• The Arsenal

  • Official: Mikel Arteta is the new Arsenal manager.

Dropped points in half our matches so far.

At our current run rate we are on course to finish with about 73 points, which would not be enough for top 4. Serious improvements needed

    Clrnc blame the the ref’s and ‘letter of the law’

    Arteta could be way too stubborn to win us a major trophy.

      Clrnc I mean that would be a very poor return enough to look at everything and assess are we going towards running the title with an time and investment put in or do we need to do something else.

        A few of us have been mentioning that all season we have been riding our luck. Set pieces are a great addition, but they can’t be our only attacking threat.

        This stat is magnified by Odegaard being absent but it also begins before his injury. Arteta has done too little to address our open play attacking and I’ve long argued that his desire for control is reaching a detrimental level in suppressing our ability to attack.

          Am I having deja vu or wasn't this the same two years ago and last year at this point?

            naz Am I having deja vu or wasn't this the same two years ago and last year at this point?

            Maybe, but this time last year wasn't enough and required a herculean 50 point haul in the last 18 games just to be in with a chance. Even worse, we had 5 points more than we do now at the same stage last year.

            It's not even a case of were struggling to deal with a rampant Liverpool. Their current point accumulation ratio wouldn't even have equalled our end of season points tally from last season even if they keep it up all season.

            We're just not doing enough, and have given ourselves a mountain to climb, an even bigger one than we had last year unless we drastically improve and Liverpool implode.

              naz the vibe was similar - we played ragged, inconsistent football up until the dubai break. however, we are statistically worse off. I'm not sure where the inspiration comes from this time, short of some kind of january coup

                MistaT Yikes. I don't know why we don't attack with our 5 high up again in the zones like we did in 22-23.

                    The fact that we're behind Liverpool and Chelsea again is depressing.

                    This feels like the season Leicester won the League. Massive missed opportunity.

                      est let's see where it goes. don't know why people are erecting tombstones and reading elegies a week into December.

                        You know well where this goes. This is not the first time we're watching this movie. Half a season is not a small sample size. We haven't been good enough.

                        Clrnc -- don't love the whatsaboutism in this.

                        We didn't lose yesterday because Partey played at right back, or because Calafiori didn't play. We lost because our attack is disjointed and overly reliant on set pieces.

                            MistaT We didn't lose yesterday because Partey played at right back, or because Calafiori didn't play. We lost because our attack is disjointed and overly reliant on set pieces.

                            Our build up play relies heavily around our full backs so when we have makeshift solutions on both sides this will effect our build up.

                              MistaT it definitely has an effect. Saka was ineffectual which is in part because Parteys not a good right back so it makes life easier on their left back. Jorginho was pretty poor so having Partey in midfield helps us there. All these things add to us getting forward more quickly and feeding the forwards in better positions.

                              Also I'm not convinced we concede that goal with Calafiori at left back.

                                I thought they're was an interesting discussion in the Arsecast yesterday which essentially was because we have been so effective at set pieces did that have any impact on how we attack. In essence we get to the wing and how much are doing everything to get the ball into dangerous positions more centrally versus winning the corner by just putting a cross in. I think there may be merit in that because certainly when I look at Martinelli he doesn't really look like a player cutting in with real intent and too often gets to the by line plays a not great ball almost accepting it's getting blocked out for the corner