How many points have Arsenal dropped from winning positions in the Premier League? by SE
Arsenal didn’t enjoy a slick start to their 2014/15 campaign, as the attack failed to flourish while the defense was conceding goals cheaply and, as a unit, it has taken the North Londoners quite a while to click into gear. Arsene Wenger’s men had accrued just 23 points from their first 15 Barclays Premier League fixtures, which was because of the rearguard’s failure to keep the opposition out from scoring. Over the course of the season so far, how many points have the Gunners dropped from winning positions?
In their third Premier League game of the season, which was against Leicester City, Arsenal took a first-half lead through an Alexis Sanchez’ goal in the 20th minute. Laurent Koscielny, though, had suffered a head injury before the goal was scored and was heavily bandaged. He came on soon after, but the Frenchman could not rise up to a nicely delivered cross, which was headed in by Leonardo Ulloa to bring the game back on level terms, from Jeffrey Schlupp on Arsenal’s right-hand-side. The visitors that day could not breach Kasper Schmeichel for the second time, and dropped two vital points after taking the lead.
Right after the draw against Leicester, Arsenal welcomed Manchester City to the Emirates, with neither side really enjoying enviable starts to their respective campaigns. Manuel Pellegrini’s men took the lead through Sergio Aguero’s calmly taken goal in the first half. The hosts, though, hit back strongly in the second 45 minutes, as Jack Wilshere and Sanchez scored 2 goals in 12 minutes to put their side into the lead. But, again, the defense failed to cope with a corner-kick delivered by Aleksandar Kolarov, only for Martin Demichelis to power his header into the top corner of Wojciech Szczesny’s goal, to deny Arsenal of all three points.
Arsenal had won just 2 of their first 7 Premier League games before Hull City turned up at the Emirates. Steve Bruce’s side, with all their energy and desire, gave the Gunners a run for their money, but Sanchez scored a delightful goal from a difficult angle to put his side ahead in the first half. The Tigers, though, came roaring back soon after, equalizing just 4 minutes later, through Mohammed Diame’s controversial goal. Hull then took the lead early on in the second half, as Per Mertesacker’s defensive positioning enabled Abel Hernandez a free header on goal to cause plenty of head ache for Wenger & company. Danny Welbeck’s late, late equalizer salvaged a point for the hosts.
A similar story ensued at Swansea, which hosted the Gunners in Gameweek 11 of the ongoing Premier League season. Sanchez, who was Arsenal’s man-in-form at that stage of the season, put his side ahead just past the hour mark, but Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick and Bafetimbi Gomis’ header in a space of 4 minutes, saw Arsenal drop another 3 points.
Arsenal were involved in an epic battle against Liverpool last December, with both sides looking for some sort of momentum to get their league campaign back on track. Philippe Coutinho put his side into the lead right on the stroke of half-time, but Mathieu Debuchy, playing as a centre-half that night, came up with a well-placed header to put his side back on level terms. Wenger’s wizards were the better of the two sides in the second half and Olivier Giroud put them ahead, with half an hour of the game still to be played. Martin Skrtel, an Anfield warrior that night, rose up tall in stoppage time and powered an unstoppable header that salvaged a point for his side, keeping Arsenal at bay from registering a win against the fellow big boys of the Premier League.
In February, Arsenal travelled to White Hart Lane to face North London derby rivals Tottenham Hotspur. They were easily the better of the two sides in the first half and deserved to be in front after Mesut Ozil’s acrobatic finish, which came as a result of Danny Welbeck’s speed and industry to beat Danny Rose on Spurs’ left-hand-side. Wenger’s team then stopped playing, relying heavily on the counterattack to trounce Tottenham. Mauricio Pochettino’s side, though, with Harry Kane playing so well and scoring two second half goals, came from behind to win the North London derby.
A whopping 14 points have been dropped by Arsenal so far in the Premier League, as a result of some sloppy errors made by the defense. The loss against Swansea City, and draws home and away to Manchester City and Liverpool, respectively, would have hurt Wenger more.
Suhith