Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response
Shedding soccer matches isn’t enjoyable, but it surely’s truthful to say some defeats are more durable to take than others. For those who go from zero to Wayne Bridge within the Champions League that point (sorry for triggering anybody), the needle on this one is barely above 0.1.
Mikel Arteta made extra adjustments than I believed he would. Six from the aspect that beat Man Utd, and you may give you every kind of explanation why. A few of them, like giving gamers minutes as a result of they want them and we’d want them within the Premier League, make every kind of sense, however I believe it gave us a little bit of a clue that for all his pre-game speak, the supervisor had prioritised this sport within the context of our league marketing campaign.
That stated, I believed we had been fairly first rate within the first half. Leandro Trossard was spectacular down the left, utilizing the ball properly to vogue an opportunity for Takehiro Tomiyasu which the keeper saved properly, and he had a pop at aim himself which once more the keeper was equal too. He additionally created a chance for Eddie Nketiah who poked extensive on the close to submit after good motion of their field, and the previous Brighton man appears to be like like a superb match already.
On the different finish, it was principally about Metropolis attempting to get the ball to Erling Haaland who was concerned in a working battle with Rob Holding. It jogged my memory a little bit of the sport towards White Hart Lane final season, however this time Rob was going through a genuinely troublesome bodily menace, and for essentially the most half he did okay bar one early mistake which Matt Turner rescued him from. A yellow card simply earlier than the break meant the supervisor did the wise factor and took him off at half-time, sending on William Saliba as an alternative.
He additionally introduced on Albert Sambi Lokonga for Thomas Partey in what I had hoped was a pre-planned change, but it surely seems we have now some considerations over a rib harm. Arteta stated afterwards:
He had some discomfort and it was getting worse and worse. He couldn’t proceed. He wasn’t snug to proceed. Tomorrow or the day after we’ll should have an MRI scan and see what he has.
Metropolis had been higher after the break, we weren’t nearly as good as we had been, and that midfield high quality hole when Partey just isn’t there may be apparent. I believed Lokonga struggled early on, however obtained into the sport a bit. On the ball he’s truly high-quality, it’s simply that if Partey has 100 for defensive consciousness, the Belgian is at about 10. The Metropolis aim wasn’t merely his fault, however he was far too static within the field, and it’s one other efficiency when you possibly can’t assist however have some considerations about whether or not he’s the precise match for this group or not. The truth that we’re very actively pursuing a midfield signing suggests these considerations are shared contained in the membership too.
Arteta’s response to going behind was to carry on Gabriel Martinelli and Oleksandr Zinchenko, and the Brazilian did trigger some issues down the left. Metropolis had been attempting to smother the sport with 200,000 passes, so it wasn’t straightforward, and when the supervisor made his last change, I believe it was fairly telling. Bukayo Saka had most likely his quietest sport of the season, however for those who’re actually critical about getting a aim, you allow him on the pitch and change Fabio Vieira with Martin Odegaard. As a substitute Saka got here off, Vieira went to the precise, and whereas it wasn’t precisely throwing the towel in, I believe it stated one thing about how Arteta views the remainder of the season and the place his actual priorities lie.
Afterwards, he was requested if he might take some delight from his group’s efficiency, and stated:
In the meanwhile, it’s disappointment as a result of we’re out and we might have taken rather more from that sport and we didn’t. The sensation that I’ve is we actually competed towards them and made it troublesome for them, however we lacked one thing to win towards a group like this.
Which I believe we are able to all perceive. Arteta hates to lose. Nonetheless, within the chilly gentle of day – leaving the Partey harm apart – you would virtually name this the proper defeat. We rotated in an enormous method and didn’t get outplayed by a a lot stronger Man Metropolis aspect who had been at residence. Within the context of what’s to come back, after they come to London on February fifteenth, there’s no cause why this Arsenal group ought to go into that sport frightened of them. Sure, our report towards them stays a little bit of a difficulty, but when we’re full energy and we play at our greatest degree, there’s nothing to be intimidated by primarily based on final evening’s Metropolis efficiency. A phrase too for Matt Turner who had an excellent sport, not a lot he might do for the aim, however his determination making and distribution was actually good.
There was a variety of discuss how final evening’s winners would possibly take a psychological benefit into the Premier League sport, but when any group goes to try this from this sport, it’s us. After all we nonetheless should exit and carry out, and no person ought to take something as a right, it’s merely that the aura that Metropolis as soon as had is gone. Anybody can see the hole between the groups – which was so, so, so large not that way back – has properly and really been closed. The subsequent step is to do what’s lengthy overdue, and present we are able to beat them.
It gained’t be straightforward, however after what I noticed final evening from either side, I believe that’s properly inside our capabilities.
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Proper, let’s depart it there for now. I’ll round-up the switch information and so on on tomorrow’s weblog, and we’ll be recording the Arsecast Additional a day early for you too.
Have a superb Saturday.
