Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Nicely, right here’s an unfamiliar feeling: sitting down to jot down a weblog a few recreation Arsenal misplaced. The final time I did that was on September 1st, the day after a late purpose from Dominik Szoboszlai received it for Liverpool. Yesterday, defeat got here even later, a real gut-punch of a purpose from Emi Buendia, that noticed Aston Villa take all three factors,
I believed the primary half was fairly even all advised, with Villa maybe having a slight edge when it comes to hazard brought on. We had a purpose dominated out for offside, their finest likelihood got here to Matty Money however the redoubtable Declan Rice was there to dam his highly effective shot. All day this felt like a see-saw recreation, the place the momentum modified from one facet to different. No one completely on high for a chronic interval, however every with spells of possession and territory that required defensive self-discipline and focus.
The one time we switched off although, Villa went forward. Eberechi Eze allowed Money to run off him to use the end, and he knew he’d made a mistake immediately. That was 1-0, and it felt like we simply needed to cling on till half-time. However, earlier than the break, there have been possibilities for Ben White and Declan Rice that lacked the form of energy that might bother Emi Martinez. We had as many pictures as Villa on this recreation, however our ending was not on the degree.
It wasn’t in any respect a shock to see modifications on the break. Mikel Merino appeared leggy all day after some herculean operating in the previous couple of weeks, and he was changed by Viktor Gyokeres, whereas Eze, who had been peripheral on the left got here off for Leandro Trossard. We began the second half rather well, and the Belgian was instantly impactful. He had one shot which was simply saved, one other which he volleyed simply broad after an outstanding cross from Martin Odegaard, after which he made it degree on the again publish after snappy work of their midfield from Rice noticed us regain possession. Saka and Odegaard mixed properly, and Trossard was as sharp within the field as we count on from him this season.
Villa had fixed risk with balls between our full-backs and centre-halves, I’m guessing a by-product of the absence of Gabriel and William Saliba. You nearly by no means see that occur once they play, and it was harmful. Money obtained a cross improper after an excellent ball from John McGinn, and David Raya needed to make his second good save from Ollie Watkins after he obtained in behind.
On the different finish Odegaard was excellent, driving into harmful areas, however unable to search out the correct of end. One, nonetheless, compelled Emi Martinez into an excellent save. Former Gunner Donyell Malen had one other nice likelihood for Villa, dragging a shot simply broad, and we made extra modifications with Noni Madueke and Myles Lewis-Skelly changing Saka and Calafiori who had each been booked (the latter is now suspended for our recreation in opposition to Wolves subsequent weekend). Timber nearly scored an personal purpose, the ball squirted simply broad of the far publish.
With 4 minutes of damage time, it appeared like it might finish in a draw, however there was an actual likelihood for Arsenal win it. Rice dug deep into his seemingly limitless reserves of power, and produced a superb early ball from the left. I believed Gyokeres was fairly ineffective after approaching, however I settle for strikers of his model require service. Nicely, right here it was. I need my massive cash summer season signing to learn that higher, and assault the ball with extra goal. As an alternative, he was caught on his heels and didn’t react shortly sufficient.
The ball did come to Madueke on the again publish who I feel ought to do higher too. Put your shot again throughout purpose, make the keeper work no less than, however he clumped it into the close to publish facet netting. That missed alternative feels all of the extra acute due to what occurred subsequent. Villa went up the opposite finish, we didn’t clear our traces correctly, and regardless of some heroic blocking within the field with gamers throwing our bodies in the way in which, it broke kindly for Buendia to attain the winner.
There’s nothing I can say this morning to adequately clarify how that felt. I don’t even suppose I have to since you all felt it too. Being on the successful facet of a late purpose like that is among the finest emotions soccer can produce, so it’s honest to say that the other is up there with the worst. As I mentioned, I feel a draw in all probability would have been a suitable end result right here for either side, I used to be definitely prepared to take that because the clock ran down, however sadly that’s not the way it went.
My immediate response, figuring out there was no time for us to reply, was to mute the TV. It’s one factor shedding in a heartbreaking method, it’s one other fully to must take heed to the unbearable Fletch on TNT Sports activities blather about it on the identical time. Can somebody inform this man to simply commentate and never jabber relentlessly about how he feels the sport must be performed? No one cares.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta was pretty downcast as you’ll count on, however sounded one thing of a rallying cry for his gamers who will need to have been gutted within the dressing room afterwards. You would see by the response to the purpose how a lot it harm them. He mentioned:
We’ve been 18 video games unbeaten and nonetheless we’re there, very shut to one another. That’s the extent of the league and we all know that. That’s the chance that we have now forward of us and that’s it. Now it’s time to bounce again. They’ve given me all the suitable causes to suppose that we’re going to proceed to carry out on the identical degree, as a result of what the boys tried to do at present, once more, with the schedule that we had, it was superb. So, we transfer on.
Within the chilly mild of day, having stewed on this for some time, it’s clearly painful to lose that method, and I don’t suppose we performed particularly properly. That mentioned, I feel there are causes for that, the absences on the again key amongst them, but additionally the schedule we’ve confronted. Yesterday, I didn’t see any lack of effort from the gamers, however we simply couldn’t cling on. We confronted an excellent and really in-form Villa facet away from residence, that they had that bit further with the group at their again, and that helped them win a decent recreation proper on the demise. It occurs.
It makes the highest of the desk very tight once more, nevertheless it’s December and that’s how title races go. We stay high, by the way in which, price remembering. I’m extra within the response now. On paper, there are winnable video games forward of us within the subsequent few weeks, and we’ve obtained to make sure we bounce again correctly. With out taking something as a right, the subsequent week particularly offers the supervisor an opportunity to provide a relaxation to a few of the gamers who’ve run themselves into the bottom over the previous couple of weeks, and hopefully get productive minutes into the legs of some others who we have to step up now.
There are all the time going to days when it doesn’t go your method, once you stumble, and yesterday was a type of. I feel we’ve finished so properly of late, in fairly making an attempt circumstances, so I’m not about to get the pitchforks out, however as I mentioned, the resolve and character of this workforce shall be correctly examined now, and it’s vital we present we are able to react. A quirk of the fixture checklist is that we play Villa once more earlier than the top of the month, and it must be checked out as an opportunity to actual some revenge.
Proper, I’ll depart it there for at present. You may be part of us tomorrow for an Arsecast Additional the place we’ll get into all of this in additional element. For now, have Sunday of us.
