By Merlion
September 6 2022

Gabriel Jesus has warned Arsenal they must start killing teams off and winning matches else they will pay as they did against Manchester United yesterday. Man U secured a 3-1 win against Mikel Arteta’s side even though the Gunners had more of the ball and worked harder with it, reating more chances, but not all on target..

Unfortunately United defended well and hit Arteta’s side on the break when they had the chance. They executed their counterattacks to perfection, and that helped them to secure the points.

However, Arsenal would feel they could have at least earned a draw for their efforts in the game. But they have themselves to blame for not taking the chances that came their way.

Jesus quoted by The Daily Mail said:
“Everyone is together and we stick together until the end, and that’s it. We came to play against a strong opponent and it’s always hard, it’s the Premier League. So we are not happy because, in my opinion, we could win today because we play so much better. But that’s football, they have quality as well and then if you don’t go there and kill, you are going to have a big problem – and that’s what happened.”

Winning is all that matters in the Premier League and to achieve that, you must score most of the chances that you get.
Hopefully, our players have learnt from this fixture and they will do much better in their next games.

Arteta: ‘Arsenal need to play with more courage’

[www.justarsenal.com]

Point #1 - Tactics

Arteta is playing Jesus in a free role as a roaming striker, coming in from deep and popping in the box. But he is never a targetman and Nketiah is.

Arteta may need to have a B Plan in defensive 3-5-2 with Nketiah leading the line (staying more time in the box) with Jesus as the free-roaming deep-lying forward, linking up with midfielders and running into the box to latch on those precise through balls from Odegaard and Xhaka.

Point #2 - Out of sync with Saka
The right flank is under-developed with Saka a passenger without any triangle forms amongst Odegaard, Jesus and Saka.
All EPL managers have realized that our right-flank is no attacking threat. All they have to do is to shunt Saka to side-lines and to block off his dribbling run into the box. Plus, Saka's poor shooting technique meant that he misses more than shots on target.
Like that ManU goal, Saka needs to do more off-the-ball running into the box and more go-and-get after passing into goal scoring channels. Needs to develop better understanding with Jesus then.
Back to the drawing board.

Point #3 - All flam and glitter
Sure, it sets the heart racing watching Martinelli beating 2 or 3 defenders and running along the byeline to deliver those crosses and cutbacks. But where are the end products such as an accurate cross or precise through ball? Plus, his shooting accuracy is just mediocre, and he needs more shots on target.
Why doen't he start watching those Roberto Pires' video and Henry's video to learn how to do it?

Point #4 - A number 10 should score 10 goals and have 10 assists
Was it Arteta who said that for ESR that to be a no. 10, he needed to score 10 goals and have at least 10 assists?
Then, how about Odegaard, and for that matter, Vieira?
If all our Forward-3 are goal shy, then we are no goal threat to Top-7 teams; and like ManU, they will punish us for our profligacy.

Similarly should playing higher up the pitch mean Xhaka contributing 5 to 10 league goals.

Point #5 - Profligacy
It is frustrating watching Nketiah running into good position and missing the target.
Similarly, sheer frustration watching Jesus beating 3 defenders, then attempted to beat the 4th, without a passing option and no one-two quick option given to him with none of our forwards and midfielders making deep runs to anticipate cut-back or through balls.
Or Martinelli beating 2 or 3 defenders, running free at the bye-line and no clear passing channel for a cut-back with a free Arsenal player waiting for it. It is a simple football tactic and Arteta rather has his players going for intricate inter-passing around and inside the box rather than playing crisp and incisive through balls lik ManU did unlocking our Defence.

There is lack of movements and mobility in last third of opponent with our attacking plays depending on the flair of our Forward-3 to take on and beat 2 or 3 defenders at one goal. No one-touch one-pass precise passing plays into the box with a mobile Arsenal player running into the box with a clear shot at goal.

That needs rectification on the training pitch, a Plan B like what Top-7 teams in Man City, Liverpool, Chelski, Tiny Totts, ManU and even Newcastle is executing on the pitch, one-touch one-pass accurate long and short passes to beat a wall of defenders with forwards running clear of defenders to have a clear shot at goal.

When did we saw the last time that an Arsenal player running behind to latch onto a through ball to have a clear shot at goal?

Without firepower all the great football Arsenal can play runs into the sand.

More Discussion Here