Back end of 2021 games came thick and fast. We won game after game as momentum built.
Against Manchester City on New Years Day, we put in 110% and got nothing for our efforts. At the final whistle we looked dead on our feet.
I said at the time that the performance against Man City would mean nothing if it was not backed up with victories. We have failed to win a game in 2022.
Against Nottingham Forest we never got going. We played like a Sunday league team where every player was in Faces the night before. They had all rolled out of bed an hour before kick off. Quick snout and played the game.
Whilst we performed admirably in the first leg of the League Cup, Thursday was similar to the Nottingham Forest game where we just did not seem with it.
At the beginning of the season it felt like our squad was too big. We had quantify over quality. But now we do not have enough players to be able to rest and rotate.
Mikel Arteta spoke about having just 5 senior players available earlier this week. If that is true why let Pablo Mari, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Folarin Balogun go out on loan.
The African Cup of Nations has taken away 4 senior players (although Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was out of favour).
Thomas Partey had just begun to find good form. His red card against Liverpool was a consequence of landing at noon on the day of the game.
Over the last couple of weeks, Mohamed Elneny and Nicolas Pepe both would have had a role to play.
We have looked lightweight and inexperienced in midfield with Partey out and Granit Xhaka suspended. Elneny would have added some stability in the middle with his consistent 6 out of 10 performances.
This season Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka have been our brightest sparks.
Against Liverpool, Smith Rowe was rushed back from injury whilst the other two could probably do with a rest. Pepe could have rotated in.
Then we have the suspensions.
Against Man City, Gabriel was sent off. Xhaka then received a 3 match ban following his challenge in the first Liverpool game. Now Partey is facing another game on the sidelines after his two yellows.
Playing for so long with 10-men against Liverpool and Man City took a lot out of the legs. Then you have the consequence of them not being available for the next game.
When we face Burnley, we will be without both Partey and Xhaka. A team ravaged by injury and ACoN damaged further with suspensions.
We need to win against Burnley to keep our top 4 dreams alive.
After this Sunday’s game we then have a 17-day break until we face Wolves.
By the time that game comes around all those from Africa will have returned. We then play once a week between then and the end of the season.
Injuries, Covid and Africa have led us to having a paper thin squad; but we have not helped ourselves with suspensions and loaning out fringe players.
Thursday, 20th January 2022. Kick-off time: 7.45pm
(4-1-4-1) Aaron Ramsdale; Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhães, Kieran Tierney; Albert Sambi Lokonga; Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli; Alexandre Lacazette.
Substitutes: Thomas Partey, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Eddie Nketiah, Ryan Alebiosu, Karl Hein, Mika Biereth, Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand, Charlie Patino.
Red Cards: Thomas Partey
Yellow Cards: Alexandre Lacazette, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey
Arsenal Possession Percentage: 46%
Referee: Martin Atkinson
VAR Team at Stockley Park: VAR Darren England
Attendance: 59,360
For this critical match against Liverpool, we will be without Mohamed Elneny, Nicolas Pépé and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (due to AFCON commitments), whilst several other squad members will need to be assessed over injuries or COVID-19 concerns before the game. However, their collective absences from the squad mean that some of our “Young Guns” will get an opportunity to be on the substitutes’ bench this evening, which is heartening to see. Granit Xhaka is also unavailable due to suspension, of course, and let’s hope that despite all this, and the unusual 4-1-4-1 formation, Lady Luck will be kind to us here.
The visitors kicked off the match here tonight, and with the Emirates crowd in great voice, we took the match to the visitors straight away. Within minutes, a free-kick awarded to us on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area led to Alexandre Lacazette’s beautiful curling shot bouncing off the crossbar with goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher getting the smallest of touches on the way. We have started the match with both purpose and desire, with the early exchanges taking place within the Liverpool half. Totally against the run of play, Joel Matip got the ball in our net from a corner, but thankfully VAR deemed it to be offside. The 4-1-4-1 formation is pinning the visitors back, and as such they cannot find any rhythm to their play, and it seems that our midfield four are dominating proceedings so far. However, completely out of the blue, a diagonal ball across the pitch found Diego Jota deep in our half, and he cut inside and scored a rather soft goal with his right foot to open the scoring for Liverpool. It is to be remembered that no away goals count tonight, so if the tie is level at full-time, we head to extra-time and possibly penalties too, and nobody really wants that stressful scenario. After the shock of the early goal, the match started to settle down and although we had a penalty appeal denied when Gabriel Martinelli went down in the visitors’ penalty area after a tackle by Fabinho, there started to be gaps appearing in our play which is not good. Bukayo Saka was unlucky not to score when his shot was blocked by Joel Matip, and at this point in the match, we are finding things difficult, although it has to be said that we are not playing badly, but we lack the zip and fire of the opening stages of the game. Alexandre Lacazette received a yellow card for a late tackle on Curtis Jones, and despite the one minute addition of injury time, we finished the first half one goal down.
We kicked off proceedings for the second half, and quite bluntly, we have forty-five minutes to turn our season around as far as cup competitions are concerned. Three minutes after the restart, Alexandre Lacazette received a great ball from Albert Sambi Lokonga, but his effort went flying over the bar. As in the first half, we started off very well, pressing Liverpool back into their own half; however we got caught cold when Diego Jota beat Ben White out on the left, and passed the ball to Kaide Gordon, who thankfully blasted it over the bar from close range. This led to a period of Liverpool pressure, and eleven minutes after the restart, Takehiro Tomiyasu received a yellow card for a silly challenge on Diego Jota. Thankfully, the resulting free-kick from Andy Robertson went nowhere, and we nearly conceded a second goal when Ibrahima Konate’s header hit the post, but Aaron Ramsdale saved the follow-up shot from Jordan Henderson. On the hour, a Gabriel Martinelli corner which was punched away by Caoimhin Kelleher eventually found Emile Smith-Rowe, whose half-volley shot travelled way over the visitor’s bar. Both teams are making use of “smash’n’grab” tactics which is catching the defenders of either team cold. We don’t seem to be able to find a way through the Liverpool midfield, who are standing solid despite our constant efforts. Gabriel Martinelli had a superb effort saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, but the corner that followed went nowhere. Mikel Arteta made a double substitution with eighteen minutes left of the match; Eddie Nketiah and Thomas Partey replaced Alexandre Lacazette and a fatigued Emile Smith-Rowe. Almost immediately the two lads with fresh legs showed desire and pace, but again we got caight cold and Andy Robertson’s shot flashed across Aaron Ramsdale’s goal; a minute or so later our hearts were broken when Diogo Jota ran onto a long ball, getting to the ball ahead of the advancing Aaron Ramsdale and chipping the ball into the net. Initial thoughts were that he was offside, but VAR confirmed that he was not, and so we were two down with twelve minutes of the match remaining. Thomas Partey received our third yellow card of the match with a couple of minutes to go, and unbelievably two minutes later, he received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Fabinho and he was dismissed by referee Martin Atkinson. In the five minutes’ injury time played, it was merely a game of containment for Liverpool, and so it was journey’s end for us, sadly.
So very disappointing. After all the good work of a week ago at Anfield, tonight’s result was a complete and utter kick in the teeth. We now desperately need to get into the top four to be able to make signings in the summer that will allow us to get to the next step of development, but in the meantime, Mikel Arteta has to try to sign players in the next ten days to help push for the top four position, as I am not sure that we can stand another season without European competition. But first things first; the next step is is for us to defeat Burnley on Sunday afternoon, and over the next few days, Mikel Arteta and his backroom team have to pick them up for that match. After all, if we don’t win at Turf Moor, then top four will seem like a million miles away.
Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as this season is going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Our next match: Burnley at the Emirates on Sunday, 23rd January at 2.00pm (Premier League). Be there, if you can. Victoria Concordia Crescit.
Steve
Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon.
The headline is a bet of a test. See who on social media actually takes the time to read the blog and who comments without reading.
We know Arsenal will not put out a full strength team. Mohamed Elneny is still in Africa.
It will actually be enjoyable to watch those on social media and the good and great of her majesties written press (and spoken) rant and rave today. It will all be so predictable.
When the team is announced, we will see all those bitter fools say “but they could not put a team out at the weekend”.
And whilst they do have a point, the issue is the fact they are only talking about Arsenal.
On Tuesday, Burnley’s Premier League match with Watford was postponed as Burnley “only had 10 fit players”. The news was released with barely a murmur.
There was no hours on end debate on TalkSport. No discussion on Sky Sports News. No one going through their Premier League A & B lists, counting them up, and saying “why can they not play their U23s.
It is only The Arsenal that seems to be on the end of that sort of criticism.
So onto tonight.
Martin Odegaard, who missed the first leg after a positive Covid-19 test, is set to be available after isolating, while the likes of Kieran Tierney, Calum Chambers, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhaes are expected to be fit.
Granit Xhaka is still suspended whilst Cedric Soares is out injured. Elneny and Thomas Partey are still on international duty (the Ghanaian might be back for the weekend) whilst Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is back at the club but undergoing heart tests.
Emile Smith Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu have still not returned to training, whilst Bernd Leno is expected to keep his cup-place ahead of Aaron Ramsdale.
The knives will be out today, with everyone ignoring the fact that we are only playing because Liverpool successfully got the original tie postponed due to 13-billion-to-1 false positives.
Let’s make it noisy, make is us against the world, and earn a trip to Wembley.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 