That’s not true. Accidental handball is only given as a foul if it leads to a goal. It’s a rule that treats attackers and defenders entirely differently, which is the most absurd thing in any rules for any sport ever.According to the new handball law we should have had a pen in the first half. Even if it was accidental, which I personally doubt, Xhaka's hand moves clearly towards the ball whilst he's on the ground. Of course Mcpointalot said it was accidental but that's not relevant according to the new law.
Don’t agree. Arsenal played a simple but effective strategy to beat us (like others this season) and executed it perfectly. You have to give them credit. The strategy? Defend very compact when we have the ball, give us the wide spaces but close the channels so Dave, Raz and Kev have zero space (that’s what creates the constant recycling along the line). Encourage us to cross because our front men are small and relatively easily outjumped. Make us go high rather than low by good defensive placement on near post. When ball is retrieved move it fast and long into space and have multiple runners who can carry at pace. It only needs to work a couple of times and you have a good chance of scoring.Worrying pattern to our losses this year that many have touched upon in here. Struggling to remember a game in which we lost and were dominated by a better side. Arsenal deserve credit for a well executed plan but we have beaten ourselves yet again through such a sloppy performance.
I do wonder how this week in the media has impacted the team. Yes the CAS result was a positive, but its been so full of negativity towards the club you need hell of a mentality not let that interfere with your game.
Like you I can’t think of a single game. The losses are very similar though. Packed defence, flogging away to break it down followed by speedy break outs which end up with us being punished. I’m confident Pep will come up with a solution, just hope it’s here by August.Worrying pattern to our losses this year that many have touched upon in here. Struggling to remember a game in which we lost and were dominated by a better side. Arsenal deserve credit for a well executed plan but we have beaten ourselves yet again through such a sloppy performance.
We never have a plan b when we go behind, it's shown time and time again this season.Arteta saw Pep coming really.
First half they were 3-4-3. Pressing our defence high and man marking Silva and KDB so it forced the ball out to the flanks. We're playing inverted wingers and they packed the defence so our only attack was really to take a long time to build up down the outside of the wings, waiting for Walker and Mendy to run up and down. When crosses came in nothing fell for us or we were guilty of taking too many touches.
Second half we switched to more of a 4-4-2 shape with Sterling central and connecting midfield to Jesus. We were trying to pass through a congested centre because the wing play hadn't worked. Looked more threatening but they defended well, you csn see they'll fight for Arteta.
Finally towards the end we started playing like Dzeko was on the pitch even though all our forwards were smaller than all 3 of Arsenal's centre backs. I'd say about 20 - 30 lofted crosses and about 20-30 headers won unchallenged by David Luiz.
Arsenal deserved to win. They nullified our plan A and for a squad with our range and depth, we had no effective plan B.
The insupidness of the majority of the Bournemouth display made me wonder whether the players had been told after the CAS ruling that Pep was leaving after this season. Yesterday's performance did nothing to assuage those fearsIt wasn't as bad as I thought, we did get one shot on target.
The Bouremouth last hour was a prelude to this performance rather than the calm before the storm.
Don’t agree. Arsenal played a simple but effective strategy to beat us (like others this season) and executed it perfectly. You have to give them credit. The strategy? Defend very compact when we have the ball, give us the wide spaces but close the channels so Dave, Raz and Kev have zero space (that’s what creates the constant recycling along the line). Encourage us to cross because our front men are small and relatively easily outjumped. Make us go high rather than low by good defensive placement on near post. When ball is retrieved move it fast and long into space and have multiple runners who can carry at pace. It only needs to work a couple of times and you have a good chance of scoring.
That we don’t have the guile to counter that is a bit worrying. Interesting to see what our ex goal stat was yesterday, I doubt it’s more than 1. As someone already posted we have problems all over the pitch, not just in defence.
Mahrez and KDB got past them a few times on the right but the pull backs always got just out at the near post. I could see us getting one goal but not two. And the game was over offensively when Mahrez came off. That was stupid by Pep. Foden should have gone central and Mahrez should have stayed on.I got sick and fucking tired of high crosses going in that were picked off
with ease by Arsenals defenders, if your front line is 2 foot smaller than the defence
it's facing, all you rely on is luck. They set up well, Arteta had it right, they deserved it.
Mahrez and KDB got past them a few times on the right but the pull backs always got just out at the near post. I could see us getting one goal but not two. And the game was over offensively when Mahrez came off. That was stupid by Pep. Foden should have gone central and Mahrez should have stayed on.
Arteta saw Pep coming really.
First half they were 3-4-3. Pressing our defence high and man marking Silva and KDB so it forced the ball out to the flanks. We're playing inverted wingers and they packed the defence so our only attack was really to take a long time to build up down the outside of the wings, waiting for Walker and Mendy to run up and down. When crosses came in nothing fell for us or we were guilty of taking too many touches.
Second half we switched to more of a 4-4-2 shape with Sterling central and connecting midfield to Jesus. We were trying to pass through a congested centre because the wing play hadn't worked. Looked more threatening but they defended well, you csn see they'll fight for Arteta.
Finally towards the end we started playing like Dzeko was on the pitch even though all our forwards were smaller than all 3 of Arsenal's centre backs. I'd say about 20 - 30 lofted crosses and about 20-30 headers won unchallenged by David Luiz.
Arsenal deserved to win. They nullified our plan A and for a squad with our range and depth, we had no effective plan B.