A 3-3 draw against Liverpool may not seem like too bad a result from outside, but when reflecting on the performance there is a big feeling of frustration and questions must be asked about the poor first-half display.
Liverpool took a 2-0 lead in under an hour thanks to goals from Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah and it could have been so much worse if Sadio Mane hadn't missed an open goal.
The defending by Arsenal in the first half was all over the place and how we were still even in the game was lucky. But then came a fantastic quarter of an hour where we turned the game on its head and scored three goals in just six minutes. Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil scored either side of a thumping Granit Xhaka strike.
The football during this spell was sensational, but begs the question as to where on earth this had been in the first half? We are too Jekyll and Hyde at times and not consistent enough. We need to play like that 15 minute spell more often and a lot less like we did in that first half.
Somehow we had turned the game around and were looking good to claim what had previously looked an unlikely win. But it wouldn't be an Arsenal Vs Liverpool fixture without yet more drama and frustratingly we gifted Roberto Firmino a goal 19 minutes from time.
Maybe on another day I'd have happily taken a point, but after how poorly we had played in the reverse fixture at Anfield and how frustrating the first-half performance was this time around and throwing away our 3-2 lead, I can't help but feel irritated.
Jack Wilshere was a real engine room in midfield, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles isn't looking too out of place in the first team lately, but the defence on the whole was disappointing to say the least.
Liverpool lost Jordan Henderson to injury after just 11 minutes, but that didn't stop the visitors from controlling the first half as Coutinho sent a shot wide from outside the box.
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech had to be alert to parry Firmino's header behind for a corner as Liverpool continued to attack. Firmino headed another effort wide before Liverpool opened the scoring after 26 minutes. James Milner released Salah in behind Laurent Koscielny before the Egyptian playmaker's deflected cross was flicked over Cech and in by the head of Coutinho. It was a decent finish by Coutinho, but the deflection gifted the ball to him.
Did this fire us into action and to look for a response? No, if anything it put Liverpool more in control. Some fans from both sides in the pub I was watching the match in thought it was 2-0 after 33 minutes. Firmino curled a great strike beyond Cech and it looked as if it had gone in off the woodwork when actually it was just wide.
Liverpool really should have doubled their lead a minute before the break and the miss was a very big let off for Arsenal. A slip by Koscielny put the visitors in on goal - maybe Salah should have done slightly better with his initial strike, but credit to Cech for spreading himself well to make a decent save. The rebound then fell to Mane, who for some reason tried the spectacular rather than score a simple finish and ended up missing an open goal with an acrobatic effort.
I don't think I was the only Arsenal fan fearing the worst, and wondering if we were going to get a repeat of the Anfield horror show, when Salah doubled Liverpool's advantage within seven minutes of the restart. Cech denied Salah earlier in the second half before the Egypt international got the goal his performance deserved. Firmino and Salah swapped passes and the latter still had plenty of work to do, but the Arsenal defence stood off and made it far too easy for him to calmly score with a deflected strike.
It really had been a terrible performance from us for most of the match so far and then, out of nowhere, it was suddenly game on as Sanchez headed home from Hector Bellerin's cross a minute later.
Suddenly we had woken up and were looking a much better team. We seem to wait too long to kick into gear in games and when we do it can be devastating, but why does it take us nearly an hour to do it?
Our second goal after 56 minutes was well and truly worth the wait. After picking up the ball from Alex Iwobi, Xhaka thumped a powerful strike beyond a helpless Simon Mignolet from 25 yards, although some felt the Liverpool goalkeeper should have done better.
We were looking hungry for goals and just three minutes later we took the lead for the first time in the match. Wilshere showed great endeavour to win the ball back and Ozil swapped passes with Lacazette, latching onto the Frenchman's backheel before dinking the ball over Mignolet.
We had gone from looking all over the place to being in control and suddenly things felt good again, but fans of both sides knew there could still be more goals in this game. After such a great comeback to swing the score back in our favour, we really should have done better at holding onto the 3-2 lead, but it wasn't to be.
Xhaka shot just wide as Arsenal tried to extend their lead, but it was Liverpool who scored the game's next goal and in what were frustrating circumstances for the Gunners. Cech produced a decent save to deny Mane from close-range, before Liverpool's defence did just enough to put Lacazette's effort behind for a corner at the other end.
Cech should have done much better to prevent the equaliser after 71 minutes. The Arsenal goalkeeper got a hand to Firmino's shot that for a split second looked to have taken the sting out of the strike, but instead it merely helped the ball bounce over the line and it was poor from Cech.
Both sides were keen to find a winning goal and Arsenal came close 13 minutes from time as Ozil released Bellerin in the box, but Mignolet reacted well to tip the Spanish defender's effort over the crossbar.
Sanchez forced Mignolet into a save before Salah sent an effort inches wide and it was impossible to see which way the game was going to go. Both sides were showing some great play in attack, but looked too easy to open up in defence so if there had been a seventh goal it wouldn't have been surprising.
Arsenal very nearly snatched a win in stoppage time as Ozil's cross nearly dipped under the crossbar, but Mignolet was on hand to tip the German's effort behind a corner.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Liverpool fan Darren Warburton labelled the 3-3 thriller as "possibly one of the games of the season and of Premiership history" after seeing his side take a point at the Emirates.
"Wow - what a game. Surely a contender for game of the season so far," said Warburton. "I was quietly confident going into the game - as felt Liverpool would have the players to hurt Arsenal on the counter.
"That thought came true as we dominated the first half and chance after chance went begging before Coutinho scored with a clever headed finish.
"Mane had a great opportunity to make it two - with the goal at his mercy he tried to acrobatically volley in and blazed over rather than trying to compose himself.
"Second half Liverpool once again started well. Arsenal showed more going forward, but we caught them on the counter and that man Salah scored again! Albeit with a deflection, but a nice finish.
"Then came the crazy seven minutes where Arsenal suddenly woke up. Scoring within minutes of Salah - Sanchez halved the deficit.
"The lift they needed and Xhaka then scored the equaliser in what looked like a superb strike, but on reflection Mignolet should have saved it. Once again showing why Liverpool need to strengthen their goalkeeping department.
"Arsenal were flying and so were their fans. And in a dramatic turnaround Ozil then made it 3-2 with a lovely finish. Klopp looked shell shocked as did all Liverpool fans. Paying for them missed opportunities!
"That wasn't the end of the action with Firmino then getting the equaliser in the 70th minute.
"You would have thought there were surely more goals to come with 20 mins remaining, but it wasn't to be and the points were shared. Quite possibly one of the games of the season and of premiership history!
"Frustrated not to get a win especially at 2-0 - you have to see that through, but credit Arsenal for showing great grit and determination to come back. A fantastic early Christmas cracker!"
Fellow Liverpool fan Michael John felt disappointed by the result and is hoping manager Jurgen Klopp strengthens the squad in the January transfer window.
"I've not seen much in the way of highlights, but it felt like a disappointing result," added John. "Arsenal were not really in it until that five-minute spell when we gifted them three goals.
"Poor positioning from Gomez and not attacking the cross for the first, a big reminder of how poor Mignolet is for the second, no way he should have let that in, it was straight at him.
"And while the third was well worked, we shouldn't be giving them that much space. To be fair Gomez again for the third should be tracking Ozil, but just stood off and let him through. Klopp needs to get the defence sorted in January or we'll fall further back."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
The comeback was great, we showed good character for some of the second half and there was some pulsating attacking football at times.
But unfortunately sloppy defending is more what the game will be remembered for. Okay yes Xhaka scored a great goal, but so many of the six could have been prevented. The defence of both sides, particularly us, was poor and not good enough.
We got away with a point this time, but on another day we might not have been so lucky. Again we started the match far too slowly and we need to stop taking so long to wake up as on another day the score could have been embarrassing.
We need to tighten things up in defence and really take the game to our opponents right from minute one, especially at home where we should be producing much better first-half performances than the one we witnessed this time.
Arsenal have two games left of 2017 - trips to Crystal Palace and West Brom. Whilst neither game is easy, as no game is in the Premier League, these are definitely two winnable games, providing we replicate the positive aspects of our last match and not the kamikaze defending as that can get punished far too easily.
After having played half our league matches we lie fifth in the league table and quite frankly that isn't good enough. Nobody is going to catch Manchester City and we are miles off the pace in terms of the title, but with just four points separating us from Chelsea and Spurs in third and fourth we need to start making up more ground.
Merry Christmas everyone!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
No comments:
Post a Comment