Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Video
Properly, I’m undecided that might have gone a lot worse. Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup to a ten man Man Utd, misplaced Gabriel Jesus to what regarded like a severe damage and probably picked up one other couple of minor issues alongside the way in which, missed a load of probabilities, missed a penalty, performed half-hour of extra-time forward of a North London derby on Wednesday, and suffered the demoralisation of shedding a penalty shoot-out at our personal floor.
We had a primary half objective rightly disallowed for offside, however that apart there wasn’t a lot to put in writing residence about from our first half efficiency. The principle speaking level was the damage to Jesus. He bought a whack within the face from Lisandro Martinez and harm his knee within the course of, however after some remedy stayed on. He shifting all proper, nevertheless a couple of minutes later he sprinted again to chase down Bruno Fernandes on the sting of their field, landed semi-awkwardly and stayed down.
The sight of him being stretchered off, head in fingers, instructed you a lot about how severe this in all probability is. Gamers know once they’ve carried out one thing unhealthy. You may’t assist however worry an ACL, and we’ll discover out quickly sufficient after he has scans at this time. Afterwards, Mikel Arteta mentioned:
“Large fear. That’s my feeling. He needed to come off on a stretcher with loads of ache. The worrying issue is the sensation that he had. He needed to come off and the ache that he was in.”
Fingers crossed for him, however we’ve got carried out one thing to upset the damage gods this season, and I don’t actually count on excellent news from this one. Perhaps we’ll be pleasantly shocked, nevertheless it’s a blow to lose one other participant from a ahead line that’s already missing in numbers in addition to firepower. He was changed by Raheem Sterling.
The second half started poorly, a misjudgement on the midway line from Gabriel noticed Garnacho drive in the direction of our field, he performed a ball throughout and Bruno Fernandes was there with a high-quality end to make it 1-0. We nearly responded right away, Mikel Merino made an opportunity for Kai Havertz however the German miskicked and put the ball large when he ought to have hit the goal.
On the hour mark although, the pendulum swung our approach when Diogo Dalot was proven a second yellow card for a foul on Merino. It felt like an age because the opposition had a participant despatched off towards us, and certainly this is able to give us enough benefit to go on and win it. Gabriel’s equaliser simply 2 minutes later ought to have actually knocked the stuffing out of United. A Martinelli cross wasn’t handled nicely by the keeper, and the centre-half’s shot deflected past him and into the online for 1-1.
Now, flip the screw. Regardless of some cold-light-of-day issues about our goalscoring proper now, I feel it’s honest to say we had sufficient probabilities to win this recreation twice over. The penalty we got was smooth, I’ve to confess, however Altay Bayindir produced a great save from a not 100% convincing Martin Odegaard effort. The captain then produced an ideal cross for substitute Declan Rice, however his header was nicely saved; Havertz produced his third horrible miss of the week poking over from shut vary when it was simpler to attain; and Bayindir denied Rice once more when he went via and shot together with his left foot.
Rice had a shot blocked as the sport went into extra-time, and when Havertz bought behind and squared it, it regarded for all of the world like Trossard would rating however de Ligt produced an incredible clearance to get the ball away. There was hazard up our finish when Thomas Partey was careless after which poorly positioned however Raya made a great save. After that, we huffed and puffed however discovered United in obstinate defensive kind.
I’ve to say I discovered it odd that with a person benefit we tended to assault solely down one flank, relatively than use the additional man to stretch the play. I do know the horseshoe of doom is no one’s favorite, however there are occasions when it’s helpful and 11 v 10 is one in every of them. The substitutes – bar Rice – have been ineffectual for me. Trossard supplied principally nothing, and whereas Sterling did run with the ball a couple of occasions, he did little or no with it. His recreation summed up for me proper on the loss of life once we wanted to get the ball into the field and he ended simply buying and selling passes with Partey till the ref blew his whistle.
Then to penalties, and also you couldn’t assist really feel we have been going to pay the worth for the missed probabilities. And so it proved. United have been 100% from the spot, aided by a really bizarre show from Raya who appeared to commit too early for each kick making it simpler for his or her gamers to select their spot. And it needed to be Havertz who missed. I’d wager he hasn’t had a worse week as an expert when it comes to missed probabilities and their impression, so to compound it with a penalty failure (which was a contact extra a great save than a foul miss for me, however nonetheless), left him wanting completely bereft afterwards.
So, out of the FA Cup at an early stage once more, and we’re hanging on by a thread within the Carabao Cup after the defeat to Newcastle earlier within the week. The Jesus damage, a doable hamstring downside for Jurrien Timber, an damage that compelled Jorginho off, 120 minutes of power sapping soccer, our primary striker going via a nightmare seven days in entrance of objective, and all of the questions individuals have about this group proper now are much more legitimate after what was a loopy cup tie. It was a catastrophe of a day, and with a North London derby in two days time, the supervisor has to select them up and get them happening.
It explains his post-game feedback the place he spoke about how a lot he loves his gamers. I feel most individuals will perceive why he’s mentioned that publicly, he can’t actually say the rest as a result of morale is clearly going to be low, and he can’t have them feeling sorry for themselves. They’ve a job to do on Wednesday evening (and past), so that basically is the one message he can ship.
Privately although, he should be involved. I don’t need to discuss xG, and the way a lot we’ve under-performed it within the final couple of video games, however placing the ball behind the online is an issue proper now. And one probably exacerbated by one other damage which may rob us of a participant for a protracted time frame. Requested afterwards if this meant we’d must signal a striker, I believed Arteta’s reply was fascinating:
I perceive that, however I can not love our gamers extra. And I focus very a lot on those that we’ve got to carry out on the highest stage. That’s it. The remaining is just not in our fingers, not in my fingers.
To me no less than, it means that if there’s some obstacle to spending, it comes from increased up. No matter you would possibly consider how the supervisor has spent through the years, I actually can’t consider he wouldn’t need an addition to his ahead line this month. Bukayo Saka is gone for months, Ethan Nwaneri is sidelined too, he’s misplaced Jesus for what may very well be a very long time, Sterling has no objective risk in any respect, Trossard’s kind has gone off a cliff this season, and Martinelli has 6 objectives in 28 appearances. To not point out our main scorer going via a spell the place he’s contriving to overlook the sorts of probabilities I feel he’s greater than able to placing away.
He’s proper to deal with the gamers we’ve got, in fact. There’s no level in doing a lot else when we’ve got a recreation each three days, nevertheless it was by no means extra evident than yesterday than this can be a group that wants no less than one participant who’s extra scientific within the closing third, and possibly greater than that within the longer-term.
Underlying that’s the sense that the group is taking part in inside itself … restricted, roadblocked by teaching of the trivialities to present us management, with out sufficient expression or improvisation to essentially threaten. Yesterday was definitely about ending greater than the rest, however we play like we’ve got a stick up our arse (for need of a greater phrase) and in the end that comes again to Arteta himself. We have to get that stick out of there, and get somebody in throughout this window to present the group the assistance it so badly wants now.
Within the meantime, all we are able to do is look forward to information of Jesus, and decide ourselves to go once more on Wednesday. It at all times is a must-win recreation, however this one takes on added significance after such a foul week within the cups.
For me on yesterday, we’ll Arsecast Additional for you in a short time too. We’ve put out the decision for questions on BlueSky @gunnerblog.bsky.social and @arseblog.com with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or for those who’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, depart your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Pod needs to be out round midday. For now, have a great one.
