Arsenal’s dismal begin to the Premier League season continued as they drew 0-Zero with Leeds United.
It was a troublesome Sunday night with the Gunners considerably outplayed, even earlier than the second-half purple card Nicolas Pepe obtained for a headbutt on Ezgjan Alioski.
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Total, they barely threatened the aim of Illan Meslier, with their lack of ability to keep up an attacking risk over the course of 90 minutes now a really actual situation
Their high scorer is Alexandre Lacazette, who has hit the again of the web simply 3 times, and so they have managed a complete of solely 9 within the Premier League this season – the identical quantity Tottenham ahead Heung-Min Son has by himself.
“The actual fact we have to rating extra targets, it’s a priority,” Arteta stated. “We want targets and lots of targets to win soccer matches to be the highest crew that we need to be. With out that it’s unimaginable.
“It doesn’t matter how we’re defensively.
“It’s not the dearth of attacking gamers we now have or the attacking gamers we’re placing on the pitch, however we’d like some moments the place we now have to make higher selections and be extra ruthless.
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“However it’s essentially the most tough factor in soccer and generally we undergo these patches and we now have to beat. I’ve to assist the gamers to beat and do it as shortly as potential.”
Is scoring targets the one situation on the Emirates proper now although?
It’s slightly extra advanced than that with a number of different narratives seemingly affecting their begin to the marketing campaign. So, what is going unsuitable at Arsenal? talkSPORT.com have taken a glance.
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No attacking risk
Arsenal have managed simply 9 targets this season – the joint-fifth lowest within the Premier League together with Fulham – that’s how dangerous it’s trying for the time being.
Certain, they’ve had some robust fixtures. Liverpool, Man City, Manchester United and Leicester have all been performed however so have 4 sides you affiliate with the underside half of the desk.
And let’s not overlook three of the 9 targets got here on the opening day in opposition to the Cottagers, too.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, recent off the again of his new bumper contract has solely scored twice within the Premier League, and solely managed one shot on track in opposition to Leeds, whereas the crew in complete solely had two.
It says rather a lot when their most artistic gamers had been Hector Bellerin and substitute Bukayo Saka at Elland Street.
Even shifting to a 4-2-3-1 for the match, away from Arteta’s earlier 3-4-3, didn’t set off something constructive and that is changing into an pressing state of affairs which must be rectified instantly.
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An absence of self-discipline
Pepe’s purple card was a egocentric act which confirmed no actual consideration concerning the state of affairs Arsenal are in.
Caught up within the warmth of the second, he was unable to regulate himself and was maybe lucky his teammates managed to dig in and get a 0-Zero draw out of the sport.
The Ivorian’s dismissal was the Gunners’ FIFTH since Arteta took cost of the membership late final December – that’s two greater than another Premier League facet over the identical interval.
If the Gunners are severe about getting again into the highest six this season then they really want to cease placing themselves at a drawback with silly purple playing cards.
This season they haven’t had too many yellow playing cards, which suggests it’s solely moments of recklessness that are costing them pricey.
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Nicolas Pepe’s £70million switch
Talking of the winger, it’s a year-and-a-half into his time at Arsenal and we’re nonetheless but to constantly witness why the membership spent a lot on him.
When shopping for attackers from Ligue 1, it’s at all times smart to simply accept they received’t get as many targets and assists as they did in France. Besides, Pepe has now managed simply six targets and 6 assists in 24 begins and 15 substitute appearances. It simply isn’t ok.
Over in north London, the advantages of giving a participant each time to settle and a kick up the bottom has labored wonders for Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele, and he’s now dazzling for Jose Mourinho.
Arteta actually wants to make use of all his man administration abilities to deliver one of the best out of his attacker or danger an enormous loss on the participant.
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Mesut Ozil going rogue
When a participant, incomes £350,000-per-week, isn’t even in your squad for the Premier League this season, that’s fairly alarming.
When the participant is then simply tweeting about your video games and stepping into spats with well-known followers of the membership then there actually is trigger for concern.
This matter ought to have been handled in the summertime with Ozil, a technique or one other, leaving the Emirates.
As a substitute we now have a really weird state of affairs, particularly when creativity is the one factor Arsenal are crying out for on the soccer pitch.
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Willian worldwide week points
When the Brazilian was pictured in Dubai over the worldwide break, it was anticipated he can be sanctioned for the journey, particularly in a pandemic which noticed him want to check destructive for coronavirus earlier than he might return to coaching.
As a substitute, the matter was seemingly brushed beneath the carpet by supervisor Arteta.
“I don’t affirm something, that solely it is a matter that has been resolved, defined and let’s transfer on,” the Spanish boss stated previous to the match with Leeds.
“No matter occurs internally with any points, or issues that we don’t anticipate, at all times we’ll strive them internally. That has been handled and defined, and we transfer on.”
Arteta did additionally trace at ‘private components’ however, even so, many believed Willian can be absent on the weekend.
He ended up beginning the match, leaving many questioning why his ‘indiscretion’ had been handled in a different way to these of different gamers inside the Arsenal squad.
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William Saliba
Universally acclaimed for his performances with Saint-Etienne earlier than and after his £27m swap to Arsenal, it appeared the French teen can be fast-tracked into the first-team upon his return from the Ligue 1 facet, with whom he spent final season on mortgage.
It seems private points could have affected the participant besides, the Gunners had been unable to organise a helpful mortgage return to Ligue 1.
In the meantime, he wasn’t even included in Arsenal’s Europa League squad, additional limiting his skill to progress as a footballer.
Arteta believes the participant wants a ‘transition 12 months’ however failing to get a deal finished in the summertime has simply created a foul state of affairs which have to be resolved early in January.
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