Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Nicely, it needed to occur some day. Arsenal had gone 8 video games with out conceding a aim, final night time we let in two towards Sunderland as we got here away from the Stadium of Gentle with only a level. You possibly can’t be defensively excellent on a regular basis, and that was very a lot the case for the 2 we conceded.
I believe if Sunderland may have written a script for the primary half it will have gone precisely because it performed out in entrance of us. It was powerful, scrappy, stop-start, they usually obtained a aim to place them 1-0 up. It got here from a free kick simply inside their half, the keeper launched it ahead and we didn’t defend it correctly. I don’t assume Declan Rice challenged properly sufficient for the header, after which Dan Ballard reacted extra rapidly, ran off him, and spanked the ball dwelling from shut vary to make it 1-0.
Our greatest likelihood of the half got here late, when Bukayo Saka nodded the ball down for William Saliba, however from the penalty spot he blasted the ball over. Sunderland wished a free kick for a supposed foul by Saka, however there was nothing in it for me, the participant simply threw himself down hoping the ref would whistle. An escape for them, an opportunity missed for us, however that first half was beneath par from Arsenal.
Clearly the supervisor had one thing to say on the break as a result of we had been far, much better within the second interval. Eberechi Eze had a shot blocked, Martin Zubimendi popped up within the field however his left-footed effort was tame, earlier than Saka drifted into the inside-left place to tug a shot extensive. That was all within the first 6 minutes of the second half, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the stress actually advised.
Sunderland had been careless in midfield, however Rice was alert to it, successful the ball earlier than feeding Eze who discovered Mikel Merino. He laid it off for Saka whose proper footed end contained in the close to submit was laser-guided. The precision of that together with his mistaken foot shouldn’t be underestimated, and it was a good time to attain given how lengthy there was nonetheless to go.
Eze had one other go, his hooked effort went straight on the keeper; Leandro Trossard’s artful move put Zubimendi by however he poked his effort simply extensive; and the Spaniard was so unfortunate to not put us forward with a shot from the sting of the field that cannoned off the bar and away to security. So, I don’t assume it’s unfair to say that when the second aim got here we had been good worth for it.
Trossard had the ball exterior their field, made area for a shot and unleashed an absolute rocket that was nonetheless rising because it hit the again of the web. It instantly jogged my memory of that Andre Arshavin aim at Anfield all these years in the past, and the Belgian worldwide continues to show he’s way more useful to us than any switch price we would have acquired for him late in the summertime. With 4 targets and 4 assists, no participant has extra aim contributions than him this season, and that aim ought to have been sufficient for Arsenal to take three factors.
We didn’t have the form of management you’ve typically seen Arsenal see out video games with, and David Raya needed to make a few actually necessary saves. Nonetheless, I simply really feel we didn’t use our bench properly sufficient final night time. Sunderland added extra vitality to their ahead line with a triple sub that finally paid dividends for them, and our solely change was Cristhian Mosquera. It’s no slight on him in any respect, as a result of he did advantageous when he got here on, however whereas I recognise we’re very gentle on the attacking finish, Arteta nonetheless had high quality gamers like Ben White, Piero Hincapie, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Norgaard and Ethan Nwaneri accessible to him.
I do perceive when managers make a change to see out a recreation defensively, and I believe that’s much more relatable with regards to this Arsenal workforce given our defensive energy, however I really feel like we handed an excessive amount of of the initiative to Sunderland with the Mosquera determination whereas on the similar time eschewing what else we had on the bench. Further vitality may need allowed us to play extra of the sport of their half, a a lot much less harmful place to be.
In the long run, they stored the stress up, we didn’t win a header in our field, and Brian Brobbey produced a superb acrobatic end to make it 2-2. I’m undecided Raya wanted to get entangled in that second, however he likes to be decisive, he’d already made a few saves as I discussed, and I believe his blood was up, so to talk. When he obtained nothing on the ball, there was just one place it was going to finish up. There have been Arsenal complaints, however there was nothing mistaken with the aim apart from our defending.
Even so, there was an opportunity to win it when Riccardo Calafiori’s header from a Saka cross was properly saved, and Ballard made a sensational block to disclaim Merino’s comply with up. It’s fairly humorous that each one the pre-game chat was about Granit Xhaka, however a a lot much less feted former Gunner (who by no means performed a primary workforce recreation for us) was the person who got here again to hang-out us – scoring the primary and successful the header for his or her second. Soccer, eh?!
Sunderland will most likely really feel like they labored laborious sufficient to earn some extent, and it’s important to credit score the opposition once they preserve going and persist in making life laborious for you. Arsenal will definitely really feel like these had been factors dropped given the place we’d obtained ourselves into. I believe each issues will be true. Afterwards, Mikel Arteta stated:
Clearly the final feeling is disappointment and frustration as a result of we wished the three factors and we needed to navigate by a very powerful recreation. We knew that they’d be very disruptive. We conceded a aim that’s not in our requirements however after that I believe the workforce reacted rather well, confirmed quite a lot of persona and braveness, scored the primary aim, scored the second aim. We have now completely dominated the sport.
You need to credit score the opposition as properly. They’re unbeaten right here for a motive they usually do what they do actually, rather well they usually make it very tough for you.
It’s at all times painful to concede so late, however I don’t assume some extent away from house is a horrible outcome both. Arteta referenced the gamers we had lacking in his post-game feedback, and I do assume it’s price reflecting on how properly we’ve performed of their absence to place some context on any disappointment. I additionally assume if Sunderland can proceed to be as tough as that on the Stadium of Gentle, we gained’t be the one workforce to drop factors there.
So, we go into the break high of the desk, with a lead of not less than 4 factors relying on what occurs at the moment between Man Metropolis and Liverpool (a draw would give us a 6 level lead, so fingers crossed). I reckon if anybody had provided you that popping out of the final Interlull, you’d have bitten their hand off. Now, there’s a while for the supervisor to take inventory, analyse the nice and the unhealthy of this final interval, and hopefully get some gamers again and able to contribute.
For extra on this recreation and the broader context after at the moment’s fixtures, you’ll be able to be a part of myself and James tomorrow for an Arsecast Further. For now, have an amazing Sunday people.
