Pathetic, poor, woeful, bullied and unmotivated are just some of the words used to describe Arsenal's performance against Wolves last night. An unimaginative and unfit looking Gunners side got pummeled by their hosts 3-1 in what was an embarrassing outing for Unai Emery and his men.
At the weekend it was pretty much Mustafi but last night it was more than one. What was worrying is that is almost the collective as pretty much every player was below par, looked uninterested and lost almost every individual battle. The first goal was a splendid free kick by Ruben Neves but much like Bernd Leno said in a recent interview with Goal, all goals have mistakes from someone, somewhere. First and foremost, it's a stupid foul from Monreal - why do that there? Second, the wall basically bottles it and breaks only to see the ball fly between two heads. Second goal was a short corner played slightly shy of the penalty area and a right footed cross swung in. Leno came and missed it - mistake one, whilst Sokratis was two yards behind the rest of the line keeping four or five Wolves players onside including Matt Doherty who headed home neatly. The third goal came from a woefully misplaced and sloppy pass in midfield from Granit Xhaka who found Diogo Jota. The Portuguese winger headed straight for goal and whilst Mkhitaryan is no defender, his attempt at trying to deter Jota was pathetic. The shot came in and slipped under-beside Leno's hand; the first real goal this year where you'd say the keeper should do better. This was all before half time...and did we see rejuvenation in the second after a rollicking at half time? I don't believe we did.
Yes, there's very little point in highlighting individual errors as everyone makes them, in any sport and in any job. However, the rate in which Arsenal make them is just catastrophic. Especially away from home it's just mistake after mistake and the rate of which they get punished is just as bad. Added to that is the desire, or lack of, shown. Last night, the entire starting XI looked a yard off the pace, disinterested and not up for the fight. I'd say that none of that, at least, is Unai Emery's fault. Also, we know his squad lacks depth but for someone at the club to allow a player like Aubameyang to have a minor sinus procedure in April when there's a month left of the season and two months off to come, is a joke. He is joint top scorer in the Premier League and unless it's life threatening or family related (which we believe it isn't), you don't just give your player the night off. Whoever makes these sorts of decisions needs to take a real hard look at themselves, as do the players really. Sokratis did pull a goal back late in the second half from a corner but beyond that there was no real fight shown.
A top four finish is still on, however fight, desire, hunger and a better attitude are all required, as is a little luck. Chelsea meet Man United on Sunday and if Arsenal can grab a win away at Leicester, a draw or a United win does us a huge favour. It remains to be seen whether its Europa League or bust for Emery and his men but regardless, things away from home need to change, now.
Ratings and Talking Points
Unai Emery: 4
When at home against Palace needed a back four, he went with a three. Now away at Wolves where it needed a back three he went with a four...all suggesting he still doesn't know his best shape and/or XI which is fine to a degree but to not know your opposition isn't good enough. Wolves play the back three system better than anyone else in the league yet Emery thought he'd turn up to their back yard and win with a fickle looking back four. I don't care if he says he rotates for rest, it isn't good enough as there is a maximum of six games left then it's a holiday for two months. It's crunch time and a season defining two weeks or so and players are getting rest! It just doesn't add up, especially as the squad depth is so poor with five or six injuries.
What Emery sees in Mkhitaryan, I don't know. Eddie Nketiah came on and showed more fight and desire in fifteen minutes than any other Arsenal forward, and whilst Lacazette and Ozil seemed to try, Mkhitaryan and Iwobi are just baffling at times. Emery needs to shake this squad up in the summer for sure but between now and then he must pick his best players and tailor his shape to beat the opposition. He did this so well in the early season unbeaten run yet lost it so badly over Christmas. However, what we do know is that he needs his best players on the pitch together to stand a chance of winning games.
Bernd Leno: 4.5
Ainsley Maitland-Niles: 5
Sokratis: 4.5
Laurent Koscielny: 4.5
Nacho Monreal: 4
Lucas Torreira: 5.5
Granit Xhaka: 4.5
Henrikh Mkhtaryan: 3
Mesut Ozil: 4.5
Alex Iwobi: 4
Alex Lacazette: 5
Subs
Matteo Guendouzi: 4
Sead Kolasinac: 4.5
Eddie Nketiah: 5
Does Steve Bould Actually Work With The Defence?
One of the club's best ever defenders, a real winner and a die hard tackler and excellent reader of the game currently sits alongside Emery in the coaching team, and has done for a few years now. However, based on his credentials as a well organised and top level defender, has he actually ever improved Arsenal's back line? I'm not talking about individual technical ability as this rarely improves unless you're twelve years old but the actual organisation, shape and tactical approach to defending. He has the capabilities or certainly did as a player but as coach you'd think he'd work with the back line every day to improve the attitude as a minimum. Beyond that, with time, he could train them into a straight line that communicates properly and knows their own roles inside out. It just doesn't happen though. We watched the likes of Mertesacker and Gabriel not improve under Wenger, and whilst Koscielny and Mustafi still remain, the way they defend isn't any better. The only defender that has improved over the last three of four years is Rob Holding. I doubt this came through Steve Bould specifically but if it did, great. Roll it out to the whole set of defenders and actually organise them into some sort of cohesive shape, change their attitude and show them body positioning and when or where the line needs to be. Professionals don't want to be babied but when you perform as they do, most weeks, it's surely time for a different approach.
@craigbennett10
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