I think most Arsenal fans were resigned to the fact that we were going to suffer yet another defeat last night at Goodison Park, especially when it was revealed that our captain Aubameyang was unable to take the field at the start.
Sure enough we started very slowly and we went 1-0 down after just 22 minutes thanks to another Arsenal own goal, this time from Rob Holding who was under pressure from Calvert-Lewin in Leno’s box.
We managed to pull level through a Pepe penalty ten minutes later, but after Leno had pulled off a top class save in injury time, he had no chance when Mina put away the resulting corner and we went into the break 2-1 down.
To be fair we tried very hard to get back into the game in the second half, but with our luck still being what it is, it was no surprise that we couldn’t get back into the game.
Mikel Arteta yet again had to go into an after-game press conference believing that the best team lost once more. “We controlled them really well, the counter-attacks, apart from a few moments where we lost the ball inside, which is impossible to control.” the boss told Arsenal.com.
“Then we started to look more and more dangerous in the final third, attacking this low block in front is complicated and we generated a lot of situations but they didn’t end up in big chances. Sometimes the cross, sometimes the last action or the shot and the conversion rate has been really low and is something that we must improve dramatically. And then, when we need a little bit of luck, we hit the post or we have some big chances and we don’t put them away.
“At the end, the reflection is a little bit similar to the last few weeks. You are better than the opponent, you dominate the game and usually when you are under this pressure and this position in the table, you get battered by teams. It’s not the case. I see the spirit in the team and how they try and how they are willing to do things the right way and I’m gutted for them as well because they needed a result and I think we played a game that we had to get something out of.
“I think in the first half, in the first phase, it was slow. Whether it was because the players were a little bit restricted or because they don’t want to make a mistake or just because we felt that it was comfortable to do it. But in the second half it was much better. We talked about it at half-time that the speed has to be much quicker, with the movement and the intention to attack the spaces and we did it much more efficiently but it wasn’t enough to score more goals.”
Arteta went on to say: “Obviously it’s a really complicated situation, but I am very encouraged from what I see from the players to continue doing what we are trying to do. We think that of course we have to improve, but I think we’ve been very, very unlucky not to pick up many, many more points.”
Arteta must be wondering what on earth he has to do to get a win in the League, and with Chelsea coming to the Emirates next weekend it won’t be easy to bounce back quickly.
Another sad day for Arsenal fans to swallow, but at least the boys showed a lot more fight than they have in recent games…
What is with the mentality of the players that we start a game so slowly, our first half performances are dire. Or is it the managers instructions that we do. We only seem to show a bit of fight when chasing the game.
It’s been like this since the later days of wenger.
We start off so nonchalantly in the first half, then the other club scored a goal or 2 and then in the second half we start pushing. Then they always caught us on the counter and finished us off..
Oh yeah, next weekend Chelsea…. and Giroud…….
AY75 must been smoking something illegal. He is out of it. Players are on contract, you cant get rid of them. And it’s part of of manager’s job to know how to deal with players. It’s called man management I believe. Just look at how Guendouzzi or Saliba were handled and our defence and midfield is disastrous. Its Arteta who knows zilch and also lack bottle by signing Willian and extending contract of Luiz to ingratiate with Edu. We need someone who is his own man.
Arteta out. They better go get the Ajax coach now before another club snatch him. He can play the game the way Arsenal fans love it.
When Klopp was at Dortmund I wanted him to replace Wenger but the club were keeping faith in Wenger now look. Also when Pep was jobless I also wanted him both our board messed it up by keeping faith with Wenger.
The board need to act now, sack Arteta by Monday, let Llungberg become Caretaker manager and get the Ajax coach to replace him in the summer.
I would have loved Ajax’s coach or Pochettino, but the way I see it, much of the fault for these poor performances is on the players rather than the coach. After hiring a new coach, what are we going to get a number of solid performances, and then the players revert back to their old self. I feel what we have now are more of mercenaries than players, and as such changing coaches would only give that ephemeral spike in their performance level, and when they’re back to their normal selves, we’ll be calling for the coach to be sacked again…. and so the cycle continues. Arteta has his faults too, but before firing him I feel he should be weed out this squad, and fill the ranks with players that suit his style. All the ill-disciplined and the underperformers should be shown the door, we’ve seen enough of them.
What style? Are you watching the same Arsenal we are watching?
AY75 must been smoking something illegal. He is out of it. Players are on contract, you cant get rid of them. And it’s part of of manager’s job to know how to deal with players. It’s called man management I believe. Just look at how Guendouzzi or Saliba were handled and our defence and midfield is disastrous. Its Arteta who knows zilch and also lack bottle by signing Willian and extending contract of Luiz to ingratiate with Edu. We need someone who is his own man.
Arteta must be fired. Our greatest manager in the modern era was ridiculed, insulted and humiliated for results and playing style far superior to the rubbish Arteta brings with his strategy. People asking for patience with MA are unfortunately deluded this manager hasn’t a clue . He should go back to being an assistant.
We are not unlucky, Everton like spurs let us have the ball because we can’t do anything with it.
Some on here need to get real, we are 4 points above Burnley, who are third from bottom with two games in hand on us! We are in a relegation dogfight and Arteta plays wasters like Willian and Pepé who both stroll around without a care in the world.
Relegation will kill us, players will leave, no one will come to us, we won’t be able to pay decent wages, we will lose sponsors and be the laughing stock of football.
Spot on, Declan 👍
This is the problem with just looking at STATS our of context.
Just blanketing the whole thing.
But look, we had 60% possession. Which means we were the bettee side.
But look, we completed the most Passes. It means were the best team.
But look, we had more shots in the game. Which must mean that we deserved a goal and a wn.
But look, so and so had the most Chances Created. Must have been the best player on the pitch.
Blah blah.
We have had about 3 red cards in our last 3-4 games. If one took that Stat in isolation then they would have to conclude tha we have been the dirtiest team in the league with those 3 red cards.
Just pointing out stats with no context is the most irritating and annoying thing ever. But some people will die on it if it covers for their self bias and already ingrained conclusions.
Right on Declan! Sometimes you create your own luck and this team don’t have the players or ideas to do that! It’s a group of players who are not even worthy of the shirt. Pepe and Willian are meant to provide ammo from the flanks and all they offer are blanks! Sorry, but even Ozil would give more in five minutes than they give in 90!
Arteta is looking like a lots puppy.
He deserves all the criticism he is getting. Absolutely poor at each and everything:
1: Can’t organise a defense any more.
2; Has struggled with our offensive play from the moment he was appointed second half of last season.
3; The football is absolutely disgusting, clueless, mechanical, methodical, boring, too cautious etc.
4) CANNOT WIN HOME GAMES. This is the most disturbing issue for me. We can’t win our home games against the likes of Wolves, Leicester, Aston Villa, Burnley etc?
To me this is very worrying and making me nervous. Those are the games we should be winning. Every team depends on winning as many of their home games as possible. Because at the moment we all know we ain’t winning anymore away games against any team. So our home games should be our safety net. But they are now also turning out to be as tough and unpredictable as our away games.
Losing against the likes of Wolves, Villa, Leicester and Burnley at HOME? I know we drew against Burnley but to be it felt like a loss. They were very comfortable for my liking.
Where are our next points coming from when we cannot win Home or Away games?
I am absolutely despondent/ numb at the minute. Can’t believe it.
In that Lenny Henry show accent “Shoot me now”.😞
We just controlled the situation in the back, but the Toffees easily handled our attackers in the front. If Arteta and his staffs think they could solve the problems by getting a fancy CAM like Aouar, Eriksen and Ozil, they’re delusional
It’s so obvious that all our attackers are lousy in duels. Giroud saved Wenger’s arse many times, but Arteta doesn’t have an attacker who’s willing to sacrifice his body and legs for the team
Most of our transfer recruitments have been poor or some sort patch work since 2013.
We started spending big money on overrated/ overhyped players.
Ozil – £42 million and on big wages. Did not need him. We needed a real striker. He has a Very poor attitude and mentality. Victim mentality instead of working and fighting hard for his team. Waste of funds.
Mustafi – £35 million. Absolutely a waste of money.
Xhaka – £30 million. What the heck?
Laca – £54 million. For a striker that was not rated in the French national team. Our own scapegoat (Giroud) was always ahead of him at Country and club level. And i really like Laca. But not worth the money. Very brittle mentality and self confidence.
Gave away Sanchez for free and accepted struggler Mkhitaryan on massive wages. What a complete disaster.
Pepe – £75 million. OMG. My 2 months old kitten has more personality, self confidence, and Self esteem than this guy. What a waste of Funds..
Then we have PATCH WORK from Arteta himself ( Willian, Mari, Cedric etc), Deadbeats, and average signing..
Those 3 Arteta signings might say a lot for the type of manager he might be.
We have a group of malfunctioning personalities that we are trying to gel as a serious team.
But with all that said. No one can convince me that this current squad is 16th best in the league. No way. It is much better than 15th /16th. I would not argue a lot if you told me it’s a top 10 at worst. But 15th?
It’s all on Arteta and his players to pull their finger out.
Smh
Away losses to Liverpool City Everton and Spurs were not totally unexpected But in the past we would have beaten Wolves Leicester Burnley Southampton and Villa at home.
15 more points so we would be on 29 points and 2nd in the table. It’s like the league has gone up a level while we have stood still. But why have we stagnated? Arrogance? Arsenal just needs to turn up to beat most teams?Complacency after the FA cup win? A manager who does not yet realize that his squad is not the Mercedes at City but an Alpha Tauri. Too many players on fat long term contracts whether they play well or not? Red cards? The process takes 3 years? Or as Arteta says bad luck? This bad start will reset the default setting of this club. We are no longer a dominant force in the Premier League. No teams fear us. So we need a fresh reset of the “Process ” For a start what is the process? What is the time frame? Which players are part of the process and which players are not? Who is leaving and when? Can we have some clarity and truth please?
You guys will still blame ozil man. Get him on the field in Jan and I am sure we will start winning. But we are the Arsenal and we will play all nth rated players , bit not world class players . If we go down it will be to Arteta and not players. This guy has lost it . For sure he cannot turn it around . I bet you
Get another manager in and see the results. Get ozil in and you will see the difference
Will we beat Chelsea ? Not very likely.
Will be beat Brighton ? We should do but I wouldn’t bet money on it that’s for sure.
Next up West Brom. Any chance of winning this game? With Allardyce now manager? Who will be looking at his own fixtures and be ecstatic they have Arsenal coming up.
These three games are Arteta’s last three games. The very minimum he must get is seven points, with only a draw with Chelsea being acceptable (although in reality it’s not).
I was going to say the performances must improve in terms of our football but at the moment just turning this dire dross we are witnessing week after week into points would be a start.
But I now honestly do not believe Arteta is capable of turning things around. He has proven himself to be a very very poor man manager, player recruiter, team selector and tactician. Get him out before he causes any more damage because after the new year we will be there for the taking if he is still in the job.
It’s concerning that Arteta keeps referring to luck. We’ve had some bad luck (the phantom offside vs Leicester that ruled out an early goal, the two OG game winnners etc) but we’ve also had a fair share of good luck (Allan and James missing yesterday, Woods missing a sitter etc) that has kept us in games. Over the course of a season, luck has very little to do with where teams wind up. We are exactly where we deserve to be given our performances.
Equally concerning is Arteta’s constant refrain that we are dominating games. We aren’t. I understand he needs to boost morale but ignoring the truth isn’t going to help. By all means highlight periods of play where we dominated but temper it with reality.
Having said that, with the support of the players, fan and Board, I still believe Arteta has a better chance of turning this around then anybody who is available (maybe with the exception of Benitez)
Arteta, if you really believe what you are saying then its curtains to you. There is nothing to do with luck the way we are playing.
Look friends, our club is in trouble at the moment. To have a manager who cant see the difference between Luiz and Saliba is a disaster waiting to happen. Every manager in France are not surprised Arsenal is in trouble with a manager lacking technical nous. In Germany they are also ploughing themselves hoarse that we got rid of a player as young and good as Matteo Guenduzzi.
Arteta has kids he can bri g in but he cant see it. We have Smith Rowe, Balogun and yet he is whingeing about signings. The board should be brave and get rid of Arteta and Edu too. Recruit someone from Germany or Holland, what we have rubbish.
Loser mentality and is quickly setting new low standards for Arsenal. Are they just now talking about playing quicker? Why does this need to be said? Why every game do the players look totally slow and not going after the oppsition. Every game looks like a training exercise for the opposition. Just block the cross going in and counter. It’s so easy and it’s been months of nothing different from us. Outside of Sheffield we are the easiest team to beat.