Minute 70 - 72 in the match against Fulham was truly an explosive moment for Arsenal when they scored 2 goals in a row, taking a 2-1 lead over their opponent in the same city. However, that enthusiasm in the Emirates stands was meaningless because on the pitch, after playing with an extra man in the 83rd minute, Bukayo Saka and his teammates equalized 2-2.
Arsenal entered the match with the intention of destroying their opponents in search of a third victory. However, the cold water from Fulham in the 57th second made things difficult to the end. The Gunners' defense is not too bad but it is not good enough to give them real peace of mind. Mikel Arteta understands this season as a season to patch up the holes he has had. Arsenal played well but could not be monotonous like that, sometimes they needed to be rough and rough.
If Arsenal had not had Oleksandr Zinchenko in the back, it would have been difficult to deploy the ball from the back. It was not until the Ukrainian star entered the field that everything gradually returned to orbit. However, that was the time when the "Gunners" were behind and had to take a turn. The steady breathing is clearly shown through poor finishing. Arteta himself also said after the match, Arsenal should have scored 5-7 goals if they had been more meticulous.
"You have to protect the penalty area with your whole life. It is impossible to concede a goal in such a situation after the whole team tried their best to score the opening goal. If we compare this match with the match against Fulham last season at the Emirates, we played 10 times better. However, last season the team won 2-1 and now it is tied 2-2" - Mikel Arteta shared.
Back to Zinchenko's story. Because the Ukrainian player is not physically fit, Arteta cannot use him regularly. If we compare Arsenal's starting lineup in the match against Fulham last season and this season at the Emirates, we will see many changes in the arrangement of the defense. This season, Arteta has enjoyed using Thomas Partey on the right wing to play the role of a high ball like Zinchenko.
Partey will collaborate with Declan Rice to form an impressive central pair. At that time, Wiliam Saliba alone will be the one to manage the area in front of the penalty area. Unlike last season, the French international always had Gabriel pair up in all the situations of the home team's advantage. Letting Saliba alone could break Arsenal's cover, as they did when they first conceded.
This new way of playing for Arsenal will be at high risk if individuals like Saka make mistakes. In the opening match of this season, they only had to suffer 7 shots on target and conceded 1 goal. They still dominated both Nottingham and Fulham but always conceded goals. It was a momentary problem, not a structural flaw.
Kai Havertz has played all three matches since the beginning of the season but has yet to score or assist. The German midfielder has been brought in to replace Granit Xhaka but they are completely different types of players. Arteta understood that and traded a defensive midfielder for an attacking player. However, the former Chelsea star's attack has not been as expected, or perhaps Arteta still does not know how to use it. In the match against Fulham, Havertz only had 28 touches for 56 minutes on the pitch. Along with this opponent last season, Xhaka had 71 touches.
Havertz will need more time to adapt but the pressure from each match will become more obvious. After the match, Arteta himself admitted that there were many situations where Havertz moved well but did not have the ball. The Spanish strategist also hopes that his student can score more goals.
