A pretty non existent first half went by without Arsenal really getting into gear as a sluggish looking defence and midfield played without any sort of tempo or urgency. An off pace Granit Xhaka barely did much in his sixty minutes whilst Matteo Guendouzi had a few speculative shots but beyond that offered very little also so with these two in front of an untidy back three, Arsenal's forwards barely had anything in the first stanza. There were moments where Lacazette, Iwobi and Aubameyang linked up well and progressed forward into dangerous areas but there was nowhere near enough of it. West Ham probably couldn't believe their luck with what looked like an Arsenal side lacking hunger and lacking any kind of desire.
The second half started the same before West Ham's outstanding young midfielder Declan Rise slotted home a curling shot into the top corner. With roughly half an hour or so left on the clock, Arsenal finally looked to really press on, and with Torreira and Ramsey coming on in midfield, things were looking up. There were a couple of chances cooked up in the remaining minutes but nothing got converted and for the first time since the opening game of the season, the Gunners failed to score. No goals and no points as it finished 1-0 to the hosts.
Ratings and Talking Points
Unai Emery: 5
The head coach probably didn't get the starting XI right for this one as proved when the sprite looking Torreira and Ramsey entered the fray and sparked a change in proceedings. Xhaka looked off the pace but the bigger issue is that Emery failed again to partner him with Torreira; his best combo. Guendouzi is a developing teenager and although he is growing and learning well, he cannot play alongside Xhaka. Neither of them get forward but equally neither sit like a holding midfielder should. They offered very little and rightfully one was pulled off for a change.
Emery did do a better job of his substitutions though as Ramsey and Torreira really looked to make an impact. Timings are always difficult but one, if not both, should have been made earlier. Bellerin for AMN made sense also but it would have been better to see Guendouzi off and AMN move into midfield as the shape got altered to a back four. Guendouzi didn't provide anything of note really and had Emery possessed a fourth change, he should have been pulled.
Make no mistake, Emery was let down by his players though. The performance on the pitch and the way players were content in passing backwards and sideways for fifty odd minutes is not necessarily Emery's fault. His players needed to look hungrier, play with more urgency and chase all three points. They failed on all fronts, something that the players need to take responsibility for.
Bernd Leno: 6
Shkodran Mustafi: 5
Sokratis: 5
Laurent Koscielny: 5
Ainsley Maitland-Niles: 6.5
Granit Xhaka: 4
Matteo Guendouzi: 5
Sead Kolasinac: 6
Alex Iwobi: 7
Alex Lacazette: 6.5
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 6
Subs
Aaron Ramsey: 6
Lucas Torreira: 6
Hector Bellerin: 5
Granit Xhaka Needs Lucas Torreira
Without the little Uruguayan alongside him in the midfield, Granit Xhaka really looks lost. Its tough as there is no other natural holding midfielder in the squad and as such without Torreira in there, Granit has to do a job that he can't do. He's a ball player and a string puller, not a tackler or interceptor. He doesn't anticipate well or sit back and protect but most importantly for the team, they aren't getting the best out of him. When being asked to hold, he can't play to his strengths leading to little rhythm going forward but no real defensive minded midfielder in there either. Square pegs in round holes don't fit, and like yesterday, you get found out.
Back Three Versus Back Four
Although Emery finally had a number defenders to pick from, is a back three away at a stuttering West Ham side really necessary? Yes it frees up the likes of Kolasinac down the flanks who's a real tank but there are a number of disadvantages as well. The transition of play out from the back is too slow with the three as they are all so happy to knock it sideways time after time. The midfield combination didn't help and at times this slow play caused so much space (too much) between midfield and attack, leaving the forwards quite isolated at times. West Ham play one up top and even if it were Andy Carroll, the up and down form they are in would have meant that a flat back four would have sufficed. A back three is useful but not every week.
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