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Morning all.
Mikel Arteta wasn’t happy with his players performance on Saturday night and he didn’t hold back during his post match press conference.
**On** **the mood in the dressing room:**
_It was a relief, but a very clear understanding that the margin should have been bigger. After not being precise enough in the first half with the amount of situations that we generated inside the opposition box and we didn’t pick the right colour of shirt on so many occasions, we had an overload to do that. We had to improve in the second half in relation to that, I think we did it. We generated more chances, scored a goal, but after we had a period of two or three minutes in deep, totally passive, with horrible defensive habits, that is nowhere near the level that is required against a team that hasn’t had a single shot. The first time that they had the opportunity to do it, they scored the goal and this is the Premier League. Unfortunately, we are relieved because we managed to score a goal at the end and go and win it, but we need to improve in that sense for sure._
**On the grit and determination we showed:**
_That’s something very positive, but I don’t put it down sometimes to, yeah, resilience and goal. No, it’s what happened before. We should have stopped the source before and that’s on us. You have to give credit to Wolves and what they’ve done. I watched a game when they played Stamford Bridge, when they played against Villa and how unlucky they were not to get a result. I knew that wasn’t going to be an easy game at all, but we made it even harder with what we did in the manner that we conceded the goal and that’s unacceptable._
**On not having a shot on target in the first half:**
_Because we didn’t pick out the right colour of the shirt. When you have a free metre, normally we put the ball not on target and go, and we put it out and time and time and time again, it is frustrating, yeah, but this is the game, but I expect to hit the right colour. You have to hit the back post every single time at this level, and today we haven’t done it, so we started to make things more difficult for us._
So, if Arteta is not happy, it’s clearly not him who encourages the team to drop back and defend rather than continue to try and control the game with our own possession further up the pitch. I’ve watched a lot of the bench cams on the official site and more often than not, he’s encouraging his players out of defence. Obviously there are fixtures in which we might have to defend, defend and defend, playing with ten men against Man City springs to mind but not 11 v 11 at home and against the bottom club in the league. Not 11 v 11 at home against any club really because that’s not the way to defend a slender lead. We drop back, the opposition push forward whereas if we push forward, the opposition has to drop back, or at least not commit so many players forward.
In my opinion, Arsenal as a group of players need to be smarter. When the pressure is relentless, step into the dark arts, feign injury, just do anything to stop the game and reset. It’s times like these when the team need their captain to step up and take control. This is when Gabriel’s leadership qualities are missed in my opinion, as well as the partnership and understanding he’s formed with William Saliba, because the big Brazilian isn’t afraid of being vocal. Yes, I know both were on the pitch when Sunderland equalised but let’s be honest, as a pair, they don’t come better.
This frenzied football in defence isn’t good. Hoofing the ball upfield is fine but only if there’s a player ready to hold the ball up but with everyone back in their own half, another wave of pressure will soon follow. As others have mentioned before, possession is the best was to preserve a narrow lead.
The Arsenal players have a couple of days rest now before returning to prepare for the trip to Everton at the weekend. After then, we have a game every 3/4 days again which run through the festive period.
* 23rd – H v Crystal Palace (League Cup)
* 27th – H v Brighton
* 30th – H v Aston Villa
* 3rd January A v Bournemouth
I would love to say it gets easier after that but it doesn’t. The FA Cup comes into play and the Champions League returns. But this is footballers and fans wish for each season isn’t it? To be in all four competitions come February/March? There’s a lot of work to be done yet to ensure we are but yes, to be fighting on all four fronts as the season draws to a close is certainly where I’d love to see Arsenal.
Catch up in the comments.