Are Arsenal finally back to clinical ways?
The win against Crystal Palace on the weekend was a statement win for Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal squad and couldn’t have come at a better time. We had been looking like we were struggling to gel and get the simple things right and it was starting to get a bit worrying, but I think the match on the weekend finally put to bed some worries that I think a lot of us were having and I may be jumping the gun a bit, but it’s renewed my faith.
All season we just haven’t looked as clinical as last season and with the amount of quality we have up front attacking, it was puzzling. It just seemed like we couldn’t do the simple things right and were trying to do too much and forgot how to do the basics.
Thankfully, the game against Palace was a different story.
Here’s a game we won 5-0, but for me, it was still a challenging game, we didn’t run over Palace, we were just clinical with our chances and took every opportunity we could get. Palace weren’t horrific, we were just too good and that’s the type of thing I think we’ve been missing this season. The warm weather training and team bonding looks to have worked and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. We are in a title race and every point now means a lot more than the first half of the season, and if we can play like that every week, I don’t know why we couldn’t go on to win the whole thing.
We did have a two week break, we were fresh and ready to go, compared to Palace, who played mid-week and were coming off a tough loss to Everton, so I don’t want to gas the players or the performance up too much but it was definitely a step in the right direction. You could see what is possible with this squad, but this need’s be consistent, you can’t just play like that against Palace and then go away to Forest and not put in the same type of performance.
But, if we can play like that, take our chances when we’ve got them, punish opponents’ mistakes and work together as a team, we could easily we should win every game from now on.
I think the warm weather training in Dubai has worked, there was clearly a lot of work done trying to help build bonds and just general tactics that you could see coming through against Palace.
Hopefully this is the turning point and instead of losing the chase we start leading it.
Wha’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
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Warm weather and then playing in the cold didn’t help Rice.
And we didn’t play at all well against Palace.
Apart from 2 set-piece goals we struggled to create anything until 90 + minutes.
We aren’t right yet.
I thought the Trossard goal was an excellent piece of counter attacking and not every one can come from open play. I don’t consider any of the goals to be soft as corners and free kicks near the box are given for a reason.
No. Once the games get going the factual realities of our game weaknesses will rear their heads. You cannot make ‘a silk purse from a cows ear’, is a reality in life. When teams double up on Saka and Martinelli, we will win some…..and definitely not win some, because we don’t have a quality central striker. Arteta is not a brave manager, or he would have sold Nketiah and signed a striker….who is a real striker. We are simply not good enough when the wing channels are blocked. Arteta is too scared to change Plan A, so we are one-dimensional.
I wouldn’t have held on to Nketiah either Sean Williams out of choice. He is a reasonable squad player but not a starter for me. The thorny issue is who was available in the summer?
Sue
If we are serious about being a big team, and challenging for the EPL this season. We should have sold Nketiah….this window, and brought in a striker, this window. We are the most Plan A, no Plan B team in the League. 65mill on Havertz has cost us a striker and sent ESR (who is better than Havertz) straight to the Hornsea Street recycling centre.
We have never been a small team, we haven’t been wining trophies because our players have more off days than their manager. We sold Balogun. Why would you sell Nketiah? He will be the next Harry Kane believe you me. I dont know how much AFC will spend again for failing to develop players. Its sad.
You hit the nail with “this window”. I read Toney is available so we won’t have to ask who was available in the future.
Worked wonders? Not yet. Not after a game against Crystal Palace who has lost form. We can judge the effect of warm wether in Dubai after Nothinham and Liverpool game. The concern is our goal scoring flaws; so let’s see what happens in this two tough away and home games. The focus is can we score enough with chances that would be created in those games? Against Palace the signs are positive but surely not affirmative.
Yes it obviously has but i think we’re yet to be our possible best for reasons best know to the team and management ONLY, not even fans,pundits and rivals. We are yet to explode!
We already have, exploded out of all cup competitions again
Unable to see the game due too unforseen circumstances. BUT. One swallow, a summer doesn’t make. I saw the highlights and we look more like Sam Allardices Bolton at times. JOKE. But relying on set pieces, WILL NOT win us the league or CL. Our build up play and team set up is what will. A two week spell in Dubai practicing set pieces will cure or solve absolutely nothing. A great 5-0 win at home against Palace but it was a little worrying that the obvious, glaring take away was, we have solved nothing but have improved our set pieces. Time will tell, if our football will improve and our game management. I wait in anticipation to see, if it has.
It’s called having rested and fresh players
That is supposed to be managed via rotation, not Dubai holidays 🙂 one day he’ll understand that
“every point now means a lot more than in the first half of the season”? no, but every point is seen as more important now because their value is more easily recognized
Something I have been discussing with friends for a while and would be super interested in opinions from here on.
How do people feel about this.
IF we do buy a new striker dropping odergard to play the 8 role and playing jesus as the 10 role.
Thoughts?
Why drop Odeegard? just drop Havertz for a striker.
Scubagooner, If you don tmind me injecting a note of reality into your thinking, THE ONLY THING THAT ULTIMATELY MATTERS, REALISTICALLY, is whether ror not MA will adopt your idea. And, I suspect we all know, including you, that it is a total non starter and won’t happen.
However it is GOOD to put forward suggestions for JA discussion, and yours was an unusual and interesting suggestion , so please do not take this post as a criticism of you, personally.
It is just that I am entirely a realist in my thinking and what is of prime concerm to me and to most Gooners as well, is not so much what WE may think, but what MA will DO!
TRUE OR FALSE?
Selling Nketiah isn’t the solution. Getting our best midfielders to create as many chances is the main issue here. Jesus must be scoring more goals or playing on the wings if Saka or Matineli is /are not up to it (sometimes). With better services Nketiah can convert chances better than many strikers.
How many chances do you think we should create before seeing the end result then shadrach?
For instance, the cup game against pool or the PL games against WHU and Fulham saw enough chances to sink a battleship.
If we haven’t got a top striker, which we haven’t, what’s the point of creating even more chances that will go a begging?!
I wonder why some fans are up in the moon over our win against Palace. We should be more concern of our consistency from the players and especially, the coach. Can the rotation and early substitutions be consistent? Can the coach be more pragmatic and instruct his players to play more positive attacking football than the sideways and backways passes we have been witnessing? Some of these should worry us more and not over rejoicing for beating a very poor Palace.
The writer asks for our thoughts.
My conviction, rather then a mere thought, is that she is wrong to claim that ” every point now means more than in the first half of the season”!
FACTUALLY, a point is worth PRECISELY AND ALWAYS ONE POINT ONLY, no matter WHEN it is earned.
I realise some prefer untrue cliches to facts though!