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Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal. 5 Things

Monday

A Fluid Rock-Like Consistency

Arsenal fans have craved consistency- it’s been a good few years since the gunners have had a predictable line-up or even formation. However, the first eleven games of the restart have seen Arsenal play in a 3-4-3 structure, and it would be a shock if that changed in the last two games of the season.

It appears to be a more defensively focused formation, but on its own; it doesn’t confirm a team’s mind-set. The attitudes of the players have a far greater impact. Having said that, our defence looks more comfortable and is conceding less goals than previously.

 

Bee’s Around a Honey Pot

Oh, dear. It’s not been the most entertaining match and to make it worse, Arsenal are now losing. A casual bumbling of the ball from Arsenal players sees us concede a corner. It was like you’d given a ball to three aliens; they look at it, look at each other and then kick it away.

The out swinging corner nodded on by Mings at the near post and went straight out to Trezeguet, who smashes it into the bottom far post. Aubameyang was tasked with marking Mings, which seems to be a massive mismatch. You can see seven Arsenal players at the near post marking only three Villa players. When the ball is reaches Trezeguet, this is part of the reason he has so much time and space. It doesn’t scream out great organisation.

 

Unscheduled Volley Practice

Arsenal seem to expect cracking volleys from corners. The Paul Scholes specials. Let’s face it, they are pretty rare. Its quiet unlikely a player has the ability to pull off the technique and is given the time and space to shoot unobstructed. On the other hand, a football will bounce off nearly anybody’s head given it's not made of jelly. 

Maybe it shows their belief in their abilities, but to knock the ball knee-high to Ceballos or Torreira on the edge of the 18-yard box is optimistic. It’s maybe something that should be tried once every three games or so, not twice in one game. Almost as if to prove this point, the first decent delivery of the night from Pepe see Eddie Nketiah headed deflect off the inner post and into the fortunate Villa keeper’s hands. More of the latter, please.

 

Everyone’s Favourite Uruguayan

What’s going on with Torreira? His first few appearances saw him destined to become a fan favourite, a status which he has just about hung onto. Since his time at the club, managers have regularly overlooked him to the bemusement of the fans. For sure, this season has been a disappointing one for the Uruguayan.

Admittedly, it’s his first game back, and he shouldn’t be particularly roasted for his performance today. He picked up a needless booking in the first half for his second foul of the game and was subsequently taken off at half time to protect him from being sent off. 

 

S41T or Bust!

For optimistic Gunners fan, this was our last chance to keep our Europa League hopes alive. They might have had fond memories of classic Spuds meltdowns, but it wasn’t to be this time. Its official Arsenal’s Europa League qualification relies solely on our ability to beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final tie. It shares a symmetry with last season, when our only chance of Champions League qualification was to beat Chelsea.

Qualifying for the competition via league position is a far more accurate representation of a team’s quality. Winning the FA Cup gives teams a more enjoyable route into the competition, with the bonus of a historic title to add to the CV’s. An FA Cup victory would be huge for Arteta’s first half-season. Arsenal are probably the underdogs for the fixture, so a victory is a big ask.

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