match report – Player Rating – Arteta reaction – video
The late drama about the disallowed goal aside, this is the game Arsenal need to play didn’t lose Even though we won yesterday, the points dropped go a long way toward solving a problem we’ve all recently recognized. We need reinforcements for an urgent matter.
Things were going well for Mikel Arteta despite playing this match without William Saliba, who has a hamstring concern. Jurrien Timber moved to centre-half with Thomas Partey at right-back. At one point we needed David Raya to make a good save, but I think we were easily the better team in the first half.
There was good work from the left flank with Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard, and when the Spaniard sent Trossard back with a smart ball, Gabriel Martinelli was there to just get the ball over the line. I couldn’t see it clearly from where I was sitting, but the referee’s clock buzzed and it was 1-0. Maybe it was the goalkeeper’s mistake. Emi Martinez will not be happy with himself and will have had time to ponder it all afternoon when he is allowed to take a completely long time for every goal kick he attempts.
In the 10th minute of the second half, it was Trossard on the left side who gave Kai Havertz the second goal. With a clever move and a well-timed cross, the German was able to finish from close range. Again, it went in against Martinez, but it felt exactly like Havertz needed after a difficult period of late and should be a platform from which he could go on to take all three points.
But if you break the standard defensively you will be punished in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta was probably right when he said Lucas Digne scored a very dangerous cross. But I think Partey could have done more to stop him. Youri Tielemans went ahead of Merino to make it 2-1. Villa had the wind in his sails and was level with the goal. The party loses Watkins in something it should never have done. People may say he’s not a natural right-back and that’s fine, but he’s 31 years old with years of experience. He should know better and do better. Watkins wouldn’t miss and it was 2-2.
At the ground we saw Declan Rice score a real goal against Partey, which went on for quite some time and afterwards Arteta had this to say about the equalizer:
The second is that it does not meet the standards we require. Defending the way we did, especially against one of the goals, cannot be part of our game if we want to be at the highest level in the country.
I think this is where our current problem comes into play. Football is a crazy game and can be a mixed bag. You are in control and then suddenly you are leveled. This happens, but it depends on how you react and how you can react. I thought we had a real effort from the players on the pitch, but you can see that some of them are completely on fumes at the moment, and the closer we get to 90 minutes, the more that becomes clear.
I think the crowd tried to react, but underlying it all there was a sense that we had nothing to ask from the bench. There is no way to refresh the situation. There is no way to change the dynamics of the game. Everyone could see that our best chance of winning would come from the players who started, but we also understood that if we had some players to throw at and give Villa something to think about, we would have a much better chance of winning. .
With about eight minutes remaining, Arteta needed to try something, but unfortunately that something was a player who once again failed to provide anything. Raheem Sterling’s situation is a failure. It’s almost sad to see a player fall so far from the level they need to be, but we can all see it. If you’re wondering why his opportunities have been so limited during his loan spell, it’s because the manager probably understands this from what he’s seen on the training ground.
And if that’s all you have to offer from eight outfield replacements, you’re really in trouble. Still, there was a chance. Merino hit the bar, Martínez saved Trossard’s follow-up and of course the ball hit the back of the net when Merino’s shot deflected off the body of Havertz, but was ruled out after VAR ruled the ball had hit his hand on the way. Some angles are not convincing at all, but others seem much more convincing. Handball, whether accidental or otherwise, is not permitted.
Afterwards, Arteta’s comments in support of his players were understandable. He had little to work with and didn’t want to destroy their confidence. But on the day Liverpool’s bench gave them a late win, here was his response to a question about it:
It definitely has its moments. And they did. What I mean is, the substitutes had an impact and they (Liverpool) succeeded in changing the game. And on our side it was the opposite. If you look at the bench, you’ll probably say we’re too short.
‘Maybe’ is definitely closer. 100%. As I said, we didn’t have that extra energy, that quality in the last 20 minutes that could have helped us find a winner. We got pretty close and I think the players deserve the credit after a tough week. But if we don’t do something about it, there’s a good chance that the tighter matches won’t go the way we want them to.
But despite the focus on strengthening the attack, I don’t think we would lose that game if William Saliba plays. Or Ben White or Takehiro Tomiyasu, if they fit the bill. Clearly the manager thinks the best solution to our right-back problem is to move Thomas Partey there, but the results when he is deployed there speak for themselves. This season he has only one win as a starter at that position, and of course it’s important to say it’s not limited to just one player, but there’s enough evidence to suggest it’s a distraction.
I think yesterday I would have preferred to have Declan Rice in the middle and Timber on the right. You can also use Partey in midfield if you want. Although still just one player ‘out of position’, Rice has played there enough that it doesn’t feel unnatural at times like Partey is playing full-back. He also had the option of playing Jakub Kiwior at centre-back, but you can understand why he didn’t do that.
But ultimately, this was a game Arsenal lost out on hand. It felt especially urgent when the final whistle blew after Liverpool’s result. There was an atmosphere of disappointment and resignation. I think it wasn’t just Liverpool who widened the gap. Everyone can see that we’re lacking a game-changer, a winner (or whatever you want to frame it as), but we’re plagued with injuries that don’t really help us. Then you have to overplay some people, which can lead to fatigue, loss of concentration, more injuries, and it feels like you’re in some kind of vicious cycle.
But we are second. And it’s not over until the fat lady sings, but she’s warming up her vocal chords and unless Arsenal find a way to strengthen this team this month, she’ll be singing a song none of us want to hear.
