Loss Arsenal 1 - 2 Brighton and Hove Albion | Saturday 9th April | KO: 15:00 BST

Last night's game was arguably our worst game of the season. It was November-December 2020 bad. It brought out the worst in our team and exposed our weakness. We've been on a run of games where we've been playing teams that sit off us and allow us to have the ball which is usually our strength. Paddy identified this exploited it beautifully.
Collectively we were bad, individually were atrocious.

Brighton is another team that likes to have a go and not sit off teams. It will be interesting to see how Mikel adapts to this. Last night's game was a must win game simply because we have 3 difficult fixtures (Chelsea, united and Sp**s) that we most certainly will drop points in. We can't be dropping points to Palace when we still have to play those teams.

The real worry now is Partey not being injured. It seems as if he was playing with some discomfort throughout the second half.

Prediction
Arsenal 1-0 Brighton

 

[CaseUteinberger]

View attachment 6389

How is that offside? There are two left feet / legs to the right of Martinelli, isn't there?

 

[Bloodbather]

I thought it was an awful response to the circumstances by Arteta today. Insisting on playing Xhaka as LB instead of Tavares and leaving Sambi as the lone pivot behind ESR and Ødegaard lost us the game. We completely lost the midfield battle.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Everything now going in wrong direction for us last 5 games tow win 3 loses we not looking to score defensively we look shaky and lost Partey and Tierney.

Need to get things right again get back to basics don't look at table. Go game by game and finish season strongly

 

[baccy_man]

I don't know why we have started playing all those sideways passes and back passes again it did not look like the ball was going to be played forward until all our defenders had a touch first,
We were too slow to get going and then we had all the missed passes it looked like we were playing from 3 months ago with that type of play,
If we are going to get 4th place we are getting to the stage where we might need some results to go in our favour.

 

[yorch44]

Everything now going in wrong direction for us last 5 games tow win 3 loses we not looking to score defensively we look shaky and lost Partey and Tierney.

Need to get things right again get back to basics don't look at table. Go game by game and finish season strongly

Top 4 is gone... He is doing a Tottenham. He doesn't even trust in his players. Next game he is probably try 3 back with Martinelli as wingback.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

I don't know why we have started playing all those sideways passes and back passes again it did not look like the ball was going to be played forward until all our defenders had a touch first,
We were too slow to get going and then we had all the missed passes it looked like we were playing from 3 months ago with that type of play,
If we are going to get 4th place we are getting to the stage where we might need some results to go in our favour.

Because we don't have options in midfield to move ball forward saka esr Ødegaard were all isolated upfront there was no movement

 

[Xln]

Expected result. Didn't watch, I knew this was coming.

Having me another dark rum soon and then do my thing in a bar or club.

 

[Pop Tart]

Top 4 is gone... He is doing a Tottenham. He doesn't even trust in his players. Next game he is probably try 3 back with Martinelli as wingback.

His man management is shocking. He lacks empathy to be a top manager

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Top 4 is gone... He is doing a Tottenham. He doesn't even trust in his players. Next game he is probably try 3 back with Martinelli as wingback.

To be fair i give up about top 4 after we lost Tierney and Partey. Arteta need to have other plans than one can't be perfect for you to work.

 

[Fabregasm]

How is that offside? There are two left feet / legs to the right of Martinelli, isn't there?

How Arsenal offside is usually decided by VAR panel

 

[Head&Shoulders]

How is that offside? There are two left feet / legs to the right of Martinelli, isn't there?

You're looking at Cucurella's foot and he can't play Martinelli onside becase he's still behind the goalkeeper.

How Does The Offside Rule Apply When The Goalkeeper Is Out? - Football Handbook

The goalkeeper rushes out to defend an attack. How does the offside rule apply in this case?

footballhandbook.com

 

[yorch44]

To be fair i give up about top 4 after we lost Tierney and Partey. Arteta need to have other plans than one can't be perfect for you to work.

This comes with flexibility, he is soooooo rigid. Tbh how can someone expect Tavares playing perfectly after no football in months, the subs he had and age and no experience in PL. Have some faith on your players and rotate them. For example, we all know Tierney is injury prone, so give him more rest.

He literally uses the same rigid system where only 11 or 12 players are good for him. Then he waits until 75th to make one sub and another one for Nketiah or Pepe post 85th.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

This comes with flexibility, he is soooooo rigid. Tbh how can someone expect Tavares playing perfectly after no football in months, the subs he had and age and no experience in PL. Have some faith on your players and rotate them. For example, we all know Tierney is injury prone, so give him more rest.

He literally uses the same rigid system where only 11 or 12 players are good for him. Then he waits until 75th to make one sub and another one for Nketiah or Pepe post 85th.

Yes it's frustrating with manager who like work with fluid systems you really can't depend on 14 players he does overthink alot too

 

[Beany]

I’m not seeing the clear offside either. And taking 4mins to come to a decision shows that it’s too close to call. Cucarella’s hair does seem to indicate that he’s leaning to the left, so his feet could be playing Martinelli onside. Can’t see his feet because it’s blocked by GK. I always thought close calls were given to the attacking team too, but IMO VAR seems to want to rule close goals offside.

This is the thing I really object to - we keep hearing that PGMOL or the PL has decided “x” or “y“, then the next weekend comes and it’s “z” or **** knows what else. It’s infuriatingly inconsistent and completely unclear. Common sense dictates that if it takes 5 minutes of ****ing about to reach a conclusion, there is something fundamentally ****ed about said conclusion. It seems to me that the **** in the VAR box “thought” it was offside so made the call on that basis - that is manifestly wrong.

Doesn’t make our performance any less **** - can’t believe i sat through that dross - but there’s no doubt that decision fundamentally altered the course of the game and that’s just wrong.

 

[Riou]

Maupay and now ****ing Trossard, ffs.

How do we keep letting these super annoying looking players, clown us

 

[Lady_Gooner]

I’m going to the game and my emirates record is amazing. 3-0 win I reckon

Well this aged like milk

 

[yorch44]

Yes it's frustrating with manager who like work with fluid systems you really can't depend on 14 players he does overthink alot too

I regret what we did to Emery, maybe if we have gave him the players he wanted... Now seems unfair. I don't like a lot his system but it doesn't seems so different from what I see of what Arteta wants to play.

I definitely want Ten Hag here... Potter seems like someone very low profile but very good at man management and getting the best of the players he has.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Cedric freaking Cedric has more chsnce scoring a goal than laca.

 

[ThisFather]

Not exactly ideal blaming referee decisions when we scored 0 at home

 

[CaseUteinberger]

You're looking at Cucurella's foot and he can't play Martinelli onside becase he's still behind the goalkeeper.

How Does The Offside Rule Apply When The Goalkeeper Is Out? - Football Handbook

The goalkeeper rushes out to defend an attack. How does the offside rule apply in this case?

footballhandbook.com

If the leg / foot of their goalkeeper and the leg / foot of the Brighton outfield player are to the right of Martinelli, which is what I see in the pic, then Martinelli is onside.