Man United vs. Arsenal: Gunners win 1-0 to take title race to final day of season

   The Gunners will take the title race to the final day of the season after edging Manchester United 1-0 on Sunday. They earned their 27th victory in the Premier League, breaking the club record for most wins in a single season. Arsenal had 11 shots, 1 big chance and 1.71 xG to 14 shots, 0 big chance and 0.64 xG for the Red Devils, according to Opta.

Photo credit: Premier League

   Arteta made no change to the side that defeated Bournemouth the previous weekend. Despite a full week of rest, the Gunners didn’t play at their best. The passing in the final third wasn’t quick enough mostly because of a lack of movement. Mental fatigue certainly played a role since Arteta is reluctant to rotate his team.

   The Red Devils couldn’t capitalize on Arsenal’s off day. The hosts barely threatened with speculative shots from the edge of the box and relied on a potential moment of magic from Garnacho to find the net. Of course, Manchester United lacked quite a few regular starters, but it’s still a feat to win at Old Trafford. In the past 10 years, the Gunners had only won once in that stadium. That was in November 2020 when Arteta still played a back three and Saka was deployed as a left wingback.

   Arsenal started the game on the front foot, camping in the Red Devils’ half. Saka even tested Onana with an angled strike in the 4th minute. But some casualness from Partey killed the momentum. Partey tried to dribble in the defensive third and was robbed by McTominay in the 5th minute. The ball fell to Hojlund, who blazed over the bar. The Gunners had another shaky moment in the 10th when Rice made an inaccurate back pass to Tomiyasu, forcing Raya to come off his line and clear the danger.

Sloppy plays

   Somehow, the Gunners regained their composure and the control of the game. They scored by pressing high up the pitch in the 21st. Havertz closed down Onana, who punted the ball down the pitch. Saliba headed the ball to White, who found Havertz along the touchline. Havertz toyed with Evans before squaring the ball back to Trossard, who beat Onana from close range. Havertz was played onside by Casemiro, who lacked the defensive awareness to play Havertz offside.

   That goal should have opened the floodgates. But Arsenal suddenly became passive, focusing on protecting that slim lead. That approach didn’t work a couple of seasons ago. But the Gunners have the best defense in the league now, and we all know the magical stat: they have always come away with the 3 points when they lead at halftime this season.

   In his post-match news conference, Arteta made it clear that it wasn’t part of the plan to play passively after the goal. “We started to play too safe, not respecting any structure and knowing our purpose, and I didn’t like it,” Arteta said. Sometimes, players subconsciously override the manager’s instructions and manage the game by themselves because of factors like mental fatigue.

   The Gunners had to wait until the 65th for their first shot on target after the goal. Odegaard cut inside to hit a tame effort that didn’t trouble Onana. Arsenal nearly helped Manchester United get back in the game with some sloppy plays in the second half. Saka and White got confused by a run from Dalot in the 61st and neither Saka nor White tracked Garnacho, who curled a shot wide.

   The Red Devils finally had their first shot on target in the 68th when Casemiro fired a long-range strike straight at Raya. Then Tomiyasu had a lapse of concentration in the 72nd. White made a pass to Tomiyasu, who made the mistake of waiting for the ball to reach his feet. Antony got in front of Tomiyasu and intercepted the ball only to drag a shot straight at Raya. Manchester United capitalized on another sloppy moment to hit Arsenal on the fast break in the 77th. The Red Devils had a 4v4 situation after Saka gave the ball away, but Garnacho could only fire into the side-netting.

Havertz finishing the season strong

   Realizing that his team was sitting deep and waiting for counterattacking opportunities, Arteta replaced Trossard with Martinelli in the 66th. Martinelli got his chance in the 79th when he cut inside Wan-Bissaka to fire a powerful strike that Onana tipped over the bar. Arteta had to make another substitution after Saka picked up an injury while crashing out of bounds. Jesus replaced Saka in the 82nd and ended up performing defensive duties.

   The Gunners had a couple of chances to double the lead in the closing minutes. Onana palmed away a curling shot from Rice in the 83rd. Then Rice was in the same situation as Havertz for the opening goal but lacked accuracy with his pass in the 89th, playing the ball behind Jesus. Arteta shut up shop by replacing Partey and Odegaard with Kiwior and Jorginho in stoppage time.

   Leading the line, Havertz had only one opportunity to shine but he made the most of it by providing the assist for Trossard. Havertz also set up Odegaard for a low shot in the 65th. The Gunners pretty much used Havertz as a target man. He won 5 of 15 aerial duels, according to whoscored.com. Havertz raised his Premier League tally to 19 goal involvements (12 goals, 7 assists) this season. The Germany international is definitely finishing the season strong with 5 goal involvements in the last 4 games.

   More tomorrow. Check the homepage for the updated version.

 

Arsenal vs. Bournemouth: Gunners earn 4th straight win to stay in title race

   Arsenal kept the lead in the Premier League by sinking Bournemouth 3-0 on Saturday. Of course, the standings are misleading because the Citizens have a game in hand and therefore have their fate in their hands, but at least the Gunners are still in the title race whereas Liverpool dropped out of contention. Arsenal had 25 shots, 2 big chances and 3.38 xG to 7 shots, 0 big chance and 0.46 xG for the Cherries, according to Opta.

Photo credit: Premier League

   Arteta made no change to the side that defeated Tottenham a week ago. You can expect the Spanish manager to be conservative in his team selection for the 2 remaining games as the Gunners only play once a week now.

   The officiating was erratic for both sides on Saturday. Bournemouth should have been down to 10 men in the first half. Christie could have received a straight red card in the 11th minute for planting his studs into Saka’s knee. It was a high tackle similar to the one made by Vieira against Burnley last November. Vieira was sent off for his high tackle. Christie’s tackle was not a leg-breaker because it didn’t catch Saka’s standing leg, but it still left a deep cut just below the kneecap.

Christie plants his studs into Saka’s knee. (Photo credit: TNT)

A different angle of Christie’s foul. (Photo credit: TNT)

   Christie did not even receive a yellow card for that foul. When a referee is lenient, some players think that they can get away with bad fouls. Three minutes later, Christie made a late tackle on Havertz. It should have been a yellow card but the referee only awarded a free kick. It’s only in the 21st when Scott made a poor tackle on Trossard that the referee finally handed out his first yellow card. Somehow, the referee realized that the Cherries would keep making bad fouls if there was no booking.

Christie makes a late tackle on Havertz. (Photo credit: TNT)

   The Gunners started the game on the front foot by pressing high up the pitch to stifle Bournemouth. Havertz got the first shot on target in the 14th by chasing a lofted pass from Tomiyasu to fire a snapshot that Travers parried. Saliba then turned into a box-to-box player in the 18th. The France centerback played a one-two with Saka before cutting inside to shoot straight at Travers. The Irish goalkeeper also denied Saka in the 20th and Partey in the 27th.

A slight drop in fitness levels

   Arsenal had the opportunity to break the deadlock with set pieces. Tomiyasu met a corner from Saka in the 20th only to have his header cleared off the line. The Japan defender proved an aerial threat again in the 23rd when he knocked down a free kick for Partey, whose half-volley sailed over the bar.

   It was one-way traffic. Yet, the Gunners could not turn their dominance into goals. Havertz knocked down a cross for Rice, who missed the target with his half-volley in the 38th. As the clock was ticking, the opening goal came from a mistake by Travers in the 42nd. Odegaard slipped a through ball to Havertz, whose foot was clipped by Travers. You could say that it was a generous penalty because Havertz initiated contact by dragging his foot. But from the moment Travers missed the ball, he was at the mercy of a harsh call. Saka converted the subsequent penalty by sending Travers the wrong way.

   Arsenal looked to quickly add a second goal after the break. Rice made an interception in the 49th and flicked the ball toward Havertz, who held off Smith to feed Saka. From 15 yards, Saka hit a tame shot that Travers palmed away. Havertz then took a pass from Partey in the 52nd and skipped past Zabarnyi to test Travers with a low strike from 18 yards.

   Despite those chances, the Gunners’ fitness levels seemed to drop a bit. The Cherries had only 1 goal attempt in the first half but managed to have 6 shots in the first 20 minutes after the restart. Solanke capitalized on a fast break in the 53rd to fire an angled shot that Raya saved. That was Bournemouth’s best chance of the game, according to Opta.

Arsenal doubled the lead with a messy play in the 70th. Senesi blocked Odegaard’s through ball for Havertz, but Rice pounced on the loose ball and got past Smith with a lucky bounce to set up Trossard, who beat Travers with a first-time effort from 13 yards.

What is an obstruction?

   The Cherries nearly pulled one back in the 73rd when Tomiyasu cleared a cross from Senesi. The ball looped high into the air and Raya came off his line to punch the ball into the path of Christie, whose volley hit the bar. Semenyo swept the rebound home, but the goal was disallowed for a nudge from Solanke on Raya.

   The video review took a lot of time because there was minimal contact between Solanke and Raya. The main argument for ruling out the goal was that Solanke did not intend to play the ball and only wanted to obstruct Raya. A more liberal referee would have let the goal stand because the contact only occurred when Raya was running toward the ball. There was no contact when Raya jumped in the air to punch the ball away. In hindsight, that makes the direct corner kick scored by Douglas Luiz in 2022 completely farcical. Kamara was holding Ramsdale on that play, preventing him from jumping to punch the ball away. Yet, the officials thought there was no obstruction.

Arsenal should have put the result beyond doubt in the 77th. Saka cut the ball back for Odegaard, who missed the target from 6 yards. That was the second big chance of the game. Arteta replaced Trossard with Martinelli in the 81st and Saka with Jesus in the 85th. The Gunners sealed the win with a counterattack in the seventh minute of stoppage time. Jesus found Rice, who shot past Travers from a tight angle. It was so ironic that the referee waited until stoppage time to book Christie for a late tackle on Odegaard.

   Leading the line, Havertz produced an outstanding all-around performance. He got no goal and no assist but played a key role in breaking the deadlock by winning the penalty for the opening goal. Havertz proved a useful outlet with his physicality, winning 4 of 11 aerial duels, according to whoscored.com. He had very few goalscoring opportunities, but showed good composure by hitting the target with his 2 goal attempts.

Saka’s mentality

   The time Havertz spent as a left No. 8 definitely helped him understand Arsenal’s passing game. He created good chances for Rice in the 38th and Saka in the 49th. Havertz nearly had an assist in the 54th, but Cook’s sliding tackle prevented Saka from converting Havertz’s low cross. The Germany international was also tidy in possession with just 2 turnovers compared to 5 for Bournemouth striker Solanke, 4 for Trossard and 4 for Saka, according to whoscored.com. Havertz showed the quality of his hold-up play in the 53rd by keeping the ball away from Zabarnyi and Smith before finding Trossard in midfield.

   Defensively, Havertz worked his socks off to press high up the pitch. He made 10 defensive actions (4 tackles, 1 interception, 5 recoveries) compared to 3 for Trossard and 4 for Saka, according to fbref.com. Havertz was unlucky to get booked in the 60th for catching Senesi with his elbow while challenging for a high ball.

   On the right wing, Saka matched his tally from last season by notching his 25th goal involvement in the Premier League this season. That kind of consistency should not be taken for granted. To put things in context, Jesus, Martinelli and Odegaard all have lower tallies this season. Yet, what makes Saka such a special player is his mentality. He was the victim of a really bad tackle in the 11th. Some players would have been intimidated. But Saka reacted like a warrior, having 3 of 6 shots on target and leading all players with 5 key passes.

   I thought Saka’s shot placement for his chance in the 49th was poor, especially since he was not marked. It would have been a goal if Saka had aimed at a corner, but he went for a safe shot, almost in the middle of the net. Saka’s creative side can sometimes be underestimated. He created 4 chances from open play, setting up Saliba in the 18th, Partey in the 27th and Odegaard in the 58th and the 77th.

Trossard, a clinical shooter

   Saka was replaced by Jesus, who wasted a good situation in the second minute of stoppage time by running into traffic. But the Brazilian striker showed better decision-making a few minutes later by making the assist for the final goal. Jesus raised his Premier League tally to 9 goal involvements (4 goals, 5 assists) in 25 appearances this season, which is a poor return compared to last season when he had 17 goal involvements (11 goals, 6 assists) in 26 appearances.

   On the left wing, Trossard extended his good run of form by notching a 4th goal in his last 6 games. He had 2 shots blocked in the opening minutes before blazing over the bar in the 18th. But Trossard didn’t miss when he got a decent chance in the 70th. Trossard is one of the most clinical shooters in the Arsenal squad. The Belgium forward has outperformed his xG tally by 2.38, according to Understat. Only Rice has done better by outperforming his xG tally by 4.02. To put things in context, Jesus, Martinelli, Saka and Nketiah have underperformed their xG tally by 3.24, 0.84, 0.58 and 0.06, respectively. Odegaard and Havertz have been less wasteful by outperforming their xG tally by 1.21 and 0.17, respectively.

At 29, Trossard still has room to improve his impact in the final third. He failed to attack the 6-yard box for a potential tap-in when Rice made a teasing cross in the 65th. And despite the flurry of chances, Trossard failed to make any key pass. He was replaced by Martinelli, who is struggling for confidence and wasted a good situation in the 82nd by stumbling inside the Bournemouth area.

Rice’s ‘Man of the Match’ performance

   In midfield, Odegaard had a big influence on the game despite making just 1 key pass. He led all players with 69 passes, including 19 progressive passes, according to fbref.com. Odegaard was involved in 2 goals. First, he slipped a through ball to Havertz for the play that led to the penalty. Then, Odegaard made the penultimate pass for the last goal.

   His understanding with Havertz created problems for the Bournemouth defense. In the 38th, Odegaard made a cross for Havertz, who set up Rice for a shot. The Norway playmaker found Havertz again in the 54th for a play that could have led to a goal. The only blemish in Odegaard’s performance was his poor shooting. He blazed over the bar in the 20th and missed a big chance in the 77th.

   Signed for 105 million pounds from West Ham, Rice produced a ‘Man of the Match’ performance on Saturday. He notched 1 goal and 1 assist to raise his Premier League tally to 15 goal involvements (7 goals, 8 assists) this season. That’s already better than Xhaka’s tally of 14 goal involvements last season. Rice’s desire to recover a loose ball created the second goal while the third goal came from his late run into the box. The England midfielder could have even finished the game with 2 goals and 2 assists but he missed the target with a half-volley in the 38th and Trossard failed to meet his cross in the 65th.

   Rice’s energetic display made me think of a Ramsey in his prime. The England midfielder had 2 successful dribbles out of 3 and led all players with 4 progressive carries, according to fbref.com. That more attacking position is still a learning process for Rice, who killed the momentum of a fast break in the 6th minute. Rice could have played Havertz or Odegaard in, but he hesitated and ended up making a late pass to Saka, who could only win a corner. Despite those offensive contributions, Rice was still able to make 11 defensive actions (1 tackle, 1 block, 2 interceptions, 7 recoveries). One of his interceptions led to a scoring chance for Saka in the 49th.

A solid Saliba

   Partey also had to contribute offensively against a stubborn Bournemouth defense. He tested Travers with a curling shot in the 27th, created a chance for Havertz in the 52nd and made the penultimate pass for Odegaard’s big chance in the 77th. His form dipped a bit in the second half. The Cherries dispossessed Partey in the 53rd to have their best chance of the game. Then Partey got booked for tripping Ouattara in the 59th. The Ghana midfielder still led the Gunners with 12 defensive actions (2 tackles, 2 blocks, 1 interception, 7 recoveries).

   At the back, White and Tomiyasu had to carefully balance their defensive duties and their offensive contributions because of the threat from Kluivert and Semenyo. White and Tomiyasu made 3 and 2 key passes, respectively. Tomiyasu performed better defensively, winning 6 of 8 aerial duels and not allowing any Cherry to dribble past him. However, the Japan defender ran out of gas in the closing minutes as he fouled Semenyo in the 89th and Faivre in the 90th. White struggled a bit defensively. He was dribbled past 3 times and won just 1 of 3 aerial duels, according to whoscored.com.

   In the heart of the Arsenal defense, Saliba produced an outstanding performance. He won his duel against Solanke in the 18th, bullied the Bournemouth striker in the 45th, made a sliding tackle on Kluivert just before halftime and dispossessed Semenyo in the 68th. However, Saliba was lucky not to concede a penalty in the 73rd when he pulled back Billing. The France centerback was smart enough to release Billing just before Raya punched the ball away. Saliba also helped the Gunners play out from the back by making 7 progressive passes.

   By contrast, Magalhaes was more shaky than his centerback partner. Magalhaes dallied on the ball and was robbed by Solanke in the 18th. The Brazilian defender then gave away a silly free kick with a rugby tackle on Solanke in the 62nd.

   The Gunners next visit Manchester United on May 12 before hosting Everton on May 19. They need a win at Old Trafford to still have a shot at the title. It would be a sign of progress if they manage to stay in contention until the final day of the season.

Tottenham vs. Arsenal: Gunners celebrate St Totteringham’s Day to stay in title race

   The Gunners got away with a stinker to stay in the Premier League title race. They beat Tottenham 3-2 on Sunday despite conceding a penalty and making an error that led to a goal. What made the difference was their efficiency on set pieces. Arsenal finished the game with 9 shots, 1 big chance and 1.03 xG compared to 15 shots, 2 big chances and 2.42 xG for Spurs, according to Opta.

Photo credit: Premier League

   Arteta made no change to the side that smashed Chelsea 5-0 on Tuesday. The Gunners got off to a poor start, making silly fouls and losing possession cheaply in their own half. Tottenham created problems by pressing high up the pitch. It wasn’t a sophisticated high press. Basically, Spurs threw a lot of bodies forward to make Arsenal panic.

   The few times the Gunners had enough lucidity, they were able to exploit the big gaps left by Tottenham. For instance, Magalhaes beat the press in the 37th with a vertical pass to Havertz, who evaded a challenge from Romero to find Odegaard. Magalhaes beat again the press in the 61st with a vertical pass to Odegaard, who released Saka down the right wing.

   Arsenal opened the scoring against the run of play in the 15th when Hojbjerg headed a corner from Saka into his own net. The Gunners capitalized on a counterattack to double the lead in the 27th. Havertz hit a long ball toward Saka, who cut inside Davies to curl into the far corner. Arsenal made it 3-0 with a header from Havertz off a corner by Rice in the 38th. Spurs also had chances off set pieces but were less clinical. Romero headed a corner wide in the 19th. A minute later, Romero met a free kick from Maddison only to hit the post.

Small margins

   The scoreline at halftime was flattering because Arsenal’s performance wasn’t really convincing. Arteta sometimes talks about the small margins in football. Everything went Arsenal’s way in the first half. Spurs thought they had equalized in the 22nd, but Van de Ven’s goal was disallowed for a marginal offside. Then Tottenham had a penalty shout turned down in the build-up to Saka’s goal. Kulusevski ran across Trossard and there was contact between Kulusevski’s foot and Trossard’s leg. The Gunners had similar penalty shouts turned down this season, most recently against Bayern Munich and Brentford.

   Arsenal got off to a better start in the second half. Unfortunately, everything went against the Gunners this time. Tomiyasu met a free kick from Rice in the 48th but headed the ball over the bar. Arsenal should have added a fourth goal in the 53rd. Havertz made a cross for Saka, whose low volley was saved by Vicario’s foot.

   The Gunners seemed to be managing the game after that chance. Arteta implicitly acknowledged the situation by replacing Trossard with Martinelli in the 63rd. The idea was to hit Spurs on the fast break with Martinelli’s pace.

   A blunder from Raya in the 64th suddenly changed the momentum. Saliba made a back pass to Raya, who had plenty of time to control and pass the ball. But the Spanish goalkeeper had a brain fart and attempted a lofted pass to Partey with his weaker left foot. The ball landed on the chest of Romero, who buried the ball into the bottom corner.

   Spurs finished strong while Arsenal’s fitness levels seemed to drop. The Gunners were under siege and made another blunder in the 84th. Rice tried to boot a high ball away but was not aware of Davies’ presence behind him. Davies beat Rice to the ball and Rice ended up kicking Davies’ leg. Spurs were awarded a penalty after a video review. Son converted the subsequent penalty to cut Arsenal’s lead to 3-2. Desperate to protect the lead, Arteta switched to a back five in the 89th by sending on Kiwior for Odegaard. Spurs had a couple of set pieces in stoppage time but couldn’t find the net.

Havertz’s journey

   Leading the line, Havertz produced an outstanding performance. He scored with his only goal attempt and created 2 good chances, including the assist for Saka’s goal. His dominance in the air also proved useful to evade Tottenham’s high press. Havertz led all players by winning 8 of 10 aerial duels, according to whoscored.com. By contrast, Spurs striker Son didn’t even win a single aerial duel.

   This season has been quite a journey for Havertz. He started his Arsenal career as a left No. 8 and has become the undisputed false nine at Arsenal. Jesus and Nketiah simply don’t have his consistency and end product. Havertz raised his Premier League tally to 18 goal involvements (12 goals, 6 assists) this season. Only Saka has more goal involvements among the Gunners. The key to Havertz’s success has been his intelligence and reading of the game. He needed time to adapt but now fully understands Arteta’s brand of football, the movement of his teammates and the runs he needs to make.

   On the right wing, Saka took the corner kick for the opening goal and scored the second goal to raise his Premier League tally to 24 goal involvements (15 goals, 9 assists) this season. Saka also led the Gunners with 5 progressive carries, according to fbref.com, and gave Davies a hard time. The Spurs leftback started tiring in the second half and made a poor tackle on Saka in the 80th before receiving a yellow card in the 81st for another poor challenge on Saka. The England winger was fouled 4 times, the most for any player. The icing on the cake was Saka’s outstanding work-rate. He made 12 defensive actions (5 tackles, 2 blocks, 2 interceptions, 3 recoveries), according to fbref.com.

   On the left wing, Trossard had a poor game. He was dispossessed 3 times in his own half and had no end product with 0 shot on target and 0 key pass. The Belgium forward even wasted a counterattacking opportunity in the 41st by missing his pass to Rice. His only decent contribution was to release Havertz down the left wing for Saka’s chance in the 53rd. Trossard was replaced by Martinelli, who gave the ball away in the 73rd with a poor clearance inside his own area. Martinelli got his chance to shine with a fast break in the 77th, but Kulusevski brought him down with a cynical foul.

Rough afternoon for Odegaard

   In midfield, it was a rough afternoon for Odegaard, who was restricted to 23 passes. Arsenal only enjoyed 38% of ball possession, so Odegaard had very few opportunities to do his magic. Spurs gave him no time. Odegaard had 0 successful dribble out of 6 and was fouled 3 times. His passing accuracy dipped to 73.9% compared to 83.3% for Rice and 92.7% for Partey, according to whoscored.com. Somehow, Odegaard still managed to make 7 progressive passes and create 2 low-probability chances.

   Rice was a busy man on Sunday as he led the Gunners with 13 defensive actions (5 tackles, 1 block, 2 interceptions, 5 recoveries). He was used to having very little possession at West Ham, so defending under pressure shouldn’t have been an issue against Tottenham. Yet, Rice conceded a penalty by inadvertently kicking Davies.

   It’s the second penalty that Rice has conceded this season. The England midfielder had never conceded more than 1 penalty in a single season at West Ham. This could be a matter of mental fatigue. Rice had never played in the Champions League or contended for the Premier League title at West Ham. At least, the Gunners benefited from his pinpoint delivery on set pieces. Rice took the corner kick for Havertz’s goal and created a chance for Tomiyasu with a free kick.

   Partey was the obvious choice for the holding midfielder spot. In possession, Partey has the ability to beat the press with his progressive passes and ball carries. The Ghana midfielder had 2 successful dribbles out of 2, but he was also dispossessed 3 times. Out of possession, Partey lost a key duel in the 20th when Romero outjumped him to head a free kick. Partey got booked in the 83rd for killing a counterattack with a cynical foul on Son.

   At the back, Tomiyasu had a poor game and was even naive at times. He led all players with 4 fouls. Kulusevski was going to ground at every opportunity, yet Tomiyasu kept shoving him. The Spurs winger had a field day with 5 successful dribbles out of 7. Tomiyasu then had to deal with Johnson after Richarlison replaced Maddison in the 64th as Kulusevski moved into a more central position. The Japan defender won a duel against Johnson in the 69th but also gave away a free kick for an obstruction in the 76th.

Raya’s 3rd error leading to a goal

   On the opposite flank, White proved more solid. He headed away dangerous crosses in the 18th and the 45th. Tottenham’s pressure didn’t really give White the opportunity to roam forward. He nevertheless played a key role for the third goal by distracting Vicario, who failed to come and punch away Rice’s corner kick.

   In the heart of the defense, Saliba’s reading of the game helped relieve the pressure. He blocked a shot from Kulusevski in the 22nd and headed away a dangerous cross from the Spurs winger in the 29th. The France defender finished the game with 12 defensive actions (1 block, 3 interceptions, 8 recoveries) compared to 6 for Magalhaes, 7 for Tomiyasu and 8 for White. Saliba started tiring mentally in the closing minutes, giving away a free kick by tripping Richarlison.

   Magalhaes helped Arsenal beat the press with some brave vertical passes. However, he lost a couple of key duels. Son made a run in behind Magalhaes in the 45th to chase a long ball from Porro before blazing over the bar. Then Romero bullied Magalhaes to head a cross over the bar in the 50th.

   In goal, Raya looked like the error-prone player in his first couple of months at the club. Raya flapped at a cross from Kulusevski in the 50th before making his blunder in the 64th. Trying to pick out Partey with a lofted pass was really poor decision-making. Raya had a safe passing option with Magalhaes to his left. He could have even hit a long ball toward Martinelli along the touchline. That was Raya’s third error leading to a goal in the Premier League this season. Only Sheffield goalkeeper Foderingham has more errors. Raya also gave the ball away to Hojbjerg in the 22nd. The Spanish goalkeeper had a passing accuracy of 61.8% from 34 passes compared to 100% for Vicario from 32 passes.

   The Gunners next host Bournemouth on May 4 before visiting Manchester United on May 12. Arteta might give some playing time to players like Jesus, Jorginho, Zinchenko and Smith-Rowe against Bournemouth so that they could be sharp against Manchester United. If Arteta doesn’t rotate his team, there’s a risk that those second-choice players might be rusty against the Red Devils and therefore useless off the bench.

Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Gunners consolidate top spot with 5-0 win

   The Gunners are doing everything they can to trip Manchester City up. Arsenal smashed Chelsea 5-0 in the Premier League on Tuesday to go 4 points clear of the Citizens, who have 2 games in hand. If the Gunners win all their remaining games, they would finish with 89 points, 5 more points than last season. Arsenal had 27 shots, 4 big chances and 3.37 xG to 7 shots, 2 big chances and 1.61 xG for the Blues, according to Opta.

Photo credit: Premier League

   Arteta made 2 changes to the side that defeated Wolves 2-0 last weekend with Tomiyasu and Partey replacing Kiwior and Jesus in the starting lineup. That made sense since Tomiyasu has more pace than Kiwior and Zinchenko to match Madueke in a foot race while Havertz and Partey are stronger than Jesus and Jorginho to win duels against a physical Chelsea team.

   The Gunners took the lead in the 4th minute when Havertz dropped back to take a pass from Saka and slip the ball to Partey. The Ghana midfielder accelerated play by making a first-time pass to Rice, who carried the ball before finding Trossard inside the area. From a tight angle, Trossard squeezed a shot between the near post and Petrovic.

   The Blues have spent a fortune lately but they are still a raw team that struggles to play out from the back and can’t effectively press high up the pitch. Arsenal could have doubled the lead in the 10th after Chelsea tried to build play from the back. Partey recovered the ball and made a first-time pass to Odegaard, who fed Havertz. The Germany international could have pulled the trigger from 12 yards but opted for a pass to Rice that was intercepted by Caicedo.

   The Gunners gave Chelsea another lesson in pressing. White dispossessed Gallagher in the 26th to slip the ball to Havertz, whose low strike was saved by Petrovic. A few seconds later, Saka picked out Trossard, who controlled the ball before hitting a low effort that was diverted goalward by Disasi, but Petrovic made a reflex save.

Leading at halftime

   Somehow, the Blues got their first chance by capitalizing on some sloppiness from Arsenal. Saka conceded a corner with a poor back pass to Raya in the 18th. Badiashile flicked on the corner toward the far post where Disasi couldn’t apply the finishing touch. Chelsea had just missed a big chance.

   There was no intricate passing from the Blues. Their game plan was to make crosses and hit Arsenal on the fast break. Jackson outpaced Saliba along the touchline in the 24th to square the ball back for a teammate. Magalhaes cut out the pass only to divert it onto the post. Madueke also beat Tomiyasu on the opposite flank in the 30th to cut the ball back for Cucurella, whose shot was blocked by White. The rebound fell to Cucurella, who teed up Fernandez for a shot that rolled wide.

   Arsenal’s fitness levels dipped at the end of the first half. Gallagher made a cross for Jackson, who completely missed his header in the 41st and ended up handling the ball. Madueke beat again Tomiyasu in the 44th to make a low cross that Raya caught. The Gunners were leading at halftime and we all know that they have always come away with the 3 points in the Premier League this season in that kind of situation.

   The Gunners started the second half on the front foot just like they did in the first half. Rice robbed Gallagher and swapped passes with Odegaard before testing Petrovic with a low strike in the 49th. Petrovic kept Chelsea in the game by denying Havertz in the 51st. Arsenal capitalized on a short corner to finally add the second goal in the 52nd. Gallagher blocked an effort from Rice but the rebound fell to White, who beat Petrovic from close range. The Gunners now lead the league with 19 goals scored from set pieces this season.

Van Basten’s volley

   Odegaard created the third goal with a through ball for Havertz in the 57th. Havertz held off Cucurella before shooting high past Petrovic. Down 3-0, the Blues had almost given up mentally. But Arsenal had another sloppy moment in the 61st. Tomiyasu gave the ball away to Madueke, who spread the ball wide to Jackson. The Chelsea striker skipped past Magalhaes only to shoot wide. That was Chelsea’s second big chance of the game.

   Arsenal put the result beyond doubt with 2 more goals. Saka cut inside to feed Havertz, who buried the ball into the bottom corner in the 65th. The final goal in the 70th was the pick of the bunch. Odegaard made a scooped pass for White, who volleyed into the far corner. White’s effort was probably a pass intended for Havertz or Trossard, but it nearly looked like Van Basten’s spectacular volley in the Euro 1988 final.

   Arteta felt comfortable enough with a five-goal cushion to make 4 substitutions in the 72nd by sending on Jesus, Martinelli, Jorginho and Zinchenko for Havertz, Trossard, Partey and Tomiyasu. The Spanish manager used his last substitution in the 82nd by replacing Saka with Vieira. The Gunners could have made it 6-0 in stoppage time but Martinelli failed to convert a big chance with a telegraphed curling shot that Petrovic anticipated.

   Leading the line, Havertz raised his Premier League tally to 16 goal involvements (11 goals, 5 assists) this season. He caught the frame with all of his 4 goal attempts, either scoring or forcing Petrovic into a save. Havertz was also involved in the build-up to the opening goal, made 2 key passes and led all players by winning 4 of 8 aerial duels, according to whoscored.com. The only blemish in his performance was the 2 times he was flagged offside.

Martinelli’s poor form

   On the left wing, Trossard had only 1 of 5 shots on target and 1 key pass but he converted a low-probability chance to break the deadlock. It might have been a different game for the Gunners without a halftime lead. Trossard has been a valuable squad member this season with 11 goal involvements (10 goals, 1 assist) in the Premier League.

   The Blues were wary of the Belgium forward. Gilchrist got booked after making a late challenge on Trossard to kill a counterattack in the 40th. Trossard received a yellow card too for a stamp on Cucurella’s foot in the 45th. Some Arsenal supporters were shocked by the apparent double standards because Jackson wasn’t even booked for a more dangerous stamp on Tomiyasu’s ankle in the 8th minute. Jackson could have received a red card with a stricter referee. Trossard faded in the second half and even wasted a good situation in the 60th by running into traffic.

   Trossard was replaced by Martinelli, who had a couple of chances in stoppage time but couldn’t find the net. The Brazilian forward hasn’t scored in his last 8 games in all competitions, which is a worry because it basically means that Trossard and Saka have no decent replacement in the wide positions.

   On the right wing, Saka managed to raise his Premier League tally to 23 goal involvements (14 goals, 9 assists) this season without having a great game. He met a cross from Tomiyasu in the 23rd only to miskick the ball. Saka then could only muster a tame shot straight at Petrovic in the 26th. The England winger also blazed over the bar in 34th and had 2 shots blocked. Somehow, Saka saved his performance with 5 key passes and 0 turnover.

   Saka likes to play as an inverted winger because he can cut inside to shoot with his stronger left foot. But that became a problem when Saka made a back pass in the 18th. The back pass was so poor that Raya had no chance to prevent the ball from bouncing out of play. The subsequent corner led to Chelsea’s first big chance. There’s a reason why some managers prefer to have a right-footed player in the right centerback position and a left-footed player in the left centerback position. Saka was replaced by Vieira, who fired wide from a tight angle in the 88th and created a chance for Martinelli in stoppage time.

Odegaard’s through balls

In midfield, Odegaard ran the show with 8 key passes and 4 accurate through balls out of 4. He leads the league with a total of 35 through balls this season. The Premier League record still belongs to Fabregas with 110 through balls during the 2010-11 season. There are no official statistics before the 2007-08 season. Odegaard also led all players with 3 successful dribbles out of 5, according to whoscored.com. He has built a good understanding with Havertz. The Norway playmaker did create chances for White, Tomiyasu, Rice, Trossard, Saka and Vieira, but Havertz got 2 big chances from Odegaard.

   Rice had plenty of license to roam forward with Partey sitting in front of the defense. The England midfielder made the assist for the opening goal and was involved in the second goal by taking the shot that led to the second ball for White. Rice’s positioning as the left midfielder also plays a role in the efficiency of the high press. One of his ball recoveries led to a decent chance in the 49th. However, Rice lost a key duel in the 19th when Badiashile beat him to the ball to flick on a corner.

   Most Arsenal supporters assumed that Arteta would play Partey and Rice in midfield for the tough games. This is only the second time this season that Partey and Rice have started in midfield. Arteta used Partey as a rightback at the start of the season. Then Partey was sidelined for months by injuries.

   Partey could play an important role in the run-in because of his vision and passing skills. He acts like a deep-lying playmaker in Arteta’s system. It was his first-time pass to Rice that led to the opening goal. Partey also created a good situation with another first-time pass to Odegaard in the 10th. Defensively, Partey lost a key duel in the 19th when Disasi beat him to the second ball. The Ghana midfielder was then a bit casual in the 46th: he dallied on the ball and was dispossessed by Jackson. Partey also gave away a cheap free kick by fouling Sterling in the 67th.

A problematic left side

   At the back, the Gunners kept a league-leading 16th clean sheet. The left side was nevertheless the weak link in the Arsenal defense. Madueke gave Tomiyasu a hard time. The Chelsea winger beat Tomiyasu in the 30th and the 44th. Tomiyasu was then robbed by Madueke, who created a big chance for Jackson in the 61st. Maybe Tomiyasu was physically diminished after Jackson’s bad foul in the 8th. But it could also be a fitness issue and maybe Tomiyasu simply needs more time to get back to his best.

   The defensive duties didn’t prevent Tomiyasu from contributing offensively. He met a cross from Odegaard to head over the bar in the 15th. The Japan defender then created a good chance for Saka with a teasing cross in the 23rd. Zinchenko replaced Tomiyasu and hit a ball over the top for Martinelli in stoppage time.

   On the opposite flank, White produced an outstanding performance in a fine example of total football. Offensively, White made 3 key passes and proved clinical by netting twice with just 2 goal attempts. Defensively, White blocked Cucurella’s shot in the 30th and pressed high up the pitch to dispossess Gallagher and create a chance for Havertz in the 26th.

   Magalhaes and Saliba had contrasting fortunes in the heart of the defense. Magalhaes made 3 fouls and failed to stop Jackson for Chelsea’s big chance in the 61st. Jackson also ghosted past Magalhaes in the 41st to meet a cross from Gallagher. It looks like Magalhaes has been coping with an injury for a while because he went down in the 77th, complaining about his left leg. Saliba made 0 foul but struggled to match Jackson’s pace a couple of times. It’s rare to see a player running faster than Saliba.

   Raya had very little work to do but he was alert when required. He palmed away Jackson’s close-range effort in the 41st even though it turned out to be a handball. The Spanish goalkeeper then dived to rob Madueke inside the area in the 74th. Raya also took some pressure off his defenders by catching dangerous crosses in the 40th and the 44th.

   The Gunners next visit Tottenham in the North London derby on Sunday before hosting Bournemouth on May 4. You can bet that Spurs would love to hurt Arsenal’s title hopes. Arteta will definitely play his best team, so don’t expect any change.

 

Wolves vs. Arsenal: Gunners stay in title race with 2-0 win

   The Gunners took the top spot in the Premier League by downing Wolverhampton 2-0 on Saturday. They snapped a three-game winless streak in all competitions to move 1 point clear of the Citizens, who have a game in hand. Arsenal had 24 shots, 1 big chance and 1.66 xG to 5 shots, 0 big chance and 0.16 xG for Wolves, according to Understat.

Photo credit: Premier League

   Arteta made 3 changes to the side that lost to Bayern Munich on Wednesday with Kiwior, Trossard and Jesus replacing Tomiyasu, Martinelli and Jorginho in the starting lineup. Tomiyasu was not in the matchday squad after picking up a knock against the German club.

   The opening minutes were a bit unusual as the Gunners tried to create chances with crosses from the left flank. Usually, most of the action takes place on the right flank where Saka, Odegaard and White combine. Arsenal then grew impatient and hit a couple of long-range shots. The Gunners couldn’t find the solution in the final third and were even becoming sloppy at the back. Kiwior was dispossessed by Joao Gomes, whose angled strike was tippped on the post by Raya in the 30th minute. Saliba also ran into trouble in the 38th by giving the ball away to Hugo Bueno, who missed the target from the edge of the box.

   It looked like Arsenal would head back to the dressing room at halftime without finding the net. But a moment of magic happened in the 45th. Havertz made a cross to the far post where Jesus bullied Doherty to win the ball. Jesus created chaos inside the box by trying to dribble past 3 defenders before slipping the ball to Trossard, who fired a snapshot into the top corner, off the far post. A week ago, Trossard failed to convert a big chance against Aston Villa at the end of the first half. The Belgium forward proved clinical against Wolves because his shot was a low-probability chance with an xG value of 0.07.

Solidifying the midfield

   The first-half performance wasn’t really convincing with 8 shots for Arsenal to 3 for Wolves. Some supporters certainly feared that the Gunners would fade in the second half like they did against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich. Yet, Arsenal put even more pressure on the hosts after the break, especially by pressing high up the pitch, which is unusual since the Gunners tend to press less in the second half. Odegaard capitalized on a Wolverhampton turnover to have an effort blocked by Santiago Bueno in the 50th. Havertz nearly intercepted a pass from Sa in the 68th.

   Wolves started enjoying more possession from the 70th as Arsenal’s intensity dropped. Lemina cut inside Magalhaes to fire a shot straight at Raya in the 71st. You would expect the manager to send the cavalry in order to regain the control of the game. But Arteta waited until the 72nd to make his first substitution, sending on Martinelli for Trossard. A change in midfield would have been the more obvious choice. Wolves won their first corner of the game in the 75th. The hosts then hit the Gunners on the fast break to put the ball back into the area in the 79th but Raya caught Doyle’s cross.

   Arteta finally solidified the midfield by replacing Jesus with Partey in the 80th while Havertz moved into the centerforward position. Arsenal finished stronger. In the 3rd minute of stoppage time, Saka teed up Rice for a powerful strike that Sa parried. A minute later, Sa palmed away a curling shot from Martinelli.

   Chasing an equalizer and running out of time, Wolves pressed high up the pitch in the hope of getting a lucky turnover. Saliba beat the press with a vertical pass to Rice in the 5th minute of stoppage time. The England midfielder found Havertz, who played the ball to an overlapping Odegaard. Toti blocked Odegaard’s pass for Rice, but the loose ball fell to Odegaard, who squeezed a shot between Sa and the near post to put the result beyond doubt. The Gunners had 16 shots to 2 for Wolves in the second half.

Martinelli’s decision-making

   Leading the line, Jesus helped break the deadlock with his feistiness on the stroke of halftime. He also created a chance in the 16th by knocking the ball down for Odegaard, who had a poor effort. Yet, Jesus’ overall performance was mediocre. He had 0 of 2 shots on target and hasn’t scored in his last 6 Premier League games. I guess Arteta started Jesus because of his good understanding with Trossard and their ability to combine in tight spaces.

   On the left wing, Trossard proved clinical by scoring with his only shot of the game. Actually, Trossard also had another goal attempt in the 26th, but it didn’t count officially because it was an air shot. Besides the opening goal, Trossard had an impact in the final third by creating 3 chances. He made a cross for Saka in the 10th and teed up Rice for long-range strikes in the 15th and the 20th. Trossard could have notched an assist in the 39th but completely missed his cross for Saka, unmarked at the far post. The only blemish in Trossard’s performance was his 6 turnovers, the most for any player according to whoscored.com.

   Trossard was replaced by Martinelli, who found a lot of space in the closing minutes. The Brazilian forward could have squared the ball back to an unmarked Saka in the 4th minute of stoppage time instead of taking his chance from a tight angle. Obviously, Martinelli was hungry for goals because he hasn’t scored in his last 7 games in all competitions. Then Martinelli failed to convert the only big chance of the game in the final seconds. His decision-making was again questionable. He could have run away from the defenders to shoot with his left foot but opted to run into their path for a right-footed effort that didn’t trouble Sa.

   On the right wing, Saka had a decent game although his form has been an issue lately with just 1 goal involvement in his last 5 Premier League games. Saka had 1 of 4 shots on target, 3 key passes, and 1 successful dribble out of 2, according to whoscored.com. He was also fouled 4 times, more than any other player. Wolves leftback Toti made a poor challenge on Saka in the 2nd minute and got booked in the 32nd for repeatedly holding the England winger. Saka’s only effort on target was a looping header in the 10th. He made an impressive dribbling run in stoppage time but then missed the target from 6 yards.

Rice in the No. 6 role

   In midfield, Odegaard scored the last goal to raise his Premier League tally to 14 goal involvements (8 goals, 6 assists) this season. I’m wondering if Arteta instructed the Gunners to take their chance from distance because Odegaard took 3 shots from the edge of the box. Although Wolves restricted Odegaard to 33 passes, the Norway playmaker still managed to make 3 key passes.

   For the second straight Premier League game, Havertz played again in the left No. 8 position. I guess the idea was to use Havertz as a second striker when Arsenal reached the final third. Havertz lacked the killer’s instinct when he had decent chances. He could only muster a tame effort in the opening minute before hitting a bouncing volley straight at Sa in the 55th. However, Havertz was involved in both goals. He crossed the ball to Jesus for the opening goal and made the pass to Odegaard for the last goal.

   Havertz’s overall production was good. He made 2 key passes and led all players by winning 6 of 10 aerial duels, according to whoscored.com. His smart positional play also helped the Gunners effectively press high up the pitch. The only blemish in Havertz’s performance was his passing accuracy of 78.1%, which was mediocre compared to 90.2% for Rice and 93.9% for Odegaard. Havertz had an injury scare in the 35th when Kilman planted his studs on the ankle of the Germany international. Kilman received a yellow card but it could have been a red card with a stricter referee.

   Arteta felt the need to play Rice in the No. 6 role after Arsenal lost to Bayern Munich and Aston Villa. Maybe Jorginho also needed some rest. Rice offered plenty of protection by winning 4 of 5 tackles and was tidy in possession with just 1 turnover compared to 3 for Havertz and 4 for Odegaard, according to whoscored.com. However, Rice got booked in the 35th for a poor challenge on Hugo Bueno after the referee failed to stop play when Kilman made that bad tackle on Havertz.

   The defensive duties didn’t prevent Rice from contributing offensively. He took 3 harmless shots from the edge of the box before forcing Sa into a save with a 17-yard strike in stoppage time. Rice moved into the left No. 8 position after Partey replaced Jesus in the 80th. The England midfielder made the ball carry that led to the last goal and finished the game with 5 key passes, the most for any player. Rice created chances for White, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli and Jesus. You wouldn’t confuse Rice with Cazorla, a deep-lying playmaker, or Ramsey, a box-to-box player, but Arteta has managed to make Rice fit in a new position.

A league-leading 15th clean sheet

   Rediscovering their defensive solidity was a necessity for the Gunners to stay in the title race. They kept a league-leading 15th clean sheet despite a couple of blunders at the back. Wolves targeted Kiwior, who was the weak link in the Arsenal defense. Kiwior was beaten in the air by Doherty after misjudging the flight of Sa’s long punt in the 18th. Doherty then capitalized on a poor touch from Kiwior to rob him in the 25th. Wolves got their best chance in the 30th when Kiwior poorly shielded the ball and got bullied by Joao Gomes.

   In possession, Kiwior played like a traditional fullback because of his limitations. Basically, the Gunners played on the left flank like the Arsenal team of the 2021-22 season when Tierney was the leftback. Kiwior did create a chance for Havertz with a deflected cross in the opening minute. However, the Poland defender missed his cross for Jesus in the 14th.

   On the opposite flank, the Gunners played the more sophisticated version of Artetaball with the more versatile White. The England defender created a good chance for Trossard, who completely missed his kick in the 26th. Then White fed Havertz with a header in the 55th. While White has been reliable in the rightback position this season, Arteta still hasn’t found a reliable leftback.

   In the heart of the defense, Saliba and Magalhaes kept Hwang and Chirewa quiet. Raya was almost more busy than the Arsenal centerbacks. The Spanish goalkeeper only had 1 tough save to make but he made it in the 30th. Raya also made routine saves to stop shots from Chirewa in the 24th and Lemina in the 71st. When the Gunners were under pressure at the end of the second half, Raya helped his team by coming off his line to catch dangerous crosses.

   The Gunners next hosts Chelsea on Tuesday before visiting Tottenham on April 28. Those 2 London derbies could define Arsenal’s season. The Chelsea game is a tricky one because of the short turnaround. That will be Arsenal’s fourth game in 10 days. Arteta might have to rotate his team since Pochettino’s teams usually play aggressively and with a lot of intensity.

 

Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal: A few thoughts on the 1-0 win

   The Gunners got knocked out of the Champions League after losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie on Wednesday. Bayern’s experience in the big games made the difference. Arsenal had 8 shots, 0 big chance and 0.54 xG to 15 shots, 1 big chance and 1.33 xG for the German club, according to Opta.

Photo credit: http://www.uefa.com

   Arteta made 1 change to the side that drew with Bayern in the first leg with Tomiyasu replacing Kiwior in the starting lineup. The Gunners played with the handbrake on in the first half as they were scared of costly turnovers.

   Bayern created the first chance of the game with a cross from Kimmich for Kane, who volleyed wide in the 4th minute. The hosts then capitalized on a Rice turnover to get another chance in the 6th when Kane missed the target from the edge of the box. Somehow, Arsenal weathered the storm and finally tested Neuer with a 25-yard effort from Odegaard in the 29th. Two minutes later, the Gunners had their best chance of the game: Odegaard made a low cross for Martinelli, who shot straight at Neuer from 14 yards.

   The Gunners faded in the second half. They lacked the energy to break down a well-organized defense and had only 2 shots after the break, with no goal attempt between the 46th and the 88th minutes. Bayern’s approach was simple but paid off. Either hit Arsenal on the fast break, or spread the ball wide to deliver crosses.

   Kimmich spotted Goretzka’s run in behind Jorginho in the 47th and made a cross for the Germany midfielder, whose header hit the bar. The rebound fell to Guerreiro, who smashed a volley against the post. Magalhaes has made some sloppy passes lately and nearly scored an own goal in the 57th. The Brazilian centerback intercepted Guerreiro’s pass for Kane but had no clue about Raya’s position while making a back pass. The ball rolled wide of the near post.

   Bayern scored the only goal in the 63rd when Sane rounded Martinelli to make a cross that Raya palmed into the path of Guerreiro, who picked out Kimmich. The Germany rightback made a late run into the box to score with a powerful header.

   Arteta shifted to a 4-4-2 formation by sending on Jesus and Trossard for Jorginho and Martinelli in the 68th. Both Jesus and Trossard combined to score the equalizer in the first leg. History didn’t repeat itself as Jesus and Trossard were ineffective off the bench with 0 shot and 0 key pass. Arteta decided to throw the kitchen sink in the 86th by replacing Tomiyasu with Nketiah. Arsenal’s last chance was a low strike from Odegaard that Neuer turned around the post in the 88th. Bayern hit the Gunners on the fast break one last time in the 90th. Musiala cut inside Magalhaes but could only muster a tame shot straight at Raya.

1. Arteta needs to rotate his team

   The second-half drop in the fitness levels was similar to what happened against Aston Villa. The Gunners did slightly better than Bayern in the first half with 6 shots to 4. But the second half almost looked like one-way traffic with 11 shots for the hosts to 2 for Arsenal. The Gunners had 4 days of rest after the first leg but were completely cooked against the Villans. You can imagine that they will be in a worse physical shape against Wolverhampton on Saturday with just 2 days of rest after the second leg.

   Saka was one of the Gunners who seemed to run on empty. He had 0 shot, 0 key pass, 0 successful dribble out of 3 and 0 accurate cross out of 4, according to whoscored.com. Those are really unusual stats for Saka. The England winger outpaced Mazraoui in the 11th only to overhit his cross for Martinelli at the far post. Then Saka got hit in the head while blocking a cross in the 36th. The last play of the game summed up his evening: Saka couldn’t even beat the first man with a corner kick.

2. Arteta’s in-game management was questionable

   The hosts played the game on their terms. Bayern not only forced Martinelli and Saka to defend a lot but also managed to create chances from the flanks. Arteta apparently instructed Martinelli to help Tomiyasu whenever Sane had the ball. That partnership proved useful when Tomiyasu misjudged the flight of a crossfield pass in the 16th. Martinelli covered Tomiyasu and blocked Sane’s cross. However, that also gave Kimmich a lot of time and space. When Tomiyasu and Martinelli double-teamed Sane in the 4th minute, the former Manchester City winger slipped the ball to an unmarked Kimmich, who created a chance for Kane.

   The Gunners successfully contained Sane in the first half, but Kimmich was becoming the greater threat on our left flank. Noticing that Martinelli dropped deep again to help Tomiyasu in the 47th, Sane played the ball back to an unmarked Kimmich, who set up Goretzka for a header that hit the woodwork. Martinelli was then let down by his inexperience in the 63rd when Sane rounded him to make a cross. After Raya diverted Sane’s cross, Martinelli switched off and failed to track Kimmich’s late run into the box.

   Arteta could have asked Martinelli to mark Kimmich. And either Tomiyasu would have been on his own against Sane, or Rice would have helped Tomiyasu. The defensive work didn’t prevent Martinelli from having an impact in the final third with 1 of 2 shots on target, 2 key passes and 1 successful dribble out of 1. Martinelli curled a shot wide in the 8th before shooting straight at Neuer in the 31st. The Brazilian forward still needs to improve his reading of the game and his ability to combine in tight spaces. He led all players with 7 turnovers, according to whoscored.com.

3. Odegaard rose to the occasion

   He was one of the few Gunners who performed well against Bayern. The Arsenal captain created a good chance for Martinelli, forced Neuer into making 2 saves, and had 2 successful dribbles out of 2. The trouble is that Odegaard didn’t often have the ball. The Bavarian side restricted Odegaard to 34 passes. By contrast, Rice was allowed to make 55 passes. Laimer made Odegaard’s life difficult by man-marking him. The Austria midfielder even got booked in the 54th for pulling back Odegaard.

4. Tomiyasu lacked match fitness

   Both Kiwior and Zinchenko struggled against Sane in the first leg. So, Arteta gave the leftback job to Tomiyasu in the second leg. In his first start since his return from the Asian Cup, Tomiyasu won 3 of 5 tackles and was dribbled past twice, according to whoscored.com. Tomiyasu had a decent first half but struggled physically after the break. He was caught ball-watching for Kimmich’s goal and was beaten by Sane in the 72nd.

5. Jorginho survived a rough test

   Arteta had the Bayern game in mind when he started Jorginho on the bench against Aston Villa. Jorginho definitely needed fresh legs to deal with Musiala, who is younger and faster. The Italy midfielder led all players by winning 4 of 5 tackles. However, Jorginho lost a key duel against Goretzka in the 47th and was lucky not to get booked despite fouling Musiala in the 19th and Guerreiro in the 67th.

Arsenal vs. Aston Villa: Gunners’ title hopes take a hit after 2-0 loss

   This might have been the moment when the Gunners have lost the title race this season. Arsenal lost 2-0 to Aston Villa on Sunday to slip to 2nd place in the Premier League, 2 points behind Manchester City. Of course, it’s not over mathematically since there are 6 games left. But even if the Citizens drop points in one of their remaining games, Arsenal would still need a perfect run to unseat the defending champions.

Photo credit: Premier League

   Arteta made 3 changes to the side that drew with Bayern Munich on Tuesday with Jesus, Trossard and Zinchenko replacing Jorginho, Martinelli and Kiwior in the starting lineup. Basically, Arteta stuck with the Gunners who played in the second half against Bayern Munich. I guess the Spanish manager wanted to see how they would play in the second leg against the German club and if they were good enough to beat the Villans. Both the result and the performance have raised more questions instead of providing answers.

   Arsenal had 18 shots, 1 big chance and 1.62 xG to 11 shots, 2 big chances and 1.13 xG for the Villans, according to Opta. The Gunners were the better team in the first half. Havertz took a pass from Trossard in the 11th minute to test Martinez with an angled strike. Jesus and Saka also had decent chances but missed the target in the 18th and the 20th, respectively.

   The turning point of the match was Arsenal’s big chance in the 40th when a long-range effort from Odegaard took a big deflection off Torres and the ball bounced into the path of Jesus. The Brazil striker squared the ball back for Trossard, whose 6-yard shot was saved by Martinez’s foot. If Trossard converts that big chance, we have a completely different game because the Gunners have always come away with the 3 points in the Premier League when they lead at halftime this season.

Fitness levels dropping in the second half

   Villa created very little in the first half but nearly took the lead in the 39th when Magalhaes made a sloppy pass. The ball hit Zinchenko in the back and fell to Watkins, who fired a low drive that bounced off the far post. The Gunners didn’t learn their lesson as they were sloppy again in the 62nd. Instead of slipping the ball to Saka, Zinchenko tried to dribble in his defensive third and was dispossessed by Tielemans, whose long-range strike rattled the woodwork.

   Arsenal’s fitness levels dropped in the second half. There was a lack of movement and the passing in the final third was not as sharp as usual. The Gunners had 10 shots inside the area in the first half but just 1 shot inside the area after the break, an 18-yard shot from Rice in the 60th. In fact, Arsenal only managed to have 1 decent chance. Saka teed up Jesus for a 22-yard effort that Martinez palmed away in the 64th.

   The Villans dominated ball possession and were the better team in the second half. Arteta replaced Trossard and White with Martinelli and Tomiyasu in the 67th. White had received a yellow card while Martinelli provided more pace than Trossard. Those substitutions didn’t stop the Gunners from losing the control of the game.

   I thought Arteta waited too long to inject some freshness in midfield by sending on Jorginho and Smith-Rowe for Odegaard and Jesus in the 79th. Havertz moved into the centerforward position to provide more physicality in the box while Jorginho was supposed to bring more fluidity in our passing game. Both Rice and Odegaard looked leggy, but Arteta kept Rice on the pitch to still have 1 substitution left.

   The Villans had 0 corner kick in the first half. Their spells of possession in the second half gave them 6 corner kicks. Villa capitalized on a recycled corner to take the lead in the 84th. Digne made a low cross to the far post where Bailey stabbed the ball home. The Gunners lost all their duels on that play. Zinchenko failed to track Digne’s run, Havertz couldn’t stop Digne’s cross, Torres got ahead of Magalhaes at the near post, Raya came off his line but couldn’t catch or palm the ball away, and both Martinelli and Rice failed to mark Bailey at the far post.

Defensive naivety (again)

   The Gunners conceded a second goal by showing defensive naivety in the 87th. Villa cleared an Arsenal corner and the ball fell to Zinchenko, who found Jorginho in midfield. An impatient Jorginho attempted to slip a through ball to Martinelli, who was in an offside position anyway. Tielemans intercepted Jorginho’s pass and hit a long ball toward Watkins. The Villa striker held off Smith-Rowe before chipping Raya.

   As you can see on the screen captures below, the defensive setup for the Arsenal corner was poor. Smith-Rowe shouldn’t have been in the position of the last defender. It should have been Rice or Tomiyasu marking Watkins. Smith-Rowe obviously lacked defensive awareness because he seemed to play Watkins offside even though a player can’t be offside when he makes a run from his own half.

Jorginho attempts a through ball as Smith-Rowe is the last defender. (Photo credit: Sky)

   Then Magalhaes and Saliba were caught ball-watching. As soon as Tielemans got hold of the ball, Magalhaes and Saliba should have been running back toward their own goal. But the Arsenal centerbacks seemed to press high up the pitch as if they were not aware of Watkins’ presence behind them.

Magalhaes and Saliba are not aware of Watkins’ threat as Tielemans intercepts the ball. (Photo credit: Sky)

   This was Arsenal’s first defeat in the Premier League since December. So far, Arsenal’s title bid has rested on a tight defense and a clinical offense. On Sunday, the Gunners have conceded as many goals as they did in their 8 previous Premier League games. The Gunners also missed their only big chance whereas the Villans converted their 2 big chances.

   The most worrying part is that the Gunners are showing signs of fatigue like they did in the run-in last season. They could be paying the price for Arteta’s lack of rotation. By contrast, Manchester City’s manager Guardiola left on the bench regular starters like Walker, Ake, Rodri, Silva and Foden in the 5-1 win over Luton on Saturday.

Jesus’ inconsistency

   Jesus got the nod in the centerforward position after his bright cameo against Bayern Munich. His performance against Villa was a mixed bag. On the one hand, Jesus created Arsenal’s only big chance and forced Martinez into a save. Jesus was also tidy in possession with a passing accuracy of 92.9% and had 2 successful dribbles out of 3, according to whoscored.com. On the other hand, Jesus was caught offside twice and wasted 2 good situations. His decision-making was poor in the 18th when he headed a cross from Saka wide instead of heading the ball across goal for an unmarked Trossard. Then Jesus lacked accuracy with his final ball for Trossard in the 43rd.

   Jesus has let the team down with his inconsistency. On paper, Jesus is Arsenal’s star striker, but he has racked up only 4 goals and 3 assists in the Premier League this season. Nketiah came off the bench just after the second goal and indirectly helped the Villans waste time by making 2 silly fouls.

   On the left wing, Trossard knew that he missed a big chance in the 40th as he held his head between his hands after Martinez’s save. Trossard made the mistake of shooting down the middle of the net instead of guiding the ball into the far corner. The Belgium international also created a decent chance for Havertz in the 11th.

   Arteta replaced Trossard with Martinelli in the 67th. Trossard is a better option to combine in tight spaces when the Gunners dominate possession. But the Villans were the team having the ball in the second half, so using Martinelli’s pace on the fast break made sense. Martinelli had no impact in the final third and even showed a lack of defensive awareness by failing to mark Bailey in the build-up to the opening goal.

Losing the midfield battle

   On the right wing, Saka tried hard but had no success with 0 of 4 shots on target. He fired into the side-netting in the 20th, headed a cross over the bar in the 38th, missed the target with an acrobatic volley in the 40th and curled wide of the far post in the 41st. The Villans closely monitored Saka and didn’t give him a chance to produce a moment of magic by fouling him 4 times, more than any other player.

   Despite the rough conditions, Saka still made an impact in the final third by creating 2 decent chances for Jesus and contributed to the team’s ball progression with 4 progressive passes and 6 progressive carries, according to fbref.com. Saka led all players with 3 key passes and could have raised his tally to 4 if he had not overhit his cross for Havertz in the 8th minute.

   Arsenal lost the control of the game in the second half because Villa won the midfield battle. McGinn, Tielemans and Rogers combined to make 32 defensive actions (7 tackles, 6 blocks, 4 interception, 15 recoveries) compared to 23 defensive actions (5 tackles, 2 blocks, 1 interception, 15 recoveries) for Rice (13), Odegaard (6) and Havertz (4), according to fbref.com. It was like the Gunners were missing a player in the middle of the park.

   Arteta made a big call by moving Havertz back into midfield after a successful spell in the false nine role. You can understand Arteta’s rationale here. By using Havertz in the left No. 8 position, Arteta can have 5 attacking players in the team instead of 4. Havertz took advantage of his deep position to make some smart runs. He tested Martinez with an angled strike in the 11th and created a chance for Saka in the 38th. The Germany international also won 4 of 6 aerial duels, according to whoscored.com.

   The obvious downside is that Havertz doesn’t have the passing skills of Jorginho or Partey. His passing accuracy of 73.9% was mediocre compared to 86.4% for Odegaard and 90% for Rice. Out of possession, Havertz didn’t contribute much defensively. He was dribbled past twice and failed to stop Digne’s cross for the opening goal.

Zinchenko’s poor defensive instincts

   Odegaard led all players with 12 progressive passes and had 3 successful dribbles out of 5, according to fbref.com. The Norway playmaker created a chance for Saka with a through ball in the 20th and hit a long ball toward Havertz in the 29th, but Carlos sprinted back to knock the ball out of play before Havertz could pull the trigger.

   Odegaard was brilliant in the first half but faded in the second half. He has been the fifth most used player in the Arsenal squad behind Saliba, Magalhaes, Rice and White this season. While Guardiola has rested Silva and De Bruyne, Arteta has rarely given Odegaard a break. There was an injury scare in the 66th when Carlos hit Odegaard in the chest with an overhead kick attempt. Arteta replaced Odegaard with Smith-Rowe in the 79th, but it was too little too late. Smith-Rowe had no shot and no key pass and inexplicably ended up in the position of the last defender for the second goal.

   At the back, Zinchenko’s limitations were exposed by the Villans, who targeted the Ukraine international. Diaby made a run in behind Zinchenko to chase a long ball from Watkins in the 5th minute, but Raya came off his line to win the ball. Konsa also outpaced Zinchenko in the 82nd to make a cross that was blocked by Magalhaes.

   The problem with Zinchenko is that he doesn’t think like a defender. His poor defensive instincts led Zinchenko to drop too deep a couple of times instead of playing his opponent offside. Zinchenko put his team in danger in the 62nd by trying to dribble in the defensive third. He also failed to track Digne’s run for the opening goal, forcing Havertz to cover him. Zinchenko’s passing skills outweigh his defensive limitations against the weak teams. But it’s the opposite against the top teams. Zinchenko had 4 turnovers compared to 2 for Saliba, 1 for Magalhaes and 1 for White, according to whoscored.com. I think Zinchenko would be better used in the Xhaka role. Ironically, Emery and Arteta also played Xhaka as a leftback.

Rotation headaches

   On the opposite flank, White was more reliable defensively. He made 12 defensive actions (6 tackles, 3 blocks, 1 interception, 2 recoveries), trailing only Rice among the Gunners. Despite receiving a yellow card for pulling back Zaniolo in the 35th, White kept the Italian winger in check. White was even able to contribute offensively with 2 key passes.

   In the heart of the defense, Magalhaes and Saliba had contrasting fortunes. Saliba had a good game, winning 4 of 4 aerial duels, leading all starters with a passing accuracy of 93.8% and playing a key role in the team’s ball progression with 6 progressive passes and 2 progressive carries. The France defender bullied Watkins to win the ball in the 24th but let his guard down for the second goal.

   Both Saliba and Magalhaes probably no longer had the energy to chase Watkins in the 87th. Arteta loves centerbacks who can play out from the back under pressure. But Magalhaes has made some sloppy passes lately. His inaccurate pass for Kiwior led to Bayern Munich’s equalizer. Then another poor pass gave Watkins a chance in the 39th.

   Magalhaes nearly conceded a penalty in the 45th when he caught Rogers with a high boot. In his first couple of years at Arsenal, Magalhaes looked like a Brazilian Mustafi. But Magalhaes has learned and cut the mistakes out of his game. In fact, he has made no game-changing blunder (red card, penalty or error leading to a goal) in the Premier League this season. Magalhaes could have prevented the opening goal by clearing Digne’s cross but Torres got ahead of him at the near post.

   The Gunners next visit Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday before playing Wolverhampton in the Premier League on Saturday. Reaching the last four of the top European competition would be an achievement for Arsenal, but Arteta will have to fix the defense because the German side will again try to hit the Gunners on the fast break with quick, vertical passes.

   Then Arteta will face the issue of rotation for the Wolverhampton game. The Gunners had 2 more days of rest than the Villans, who played Lille in the Europa Conference League last Thursday. Yet, Villa finished stronger than Arsenal on Sunday. Will Arteta rest some regular starters against Wolves or will he simply replace them in the second half? The outcome of those next 2 games could define Arsenal’s season.

 

Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich: A few thoughts on the 2-2 draw

   The Gunners salvaged a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie on Tuesday. They showed their defensive naivety by conceding a goal and a penalty from turnovers. Arsenal had 13 shots, 1 big chance and 1.22 xG to 8 shots, 3 big chances and 2.08 xG for the German club, according to Opta.

Photo credit: http://www.uefa.com

   Arteta made 2 changes to the side that defeated Brighton last weekend with Martinelli and Kiwior replacing Jesus and Zinchenko in the starting lineup. The Gunners opened the scoring by converting their first chance of the game in the 12th minute. Havertz won the ball in the final third and slipped it to White, who found Saka inside the area. The England winger pulled away from Davies to curl into the far corner. Arsenal could have doubled the lead in the 16th when Gnabry made a poor clearance. The loose ball fell to Havertz, who played White clean through on goal. From 12 yards, White shot straight at Neuer. It was a good chance but not a big chance because of the angle of the shot.

   The Gunners had the match under control but threw the lead away in the 18th. Musiala punted the ball down the field from his own area. Magalhaes chased the ball and was in control of the situation as Kane was a couple of yards behind him. But Raya came off his line and deprived Magalhaes of a safe passing option. Magalhaes tried to play the ball to Kiwior along the touchline but his pass lacked accuracy. Sane got hold of the ball and picked out Goretzka. The Germany midfielder fed Gnabry, who beat Raya with a sliding effort.

Magalhaes chases Musiala’s clearance. (Photo credit: TNT)

Raya nearly runs into Magalhaes, depriving him of a passing option. (Photo credit: TNT)

   Bayern’s plan was to hit Arsenal on the fast break with quick, vertical passes. When the Gunners pressed high up the pitch in the 30th, De Ligt made a vertical pass to Sane, who spun Kiwior and outpaced Jorginho before getting tripped by Saliba inside the area. Kane converted the subsequent penalty to give the Bavarian club a 2-1 lead. The visitors had another counterattacking opportunity in the 35th when Musiala played Sane clean through on goal. White sprinted back to make a sliding block, forcing Sane to take an extra touch. Odegaard, who also tracked back, was able to rob Sane inside the area.

   Arsenal had a couple of chances from set pieces in the first half but couldn’t find the net. A corner from Saka led to a goalmouth scramble in the 27th but Kiwior could only scuff a tame shot. Magalhaes then met a free kick from Rice in the 37th only to head wide.

   In possession, the Gunners morphed into a 3-2-5 formation with Kiwior acting like a third centerback, Odegaard playing alongside Jorginho in a double pivot, Rice roaming forward like an attacking midfielder and White showing the attacking verve of a wingback. Arteta made a tactical tweak at halftime by replacing Kiwior with Zinchenko. The Ukraine international drifted inside to join Jorginho in midfield while Odegaard moved higher up the pitch. Arsenal still struggled to crack Bayern’s compact defense but at least conceded fewer chances. The Bavarian club had just one fast break in the second half. Sane ran past Zinchenko in the 65th to lead a counterattack and feed Gnabry, whose angled strike sailed over the bar.

   Arteta needed a change of formation to put more pressure on the Bayern defense. The Spanish manager sent on Trossard and Jesus for Martinelli and Jorginho in the 66th. Those substitutes made the difference in the 76th when Saka found Jesus on the edge of the box. Jesus dribbled past De Ligt to set up Trossard, who swept the ball into the far corner. Arteta switched back to a more conservative formation in the 85th by replacing Havertz with Partey.

   Both teams could have scored the winner in the closing minutes. Musiala made a low cross for Coman, who got ahead of Magalhaes only to hit the post with a clever flick. In the last minute of stoppage time, Partey slipped a through ball to Saka, who beat Neuer to the ball and got tripped by the Germany goalkeeper. The referee turned down the Gunners’ penalty shout.

Neuer clips Saka’s leg. (Photo credit: TNT)

   On the one hand, you can see why the referee did not award a penalty. Neuer was standing his ground and it looked like Saka initiated contact with his trailing leg. On the other hand, you can see why Arsenal players thought it was a foul. Neuer was still moving forward when Saka touched the ball and it looked like a clever obstruction.

   In the end, it’s not a bad result for a relatively inexperienced team. The Gunners last played in the Champions League in 2017 when they got thrashed 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern. Arsenal will need to win in Germany next week to reach the last four of the competition.

1. The left side is a mess

   Arteta’s main failure this season has been the left side of the team. Arsenal’s passing game leaned heavily on the right flank against Bayern because Martinelli, Rice and Kiwior struggled to combine on the left flank.

   Offensively, Martinelli was quite anonymous with 0 of 3 shots on target and 1 key pass (a cross for Kiwior whose tame header didn’t trouble Neuer in the 22nd). Defensively, the leftback position was a liability. Sane too easily spun Kiwior on the play that led to the penalty while Zinchenko got dribbled past twice in the second half. Tomiyasu would be a better option for the second leg because he has better passing skills than Kiwior and is a better defender than Zinchenko.

2. Saka was Arsenal’s main attacking threat

   Although Saka was double-teamed, he managed to make an impact in the final third with 1 goal and 1 key pass. Saka was fouled 5 times, more than any other Gunner. Davies got booked in the 9th minute for a stamp on Saka’s foot and Laimer should have also received a yellow card for deliberately tripping Saka in the 57th.

3. The Arsenal midfield looked porous

   The Gunners were carved open too many times in the first half. Rice failed to anticipate Goretzka’s run for Bayern’s equalizer while Sane’s solo run in the 30th exposed Jorginho’s lack of pace. In a similar situation, Partey was smart enough to make a cynical foul on Musiala in the 89th.

   By playing Jorginho as the holding midfielder, Arteta made Arsenal vulnerable to counterattacks. Jorginho definitely worked his socks off with 4 tackles and 1 interception compared to 2 tackles and 0 interception for Rice, according to whoscored.com. But you want Rice to protect the defense, not a deep-lying playmaker like Jorginho who’s great in possession but becomes a liability out of possession. Partey or Havertz could get the nod over Jorginho for the second leg. Another option would be to play Rice in a double pivot alongside Jorginho and move Odegaard in the hole.

4. Havertz’s thankless task

   His role was similar to what was required against Porto. Havertz had 0 goal attempt and 1 key pass. He still made the ball recovery for the opening goal and created a good chance for White in the 16th. The Germany international was also tidy in possession with a passing accuracy of 94.4% and just 2 turnovers, according to whoscored.com. Surprisingly, the Gunners didn’t use Havertz’s aerial threat from open play.

   Maybe Arteta will start Jesus up front for the second leg. The pace and footwork of Jesus and Trossard created more problems for the Bayern defense. In his 29-minute cameo, Jesus had 3 successful dribbles out of 3 and made 2 key passes, including the assist for Trossard’s goal. Meanwhile, Trossard proved clinical by converting his only chance of the game. The Belgium international could have a shot at starting on the left wing for the second leg.

5. Saliba showed his inexperience

   The France centerback led all players with 4 fouls. At least, he didn’t pick up a yellow card. Saliba failed to intercept Goretzka’s pass for Gnabry in the 18th. He then panicked on the play that led to the penalty by sticking a leg out even though White could have stopped Sane. At 23, Saliba is already one of the best centerbacks in the world. But the little mistakes that go unnoticed in the Premier League become glaring in the Champions League.

 

Brighton vs. Arsenal: Gunners win 3-0 to keep pace in title race

   The Gunners meant business by routing Brighton 3-0 on Saturday to stay 1 point ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League title race. The Seagulls suffered their first defeat at the Amex stadium in all competitions since September. Arsenal had 20 shots, 4 big chances and 3.39 xG to 10 shots, 0 big chance and 0.53 xG for Brighton, according to Opta.

Photo credit: Premier League

   Arteta made 4 changes to the side that defeated Luton on Wednesday with Jesus, Saka, Rice and Jorginho replacing Trossard, Nelson, Smith-Rowe and Partey in the starting lineup. Arsenal should have opened the scoring in the 2nd minute when Magalhaes headed a free kick wide from 7 yards. That was the first shot and also the first big chance of the game. The Gunners lead the league with 18 goals scored from set pieces this season. They were surprisingly wasteful off corner kicks and free kicks against Brighton.

   Brighton created problems in the first half by beating the Gunners’ high press. The hosts found a way to play around the Arsenal wingers while building play from the back. Noticing that Jesus was pulled out of position, Baleba released Lamptey along the touchline in the 3rd minute. The Seagulls capitalized on that play to win a corner.

   Lamptey beat the high press again in the 9th minute by playing a one-two with Moder to skip past Jesus before squaring the ball back for Enciso, who blazed over the bar. On the opposite flank, Estupinan made a run in behind Saka in the 35th to take a vertical pass from Dunk and find Adingra, whose shot got blocked. Brighton even managed to play out through the middle in the 22nd when Baleba spun Rice, but Jesus made a recovery run to end the threat.

   The Gunners made a tactical tweak for the Brighton game. They usually morph into a 3-2-5 formation while playing out from the back with White acting as a third centerback and Zinchenko drifting inside to play alongside Jorginho in a double pivot. But Arsenal opted for a slightly different setup against the Seagulls: Zinchenko and White both stayed wide while Jorginho dropped deep between Saliba and Magalhaes. Maybe Arteta was wary of the threat posed by Enciso and Adingra if there was a turnover.

A league-leading 14th clean sheet

   The Gunners created their first chance from open play in the 12th when Jorginho hit a long ball toward White, who released Saka down the right wing. Saka cut inside Dunk to curl wide of the far post. Arsenal managed to break the deadlock after Jesus took on Lamptey in the 31st and was tripped by the Brighton rightback. Saka converted the subsequent penalty by sending Verbruggen the wrong way in the 33rd.

   Raya protected the lead by palming away a curling shot from Enciso in the 44th. That was an important save because the Gunners have always come away with the 3 points in the Premier League when they lead at halftime this season.

   The Gunners learnt their lesson and were more selective in their high press, giving Brighton fewer opportunities to attack space in the second half. Arsenal doubled the lead in the 62nd with a phase of gegenpressing after Estupinan blocked White’s pass for Saka. The ball fell to Enciso, who made a sloppy pass to Welbeck. Jorginho won the ball and slipped it to White before making a run down the right flank. In a fine example of triangle passing, White found Odegaard, who rounded Gross to release Jorginho down the right wing. Jorginho cut the ball back for Havertz, who beat Verbruggen from close range.

   Arteta probably had the Champions League game against Bayern Munich in mind as he replaced Saka and Jesus with Martinelli and Trossard in the 64th. Arsenal started finding more space as the Seagulls were desperate to pull one back. Trossard led a counterattack in the 71st to fire a low drive that Verbruggen turned around the post. Arteta then yanked off Zinchenko to send on Tomiyasu in the 72nd.

   The Seagulls were enjoying long spells of possession in the closing minutes. Sitting in a low defensive block, the Gunners were working hard to keep a league-leading 14th clean sheet. Trossard created the third goal by dispossessing Gross in the 86th. The loose ball fell to Havertz, who played Trossard clean through on goal. Sprinting from his own half, Trossard dinked the ball over Verbruggen.

An optimal use of Havertz’s skills

   Arteta used up all his substitutions after that third goal by replacing Havertz an Odegaard with Nketiah and Vieira in the 89th. In stoppage time, Magalhaes preserved the clean sheet by blocking Joao Pedro’s powerful strike. Magalhaes was congratulated by his teammates for that crucial block.

   Leading the line, Havertz produced a ‘Man of the Match’ performance with 1 goal and 1 assist. Havertz is much more productive as a false nine than as a No. 8. He has racked up 9 goal involvements (5 goals, 4 assists) in his last 7 league games compared to just 5 goal involvements (4 goals, 1 assist) in his first 24 league games. Of course, Havertz needed time to adapt to a new team, but Arteta has also made an optimal use of his skills with that positional change.

   Havertz had a tremendous impact in the final third with 1 of 2 shots on target and 4 key passes, all from open play. The Germany international is not the fastest player, but he made smart runs to stretch the defense and create overloads. He chased a ball over the top from Jorginho to make a cross for Jesus in the 15th. Havertz then made a run down the right wing to create another chance for Jesus in the 48th. Briefly swapping positions with Saka in the 54th, Havertz also set up Odegaard for a 15-yard shot. And Havertz showed his brilliant reading of the game by making a first-time pass to Trossard for the final goal.

   Up front, Havertz is a better option than Jesus because of his aerial threat and hold-up play. He won 3 of 6 aerial duels and had just 1 turnover, according to whoscored.com. Havertz smartly used his body to win 4 fouls, the most for any player. For instance, he was fouled by Van Hecke in the opening minute after shielding the ball. His work-rate has also earned plaudits. Havertz made 3 fouls without getting booked. He even bullied Dunk to flick the ball wide after an inaccurate throw-in from White on the stroke of halftime. Havertz was replaced by Nketiah, who headed a cross over the bar in the 90th.

Martinelli playing on the right wing

   On the left wing, Jesus lived up to his reputation as the king of chaos. He was quite ineffective with 1 of 4 shots on target, 1 key pass and just 1 successful dribble out of 7, according to whoscored.com. But his hyperactivity paid off in the 31st when he took on Lamptey and won a penalty.

   Jesus had a couple of decent chances to find the net. He headed wide from 7 yards in the 15th and missed again the target with a bouncing header in the 48th. That weakness in the air is the main reason why Jesus can’t play as a target man. His best goal attempt was a first-time effort that Verbruggen turned around the post in the 13th. Jesus has 6.83 expected goals according to Understat but has only scored 4 goals in the Premier League this season.

   Defensively, Jesus was too easily pulled out of position when the Gunners pressed high up the pitch. The Brazil striker was also untidy in possession. He gave the ball away in the 46th and was dispossessed 3 times, more than any other player. Jesus was replaced by Trossard, who showed off his finishing skills with the third goal. Trossard has 6.97 expected goals according to Understat but has scored 8 goals in the Premier League this season.

   On the right wing, Saka had a decent game with 1 of 3 shots on target, 3 key passes and 1 successful dribble out of 2. It was still shocking to see Saka curl wide in the 12th because the England winger has scored so many times in that kind of situation. At least, Saka showed better composure to convert the penalty.

   Martinelli took over Saka’s spot and created a chance for Nketiah in the 90th. It will be interesting to see who is Arteta’s first choice on the left wing in the next few games. Martinelli is usually the starter in that position but has played on the right wing since his return from injury. Is it a strategic move from Arteta? Does the Arsenal manager think that Jesus and Trossard are better options to combine in tight spaces? Or is Arteta simply managing his players’ minutes?

Jorginho’s vision

   In midfield, Odegaard didn’t look exhausted after playing the full 90 minutes against Manchester City and Luton. He had a long-range effort deflected out for a corner in the 20th and tested Verbruggen with a powerful strike in the 54th. The Norway playmaker also created a big chance for Magalhaes with a pinpoint delivery in the 2nd minute and made the penultimate pass for the second goal. Despite an outstanding passing accuracy of 92%, Odegaard nevertheless made a stray pass that led to a low drive by Moder in the 10th. It was a sensible decision from Arteta to take off Odegaard after the third goal. Only Saliba, Magalhaes, Rice and White have played more minutes than Odegaard in the Arsenal squad.

   In the left No. 8 position, Rice had 2 successful dribbles out of 4 and racked up 3 key passes from corner kicks. I thought he was a bit greedy in the 88th when he opted for a long-range shot that sailed wide instead of slipping the ball to Havertz. Rice is a better defensive midfielder than Jorginho, but Arteta wants Rice to play in a more advanced position because he doesn’t have Jorginho’s vision and passing skills to play as a deep-lying playmaker.

   In possession, Jorginho created a couple of interesting situations with his passing range. He made the penultimate pass for Saka’s chance in the 12th and Jesus’ chance in the 15th. His positional intelligence proved crucial for the second goal. Noticing that Saka was lying on the ground after taking a kick from Estupinan, the Italy midfielder made a run down the right wing to take a pass from Odegaard and make the assist for Havertz. Jorginho started tiring in the closing minutes. He gave the ball away in the 80th and fouled Fati on the edge of the Arsenal box in the 88th.

Aiming to concede fewer than 30 goals this season

   At the back, the Gunners looked so rock solid that it almost felt like the Invincibles era. Arsenal never managed to have a world-class defense after that period under Wenger and Emery. On Saturday, the Gunners earned a 4th straight clean sheet in all competitions. By conceding just 24 goals from 31 league games so far, they are on course to finish the season with fewer than 30 goals conceded for the first time since the 2003-04 unbeaten season.

   The Seagulls had a couple of interesting situations by targeting Zinchenko. Lamptey played a one-two with Adingra to run past Zinchenko before picking out Enciso in the 9th minute. Adingra then cut inside Zinchenko to fire wide in the 16th.

   The Gunners nearly got in trouble in the 25th when there was no pressure on the ball. Van Hecke made a vertical pass to Welbeck, who controlled the ball and tried to feed Lamptey. Zinchenko put off Lamptey, who couldn’t have a clean shot and ended up colliding with Raya. Lamptey created an overload on that play by making a run into the gap between Magalhaes and Zinchenko. That was some poor defensive coordination between Jesus and Zinchenko. The Ukraine international should have tucked inside to mark Lamptey and pass on Adingra to Jesus, who made the mistake of playing in Rice’s position.

   On the opposite flank, White had no trouble with Enciso and won 2 aerial duels out of 2. White was able to roam forward and even created a chance for Saka in the 12th. The English defender was also involved in the build-up to the second goal. His passing accuracy of 71.1% was a bit weak compared to 87.8% for Zinchenko. To put things in context, the Brighton fullbacks had a better passing accuracy too with 86.2% for Lamptey and 94.6% for Estupinan, according to whoscored.com. In stoppage time, White received a yellow card for time-wasting.

Magalhaes’ dominance in the air

   In the heart of the defense, Saliba and Magalhaes didn’t give Welbeck any breathing room. Saliba bullied Welbeck to win the ball in the 59th. The France centerback got booked in the 79th for shoving Estupinan from behind. Magalhaes is the more experienced of the 2 Arsenal centerbacks. Yet, Magalhaes was a bit naïve in the 9th minute when he ran deep into enemy territory to close down Moder and left Saliba and White in a 2v2 situation.

   Magalhaes is such an aerial threat that he could have notched a hat trick if he had been clinical. He missed a big chance with a free header in the 2nd minute. Magalhaes then flicked a corner wide in the 21st as Gross held him at the far post. The Brazil centerback finally caught the frame off a corner in the 90th but Verbruggen parried his bouncing header.

   Raya deserved plenty of credit for the save he made in the 44th. Enciso’s curling shot from the edge of the box was very similar to the goal scored by Porto forward Galeno in the Champions League. In both situations, Raya was about 3 yards off his line. The big difference is that Raya got a better jump against Brighton whereas he had a poor jump against Porto maybe because he didn’t seem to expect Galeno’s long-range strike.

   In possession, Raya spotted Havertz’s run in the 76th and created a counterattacking opportunity with a long kick toward the Germany international, who was fouled by Baleba. The Spanish goalkeeper still struggled with his distribution. His passing accuracy dipped to 62.1% from 29 passes compared to 93.8% from 32 passes for Verbruggen.

   The Gunners next host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday before facing Aston Villa in the Premier League on April 14. There are 3 question marks for the starting lineup against Bayern Munich. Who will play on the left wing? Who will play alongside Rice and Odegaard in midfield? And Will Arteta trust Zinchenko defensively? Arsenal will then have a small advantage over the Villans who play in the Europa Conference League on Thursday and will therefore have less time to recover.

Arsenal vs. Luton: Smith-Rowe provides the spark in 2-0 win

   Smith-Rowe is back! In his first appearance since February and his first start since January, Smith-Rowe produced a ‘Man of the Match’ performance to fire the Gunners to a 2-0 win over Luton on Wednesday. Arsenal kept a 13th clean sheet in the Premier League to take the provisional lead and put pressure on the Reds, who play on Thursday. The Gunners had 13 shots, 1 big chance and 1.14 xG to 5 shots, 0 big chance and 0.29 xG for Luton, according to Understat.

Photo credit: Premier League

   Arteta was brave enough to make 5 changes to the side that drew with Manchester City last weekend with Zinchenko, Partey, Smith-Rowe, Trossard and Nelson replacing Kiwior, Rice, Jorginho, Jesus and Saka in the starting lineup. For their first visit at the Emirates stadium, the Hatters nearly got in trouble in the opening minute when Partey intercepted a pass from Clark to find Havertz, who overhit his through ball for Trossard.

   Out of possession, Luton sat in a low defensive block. But in possession, the Hatters were surprisingly bold enough to try and play out from the back. The Gunners forced a turnover in the 8th minute by pressing high up the pitch to create their first chance of the game. Smith-Rowe acrobatically flicked the ball to Havertz, whose effort got blocked by Barkley. The Hatters didn’t learn their lesson. Smith-Rowe instigated the opening goal by robbing Mpanzu in the 24th to slip the ball to Odegaard. The Arsenal captain swapped passes with Havertz before burying the ball into the bottom corner from 14 yards.

   Luton targeted our left flank but achieved very little in the final third. Townsend made a teasing cross for Morris, who failed to make contact with the ball in the 27th, allowing Raya to collect it. Three minutes later, Townsend rounded Zinchenko to cross for Clark, who headed wide.

Players lacking a bit of stamina

   The Gunners finished the first half strong. Odegaard set up Smith-Rowe, whose shot through the legs of a defender was saved by Kaminski in the 34th. Then White beat Doughty with a roulette to feed Nelson in the 41st. Nelson spread the ball wide to Havertz, whose angled strike was parried by Kaminski. Arsenal finally managed to double the lead in the 44th when Smith-Rowe made a run down the left wing to take a pass from Trossard and cut the ball back for Nelson. The academy graduate missed the ball, but it bounced off Hashioka’s leg and into the net.

   Arsenal showed less intensity in the second half. Players like Smith-Rowe, Nelson, Partey and Zinchenko were starting for the first time in weeks if not months and probably lacked a bit of stamina. Arteta managed his players’ workload by replacing Havertz and Partey with Nketiah and Rice in the 67th before sending on Martinelli and Tomiyasu for Nelson an Zinchenko in the 74th. The Spanish manager used his last substitution in the 85th to replace Smith-Rowe with Jorginho.

   Because Luton enjoyed spells of possession, the Gunners had to wait until the 80th for their first goal attempt of the second half with a long-range effort from Tomiyasu. The Hatters had their best chance of the game in the last minute of stoppage time when Barkley headed a cross from Hashioka over the bar.

   Leading the line, Havertz made the assist for the opening goal to raise his Premier League tally to 12 goal involvements (8 goals, 4 assists) this season. The Germany international has already surpassed his best tally at Chelsea (11 goal involvements during the 2021-22 season). It’s a pity that Havertz picked up his 8th yellow card in the league for diving in the 66th. Havertz will be suspended if he gets booked against Brighton and Aston Villa. Any player gets a 2-game suspension for racking up 10 yellow cards from the first 32 games. Havertz was replaced by Nketiah, who tested Kaminski with a low drive in the 88th.

Nelson played too safe

   On the left wing, Trossard made the penultimate pass for the second goal, had 2 successful dribbles out of 3, and led all players with 6 progressive carries. He also worked his socks off with 9 defensive actions (1 block, 8 recoveries) compared to 4 for Havertz and 5 for Nelson, according to fbref.com. Trossard doesn’t have the electric pace of a Martinelli but his ability to combine in tight spaces proved useful against Luton. The Belgium international has been a reliable squad member this season with 8 goal involvements (7 goals, 1 assist) in the Premier League. That’s more than Jesus’ 7 goal involvements.

   On the right wing, Nelson had a decent game although I think he could have done more. He had a shot blocked after pouncing on a rebound in the 34th and set up Havertz for a decent chance in the 41st. Nelson must be relieved that Hashioka scored an own goal because he failed to connect with Smith-Rowe’s pass.

   Despite 15 appearances, Nelson still has no goal involvement in the Premier League this season. The trouble with Nelson’s performance is that he played too safe by making too many lateral and backward passes. No wonder his passing accuracy reached 100%. At least, Nelson showed defensive awareness in the 30th to track back and dispossess Doughty inside the Arsenal area.

   In midfield, Odegaard opened the scoring to raise his Premier League tally to 13 goal involvements (7 goals, 6 assists) this season. Among the attacking players, Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard are arguably the most clinical Gunners. Since Martinelli started on the bench while Saka was not in the matchday squad, it was no coincidence that Odegaard was the one who broke the deadlock.

   Odegaard also made 2 key passes and played a key role in the team’s ball progression with 7 progressive passes and 3 progressive carries, according to fbref.com. The Arsenal captain led by example again by making 9 defensive actions (1 tackle, 1 block, 7 recoveries). If we look at the big picture, the only negative is that Odegaard played the full 90 minutes against both City and Luton.

Smith-Rowe growing in the left No. 8 position

   In his third Premier League start this season, Smith-Rowe shone in the left No. 8 position. He didn’t score and was not credited with an assist, but he made both goals happen with his work-rate for the first and his movement for the second. Smith-Rowe had 2 goal attempts against the Hatters. His first chance was a difficult volley in the 20th that he kicked into the ground. Mpanzu nearly diverted that effort into his own net. Smith-Rowe had a better chance in the 34th but was denied by Kaminski.

   Under Emery, Smith-Rowe had his breakthrough as a second striker. He was then used both in the hole and in a wide position by Arteta. Following Xhaka’s departure last summer, Arteta has tried to turn Smith-Rowe into a No. 8. The academy graduate is a more natural goalscorer than Havertz and Rice. He’s also better at combining in tight spaces. Smith-Rowe created chances for Havertz in the 8th and Odegaard in the 13th. He also slipped a through ball to Trossard in the 51st but Onyedinma brushed Trossard off the ball.

   There were a couple of moments when Smith-Rowe’s lack of playing time really showed. He made a run in one direction in the 7th as Odegaard made the pass in the other direction. A similar misunderstanding happened between Smith-Rowe and Trossard in the 28th. Obviously, the more you play with your teammates and the better is your understanding with them. Despite those glitches, Smith-Rowe still made a good contribution to Arsenal’s ball progression with 5 progressive passes and 2 progressive carries.

   Smith-Rowe’s form dipped in the second half. He even had a bout of cramp. As a sign that Smith-Rowe is still far from his best level, he managed to make just 4 defensive actions (1 tackle, 2 interceptions, 1 recovery) in 88 minutes, well below the stats of Rice and Havertz in that position. But Smith-Rowe definitely tried hard in the first half. His defensive work led to the opening goal in the 24th and he tracked back to intercept Townsend’s dangerous pass for Mpanzu in the 27th.

Partey rebuilding his match fitness

   Partey is another Gunner who needs to rebuild his match fitness. In his first start since August, Partey looked a bit sluggish. He made 2 stray passes in the opening minutes but grew into the game, nearly scoring in the 42nd by charging down a clearance from Doughty. Partey’s work-rate was average with just 6 defensive actions (1 block, 1 interception, 4 recoveries) in 70 minutes.

   In possession, Partey played alongside Zinchenko in a double pivot like last season. The Ghana midfielder was too casual a couple of times. He was dispossessed by Onyedinma on the stroke of halftime and was almost robbed by Barkley in the 46th. Arsenal will definitely need Partey in the run-in because he’s a better defensive option than Jorginho and a better deep-lying playmaker than Rice.

   At the back, Zinchenko showed good stamina by leading the Gunners with 12 defensive actions (2 tackles, 2 interceptions, 8 recoveries) in 77 minutes. The Ukraine international also led all players with 9 progressive passes and was beaten just once by Townsend in the 30th. Zinchenko has missed fewer games than Partey and Smith-Rowe this season, so it’s easier for him to get back to his best. It will be interesting to see who starts in the leftback position against better teams.

   White, Magalhaes and Saliba have been the cornerstone of Arsenal’s tight defense this season. They had very little work to do on Wednesday. White headed away a cross from Townsend in the 26th while Magalhaes blocked Onyedinma’s cross in the 71st. To a certain extent, Raya was even busier than his defenders. His role was to stretch the Luton defense by playing like an outfield player. Raya made 61 passes with a passing accuracy of 73.8%. The Spanish goalkeeper is still struggling with long balls. He hit only 6 accurate long balls out of 22 compared to 15 out of 30 for Kaminski, according to whoscored.com.

   The Gunners next visit Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday before hosting Bayern Munich in the Champions League on April 9. The Luton game has allowed Arteta to rest Saka, Jesus, Kiwior, Jorginho and Rice while giving some playing time to Zinchenko, Partey, Smith-Rowe, Trossard, Nelson, Tomiyasu, Martinelli and Nketiah. In terms of fitness, there are only 2 question marks for the Arsenal manager. First, will Saka, Martinelli and Tomiyasu be fit to start against Brighton? And second, do Partey, Zinchenko and Smith-Rowe have enough stamina to start in 2 consecutive games?