The Arteta revolution has seen improvements in our structure
and the defensive responsibilities, although it would seem corners might not
yet have been covered in training. Tonight, the players were using a mix of
zonal and man-marking (no problems there). However, they were caught out by a
short corner. What makes it so disappointing is that Arsenal were punished by a
similar incident at Brighton, only weeks earlier. You would think the lack of crowd noise would
help players, and even staff, communicate clear and present dangers like these.
This one happened in slow motion. There were two Leicester
players at the corner and only Saka within close range. The Arsenal man looked
around as if to plead for help, but no one came. A simple 1-2 left him helplessly
bypassed. Albrighton cut back to an unmarked Iheanacho around the penalty spot.
He hits the ball low and hard, it goes through mustafi’s legs but Martinez
drops down and makes the save with his legs.
2. Lacazette’s Troubles
Lacazette holds the ball up for fun, literally. He’s
constantly battling with opposition and must be Arsenal’s most fouled player.
Those are good things, but the rest doesn’t seem to be going well for him. Some
strikers have the ability of making goal scoring look easy… at the moment,
Lacazette is making it look like algebra with a hangover.
He always gets good contact. It’s like he doesn’t have the
confidence to hit the ball with anything less than 100% power. Maybe he needs
to start scuffing his shots more. He had a close range header, shot and
disallowed goal. Indecently, the disallowed goal was a reactionary side-foot to
deflect the ball in, and the saved efforts were carefully blasted at goal.
3. Tap-in for Aubameyang
Any guess who scored? Aubameyang, of course. He’s responsible for so many of our goals this season and his our striker so why not. A strange sort of symmetry with Vardy and our opponents today. Both are pacey finishers appearing to find the peak later in their careers. Scary to think how many goal Aubameyang could score if he had another three years at the club.
For the goal, Ceballos fed a lovely through ball between the
full back and centre back. Saka times his run perfectly, collects the ball, shimmies
to leave the Leicester defender sitting on the turf. Then squares the ball,
cutting out the keeper, and reaching Aubameyang who has a simple tap-in at the
back post.
4. Vardy Equalises
It was destined to be an uphill struggle since Eddie
Nkeitaih’s sending off. VAR intervened to make sure the younger got sent for a
lung. It wasn’t malicious, and it didn’t hurt the Leicester player, but when
you lift your foot up that high, you are running the risk of being sent off.
Vardy got the break through from a ball swung in from the
right, one of their players makes a poke at the ball, looks like he misses, and
it runs thought to Vardy who slots it in from close range. He looked whiskers offside when the cross is hit and then completely offside when their other
player makes a poke at the ball.
5. The Missing Duo
It is of course Matteo Guenduozi and Mezut Ozil. One a
talented teenager and the other is one of the most gifted footballers Europe
has seen in recent times. Guendouzi has been missing since Brighton and Ozil
hasn’t been seen since before the COVID break. It’s not a surprise anymore but
the longer it goes on the more frustrating it gets.
Does Arteta’s more structured, responsible Arsenal miss
them? A floating playmaker and a gallivanting midfielder, neither of which who
can hold a position. Doesn’t look like it, but if we are looking for someone to
blame for any problems it should be these two. Especially considering the
Germans history for undetectable back problems and ability to be tactically
unsuitable for almost any game.
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