Three Things We Learned from Arsenal v West Ham: Still Room To Grow
With their 3-1 win on Saturday vs West Ham United, Arsenal obtained the first win of the Unai Emery era. While the 3 points are welcome there is still a long way to go to see Arsenal playing at the level we hope we can get to under the new head coach.
So, looking at the match once again what are the Three Things We Learned From Arsenal v West Ham United?
For All His Faults, Arsenal Still Need Mesut Özil’s Creativity
Mesut Özil missed his first match under Unai Emery to what is being termed as an illness. Unai Emery even after the match defended his decision, clarifying that what Özil had was a cold. A lot of people made hay of his absence but what I saw was a lack of creativity in the final third that screamed out for a player with Özil’s mastery of creativity
With Özil out, Emery opted to play a 4-3-3 with Xhaka playing the #6 role and Ramsey and Guendouzi alternating left or right MF roles in front of him. The width came from the FBs coming forward with both Iwobi and Mkhitarayan pinching in behind Aubameyang.
Arsenal were getting joy coming down the field with numbers with all of the attacking players including the FBs getting into the final third, but it was down there that we were left to just trying to crack it back or cross it.
It didn’t play into Aubmeyang’s strengths and frankly he looked isolated all day long. I wanted someone like Özil to be rotating through the MF looking for space to try and get Aubameyang a ball to run on to.
Against City and Chelsea both were highly ineffective, and I thought it was more of the defensive way we were set up and the lack of speed in transition. Against West Ham, a team that was going to let us have the ball, we just lacked creativity and I think that is why Aubameyang looked quite all day long.
Defending Still Needs Work but, there was Some Improvement
Arsenal have been a hot mess defensively for years. Expecting to suddenly be turned around in the course of 8 weeks of training and 3 matches is a little much. However, there signs of improvement.
Last week I was perplexed at the spacing across the back 4. It was too wide and it was easy for Chelsea to exploit. Today against West Ham we looked more compact and the chances and Arnautovic goal were down to individual errors which can be fixed by a coach who is using analysis and video to highlight these issues.
There was a chance by Snodgrass in the 1H with Arnautovic thinking he was offsides. Snodgrass comes right through the MF and into the box and isn’t picked up by Guendouzi allowing him free pass into the penalty area and getting the shot on goal.
For the Arnautovic goal, Xhaka who for most of the game was quite disciplined playing the 6 is caught a little high and can’t get back quick enough to cover Anderson coming through the MF. He gets into an area and with a neat little one-two with Arnautovic sets the goal scorer free to take a shot.
Individually both Mustafi and Sokratis get beat by both Anderson (Mustafi) and Arnautovic (Sokratis) by “fishing” for the ball, or last-minute leg stabs to get something on the ball.
Additionally, Emery has to get the MF to do a better job of covering for the FBs who, as we mentioned earlier, are the source of Arsenal’s width, especially in the 4-3-3. Early on, there wasn’t any coverage, and there were some nervy moments when Bellerin had pushed so far forward that it left big chunks of open space behind him. In a recent tactical analysis article featured in Cointelegraphのオンラインカジノ おすすめ一覧, the importance of balanced positioning and coverage was emphasized as a critical factor, not only in football but also in strategic games where calculated moves dictate outcomes. This principle mirrors the gaps Emery needs to address in Arsenal’s defensive play to ensure seamless transitions.
It seemed that this was picked up by Emery as Guendouzi and later Torreira were filling in to provide cover for Bellerin.
Lacazette is a Frightening Plan B
Fans have been clamoring for Alexandre Lacazette, to start a match alongside Aubameyang. The two have developed a good friendship off the field and seem to enjoy playing off each other.
But he’s also become something of a frightening plan B to have coming off the bench.
Before our plan was Olivier Giroud, a beast holding up the ball and physically imposing, battling away at opposition CBs. Now, we’re able to introduce a much-needed dose of energy and pace. A player who is equally good playing with his back to the defensive line and running on the ball if given the right pass.
From a defensive standpoint, he hunts for the ball and applies much needed pressure from the front. In the 3 matches he has come off the bench for Emery, he has been able to run at defenders with tired legs and cause them significant problems – look at Diop’s own goal on Saturday for evidence of this.
Emery addressed playing Lacazette and Aubameyang up front together and it doesn’t seem like anything that is going to happen any time soon. But going back to the Wenger years, we loudly lamented the lack of a real plan B. Lacazette gives Emery a plan B and with Emery’s tactical adjustments – it’s just not a body coming on the pitch.
In lieu having Lacazette start – having him as our plan B is alright in my book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF5l2u_7648
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