Newcastle uncovered an inconvenient fact about Arsenal
Guilty solely of failing to match Manchester City‘s exacting standards in their last two Premier League title tilts, Arsenal must be kicking themselves that they are now architects of their own downfall at a time when Pep Guardiola’s champions look extra susceptible than ever.
To lose at St James’ Park just isn’t a brand new expertise for Mikel Arteta, who departed licking his wounds after a 3rd defeat from 4 at Newcastle. But this time, as even Arteta himself admitted, there was no ailing self-discipline or refereeing error to cover behind as an excuse for a misstep.
The downside right here was a scarcity of creativeness and the long run concern of recruitment failures which have left them uncovered as accidents start to chunk. Both have been equally culpable for his or her newest away day failure which poses looking questions on whether or not they have truly progressed since coming so near toppling City final season.
It might have been worse for Arsenal, who mustered only a single shot heading in the right direction and have been unable to muster even a late cavalry cost when the precocious Ethan Nwaneri was belatedly summoned from the bench. City’s stumble at Bournemouth means the Gunners stay seven factors adrift of prime spot: not but terminal for Premier League hopes however leaving them supping in final probability saloon and with little room for error.
The worst half? No one on the Emirates can conceal from the inconvenient fact that they’ve made it rather more tough for themselves by failing to signal ample cowl for Martin Odegaard and an incapability to obtain an elite striker who might need pressed house Arsenal’s early benefit on Saturday.
Afterwards defender William Saliba spoke of “sticking together” and of retaining perception that they might win the title. But maybe probably the most damning indictment of the place they’re proper now’s his assertion that “at big clubs you have to be able to win big matches without big players”.
Arsenal simply can’t try this proper now and the reason being the massive deficit of creativity and enterprise in midfield since Odegaard’s harm in September. Mikel Merino was not signed to hold water however he wasn’t recruited to hold the Gunners’ title hopes both. As he confirmed in the summertime with Spain, he’s there to go with others able to unpicking defences relatively than doing that job himself.
Perhaps the cash spent on him might have been higher invested in somebody able to stepping in for Odegaard as a result of Arteta doesn’t appear ready to sacrifice his group’s solidity for Nwaneri. He is Arsenal’s X Factor however is wasted being introduced on within the type of sport that Saturday developed into.
“They are really good at what they want to do,” was Arteta’s barely salty evaluation of Newcastle’s disrupting strategy, which was pitch excellent for the event. But it’ll have been misplaced on nobody that Bruno Guimaraes – the sport’s most artistic participant – and goalscorer Alexander Isak have been on Arteta’s radar up to now.
“I love my players and wouldn’t swap them for anyone else,” was how he artfully side-stepped the inevitable query about whether or not he’d wished he had Isak in his group. i understands that Arsenal, curiously, aren’t even fascinated with him in the intervening time.
There just isn’t a lot Arteta or Arsenal’s decision-makers can do about personnel proper now, apart from welcome Odegaard again with open arms for his or her midweek Champions League project in opposition to Inter. He will add a brand new dimension to their ahead play, which appeared so mediocre at Newcastle.
We are used to Arsenal pulling and pushing groups into an uncomfortable area with their tempo and energy below Arteta. But Newcastle have been by no means below menace: the second when their goalkeeper Nick Pope claimed an aimless Bukayo Saka cross within the 96th minute summing up their attacking efforts. They lacked path and it must be fastened rapidly.
