Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response
Leaving the stadium yesterday and chatting to individuals on the stroll to the pub (the place the actual post-game evaluation takes place), there was palpable frustration on the end result, our efficiency, and extra. It was current inside the bottom in the course of the 90 minutes too, a considerably fractious finish to the sport noticed tensions excessive at pitch stage and between the benches.
Arsenal dropped factors once more, that’s cause sufficient, however we needed to take care of numerous time-wasting and gamesmanship from Brentford, and we conceded a sloppy purpose from a set piece that I definitely didn’t suppose was a free kick. The battle between William Saliba and Ivan Toney was one the Brentford man got here out on high in. It is going to be a studying expertise for the younger Frenchman who struggled to win the aerial duels, however on this occasion, Toney had his arms round Saliba’s again as a lot as the opposite means round. It may simply have been given the opposite means.
Nonetheless, we must always have defended it higher, Aaron Ramsdale needed to get the ball if he made that transfer, and Toney nodded dwelling from shut vary. Annoying given how exhausting we’d labored to vogue the opening that had put us forward only a few minutes earlier than. Then, inside the bottom, we noticed there was a VAR evaluation however we don’t get to see any of the workings, so ew simply sat there. It appeared to take ages and ages, after which the purpose was given.
The factor about offside and VAR is it’s fairly black and white. It both is or it isn’t. Typically it’s a bit ridiculous while you’re speaking about half an arm being off or one thing like that, however it’s what it’s.
Besides, because it seems, when it isn’t. In my Twitter mentions, individuals despatched me a picture which appeared to indicate a Brentford participant offside, and subsequently it has emerged that – allegedly – Lee Mason on VAR failed to attract the traces which might have proved that. The identical Lee Mason who was on VAR when Gabriel Martinelli’s purpose was disallowed at Outdated Trafford for a ‘foul’ within the build-up.
Clearly all to come back intimately on Monday, however these two are the worst VAR selections:
Brentford goalBrighton purpose
We’ll by no means know in the event that they had been actually onside/offside as a result of the traces weren’t drawn (accurately).
At the least the Soucek handball was subjective…
— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) February 12, 2023
If that’s the case, if the person who has one job to do relating to adjudging offside merely didn’t try this, he must be canned. That’s merely not acceptable at this stage of the sport. At finest it’s incompetent, at worst, one thing far more sinister.
Afterwards, a clearly exercised Mikel Arteta stated:
Sure I simply seemed it again and it’s offside yeah. It’s irritating however most likely they’ll give a proof later within the week however at present we haven’t acquired any, trying on the photographs, you must apply sure ideas in defending and also you try this by sticking to the principles and instantly you apply totally different guidelines you must change your ideas. Inform us earlier than as a result of then you definately don’t disguise the road that prime as a result of you have got a bonus you get blocked.
And look, possibly Brentford might need acquired a purpose one other means, however to drop factors at dwelling as a consequence of an officiating error is basically robust to take. It had been extraordinarily exhausting work to go forward within the first place. There’s a great cause why the their latest run has been so good: they’re a giant, robust, effectively organised aspect who made life actually robust for us. To not point out they’d some good possibilities themselves. The general stats may make you suppose this was fairly one-sided, and it was when it comes to possession, however they hit the bar, fizzed one simply huge, and induced us issues.
The supervisor’s resolution to maintain religion along with his ‘first’ workforce was comprehensible to an extent, however we didn’t actually click on within the first half. The passing wasn’t fairly crisp sufficient, the motion not fairly sharp sufficient. I assumed we had been higher within the second half, and the one time we did burst behind their defensive position, we scored the purpose. Bukayo Saka did brilliantly, and substitute Leandro Trossard was there on the again publish to attain his first Arsenal purpose. He might need performed himself into the workforce for the Man Metropolis recreation with that, as a result of once more Gabriel Martinelli wasn’t at his finest.
I assumed Arteta bringing on Fabio Vieira for Granit Xhaka was fascinating, as we tried so as to add a bit extra craft to discover a winner. It didn’t fairly work out that means, nevertheless it was extra possible to assist us than the rest we had obtainable. In these remaining minutes, Brentford’s gamers went down ‘injured’ lots, it took them over 60 seconds to take a nook at one level, David Raya took at age over each purpose kick and kick from his palms (the place is the 6 second rule gone?), and that’s fully comprehensible.
All of us get it, and we’ve finished it ourselves at occasions, however I truthfully thought that with all of the shenanigans, plus the lengthy stoppage for VAR, we’d have vital damage time, not a scant 5 minutes. Not a great day for the officers, and I realise a few of my want for extra was as a consequence of desperation, but when this had been a World Cup recreation we’d have had ten. No query.
The late free kick kind of summed us up. ‘No matter you do, don’t hit the primary man’, I assumed. Vieira didn’t try this, however delivering it straight to the keeper as a substitute denied us the Danny Welbeck v Leicester second hoped for. From the place I used to be sitting, I may see indignant exchanges between Arsenal and Brentford workers members on the remaining whistle. At one level Gabriel Jesus was in the midst of it, nevertheless it was calmed down rapidly.
Brentford got here to frustrate us, they did that, however finally it’s as much as us to take care of it. That is fairly actually a consequence of being high of the desk and the shape we’ve confirmed to get there. If the opposition sense you’re weak, they’ll come out and play; in the event that they sit again in a deep block, it’s an admission they perceive their very own vulnerability to an extent.
Arteta was requested about this afterwards, as a result of Newcastle and Everton did a lot the identical, and he stated:
Yeah, nevertheless it was the identical with Brentford away, Fulham, Southampton and with numerous groups that we have now overwhelmed right here, it’s nothing new for us. We all know each workforce has their means of enjoying. That’s what they attempt to do.
This does really feel like a little bit of a blip in kind for us although. To be honest, we’ve had blippier blips than this up to now, however we’ve acquired an enormous recreation on Wednesday now and we’re going to should be at near our greatest to do what we have to do. The earlier Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe get again, the higher. We’re simply missing the power to alter issues within the remaining third as a lot as you want on days like this, so fingers crossed on that.
As a lot as this was irritating – and it actually was – I do surprise if within the context of this season and what Brentford have finished to different groups, 4 factors from six may turn into an honest return general. It’s by no means simple to step again and take into consideration that means within the instant aftermath, however they’re an excellent outfit and it’s essential to be at your finest to beat them. We positively weren’t yesterday, and there’s work to do earlier than Wednesday.
Proper, that’s it for this morning. I’m heading again to Dublin this afternoon, we’ll have an Arsecast Further for you tomorrow.
Have a great Sunday, of us.
