Morning all.
It’s January 2nd and we play our subsequent Premier League sport on January twentieth. We sit 5 factors behind leaders Liverpool who beat Newcastle in a rare sport final evening. Having been prime at Christmas, the temper was good. A number of days later and issues have modified. Understandably so, enjoying that badly isn’t any enjoyable in any respect.
The present desk is an ideal illustration of how rapidly the festive interval can shake issues up, however there’s a good distance nonetheless to go. The FA Cup conflict towards the Mugsmashers on Sunday will likely be an attention-grabbing one, and one I feel Mikel Arteta will go full energy for, however when it comes to the league, he actually has some issues to kind out with this group.
The assault isn’t working in addition to it ought to, which is the basic problem for me, as a result of you’ll be able to offset some defensive points should you can rating objectives. To some extent, Liverpool are a fantastic instance of that. Nowhere close to as strong on the again as they had been, however so potent going ahead.
We’ve laid naked the output and statistics of our forwards over the past couple of days, and as we mentioned on the Arsecast Further yesterday, it’s why if there have been to be a January addition to the ahead line, I might be far more inclined to usher in one other large participant moderately than the out and out striker so many individuals covet. There are myriad causes for this, most of which I’ve gone by means of earlier than, however in the end it comes all the way down to that sort of signing being far more sensible. I don’t assume we must always go anyplace close to Ivan Toney for the sort of cash Brentford are on the lookout for, and past that, the standard of striker folks need and the provision in January is kind of incompatible.
To those that don’t consider we’d like that sort of participant, simply take a look at Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli and inform me they’re not, in some methods, fighting the burden proper now. It’s additionally value remembering that this time final yr Arsenal had been ready to go huge for Mykhaylo Mudryk, a participant who, regardless of the shambolic nature of what’s occurred at Chelsea since his arrival, has taken a while to get used to the extent of the Premier League. Perhaps it might have been simpler to come back right into a extra settled surroundings at Arsenal, however the actual fact we had been ready to go as huge as we did for a participant that uncooked 12 months in the past tells you one thing about what the supervisor felt the group wanted.
We nonetheless want it, in my view. Not least as a result of the choices we at the moment have within the squad should not ones Arteta feels he can use. Reiss Nelson will not be thought of ok to start out within the Premier League, whereas Emile Smith Rowe have to be questioning how he will get minutes when he can’t even get on in a sport which was crying out for somebody to do one thing totally different with the ball. As for Leandro Trossard, I’d be loads happier seeing him up entrance if we’re not beginning Gabriel Jesus, however when deployed elsewhere (particularly left 8), he leaves me – if not chilly – lukewarm at finest.
Elsewhere, the latest shift to enjoying Declan Rice so deep hasn’t actually labored. In opposition to Fulham he was principally an auxiliary centre-half at instances, and on a day when his passing vary was off, the distances had been too huge between him and the gamers he was making an attempt to connect with. Clearly it’s by design, however I don’t assume it helped.
It’s tough to analyse the Fulham efficiency properly, as a result of regardless of the very fact we’ve had some worries about our effectivity within the last third, I don’t assume we’ve seen that sort of efficiency earlier than. Not this season anyway. We’ve missed possibilities, sure. We’ve performed a unique manner this season, sure. However I don’t assume we’ve ever had such a person and collective off-day like that. The optimistic a part of me hopes that it was so dangerous it was simply a type of days that almost all groups have. My glass half empty facet harbours considerations that we’ve been found out a bit bit, though I really feel the tempo of our sport (or lack thereof) is a significant contributor to this.
As I mentioned yesterday although, a mid-season blip is much preferable to an April or Might blip. You will have time to get better, and it’s now incumbent on the supervisor to ensure this final week was an outlier in a season after we’ve been tough to beat. I realise the January priorities for the switch market could lie elsewhere, and I feel the information that Thomas Partey will not be going to AFCON suggests his damage is much more critical than we all know, however to win titles you want a distinction maker within the ahead line. Liverpool have that, Man Metropolis have that, Arsenal don’t.
It’s simpler mentioned than carried out, in fact, however I hope the previous couple of weeks have demonstrated clearly that whereas now we have wants on the again and probably in midfield, there’s extra required at crucial finish of the pitch.
The Arsecast Further is beneath should you haven’t had an opportunity to pay attention but. Extra right here tomorrow.
