All Arsenal players and fans were more than aware before the game that nothing less than a win against Burnley would do, with the Gunners dropping down the table rapidly.
But alas, we somehow managed to lose to Burnley at home for the first time in 46 years, and to be honest it wasn’t a big surprise. We also suffered our 4th defeat in a row at home, which is the first time that has happened since 1959. That, coincidently, was the year I was born, and I am now 61!
But after the game, Mikel Arteta tried to find some positives, stressing that we were by far the better team and totally dominated Sean Dyche’s relegation battlers. Our boss told Arsenal.com after the game: “It’s another really disappointing defeat because of the way we performed, the way we completely dominated the game, the chances we generated,”
“They had zero shots on target but instead we lose the game. Obviously the red card changes the game completely. Still, we have to defend the set-piece better and we had some really good moments still with 10 men.
“As you could see, you could not fault what the players are trying to do and how much they are willing. And probably it’s that they are too willing that Granit did what he did. I’m extremely disappointed obviously.
“Burnley made us pay. It’s our mistake. In the Premier League, you have to win the game. It’s not a question, it’s not a doubt. You have to go and win the game. That’s it.”
Can anyone remember when we last dominated and actually won the game? At my age my memory doesn’t go back that far any more. And as for remembering the last time Aubameyang scored…
I’m starting to think MA is deluded, I’m really baffled by some of his comments we can’t have been watching the same games!
siamois, Was Arsene Wenger any different?
MA is not going to publicly name individuals and slate the team. He will know all there is to know.
I’m not asking him to slate players publicly but come on man every time we lose he comes up with excuses, red cards.. We were playing well until then.. We created “chances” that’s what he calls crosses what about 2 weeks ago “it’s pure maths if we keep putting crosses in we will score..” 150 crosses later still no goals what the heck man?
It’s all he can say – to just focus on the positives. Game after game I’ve been hoping for a response. Nothing, ziltch.
So next 5 games are: Soto, Everton, Man City (EFL), Chelsea and Brighton. With Brighton just 3 points beneath us, they would probably want to create a record of beating us.
Our only chance is probably with Man City because it’s a cup game. Arteta has yet to lose a cup competition right? hmm.
There’s always a first time.
Pundits like Owen and Deeney will be more than happy about their predictions!
At first, i believes in Arteta’s project but for now all that i can say is that, enough is enough.He have to be shown the exit door.And if care is not taking Arsenal will be relegated this season under the poor leadership of Arteta.
I agree that we were on top against Burnley but it’s Burnley. No disrespect to Burnley but Arsenal should be ripping lower teams apart. But now there isn’t very many more teams below us to beat. Southampton up next and they are flying. We better get on our knees now and pray for deliverance as it is looking bleak!!!
Our system of play is so predictable, teams just push up on us “playing out from the back” and force mistakes with the clowns WE have on the pitch.
Xhaka should not have a chance to wear the Arsenal shirt again after his antics over the last few years. OTF!!!!!!! .
I didn’t watch his interview but if that’s all arteta said about Xhaka then arteta is an hypocrite, when Pepe got his red card he said he was disappointed in him and he called him out publicly. I really don’t know what’s happening to my beloved arsenal again, yesterday we could have scored 5 goals, aubamayang had 2 shots on target, Lacazette had 1 minus the one one one he fumbled with, Saka shot was saved, Ceballos shot was cleared off the line, what I think is missing in the players right now is confidence, I’m not yet in support of those saying we should sack the coach yet, I really believe based on yesterday performance before the Xhaka red card that he can still turn this around.
Well during his post match interview MA called out Mo Elneny!
Yeah, this baffled me. Why did he called out MO? Anyone knows?
Good question! Why?
Maybe after his public criticism of Pepe, he realized he was too hard on him and vowed not to repeat same, he already has enough problems with the players and everyone, he need no add to his worries,
if the players are as dedicated as in yesterday match, I wouldnt want the process stop, because we played with purpose but we’re let down but wasteful attackers. anyone who thinks we didn’t play well because we are not playing wenger ball is deluded and still in 2016.
Everyone should wake up and realize we don’t have Fab, rosicky, cazola, Wilshire, anymore, so now we have to make do with what we have, Liverpool didn’t play tikitaka to win UCL and epl
I always believed that Xhaka was the love child of Emery. But now it’s obvious to see that Xhaka is indeed the love child of Emery and MA! 🤣🤣🤣
I think you made a fair point about confidence. I’m not for sacking Arteta either but he really will have to do something pretty quick. Southampton dragged themselves off the bottom after the Leicester loss and the team need to pull together and start believing.
SueP I’m not asking for MA to be sacked but for him to ring the changes how much longer is he going to stick with the same underperforming players? What about the younger players? What is gonna take for them to get a proper shot?Sadly this is going to be MA downfall he is keeps going on about the process and building for the future of but his actions are telling a different story!
I do understand Siamois
I had hoped to see a couple of different faces too.
I think he should rather tell his players to be more clinical and apply urgency to their game, since it seems someone will have brain fart in the second half, why not score as many goals as possible in the first half.
Before the red card, Burnley had zero corner, zero shot on target, we’re completely dominated, the scene played out similar to Leeds game and MA need to address undisciplined in the team, that’s pure stupidity especially when your team is playing well
Xhaka was never supposed to wear the shirt again after last years antics. But he did and this is how he repays it. In 4 years he has not grown one bit as footballer nor as a human. He is not fit to wear the shit and yet the managers keep on playing him. Is he a “good guy” personally? That’s probably why he gets picked.
Arteta is way over his head. This project has proved to be too big for him to handle. His inexperience is costing us and we still have time to fix it by firing him.
The longer we wait, the bigger the gap will become.
Arsenal should act swftly to remove this guy before he makes irreparable damage. Statistics without positive results are useless. Arsenal needs fresh ideas. Arteta is running out of ideas
We should stop lying ourselves
Arsenal deserves to be where they are on table because all players are giving below 40% performance
Burnley!! That was the first time we’d conceded from a set piece this season… 😡 Can somebody please wake me up when this nightmare is over? (See you in 2040 then 😂)
At least Jordan North is happy, as is Sean Dyche – we saved him from the sack! I guess we are one thing this season though – consistent 🤪
And btw, I’m done with Xhaka. Inter can have him next month, I’ll drive him to the airport..
Inter doesn’t want him lol..
Who would want him? I wouldn’t want him in our Sunday league team!
Actually, I think our local Karate club want him for his death grip! 🤣🤣🤣
That Xhaka/Eriksen swap rumour won’t go away…
You’re right though, who would bloody want him?!!
Morning Sue. I can see you’re still upset but you can at least take a little solace in Liverpool’s result! 😉 👍
😂 Fulham played really well, GunneRay, I was jealous 😜
Just have to watch every other team now to see a decent performance 😫
Why is nobody talking about VAR?
Nowadays VAR official are quick to spot our shortcomings and punish us for it.
But if the advantage is on our side they criminally look the other way!
While I will not blame our recent form on VAR, it will be comforting if the VAR officials perform their task with some form of dignity
What was your issue with VAR? We were lucky not to have Elneny also sent off, and if the VAR people had been doing their job he would have been.
Arteta’s obsessive micro-management suffoctates self-expression. Playing from the back they looked exacly the same as under Emery, confused. Arteta’s obsession with our team’s poor style makes it clear nothing will change. We are not Man City and Arteta is not Pep. We just cannot keep him. He lacks wisdom and experience and we are in danger of the drop. I think Arteta is definitely less than the sum of his parts and the Arteta show needs to end. He was a boring player and our football is boringly on a knifes edge.
Apart from one chance, when Wood missed a header when Bellerin player him on, Burnley created nothing.On the other hand, we created five chances, two of which should have been converted, with Pope making instinctive saves from the other three.These are the facts.Before the idiot was sent off, we were building up pressure in the Burnley goal area.That is a fact.So what Arteta said is factually correct.As fans we need to back our Manager when the facts support him and stop slagging him off as a means of venting our frustrations. Some of the comments I have read this morning beggars belief, one fan criticising AMN for being poor?He was on the park for 10 mins? We all need to calm down.Arteta is learning the hard way.His selection of certain players is flawed and tends to demonstrate a stubborn streak which he needs to change without delay. In my opinion we will not be relegated and I hope our hierarchy do not take a knee jerk reaction to the demands of our fickle fans for Arteta to be replaced.
Grandad, this is why we always talk about the team only being as strong as the weakest player. It’s numb skull antics like that that lose you games. Especially when you really need nothing more than a win. We’ve seen it all before at Arsenal. Lehman getting sent off in the CL final for example. Vierra against Manure in the FA Cup final if memory serves me well? We all know it happens but in Xhaka’s case it was a brain dead situation that he should not have reacted too! He is wrong and always has been wrong for the club. He offers nothing more than any other average player in the Championship. Why is it that Emery and MA really wanted him in the squad?
BTW Grandad, AMN was poor. His passing was the worst I’ve seen. Only being honest.
A gutsy post Grandad
@grandad, did Bellerin play him on or Gabriel misjudged the ball? Let’s be objective, don’t criticize a player for mistakes of another
Grandad, i think the problem is the game before xhaka was sent off was another frustrating affair where we again had 65 to 70% possession powder puff half chances and STILL failed to score with 11 men. The tactics are really nothing special, very basic, easily read and controlled by the opposition. How many games have we been suckered villa Leicester toots burnley brighton just to name a few. Last nights game was heading the way they all ways seem to do. Its very poor quality and more is expected of these players.
Yeh, I thought the manager was reluctant to call Xhaka out and mostly kept his answers short while agreeing with the questions being thrown at him. Arteta’s body language told a different story which was not pretty. He looked tired frustrated and at a loss. You got the impression that he will stick with his favorites including Xhaka through thick and thin, hoping that there will be a goal rush, Partey will get things buzzing,William will play like a hungry, rejuvenated 26 year old and the master plan will work like a well oiled machine. You want it to be true of course but as fans we can only suffer the agony of one week at a time, knowing that this season has been wasted. What’s left? Mid table respectability? Meanwhile players who we have wanted to see the last of are still at the club while Edu and co.are probably plotting with agent mates to find a home for one or more broken down Brazilians, Spaniards or Portuguese players at the Grove.
Before he was made manager I was against him getting the job because he had no managerial experience. That may be fine for some clubs but not for Arsenal
I gave him time. And was very happy with the FA Cup win and was happy with him to continue
However, Arteta’s lack of experience is really showing now. We need to get a new Manager next summer
We dominated them! Ha ha.
The only positives to take from the game are that Xhaka will miss 3 games after his straight red card and Bellerin will miss a game having racked up 5 bookings so far. Surely Willian can’t play after that woeful performance. The bright spot was Tierney, a proper defender and excellent going forward, unlikely Bellerin on the opposite side who cannot do either.
Dominating games is not winning games.
Out scoring the opponents and conceding less is what wins games.
The selection was wrong after their previous performances.
The younger lads should have played against Burnley.
Balogun,
Smith-Rowe, Lacazette, Saka,
M-Niles, Elneny,
Tierney, Gabriel, Holding, Cedric,
Leno.
This selection would not have played any worse.
I just dont seem to understand what MA is doing with his tactics and selection. We are not playing through the middle, just putting cross after cross in the box with no end product. MA needs to implement the following things asap:
1. Never play Xhaka and Willian again.
2. Get Ozil back asap.
3. Rest Belerin for some games, play Soares instead.
4. Play a combination of Saka Nketiah/Balogun Nelson upfront. Let Auba, Laca and Pepe come on as subs.
5. Play Eleneny AMN and ESR in the middle of the park, atleast till Partey is fit.
6. Let go of your ego and bring Saliba into the mainfold.
7. Sign 2-3 players in the January transfer window, including attacking midfielders, wingers and defensive midfielders.
Do you really see any of that happening, gunnerforlife?
Who is Saliba coming to bench?
am sure you would have been the first to name him if he had played same team as Thursday and get trashed
Open your eyes, we are in a relegation battle and it’s not going to get any easier. No one will arrive in January and it’s doubtful anyone will leave either. Every other manager knows how we play, putting balls from the back out wide to the flanks and putting in crosses that are easy to defend. We have nothing going through the midfield and no plan B. Our upcoming games are frightening, in fact anyone we play knows how bad we are and how we play. God help us!
I would love to be a fly on wall at Arsenal over the past few weeks. What happens (doesn’t) in training? What talk is going on at executive level? I doubt that the panic button is being readied yet. I also doubt the club will fire MA until we are at such a level that relegation is a real possibility. We’re far from that now. The biggest problem will be the lack of money we make from finishing so low in the table. I believe it is around 2-3 million for every position so possibly around £20-30 million loss this season as it stands. I can’t see us getting relegated but it will get tougher to climb the lower we sink!
I am not being negative, but it is looking likely we might lose our next 4 games.
Southampton
Everton
Man. City
Chelsea
Realistically with this free fall we are having we cannot win any of the upcoming matches.
Arteta’s blood pressure would be increasing by now. He needs a Miracle.
Don’t let anyone tell you you’re being negative, SJ, we have problems, massive problems that are growing by the day…
No one in their right mind expects us to get owt from those games!
What an embarrassing position we find ourselves in… shocking!!
I’m dreading Wednesday…oh and btw, Southampton haven’t won away in the league at Arsenal since 1987….
Haha..
What a joke…
What Smile on my face after reading this MA’s statement
I want to reply to some reactions from last post.
1. MA was wrong to pick some players.
I’ll first say that these are arsenal players bought to play, paid huge amount,(their weekly wages more than what most earn annually), treated as kings, if they can’t do the job why are they in the team?
Secondly I want to analyze efficiency the major culprit,
Bellerin – we had 2 fullbacks in yesterday match, was Bellerin the worst of the 2? I dont think so. Do we have a far better option to replace him? Did Bellerin get enough cover from Mo when on the attack just as Xhaka does for KT?
Willian-i really do not think Willian played bad, am not sure Saka perform better Because I can see lots of chances created from that side. Who would have replaced him yesterday and played better? Nelson?
Xhaka-aside from the stupid red card am not sure Mo played better than him
2. Ozil_ I will retain my opinion that Ozil isnt important to this team any longer, this reply is for Ken1945.
My reasons :
I feel in this present arsenal, we are trying to build a compact defensive unit, thereby playing a defensive formation, this is evident in the drastic reduction of our attacking pathernity, in AW days he chose technical attack pattern and against all odds went for technical gifted midfielders who can deliver that, sacrificing defense (that’s what I call the best form of defense is attack), the likes of Wilshire, Ramsey, cazola, even Song, are technically gifted midfielder that rate far ahead of all mf currently at the club in term of attack, these set of players were able to play with Ozil because the all were on same wavelength, however, because of incessant leakage of goal the board and fan supported going for physically fit, agile, less technical mf like Xhaka, Torreira(though short), Partey, because we all fell EPL is a physical league, now my question is, how do you expect Ozil to perform in the midst of these guys? This is why we are building attack from the wing this days because we do not have the firepower to do through the middle, though someone need to tell KT that he should cross less and play more. And use leftlegged player in right wing to change idea
If he had said “we played like crap in the first half, had a great 10 minutes to start the second and then self-destructed” I would have been a lot more impressed…