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PL: Aston Villa vs Arsenal | Tuesday July 21 | KO: 20:15 BST | Sky Sports

Match prediction

  • Arsenal win

    Votes: 40 75.5%
  • Draw

    Votes: 5 9.4%
  • Aston Villa win

    Votes: 8 15.1%

  • Total voters
    53
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Big Poppa

Established Member
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Country: USA

Player:Saliba
No matter who plays in defence, we look highly vulnerable in a back 4, often getting carved open on counterattacks against any opposition. Many Emery games, the Ljungberg games and some Arteta games before lockdown show that. Our defenders are simply not good enough, including Holding.

Passing the ball around without much penetration is not new or surprising to us. Happened plenty of times under Wenger. Today it felt more like we had a lot of the ball because Villa let us have it. Much like we let City have it on Saturday.

That’s because we only ever use 2 CMs (both of whom are slow) so our defence is always exposed when we lose the ball. A back 4 would be fine in a 433 as we’d have an extra CM (e.g Xhaka) who could drop in to make a third CB when we have to defend.

Not only will our defence have more protection, they’d have more forward passing options when playing out from the back.
 

Rex Stone

Long live the fighters
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Country: Wales
Many elite teams like Bayern, Liverpool and Real don’t rely on a core creative force, but instead have attackers with excellent vision who can both score and create. Benzema, Firmino and Lewandowski flanked by pacey wingers with great passing is about as simple and devastating as you can get.

Our front 3 are quite poor passers of the ball and technically average outside the box. It makes it difficult for us to keep possession high up the pitch. What they (by they I mean Auba) excel at is putting the ball in the net when spoon fed, which I guess is why Özil’s back on everyone’s lips.

If Arteta played with two proper widemen though e.g Pepe right, Saka left and Ceballos was on it we’d create **** loads more chances. Really simple. It would also allow our fullbacks to make more underlapping runs inside and give us additional thrust in midfield.

For whatever reason though he only ever seems to start one of Pepe, Saka, Nelson on the wing at a given time. It’s needlessly conservative imo.

Lacazette is our best creative threat at the minute which isn’t really good enough. I feel we look way worse when it’s Nketiah, Auba and a winger.

All our problems imo stem from midfield. No creativity or threat in behind means you can press us high and eventually turn the ball over.
 

Big Poppa

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
Lacazette is our best creative threat at the minute which isn’t really good enough. I feel we look way worse when it’s Nketiah, Auba and a winger.

All our problems imo stem from midfield. No creativity or threat in behind means you can press us high and eventually turn the ball over.

Agree. It shouldn’t have to be a choice between a midfielder who can run & press v a midfielder with vision & technical ability. We lack anyone who can do both to a decent level. Fernandes is the reason Man U will finish 4th.
 

dashsnow17

Doesn’t Rate Any Of Our Attackers
Trusted ⭐
Many elite teams like Bayern, Liverpool and Real don’t rely on a core creative force, but instead have attackers with excellent vision who can both score and create. Benzema, Firmino and Lewandowski flanked by pacey wingers with great passing is about as simple and devastating as you can get.

Our front 3 are quite poor passers of the ball and technically average outside the box. It makes it difficult for us to keep possession high up the pitch. What they (by they I mean Auba) excel at is putting the ball in the net when spoon fed, which I guess is why Özil’s back on everyone’s lips.

If Arteta played with two proper widemen though e.g Pepe right, Saka left and Ceballos was on it we’d create **** loads more chances. Really simple. It would also allow our fullbacks to make more underlapping runs inside and give us additional thrust in midfield.

For whatever reason though he only ever seems to start one of Pepe, Saka, Nelson on the wing at a given time. It’s needlessly conservative imo.

I think we underestimate the differences between even last season and this season, we've lost Ramsey, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi and effectively Özil, all players who can link the midfield to the attack. So without those types of players it's no surprise what's happened.
 

Penn_

Established Member
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If only we had an elite chance creator...

Arsenal Board
tenor.gif
 

Big Poppa

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
Özil started 10 games under Arteta and produced the whopping 1,43 xA (0,14 per a game).
"Elite chance creator" :lol:

Unrequited love.

There’s a reason we rarely remember the morning breath and incessant neediness of an ex. Only the good sex during the honeymoon period.
 

Yousif Arsenal

On Vinai's payroll & misses 4th place trophy 🏆
Trusted ⭐
We need at least 2 creative midfielders plus Smith-Rowe as much you love Özil but he not taking us to another level again he not going have 15 assists a season.
 

MikeVinna

Established Member
We need at least 2 creative midfielders plus Smith-Rowe as much you love Özil but he not taking us to another level again he not going have 15 assists a season.

No, but he would have been of use yesterday. There was no one in the hole behind our strikers for the whole game. Özil would have loved to tuck into those spaces. Like with Xhaka in our midfield its a matter of the right type of player first, quality second.
 

Big Poppa

Established Member
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Country: USA

Player:Saliba
No, but he would have been of use yesterday. There was no one in the hole behind our strikers for the whole game. Özil would have loved to tuck into those spaces. Like with Xhaka in our midfield its a matter of the right type of player first, quality second.

Against teams that sit deep and pack the box, it’s nearly impossible to thread balls through. That’s literally all that Özil can do.

He needs room, he doesn’t create room. We’ve seen time and again he only plays well in open games when the team is already playing well and moving the ball quickly to feed him.

The space is in wide areas which is why you need skill and movement on both flanks to pull defenders out wide.

I’d have had him on as a sub though.
 

Yousif Arsenal

On Vinai's payroll & misses 4th place trophy 🏆
Trusted ⭐
No, but he would have been of use yesterday. There was no one in the hole behind our strikers for the whole game. Özil would have loved to tuck into those spaces. Like with Xhaka in our midfield its a matter of the right type of player first, quality second.
He definitely would be useful but we can't keep saying he could when neither the manager or club trust him we need replacement and quick
 

Aussie_gunner123

Established Member

Country: Australia
That performance this morning was dreadful & to think I got up earlier then 5am to watch that, I just saw hardly any effort whatsoever at all, I can't believe against a team like Villa we didn't even get a shot on target either.

We seriously need a creative midfielder in next year someone in the mould of ESR but he won't be ready next year unfortunately I doubt. The reason we struggle against the bottom teams, is it because they all defend way back & we can't make runs through their line as such or am I missing something? If that is the case as such, I don't understand why we can't actually at least have more shots further out & try & catch them off guard. Xhaka has that ability as does Pepe as we all know, Willock has scored from the same situation & Laca has in the NLD. I'm sure Ceballos & Auba can aswell.

Nketiah was unlucky though, I went up because I thought it was in at first. The only positive on that, it puts Watford & Deeney in the relegation although that is on us next week unfortunately, I'd much rather see Deeney & Watford go down the Aston Villa.
 

Aussie_gunner123

Established Member

Country: Australia
That was a pretty disappointing team selection aswell I thought, I've liked Torreira for a while but it really is time for him to move on now I'd say. Sead is dreadful at everything, why does he keep getting the nod over a proper CB like Sokratis for example aswell?
 

Yousif Arsenal

On Vinai's payroll & misses 4th place trophy 🏆
Trusted ⭐
That was a pretty disappointing team selection aswell I thought, I've liked Torreira for a while but it really is time for him to move on now I'd say. Sead is dreadful at everything, why does he keep getting the nod over a proper CB like Sokratis for example aswell?
Sokratis can't play form the back and he dreadful under pressure we using Tierney but he needed some rest
 
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