The Arsenal manager Unai Emery tried to put a sugar-coated view of yesterday’s defeat to Everton, by saying that Arsenal were better defensively in the first half (but conceded the only goal) and were better offensively in the second (when they didn’t score either). The boss said: “Today we had two different halves. In the first half we were consistent and we didn’t concede good chances to them, but they scored from one throw-in, unfortunately for us. In the attacking third, we really needed more.
“If the result was like we deserved in the first half… we couldn’t continue like that in the second half. We needed to take chances in the attacking half. In the second half we decided to change and play with a 4-3-2-1. Defensively, we lost consistency in the second half. They created more chances in the second half. We created better chances than in the first, but we couldn’t score and they also didn’t.
“We need this balance in the first and second half, we need to do it better offensively and defensively with the balance. It gives us lots of information. We lost a great opportunity today to take three points.”
If he really believes that we deserved the points, then I’m not sure what game he was watching, but it looked to me like Everton were doing all the attacking, especially in the second half. In the whole of the game Everton notched up 23 attempts on Leno’s goal in comparison to Arsenal’s 7. Six of those Toffees shots were on target against Arsenal’s two. Embarrassingly, Gylfi Sigurdsson had as many attempts as the whole Arsenal team put together! Only Lacazette and sub Aaron Ramsey managed a shot that actually went towards Pickford’s goal.
So when were Arsenal good offensively (or defensively) again??
The fact is that in away games Arsenal are a shadow of the team that plays at the Emirates, and lack confidence in attack and defence. The fact that we have conceded at least once in every single away game this season hardly inspires fear in our opponents when we are on the road. Not to mention that we have only won once in our last nine games on the road.
Can we make Top Four with this lack of confidence hanging over us? It would be a miracle if we do….
Darren N
I still believe we can make top 4, yes Everton were better yesterday it still doesn’t mean we can’t win and dominate games we still have remaining.
theres a chance but no guarantee….
fans must back the team no matter what the result is
Unai’s allowed a free pass because it’s his first season. Next season he should have all the players he needs, and if he doesn’t deliver, off he goes.
no way he can do a Liverfool and win the title in his 5th season like Klopp without sufficient financial backing
Emery can only rely on the scouting to find quality players which need time and luck
@S
Then you will take the manager’s role if he goes. lol
Well & truly battered! You’d have thought Everton were the top 6 team!!
Oh well definitely one to forget… I hope the team & UE learn from this debacle.. but going by that stat of only 1 win in 9 on the road… they haven’t & Vicarage Road awaits….. ?
Everton has the financial backing of Moshiri and potentially Usmanov
they need a quality manager and time to build a team..
it will soon be the big 7
A game of two halves as Emery said. Trouble is though for his comments, ALL games are games of two halves, that is because we have halftime. And we stunk in BOTH halves. PERSPECTIVE !
The bookies are still even now giving odds of around even money that we make top four. I say they are plain wrong and we are definite outsiders. THAT IS JUST COMMON SENSE AND AN ABILITY TO SEE IN AN UNBIASED WAY WHAT LIES IN FRONT OF US.
We have 6 games remaining, 2 (H) and 4 (A). I have automatically counted our away fixtures as Ls which means we will pick up around 6 points from our remaining games. We could draw Watford or Burnley though most likely those games will be Ls. I predict we will finish the league with 70 points, position 6.
Agree
for me the blame for this result was our manager for the team selection. elneny, guendouzi, mustafi – i prefer playing with youths and dont forget mhkitaryen – gooner = for ever
The basic and ongoing problem we will have for sometime to come is that compared to all the other of top six, we have by a country mile the worse defence, but not our keeper, who is good. As a mature realist I choose never to overlook or try to forget – as many do – this ongoing weakness. I have cautioned on here regularly about getting carried away with excitement after a win or two and being certain we will make top four. Some are even confidently predicting top three and one none too bright soul was even saying top two, a mere fortnight ago. Enthusiasm is laudable but fantasy is not. My personal opinion and that is at odds with the bookies who give around even money, is that we have at best a 30% chance of top four and more precisely around 20-25% only. Unless we are honest with where our club currently lies in comparative talent, we cannot hope to improve sufficiently.
Spot on JF.Leno is a very good goalkeeper and along with Lacazette is probably the only Arsenal players who are truly top quality.