It’s tough hyping yourself to write a match report after beating a very average side in a tournament that generally doesn’t heat up until the semi-finals, but we have to make it work for a few hundred words, so keep with me.
Firstly, we won. You can only beat what is put in front of you and we did the job. We’ve qualified for the knockout phase of the competition which means our last two games should see some real minutes for some of the kids that are taking our fancy.
The performance wasn’t exactly electric, but we saw what need to from certain player. Nicolas Pepe had a major reaction after his dim sending off against Leeds. Again, he’s usually quite good against sides that give him the luxury of time and space that he doesn’t get in the Premier League but he still looked motivated and purposeful. He had 6 shots, he made the most passes, and his goal from a Joe Willock cross was lovely.
Arteta was pleased after the game.
‘He had a great performance, he scored one goal and could have scored another one or two. He created some good moments in the game and worked really hard for the team, so I really like it, I am pleased with that.’
‘We all know what his level is, and all the time the question is how often he can get to that level and how he contributes to other aspects of the game.’
‘Today is the example of the level he needs to hit, and he needs to keep doing it because he is capable of it and you can see that every time he gets in those positions win the final third, he is a real threat and a very difficult player to control because he can go with his feet, he can come inside, he can shoot, he can create crosses and he can go in behind you as well. That is what we can expect from him.’
It’s a shame we won’t see him for three games in the league now.
That might open up some opportunities for others. Reiss Nelson put in another good performance. His runs were direct, he was fast, his passing was crisp. I loved the goal he scored. He showed a lot of energy to get on the end of another Joe Willock cross. Again though, it’s in the Premier League where he needs to make it count. When the pressure is high and spaces are tighter.
Joe Willock had another game where you can see what he could offer the side. I think the glimpse of Emile Smith Rowe might have been a little more exciting, the manager seemed to be adament that we have a very good player on our hands. He created an assist very quickly, his clever run into space found the ball from Tierney, he’d already spotted Balogun who took a nice touch and bundled home for his first-ever goal for Arsenal. There’s something special about the two of them combining. Hopefully, that’s a partnership we see more of in the future.
Overall, the more attacking approach to the game had a positive impact on our numbers. We had 19 attempts at their goal, hitting the target 8 times. I’m not sure we landed a ‘performance’ out there, but I do think we are increasingly seeing why we’re not where we need to be as a squad. Another 2/10 performance from Lacazette who looked shite against a pub team. Another fairly anonymous runout for Eddie. Xhaka was far too slow in midfield again, even at this level. He doesn’t move the ball at pace and he’s a fairly one-dimensional player. We desperately lack craft with our final ball, even with space and time. Speed and precision is so important to this system Arteta is trying to move us towards. We need to find some of that in the January window otherwise it’s going to be more of this bland football we feel is unbefitting of a club like Arsenal.
The good news is Thomas Partey should be back this weekend. It’ll be interesting to see if he plays next to Mo or Ceballos. Then we’ll wait to see what he does about Joe Willock. Still, I’d prefer to play an attacking system badly, than give up and stick 11 men behind the ball. We need to move faster towards a creativity production line, so let’s see what we do against a very good Wolves side this weekend.
I hope it’s not the slap back to reality we had against Leeds at the weekend.
Midwest
Spot on
Raptora
The top 4 became the top 6
The top 6 the top 8
Now the clubs below that are also starting to get results.
The PL is now the most competitive in Europe.
The days of Arsene rolling over the bottom clubs is over
5 different winners in a decade, and there’s no standout team this season.
There’s a clear pattern emerging, this isn’t like 2015/16 we’re Leicester won because the rest were rubbish, the quality is higher, everyone is taking points off each other.
We’ll continue to be inconsistent this season.
Just saw the finishing drills vedio at Colney’s..
Auba, Balogun and also good to see Martinelle out there.
Have to say Balogun didn’t do v well there, his shooting and finishing was poor
lol
Rich will run out of safety nets here for Arteta.
Will take time.
A new cycle.
Top 4 is now top 6.
Eop 6 is now top 8 whaever that means but we all know it’s another safety net put out for Teets.
No wonder Pedro loves his posts..
“Top 6 is now top 8”
We get it Rich.
You want to excuse Arteta for several seasons come what may.
We get it.
Has anyone forgotten how the EL was utter shit and Un worthy of Arsenal when Emery was manager but now Pedro is prepared to wax lyrical about that same competition
Ishola
it’s called reducing expectations.
Ishola
I wonder how far Rich would go? “Come on everyone knows it’s a top 44 now”
I want to know how the EPL has turned into this absolute fiercesome league where you will do well just to keep your head above water and 8th is acceptable and all this in just one season.
Rather than all these teams massively improving maybe it could be that Arsenal are regressing themselves.
Mid
You hit the nail on the head. I wish Arteta reads your post. Arteta prefers to play ball possession. The players are making those boring save passes. Those passes to Pepe are right on his foot instead of taking advantage of his speed. .
Marc
“I wonder how far Rich would go? “Come on everyone knows it’s a top 44 now””
lol “top 6 is now top 8”
And I’m going to throw him through a window if he comes up with that Xhaka stat yet again about how good we are with him in the side lol
Ishola70
Arsenal have regressed, our decision making has been awful.
Other clubs have progressed at the same time.
That’s why we-are where we are.
Arsene was treading water for years, then we started going under.
You’re the most childish and stupid person on here.
You don’t debate, you fabricate things other people have said, and even got caught trying to change one of my posts
But then got caught.
How old are you, 12?
Ishola
Well just make sure it’s plenty of floors up!
Damn. MC is running up the score. 6 – 0 now.
I have no idea what to expect from our match tomorrow results wise but I reckon the Spud v Cheslea match could get quite tasty so wouldn’t be surprised to see a red card or 2.
Ops! Offside again.
Nelson
Goal just got canceled so City are a goal away from scoring 2/3rds of our entire season’s tally in one match!
“Rich you keep saying our players our one paced and slow. Our players are not slow by the way..Saka is not slow, neither is Auba,Pepe,Tierney, Gabriel, Partey, Bellerin, Eddie, Nelson or AMN” The issue is they are all straight-line runners. People talk as if Saka is a Grealish, but he’s someone that thrives off the space of a Grealish creates, a zig-zag dribbler that disturbs the shape of the opposition, not someone that really creates it himself- at least consistently. The last time we played open fluid football was when Rambo had that spell centrally and he opened up spaces… Read more »
*Arteta getting his message across
Remember when we used to win 6-0?
Me neither 😂
Remember when we used to keep cleansheets for 4-5 games in a row?
😭
Nope, me neither.
Would other managers really get Auba, Willian, Ozil and Pepe playing so disjointed?
Paulinho
You have a good point. The last time our team played like a top4 team was under Emery before Ramsey got injured. We need to sign someone like him.
All this “relatively speaking, the league has now become much more competitive than it was just a few years ago” is utterly unconvincing bollocks.
Even relative to how we were playing less than a year ago, we are playing poorly.
We are poor – relative to ourselves just a few months ago.
We gotta go big for Grealish in the summer, having gone and taken the time to watch his matches after arguing with I think Tom about it, he’s what we need and we do need an English lad in the midfield. Really we need three playmaker types with velcro feet to add to the squad. Szoboszlai isn’t that kind of player but we should still go hard for him. I don’t think Auoar is worth the money, cheaper options exist who are less injury prone. Any of you guys watch the Portuguese league? They’re somewhat of a power house of… Read more »
Arteta had 20 PL matches plus the cup games last season to asses the squad and get an idea what he needed – if 90% our problems are down to missing one type of player why the hell didn’t we go and sign one?
What’s happened to Burnley? They were a tough PL established team and this season the wheels have completely come off.
Paulinho-
I do agree, we miss Ramsey. Bad decision to keep Ozil and let him leave. but you know, Is what it is. most of those responsible are gone. I think Arteta knows we need better.. hence why we are chasing various attacking mids in the transfer and experimenting with Willock and Elneny still.
Marc-
We put all our eggs in the Auoar basket I don’t know why.
Burnley always get dicked down hard by City. It’s their bogey team.
Like it’s always worth putting a few quid on Harry Kane to score against us.
Always worth betting a heavy score when it’s City vs Burnley.
9 games played, 2 goals conceded. Athletico are such a stingy team defensively
Since 2018, Man City have beaten Burnley 5-0
*🥁 🥁 drumroll 🥁 🥁*
4 times.
Ouch.
Yeah Burnley are horrendous versus Man City.
They have conceded 28 goals to them now in just over two years.
Nelson You need to read properly what I posted. I made the case that Arteta had more than 20 years experience playing top level football AND coaching. RH Arteta was a successful and highly rated coach for 3 years at Man City who have won plenty of trophies. In his first 12 months at Arsenal despite all the odds he won FA Cup and Community Shield against top 4 opposition. The season is just two months old and in 16 games in all competitions we have won 11 games drawn 1 and lost 4. Our 4 defeats this season include… Read more »
Midwest “We put all our eggs in the Auoar basket I don’t know why.” Which again reeks of the amateur approach we’ve seen from Edu and Arteta. I don’t know which one is responsible or if it’s a case of both of them but the list of basic “don’t do that” fuck ups is getting a joke. Telling the media your going to conduct an investigation into a leak to the press re Luiz / Ceballos Mustafi new contract Turning down bids for players who can’t get into the team or who are piss poor Can’t offload players who’s contracts… Read more »
Emirates
” The only genuinely poor result was against Aston Villa.”
You are aware in the last 10 years PL results at home against Leicester we’ve won 8, drawn 1 and lost 1.
I’ll let you guess who was in charge for the loss and the draw.
Paulinho I agree with that, but we’ve been slow and one paced through the centre of the pitch for a while now Xhaka, Guendouzi, Torreira, Ceballos, Luiz, Holding, Chambers, Lacazette, are all lacking dynamism, in a league that’s dominated by physicality We’ve been damned if we play Luiz + Xhaka, and dammed if we don’t. Partey will give us some power and drive through the centre, and speed up our play, But we need a right sided centre back who can do what Luiz does in possession, but can intercept, drive 30 metres, but also brings the power of Partey.… Read more »
ES
That’s what you wrote:
“Arteta may not have been world class, but he was still a very good class of player with
over 20 years of playing and coaching experience!!!”
Now you wants to change it.
Marc
Did you watch the Leicester game? Leicester are a very good and stable team.
Had our early goal not been disallowed the outcome might have been different.
They played us at our own game by soaking up pressure and then we were suckered by Vardy.
We are not the first or last team who will lose to Leicester.
“Partey will give us some power and drive through the centre, and speed up our play” Think Partey will be a big help in away matches. If teams try and press us he can drive forward into the space and take numerous opposition players out of the game and release players into the resulting space that comes with that runs from deep. We already saw bit of it at Old Trafford. The issue with Partey is, despite all his power, he’s simply not comfortable moving ahead of play without the ball, so at home and in certain games away from… Read more »
Dominick Szo with a hattrick.
Nelson
Do you read what people post?
Arteta has 20 years experience as a top level footballer AND coach. That is I would suggest
plenty of experience.
If I follow your view both Guardiola and Zidane should never have been appointed managers
at Barcelona and Real Madrid. Guardiola’s prior experience was managing their B Team.
St Polten have conceded 31 goals and counting against Salzburg in just under two years playing against them.
Reminiscent of Burnley and Man City
Leeds/ Everton what we think? high scoring or low scoring? I get better odds on high scoring. 3-1 either side winning,
ES
“If I follow your view both Guardiola and Zidane should never have been appointed managers”
There’s a difference though isn’t there and a significant one.
Both those rookies at the time took over at clubs that were not only at the top of the tree in their own domestic leagues but also world football.
ES
You still argue with me. What you wrote is coaching experience!! ?
Go back and read your post again!! I am really disappointed with you.
Emirates
I did watch the Leicester match – that make any difference to the fact our home record prior to Arteta was excellent – including the year they won the title.
“Guardiola’s prior experience was managing their B Team.”
Which is experience Arteta is lacking – actually managing a team yourself.
Nelson
Zidane’s management experience before his two periods running Real Madrid was limited
to Real Madrid Castillia, which is their B team.
So the two top clubs in World Football have both appointed “inexperienced” managers!!!
Emirates
But still more experienced than Arteta unless you’re going to tell me that no experience is better than some at a lower level?
Emirates nothing you wrote there had anything to do with Arteta having more football pedigree than most of his competitors, that was the nonsense I pulled you up on and predictably it ends with me being a fair weather fan. A team mirror their coach, we are playing boring,safe football because that’s what Arteta feels comfortable playing. And the part about winning the FA cup “against all odds” is dramatic, we are not a newly promoted team, we are a team with a champions league wage bill that beat Two teams City and Chelsea,both of who lost at least 8… Read more »
Marc
Do me a favour running the B team at Real Madrid and Barcelona is no different than being
an Academy Coach.
At least Arteta was a senior coach with first team at Man City.
ES doesn’t get it.
It can be seen as an easier task to take over as a rookie at an undisputed top club in the land.
Sure there is pressure to perform but many of the pieces are already in place to assist you in succeeding.
St Polten have now conceded 32 goals against Salzburg in just under two years.
7 goals now for Salzburg.
Emirates
No I won’t do you a favour – sitting on the bench next to the guy making the decisions does not make you a coach with the experience to step into the hot seat yourself.
The reason I know that is because Zidane has won among other things 2 titles and 3 CL’s, Pep won among other things 3 titles and 2 CL’s.
When Arteta has 1 of each (at Arsenal) I’ll buy you a drink before a match one day.
Ooops.
33 goals conceded now.
8 goals for Salzburh
Ishola 70 I do get it. You don’t rate Arteta as a Manager and Coach. Zidane and Guardiola had no management or senior coaching experience before taking over at Real Madrid and Barcelona. Managing a top team is actually more demanding than running Arsenal, because the expectation level is higher. You keep on rabbiting like the others with your negativity about Arteta. Let’s be realistic no Manager taking over at Arsenal with fans like you will get plaudits because he would need to be a magician. Fergie would never have survived at Man Utd with fans like you, because he… Read more »
Arteta was only part of a coaching team at Man City.
The squad was world class and settled into a style of play.
It doesn’t prepare him to take on our club with the poor squad that we have.
It’s not only the results but the way we are playing, the lack of shots and poor midfield set up.
He could have made more changes to personnel but he insisted on keeping the dross.
He won’t last
Lack of experience isnt the biggest problem with Arteta,
The biggest problem is it is hard to describe him as a smart/intelligent footballer, the main reason he wasnt part of Spains national team.
Emirates only response is you lack patience
Says it all really
ES
It’s not a case of me not rating Arteta. I haven’t written him off just yet.
But at this time his team are reflecting what he was like as a player at Arsenal which was many times bland.
All I simply did was to point out to you that Arteta as rookie hasn’t got the riches to work with which Guardiola and Zidane did when they came in as rookies.
Not only did we appoint a rookie, we appointed him and promoted him to be on par with his technical director. Basically Arteta marks his own tests and awards himself scores.
It’s strange that the ones calling out Arteta on here aren’t saying he can’t be a good coach or won’t go on to be a good coach – they’re saying he’s demonstrating his lack of experience something some of us were concerned about.
Even the usually mild mannered Emirates is getting spikey with “fans like you” jibes.
Ok ES
Let’s put it another way.
We already know that two rookie managers have come in at top clubs real top clubs and had further success with them. Top success.
How many rookie managers to date have come in at a club that are on Europa League level and gone on to win top honours for that club? Real top success
And no this is not domestic cups. It’s league titles or CL glory.
ES
“Fergie would never have survived at Man Utd with fans like you,”
What?
Fergie did miracles with Aberdeen in europe before going to Man United.
There is a slight difference here ES.
Ishola well Arteta won league titles at City before coming here, he is responsible for the growth of Sterling and Sane, he basically ran City.
That’s the nonsense most fans swallowed when he was being touted.
We are being peddled with a when you wish upon a star dream here.
Arteta has a job on that much is for sure. One big job he has got on.
Ishola 70 Fergie did not win a League Title for 6 seasons at Man Utd. Also his pedigree as a player, coach and manager before joining Man Utd was entirely in Scotland. Hardly a recommendation for a top Manager. Fergie got lucky that there was a talented group of players in their Academy who got him out of gaol just before he was about to be sacked. For the record Arsenal have a track record of recruiting Managers with limited football Management experience. Some won Titles and Trophies and others did not. The most notable managers in that category were:… Read more »
Mourinho at Porto won the Europa then the CL
Arteta 1 trophy
Poch 0 trophies
You can’t rip other clubs and managers for not winning trophies.
Claim Arsene was a failure between 2005-2014 because top 4 isn’t a trophy.
Then say Arteta is a failure, in spite of winning a trophy.
Either winning trophies is important, or it isn’t
If you listen to the Arteta apologists on her ginning up Artetas invisible resume. You would think City had never won anything before Arteta joined Guardiola’s set up. We might also assume that all Pep did was attend pre conferences that Arteta did everything. You may also infer that Arteta was peps 2nd in command. He was not.
We took a punt on a no name horse and now he is bringing up the rear at the Epsom derby.
Allegri is still available as im typing.
Emirates
Sorry but you’re contradicting yourself now.
“Fergie did not win a League Title for 6 seasons at Man Utd.”
But in a post only half an hour before
“Fergie would never have survived at Man Utd with fans like you, because he was unsuccessful there for almost a decade before he turned the club around.”
6 years is not almost a decade.
You’re moving the goal posts to suit you now.
Martinez also won the FA cup Rich, with Wigan no less
Laudrop won the league cup with Swansea
Winning the FA cup with Arsenal really isn’t the earth shattering achievement some of you want it to be seen as, it really isn’t
Arteta shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentenced with Pochettino, at least not yet. I don’t rate Poch as much as some but he worked wonders at Spurs and won’t be caught dead playing this timid scared to loss by much football Arteta plays
Rich
You know the answer to your question.
Any trophy apart from League Title and Champions League is not rated by these posters.
Rich
Of course winning trophies is important but so is what trophies you are winning.
The FA Cup was great but Arteta will be measured on his league performance – right now that is not good.
‘Do me a favour running the B team at Real Madrid and Barcelona is no different than being
an Academy Coach’
Emirates
Stop pissing away all the respect that people have for you.
Real Madrid Castilla play in division of Spanish football like the English championship.
Stop digging a hole
Hahaha comparing Arteta with someone who actually managed a team before, next we might start comparing him to ancelloti.
The only time Arteta took charge of a match for city, he lost. No sauce from Mcsauce am afraid.
Marc
What is the contradiction?
If Arsenal and Man Utd listened to so-called fans like you no Manager at either club would
last 5 minutes in the job.
Fortunately both clubs have more sense than to act on a whim.
“Fortunately both clubs have more sense than to act on a whim.”
Nothing going on at Arsenal can be described as sensible
Emirates
The contradiction was one minute it was almost a decade then next it was 6 years / seasons.
6 years is not almost a decade – you’re stretching the truth to try and justify an argument.
Didn’t Fergie win the European.cup winners with Rangers before going to United?
Emirates stroller is hell bent in reducing that expectation to nothing. He’s forgetting that Fergia had 12 years in football management before he was appointed at United.
Emirates
“If Arsenal and Man Utd listened to so-called fans like you no Manager at either club would
last 5 minutes in the job.”
Really – ask Pedro about that. I’m one of the few who said we needed to give Emery a season before judging him and was widely slagged off on here (not by you) .
Don’t tell me I’m knee jerk when I haven’t said the manager should be sacked only he seriously needs to up his game and should with the current squad be doing significantly better.
Rich
Mourinho was not a rookie manager when he joined Porto and Porto were not a europa league level club either.
Poch didnt win titles but his team was convincing, diet Pep is serving us with dog poop for appetizer then dog puje for dessert
Ishola
Some just don’t seem to be able to understand that experience at a lower level is still experience.
Good job they don’t watch F1 they’d be telling parents “don’t fuck about with carting you should stick your 12 year old straight into an F1 car”
If Arteta as a rookie manager coming in at the level Arsenal are right now goes on to win a title of in three to four years he will be unique.
It will be a first surely. First time it has happened.
Thinking it’s too early to judge Arteta, doesn’t equate to being an Arteta apologist.
I just prefer to see how the season pans out, see how the team progresses over the next 12-18 months, and over the next 3-4 transfer windows.
I said the same for Emery until he lost the dressing room, that he needed 3 -4 seasons and much better decision making.
Fans will likely force Arteta out, but I’m not convinced we can progress without some stability both on and off the pitch.
Just watched the training video, Saka + Willian both trained.
As did Martinelli
Dissenter I know more about Real Madrid Castilla than you have had hot dinners. The B team at both Real Madrid and Barcelona is part of their Academy Programme. The only difference is that they participate in the Spanish League Structure albeit they cannot progress into top division. For the record I discussed at least 30 years ago with Ken Friar that the major clubs in England should adopt a similar programme or operate a satellite club system so that we do not need to farm out players elsewhere. However, the fact is that both Zidane and Guardiola had zero… Read more »
Thinking it’s too early to judge Arteta, doesn’t equate to being an Arteta apologist.
This.
Most managers take time to make a mark,
Rich
No one (well not me anyway) is making a final judgement on Arteta but it’s not unreasonable to say after 29 PL matches “his mid season report card” is not great and needs improvement.
And yes I do realise that 29 matches is not mid season.
Watching the Everton Leeds game both teams build ups are far faster than ours.
A lot of one touch football which we have lost.
We are now pedestrian, and easy to defend against.
We are drifting backwards again
Highly rated as a coach by who and what is this rating based on exactly? Cameras shoved in the face of Man City players?
Ishola 70
For the record Mourinho’s first job in football was as a translator for Robson. He had very limited football and coaching background before he went to Porto.
No-one disputes that he was a successful Manager, but the idea that he was a successful footballer or coach before he took the job at Porto is ludicrous.
ES why is a view different with you a negative?
Most here give valid reasons why Arteta in their opinion is struggling to manage the team and making some strange decisions by hanging onto players that have been seen countless times to be well below what is needed to move forward.
Arteta is struggling and the teams confidence is shot.
He trains them and he picks them, it’s down to him
Rich
“Fans will likely force Arteta out”
It’s highly likely that we will not have large numbers of fans in the grounds until after Easter which is still 4 months away and we only have 8 PL matches scheduled after Easter anyway and 4 of those are away so I don’t think fans will be forcing much at all this season.
Dave
It’s quite odd usually Emirates is one of the more reasonable balanced posters on here.
Clearly Kim Dumb Pedro has kidnapped his family and threatened “support Arteta or else”. Fortunately I’m immune to such threats – if he kidnapped any of my relatives I’d refuse to take them back!
The odd thing is many are arguing Arteta is making clear errors based on inexperience and Emirates is having none of that. So if it isn’t inexperience we are left with incompetence.
You can be patient with inexperience, the Patience Emirate’s is advocating but no patience for incompetence.
So if you are preaching patience its because you believe Arteta is inexperienced and will only get better, which means all this back and forth, and accusations of fair weather support, has been for nothing
Same here Marc
Lol
Emirates, when you realise posters like Marc/RH are here to exact revenge on me for Emery, it’s easier to digest why they are calling for Arteta’s job a few games into the season.
‘But what about Emery’
It’s not real opinion, it’s a vendetta.
Win our next three games and they’ll all go back to their basements until the next rocky patch.
Note who isn’t here when we win.
If E-strollers. Underlying point is Le Grove can be a spiral of negativity feeding off of other negative posts and going round and round further and further down the dark hole where nobody can see anything positive, then I can agree with that.. But that is nothing new been going on since I been here through 4 managers now. It’s not strictly Arteta related or a new phenomena. I think it is still too early … plenty time to turn it around and we do need to turn it around. . .Fans won’t force Arteta out .. ultimately results will.… Read more »