Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video

Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool felt very very like a microcosm of Arsenal’s season to date: Some optimism, extra Bukayo brilliance, a set-back, spectacular resilience, extra harm points, a smattering of officiating controversy, and a end result which isn’t essentially dangerous however one which is tinged with disappointment as a result of it would/ought to have been extra constructive.

It began effectively, with Saka and Jurrien Timber within the workforce, we seemed respectable on paper. The actual fact the Dutchman was deployed at left-back would possibly say one thing about how Mikel Arteta feels about Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko, however in isolation there was some logic in placing such a stable one-on-one defender in opposition to the standard of Mo Salah.

Ben White’s wonderful lengthy ball despatched Saka free behind the Liverpool defence, he in the reduction of inside Andy Robertson and slammed the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher at his close to publish. Simply ruthless effectivity within the last third from a participant who has, to my thoughts anyway, gone up a degree this season. It’s not the very same aim, however the high quality and precision of the touches which rendered the defender ineffective jogged my memory only a little bit of Dennis Bergkamp’s World Cup strike in opposition to Argentina.

The sport was fairly even at that time. Liverpool obtained again into it from a nook. Good motion from Luis Diaz noticed him flick the ball on and Virgil van Dijk was first to it, heading dwelling from shut vary to make it 1-1. I assumed the way in which we responded was wonderful although, and after that equaliser we dominated the sport. 5 pictures to Liverpool’s 0. Mikel Merino ought to have scored from an ideal Declan Rice free kick, and worryingly appeared to harm his shoulder once more however he carried on after some remedy.

There have been practically moments when half possibilities might need transpired, however there was little doubt we have been on high. Late within the half, one other Rice free kick noticed Merino head dwelling from shut vary to make it 2-1. The supply was wonderful, the header emphatic, however we had an interminable wait as VAR checked for offside. Why we’re nonetheless ready for the implementation of semi-automated offside checks, I do not know, however PGMOL is gonna PGMOL, I suppose. Each weekend they make themselves the star of the present, even in mundane methods like this. It’s so tiresome.

Ultimately the aim stood, and going into the break I assumed we have been worthy of our lead, and the second half was set-up very properly. Virtually instantly on resumption although, the harm gods struck once more. This time Gabriel did one thing to his knee underneath a problem from Darwin Nunez, tried to hold on, however couldn’t. He was changed by Jakub Kiwior, and I do assume this had a big effect on the sport.

It’s onerous to quantify, or show, however I feel we felt his absence as a psychological blow. Kiwior did effective, however there’s a presence to the large Brazilian that was lacking, and if you’re already with out William Saliba, it had an influence on our mindset. Liverpool had extra of the ball with out being overly harmful, and we appeared blissful sufficient to allow them to have it and defend the lead. After all shedding Timber with about 20 minutes to go wasn’t supreme both, which meant we performed the ultimate a part of the sport with a midfielder at right-back, our common right-back at centre-half, our third selection left centre-back alongside him, and an 18 yr outdated who – on paper initially of the season – would have been fifth selection at greatest.

Which is to take nothing away from Myles Lewis-Skelly, by the way in which. He got here on and did effectively, I used to be impressed by his determination making, however I discovered a few of the post-game evaluation about how Arsenal weren’t actually lacking too many gamers very odd. Do they not have eyes, or enough data about our squad? To say that again 4 was makeshift is an understatement and a half. The query as to why we don’t ‘go for it’ a bit extra isn’t an invalid one, however when you have already got the lead and you don’t have that unbelievable defensive platform that has been so essential to how we play, it’s not precisely rocket science to grasp why we’d develop into just a little danger averse in that situation.

My huge remorse from this sport although is the second equaliser, as a result of it got here after we had an excellent likelihood to make one thing occur up the opposite finish. Lewis-Skelly performed an excellent ball down the road to Martinelli, and whereas I settle for there’s some fatigue if you get to the 81st minute, not for the primary time yesterday his first contact within the last third wasn’t what it wanted to be.

Arteta is so hardly ever publicly crucial of his gamers, however he referenced it afterwards, saying:

The second is the transition second. We’ve got to finish up within the last third with an opportunity to take, and ten seconds later, we’re 2 v 1 inside our personal field at this degree in opposition to this workforce. Clearly, you can’t give that away.

To be honest to Liverpool, they executed that transition very effectively. The cross from Alexander Arnold is incredible, and we have been a bit disorganised on the again which allowed somebody pretty much as good as Salah to take benefit, however for me it stems from not being environment friendly sufficient after we had the possibility to make one thing occur up the opposite finish. Arteta placed on Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri for Saka and Martinelli, and the Brazilian did have a shot which Kelleher saved.

As for the ‘aim’ we had disallowed, I simply don’t assume that’s any sort of foul from Kiwior. The actual fact the ball was put in a few seconds after the referee finally blew his whistle makes it onerous to analyse correctly as gamers react to that, however that preliminary determination to award Liverpool a free kick was very, very beneficiant for my part. There have been different moments too. I’m stunned van Dijk wasn’t a minimum of booked for his double kick out at Havertz early within the first half. If that was Granit Xhaka and so forth and so forth. There was a giant penalty shout within the first half too when Konate steamed via Martinelli. My guess there may be they’ll say Martinelli wasn’t absolutely in command of the ball, however I feel Liverpool obtained a bit fortunate there. Or, to place it one other method, if that was at Anfield and the roles reversed, I feel the choice would have gone their method.

In the end although, this was a sport that we had in our arms, however as soon as once more let slip. I don’t assume it’s doable to speak about why with out referencing that again 4, and the way that may influence the workforce’s solidity. The central defensive partnership is principally the very best within the Premier League, and we ended the sport with out each of them. Saka and Timber seemed 75% match, which is comprehensible, and it’s to their immense credit score they have been pretty much as good as they have been on the day. And oh for Martin Odegaard’s craft on a day like that.

We have been lacking so much from the beginning, and ended up even weaker by the top. Which isn’t an excuse, however it’s a cause, and it appears like each sport there’s one thing new to take care of from an harm perspective. After final season after we had a fairly clear invoice of well being for many of it, the scales have tipped too far the opposite method now. Please let it cease.

Arteta sounded the positives afterwards when requested if he felt like nothing was going our method, saying:

No, that is soccer, circumstances are going to make us higher and they’re making us higher. So if we have been capable of be the place we’re and competing the way that we do, I see the workforce I’ve no doubts, three days earlier than I informed you we’re going to be flying on Sunday, and we began flying and have been the higher workforce by far. However we would have liked to seize the factors at this time to make a mirrored image of the place we’re and the place we need to be, we couldn’t do it however for positive we’re there.

I do know what he means. To deal with all of the accidents, absences, suspensions and so forth, and nonetheless be there or thereabouts might be seen as encouraging, since you assume what you’ll be able to if you get the gamers again. However this morning, that received’t essentially be the balm that soothes the frustration if you get pegged again late on. And we all know the margins within the Premier League are so tight. There are some troublesome video games developing earlier than the subsequent Interlull, so we’ll should hope the issues we sustained yesterday aren’t too critical. And with a Carabao Cup sport in midweek, the supervisor has some very critical pondering to do in regards to the workforce he places out in opposition to Preston earlier than a visit to Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime.

Proper, I’ll depart it there for now. We may have an Arsecast Additional for you in a short while, after all. We’ve put out the decision for questions on Threads @gunnerblog and @arseblog with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or if you happen to’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, depart your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.

Pod ought to be out round midday. For now, have an excellent one.

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