Is fatigue going to ruin everything? by Shenel
So, going into the weekend’s game, I myself was positive we were going to come out with all three points!
After a fast start and a goal inside the first 15 minutes it seemed as though we were going to run away with the game, but that was not to be the case.
We could have and should have scored more than a few goals in the first half, our press and pace was something that Southampton couldn’t put up with.
But as we know football is a game of two halves, and in the second half our tempo and press dropped off, maybe not massively but maybe it was just a combination of us dropping our tempo and Southampton stepping things up.
We did have some chances to kill the game off in the second half, but you could see from a mile off that the equaliser was coming. They caught us on the break too many times and finally it paid off for them.
I get we are an attacking team, but we should not leave ourselves that open at the back.
It does seem that fatigue is getting to some players. Tomiyasu’s pace dropped off and I thought he should have been subbed yet he stayed on, and Jesus, whether he was tired or annoyed at himself for failing to score only he knows, but he does look a little fatigued too.
I do not know why Arteta didn’t start Nketiah and experiment with Marquinhos and Vieira and even give Cedric some minutes, and if it went wrong he would have had the second half to change things up.
He needs to remember he has other players he can use but this first 11 will not be able to handle the Thursday/Sunday combination every week, not if yesterday’s game is anything to go by.
And if Arteta cannot see when his players are struggling and maybe need to be subbed than that in itself is worrying because lets be honest, his subs did not impact the game too much, other than Tierney who made a few good runs.
Now it may be just a blip and a one game thing, and lets hope it is, but Arteta needs to remember he does have other players he can start to give others a rest otherwise we can kiss goodbye to even the thought of first or second place.
Should we be worried Gooners?
Shenel Osman
@sh3n3l_
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