man U already.

    2. You can have your opinion but please dont talk about money and how football clubs including Arsenal buy players, you dont know what you are talking about and you dont understand finance. Stick to opinion, the way clubs buy players is not our business.

    3. @Mogunna you talk complete sense! There is no progress going from 8 to 12 and possibly further down in a week! This club is shot to pieces and these fickle fans will cry one day when its all over! I wish Arteta all the best but he was clearly outclassed by Lampard for 60 mins of the game with no answer in return!

  6. What can we expect Arteta, or any other manager for that matter, to be able to change in 7-8 days? Not much I would say..
    I agree there are small signs of improvement, and that is good.
    Whether it is a sustainable curve of improvement or just a short term surge of inspiration/energy remains to be seen.

  7. Hi,
    We are seeing good sign of improvement from the overall performance of the team with the arrival of Mikel Arteta so we need some patients.

    Arteta need to be given some cash to reinforce the central defense.

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