Zero positives to take from Arsenal’s five-goal defeat at the hands of Man City

Manchester City can celebrate a 5-0 win today, but reality is Arsenal were never in this match.

We were 2-0 down inside the opening 15 minutes, with Ilkay Gundogan heading his side ahead unchallenged inside seven minutes, before Ferran Torres found himself one-on-one with Bernd Leno after the ball was played through our defence, with our defender failing to make a solid contact to clear the attempted pass.

Emile Smith Rowe nearly got us back into the game when he piled pressure on Ederson who failed to clear his lines, but our effort span past the far post.

The Brazilian goalkeeper was struggling with his decision making, and just as we were beginning to believe we may get one on the board and get back into this, Granit Xhaka got himself a straight red for a two-footed tackle.

It was pretty much one-way traffic from that point onwards, and when Jack Grealish’s forward run drew four defenders out of position before teeing Gabriel Jesus up to tap home, the manager must have been considering what would be needed to stop the rot.

Bukayo Saka was the man to make way at the break, being replaced by Mo Elneny, but that didn’t stop the home side from adding a fourth early after the break, with Rodri’s long-range effort beating Bernd Leno at his left post.

Lacazette was next to come off the bench for Auba(for some unknown reason), and while that change did nothing to the game, Bernd Leno did manage to deny our rivals with a number of saves for the next 30 minutes, but Mahrez’s cross was eventually met by Ferran Torres in the box to head in a fifth, and I can’t help but wonder how many they could have scored if they kept their foot on the pedal.

Attention will no doubt turn on the manager’s head for the coming days, and it could well be a long international break for the Spaniard as calls come in for his head.

Could the club finally be persuaded to give up on the ‘process’?

Patrick

Tags Man City

178 Comments

  1. Losing to City and Chelsea was expected. Our season was always going to start in September. Arteta is the one to take us forward. Still think we can make top 4. Keep he faith. Good times are just around the corner.

    1. You are the real failure guy, even a Norwich fan will not reason like you just did after a performance like this.

    2. We all quite expected to lose but not in the way we lost both. We didn’t give a fight in any. Arteta transformed an Arsenal team that could defend into one that can’t.

    3. This is not new, in previous articles a lot of fans said same thing in comment section and also asked other fans to not judge Arteta till then 😂😂

    4. I know you are very proud of today’s match. Congratulations for limiting Man City to score only 5 goals and not 8. It is indeed a great achievement! Well done! Trust MA! He is the one and only manager that will bring Arsenal to top 4, EPL titles and Champion League titles!

      The future is so bright for Arsenal!

    5. If we had played well but lost all three games I would see your point of view but we have been pathetic. Perhaps you should look at how many shots on target we have had in all three games.

    6. Wow! This shows how much backward we are to have as ARSENAL expect to lose against Man city or Chelsea. With this kind of mentality, we will soon be happy being a mid table team. So pathetic.

      1. @Awhy
        Exactly…When I mentioned we should have fielded fringe players in the cup match, due to the fact we had MC three days later, most on here were all about the “confidence boost”. A real manager would have sacrificed the cup match in order to try and concentrate on climbing the league table. These guys didn’t have anything left in the tank to take on MC today and it showed…

      2. Ha! You act like City haven’t battered us for the last 5+ years. And we may have had a good run against Chelsea, but the current situation is that they are in top form, current holders of the ECL cup, where we are missing major players, with low morale and in poor form. One must be completely disconnected with the real world, to expect and demand win at this moment. What the people actually expected was some fight, some goals and maybe a draw, but instead we got completely destroyed and humiliated and we didn’t put any fight, which of course is never OK. So the actual problem is not the lost but the lack of any sort of evidence in the last 3 games that we can fight for the top 4, which was the pre-season expectation.

        With that being said, we have a lot of missing players, so we might just start participating in the Premier League from round 4. You know better late than never.

    7. fairfan Are you joking we were clueless had no idea system wrong defence useless Man/City could have scored 7 or 8 Arteta said he will not change he has to go

    8. Arteta has shown nothing to think he can turn things around. He can’t unsink this ship.

      Edu should sack Arteta now and get in a new manager who has time over the break.

      Otherwise, Edu himself will be facing the ax.

      The football is not even pub level, fans are going past anger to indifference or depression, and looking like Arteta is losing the locker room.

      Predictable consequences for hiring an inexperienced manager on the cheap with a blank resume.

    9. Don’t accept mediocrity. As an arsenal Fan in Africa its hard to watch arsenal deep in loss freefall. Just know the Satan kroenke ownership is the reason w are here I’m not religious but if satan kroenke IZ STILL owner expect the same results PERMERNENT MID TABLE TEAM Get used to it, Not watching any AfC Games until they STYLE UP

      1. Wait guys.
        Were most of us not singing Arteta’s praise after that 6 zero win on Wednesday??
        Give him at least the next three matches to see if he cannot stabilize the situation.
        I agree our first three league games were the stuff of a relegation bound team, but let’s not repeat the Wenger Out calamity so soon.

    10. Got to agree with you Fairfan…today I saw something in our manager that gives me a deep-routed sense of confidence in his clearly innate managerial abilities…not to mention, how can things simply not turn around now that we’ve re-upped our captain, who, minus a minor set-back today, due to an entirely corrupt officiating system, will lead us back to glory, much like he did under our previous managers…it’s definitely our time to shine

    11. One problem is that Arteta keeps picking the wrong players, and players who shouldn’t even be at our club. There’s even a possibility that with our non-functioning defence, we could lose to Norwich. I would like to know, however, who, aside from Conte, who won’t come, do people think we ought to approach.

  2. Utter embarrassing that’s all I have to say.
    Nothing will change except we change the full club from the ownership.
    Once again, it’s on Arteta.
    He’s done nothing to show he’s learned from last season and it’s embarrassing for anyone to defend him now

    1. Eddie this is the third time you have said it is on Arteta in 3 weeks and yet you still think he should be given time till December.

      1. You should say stuff and back it up.
        I’m someone who’s very good at expressing himself, I’m a very knowledgeable person, no matter how irritating that might sound.
        So I’m asking you to back up what you just said.
        Pick out a quote of me saying he should be given time till December.
        All through last season I supported him unconditionally and made it clear I was doing so because he was a rookie who needed the time to learn first and I made it clear a lot of time that when this season kicks off, he doesn’t get the rookie pass from me anymore and I’ll expect him to do the job of a professional.
        In each three games, I’ve called out his frailties and questioned if he’s learnt anything at all or grown from last season.
        Even last season, I never made the statement that he should be given till Dec this season, and I don’t recall saying anything like that at all this season. So will please mention the article which I made or insinuated that statement at least even once?
        Not just you, but everyone on here, anyone who’d come with a statement of mine saying he needs till Dec to be judged.
        Or perhaps you confused the name Eddie with Gotanidea and others?

        I’ve been treating him and criticizing him like he’s a professional now and not a rookie, so I don’t get what you’re saying

    1. DON’T accept top 8 manager…….ask for a top 4 manager……..Arsenal might win the next 3 games but can they challenge for fourth place…….don’t think so……..not good enough………we supposed to be on Chelsea’s level…………thats arsenal………..most fans will say Arteta is not tactically good………..someone said ‘Arteta is unwilling to change tactics for fear of looking wrong……that’s a dangerous coaching trait! ….It is evidenced by the stat that Arteta has only ever won a game that he’s losing at half time, once’……..I wonder

  3. Even not considering the results, Arteta and Edu’s decision making is enough to get sacked at any ‘top club’, we are not a top club though.

    Add the results, and you would think our aim as a club is to lose, its so unimaginable how bad this club is run.

    Expect the worse, hope for the best should be all out mottos.

    1. My arsenal friends that I hang with and the few that support arteta said am too negative. so not to be negative around them for them to keep there optimism alive I am giving them space. when the dust settle I will call them and be a friend.

  4. TMJW come out and take a bow to papa Wenger. Man city have rained on your propaganda posters.

        1. HH, we have “improved immensely” since AW left and we have no humiliations to talk about for years to come:
          HANG ON :

          1. Bottom of the league.
          2. No goals scored in the PL.
          3. Lost to the side that only came up via the play offs.
          4. Over £125,000,000 spent on new players – a record for the club in one window.
          5. Letting players cancel their contracts and/or still paying their wages…. clearing out the “deadwood” and being praised for it.
          6. Awarding grotesque contracts – Aubameyang and Willian – re-signing Xhaka.
          7. Letting players contracts run into the last year.
          8. Playing the most dreadful football seen at The Emirates since it opened.
          9. Finishing last season in the worst league position for over five decades.
          10. No european football in over two decades.

          Ten reasons why we should trust the vision – because, according to Loose Cannon and his elk, it’s all Arsene Wenger’s fault!!
          😂🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

          1. But it is Ken, lol. Le Prof just took wages from the owners and harmed our club, he gave kid gloves treatment to arrogant Ozil, Xhaka etc. Was not able to win more than 3 PL titles in 22 years (I am conveniently forgetting an unbeaten season which has not happened again in the prem), only won useless FA Cups, couldnt win the carling cup, suffered numerous humiliations, 9 years uncompetitive in the premier league. How can you insult true fans who say the truth lol!
            MA is the true icon, messiah, savior.
            😂😂😂

          2. Sid, he left four years ago mate.
            Since then, all the above ten listed things have happened and I haven’t even started.
            Tell me just ONE thing that has improved since he left, not any individual player coming in or going out, like contracts, style of play, unbeaten runs… you know, actual quality things that are measurable and undisputable – like European football or no relegation issues – style of football – that kind of thing that we all can agree on and see happened /
            happening.
            Look forward to seeing your list my friend… and I’m not advocating AW’s return, by the way, just not letting fans who support MA hide behind his coat tails. OVER TO YOU!!

          3. Ken, Sid is joking how TMJW would have answered 😂.

            While I can finally understand some of Arteta supporters point of view, I will never give consideration to TMJW views because looking at his comments they are not someone who believe what he says rather intent on misleading the masses regarding Arsene Wenger something which you yourself have tried to stop him from doing.

            While other Arteta supporters have acknowledged his shortcomings despite be willing to give him more time, TMJW has said nothing but praises after praises despite the worst results in recent memory.

            After all his labours of talking up Arteta last season I would like for him to come out and address the list of issues you have outlined. He was so brave before why is he not now?

          4. My apologies Sid, I’m so upset about today, I missed your sarcastic TMJW take off-thanks HH for pointing it out to me.

          5. Sorry Ken, couldn’t gauge your mood and just went off with that joke. To clarify my stance, I know who is an Arsenal legend and who is fast proving to be wannabe, lol.

  5. I am done criticizing. let’s just move on from this failed experiment with arteta. we know the issues. some see it on tv, some see it in the Emirates. some read about it, some hear about it. let’s just move on. it’s not even worth criticizing any more.

  6. Long live King Arteta and may his wisdom always guide us to glory. We might not have been bought by Saudi Royals but we already have the attitude of a royal in form of Arteta. Do nothing, throw people out of Kingdom if they say anything that does not please you and keep spending money on things you don’t require. We already price as manager all we want now is an Arab Prince as owner 😜

  7. Arteta’s tactics and lineup was just wrong. I believe a better manager would have gotten the best from this squad

    1. Unfortunately this one was lost due to team selection. When you know that City are going move around how can you play Xhaka, kola, Chambers and Holding?

  8. And the Almighty Xhaka (a senior player) came up with such a disastrous tackle. Dude keep letting us down. That’s a major negative.

    Positives

    We conceded 5 goals. It could have been 10.

    It’s tiring. This embarrassment is too much. Same old same old. I know arsenal won’t win today but at least give it a go….

  9. Really couldn’t wait for this game.

    We’ve finally been calibrated. I’ll give us a 9th place finish this season.

      1. Haha. Oh really?

        I don’t like how they talk about us with sympathy these days. Keane and his lot.

        But that’s our reality.

        1. Yes and he was met with the usual ‘why should we take pundits seriously’ comments!! 😆

          You’re right, PD, that is our reality and can’t see it changing anytime soon..

      1. Haha. Yeah.

        Although I genuinely think a Conte can squeeze a 6th out of our squad.

        I mean all we need is a serious goalie and Ramsdale amused me against WBA despite initially being against him joining us.

        Ben white, Saliba, and Gabriel can start in any top team with their ball playing ability.

        Tierney is I think the best left wingback in the league, Cedric used to start for Portugal until he got injured last season – so all he needs are some proper CMs alongside him.

        Lokonga is like a gazelle on the ball. Graceful as ever. And ofcourse Thomas Partey one of the best CMs in the world.

        Martinelli needs no introduction. Aubameyang starts in any team in the world, even PSG. Then Saka (little chilli).

        That’s a really strong 3-4-3 right there for me.

        Ødegaard for me is too one-footed, and Pepe just looses the ball for a living.

  10. Everyone complain about humiliation during Wenger era. But even those games were entertaining ones though we lost. This is really Wenger curse…

    1. Unfortunately, some of us can remember Arsenal losing 8-2
      It was no fun as an Arsenal fan. .
      There was a real worry that the premier league record would be equalled or even worse.

      1. But it wasn’t and we ended that campaign in 4th position with a plus 25 GD… and qualified for europe once again.
        Do you think this could happen now then?

        1. It is unlikely to happen again as the league is much stronger. However, Arsenal still have a chance of finishing amongst the European places.
          What some of us also remember is that there were parallels between then and now as there were a lot of players out and the squad was weak.
          There was a last minute “trolley dash” for players then to strengthen the squad. This was essential to rescue the season.
          This issues regarding signings, contracts etc, predate Arteta and have become part of the culture at Arsenal. In my view, this is one of the major problems that needs to be addressed whoever is the manager. These issues often meant starting the season with much uncertainty surrounding some key players.
          This has not always been as obvious as it now as we don’t always play teams as strong as Chelsea and MC in the first few weeks.
          We are still using several players who are likely to be transferred or loaned. How do you establish a team identity with that kind of situation?

          1. So what you are basically saying is, that we haven’t improved one iota, despite the backing of the kronkie’s in the transfer market.

            I would say we have gone backwards and it is quite simple to prove – just read the comments of thinking fans, rather than those with an agenda.

  11. Well, I will be looking for all the sources of news today to see that Arteta has been sacked

  12. spuds beat them, most underdogs gave them a fight. We just redefined depressing. Tall Holding lost to Gundongan. Life goes on.

  13. The only consolation is that Arteta won’t be here next month. He should start over at league 2 or something similar.

    We are underdogs to all 19 remaining clubs. If Arteta is still there after 10 games relegation will be confirmed because I can’t see him win any of the fixtures.

  14. I expected to lose as City are the best team in the country, but once again it’s the manner in which we did so.
    Our defending was atrocious! Xhaka – what was he thinking?!
    Bottom of the league.. no points.. no goals.. bloody hell! SMH

    Big shout out to our fans. Those poor sods were still singing ‘by far the greatest team’ at the very end.. I could’ve cried for them!

    1. Sue Some of the fans were leaving after 38 minutes can’t blame them it was Shameful. All them fans paid good money to come up to Manchester to watch My Heart goes out to them

    2. Sue, you and I both, only want to see fight and commitment from the players. Losing to a better team with better players is no disgrace, not putting in and going down. looking like you couldn’t care less is a disgrace. This is particularly the case, when you are paid more in a week to “represent” the Club than most supporters earn in three years.

  15. Arsenal’s reality:
    Matches played – 3
    Win – 0
    Lose – 3
    Goal for – 0
    Goal against – 8
    Goal difference – -8
    Position – 20 we have finally turned to a relegation struggler. So pathetic 🥺.
    Arteta’s defenders will soon come up to blame Wenger, ask for more time and tell us to believe in the process.

  16. Saliba is not good, Toreira is not good, Guendozi is not Martinez is not good,Ozil is the problem of Arsenal. Etc
    Holding and Chambers,kolasinac can’t make it in Chelsea 1st 11.. Bissouma is there instead we awarded Xhaka another contract…
    I forget we i still in pre season league haven’t started yet..
    #Arteta+ Edu + Kroenke should get out of the club……

  17. Saying this for some time but then people get angry Holding is not a top 4 club player not even backup, chambers same if you are playing in defence. I am going to get a stick for this but Tierney is not top defender either forget about being future captain, he has no sense of position and is teared up any avg winger. If you look at it unbiased then you will see that club has to pay double the price for British players but get half the player as compared to other international player. That is true for all clubs not only Arsenal. I mean in which other league would White be bought for £50 million.

    1. Interesting points.
      There are actually quite a few of us who have long felt that players like Chambers and Holding should be no more than squad players at the most.
      Many were criticising Luis last season but consider what difference he would have made in this team. He was regularly cleaning out the types of balls that caused all sorts of problems for this defence.
      The first two goals that set the tone of this game had nothing to do with systems, tactics or projects. They were simply down to poor play.

  18. 1st 3 games of the brand new season;
    0 Wins
    3 losses
    No Goals = -9 Difference
    No style of play
    Cannot defend
    But trust the process….

    Another unwanted recored tumbled today, maybe even more than one! Xhaka on a new deal after all the rumours, interviews about leaving then captains the team to a brand new 5 year deal then does his typical mess up and gets a straight red for a stupid tackle that was not needed.

    Embarrassing to the point where I’m not getting mad anymore, it’s the norm these days..

    Something has to change asap or we will be in a relegation battle come May.

  19. Those fans supporting the Arteta and edu system or project..Please carry on..when you have decided to come out of the darkness and failures,let us know ok..#In Arteta you will always trust ok

  20. What was the purpose of the signings made if they are not good than what we already have, kolasinac, Xhaka, soares, were those center backs playing or scare crows? Zero ambition. Tavares is better than kola, lokonga would have done better. If Arteta can’t see building a team around Xhaka is pure failure, then he is mentally blind. Arsenal is starting to prove too big to handle for a man i had hopes for. Ego centric doesnt own up to his own mistakes. Our play is too slow to the extent we cant even initiate a counter attack.

  21. Arteta should be sacked now. We need a creative midfielder, Aouar is there for the taken,he bought Ordeggard,sold Wilock,ship out Salina,there are too many mistakes. Can we now appreciate Sir Wenger.

    1. What we actually need is for our defenders to play like men, no amount of midfielders will help if they don’t start playing like men. I don’t get Mari and Chambers falling to easily, like they don’t expect form of contact.

    2. Wenger that had us humiliated each season by the likes of United, Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Bayern, Bacelona since 2011?
      8-2
      6-3
      6-1
      5-1
      5-2
      10-3 on aggregate?
      etc?

      1. Well, Arteta won’t have to worry about european humiliations, as he has failed to qualify for them?

        Now do a list of Wenger’s teams that performed humiliations – as a Arsenal fan, surely you want to make a balanced comparison?

    1. I am amazed why no one is talking about Leno. He is the only positive in this game. We would have conceded 12 goals if not bcos of him.

      Your pretty boy Martinez would never survive this game. Big ups to LENO!!

  22. It has gotten so bad now, it was actually 91% – 9% ball possession at a point in time and we eventually had no shot on target and total of 1 attempt.

    This is actually not acceptable because i know some people will come here and be saying that it is only a deluded person that would expect something from that game.

    Even with the red card, we should not have played that bad, something is surely wrong because i have seen teams with red card against some top teams before and they still didn’t give up in this manner.
    I mean it’s really bad in Arsenal/Emirate Stadium now.

  23. A team that can not defend for just 20min, when have we ever scored in the first 10min under Arteta it’s horrible, we go into games like we are not prepared.

    In a week Arteta got his highest win as a manager and his worst defeat

  24. I said if he changed the lineup I won’t say anything even if we lost heavily, and I will stand by my words. I won’t say anything because there is already being a lot said on here, there, everywhere. MA will have a lot on his plate after such a display. After a day or two people will come here with their 9 years of continuous uncompetitive in the league, numerous humiliations, etc, etc stats. And then life will go on with or without MA in the club. Good experiment today, failed badly, should have done last season. Many things should have been done last season, like the new transfer policy implementation, scouting system establishment, etc. That said, I hope we do get out of this predicament. Talks of relegation are a little excessive in my opinion but finishing 10th to 15th is possible so measures need to be taken fast.

    1. Thanks for providing some balance.
      For some people the simple answer is: sack Arteta.
      To some of us however there is not much wrong with the systems he has used. It was largely with today’s set up that Arsenal won the FA cup.
      However, there are far too many limited players in that squad: Kola, Holding, Soares, Chambers to name a few.

      1. David, please read what you have just written and help me out.
        If MA was able to win the fa cup with the “deadwood” he inherited and with his tactical awareness, WHY IS IT , after spending over £125,000,000 improving said cup winning side, our players are currently bottom of the table and our tactics have led us there, with no goals to boot?!?!
        Please help me out.

        1. When you consider who was available against Man City then in that semi-final against Man City and now it becomes clearer:
          In that semi-final Arsenal used a 3 man defence with Luiz at centre and having one of his best days. He cleaned out all the aerial balls that came his way and marshalled the defence well. With everyone doing their jobs competently Arsenal were able to keep City at bay. This time around we had Holding and a floundering Chambers. Neither of these players should be any more than squad players but are now playing regularly due to injury/illness.
          In that SF we also had a fit and firing Aubameyang.
          Arsenal have poor squad depth and this has been the case for years. In such a situation you are always going to be at risk of terrible results like this against one of the best teams in the world.

      2. Sorry, David, I don’t think you recognized the sarcastic take in my comment. It wasn’t a balanced comment, at least not to me. It was a passive form of disagreeing strongly with what has happened up until now. And yeah, people did come out with the things I mentioned about a certain Le Prof.

  25. I can’t understand why Granith Xhaka was not sold.. He is not asset for the club but really liability.. How many times did he receive Red Card? How many times did he lost balls in danger areas? His cost benefit analysis would show a very negative figure.. Over and above all, his inability to dribble pass the opponents and his slow feet and pace cost the team a numerous times..

    1. Please don’t vent your frustration on Xhaka because it was dead certain he was going leave arsenal because our current manager comes. 20 months later he was offered a new contract by the same manager. We all know who’s problem so we don’t have to look deeper for our solution

  26. My biggest issue with Arteta&Edu is that they had ALL summer to transform our team, yet look who is playing?? Players that should never be in our squad – Kolasinac, Cedric, Chambers, Elneny.
    Is this a joke?? We are pathetic and our team is so much worse than last year. What on earth are they thinking? Why did we extend Xhaka’s contract instead of selling him and buying Bissouma?
    Our team is weak, lazy, lacking depth, guts, desire, passion, heart, skill.

  27. If he would just be sacked by tomorrow, we could have new manager by Monday. Still new manager would have 2 days left of window and 2 weeks to train with the team.

    But no. He has to be given time until Chrostmas. By then we are being relegated already.

  28. I didn’t watch the match so I don’t know how appalling our performance was. Besides, Pep man city has never beaten any arsenal team by more than 3 goals so I need the ” thinking” fox to help rationalize why Arteta who’s breaking all arsenal good records and creating bad records along the way should still be in job. I don’t want to hear anybody say we lost to champion because spurs beat them.

  29. We are bottom of the league
    Say we are bottom of the league….
    I stayed up again to watch this rubbish from the other side of the world in New Zealand. My girlfriend keeps asking me why I do it to myself and I always say the same thing..I’m feeling optimistic!
    Well 19% possession and 1 shot on goal has drained my optimism for a while that’s for sure. Happy it’s international break so I can stop this self torture for a while.

  30. i’d rather have Sean Dyche than this fake Pep

    atleast you will get commitment and fight

    Kola was supposed to be well gone by now, why is he still here?

    Mari is a waste of space

    Xhaka, dont get me started

    cant blame Auba for today, everything behind him was shocking.

    What i cant understand is you spend 20m more than City yet we are worse than we have been for the past 5 years.
    Only 1 of those signings is likely to start regularly so we spent 70m to warm the bench, shocking from those in charge to allow this to happen.

    i feel like burning my season ticket

  31. At the state of play with new players coming and confidence having been low I didn’t expect us to beat Chelsea or City but I did expect us to beat Brentford and score at least 1 goal!

    Its the lack of pressing of fight of work rate etc that is worrying above all particularly as rhw season has just started!!
    Arteta is to blame ultimately as he’s rhw manager but there’s much more to it these players are wrong in the head mentally and just Don’t believe they can win atm which then translates into nerves, mistakes, poor balls lack of attempts on goal etc.

    I don’t know how we actually press the button and reset.
    If we were a computer I’d switch off and again or even upgrade the software which I guess the 130m, (poorly spent in my eyes) is an attempt at.

  32. The changes Arteta made in our squad since Emery thats a big mistake:
    1. Guendouzi – one of Emery’s fav is shown the door by Arteta
    2. Bellerin – one of the default names in our starting lineup is now benched
    The team is regressing under Arteta..

  33. I think Arteta will win a trophy this season.I honestly do .It will be for the worse manager Arsenal has ever had

  34. if the score was 0-0 5 mins to go xhaka would have made dat lunge not tackle we know it but arsearteta hes our best player

  35. I know we’re playing City but to put 8n a performance like that is almost criminal. Players and managers should take their portion of the criticism that they’ll get from fans and external detractors. Although the latter criticise for fun whereas as I hope from a fans point of view, it’s out of dismay!

    Arteta has made a few purchases recently but still decides to play players he’s had for the last couple of seasons. Why is he still entrusting his brand of tactics plus his choice of players in an attempt to get results when it hasn’t worked. You want an energetic and or combative performance yet you still play Xhaka. City didn’t just play their usual brand of rapier like football to beat us. They when necessary outmuscled, niggled fouled us into submission. And what did we do…….just take it. Okay referee Walton set the tone for city by penalising our misdemeanours yet allowing identical from city but nonetheless, there was no reason for the team to supk about and didn’t think that they had to just give up.

    The back five were awful. Cedric and Tierney showed some heart but didn’t have the backing of those around them. I’ve never rated Chambers. I know a lot of people rave about him but I’ve seen nothing of note from him. As far as I’m concerned himself, Holding and kolasinac earned some easy money today as that’s what they were all about. Just picking up a wage for a bit of part time work for which they didn’t even have to break a sweat.
    Sure, theirs a few players at arsenal in other positions doing the same!

    This team has to learn to fight and win real dirty before they or anyone can take them seriously. They’ve got to put aside the gentlemanly side of football which went down very well in Wenger’s reign but it’s different now. You gott have players that have got craft but also ruthless in their approach. You’ve also got to have a manager that also realises this and is just as dirty and ruthless as the next and sets up a team with those types of sentiments and the tactics to match.

    We’ve got a subservient manager that has an approach and idea of football thats not conducive to the modern day game, domestically or otherwise. The players are equally meek and subservient and happy to fit the managers expectations. The fight in this team should be at it’s most ruthless when playing big names domestically and in Europe and a comprehensive, single-minded almost evil team should be played with a collective method in mind. And you don’t step off the gas just because you’ve tonked the likes of Chelsea and are now playing West Brom or Burnley.

    If you buy players because you’re not happy with what you’ve got then bloody play them and employ them well. Don’t keep them as some sort of impact sub in a stagnant and predictable formation. Put the deadwood on the bench and put your best first XI out everytime!

    This project of Arteta’s has gone on too long already. Put it aside and get some stability and credibility back. Once that’s achieved then he can embark on his vision for the club!

  36. My question is, what kind of defensive tactic are we playing? I saw many city players making runs but our players were just looking and not tracking any opponents players

  37. Dilemma of a fan:
    Keep supporting the club, buy merchandise, season ticket means Board will ignore club’s problem.
    Not supporting the club to give Board lesson, but this is when the club need our support the most..

    Maybe Ill pick another sport to watch for awhile..

  38. The club has sunk to its lowest level of embarrassment in the epl history … possibly longer but that’s irrelevant.. of course that is closely associated with the kroenke take over … and it’s not clear what that means longer term but right now it means arteta has to go he’s had 18 months and a shit load of money to turn things around and has failed miserably on any criteria .. if he stays then the club is in a death spiral to the championship .. let’s see what the greedy yank does now

  39. We all saw this coming. so why are people so surprised?

    I believe the future of both Arteta and Edu hangs on the results of the Norwich and Burnley games.

    If we win them both, or even just win one and draw one, there will be a stay of execution.

    If we lose either of the games I think that may just be the final nail.

    I am very conflicted about the results of these two games. Normally I would want us to win them both, but, having seen the line up against City, I am not convinced Arteta is in touch with reality, so I am on the fence about these games.

    Still, if we win both who knows what might happen this season…….

    SO GO ARTETA (and you can take that any way you want)

  40. The Arsenal board will let this rot continue because not one of them are competent! They will continue with this charade to save face rather than admit they hired a novice with no managerial experience… It’s a joke, Arsenal have become a joke and no one within that club takes responsibility or acts accordingly like proper clubs do! Spent 130 million and are sitting bottom of the table and there’s fans saying judge Arteta on beating Norwich at home… Our club has sank to the deepest depths.

    1. Hi Kev82, the question is….will we beat Norwich?? They’re currently giving Leicester a run for their money…

      Arteta is not ready to resign, pride and ego won’t let him…owners ain’t ready to sack him….fans aint ready to force him out..it’s frustrating

      Westham currently playing some slick football…Everton winning away….

      Sack him now and give the new manager two weeks with the team and easy games to bounce back

  41. You have to say that Arsenal are improving year on year. Last season Sterling (5ft 8) towering over their defence to score with a header, and today Gundogan (5ft 11) towered over their defence to score a header

    1. True.. we are already a messed defensive lineup when it comes to aerial set-pieces.. and i’m afraid its getting worsen this season… There ‘s no leader in the back line now and become a laughing stock of defensive organization!!!

  42. He never keeps the same team or he is changing the so called system. The players must be confused Another manager would do a lot better with this squad of players

  43. Having watched the game I don’t know how to describe my feelings. Despair, frustration, disillusionment, anger. I am so fed up. It looks to me like the players are struggling to cope with Arteta’s constant change of team, system and tactics. We don’t have a leader like Vieira or Adams on the field to show any direction. They looked lost, and at the end of the game you could see how despondent they looked. I think they were ashamed to go over and applaud the fans. IMO Arteta’s ego is destroying the teams confidence.

  44. To goal from first position to the last on the table in the space of 3 weeks with 9 goals conceded is sackable. With this record I doubt if we won’t lose 15 matches come the middle of may.

  45. The problem with loosing 5 nil is that you can’t even criticise the keeper for obvious flaws coz then it becomes a case of it could have been 4 nil anyway.

    But I really take exception with the lackadaisical nature with which Leno controls his area. To be fair to him, three or at least 4 of the goals weren’t his fault. But the first, was purely out of his mistiming. A good goalie would have punched that goal past Gundogan! He remained stationed at his post. Even the minutest of touches would have sufficed.

    Such goals sap the energy off every one else. Yes one can argue it was just a matter of time. It seems to happen almost all the time. But this is to discount the amount of confidence that a good goalie infuses on his defense and team.

    Going forward, I think Ramsdale should be given a run in this team. By the look of things, Arteta is on a trial and error run. It is time he tried this out as well.

  46. If i was a Man City fan I’d be furious with the team. Arsenal were there for the taking and they only scored 5.

    This is how bad we were in that game.

  47. I have reluctantly come to the conclusion, after watching the way our team was confused, not set up properly and all over the place, that the immense fan pressure MA was already under prior to the City match, will now intensify to such a degree that the club are likely to act very soon.

    I do think he will be given until after the next three/ four Prem games to show a definite and massive improvement. If he does not, I now believe the club will call his time here a day and sack him.

    I have preached patience thus far, esp as he has been hugely hit by illness andinjuries so far.

    HOWEVER, todays debacle shows me that something more fundamental than illness and injuries is still missing.

    There seems no true tactical understanding from those who are wearing our shirt as to what he wants . What shape? Do we press? Do we not? And so on!

    The tactics are not consistent and, TBH, there seems no definite plan, little team spirit, no leaders -not even the calamitous XHAKA, who seems to be virtually 100% a fan pariah.

    I am firmly part of that 100% and HAVE BEEN ever since he first arrived. He’s a catastrophe and the idiotic decision to retain and extend his contract is beyond mere STUPIDITY.

    I still retain my public support for our manager, at least to the extent that I refuse to ACTIVELY campaign – as so many are doing, daily in many cases – for his sacking.

    But I am clear that his days are almost certainly numbered and no owner can ever allow our team to be rock bottom of the Prem with a minus 9 goal difference, illness and injuries or not.

    I now hope and expect him to be gone this autumn. Only the exact timing is uncertain, though I do not expect it before October anyway. But if he is still here in JANUARY, I will NOW be hugely surprised. That was not, formerly, the case with me.
    I am almost sure the club will already be actively sounding out possible successors, though to expect such as Conte to come seems to my mind a fantasy.

    Such a top manager would NEVER work under a man who will not give him the huge warchest we still, obviously, need.

    WE ARE PROBABLY LOOKING AT A GRAHAM POTTER OR SOMEONE OF THAT ILK.

    1. Jon, MA has just given Xhaka a new contract and if Conte had been given over £125,000,000 would you be saying that kronkie wasn’t supporting him?

      I want the kronkie’s out as much as anyone, but it is wrong to say he hasn’t backed MA – I suggest he has backed him too much.

      1. Simply quoting a figure without any kind of context is disingenuous. To suggest Arteta has been backed too much is remarkable when another club that have just won the champions league having spent £200mill the previous year can go out and spend £100mill on one player.

        1. I read somewhere that chelsea earned 160m for winning the Champions League, so they can spend that much more than us…

      2. Ken, you miss my point. I talk about the future now, not what has already happened.
        But to answer, SPECIFICALLY, your theoretical point, I say this: Conte would have wanted three times what Kroenke has spent this summer. Conte is never satisfied until he is convinced that whereever he goes he has the REAL financialbacking to win the title.

        Were he , in a theoretical world, already our manager and was given ONLY what MA was given this summer, he would have walked out there and then when the money, WHICH HE DEEMED NECESSARY, was not forthcoming.

        In REALITY, he would never have accepted a job under a man like Kroenke, just as he refused to take over the Spuds job for similar reasons. He would be a great choice IF we had Abramovitch or Sheikh Mansoor. But we don’t!

        And to answer your other implied point, I do NOT believe that Kroenke has adequately backed MA.

        Kroenke is still the long term REAL ENEMY of our club. MA is simply the latest stooge of his to fail.

        1. Perhaps Conte would have a huge issue with an incompetent Edu wasting over £300 million since his appointment at the club.

          Conte will never join due to Edu’s control over transfer business, and neither would any decent manager worth their weight.

          1. Durand, as usual you see the point.
            I’m not backing kronkie, far from it, but Jon’s usual problem with not seeing the wood for the trees, just will not accept that kronkie has backed MA with a substantial amount of money – more than any other manager in our history and any other manager in the PL this current window.

            Edu and MA – DD and AW no comparison.

          2. KEN I answered your point with great detail. But you chose to totally ignore all I said and merely said I “cannot see the wood for the trees”.

            I think you should take your own advice and start seeing that same wood etc. Pointless you asking my opinion if you are going to ignore it and then misrepresent completely and deliberately all that I said in my reply to you.

            I HAVE LEARNED THAT LESSON,AND SO NEXT TIME WILL NOT BOTHER WASTING MY TIME

          3. Im pretty sure that if MA went, Edu would be shown the door to. They seem to be tied together at this hip.
            But even with both gone, I can’t see any successful high profile manager in his right mind coming here.

          4. Durand Your point is exactly my point too. But whereas Ken says “you see the point”, he says I “cannot see the wood for the trees”! But we both say the same thing!

            Conclusion ? Ken has an obvious agenda against me because I OFTEN CHALLENGE HIS VIEWS. But he does not have an agenda with you.

        2. In one way you are right Jon – managers are transitory whilst the owner is in for the long haul.
          And whilst Kroenke may have been the instigator of our gradual downfall, Arteta has accelerated it exponentially, and therefore presents an acute and immediate risk to our football club. Removing Kroenke from control tomorrow whilst keeping Arteta will not alone arrest our freefall, even with double the investment of this season. But replace Arteta whilst keeping Kroenke will at least give us a chance.

      3. As usual, my long detailed reply to Ken has disappeared. God knows what technical demons are in this Site but replying on JA is becoming so difficult that I AM SERIOUSLY THINKING OF LEAVING.

        I simply have not time to have to REPEAT every post!!

    2. I know it was tough for you to write that, Foxy, so respect for coming out with it.
      I backed MA to get more time until the first day of the season, even though he technically, tactically, morale, playing pattern, formation, consistancy or logic of selection, performance, entertainment or results – wise has not given me ONE reason to show this club has moved anywhere but backwards during the last 18 months.

      Looking at his teamsheet today to see Cedric, Chambers, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Leno chosen instead of Ramsdale, Lokonga, Tavares, AMN, Laca made me realise that whilst previously he was just a stubborn yet naiive and incompetent manager with a misguided self belief, the pressure has finally got to him and the wheels are coming off – because that line-up was irrational even by his standards.

      1. guy, please respect my name. It is either jon, jon fox, jf, or if you want stiff formality, which I don’t, it is Mr Fox. Nothing else please.

        I agree that his time must be nearly up. Some of his selections, buys but only for the bench, tactics and lack of discernable style are now beyond puzzling and look to me as if he has lost the plot, if he ever had one.

        I gave him every chance to come through, esp as he had all that illness and injuries in his squad.

        But to continue supporting him now, in flat defiance of all the mounting evidence of his inability to improve us, is foolishness and I am not a fool, guy!

    3. If we get Graham Potter, I hope he brings Bissouma with him!!!!!

      On second thoughts maybe we need Harry Potter.

  48. I was unable to watch the match or even listen to the radio so can only comment on the so called highlights on MOTD – and apart from ESR’s effort, the rest of it was taken up with MC scoring and Xhaka’s gormless and dangerous challenge
    The first goal was poor and the second set the tone. The fragility of the players’ response to adversity – throwing their arms up in the air – reminded me of the last days of Emery
    I advocated Arteta- and like Eddie, expected him to kick on quickly this season as the new kid on the block name no longer suffices.
    There will have to be a rapid improvement post international break for Arteta to hold on to his job as lack of confidence will drag the team further down and make any sort of recovery even harder. Hopefully, all the players who are returning to fitness will be available and results go our way, but I think Sean Dyche will be rubbing his hands at the thought of a weak Arsenal threat – low in confidence
    The hierarchy must be wondering what to do and I, like Jon Fox blame the Kroenke regime for their mismanagement of the club over a number of years

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors