What's up with our away form?

[Big Poppa]

At the time of writing, in our 11 PL games away from home we've won 3 (Burnley, Crystal Palace and Everton), Drawn 4, Lost 4.

We've scored 13 goals in those 11 games, all though 5 came in one match against Everton, meaning we have 8 in 10. We are barely averaging a single goal a game. We have conceded 16.

This is in contrast with our home form where we've won 8, drawn 2, lost 1 in 11 games, scoring 27 and conceding 12 (8 of them in the last 4 games).

I have not even included the embarrassing away defeats to FC Koln and Nottingham Forest.

We are more or less setting up the same way yet the contrast is like night and day. Not just in the results but in the performances.

What's your take on it?

 

[IslingtonBornandbred]

I think the template's set for playing Arsenal at the moment. Ever since and more so since the period last year where we were beaten by Palace and West Brom, I think team's expect how the game will go. Pretty much, the game plan would be to get in our faces, put crosses in, put pressure on and we'll crumble.

I think there are obvious issues with the team chemistry and we aren't really performing going forward or able to breakdown teams.

I honestly think one of the main reasons is the way teams approach playing us now rather than when they play City, United, Sp**s, Chelsea, Liverpool etc. I think they go into the game, especially at home, knowing that we have issues and they know that somethings there for them to take.

 

[Mark Tobias]

I think the template's set for playing Arsenal at the moment. Ever since and more so since the period last year where we were beaten by Palace and West Brom, I think team's expect how the game will go. Pretty much, the game plan would be to get in our faces, put crosses in, put pressure on and we'll crumble.

I think there are obvious issues with the team chemistry and we aren't really performing going forward or able to breakdown teams.

I honestly think one of the main reasons is the way teams approach playing us now rather than when they play City, United, Sp**s, Chelsea, Liverpool etc. I think they go into the game, especially at home, knowing that we have issues and they know that somethings there for them to take.

I'd say it is more about keeping your team narrow because Arsenal never go wide enough and don;t use crosses. So keep the team shape narrow and as soon as you win the ball back you pounce. Arsenal always play a high line even if they have Per " slower than my dead Granny" Mertesacker in the back line.

It is basic counter attacking football that kills us every time.

Agree with the rest though.

 

[kraphtous]

Teams have found out that if you press us rather than park the bus, they’ll most likely rattle us and get a result. At their own home they feel safer to do it rather than at the Emirates.

This is a problem that hasn’t been fixed since at least 2015 (Southampton 4-0 Arsenal) but more and more teams have been doing it against us since then.

 

[Mark Tobias]

Teams have found out that if you press us rather than park the bus, .

True that!

Santi Cazorla used to keep the ball for us and transition perfectly. Now we have nobody to do that, all teams have to do is put a little pressure on in the right manner while maintaining their shape and voila, the counter is on.... and as we have seen often just a gifted golden opportunity direct in on our goal

 

[Big Poppa]

Interesting responses so far. What I'm hearing is:

Our opponents

1. Get in our faces, apply more pressure and play more aerial balls at home
2. Rather than sit back, they have learnt to press us high up the pitch
3. Stay narrow and pack the middle of the pitch because we focus our attacks down the centre

Us

1. Lack of team chemistry and difficulty breaking down packed defences
2. Inability to cope with physical pressure and tendency to crumble
3. Lack of players with the technique and guile (e.g. Cazorla) to play out of the press

What's interesting is the extent to which the referees perhaps allow teams to get away with rougher tactics at home vs at the Emirates. I do think we have a psychological problem though away. We seem to start games with the mindset of not conceding and invariably play pointless possession football. At home we seem to we play with more of a purpose and desire to hurt the opposition.

I hope we show a bit more courage starting tonight against Chelsea.

 

[Big Poppa]

3 wins all season. It's actually not even funny anymore

 

[Hunta]

Sit back, wait for a silly pass, intercept, you're 3v2. Let Mustafi slide at you, you're in on goal. Score.

Sit back, repeat.

 

[Lady_Gooner]

Tough away fixtures at the beginning, some bad decisions from refs, need a new manager, now there’s a lack of confidence etc.
I’m sure by the end of the season our away form will be fantastic with the same tactics but then our home form will be dreadful.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

teams not even try to win games we just gift them that.

i mean like today whole the 2nd half Swansea were defending with whole team they were happy with 1 point until of course we gift them a goal that only us can gift.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

we changed our formation too much Wenger is failing to find the right balance so far and he'll will change it when Mkhi and Auba joined.

we changed our defense so much this season unlike last season when we played With Bellerin Kosh Mustafi Monreal for like 80% of the season until wenger got us play 3 at the back.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Yeah we've conceded some insane goals, today two of them.

Think that is what's changed from having a very good away record in recent seasons, we are giving the ball away a lot more. Good article on it here from a couple weeks ago. Alexis was the biggest culprit, but it goes way beyond him.

http://news.arseblog.com/2018/01/arsenal-give-the-ball-away-like-a-mid-table-club-by-the-numbers/

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Yeah we've conceded some insane goals, today two of them.

Think that is what's changed from having a very good away record in recent seasons, we are giving the ball away a lot more. Good article on it here from a couple weeks ago. Alexis was the biggest culprit, but it goes way beyond him.

http://news.arseblog.com/2018/01/arsenal-give-the-ball-away-like-a-mid-table-club-by-the-numbers/

it's the team whole we making mistakes that pub teams don't do Ball watching giving the ball away without no pressure in dangerous areas not checking runs from behind all these will cost you goals and is Basic mistakes it just make me really worried that we haven't learned nothing from them.

 

[Brown Gooner]

Sit back and maintain a good defensive shape and press Arsenal’s players as soon as they enter the opponent’s half. Sometimes press us in our own half when the opportunity arises.

If the opposition can win back the ball through an interception or in midfield then full speed counterattack.

This is one aspect of this Arsenal team under Wenger that I really dislike. We don’t counter like we mean it when we win the ball but instead slow the play down and by that time the opponent already has men behind the ball.

Arsenal must learn how to play out of pressure from the likes of Bayern and PSG.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

what make me angry the most this season is the overplaying in the back when we are under pressure why do that are we being managed by pep Guardiola or we are barca?

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Sit back and maintain a good defensive shape and press Arsenal’s players as soon as they enter the opponent’s half. Sometimes press us in our own half when the opportunity arises.

If the opposition can win back the ball through an interception or in midfield then full speed counterattack.

This is one aspect of this Arsenal team under Wenger that I really dislike. We don’t counter like we mean it when we win the ball but instead slow the play down and by that time the opponent already has men behind the ball.

Arsenal must learn how to play out of pressure from the likes of Bayern and PSG.

you will need players that not lose the ball under pressure that's why we missing a guy like Cazorla in the midfield

 

[Brown Gooner]

you will need players that not lose the ball under pressure that's why we missing a guy like Cazorla in the midfield

Or we can get a new manager who would radically change our tippy tappy tactics and make us braver in attack.

We seem too one dimensional in breaking down teams who park the bus. You gotta cross it in, make set pieces count and if the need arises sit back yourself and allow the opposition possession and then hit them on the counter yourself. We lack variety in attack plain and simple.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Or we can get a new manager who would radically change our tippy tappy tactics and make us braver in attack.

We seem too one dimensional in breaking down teams who park the bus. You gotta cross it in, make set pieces count and if the need arises sit back yourself and allow the opposition possession and then hit them on the counter yourself. We lack variety in attack plain and simple.

we playing sideways passing because we only have Lacazzete who is attacking player there no movement from Iwobi or Özil who need to come deep to create chances that's why i'm saying playing Auba and Lacazzete together is important.

 

[Big Poppa]

Yeah we've conceded some insane goals, today two of them.

Think that is what's changed from having a very good away record in recent seasons, we are giving the ball away a lot more. Good article on it here from a couple weeks ago. Alexis was the biggest culprit, but it goes way beyond him.

http://news.arseblog.com/2018/01/arsenal-give-the-ball-away-like-a-mid-table-club-by-the-numbers/

Interesting. You'd think with numbers as damning as that we'd find ways to improve our play without the ball. I'd love to see where we rank in terms of average % possession per attempt on goal. Most of our passing seems to be for the sake of passing, without actually displacing the opposition.

We have made possession our goal, but we've regressed technically to a significant degree and it's often the pointless sideways and backwards passing that makes us so vulnerable.

 

[VancouverCanuck]

I wish we could blame the woeful form on bad referee decisions, unlucky and so on.

But the fact is in most of the away matches, we did not deserve the win.

Like today, we had the possessions. But we barely generated any chances. Let's be honest, if their players were not so s***, they could have another 3 goals.

I'd also like to point out we went into Stamford bridge twice and played really well, and thoroughly deserved the two draws. Different situation I know. But we are really struggling against weaker teams at the moment and it is costing us top 4.