{"id":1763,"date":"2020-11-08T21:57:46","date_gmt":"2020-11-08T21:57:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=1763"},"modified":"2020-11-11T15:27:19","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T15:27:19","slug":"seven-days-is-a-long-time-in-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=1763","title":{"rendered":"Seven Days is a Long Time in Football"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Food for thought? (c) Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last week we spent Sunday evening with a spring in our step after a gutsy, organised win at Old Trafford. Today would tell if we could maintain this momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the weird world we inhabit now with no fans, eccentric VAR decisions and a much less physical game which if today\u2019s Sunday Times is to be believed, may see heading outlawed by 2040, it was a concern to learn that Villa had not conceded away from Villa Park this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal went with a predictable team. Holding, Gabriel and Tierney were at the back, Elneny and Partey in midfield and two rather fortunate individuals, Willian and Lacazette joined Aubameyang upfront <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I looked up at the start of the game, McGinn scored a cracker from a Grealish pullback within the first minute. It was then referred to VAR because Barkley was in Leno\u2019s eyeline and leapt into the air in front of the goalkeeper. To our massive relief the goal was chalked off. Shades of Leicester??<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tierney then slipped to let in Watkins but his cross was overhit. In the early minutes I couldn\u2019t help feeling that we were starting too slowly again. On 9 minutes, an under-hit pass by McGinn almost let in Partey who just failed to reach the ball before Emi Martinez. The greasy surface was tricky, holding the ball up at times and occasionally causing passes to skid on uncontrollably. But pitches in November when I started watching Arsenal were much trickier than this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirteen minutes in Partey won the ball in midfield and sent Aubameyang clear but Willian completely skied a presentable chance. Then on 17 minutes nice play down our left put in Saka but he mullered the cross. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grealish playing wide left was a real handful for Bellerin. What a signing he would have been for us! Aubameyang accelerated past three Villa players on the left and was brought down near the byline. The free kick was well-worked but Tierney scuffed his shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 23 minutes the increasingly infuriating Willian gave a ball away in midfield sloppily and Villa worked it patiently around before cutting us apart with a through ball and cross from Targett which Saka turned in at the far post under pressure from Trezeguet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 0 Villa 1 (Saka og, 25<\/strong>) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Villa were good value for their lead. I would already have been inclined to remove Willian but Arteta has greater belief in him than me. Towards the half hour we finally got behind Villa twice and a great block by Konsa denied Tierney\u2019s driven cross. That was better and importantly quicker but when Villa moved forward they looked much more dangerous. A fizzed corner screwed behind off an Arsenal foot. Our midfield, so impressive last week and good here sometimes in possession, was struggling to win enough ball to influence the game. Partey lost possession and Trezeguet\u2019s shot was blocked by Bellerin. Then a great ball by McGinn found Grealish and Gabriel blocked the shot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bellerin moved menacingly onto a Holding chip, rode two tackles but rather than pull the trigger he laid the ball back and the attack fizzled out. Willian clipped in a fine cross that wasn\u2019t converted and then a fine build up with Saka and Aubameyang saw Emi frustrate us with a block and as the ball ran loose Partey hammered wide. Better and importantly, quicker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 40 minutes a wonderful Tierney cross was disappointingly headed over by Lacazette. A huge chance and indicative of the poor form of the Frenchman at present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watkins was impressing with his strength, control and movement and he engineered a situation that saw a desperate block by Elneny after McGinn turned dangerously. A graphic appeared before half time showing Lacazette had only 8 touches in the first half. It was little surprise!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The half ended in the same pouring rain in which it had begun and Arteta faced his fourth home game where we were not leading at half-time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half \u2013 time Arsenal 0 Villa 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs TTG emerged during the interval to inform me the name of the departure from Strictly Come Dancing and commented that I had been quiet! She appreciates that this is not a good sign but neither does she like me yelling at the TV. She then commented that losing to Aston Villa was not impressive. That was a little unfair to a very well-drilled Villa side that Smith has improved significantly in the transfer window. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first decision of the second half was to add Danny Ceballos to the mix. He replaced Partey who surely must have been injured during the first half. That didn\u2019t appear a good omen or a productive substitution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elneny lost an early ball to Grealish and Trezeguet fired in a shot which Leno touched wide. Willian then screwed hopelessly wide after Lacazette couldn\u2019t gather an Aubameyang cross. The game was starting to  cry out for Willock. Then Willian wasted another cross-field ball, something Don Howe used to call, \u2018a Hollywood ball\u2019! There was little glitz about the performance so far. Saka was fouled on the edge of the box on 54 minutes. They worked the free-kick to Ceballos who curled wide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the other end an impressive move down the Villa left between Barkley and Grealish saw Grealish force a terrific save from Leno. Grealish then had a volley blocked by Tierney but we were being outplayed. Arsenal\u2019s ball movement was cautious and slow and invited pressure. This was an obvious indication that Arsenal lack leaders on the pitch and we also seemed to lack an effective right side defensively as Villa played through us at will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had the respite of a corner on the hour and Gabriel played in Holding who fired wide. Heads were dropping on the Arsenal side, especially Saka and Lacazette. Substitutes were clearly required and Nketiah and Pepe arrived to replace Willian and Lacazette. Not before time! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immediately Elneny hit a Tierney cross straight at Nketiah. It was wide of the target though and this was becoming a major mental as well as tactical test for Arsenal. It looked like we were now playing a front two. On 68 minutes Pepe fizzed a shot just wide but his aggression was heartening. We were playing a bit more direct football and Nketiah was creating more problems than Lacazette had been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then Villa got their second with a fine move \u2013 a cross-field pass was turned across goal by Barkley for Watkins to head home from close range. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 0 Villa 2 (Watkins, 72)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immediately after this Ceballos blocked a Grealish shot on the line. However, their third was not long delayed as Grealish played in Watkins on the right of our box and he finished clinically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 0 Villa 3 (Watkins, 75) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was becoming a complete humiliation, the sort of defeat that provokes a massive reaction from the people you only hear on the blog when things are going wrong. All the benefit of last week\u2019s win at Old Trafford had evaporated. The defence was torn asunder but largely because Grealish and Barkley were running through them almost unimpeded in midfield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saka was brought down in the last minute but it scarcely occurred to anyone to appeal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defeat of this sort is hard to take but it is part of the life of a supporter. Sadly, this will increase pressure on Arteta from a fan base that are becoming increasingly fickle. Villa are a substantial side but lost recently 3-0 to Leeds. Arsenal\u2019s next opponents are \u2026 Leeds! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We must retain faith in Arteta who has done much more right than wrong since he took over the club but the nature of this defeat and the reaction it will provoke will set him unenviable problems. Certainly, we are largely toothless despite fielding one of the best strikers in European football. Willian is currently not worthy of a place in the side and it is surely time for us to find a role for Joe Willock. Bellerin had an alarmingly bad evening defensively and few players could hold their heads high although Tierney, Ceballos and Gabriel were among our better performers albeit at a disappointingly low level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arteta\u2019s first crisis arrives as we go into yet another Interlull. When he needs time to work with the players he will be denied it. Let us remember he is a fine and resilient coach but he has much to digest tonight <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week we spent Sunday evening with a spring in our step after a gutsy, organised win at Old Trafford. Today would tell if we could maintain this momentum. In the weird world we inhabit now with no fans, eccentric VAR decisions and a much less physical game which if today\u2019s Sunday Times is to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1763"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1763"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1765,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1763\/revisions\/1765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}