I can offer no other explanation as the bad luck keeps rolling in. But I shall try...
It's apparently not enough to have lost one's captain for a couple of months. This current injury crisis is almost as bad as it can get in an already thin squad. Currently Arsenal are without Saka (long term), White (long term), Calafiori, Tomiyasu (long term), Nwaneri, Jesus (extremely long term); and now Saliba (hopefully just a couple of weeks), too. Half of them starters at the very least. The rest useful off the bench. Coupled with all the 'bad luck' inflicted by VAR decisions this season, it's actually quite remarkable that Arsenal are in second spot, clinging on to Liverpool's coat tails, at the top of the table.
Pinning this down to a single factor is impossible. But what it does do is restrict the ability of Arteta to rest and rotate his players, and thus leads to further stresses and strains. Put that alongside the drop in goal/assist production compared to last year from Odegaard, Martinelli, Trossard and Havertz - plus the total disaster that the signing of Sterling has been - and it's difficult to see how Arsenal can possibly keep pace. But they are somehow managing to do so; not falling further behind, in any case, and keeping their own pursuers at arm's length at the same time.
Look, all teams get injuries. Liverpool themselves lost half their team at some stages in 2020-21, when their final points tally fell from an unprecedented 99 the season before to just 69. Manchester City have been without Rodri all season, and De Bruyne for half of that time; and fell of a cliff for two entire months. Just look at the state of Tottenham's squad (and try to do that without sniggering, if you can).
The fact is that the days are long gone when a club could use just 13 or 14 players in an entire season, as Arsenal did in winning the double in 1970-71. The game is considerably faster, players are far more athletic and therefore putting extra strains on their muscles, tendons and ligaments; and most important of all the top teams are playing twice a week, every week (and if their club sides are not, the players are flying off all round the world with their countries). It's a non-stop merry-go-round, and something has to give at some point. Talk of a players strike isn't as daft as it sounds.
The Manager has himself admitted that the squad was 'thin' before the season started. The issue was not the players with whom he chose to dispense - the quality needed an upgrade - but the failure to replace with sufficient numbers. Compare Arsenal's bench with Liverpool's and it's chalk and cheese. Chelsea have a hell of a lot more depth. Newcastle and Aston Villa too. City certainly. And the games are coming thick and fast. And each fresh injury racks up the pressure even further on the aching limbs of Arsenal's first team squad.
It's a testament, nonetheless, to the quality of the players that Arteta does have available to him that a playing eleven shorn of all those listed missing above still managed to dominate a side as useful as Aston Villa for a good deal of this game. Arsenal were, once more, unlucky not to walk away with all three points. With a few of the above players available, there would have been little doubt as to the destination of the points; plus judging by the manner of the goal concessions I think that it's safe to say that had Saliba been playing, neither goal would have been conceded.
Let's have a look at how the game went, with attention first placed on how Arteta decided to deal with the loss of Big Willy. I'm always of the opinion that one should look to keep as many players in their best position as possible, but Mikel chose to shift Timber to centre half, and then Partey to right back; two men moved when if he'd have selected Kivior he'd have had to move just one, and leave Partey where he is most effective. This season's results show that Partey at right back is a mere stop gap, that doesn't really work. Just one win in the now 7 matches that he has started there.
What were the alternatives, one may ask, with White out? There were two others. I can see why he would choose not to go with Kivior, as Ollie Watkins could well have been too hot for him to handle. The Pole isn't quite of the grade needed to be an Arsenal defender, unfortunately; plus we know that Arteta favours playing one right-footed and one left-footed centre back at all times and Kivior plus Gabriel is - literally - two left feet! The other was to drop Rice back in there, as Dec was a centre-half in his very young days. Not a terrible idea as a stop gap; and especially as it would have meant keeping Timber and Partey in their best positions. But he did what he did; and it came back to bite him as both goals can be attributed to Partey to a greater or lesser extent.
However, there were plusses in this performance. Especially going forward. Trossard has been off the boil for a few weeks now and has been rotated in and out of the side as a result, but in this game he looked to be coming back to his best. Two assists; plus he did everything but score himself on no less than four occasions. Martinelli had Matsen on toast in the first half - so much that Emery was forced to take him off at half time. Plus his goal came as a result of poaching off the right, as every winger should look to do when the ball is on the other side of the field (it was of course good to see Martinez fluffing the save and conceding as a result). Havertz's goal was a proper centre forward's goal, and his link up play was excellent in this game - for all that I'd prefer him not to wander outside the width of the penalty area as often as he does, as the team needs a focal point to play off in my humble opinion.
Rice had another solid 8/10 game. And MLS was superb yet again; showing his customary strength, as well as vision and ability to make decisive runs and passes. With the national side short of left backs at the moment, he will surely be in the next England squad at his current rate of progress.
Nonetheless, despite a two goal lead - and I cannot recall an Arteta side giving one up before - Arsenal failed to see the game out. Because of two moments of defensive indecision. For the first Villa goal, Partey was too slow out to Digne, and Merino fractionally too slow to react to the run of the irritating Tielemans. The second goal saw Partey step out when he needed to step back in with Watkins. The finish was excellent.
Which brings me on to the need for reinforcement. A player like Watkins would transform this Arsenal side. Quick, strong and with a definite eye for goal, he worked Timber and Gabriel really hard throughout. He's obviously unobtainable in January, but would be on my list of additions who could help elevate Arsenal to the level that they are currently unable to quite reach. Yes, they need depth as well as quality, but a new centre forward looks absolutely key at this stage. Havertz simply doesn't have it in him to be a 20 goal a season striker, but has many excellent other qualities (although I sometimes wonder about his body language). And a focal point to the Arsenal attack would be extremely useful.
We know that Arteta wanted Sesko in the summer; despite him not currently being the finished article. Personally, I'd prefer Gyokeres. There is some talk of Ohsimen (currently, bizarrely, on loan from Napoli at Galatasaray). Which ever way things fall, Arsenal must surely find a way to do some business in the next week or so; if they do not, it would be a sign that the hierarchy are giving up the ghost on this season so as not to upset the summer's plans. And that, for me, would be a mistake. Liverpool are not out of sight, Arsenal also remain one of the favourites for the Champions League, and a shot in the arm that a top class centre forward would bring could be exactly what the squad need. If they could bring that forward to this window, and then pick up the two players (a central midfielder - Zubimendi, apparently - and wing cover for Saka) they need in the summer then the squad would be pretty much complete. Despite the need for extra depth. We shall see.
As for the denouement of the Villa game... there was a moment of massive controversy as Merino's shot - almost certainly not goal-bound - hit Havertz and was deflected into the net. Handball? For me, probably inconclusive. From where the referee and one camera were situated, it didn't look like it. From the reverse angle, the ball perhaps grazed Havertz's hand; but the major and critical deflection was off of his torso. By the Law as it's written, if the ball touched his hand or arm on the way in then the goal must be disallowed. However, what is certain is that if a defender had had such a miniscule contact with the ball, with his arms and hands at his side, a penalty would NOT have been awarded. Therefore in conclusion a) the Law is an ass and b) VAR was once again extremely quick to rule against Arsenal; no suggestion of sending the referee - who had awarded the goal after all - to the screen. Just an instruction to disallow it. But there's no conspiracy...
Arsenal were at that stage bombarding the Villa goal, but couldn't quite get it done. Two frustratingly dropped points, but I for one am not giving up. But please, Arsenal, sign attacking reinforcements. Please don't write the season off by not doing so.
On to the Champions League now, when victory over a Dinamo Zagreb side who are on the verge of elimination, and who haven't played a competitive game in a month due to their winter break, will almost certainly see Arsenal guaranteed a top 8 spot with a game to spare. Let's get behind the lads one more time. COYG!
Finally, before I go, I'd like to return to something I mentioned in my last piece; that of the yellow balloons that appeared at the Tottenham game, which were to highlight the plight of British/Israeli hostage Emily Damari, who was kidnapped by terrorists on October 7th 2023. The wonderful news is that she was literally the first name on the list of hostages to be freed as a result of the ceasefire agreement, and is now safe at home in Israel. Welcome home, Emily - may you be the first of ALL 93 to be allowed home. People have been campaigning all over the world for the return of the hostages since the day they were taken - the day of the massacre - and I'd like to think that those yellow balloons helped just a tiny bit.
No comments:
Post a Comment