Personally, I thought the glaring weakness without Partey was the key to losing the match, too. And I do mean losing. I don't feel like we got beat.
You very rarely see a penalty given for a late challenge after the player got the shot off. Outside of 1 or 2 incidences called against us, it is just not something refs do in the league.
yeah . . . that's my point. there's no logic to it that i can see other than not wanting to penalize a defender for trying to make a block . . . but the same situation outside the box, especially on a defender, is always a foul and very often a card. i promised i'd shut up . . . sorry, it's just vexing.
Panicking or doomsaying seems unnecessary. There was no delusion about going undefeated, and away at a resurgent Man U is tough ask. I don't feel ashamed or gutted about Arsenal losing this one. Disappointed about key elements of the match, but otherwise I'm mostly content with Arsenal's display. They were poised in attack, they played aggressive until the final whistle, and the chemistry is building. This team is better than last season, so all my original hopes and expectations remain intact. What stood out for me? - With 61% of possession Arsenal had only 3 shots from 16 on target. Conversely, ManU got 6 of 10 on target with 31%. As fans of Atlanta United have been learning all summer, it's about the efficiency of your attack that wins matches. Maybe if they replay this more shots fall Arsenal's way, but that still means you need to show defensive solidity. To wit... - I'm not throwing anyone under the bus today, especially given some of the obvious blunders we've seen the lads capable of making. What does concern me is the team strategy for dealing with counter-attacking teams. They'll face more such sides in the near future, so unless they can tweak the offense to become more productive they'll need to have a better game plan for managing quick-strike opponents. Whether this is a matter of midfield marking, positioning the CDs differently, or simply not pushing numbers forward I can't say, but they need a Plan B compared to what happened today. - I'm not incensed about the non-calls on MaGuire in the box, but I'm growing more and more confused about what is and isn't a foul for body contact. Are you allowed to physically impede the player without playing the ball? - - - Apart from 5-6 defensive lapses Arsenal we're the better side, IMO. That's not to say the outcome wasn't deserved, merely that Arsenal remain, IMO, capable of Top 4 and winning a Cup. Self belief will be important, and they need to show they're learning from days like today. Some of that means personnel moves, some of it means improving execution. I hate conceding anything to ManU, but 8-2 this was not.
One game doesn't make a season. Tough loss, ironic since my eyes were telling me we got a grip on the game. This is the modern game in a nutshell, you win transitions you win the game. You stop transitions you win the game, you lose transitions you will likely lose the game. The Arteta program has been impressive in what he's been able to do. I figured he'd be a great manager at some other club not here. Not that he's the finished article by far but he's done well. In terms of game state I think the midfield and fullbacks were the weak points and ETH knew that as well. Not that anyone played terrible in the midfield but i felt we took a bit too long to get a grip there. We move. I also predicted on Twitter that United would win, the VAR was a joke ting.
I triggered a convo about this recently, in the context of the near banishment of the obstruction call in modern football. And the clear answer from several people, in that case, was that you DO have a right to screen/block someone from getting to the ball, as long as you are within touching distance of the ball yourself. Or something along those lines. Personally I hate that interpretation. I think it's not fair play, in the spirit of the game, etc. But apparently I (we) have to just let it go.
United will always get the calls since they have the largest global fanbase and if United are abject the Premier league makes less money. I'm expecting full "United are Title Challengers" headlines till Derby Day or whatever big game is next.
After we equalized, my gut said that it might end that way and we'd share the points. Then they got their 2nd and I thought it's possible to pull it back but we're gonna have to stay tight to prevent them from scoring a 3rd. Alas... I just watched their 3rd goal again, and it's a bit of a cluster fvck by us. It was their throw so we should've been in decent defensive shape. Just prior to that Xhaka had looked like he was playing 6, while Vieira looked like 8. But when they began their attack, Granit came to ball briefly then they worked around him and he just gave up running back for some reason. Leaving Fabio to try to sprint to make up a huge gap to Ericksen who still has good pace... needless to say he lost that race. White had been left to mind the store as our only CB, while Gabriel and Saliba were way out on the left flank for some reason, right at the 50 yard line. So Ericksen timed his run perfectly to thwart our high line, and we never had a chance. I'm no coaching guru but I'd guess that there's gonna be some video session with the lads in question to see what broke down and how to avoid repeating that debacle.
🚨 Emile Smith Rowe appeared to pull up with an injury during Arsenal warm-down. 22yo attacking midfielder looked distressed as he was accompanied back to dressing room by #AFC assistant coach Carlos Cuesta, while rest of substitutes continued their session @TheAthleticUK #MUNARS pic.twitter.com/rz9TKGr6Yt— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) September 4, 2022
Not even close. You are conflating two completely different situations and misrepresenting the explanation for the lack of call in the situation that you originally brought up.
Easy big guy. I'll admit I wasn't focused on what @GunnerJacket 's Maguire reference was. I was just trying to share some possibly relevant understanding of the obstruction rule. If indeed that is completely unrelated and irrelevant, why don't you act a little more maturely and explain why, i.e. respond to what @GunnerJacket was musing about? Love
I just watched the last 15-20 mins of the match again, because I wasn't really focused on it the first time around. Specifically I wanted to see where and how Vieira played. Since I'd never seen him kick a ball before. And I'd have to say I was generally pleased. He was quite central to our play in that final segment, mostly offensively where he was brave and lively. But also defensively when he was called on to cover. The one significant gaff he made was on an errant crossfield pass that got intercepted... however he sprinted back to thwart the resulting counter. Bottom line, and with a very small sample size, I thought he was a net positive. Maybe a sizable net positive. Expecting to see more and more of him, probably soon.
I know blaming Sambi fits the transfer window narrative, but I don't think his positioning was to blame for United's 2nd goal. Zinchenko went central and Sambi played him a ball. OZ should have taken it forward into space, but he one-touched back to Sambi, who had to stretch got get it away from CR7. That took him out to the left touchline with OZ staying near the center circle. Sambi played a bad pass to Jesus, no doubt, but that pass is 75 yards from his goal which is not the worse place to give the ball away. Sambi was still wide left near CR7 and OZ was now central near Fernandes. Eriksen's one touch pass to Fernandes put him in behind OZ who was too far away to foul or put him off, leaving him free and clear to pick out a pass for Rashford. Saliba should have just sprinted back at full speed, instead he spun around which put Rashford 5 yards clear. Even then, if White gets more of the ball he clears it. Or if White misses, Ramsdale has a good chance to save it.
I’m Not worried. We were in control for Large periods, we were extremely naive to concede the counter goals but we have a very young cb bedding in. As @DaPrince84 said, might be worth dropping Gabriel for Saliba and playing white and tomyasu Lokonga isn’t the one at the 6 and is he a good enough 8? We really should’ve lined him out and bought in an athletic passer who can dictate the tempo somewhat. their goals are good learning points. Don’t lose the ball so easily in dangerous areas and play a tighter line when higher up. Their last goal was comical defending onto the next one. We should see lots of rotation next game
If you want to look at someone on the second goal, Odegaard was very slow to react to the change of possession and didn't come close enough to Erickson to cut off the pass. Odegaard was also in no mans land on the first goal. I don't think Sambi is positionally sound at all as a deep midfielder, but there was a lot more people to blame on those first two.
I know it’s bad vibes but it just seems we are starting to drop like flies and we have games twice a week for the next couple months.
We have a smaller squad than last season, even though we now have European football and a crunched up World Cup schedule.