True, the ref must have had a bet on the draw.We did go off the boil. But had we got that pen I don’t see them coming back from 2 goals
Yeah, bizarre. Everybody thinking this manager is superb, everybody thinking that manager was garbage and needed to go. It's a strange world.Just got a FB memory post this morning.. last time Arsenal were top of the league at this point of the season, was 2015.. they had just pulled off an unlikely draw that day too
the memory said ..
"Top of the league.. not bad.. Cech definitely worth two points today.. hard fought.. but looking good"
Finished that season in 2nd.. think we'd take that if it was offered right now
Don’t know whether it’s more depressing we dropped 2 pts or reading the comments after dropping 2 pts. I get it though, emotions of the game as it’s happening.
We started superbly well. Our football was the best we’ve seen in the PL, BUT, after 25 minutes Soton’s system change took us from a 10/10 to a 4/10. That’s concerning because we need to be able to adapt much better than we did.
Probably more important to sort out is our finishing. I am seeing too many scuffed /wayward shots. Clean strikes seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Jesus, Eddie, Ødegaard, Saka , Martinelli are all most guilty of this. I doubt it is a training issue, it’s more about composure.
As for the ref… it’s way past time there was some accountability for these decisions. Both Jesus and Tierney should have had penalties, but the biggest way a ref can influence a game is to let defenders absolutely maul attacking players and that happened in spades yesterday. It’s very hard to create anything or look good when defenders are allowed to manhandle the attacking players.
I am not buying the fatigue angle talked about so much. I suspect if the minutes played for each player was compared to those from other top6 clubs, there would be no difference. It’s an excuse. Nothing more.
Anyway, 2 dropped points. The measure of the team will be if they can bounce back straight away from this disappointment and win the next game.
I also dont think its purely a fatigue thing. Part of the reason we have a drop off from the second third of the game is because teams are upping their intensity in marking us, when we are in a period of energy conservation and looking to game management. Once parity or an advantage is gained, the opposition will once again drop into a tight defensive shape, and ride out the final third of the match, and the storm we will bring.
I think we need to consider shorter time periods of high intensity attack, and combine it more with equal spells of ball possession and control of proceedings right through the match. Goals in those periods could obviously change the dynamic and what would be needed, but the manager would do well to keep us to that level of discipline for most part.
This game was a reminder that we need to stay alert and control the game during our up and down times in a match. An important skill if we want to go far this year.
The other clubs dropping points just makes this result more frustrating. The gap between us and the other top 4 contenders isn’t big enough, not for how we’ve been playing this season and how they’ve been playing.
Do you guys trust this team to not capitulate at some point this season?
Capitulate, no.The other clubs dropping points just makes this result more frustrating. The gap between us and the other top 4 contenders isn’t big enough, not for how we’ve been playing this season and how they’ve been playing.
Do you guys trust this team to not capitulate at some point this season?
Yeah that's why I was so frustrated yesterday, although that has eased abit.The other clubs dropping points just makes this result more frustrating. The gap between us and the other top 4 contenders isn’t big enough, not for how we’ve been playing this season and how they’ve been playing.
Do you guys trust this team to not capitulate at some point this season?
Liverpool were the masters of this in recent seasons. Blitz the opponent in like a 15 minute spell each half and then conserve their energy. We play a different style but the emphasis should be the same.I also dont think its purely a fatigue thing. Part of the reason we have a drop off from the second third of the game is because teams are upping their intensity in marking us, when we are in a period of energy conservation and looking to game management. Once parity or an advantage is gained, the opposition will once again drop into a tight defensive shape, and ride out the final third of the match, and the storm we will bring.
I think we need to consider shorter time periods of high intensity attack, and combine it more with equal spells of ball possession and control of proceedings right through the match. Goals in those periods could obviously change the dynamic and what would be needed, but the manager would do well to keep us to that level of discipline for most part.
This game was a reminder that we need to stay alert and control the game during our up and down times in a match. An important skill if we want to go far this year.
It's a psychological thing too. Had we gone 2 0 up after 25 mins it may have made the Soton players subconsciously drop in intensity. Chasing something that was unlikely. Which meant we could also just try and conserve energy and keep the ball and the game was easier to see out.Liverpool were the masters of this in recent seasons. Blitz the opponent in like a 15 minute spell each half and then conserve their energy. We play a different style but the emphasis should be the same.
I guess the only encouraging thing is we created chances and we were also somewhat screwed. Would be more concerned if we put in some of our Europa League performancesIt's a psychological thing too. Had we gone 2 0 up after 25 mins it may have made the Soton players subconsciously drop in intensity. Chasing something that was unlikely. Which meant we could also just try and conserve energy and keep the ball and the game was easier to see out.
At 1-0 the game is there to get something so the intensity is more because the reward of pressing harder and commiting men is a draw. Not just reducing the deficit.
And the fact that we didn't lose. Reminds me abit of the Everton game last season. We took the lead should have got a second, stopped playing and Everton scored then Gray scored that belter.I guess the only encouraging thing is we created chances and we were also somewhat screwed. Would be more concerned if we put in some of our Europa League performances