I can’t help but feel bitterly disappointed after the match against Aston Villa this weekend and not only because of how we lost, but because of the importance of this game and the chances we had to finish it off.
Again Arsenal looked like they weren’t able to finish off the big chances and with plenty of them, it makes you wonder, was it just our luck or could the players have done more to try win the game and get the points?
What got on my nerves the most was how good we looked in the build up play, to only mess up the finishing and we had plenty of open chances that we just couldn’t take. Martin Odegaard really stood out for me and I hate to single anyone out, but this performance was just poor and you expect a lot more from your captain in such an important game. And coming off last week’s performance against both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Luton Town, I didn’t expect so much of a drop off in his form. He had more than a few chances to get us back on equal terms, but it looked like the pressure on his shoulders was a bit too much.
Something doesn’t seem to be clicking for our midfield maestro and as time goes by and he somewhat ghosts in the bigger games, it does begin to raise concerns. Not to say he was the only one who wasn’t clinical enough but those two open chances he had really stood out for me.
Our build up play was perfect, we were moving the ball around the pitch and looking dangerous when going forward, but just couldn’t seem to finish off our chances. Which in turn made our play look sloppy and it felt like we were another goal away from losing all sense of control.
Martinelli also had a few chances that he couldn’t manage to finish and for me was one of his poorest games down the wing this season. For someone who is normally top class in everything he does, there seemed to be something lacking from the Arsenal forwards in this game.
Our lads put in 100% but sometimes that just isn’t good enough. I must give a shout out to Kai Havertz who I think showed a lot of heart throughout the game, and for the first time I really felt like he felt like a proper Gooner. With a few tussles and tempers risen, he showed how much he cares, and for me that’s all I need from someone who pull on the shirt.
Our defence was solid other than letting in the early goal but our attack let us down and when we really needed to win every game before Christmas, every game from here forward becomes that much more important from Areta and his squad.
What do you think went wrong against Villa Gooners?
Daisy Mae
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