April is the cruellest month: Page 11 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

April is the cruellest month

GooneriC

We've choked. You don't drop two goal leads away from home twice in a row if you're chasing a title. The only thing that makes up for that is going to City and beating them.

Panda

We either choked or got complacent. I think against Liverpool we choked and didn't manage the game. I think we tried to overcompensate for "managing the game" against West Ham and failed miserably.

I don't recall us having problems when going ahead in other away games throughout the season (Tott, Fulham, Brentford, Chelsea, Wolves off the top of my head). I think that probably points to us feeling the pressure at this stage and choking.

We have also not looked as solid defensively (no matter who is playing) since the World Cup, which is also contributing.

Coombs

Lack of press resistance in possession is what leads to loss of control, and failing to close out games. When all are fit, this team can go 2 up and demoralize the opposition with control. At 0-0, we are still great. When the game state changes, we are unable to adjust. I find it hard not to see the obvious correlation between this failure and lacking certain players. Fatigue also seems to be playing a role, but if you're more secure at the base of the team, I think the forwards have an easier time making telling contributions when the chances come.

RC8

The only real 'choking' was Saka missing the penalty, though. Which is fair and was indeed choking. It's not like they ravaged us after going 0-2 down.

West Ham's Penalty was very lucky for them, and their goal after our penalty miss was extremely unlikely to go in given the play and angles involved... but it did go in and that's that.

Daz

Is it possible for us to consider that we have choked in certain games (ie throwing away good leads against teams we should be beating aka West ham) but not the season overall? The way I'm looking at it now is that if Man City beat us at theirs and then go OM to win the title, we have effectively come second because we couldn't beat them in either game. That's essentially what it will come down to for me. The emotional part of me will be disappointed having lead for mkst of the season, but the rational part will accept that we just didn't quite have enough to beat a financially doped City. And I don't think I could really consider that a choke. If we did get a point at City and then dropped points in other games where we really shouldn't and lost the title, then I'd be much more likely to feel that we choked it.

Burnwinter

You can only "choke" from a clear winning position. It's not as if dragging ourselves to a nett lead prior to a set of difficult fixtures has ever been that. We've had worse results than a couple of away draws this season.

I do think the situation is getting to us, one way or another. Even "complacency" can be a result of that. We haven't responded to the injury losses effectively, which points to a collective lack of insight, in which Arteta is included.

But I suspect Anfield exceptionalism has been part of it, and that a whiplash to that has been part of the failure to get back on top of things against West Ham.

Meanwhile, something else is going on with Saka and it makes me uneasy, he's been off it since that reported illness prior to our win over Leeds, which also came right after that swelter of praise in the media for his performances for England. It's like he's got long covid or he's had his head turned, and we can't really have either.

awooga83

I don't really think that if we had short it's City's money that will have cost us. The dropped points against Liverpool and West ham feel those positions was very much nothing to do with city. That was us

Clrnc

awooga83 Add 2 points dropped at home to 20th place Southampton.

I absolutely hate it when we keep on having to remember the draw at St Andrew 2008, the late goals in Paris, the OT collapse in 2016 etc etc. And now we are likely to add to it with absolutely stupidest points dropped

IBL

Cruel she remains

Big Willie

2 draws to 20th placed Sputhampton, a loss to then 20th place Everton. Not looking good. But we've come back a few times this season. We need to do it again. Just a shame we've dropped points in 2 of our must win games in this run that would have given us breathing room for some of the tougher games coming up. No room for errors now. Need to win the last 6 games.

goon

Big Willie

Well said. Remember last year when we lost to Palace, Brighton and Southampton and we all thought it was done but then beat Chelsea and West Ham away and United at home?

It probably won’t happen, but the ride isn’t done yet. Let’s see what Wednesday brings. But we just need to stay in it. Don’t gift it to them.

Daz

I may have to rethink my definition of choking

Clrnc

Daz If we lose the title this season, it certainly has got nothing to do with things like "squad isn't strong enough", "City is too rich" etc.

We threw it away ourselves, to bottom teams that even 2nd teams should be beating.

This is not a Liverpool tried their best, 97 points couldnt win the title too situation. We just didn't maximise our chances and can blame nobody.

Burnwinter

Well, April certainly fucking sucks, doesn't it? ~~Chaucer~~ Eliot had it right.

Coombs

Clrnc doesn't dropping points mean that the squad isn't strong enough? It sure sounds like you're blaming somebody.

QuincyAbeyie

I think he's saying there's a difference between coming up short because you aren't good enough and whatever the hell we're currently doing.

It's not primarily a squad issue that's causing us to not beat Southampton with 10/11 first choice starters available.

Coombs

QuincyAbeyie so what's the primary issue, then? Arteta? I think it's pretty obviously the squad.

Burnwinter

Coombs so what's the primary issue

If a person has no legs, is the primary issue that their left leg is missing or their right leg?

QuincyAbeyie

Coombs I don't know. I think these players have shown throughout the season that they're clearly capable of better than this. Most thought they'd win against West Ham and Southampton, we were currently favorites, and that was when taking the current squad into consideration.

Clrnc

Coombs I am not criticising Arteta per se, but it was obvious Southampton was better prepared than us yesterday. Also, the subs and choices of starter leaves a lot to be desired past 3 matches. Not only were we slow but often it was the wrong choice.

It cannot be that we miss 1 player from the starting lineup and people start saying because without him we can't pass out and we can't win at home against Southampton, or that we can't win from a 2 goal lead.

Coombs

Burnwinter depends which one they kick the ball with better.

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