Reality Check for Gunners as Klopp hands Arteta a tactical lesson

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2  
League Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg  
Thursday 20th January 2022 7.45pm   

Strange to think now, that Arsenal could have been managed by either of Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola if the club’s board had been more ruthless back in 2013 when it was obvious the Gunners were gradually going off the rails under Arsene Wenger’s stewardship. But short-term profit mattered more than long term ambition, and the rest is history. Arsenal’s board now consists of the Kroenkes, their lawyer and Lord Harris. Just the men to make the big decisions about how to run a successful football club?

Last night, Mikel Arteta, an inexperienced number one, was given a tactical footballing lesson by the aforementioned Klopp, a manager that started slowly at Liverpool, although he did get them to a European final in his first season at the club, and made the top four at the end of the second. However, Klopp had already managed two clubs in Germany, starting in 2001. So expecting Arteta to match his turnaround at Anfield may be ambitious.

Arteta had mitigation in terms of certain of his players not having much training in the preparation for this second leg, although at least he had the luxury of a weekend off. All the same, Liverpool did a job on their opponents. Shorn of Mane and Salah, they reminded us that defensively, they are top notch. Three world class defenders, plus Matip, in front of a second choice keeper who looked every bit as good as Allison, protected by a midfield including Fabinho and Henderson. They effectively snuffed out Arsenal’s wide threats of Saka and Martinelli with sheer weight of numbers, severely limiting the number of decent attempts on target.

One friend expressed the solution as such – “Every time Saka or Martinelli received the ball there were five Liverpool players closing down and one or two Arsenal players in support - we did not work out how to deal with that, paradoxically partly due to the talent of Saka and Martinelli at holding the ball with 2-3 players on them. I would just have got them to wait and then immediately hit long cross-field balls to each other where most of the Arsenal players were in more space” 

Arteta did not come up with any solutions to the problem, and all Liverpool required to win the game going forward was the attacking talent of Diego Djota, aided by supply from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Arsenal’s midfield was completely dominated, which given that neither Xhaka nor Partey could start the game was hardly a surprise. It felt as if Lokonga and Odegaard were not really hungry for the ball, which given Liverpool’s pressing is understandable. Ramsdale often ended up punting it long and wide in the hope that the forwards could create something feeding off scraps. It was a huge contrast to the last home performance against Manchester City and a reminder of the inconsistency of youth. 

Arsenal did start off acceptably, but gradually, the life was squeezed out of them, with Djota scoring in each half. Being just a goal down at the interval felt almost acceptable given how much the away side were controlling the game. Arteta was not able to put things right, as Doktor Schneide noted before the hour mark - “God. Who gave the half time pep talk - Keir Starmer?”  The pitch was heavily watered before each half, but it seemed that it was the Gunners that did most of the slipping up. 

Thomas Partey, apparently got off the plane from Cameroon at noon, and was brought on for an understandably below par Emile Smith Rowe with the game still at 1-0 and just over a quarter of an hour remaining. Nketiah replaced Lacazette at the same time, which given how close the captain was to a second yellow for repetitive fouling, probably had to be done. Djota doubled the lead shortly after and that was that. Except for a pointless pair of yellow cards for Thomas Partey. Time for some more light relief, firstly from regular correspondent Ian Henry, who ventured, “Good to see Partey replacing Xhaka in style”. And Doktor Schneide weighed in at the time of the substitution – “Parteh for 17 minutes?  Not sure if even Boris would turn up for that.”

One imagines we will see Lokonga and Odegaard start against Burnley on Sunday, although there is an argument to play Ben White or Calum Chambers there instead, given both have experience of the position. It brings to mind a few appearances Martin Keown made in central midfield – I think towards the end of the 1994-95 season. Probably alongside John Jensen. Now there is a midfield you wouldn’t mess with, although creativity could be a little thin on the ground. Mind you, everything went over the top in those days. No accident that Dennis Bergkamp was bought that summer.

Still, enough Memory Lane indulgence to avoid the current day reality. Arsenal’s interest in anything other than the pursuit of fourth place is now gone. Spurs, and especially Manchester United and West Ham still retain distraction, although Spurs unintentional exit from Europe may well be a huge boost to their chances of returning to the top table of Champions League participation. Sad to say, in Conte, they have a results manager. Mikel Arteta still has to prove he can do the same often enough, although if his team wins the matches in the fashion it was doing over the course of December, there is hope. 

Aside from Liverpool’s knowhow, there were mitigating factors for the Arsenal display last night. Let’s hope they are in better shape on Sunday, because after that, they have two matches in the whole of February, followed by a further 15 over the course of 11 weeks, including some against sides likely still to be in Europe (Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd and West Ham). Last night was a blow, but for the club’s ability to compete long term, in honesty, fourth place would be of more benefit than winning the League Cup. Much as I love trophies, that is where we are right now if Arsenal are going to be able to recruit and retain quality players.

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