{"id":2026,"date":"2020-12-22T22:46:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T22:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2026"},"modified":"2020-12-22T22:53:54","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T22:53:54","slug":"runarsson-suffers-a-nightmare-as-arsenal-slip-to-a-heavy-defeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2026","title":{"rendered":"R\u00fanarsson Suffers a Nightmare as Arsenal Slip to a Heavy Defeat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo by Nick Potts\/PA Images via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On a wet night in North London Arteta made eight changes from the starting eleven that appeared at Goodison on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As ever we debated whether it was four or five at the back\nbut as one of those was Kolasinac our optimism was muted. It started as a five.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Martinelli started he was accompanied by Lacazette whose form has been so poor of late and ESR started on the bench. Citeh rested De Bruyne and Aguero and Sterling started on the bench but their team was still formidable opposition for a team in Arsenal\u2019s current position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had not realised until this morning that this was a home game but so marked had been our struggles at home that given the lack of supporters this was scarcely an advantage. We began the game with Arteta unbeaten in eight domestic Cup matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within two minutes in City\u2019s first attack a Zinchenko cross was headed in by Jesus as R\u00fanarsson went for the cross like an amateur. Just the start we wanted. Awful defending in almost every respect. Mustafi stood like an ugly German statue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 0\nMan City 1 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fernandinho then whistled a shot past R\u00fanarsson and thankfully it deflected wide with R\u00fanarsson beaten. Things were already looking decidedly ominous. To think we brought R\u00fanarsson in to replace Emi Martinez! What if Leno suffers a long-term injury? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We forced our first corner on twelve minutes. Lacazette sent a header over from Ceballos\u2019s cross. How much we needed a lift! City were looking completely untroubled in possession. It was so like the league meeting just over a year ago. Arteta was brought in after that to bridge the chasm between the sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martinelli\u2019s enthusiasm caused a slight stir in the City area on 18 minutes but they forced it clear. Steffen then fielded a Martinelli cross under little pressure. With Lacazette drawn into midfield who would get on the end of these type of crosses? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

City purred through the gears to force a corner which Laporte almost headed in although surrounded by three Arsenal defenders. Elneny then copped a deserved yellow after bringing down Jesus on the edge of the box. The wall thankfully blocked the Mahrez shot. In the twenty- fifth minute Jesus turned Mustafi and got the German another inevitable yellow card. Just after this R\u00fanarsson flew out of his goal, stopped, and forced Ceballos to concede a free kick to stop Mahrez lobbing into an empty net. The ex-Dijon reserve keeper was winning few friends in this one-sided first half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fernandinho was lucky to escape censure for a slap on Ceballos in our penalty area. Where is VAR when you need it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then on 31 minutes a concerted piece of wing play by Martinelli saw him cross to Lacazette and to everyone\u2019s astonishment he headed us level. Martinelli was almost playing City on his own. Was this Liverpool last season at home reprised? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 1\nMan City 1 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We began to play and began to pen City in their own half as their reserve keeper seemed prone to a panic himself. Cedric whipped in a dangerous cross to Martinelli which almost bore fruit. Laporte tried to lob the Icelandic keeper from forty yards but thankfully he held the ball. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AMN broke onto a loose ball on 40 and was unlucky to overrun it. Then R\u00fanarsson pulled off a terrific point-blank save from Jesus after a Mustafi gaffe not helped by an unlucky bounce. A fine save and very much needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amazingly Fernandinho was not booked for deliberate and clear handball. If he had only received a yellow earlier on he would have been off now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martinelli was then clattered by Steffen chasing a long ball from Joe Willock which he almost reached. It looked an awful moment but he resumed eventually. He looked very tired but his first-half performance was hugely encouraging. We had started to see City\u2019s air of assurance erode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half-time arrived with us on equal terms and with our play having improved decidedly since our equaliser. Consensus in the bar was that we withdraw Gabi for use on Boxing Day. How we have missed his strength, speed and incisiveness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half-time\nArsenal 1 Man City 1 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were no changes at the interval despite our concerns\nabout Martinelli. Was this wise? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We moved to a back four after the goal with Kolasinac at left-back. Martinelli sank to the turf in the early minutes and was substituted by Pepe. One assumes we assessed him properly at half-time? Our pressing was noticeably sharper in a 4-3-3 and City did not look to have invested too wisely in their own number two keeper who looked nervous and rushed with his clearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the fifty-third minute Mahrez went down on the edge of the area theatrically as ever and got a free kick in a great position. The kick was pathetically dealt with by R\u00fanarsson who fumbled it into the net. If confirmation was needed that a huge mistake was made in signing him this was it. He has no place in an Arsenal team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 1\nMan City 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foden then ran on to a long ball down the left and chipped R\u00fanarsson (who came out far too rashly) albeit from an offside position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 1\nMan City 3 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Game over and we needed to stay solid and keep the ball away from R\u00fanarsson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Ceballos was clattered by Silva who was booked, ESR came on in the 66th minute to replace Elneny. City turned to Torres to enter the fray and replace the errant Silva. ESR then sent Lacazette through past Laporte and he rattled the side netting but it was an insightful pass and an indication of what the boy can bring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabriel got the benefit of the doubt when tackling Mahrez but the corner was worked across the area to Laporte who headed deftly home; Mustafi and Kolasinac were rooted to the spot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 1\nMan City 4 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aguero then joined the fray. By this stage Arsenal were praying for the end of the match. It seemed inconceivable we beat City deservedly at Wembley a few short months ago. Admittedly we had a proper goalkeeper minding the net then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another young tyro Balogun joined the match to replace Lacazette in the 73rd minute. It was hard to decide if exposing young players to this sort of humiliation was wise but ESR\u2019s eagerness and quality shone through as he played a fine pass to Kolasinac who failed to capitalise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difference in impact between Pepe and Martinelli was very clear. It may be unfair to criticise him but he did so little to hurt City. Young Balogun set him up in the 85th minute centrally but he was wide with a left-footed shot. Balogun\u2019s task was thankless but he showed commendable strength. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ESR then got down the left to put in a fine cross but no one was there. He had made a very decent impression and added much-needed creativity. Pepe then forced Steffen to a brave near-post save. Ceballos worked hard as well but was always struggling to contain the City midfield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not part of the Twitterati but I can imagine the cries of ‘Taxi for Arteta’. That\u00a0may not be long-delayed but it would be outrageous if Edu stays at the club with the\u00a0Spaniard leaving. The goalkeeping decision is diabolical and weakens us enormously. Signing a Ligue Un reserve is negligence in the extreme and were Leno to sustain an injury for any length of time we really could find ourselves struggling against relegation. This boy really is that bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had very little luck tonight. Fernandinho could have gone, the third goal was offside but City were worthy winners. You cannot be optimistic about the future unless we strengthen quickly in midfield and defence. Above all we need characters and not offcuts from Kia Joorabchian looking for a pension in North London. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our hopes rest on getting our top players back as soon as possible. Auba faces a scan on his thigh and Partey has no return date. Let us pray for Martinelli to recover before Boxing Day and for Arteta to persist with ESR and to give the reserve goalkeeping spot to Matt Macey. Certainly any thoughts of rotating the Icelandic international for Cup games would screw our defence of the FA Cup. For the time being let us hope we can get something against Chelsea and can then start winning against some of the slightly weaker sides we are then facing. But this is not what we expected a year into Arteta\u2019s reign and he is on very thin ice. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On a wet night in North London Arteta made eight changes from the starting eleven that appeared at Goodison on Saturday. As ever we debated whether it was four or five at the back but as one of those was Kolasinac our optimism was muted. It started as a five. While Martinelli started he was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026"}],"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=2026"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2036,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026\/revisions\/2036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}