Arsenal played out a goalless draw against Atalanta in their Champions League opener this evening after David Raya saved their blushes.
The Gunners did not start the game as fast as they would have liked, with Atalanta intent on slowing things down and controlling the tempo of the match.
As a result, both teams struggled to open up the game offensively, with Atalanta controlling most of the possession in their own half.
When Arsenal had the opportunity to attack, they looked dangerous. A well-taken free kick from Bukayo Saka almost opened the scoring, but Marco Carnesecchi reacted smartly, getting down well to make the save.
Atalanta also posed some threats with half-chances in the first half, but overall, it wasn’t a game where either attack dominated by halftime.
Things could have gone from bad to worse for the Gunners immediately after the break, as Thomas Partey brought down Ederson in the Arsenal area, resulting in a penalty for Atalanta.
However, David Raya made a stunning double save from Mateo Retegui, once again saving Arsenal from conceding.
The game then reverted to a dull and closed affair, prompting Mikel Arteta to bring on players like Leandro Trossard, Jorginho, Raheem Sterling, and Riccardo Calafiori. Yet, Atalanta seemed the more likely side to break the deadlock.
This was one of Arsenal’s poorest performances in a long time, and it is not the ideal way to prepare for the upcoming match against Manchester City. Arsenal must improve before that game.
Without Odegaard our creativity is at a low, and Jesus isn’t much help with scoring.
Not the inspiring performance I was hoping for against City. Much work to be done, so we go again on Sunday.
Inspiring performance before we face Ciry I meant.
I think it’s time Arteta looks the way of our youngsters to solve the midfield creativity problem especially in the absence of Ordegaard.
I wouldn’t put it beyond a Pep to have started started or introduce an Nwaneri in this game at some point if he were our coach. He did it with the likes of Foden , Palmer and Rico Lewis. And moreover the boy is the closest thing we have to Odegaard in this team interms of skill set.
Arteta needs to starts using these youngsters.
Havertz continues his poor big game record when having to defend more, but not just him, the whole forward line.
We lacked that cutting edge up front, which goes missing in the big games and is more highlighted for all to see, especially in Europe, where games are tight as per last year.
Great in defence and world class in that department (with the exception to Parteys poor disappointed performance).
Raya, a definite man of the match, with the back four coming close to outstanding to earn us a point on a difficult man to man marking game tonight.
Changes are needed for this weekend, Arteta may need to make a few tactical changes and take a risk with his forward selection and definitely drop Partey.
look it happens, another clean sheet, and their press was relentless, a very decent team, which we didn’t lose to, e.g. Man C last night with same score line, are Man C panicking, and neither should Arsenal
Well said….always doom and gloom if we don’t win !
Unbeaten this season so far and unbeaten away from home since beginning of the year I believe!
There is no much creativity in the middle of the pack, because of odedarg absence. we have to change the way we played today. Our next match is against mancity. To avoid this kind of incidence, may be Arteta have bring nwaneri against mancity.
Thank God the match end in a draw
We had our chances as well, this team won the EL, beat Liverpool, Man Utd and drew with City, at we were away. I thought it was a disciplined mature performance apart from Partey who in my opinion should never play in any big games, he is a liability, can not concentrate for 90 mins. Rice needs to rediscover his form from last season as he hasn’t been that good in the Euros and in the PL so far
Well not in Europe
Man City were playing the Champions of Italy. We were playing a good team, no doubt, but we had only one shot on goal the entire match, which is not exactly encouraging or motivating. We should have never sold ESR, our most creative player, next to Odegaard.
They only had two and both were the penalty miss and rebound miss, both teams cancelled each other out
Arteta must give the academy grown players opportunities, Nwaneri must be considered for the Manchester city game, because without Odegaard, Arsenal lack creativity. It was a waste of time to bring a useless Sterling instead of Nwaneri. If Arteta continue to not trust the youngsters, Arsenal will lose them quicker than expected. Wenger use to develop and make stars at Arsenal, but, Arteta just want to buy them. Only if ,Wenger was given that amount of money to strengthen the team, Arsenal would have won quite a few more titles. Arsenal fans must stop over-hyping Rice and please don’t compare him to Odegaard ever again. What a lackluster and very uninspiring performance from Arsenal. I hope in January, Zinchenko, Partey and Jesus will sold and be replaced appropriately. Arsenal need buy a back up for Odegaard and Saka. Thanks to Raya for saving the game. Arsenal should not be looking to buy any more Manchester city rejects, instead, Arsenal should compete with them for new talents. I hope Arsenal is not returning to being the Dump yard for players, who have pass their best ,and looking forward to pension funds.
Based on ?
My thoughts exactly
If a team failed to sign a prolific sharp striker when needed, such team will continue struggle till the end and carted away without a reasonable trophy…….. Arsenal need a striker I mean a sharp finisher before they can get to a business. Last season, assuming they have a striker, they will take up the league with ease…… Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus can not offer the team anything, rather they can only trying their best cos they are not a top finisher
A very very good draw. Defensively very sound and well done to Raya for saving our blushes. The big minus was the attack. What few glimmers we had culminating in the lash by Martinelli was worrying. Was Saka fit? Why did a blunt Martinelli stay on all game? Why did we start Jesus up top? It was a game, where, it proved, we needed a clinical striker. Yes they would have wanted better service but the two best chances to fall to Martinelli and Haverz, didn’t even get close to hitting the target. Tonight wasn’t a bad result at all but it can’t be the norm. Are we looking to win games by set pieces?
If so, we wont be successful.
A good draw, I think it was managing minutes for Saka and Jesus. Jesus was obviously rusty, not at his game, even his post injury state. Rice wasn’t at it. This game seemed like an exercise in defense as at Etihad, our defense will be tested the most. So, drilling the defensive awareness in all our players is what I’m seeing in past couple of games. We can’t be at our best on attack without Odegaard, it’s a fact. I think we are going to see more of the same against City. When your attack is world class, you go forward and try to create more chances, when your defense is world class, you invite pressure and try to frustrate the opponent. And that can be a frustrating watch for the viewers as we are conditioned to enjoy goals more than the goals saved, but all a part of the game. Arsenal now can just score a max of 2 goals and clinch a win anywhere. So, we need to capitalize the few chances we get and Martinelli isn’t the answer I’m afraid. He hasn’t matured the same as Saka in terms of the final judgement. It’s as if he is still 19.
I suspect that as Jesus is Arsenal’s second highest earner, Arteta will need to utilise him when fit as much as possible, almost regardless of his actual contribution as a No. 9.
As to that contribution, he touched the ball a few times. He got into potential “attacking” positions on a few occasions (getting over the half-way line, anyway) but seemed to lose the ball (those pesky Atalanta players) or be facing the wrong way at the key moment.
Perhaps he’ll improve – it’s early days – but games like yesterdays can give pause for thought as to whether the recent ten-week transfer window could have been better utilised in the striker department.
we were damn lucky not to lose this game. We are still unable to retain any meaningful possession, we saw this issue versus Spurs and now again versus Atalanta. Saka has gone off the boil and Martinelli is just Martinelli. I’m guessing we will struggle again versus City and henceforth until Odegaard is back. I’m not looking forward to watching our games anymore, we are becoming a very boring, defensive minded team hoping to scrap through games via corners.
Another frustrating issue is why all our throw-ins seem to end up with the opposition and that is after Timber/White take ages to throw the ball. We need to see an improvement on this.
The attack looks sad, weary and depleted at the moment. I hope these games will provide a valuable learning experience for Arteta . The Italian coaches have become adept at organizing discarded players on shoe string budgets so he needs to do better with the resources he has in spite of his injury crises. I predict Atlanta will finish no higher than sixth in Seria A, making this result a barely adequate one for Arsenal.
Hope these games prove the be a valuable learning experience for Arteta. The Italian coaches are shrewd and have learned to maximize their shoe string budgets to get the most of whatever bits and pieces they have. I predict Atlanta will finish no higher than sixth in Seria A this season so we should have done better even with a minor injury crises.
A team plays to its strength. City’s biggest point is Haaland up front, so every play is aimed at getting the ball to box near Haaland. Arsenal’s biggest point is their defense, CBs and now Raya joining the party. So, doing what we do the best, when we are clearly lacking key personnel to be better in other departments is very pragmatic. And between NLD and the Sunday match against City, a point gained in UCL is a win for me. It’s not just about the game management, it’s also about fixture management and squad management. I just saw Arsenal doing the simple things right that aren’t taxing on the player’s fitness and minimizing any chances of further injury concerns. We should have taken our chances, but I am not complaining about the half-willed effort from our attackers going forward. Sunday is the priority. Atalanta are no pushovers, they destroyed Leverkusen and Liverpool so we should put ample respect to their name when analyzing our result against them in their turf.
More “Mourinho-style” play after its debut against Sp*rs? Atalanta had a plan and they stuck to it, very well as it turned out. The problem for Arsenal is that they will face teams that do this so have to learn (quickly) how to overcome them.
The lack of any cutting edge, despite Atalanta’s tactics, was a tad worrying. We’re always being told that if the likes of Havertz doesn’t score then there are “goals across the team” – not necessarily it seems.
Jesus was almost anonymous, and I almost forgot he was actually playing until he was substituted. If he is the “Plan B” if (or should that be, when) Havertz is unavailable then I think we’re in trouble.
I had said it earlier and I am saying it again. Arteta shouldnt have been so stubborn in not signing a out and out striker in the summer. Neither Jesus nor Havertz nor Trossard are consistent strikers and we really need one in January. Also, letting go of ESR and Vieira in the same window without proper replacement is asking for trouble as is the current scenario given the injury to Odegaard. We cant expect Odegard to be fully fit in his entire Arsenal career, after all he is human. So we should have had a proper back up for our captain. Hopefully, we sign a striker and a creative midfielder in January.
Gunnerforlife,
I totally agree with you regarding the need for an out and out striker. This has been going on for three seasons now.
Everyone can see the need for a striker except Arteta, that’s why I have to laugh at these fans that won’t have a word said against Arteta. If he deserves to be called out on an obvious error on his part then that’s what should happen.
Unfortunately, if you dare to criticize (the great man), then you get all these loved up Arteta lovey’s as I call them, jumping to his defense no matter what error he makes.
And I also agree with the back up to Odegaard, it’s non existent. And please Arsenal fan’s don’t tell me that we’ve got Havertz to cover, (OH my sides are hurting through laughing).
Come on let’s get real here, It’s another example of Arteta exposing the Arsenal squad with out the required quality needed in the event of injury’s to key players.
It also doesn’t say much for a team if losing a key player disrupts them so badly.
Another question for Arteta to answer.
Just watch all the Arteta lovey’s jump to his defense.
We could not control any attacking possession we had. I would have thought Arteta would have come to a solution for the second half but just more of the same. I’m just really relieved we came out with a point here.
A bit worrying that we are struggling to score and even create. Supposedly we don’t need a striker because we score all across the front; but that isn’t happening in difficult games.
Seemingly we struggle without Odegaard, and this well built squad looks limp when our creator is out and no one there to step up.
Much work to be done; players need to step it up, or Arteta should get ruthless and look more to the bench for answers. Would Trossard or Nwanarei have been worse than Jesus?
Our record with both Haverz and Jesus in the team is not great. Haverz is not a striker but the best option we have got at the moment up front. Jesus is definitely not a striker. Leaving us without a striker this season mey end up costing us. Because we have no opinions that 100% work, when Artetas plan A doesn’t.