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 Wednesday 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?

Man City vs. Arsenal: Resilient Gunners earn a point on road

   The Gunners stayed in the Premier League title race by showing discipline and resilience to earn a point in a goalless draw with Manchester City on Sunday. You might be disappointed by the result because Arsenal dropped to second place, 2 points behind Liverpool, but you must also remember that the Citizens are undefeated at the Etihad stadium this season. The Gunners had 6 shots, 1 big chance and 0.68 xG to 12 shots, 1 big chance and 0.95 xG for Manchester City, according to Opta.

Photo credit: Premier League

   Arteta made just 1 change to the side that edged Porto before the international break with Jesus replacing Trossard in the starting lineup. In a tactical game, the Citizens enjoyed 72% of ball possession but created very little from open play. Manchester City attempted to create gaps in the Arsenal defense with the dribbling skills of Silva and De Bruyne and ball carries from Rodri. But the Gunners were well drilled to plug any gap and deny space.

   The Citizens also tested Arsenal with crosses. Gvardiol picked out Haaland in the 37th minute, but the Norway striker was put off by Magalhaes and Kiwior and missed the target. Hoping to create more chances from the flanks, Guardiola replaced Kovacic and Foden with Doku and Grealish in the 61st. Grealish made a cross for Doku, who volleyed wide from a tight angle in the 82nd.

   In the end, City’s best chances came from set pieces. Ake had a free header off a corner in the 15th but sent the ball straight at Raya. The hosts wasted another chance in the 84th when Gvardiol redirected a corner toward the far post. An unmarked Haaland pounced on the ball but completely missed his kick.

Hitting City on the fast break

   The Gunners had less possession than City but somehow created more from open play. White provided the spark in the first half. He roamed forward in the 7th minute to make a cross for Jesus, who chested the ball down before firing a low strike wide. Then White led a fast break in the 31st, swapping passes with Saka and Odegaard before making a cross for Kiwior, who cushioned the ball for Jesus. The Brazil striker rounded Silva only to drag his shot wide.

   Arsenal’s best chances came from turnovers. Odegaard led a counterattack in the 25th after Rice had dispossessed Rodri. Havertz took a pass from Odegaard and played a one-two with Jesus to be clean through on goal but his sliding effort lacked power to beat Ortega. The high press also helped Arsenal create chances.

   The Gunners were more selective than usual in their high press because of City’s ability to play out from the back. Kovacic gave the ball away to Odegaard in the 34th. The Norway playmaker found Rice, who spread the ball wide to Jesus. Surrounded by a couple of Citizens, Jesus ran into traffic and had his effort blocked. Then White forced a turnover by Gvardiol in the 52nd. Odegaard slipped the ball to Saka, who made a teasing cross, but neither Havertz nor Jesus could make contact with the ball for a potential tap-in.

   Arteta made his first substitutions in the 66th by sending on Partey and Tomiyasu for Jorginho and Kiwior. The intent was to contain Silva in midfield and Doku on our left flank. Because the Citizens dominated possession, Jesus and Saka had to do a lot of defensive work. Arteta used his last 2 substitutions by replacing Jesus with Trossard in the 72nd and Saka with Martinelli in the 78th.

   The Gunners had the opportunity to steal the 3 points in the 86th when Odegaard slipped a through ball to Trossard. The Belgium forward could have played Martinelli clean through on goal with a first-time cross. But Trossard made the wrong decision, opting to run with the ball and unleash an angled strike that Ortega parried.

Jesus’ profligacy

   Leading the line, Havertz had to complete a thankless task again. His defensive duties were the priority as he led all players with 4 fouls. Havertz also played the role of target man to help Arsenal evade City’s high press. He led all players by winning 6 of 11 aerial duels, according to whoscored.com. The Citizens didn’t let Havertz breathe the few times he had the ball. His passing accuracy of 46.2% was the lowest among all the players. Despite finishing the game with just 1 goal attempt and 0 key pass, Havertz still managed to get Arsenal’s only big chance.

   Jesus started on the left wing because Martinelli had just recovered from a foot injury. He was generous in his efforts but proved wasteful in front of goal with 0 shot on target. Jesus also lacked flair in the 52nd when Saka made a teasing cross. Out of possession, Jesus played like a left wingback, helping Kiwior deal with Silva. Jesus conceded a free kick in the 3rd minute by pulling back Silva on the edge of the box. He collected a silly yellow card for time-wasting in the 67th.

   On the right wing, Saka didn’t look match fit at all. He had no end product with 0 shot, 0 key pass and 0 successful dribble. Saka even led all players with 7 turnovers compared to 6 for Havertz and 3 for Jesus, according to whoscored.com. The England winger especially put his team in danger by losing possession inside his own area in the 75th. His only decent contribution was that teasing cross in the 52nd. Saka was replaced by Martinelli, who was making his return from injury. Last October, Martinelli came off the bench to score the lone goal in the 1-0 win over City. There was no happy ending this time as Dias blocked Martinelli’s shot in the 80th.

Odegaard’s outstanding work-rate

   In midfield, Odegaard had very few occasions to express his creativity. The Citizens allowed him to make only 32 passes. In challenging conditions, Odegaard still led the Gunners in ball progression with 6 progressive passes and 3 progressive carries, according to fbref.com. The Norway playmaker also managed to create 2 chances, setting up Martinelli in the 80th and Trossard in the 86th. Odegaard could have had a third key pass but overhit his through ball for Havertz in the 51st.

   As the Arsenal captain, Odegaard led by example with an outstanding work-rate. He made 12 defensive actions (4 tackles, 2 blocks, 2 inter, 4 recoveries), according to fbref.com. That’s not the kind of bravery that you would get from Ozil, who used to shrink in tough away games. Odegaard also played a key role in the high press. His ball recovery in the 34th led to a scoring chance for Jesus. Odegaard was nevertheless embarrassed by a bad matchup in the 84th when Gvardiol outmuscled him to redirect a corner toward Haaland.

   Rice was supposed to play in the left No. 8 position, but City’s domination forced him to play in a double pivot alongside Jorginho. The England midfielder created a counterattacking opportunity by dispossessing Rodri in the 25th and made the key pass to Jesus in the 34th. Despite City’s relentless pressure, Rice led Arsenal starters with a passing accuracy of 89.3%.

   Jorginho was a poor fit for Sunday’s game. The Italy midfielder can set the tempo and act like a deep-lying playmaker when the Gunners dominate possession. But Arsenal had just 28% of possession at the Etihad stadium and spent most of the game chasing the ball. Jorginho made only 2 defensive actions (2 recoveries) in 67 minutes compared 9 defensive actions (3 tackles, 6 recoveries) in 97 minutes for Rice. His lack of pace and physicality proved a liability against the Citizens. Ake got a big chance in the 15th by brushing Jorginho aside. Rodri is not known for his dribbling skills, but he led all players with 7 successful dribbles out of 8 by getting the better of a soft midfield.

A rusty Tomiyasu

   Arteta replaced Jorginho with Partey in the 66th. Partey still needs a couple of games under his belt to perform at his best level. He was caught ball-watching in the 84th when Gvardiol redirected a corner toward Haaland. Partey was initially marking Haaland when the corner kick was taken, but the Ghana midfielder failed to stay with Haaland for the second ball.

   At the back, Kiwior had a rough start. He seems to struggle against short players with quick feet. Silva beat Kiwior in the 3rd minute, forcing Jesus to make a cynical foul on the edge of the box. Kiwior then obstructed Silva in the 28th after the Portugal international had knocked the ball past him. But Kiwior managed to grow into the game with some help from Jesus. The Poland defender even created a chance for Jesus in the 31st. However, City’s relentless pressure exposed Kiwior’s technical limitations. Kiwior had a passing accuracy of 58.8% compared to 69.2% for White, 75.8% for Saliba and 84.6% for Magalhaes.

   Anticipating the danger of leaving Kiwior in a 1v1 situation with Doku, Arteta replaced Kiwior with Tomiyasu in the 66th. In his first game since the Asian Cup with Japan, Tomiyasu looked a bit rusty and shaky. He lost possession twice with some really poor touches. Doku dribbled past Tomiyasu in th first minute of stoppage time, but the Japan defender won his duel against Doku 3 minutes later.

   On the opposite flank, White kept Foden quiet while creating a chance in the 7th minute and leading a fast break in the 31st. White was more focused on his defensive duties in the second half and had to block a cross from Silva in the 87th.

   A year ago, Haaland ridiculed the Arsenal defense by toying with Holding. The Norway striker had no fun against Saliba and Magalhaes on Sunday. Haaland took 4 shots but none of them was on target. Saliba relied on his reading of the game to lead all players with 13 defensive actions (3 tackles, 2 blocks, 8 recoveries). The only blemish in Saliba’s performance was his lapse of concentration in the 36th when he gave the ball away.

Raya’s poor distribution

   Arteta has arguably built one of the most complementary centerback partnerships in the Premier League. Magalhaes showed great defensive awareness in the 2nd minute when he played Haaland offside as Foden was trying to play Haaland clean through on goal. The Brazil international lost an aerial duel in the 37th, but he did enough to put Haaland off. Magalhaes also rescued the Gunners when they under siege in the 75th by clearing a dangerous cross from De Bruyne.

   Despite the clean sheet, Raya didn’t cover himself in glory. His distribution was really poor. The Spanish goalkeeper had a passing accuracy of 48.6% from 35 passes compared to 84.4% from 32 passes for Ortega, according to whoscored.com. Of course, the Citizens’ high press often forced Raya to kick it long. But Ortega still hit 6 accurate long balls out of 11 compared to 11 accurate long balls out of 29 for Raya. Raya even slipped twice while kicking the ball down the pitch. He got booked in the 79th for time-wasting.

   The Gunners next host Luton in the Premier League on Wednesday before visiting Brighton on April 6. The Luton game will be one of the rare opportunities for Arteta to rotate his team because Arsenal will then face Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Aston Villa in the Premier League. Saka shouldn’t start the Luton game since he has been carrying a knock for a while. On the other hand, players like Partey, Tomiyasu, Martinelli and Zinchenko should get some playing time to build their fitness. Arteta will have to be brave. He knows that the Gunners can’t afford to drop points against Luton. But he also knows that his key players can’t afford to run out of steam or lack match fitness in the final games of the season.

 

What are Arsenal’s chances in the run-in?

   The Gunners lead the Premier League with just 10 games left. They are level on points with Liverpool and one point clear of Manchester City. A year ago, Arsenal had a 5-point lead over the Citizens but collapsed in the run-in. What are the Gunners’ chances with a much smaller lead this season?

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

   In a tight race, it is often said that the team making the fewest mistakes usually wins. Both Arsenal and Liverpool have made more game-changing blunders than Manchester City this season. In 28 Premier League games, the Gunners have made 6 errors leading to a goal (Raya 2, Ramsdale 1, Zinchenko 1, Jorginho 1, Saka 1), received 2 red cards (Tomiyasu 1, Vieira 1) and conceded 2 penalties (Saliba 1, Rice 1) for a total of 10 game-changing blunders. They are on pace to finish the season with 14 game-changing blunders.

   Last season, Manchester City clinched the title by making just 8 game-changing blunders compared to 13 for Arsenal. The Citizens look more vulnerable this season because they are making more mistakes. Guardiola’s players have made 2 errors leading to a goal (Gvardiol 1, Rodri 1), received 2 red cards (Akanji 1, Rodri 1) and conceded 3 penalties (Ederson 1, Dias 1, Foden 1) for a total of 7 game-changing blunders in 28 games. They are on pace to finish the season with 10 game-changing blunders. To put things in context, the Citizens only made 3 game-changing blunders during the 2021-22 season when they won the title with 93 points.

   Ironically, the Reds are still in the title race despite making more mistakes than last season. They have made 5 errors leading to a goal (Alexander-Arnold 2, Alisson 2, Kelleher 1), received 5 red cards (Van Dijk 1, Konate 1, Mac Allister 1, Jones 1, Jota 1) and conceded 1 penalty (Quansah 1) for a total of 11 game-changing blunders. They are on pace to finish the season with 15 game-changing blunders. By contrast, Liverpool made 12 game-changing blunders to finish 5th last season.

   The only positive for the Gunners is that they have made only 1 game-changing blunder in their last 8 Premier League games. That was Ramsdale’s error that led to a goal for Brentford. The Citizens have the edge over Arsenal and Liverpool in terms of self-control. But discipline is not the only factor that could decide the title race. The players’ freshness could also impact the teams’ performances in the run-in.

Arteta’s poor rotation policy

   Both Liverpool and Manchester City have the edge over the Gunners in terms of freshness. Klopp and Guardiola are smarter in their rotation policies than Arteta, who is more rigid in his team selection. Of course, you could argue that the Citizens have a better squad than Arsenal and it’s therefore easier for Guardiola to rotate his team without having a big dropoff in quality. But Klopp has been able to get very good results despite giving a lot of playing time to youngsters like Jones, Gravenberch, Elliott, Bradley and Quansah.

   Arteta has been really bad at managing his players’ minutes this season. The Gunners have 5 outfield players with more than 3,000 minutes in all competitions at club level while the Reds have no outfield player with more than 3,000 minutes. The Citizens have just 3 outfield players with more than 3,000 minutes in all competitions even though they also had to play in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

   Here are the 11 outfield players the most used in all competitions by each contender, according to Transfermarkt.

* Arsenal: 1. Saliba 3,422 minutes; 2. Magalhaes 3,282; 3. Rice 3,261; 4. White 3,048; 5. Saka 3,023; 6. Odegaard 2,986; 7. Havertz 2,793; 8. Martinelli 2,244; 9. Zinchenko 1,754; 10. Trossard 1,583; 11. Jesus 1,527.

* Man City: 1. Foden 3,332 minutes; 2. Walker 3,276; 3. Rodri 3,169; 4. Dias 2,933; 5. Alvarez 2,875; 6. Haaland 2,842; 7. Silva 2,724; 8. Akanji 2,690; 9. Ake 2,601; 10. Gvardiol 2,324; 11. Kovacic 1,990.

* Liverpool: 1. Van Dijk 2,992 minutes; 2. Diaz 2,717; 3. Gomez 2,693; 4. Mac Allister 2,529; 5. Nunez 2,469; 6. Gakpo 2,350; 7. Salah 2,303; 8. Szoboszlai 2,220; 9. Elliott 2,203; 10. Konate 2,164; 11. Endo 2,051.

   Arteta’s poor rotation policy is even more obvious when you look at the minutes played in the Premier League. The Gunners have 6 outfield players with more than 2,000 minutes while the Reds have only 1 outfield player with more than 2,000 minutes. The Citizens are in the middle like Aston Villa and Tottenham as they have 4 outfield players with more than 2,000 minutes.

   Here are the 11 outfield players the most used in the Premier League by each contender, according to Transfermarkt.

* Arsenal: 1. Saliba 2,520 minutes; 2. Rice 2,398; 3. Saka 2,274; 4. Odegaard 2,217; 5. Magalhaes 2,175; 6. White 2,139; 7. Havertz 1,783; 8. Martinelli 1,767; 9. Zinchenko 1,443; 10. Jesus 1,146; 11. Nketiah 1,043.

* Man City: 1. Foden 2,316 minutes; 2. Walker 2,261; 3. Alvarez 2,209; 4. Rodri 2,170; 5. Dias 1,927; 6. Haaland 1,925; 7. Silva 1,898; 8. Ake 1,727; 9. Akanji 1,678; 10. Gvardiol 1,474; 11. Doku 1,202.

* Liverpool: 1. Van Dijk 2,278 minutes; 2. Diaz 1,845; 3. Mac Allister 1,821; 4. Salah 1,819; 5. Szoboszlai 1,739; 6. Alexander-Arnold 1,627; 7. Nunez 1,572; 8. Gomez 1,445; 9. Konate 1,330; 10. Gakpo 1,160; 11. Endo 1,089.

A blessing in disguise

   Players run out of steam or get injured in the run-in when they are overused. That’s how Arsenal collapsed at the end of last season. They initially became title contenders by collecting 50 points from the first 19 games. The World Cup break from mid-November to Boxing Day was a blessing in disguise because it allowed some players to recover physically. The Gunners then had their first poor run of form in February when they dropped points in 3 consecutive games, drawing with Brentford and losing to Everton and Manchester City. However, Arsenal still had the lead in March. What cost them the title was the second poor run of form in April when they dropped points in 4 consecutive games by drawing with Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton before losing at Manchester City.

   You just have to look at the injuries and poor form of some players to understand why the Gunners collapsed at the end of last season. Saliba missed the last 11 Premier League games because of a back injury. Tomiyasu also missed the last 11 games because of a knee injury. Zinchenko was sidelined by a calf injury for the last 3 games while Jesus missed a dozen games after the World Cup because of a knee injury. And the form of key players like Saka, Partey and Ramsdale dropped off in the second half of the season.

   Arsenal hit the wall earlier this season. The Gunners had their first poor run of form during the Christmas period when they dropped points in 3 consecutive games by drawing with Liverpool before losing to West Ham and Fulham. Arsenal had previously lost at Newcastle and Aston Villa but each time managed to bounce back with a win right away. I believe Arteta’s poor rotation policy contributed to that physical dip in December. The winter break was a blessing in disguise as the trip to Dubai helped the Gunners recharge their batteries. But Arsenal could have a second poor run of form in April if Arteta is not careful with his players’ workload.

   The only positive for the Gunners is that the entire squad should be available for the run-in. Jesus and Zinchenko have both returned from injury while Tomiyasu, Partey and Timber are back in training. Arteta should therefore have more options to rotate. The Spanish manager will have to be brave and occasionally start some of his key players on the bench because Arsenal will play 2 games a week from March 31 to April 28 at least.

Tough away games

   Of all the contenders, the Gunners have arguably the toughest run-in. Arsenal will face opponents who have picked up an average of 1.63 points per game this season while Manchester City’s future opponents have earned 1.52 points per game and Liverpool’s future opponents have picked up 1.37 points per game.

   Besides the overall quality of the opposition, the Gunners also have tougher away games than Liverpool and Manchester City in the run-in. Arsenal will host Luton, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Bournemouth and Everton and visit Manchester City, Brighton, Wolverhampton, Tottenham and Manchester United. The Gunners have 5 away games against Top 10 sides, including two teams in the Top 5 (City and Villa).

   Manchester City will host Arsenal, Aston Villa, Luton, Wolverhampton and West Ham and visit Crystal Palace, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Tottenham. The Citizens only have 2 away games against Top 10 sides, including a team in the Top 5 (Tottenham).

   Liverpool will host Brighton, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Wolverhampton and visit Manchester United, Fulham, Everton, West Ham and Aston Villa. The Reds have 3 away games against Top 10 sides, including a team in the Top 5 (Villa).

   You could point out that the Gunners have won their last 8 games in the Premier League, but 5 of those games were against teams in the bottom half of the table (Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Burnley, Sheffield United, Brentford). Arsenal did beat a Top 5 side (Liverpool) and a Top 10 side (Newcastle) at the Emirates stadium but only had 1 away game against a Top 10 side (West Ham).

   Discipline, freshness and the quality of the opposition are the tangible factors that could decide the title race. But intangible factors could play a role, too. The Gunners look irresistible now as they have won their last 8 games in the Premier League to boast the tightest defense and the most prolific attack in England. Momentum is definitely on Arsenal’s side. However, their style of play is energy-consuming because it relies heavily on intensity and movement. There’s no guarantee that the Gunners will be able to maintain such a high level of performance, especially if Arteta is reluctant to rotate.

The X factor

   Experience could be another key factor. Liverpool and Manchester City are used to tight finishes. Manchester City edged the Reds by just 1 point to clinch the title two years ago. Liverpool also lost the title to the Citizens by a point in 2019. Last season, the title race was tight until Manchester City thrashed Arsenal 4-1 at the end of April. So, the Gunners don’t really have that experience of fighting for the title in the final game of the season.

   But forget about momentum and experience. Luck could prove the most important factor in such a tight race. Liverpool should be far behind Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings. The Reds only have 55.03 expected points compared to 59.82 expected points for the Citizens and 60.26 expected points for the Gunners, according to Understat. Basically, the Reds are overperforming by 9 points. That could be the luck of the champion. Leicester also won the title by overperforming during the 2015-16 season. The Foxes finished with 81 points despite having just 68.94 expected points, according to Understat. The Gunners should have lifted the trophy that season with 77.01 expected points but finished second with 71 points.

   Despite what the standings show, the Gunners are still the underdogs in the title race. Manchester City and Liverpool have more experienced managers and an easier run-in and they know how to finish strong while the Gunners have collapsed in the past two seasons. Momentum is on Arsenal’s side, but the Citizens have better discipline and the Reds are less jaded.

   I believe the Gunners would need a win or at least a draw at the Etihad stadium on March 31 to still have a shot at the title. Mathematically, Arsenal would not be eliminated from the title race with a defeat. But it’s hard to see how the Gunners could then catch the Citizens, who have an easier run-in. On the other hand, Manchester City could still win the title after another loss to Arsenal because the Gunners have a tougher run-in and could still drop points.

 

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

   For the first time since 2010, the Gunners qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League by downing Porto 4-2 in a penalty shootout. They won the second leg of their last-16 tie 1-0 on Tuesday to make up for the 1-0 loss in the first leg three weeks ago. Arsenal had 13 shots, 0 big chance and 0.95 xG to 10 shots, 0 big chance and 0.55 xG for the Portuguese side, according to Opta.

Photo credit: Getty

   It was a frustrating game to watch. The Dragons played like a Mourinho side, wasting time with goal kicks and throw-ins to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm. The Gunners couldn’t play the game on their terms. Porto turned the game into a grind with long balls and duels.

   Arteta made just 1 change to the side that defeated Brentford last weekend with Raya replacing Ramsale in the starting lineup. Martinelli was not in the matchday squad because he had not recovered from the cut to his foot. Arsenal’s passing game leaned heavily on the right flank. Saka made 23 more passes than Trossard while White made 34 more passes than Kiwior, according to whoscored.com.

   Saka got the first decent chance of the game by outpacing Gonzalez in the 13th minute to fire a low shot that Costa saved. The visitors targeted Kiwior like in the first leg. The Poland defender was pulled out of position in the 22nd when Joao Mario made a run down our left flank to square the ball back for Evanilson, whose strike was palmed away by Raya. That was Porto’s best chance of the game.

It took a moment of magic in the 41st to break the deadlock. Odegaard made a disguised pass to Trossard, who curled into the far corner from a tight angle. That shot had an xG value of 0.08 according to Opta, less than Evanilson’s chance which had an xG value of 0.12.

   The Gunners needed a second goal to avoid a penalty shootout. They thought they had scored the decisive goal in the 67th when Odegaard chipped a loose ball into an empty net. But the goal was disallowed after a video showed that Havertz pulled Pepe’s shirt in the build-up. Porto also had a chance to net the decisive goal in the 70th. Gonzalez launched a counterattack by finding Conceicao, who ran some 40 yards unchallenged before firing a low strike that Raya parried.

   Arsenal finished stronger as Porto started to tire. Jesus replaced Jorginho in the 83rd and had an effort saved by Costa’s legs a few seconds later. Then Saka cut inside in the 85th to curl a shot that Costa palmed into the path of Odegaard, who missed the target from 17 yards.

   There was no decent chance in extra time as both teams ran out of gas. Arteta tried to inject some fresh blood by sending on Zinchenko and Nketiah for Kiwior and Trossard at the beginning of the second period of extra time. But Zinchenko and Nketiah were both too rusty to make an impact.

   I didn’t really feel confident before the penalty shootout because the Gunners got knocked out of the Europa League by Sporting Lisbon in a penalty shootout last year. But the vibes changed when Odegaard won the coin tosses to take the first spot kick and choose the side of the pitch for the shootout. Odegaard, Havertz, Saka and Rice converted their spot kicks while Raya saved efforts by Wendell and Galeno.

1. Raya cements his No. 1 status

   With his heroics in a knockout game, Raya cemented his status as the No. 1 goalkeeper in the Arsenal squad. He kept a clean sheet by denying Evanilson in the 22nd and Conceicao in the 70th. Then Raya did his homework with Cana, the goalkeeping coach, to correctly guess how Wendell and Galeno would take their spot kicks.

   His distribution was very good with a passing accuracy of 72.7% from 44 passes compared to 64.9% from 74 passes for Costa, according to whoscored.com. Raya definitely deserved to win the UEFA Player of the Match award. He’s no longer the shaky goalkeeper that Arsenal fans saw in the first half of the season. Now Raya has a better understanding with his teammates and knows exactly what Arteta expects from him.

2. Trossard, a discreet hero

   The Belgian forward was relatively quiet with just 15 passes, but he made his moments count. Trossard leveled the tie with his only goal attempt of the game. He also led all players with 4 key passes, making crosses for White in the 4th, Rice in the 27th and Saliba in the 74th. Trossard felt more comfortable on the left wing than in the centerforward role he played in the first leg. The only blemish in Trossard’s performance was his defensive output. He was dribbled past twice, according to whoscored.com.

3. Odegaard found the key

   Porto prevented Odegaard from doing his magic in the first leg as the Norway playmaker had 0 key pass. The Dragons tried again to limit Odegaard’s influence in the second leg by cutting the passing lanes and giving him very little time on the ball. It worked to a certain extent since Odegaard had 8 turnovers and made only 33 passes on Tuesday compared to 6 turnovers and 47 passes in the first leg, according to whoscored.com.

   But Odegaard found a way to make an impact with 2 key passes, including the outstanding assist for Trossard’s goal. The Arsenal captain also worked hard for the team, leading the high press in the first half and winning 2 of 3 tackles. It’s too bad Odegaard missed his shooting boots with no effort on target. He dragged a shot wide in the 14th and failed to catch the frame again in the 85th.

4. Havertz’s thankless task

   Forget about the goals, it was all about the work-rate for Havertz. Starting as a false nine, Havertz made almost no offensive contribution with 0 goal attempt and 1 key pass because his defensive duties were the priority. His only opportunity to shine was the cross he made for Rice in the 58th.

   Havertz produced a gritty performance. He led all players with 6 fouls and was fouled 5 times, more than any other player. The Germany international took one for the team in the 26th minute of extra time with a cynical foul on Aquino to kill a counterattack. Havertz also played the role of target man to help Arsenal evade Porto’s press. He led all players by winning 10 of 13 aerial duels, according to whoscored.com. Some of those duels were dangerous. Havertz was kicked by Varela on the stroke of halftime and Pepe in the 72nd.

5. Saka’s mixed performance

   In tough conditions, Saka managed to have an impact in the final third with 2 key passes and 2 shots on target. He tested Costa with a low effort in the 13th and a curling shot in the 85th. Saka also indirectly created a chance for Jesus by blocking Otavio’s clearance in the 83rd. Gonzalez was lucky not to get booked in the 31st for a poor tackle from behind on Saka. Because of Porto’s strict defending, Saka led all players with 11 turnovers. In the 20th minute of extra time, Saka should have taken a first-time shot instead of controlling the ball for a shot that got blocked by Otavio.

6. Saliba keeps learning about the little details

   The French centerback is brilliant in the Premier League, but the Champions League knockout phase is exposing his inexperience at the top level. His poor clearance in the 16th led to a goal attempt by Evanilson. Then Saliba poorly marked Evanilson in the 22nd for what was Porto’s best chance of the game. Saliba also received a yellow card for holding Galeno in the 39th. He improved in the second half but still gave the ball away while playing out from the back in the 52nd. On the bright side, Saliba was dominant in the air, winning 5 of 6 duels.