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Arsenal's soft underbelly exposed as the Premier League title race gets to the final stretch.
For the second week in a row, Arsenal have drawn two games in somewhat similar manner. Going two goals up very comfortably against both Liverpool and West Ham, only for one elementary mistake to change the momentum of both games.
Let us start with the game against Liverpool at Anfield. Arsenal had not won at that ground since September 2012, when a certain Mikel Arteta ran the midfield alongside Abou Diaby and Santi Czorla.
The game at Anfield a fortnight was not too dissimilar for the Gunners in the opening 30 minutes. They played with a swashbuckling swagger that would have made Arsene Wenger proud.Bukayo Saka stretched Robertson all game. Gabriel Martinelli continued to give critics a reason to continue calling out Trent Alexander Arnold’s defensive shortcomings.
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Jesus continued being a pest for Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate with his hold up play and tenacity. Everyone generally played well, even Rob Holding, who people had been expressing doubts about his on-the-ball quality and lack of pace (more on that later) before the game.
Step forward minute 37, when Granit Xhaka had a go at Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the crowd at Anfield awoke. Just a few minutes later, Mohammed Salah’s goal had reduced the deficit.
From then onwards, Arsenal reverted back into their cocoon against Liverpool at Anfield. They stopped taking initiative and allowed Liverpool back into the game by giving them too much respect and allowing them to whip balls into the box at every available opportunity. Arsenal were lucky not to lose in the end, although they did miss a last minute chance to win when Martinelli gave a wayward pass to Bukayo Saka on the counter attack.
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The 8 point gap suddenly reduced to 6 points on Man City with a game in hand. No time to feel sorry for themselves heading into the West Ham game.
A trip to the West Londoners followed 7 days later. Again, Arsenal were in total control in the opening 35 minutes of the match. Gabriel Jesus scored after a well worked move into the box. Martin Odegaard continued his strong goalscoring form from midfield. Arsenal were winning this comfortably, right?
Nop! They shot themselves in the foot as this time, It was Thomas Partey’s turn to make an elementary mistake, after he casually gave the ball away, with Declan Rice winning it before passing it to Lucas Paqeta, but the Brazilian was fouled by his fellow compatriot Gabriel to Give West Ham the penalty.
Of course, Aaron Ramsdale cannot save a penalty to save his life. In it went. All of a sudden, West Ham, a team that has been lacking much in fight and desire to come back after conceding a majority of the season gained a foothold into the game.
They started playing for set-pieces and being more direct to try and use their aerial advantage to good effect and it worked for them. Although Arsenal won a penalty which Bukayo Saka subsequently missed( Fabianski was going to catch it anyway even if it had been on target), they could not cope with West Ham’s physicality and aerial advantage.
Jarod Bowen would score soon after from a well executed training ground set piece drill and suddenly, Arsenal felt the same way they felt when Roberto Firmino scored the equalizer last weekend.
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Arsenal suddenly ran out of ideas. Kieran Tierney struggled in his inverted wing back role and he struggled to replicate what Zinchenko does so well. Rob Holding looked shaky in possession. None of his attempted long balls could find their target and he lacked the kind of composure William Saliba brings on board.
Ben White was nowhere to be seen. Partey was made to look average by Declan Rice.Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka struggled to make things happen in their 8 roles. Martinelli struggled to perform and was rightly subbed off, but the elephant in the room was Bukayo Saka.
You might say that he struggled after missing that penalty, but generally, he was marked out of the game and struggled to do the things that have made him such an integral player for Arteta’s system this season. He clearly should have been subbed off, But Mikel Arteta genuinely believes that Arsenal cannot win football games without him in the side.
After the game, Arteta and Jesus were on the same page, admitting that the game had been Arsenal’s to take but they lost.
Arteta told Sky Sports: "Very disappointing. The way we started was superb again, to go 2-0 up and you have the game in total control.
"Then we have to blame ourselves because we lost that purpose to really attack them. Instead we kept the ball for the sake of playing and we gave them hope. Obviously we conceded a terrible penalty, the way that we gave the ball away, and after that credit to them.
"Once again, the three points were in our hands," the Brazilian striker said after the game. "As a team, we have to raise the level and come back to our principles. We know our strength, we know what we can do. Where we want to attack the opponent, in the first 10 to 20 minutes we did so good, after that we dropped our level and that obviously cannot happen if you want to fight for the title.
Arteta and Jesus are on the same page as me. Arsenal need to stop making elementary mistakes and must stay focused every match. Otherwise, It is Manchester City’s to lose.
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