I am not trying to say that the Arsenal defence was not an issue as the Gunners scraped over the line to win the first game of the new Premier League season, because it most certainly was. Normally when a team scores three against you it will lead to a defeat and very seldom all three points, especially when the opposition is known for being frugal at the back as Leicester City are.
However, I do not think we Arsenal fans should let it bother us too much for a number of reasons. Firstly I very much doubt that we will see a back three of Holding, Monreal and Kolasinac together very often and maybe not in the Premier League for the rest of the season. It was a makeshift back line forced upon Arsene Wenger due to the unavailability of Mertesacker, Koscielny and Mustafi.
Also I reckon that the fact it was a cobbled together defence and the pressure was on them, not jst with the home crowd expecting us to win but after Okazaki cancelled out the opener so quickly, meant they struggled more than normal and will improve as the season goes on.
All three have proved themselves good players so let’s not be too hard on them eh? And we won! The fact that Arsenal have shown the fight needed to come back from adversity as well as the ability going forward to score four goals against one of the most organised defences in England is very encouraging for the season ahead.
Come on Gooners, look at the positives!!
Sam P.
FAN, not fanS. Singular. And his name is Konstantin Mitov.
we struggle alot with set pieces and crosses.
the same reason why andy caroll seems to score every time against us.
i agree we should chill a bit as it is too early.but would be nice if someone like wenger saw it yesterday and adressed it.
Not with OG manning the near post.
The funny thing is many people think signing a player solves our problem forever and ever.I hope Wenger doesn’t waste the money and regret it.The things is not about our players at all.It’s just about the system and mentality as well.A lot of teams with inferior defenders even defend far better than us.You can have world class defenders but that doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily do the job.The system,mentality and everything counts.At times it’s annoying when I see Monreal being played at CB when we have a capable CB in the team.Players like Kolasinac and Monreal should play there in the case of an emergency as is happening now.They shouldn’t be heavily relied upon.Yet I can probably see Wenger allowing them to start in the same team again abd again which shouldn’t be the case.
That’s it single out one person
Mature stuff Vlad perhaps you’ve been inpaled one too many times 🙂
Most, if not all the fans enjoyed yesterday’s victory, and didn’t whine about conceding 3 goals much because they understood there was a reason for it. Three of our most experienced CB’s were out because of suspension, injury, and shortness of fitness. Mitov was the only one who moaned and complained about everything and everyone. He keeps blaming Arsene when things are bad, he does the same when things are going our way. Personally, I think Wenger deserves some credit as well, especially for his timely substitutions that won us the game last night. That’s about it in a nutshell.
Most enjoyed it? I was there and we didn’t
There were reasons for it? There are always reasons! Don’t you think a big club making small time excuses is pathetic? Obviously not
a 4-3 win with our first choice CBs completely missing ought to be applauded… and while we’re at it a 21-gun salute for good measure.
No fan who understands football should mourn or celebrate after the first game of the season. Let’s take stock after the first 10 and see what direction we might be heading in.
For now, we have some reasons for optimism (Laca being one of them) and some reasons for concern but neither translate into points (yet).
Nope too sensible.
As you said, they will probably never play together again in the back 3. You could see all we were missing was Mert. If Mert was there(or Boss or any of the senior CBs) we would maybe come away witha clean sheet. All we needed was someone to command the back line and other 2 defenders. You could see Nacho was frustratef but he didnt take control. Holding-Mert-Nacho yesterday and it would be smooth sailing. No headed hoals and loads more composure and calmness..
I am not affaid for our defence couse situation like this is hard to happen again-5 CBs out.
Er, really, our medical team!
Its not panick stations yet but one thing is certain if we defend crosses and set pieces and crosses like that against Stoke next weekend …we will lose and you will get a West Brom type reaction from the fans
Are you watching City now and thinking of our defence? Ouch!
put this together
Mustafi-boss-Monreal
Ox/bel. Xhaka- (?)~ Kolasinac
and I think defensive crisis will disappear, our attack seems lethal.
Why should Monreal and Kolasinac be playing in the same team if everyone is fit?That side will become a weakness mark my words.The likes of Gabriel,Chambers and Rob Holding are capable and I’ll take them over him anyday.He should be challenging/deputising for Kolasinac.We need one of them to rest.I just don’t get it.So is Wenger saying Monreal is better than Gabriel,Holding and Chambers.If I can trust a player in a three back system shouldn’t I be able to trust him in a two back?Yet people won’t trust Monreal in a two back.Monreal is a left back/LWB and the fact that Wenger continues to play him there shows either our lack of quality there or lack of trust.
Monreal is defintely not a LWB.
He is an amazing LCB because of his crosses and quickness.
Holding and Chambers will get their chances in the League Cup, Europa League and FA Cup and also with injuries.
Maybe Van Dijk would be nice, but he is also 27 and very injuryprone.
I would rather have Ajax CB Sanchez or Manolas both cost around 30M.
Or even De Ligt who has a lot of talent, will cost 60M in 3 years.
“He is an amazing LCB because of his crosses and quickness”, this does not make sense. I think you mean LB?
i’m in celebratory mood and why not? with each and every win i’ll have reason to celebrate even more. as i recall it wenger described 8 teams in all are capable of winning the epl and what we’ve done is put one of them to the sword and with a makeshift defense at that. where as good as our last win(s) and home form has sent our rivals the right message.. don’t expect any joy at all when you meet us at emirates.
Hurts me to see Arteta on the Man City bench but even more so to know Vieira is there too!
Fans? How do you mean that term? It isn’t by any chance someone that subscribed to your view?
Take a reality check. There is a difference between defence lapses and what happened yesterday. What happened yesterday is a symptom of over a decade of Wenger not coaching his defence. He sat there telling everyone he will never forget the criticism he received last season. No joke – dude came back with same weaknesses and his face told it last night.
Last night was a symptom of a decade of under coaching of our defence?
I just thought we had key players missing in our backline? Poor possession in the middle of the park. A well drilled counter attacking Leicester, that took all their chances.
But it was 10 years of under training the defence? Well I never!
I am more worried about Arsenal players’ way of possessing the ball. Most of the time, they release the ball quickly to their nearest teammates, without waiting for better chances.
The tempo becomes faster and the quick ball flow often creates mispasses. Arsenal’s opponents often capitalize from Arsenal players’ lack of skills when possessing the ball.
As comparison, watch Manchester City’s first game in this season (vs Brighton). Most of the time, their players touched the ball four or five times, before passing it to their teammates.
The tempo became very slow, until it made Brighton’s players chase the ball around and got out of position. Manchester City easily scored several goals from a well-crafted open play with this system.
I am afraid Arsenal’s system will never evolve to something like this. Arsenal had better have solid plans when facing teams like Manchester City in this season.
we beat city last time I remember. let’s be positive
” Manchester City easily scored several goals from a well-crafted open play with this system” When did two goals become several goals?
Glad that you noticed it mate!
Finally there is someone who can read a game
I would also like to add for a tiki taka system like Man City to work you need to have a lot of movement from players around the player with the ball in order to create space and create chances. Looking at how Man City played I can believe they are close to successfully playing it right. We also try to emulate that system but the problem is our players are not alert and committed enough, because a system like that to work, you need to have everyone working hard and disciplined. The reason why their players can have 3 or 4 touches and slow down the tempo is because they create these spaces for themselves through movement and shaking defenders off them so that defenders will be too far to press. What we really need is a CM that can pull the stings in the middle of the park and contribute towards transitional play, and right now we don’t have anyone beside Cazorla who can do that.
Now you are talking, we are missing a player in cazola. Until we are able to get a similar CM, I doubt if we can get enough of the entire team.
They scored one goal? The other was an own goal
I agree, it was a makeshift defence, and in hindsight a 4 4 2 may have been the better option, but credit to the team for sticking with it and doing the necessary to get the win.
I’m not panicking, but I am concerned with our defence at set pieces and crosses. We always look shaky, and that has to change. Maybe a new coach for defence is needed?
Yeah, or maybe just a new coach is needed.
The defence last season failed to do it’s job adequately and with one addition to it for this coming season, there is very obviously grounds for concern.
Are we REALLY cut out for a whole season with a new 3 at the back system. Monreal is going to be lacking games eventually and he won’t like it, not with the World Cup places at stake next Summer.
What is the point having great goalscorers banging ball in the net if they keep being cancelled out by our leaky defence.
Who remembers the 4 goals Arshavin scored at the KOP? Liverpool equalised after each one. I have a feeling of deja vu.
See that’s the thing, if a player is fit enough to make the bench well then he is not unavailable. Mert had stitches, but Ive seen defenders stay on the field, at the time of injury and all wrapped up to stop the blood flow. I don’t expect to see that very often again, if at all, but a week later with some protection ..like a certain GK, of course he could play. If it was another club and they really needed him, he would play. Even Wenger would play him depending on how important he felt the game was. Then what is the story with Chambers, who is a CB. Gabriel, is he injured, I don’t know. But Wenger had options I believe. He certainly didn’t have to put 5 foot 10 Monreal in the middle, jeesh.
I mentioned in the last post that if this is the topic up for discussion, how our defenders performed, well then how can we not be critical. Wenger however is the main culprit. But people would rather talk about how our senior defenders were not there and will be back. That’s not the point though, decisions were made and a fixture was played, why can’t we talk about it.
I’ll finish by saying how I really like the look of Lacazette. And when Alexis is back with him I am really looking forward to it. Lacazette looks tidy I must say. Good intricate passing ability, very nice positional awareness. That header showed a man who knows exactly where the goalposts are, sublime finish. Girouds and Ramsey’s were super sweet finishes also. It’s only one game so we still need to let Lacazette feel his way into the team. Though I’m thinking on how Atletico have a great record with unearthing strikers, they knew what they were doing by targeting a proper box player who can also play a bit.
Reports surfacing that ozil has offered himself to Barca, don’t believe it but I actually think it could help Arsenal if true. He does have qualities but in the prem you have to turn up every game. I would like to see Ramsey or iwobi in that positing and Goretzka CM
Believe me Barcelona don’t need Ozil, these rumours are just chasing down dead alleys.
To be fair, we did had 5 central defenders unavailable,
counting chambers and gabriel
Defence is our major problem same as last season. Current defenders cant defend set pieces . Wenger doesnt seem to care & that will prove our undoing. Xhaka needs another gritty midfielder to play along side. I dont see Wenger bringing more players this window . He is already pained for paying 52m pounds for Lacazette.
I am happy we won, I am happy we shown fight to not only equalise but to get the winning goal.
I think Bellerin had a game he needs to move on from, he gave the ball away a lot and put extra pressure on Holding which didn’t help, add in how Monreal is not a leader for the middle and it is easy to see why Holding didn’t have his best game.
I hope that Bellerin gets dropped in the next game and the Ox is played RWB, he is better on the right and he has shown better recent form than Bellerin, let Sead play LWB.
I hope to see Sead play LWB, can you picture that tank plowing through stokes backline >:) Lets see them try to bully that monster XD
Is this the same Admin person that wrote the article “We beat Leicester but where is our defence”? Why don’t you try and be consistent with your articles? What’s going on in there?
if arsenal did not score goal,are this ”
theory” help?..a good def is not to conceded…score only one goal and do not conceded,you got 3 points…this is basic calculate…
I wonder why Chambers was no used.I think that he could do a better job that any of the ones that played.