Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
arsenalThe first home defeat of the season came with a sense of poetic justice. Two thoroughly world-class players proved the difference between another victory and defeat for the Gunners through set-piece debauchery. Anti-football is defeated by its opposite: Well played.
Mikel Artetaone side is the architect of his own downfall be opposed to Manchester United Be on the side of revival. The league leaders dominated the first half hour and took a well-deserved lead, only to capitulate within seven minutes, albeit due to an own goal. Brian Mbemo Given two opportunities in Phnom Penh. He took the second one.
“We gave them goals,” lamented Arteta, whose side were booed at half-time. “Turnovers are part of football and very different to us, but we gave them a goal and hope and it changed the energy because we really struggled from that point to half-time.”
Arteta is right; this is not the rigid Arsenal we’ve seen this season, they are the best defensive team in the league. However, their response was more unusual for a Premier League title chaser. Arsenal’s performance has been flat since then, and even if they fall behind, it will be difficult to change that.
Five minutes after the restart, Patrick Dolgu’s stunning volley left everyone inside the Emirates Stadium “holding their breath”. Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick also included. Such a shocking blow should have elicited the desired reaction from Arsenal to regain the advantage, but they failed to do so.
Rather than blaming United’s notoriously poor pace and weak defence, Arteta brought in Victor Choukres and Mikel Merino – two target players not known for their explosive movement. Joe Kreis is quick once he’s up to speed, but getting up to speed – or rather his inability to do so – has defined his struggles at Arsenal since his £55m summer arrival.
Their introduction was clear; Arteta was once again hedging his bets from set-pieces. Arsenal are the king of dead balls this season, with nearly 30% of their goals coming from corner kicks, free kicks, penalties or long passes. Victory was decided via one of these mediums 10 times this term.
His reliance on set-pieces meant Arteta’s passing was often lackluster, but this game was a matter of results. These old-school methods were once the mainstay of tactics in the lower and mid-tier leagues, helping the Gunners move seven points clear at the top of the league this weekend.
Arsenal fans heard more groans than cheers of encouragement for the next 20 minutes, but if Arteta’s philosophy pays off, all will be forgiven again.
That seemed to be the case when Bukayo Saka headed the ball over Senne Lammens and the Arsenal crowd surrounding him in the eighth corner of the match. Despite Benjamin Sesko’s best efforts under the crossbar, the Belgium goalkeeper ineffectively pounced on the pass, sparking a goal scramble before Merino forced the ball over the goal line.
The goal didn’t get any uglier, but Arsenal looked to have salvaged at least another point with their set-piece prowess, which Arteta hopes will propel the league leaders to another win. “I think we managed to shift the energy and with the second goal you could feel everything changed and the game was ready to win,” Arteta said.
This is not the case. Three minutes later, Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha once again showed his brilliance and put Arsenal on the verge of defeat as their anti-football strategy ultimately failed to work.
Start clearing Emirates. For a team that has emerged as title favorites, the reaction from Arsenal fans highlights how Arteta’s footballing philosophy won’t inspire much hope without results.
Was leaving early justified, or was it just the temper of an entitled crowd? No matter what you think, it shows the fans’ frustration at supporting a team like Arsenal. There is no redeeming factor or saving grace in failure.
It’s this that scares Arteta, who is seeking to finally end a run of three consecutive second-place finishes by giving N7 a first Premier League title in more than two decades. A favorable environment determines this have Defending champions Liverpool are well behind, Manchester City are in transition and Aston Villa, while putting up a commendable fight, will struggle to stay in the competition on the final day. Despite being top of the league, a hiccup like this is long overdue – and it could do huge damage to the club’s title hopes and fan sentiment.
The loss to Manchester United left Arsenal without a win in three games in England’s top flight. They avoided dropping points against Brighton, Everton and Wolves in December. Now it feels like key parts of Arsenal’s game are starting to disappear.
23 days ago, the gap at the top was eight points; it has since been halved. If Arsenal’s title race continues to slip, Arteta’s tactics will become increasingly criticized. For the Spaniards, there was a fine line between apotheosis and depravity. The coming weeks could prove crucial in how he is remembered in north London for years to come.