After such a dominant and comfortable first half, this looked like a 5 or 6 goal stroll. Whatever happened at half-time, we came out sluggish and perhaps overconfident. Minds on PSG already?
Leicester did well to get back in it. The second Justin goal is up there with the best.
Seemed as if we had thrown it all away, a disastrous result. However, another Saka corner led to a goal. Havertz puting icing on a shiiit cake at the end.
Positives -
We won and are level on points with City.
Martinelli netting, ending a 6 month drought.
Timber looked good again.
Nwaneri came on and looked great again.
Trossard showing his goalscoring touch.
Negatives -
Despite a generally good performance, Calafiori had moments. Commentators crying for a red, which would have been very harsh even if you ignore the Skipp straight red and then second yellow for a late foul on Saka.
The second half was just so lacklustre and deserved to cost us 2 points. Not many came out of that with credit.
We had an "xG" of over 4, and 17 shots on target, so a lot of credit goes to their 'keeper. However, at the same time you have to be critical of our finishing. Weird to say when we scored 4 that their 'keeper was MotM and our finishing was poor, but that is how it went!
We will have to perform much better on Tuesday against PSG. Maybe the personnel changes have disrupted the back 4, but suddenly we are losing soft goals. And maybe, just maybe, Arteta has to trust Nwaneri from the start because the midfield isn't working that well!
WTF was that!!!
posted on 29/9/24
Yeah, really liking Timber at RB too. Just a little concerned we don’t ask/expect too much from him so soon after his injury.
posted on 29/9/24
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 hour, 40 minutes ago
Calafiori wasn't inverting. Kept the left far more than Zinchenko.
Justin scored from a set piece the other side of the box, then a first time hit. Other than that he didn't trouble us.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I belive both full backs were inverting.
Its how Arteta sees it about occupying spaces.
Why he bought Merino imo. Rice was not covering the left MF as he normally does. Thats where Calafiori was caught and could have been sent off.
posted on 29/9/24
You believe wrong. Both held their width. The last 3 league games have seen the full backs play more traditionally and Rice play more centrally.
posted on 29/9/24
comment by Sheriff John Brown - Arteta IN!!! (U7482)
posted 49 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 2 hours, 52 minutes ago
Partey is really only a one half player. Rice was the one most at fault for not dropping a little deeper on the left side in the second half, so Calafiori was inverting all the time. We used to laugh at Zinny for not being able to defend, but that's exactly how Calafiori was exposed. Leicester cottoned on and pushed Justin up that side, banking on Martinelli not staying disciplined. He was the reason why we lost the tie to Bayern last season and it happened again. Trossard saw the space but reacted too late and they equalised.
Havertz also had a stinker and frankly the only creative player on the pitch was Saka till Ethan came on.
Arteta needs to consider playing Saka on the inside with Sterling on his outside till Ode is fit. And hopefully Merino's inclusion will mean Rice in no.6 position, where he is more disciplined.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Zinchenko was ridiculed for his defending, not just because of his positioning, but he was a terrible defender in one-on-one situations and got roasted far too often in those duels. It's not "exactly" how Calafiori was exposed. The Leicester scorer would have been quickly closed down by 2 players if he took a touch, but had a great first time shot. It happens. Not every goal in football is because of some defensive error. Bigger issue for their equalizer was how easily they played through our right and got in the cross without getting closed down - plus our midfield was ragged for about 10 mins in that period.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking back at it Partey was the closest to the player who put the ball in and he didn't even attempt to stop the cross, could of stopped it at source. Lazy defending really kind of typified that 20 minute period, lucky to get away with it.
posted on 29/9/24
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 18 minutes ago
You believe wrong. Both held their width. The last 3 league games have seen the full backs play more traditionally and Rice play more centrally.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It didn't look like 4-4-2 yesterday. I believe it was 4-1-4-1.
Rice (left no.8), Havertz -Trossard rotating (right no.8), Partey was right (no.6). Timber far more Ben White position occasionaly inverting and Cala for more inverting behind Rice.
posted on 29/9/24
We were far more orthodox 4-4-2 counter-attack in all 3 of our away games.
posted on 29/9/24
Partey definitely didn't sit behind a midfield 4. The average position and heat maps show Partey and Rice were more traditional midfield 2, with Calafiori and Timber wide of them. Havertz and Trossard occupied the frontline and Martinelli and Saka stayed wide.
Maybe the fact we were camped in their box made it hard to see where players were playing.
posted on 29/9/24
Rice heatmap looks like left no.8
https://www.sofascore.com/football/match/arsenal-leicester-city/GR#id:12436985
posted on 29/9/24
Left CM, and Partey right CM.
posted on 29/9/24
They are both look like pushed up in left and right no.8s.
I really do think it was meant to be 4-1-4-1 our usual possession formation but ended up completely penning in Leicester.
Havertz/Trossard were definitely rotating in Odegaards position.