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Match report – Player ratings – By the numbers – Video
As we’ve performed greater than as soon as this season, Arsenal began yesterday’s match brightly and obtained on prime of the opposition shortly. Inside 11 minutes Gabriel Jesus was put by however flagged for offside; Bukayo Saka fizzed in a extremely harmful cross; Granit Xhaka compelled the keeper into an excellent save; and Martin Odegaard clipped a shot extensive when he ought to have hit the goal.
That strain informed in the long run when Ben White overlapped within the twelfth minute, pulled the ball again to the centre of the field and there was Xhaka to smash dwelling one other right-footed purpose on the half-volley to make it 1-0. And it was a minimum of we deserved primarily based on how we had been enjoying.
What occurred subsequent was a pivotal second within the recreation for me. Jesus was clearly fouled as he obtained mistaken facet of Caleta-Automotive, and never solely ought to it have been a penalty, it might simply have been a pink card for the defender. He made no try and play the ball and it was clearly denying a purpose scoring alternative. Assuming we’d scored the penalty, 2-0 up in opposition to 10 males for 75 minutes is a really completely different recreation. As an alternative, the referee performed on, VAR was clearly having a day without work, and it set the tone for what was to come back.
It informed Southampton that manhandling gamers contained in the field wasn’t going to be punished, in order that they did it all over the place they might, with Jesus being the primary recipient of that remedy. Time and time once more the defender had arms round him, clearly holding and impeding him, and each single time the referee allowed play to go on. I’m all for a bodily recreation, however a foul is a foul, whatever the ‘Let it stream’ motto that PGMOL have carried out this season. Letting the sport stream is just not the identical as letting gamers make repetitive fouls with out censure.
It added to the frustration when Saka was handed a ridiculous reserving for simulation, and this continued proper all through the sport. When it will get to a degree the place a man goals a really apparent headbutt, as Lyanco did in direction of Eddie Nketiah late on – earlier than placing fingers on his face (keep in mind Xhaka v Burnley?) – and solely a yellow card is reluctantly dished out, there’s one thing mistaken. In all honesty, I can’t keep in mind a refereeing show like this earlier than.
Nonetheless, that’s one thing we are able to’t management, and what we might management we didn’t do properly sufficient. Southampton’s change to a again 5 within the first half went some strategy to halting our momentum, however they didn’t threaten a lot bar a succession of corners which Ward-Prowse delivered properly and which we defended properly (I even suppose one or two of them had been beneficiant choices for the house facet).
Jesus hit the facet netting; Martinelli’s good run deserved greater than the nook it resulted in; Saka had a go; and Odegaard’s good mixture with Jesus ought to have seen us go in 2-0 on the break however the striker’s end lacked a little bit of conviction and he hit it straight at Gavin Bazunu. I don’t suppose he’s been fairly the identical for the reason that Liverpool recreation when he took that blow to the top.
There have been warning indicators within the second half as we struggled to create the possibilities we did within the first. William Saliba made a giant mistake however fortunately that got here to nothing. As soon as once more Jesus had the possibility to make it 2-0 after working arduous to win it again earlier than Odegaard despatched him clear by, however he took a poor contact earlier than a tame shot which allowed the defender to dam it. A key second that was in our management, and we didn’t benefit from it.
That was within the sixtieth minute. 5 minutes later they had been degree. A step-over in midfield noticed them break the strains, and from deep Stuart Armstrong bumped into the field to degree. I’m wondering if higher communication from William Saliba to Ben White may need helped as he might see the run the Southampton man was making, however there didn’t appear to be a shout and the right-back obtained caught unaware for the end. 1-1.
Instantly Mikel Arteta was on his ft gesturing to his gamers to lift the extent. Conceding is a component and parcel of soccer, it’s the way you react, and probably the most disappointing side of yesterday was that the final 20 minutes or so had been the sloppiest we’ve been all season for my part. The ball didn’t stick, passes didn’t go the place they had been speculated to, gamers obtained caught in possession time and time once more.
Afterwards, the supervisor mentioned:
We stopped doing all the easy issues proper. The distances on the ball positions had been too far, we gave too many easy balls away in very harmful areas with out a lot strain and that didn’t permit us a lot continuity like we had within the first half.
In order a lot because the officiating was irritating, we didn’t do what we’re able to. The subs didn’t actually assist, though I feel Kieran Tierney’s introduction gave us extra down that left hand facet. May he have had a penalty? I can’t say for positive, as a result of just like the incident within the first half when Ben White appeared to be very clearly pushed over, we didn’t get any replays of it so it’s arduous to be conclusive. You possibly can hear a really particular ‘slap’ on the TV protection although and the way in which he went down holding his neck suggests he obtained a whack. VAR? No thought.
What I might say is that in opposition to a workforce like Southampton, his capability to overlap in a manner that Takehiro Tomiyasu doesn’t gave us extra menace and I feel he ought to have began. We had the ball within the web by Odegaard, however Tierney’s cut-back got here after the ball had gone behind the top line. Fabio Vieira got here on and provided little, contributing extra to the sloppiness of the ultimate levels of the sport than anything.
All in all, a irritating day, and it’s completely doable to acknowledge that we didn’t do sufficient with the possibilities we had, in addition to acknowledging the refereeing was a shambles. The 2 issues may be true on the similar time. The latter doesn’t excuse the previous, and had we performed higher with good alternatives to attain, the ref stops being as related. On a day when didn’t although, it stays an unlucky speaking level.
Arteta once more:
No complaints. That is soccer. We had been actually good within the first half and managed completely the sport, we created a great deal of massive probabilities that we didn’t put away. Within the Premier League, sadly, in case you don’t do this if you find yourself prime of the sport you may have some difficulties.
He gained’t say something publicly in regards to the officiating, however I’m positive there will need to have been some frustration. Nicolas Jover was booked in any case. Nonetheless, he’ll focus extra on rising effectivity within the closing third as one of the best resolution, and hopefully we see that within the video games forward.
St Mary’s has at all times been a difficult place for us to go, and on the stability on the possibilities, we nonetheless ought to have gained yesterday. Dropping factors isn’t satisfying, however the massive image is {that a} draw away from dwelling retains us prime of the desk, and inevitably there are going to be video games like this all through the season. If all of us checked out October and harboured some issues about how the schedule would possibly impression us, perhaps we’ve to place this one down as a kind of. Now, we choose ourselves up and do higher subsequent weekend in opposition to Nottingham Forest after extra midweek motion in opposition to PSV.
Proper, let’s depart it there for now. James and I might be recording the Arsecast Further this morning. Preserve an eye fixed out for the decision for questions on Twitter @gunnerblog and @arseblog on Twitter with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or in case you’re on Arseblog Member on Patreon, depart your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
We’ll have the pod for you round lunchtime. Till then.
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