Back to reality as it’s grim down south
Brighton 0 Arsenal 0
Premier League
Saturday 2nd October 2021
For Arsenal the game was hugely significant in terms of their season. Momentum has slowly been built with a relatively consistent selection in the Premier League, starting with the introduction of Tomiyasu, and the pairing of White and Gabriel at centre back. Add to that Aaron Ramsdale being promoted above Bernd Leno and the Gunners seemed like a bit of a tougher nut to crack than the soft-centred version that was seen in the opening trio of Premier League matches this season. One goal conceded in three matches was a vast improvement.
There was an unavoidable change from the win over Spurs, as Granit Xhaka, who played very well in the derby, is out for three months. I am assuming there was a plan to replace him in the summer in the event that his move to Roma went through, rather then relying on Albert Lokonga to be a first team starter, but that’s where we've ended up, and so far the young Belgian has played well enough considering that adapting to the English game is not always an easy process. He needs to do that quickly now though as the alternatives of Maitland-Niles and Elneny do not have the feeling of being good enough. Mind you, Xhaka’s stock has only really risen in the light of one game (after missing three through suspension), so perhaps stepping into his shoes is not such a big ask.
As it turned out, another clean sheet was notched up, but you felt that was more down to the poverty of Brighton’s finishing, which has been a long-term issue, than a superb defensive display. It was peeing down, almost relentlessly, and after 20 minutes Ramsdale dropped a ball he should have punched, but Arsenal were fortunate when Lewis Dunk fired over from close range. That was the worst howler the keeper made, and in difficult conditions, it has to be said that overall, he did as well as he could have. That brought the game to life, and the majority of what followed was Brighton dominance, chances racked up and fortunately spurned, and a feeling by the end that Mikel Arteta’s side should be grateful for a point.
Certainly, they did create some chances, it wasn’t all one-way traffic, but the way Brighton were able to play their way into dangerous areas a little too easily was of deep concern. Would things have been any better with Xhaka in the team? Frankly, I doubt it. I think that yesterday was actually more damning of Spurs’ performance in last weekend’s derby than anything. That trio of wins they enjoyed at the start of the season really feels like a blip now. We’ll know more today after they face Villa.
It’s expected to see the likes of Manchester City dominate possession against Arsenal, but Brighton? They seemed to be able to keep the ball better. Odegaard’s removal from proceedings just after the hour told you all you needed to know about his performance, and when Smith Rowe moved into his slot, things picked up notably.
Before that, it’s fair to say that Tomiyasu had a nightmare first half, tormented by the Brighton left back. Not really sure what happened there. Maybe the conditions, although I’ve been rained on plenty in both Japan and Italy in my time, so I’m not so certain about that.
One thing that does need addressing is the recurrent knack of Arsenal’s midfield players to take a shot from the edge of the area and see the ball sail either high, wide, sometimes both and never handsome. Isn’t keeping your knee over the ball a basic talent – is this stuff not coached anymore? Can someone as Colney take the likes of Partey, Lokonga, Elneny and (when fit) Xhaka and spend 30 minutes at the end of every session have them developing the ability to keep the ball on target when they shoot from range?
The standout performers in a disappointing display were the youngsters Smith Rowe and Saka – both willing to drive forward and take people on. The former deserved better when he put a ball past the Brighton defence into the centre only for Aubameyang to fail to anticipate it would beat the last man, and miss the opportunity for a relatively easy tap-in. Saka went off with what looked like a hamstring strain, and hopefully he will be withdrawn from international duty to ensure he fully recovers.
You got the feeling that the spirit, pace and thrust of the win against Spurs was a bit of a one-off – this felt far more familiar. The hunger to win the second ball wasn’t the same, and Aubameyang had a far less influential game.
Yes, Brighton are in the top six at present and have shown a knack of winning games, albeit generally against teams you might expect to have avoiding relegation as their priority (Burnley, Watford, Brentford). However, if Arsenal are serious about trying to break back into the top four in this season without European distraction, they really need to be winning these kind of matches. It feels like momentum stalled, like the performance that gave us such euphoria and hope was a flash in the pan, like same old Arteta.
Maybe it was a bad day at the office. Maybe the games against Palace, Villa, Leicester and Watford will see the team play better than this. More solidity is required in the midfield though. That is an area that Arteta needs to address as teams like Brighton should not be controlling the game in the way they did at the Amex yesterday. The chance creation and finishing needs to improve as well. If you take the Spurs win out of the equation, Arteta’s men have scored twice in six matches. In theory, they have the attacking talent, but those stats can only be a concern.
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A reasonably solid defensive display yesterday and a clean sheet are the positives, and the fact that it's only 1 goal conceded now in 4 league games shows that slowly we are becoming more and more sturdy at the back. The negatives however are what you mentioned above Kevin, the inability to stamp our authority in midfield and apart from Spurs only scoring twice in six, certainly not good enough. A lot of thinking for Arteta to do now during the upcoming international break. The next four games will tell us a lot, and after them we will have then played 11 league games, we don't have the midweek European distractions this season so no excuses. The position we will be in after game 11 will really show us what we can expect for the rest of the season.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you Cathal and agreed the next quartet of matches are vital in determining what kind of season this will turn out to be. If Arteta cannot improve on last season, then the club needs to improve on who is preparing and selecting the team.
DeleteKevin, First thank you for maintaining this blog. Much needed given the sad decline of the Gooner website (and printed edition). What was Mike thinking when he handed over the reins to a clown? I'm a bit more upbeat than you following yesterday's game. Yes, it was a poor performance and there re lots of underlying issues to be addressed. But, I can think of plenty of occasions in the past when an Arsenal team, faced with constant pressure, away from home in appalling conditions, would have bucked and this team didn't. You're right that Tomiyasu had a torrid time but he never hid or shirked his responsibilities. A back five of Ramsdale, Tierney, Gabriel, White and Tomiyasu is one we can start to have faith in (though I'm less confident about what happens once the inevitable injuries/suspensions kick in). The most important thing about yesterday was not to lose. And that was achieved.
ReplyDeleteFair comment Graham, and yes, Arsenal have lost this kind of fixture many a time in recent seasons, so perhaps a silver lining there. Thanks for the kind words about the blog.
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