It seems it was to go out, play open, don't bother tracking runners and really just let them do what they want to be honest.I didn't see your game tonight but i'd like to know what your tactical approach was (if any) to try and win it? The inferior side in quality should always try to play compact and beat City on the counter. I'm pretty sure we'll take that approach and yes we will probably need some luck with that
I think the main problem with Neville was the fact he said Utd had a better chance than Arsenal.
I mean there’s an actual chance we end up on a similar if not higher points total than you given your form.
Is that a title challenge though, as that was the point?
Great stat
maybe? It’s Arsenal
doing an Arsenal
At least we're consistent
Arsenal basically played the exact opposite to how you should play against City. With Holding too.I didn't see your game tonight but i'd like to know what your tactical approach was (if any) to try and win it? The inferior side in quality should always try to play compact and beat City on the counter. I'm pretty sure we'll take that approach and yes we will probably need some luck with that
Yep. 100% agree. Losing to city away no big deal but these results all very poor.
even if we won 2 of those 3 games city still would’ve won it by winning today. It would be in their hands and they’re not dropping any more points.
Yeh tbh I'm not even that upset right now because a loss here was always expected. It's the dropped points against Soton and West Ham that really gutted me. That's when I knew we'd blown whatever chance we had at the title.
That’s an incredible stat
I don’t even think it’s those, it’s city winning 7 league games in a row, and will probably be 14 league games in a row by the end of the season. Runs like these are impossible to compete with. They still look totally fresh too, the depth of their squad.
All very true but I think you would say you should've managed the Liverpool and West Ham games better than you did. The Southampton game was awful defensively from an Arsenal point of view.
We did. I don’t think the problem was tactical, though. It would also have been suicidal to just try and shut up shop for 90 minutes. The real killer was our lack of application. Partey’s form have fallen off a cliff and tonight was one of his worse games for us. He never sprints at any point during de Bruyne’s second goal. And of all of KDB’s wonderful attributes, blistering pace is not one of them.
Yes but they’ve been relentless. Last time we won the league we drew 3 of our last 5 games, it didn’t matter. This city team look like they’ll sweep up the treble and still have gears to spare. In the end to win the league you have to be the best team and that’s why city will win it every year.
I think if Arsenal could have Caicedo over the line in January, that could have really added some prowess to your side as a whole. I know it is "if and buts", however, I think that type of signing may have injected some physical and mental strength for the run in. He also wanted to come.Yeh I didn't think we'd really do it until maybe a month ago. Then we lost Saliba and Tomi
I still had some hope, but knew we desperately needed Saliba back if we had any chance. Unfortunately his injury is probably worse than we're letting on.
It just felt suicidal from minute 1. To have holding in a back 2 and only one holding midfielder in front, it was asking for trouble. Such a high line with such a weak link against City was always going to get punished. Especially against someone as quick and powerful as Haaland.
What's interesting is that they seem to look off the pace fairly often early on, and then come into their own in the second half of the season. I think Fergie's United did that a few times, finishing strongly.
I get what you are saying, but it's easy to say and not so easy to do. When they are turning the screw at the end of a season and in a run in, they are very difficult to stop. They seem to just hit peak form and fitness in time for the business end of the season. With this new formation they are stronger physically as well, they can now play long up to Haaland if needed too. I totally agree we didn't do enough to stop them, but unfortunately that's true of most teams when coming up against City when they are like this. The likes of Leipzig, Liverpool, Bayern, Newcastle, ourselves, all rolled over pretty easily in this run in so far.
I think it took them a while to integrate Haaland into the team, now it’s clicked and they simply have too many weapons.
Yeh, their squad depth is just out of this world.
I agree, we're not a team that does well going the containment route, we never have been (even in Wenger days). Not sure how one would "contain" City right now anyway.
Yeh, we tried but it didn't work out. Jorginho has done his job but he was signed as a backup (Lokonga's replacement), not someone to compete with Partey/Xhaka. Caceido would have been knocking at the door of the first eleven, like Trossard.
City will drop points.
It started to click for them as soon as they ditched Cancelo who cost them in a few games. Once he was gone they nailed this inverted full back position with 3 at the back.
Yeah that's true. He was at fault for Salah's goal against us at Anfield. Funny because he was great for them last season.
I think we've fielded 22 in total in the league. But Perrone has only being used once. In all comps I think we've played a couple more in the league cup/CL dead rubbers etc...
It was devastating. It was down as 3-2-4-1, but really it was 3-2-3-2. De Bruyne was free to play up top alongside Haaland.
