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Are Arsenal wobbling at the wrong moment? - Premier League hits and misses

February 09, 2023

Are Arsenal wobbling at the wrong moment?

Arsenal's draw at home to Brentford was just the second time in 10 home games this season where they've dropped points but, following the defeat at Everton last time out and the FA Cup exit to Manchester City, it adds to a worrying run of results at a crucial juncture of the season.

With City coming to town on Wednesday, this is not the moment for Arsenal's performance levels to be falling away. They're operating on a higher level this term but rival supporters will be chattering about their drop out of the top-four race last season in the days to come. Perhaps it will play on the players' minds too.

Mikel Arteta defended his team's display on Saturday, pointing to the fine margins and a debatable offside call going against his players. But there is no denying Arsenal right now are not at the standard they were at when they won the thriller with Manchester United a few weeks ago.

David Raya in the Brentford goal was well protected by a determined defence and Arsenal seemed short of a spark in the final third. Perhaps it is time to release Leandro Trossard from the start, ahead of Gabriel Martinelli who is without a goal contribution in his five Premier League appearances in 2023.

At the other end, Brentford, like Everton last week, caused Arsenal real problems and for the second game in a row Arteta's side conceded from a set-piece and lost the overall xG battle. They could have had even bigger problems had Ivan Toney not smashed against the bar from a good first-half opening.

Man City let Arsenal off the hook last weekend and the Gunners will be paying close attention at events over at the Etihad on Sunday, when their title rivals face Aston Villa. But regardless of that result, there is no escaping the enormity of the top two's meeting at the Emirates on Wednesday.

City could come to the capital with a chance to go top for the first time since August. Arsenal will have to re-find their best level for this key moment in the campaign.
Peter Smith

Jones on borrowed time

At this stage, it's difficult to put an argument forward for Nathan Jones' position being tenable. He came out swinging last week, and this week he's missed again. How many strikes until you're out?

The fact that he walked down the tunnel immediately at the final whistle says a lot about the Welshman's pressure point - it must be close to its ceiling. Certainly the fanbase's rage has reached boiling point. For the second time in seven days impassioned Southampton supporters chanted "get out of our club". They seem to mean it.

Jones was far more measured in his post-match address, explaining that he thought applauding the crowd after another damaging defeat would have lacked "respect". Perhaps, at this stage in a campaign, another managerial change carries as much risk as Jones staying on. Ultimately, Saints have 16 games to save their season, or their 11-year run in the top flight is over. The outlook gets gloomier by the week.

"I have no idea," Jones answered when asked if this had been his last match in charge. One suspects it won't be long before we find out.
Laura Hunter

'Something has to change' a damning indictment of bewildering Spurs

"We are a team, in the team something has to change, not individually. It's about the desire," said Cristiano Stellini at the end of a brutal monologue about what he had just witnessed in the east Midlands.

This was the second of two games the Tottenham assistant had played a major part in leading, owing to Antonio Conte's recovery from an operation.

The first could not have gone better, beating the Premier League holders Man City in north London in a performance built on tactical precision, matched by the team's work-rate and effort.

The second could barely have been worse. At Leicester, Tottenham shipped three goals before half-time for the first time since September 2021. By full-time, it was 4-1.

Harry Kane, the match-winning hero against City, had two touches in the Leicester box and one shot - in the 88th minute. Pedro Porro's debut was so bad Sky Sports News pundit Tim Sherwood said he should be "relieved of his duties".

Less experienced coaches than Stellini would be shell-shocked. But he wasn't. The inconsistency of this Spurs team is infuriating for management and staff alike, but it isn't new. And he's seen it before himself.

"It happened last season too," he told Sky Sports. "We beat Man City, then we lost to Burnley. We have to be better in this aspect, if you beat Man City you have to continue in the next game."

Mentality issues are nothing new to this Spurs side either. It's been mentioned time and time again by Conte this season but things are getting worse, not better.

Spurs have lost three of their last five league games and although they are only two points off the top four, they have played at least a game more than each of the teams above them.

The club's on-field problems track their wider issues closely, perhaps too closely to be coincidental. Tottenham look as rudderless in the dugout as they do on the pitch. Beyond this summer, they have no contracted manager. Who makes the final call on signings? Summer arrival Djed Spence has already left on loan six months and only four league appearances since his £20m move from Middlesbrough.

Something needs to change at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and producing more consistent performances plays a major part in that. But it's not the sole cause of their problems, and it may not be fixable without addressing their greater concerns.
Ron Walker

Felix thrills even as Chelsea labour

Joao Felix looked like a man making up for lost time in the first half of Chelsea's 1-1 draw with West Ham. The Portuguese international had waited long enough, after all. More than a month had elapsed since his red card against Fulham on his debut.

Felix was outstanding in that game, at least he was before the moment of madness that earned him his three-match suspension, and he picked up where he left off against West Ham, finding space between the lines and wreaking havoc early on.

There was slick combination play with Mykhailo Mudryk on the left and he popped up on the opposite flank too, feeding team-mates and at times running in behind West Ham's defence himself.

His goal was smartly taken, finished first time from Enzo Fernandez's diagonal cross, and he had the ball in the net before that too, only for the offside flag to deny him on that occasion.

His influence waned in the second half, the 23-year-old perhaps still needing to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League, but overall he showed enough to make him the game's outstanding performer, his importance reflected in the fact Potter kept him on until the end as others were withdrawn.

Chelsea's sluggish second-half performance showed familiar issues under the head coach. Their top-four hopes continue to fade. But Felix's performance was a bright spot. Back at last following his suspension, he is sure to be central to any upturn in form.
Nick Wright

Rice typifies West Ham grit

David Moyes revealed Declan Rice had been suffering with a virus before West Ham's meeting with Chelsea but it wasn't going to stop him. It's takes a lot to stop the 24-year-old.

Rice was perhaps not at his fluent best at the London Stadium, losing possession uncharacteristically on a couple of occasions, but he was still vital to the outcome of the game as West Ham secured a point and extended their unbeaten run to four outings.

He struggled to get to grips with Joao Felix the first half, the Portuguese international proving an elusive presence in support of Kai Havertz, but when he settled into the game, so did West Ham.

He helped nullify Chelsea's attacking threat after the break, shutting down the spaces in which Felix had previously caused so many problems, his ball-winning ability proving invaluable.

In fact, by the end he had won possession more times than any other West Ham player (six), while only Thilo Kehrer made more clearances (five). That he did it off the back of an illness summed up his grit and determination. They are qualities his team are now showing too.
Nick Wright

Draws becoming a concern for Newcastle

Newcastle have drawn five of their last six Premier League games. It's hardly time to panic, especially considering the Magpies extended their unbeaten top-flight run to 17 matches with a point at Bournemouth on Saturday, but it certainly gives head coach Eddie Howe something to think about.

Newcastle have only lost once this season and remain fourth in the table, two points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand, but Howe will be aware his side have now drawn more games than they have won.

A victory at Howe's former club Bournemouth would have lifted Newcastle above Manchester United into third place, but it is now eight points collected from 18 in the league and if that form continues, they risk losing pole position in the race for Champions League qualification.

Newcastle have noticeably struggled without the suspended Bruno Guimaraes and his return could not come quickly enough, especially given Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Joe Willock suffered injuries on the south coast this weekend.

Howe admitted that is a "massive concern" ahead of the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United later this month. With the visit of Liverpool before the Wembley showpiece and a trip to Manchester City the weekend after, this seems like a pivotal time in Newcastle's season.
Dan Sansom

Sanchez's strange day: Zero saves but 100 per cent pass completion

It's often said the mark of a top goalkeeper is the ability to maintain concentration even when they have little to do. In that respect, Robert Sanchez fell way short of the mark at Selhurst Park.

The Brighton goalkeeper made no saves in the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace - a demonstration of the visitors' dominance - but handed them an undeserved point with his clanger.

Of course, a 'keeper's job is not just about making saves anymore, and Sanchez is a vital part of Brighton's attacking game thanks to his skill with the ball at his feet.

Remarkably, he completed 100 per cent of his passes in south London, and his figure of 27 completed passes was more than every single Palace player.

But he failed in his primary task of keeping the ball out of the net by dropping a cross under no pressure to hand Palace their equaliser and, in doing so, cost Brighton the three points they so clearly deserved.
Joe Shread

Toothless Palace risk being dragged into trouble

The alarm bells may not be sounding, but there should be grounds for concern about how the second half of this Premier League season is going to play out at Selhurst Park.

Patrick Vieira helped Palace make positive strides during his first campaign in charge, including introducing a style of play that was easier on the eye for the regulars in south London.

But his second campaign has seen Crystal Palace regress into a side that struggles to get anyone out of their seat, and they recorded just a quarter of possession as they were passed off the pitch by Brighton.

Vieira was right to be pleased with a point given that - with the exception of the goal that was handed to James Tomkins - they failed to record a shot on target.

Palace now have just four goals in nine games across all competitions since the World Cup and only Bournemouth have a lower expected goals total than the Eagles in the Premier League this season.

Seven points separates Palace from the bottom three - but with Manchester City, Arsenal and Brighton again looming on the fixture list, it wouldn't be a huge shock to see Vieira' toothless outfit dragged into the relegation scrap.
Joe Shread

Fulham spine helping club go under radar

Which teams have picked up the most points since Christmas Day?

Well, Manchester United have the most with 17, that's to be expected given their form under Erik ten Hag. Brentford are third-highest with 15 - again, no real surprise given they have been taking points off the biggest teams, including league leaders Arsenal on Saturday.

But in between United and Brentford are Fulham - who are certainly going under the radar in terms of progression under Marco Silva.

Now, after their 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Fulham have picked up more points than any other newly-promoted team after 23 games since Wigan in 2006.

Part of what makes the Cottagers so good is the effective spine they have in their team. In goal, Bernd Leno has the third-highest goal-prevention rate for Premier League goalkeepers this season.

Tim Ream marshals the backline, proved by the statistic he won every single duel given to him against this Forest side. Andreas Pereira is at the heart of every attacking move and his threat from set pieces, proved by his minor role in the first goal, is a real plus point.

But while Aleksandar Mitrovic's goals have been crucial this season - the fact that other forwards chip in when the Serbian striker, who is now without a goal in four league games, is boosting Fulham's credentials.

Mitro is normally on fire, but when the flame is low there are other sparks to help the Cottagers.
Sam Blitz

Brilliant Brentford make it 10 in a row

Brentford's impressive draw at Arsenal made it a remarkable 10 games in the Premier League unbeaten. Not bad for a side in just their second season at this level. It also meant they've taken points off every single one of last season's top 10.

There's nothing plucky about this Thomas Frank team. They have been coached into a seriously good side at both ends of the pitch and from set-piece situations. They have shown repeatedly this term they can upset the best side's in the country. Arsenal may not have been at their blistering best at the Emirates - but Brentford didn't let them be.

There was discipline in their defensive work, with Arsenal constantly faced with a crowd of bodies whenever they advanced on the Brentford area. There was grit and determination, summed up by Ethan Pinnock's 10 clearances, but there was excellent technical defending too, with Mads Roerslev another standout performer.

Brentford showed ambition and quality in attack with the limited possession they had, as well. Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo have a fantastic relationship on the field and the visitors' threat was summed up by their stronger Expected Goals stat from their nine shots to Arsenal's 23.

At the Gtech Community Stadium there is always the feeling of a real home advantage given the atmosphere and connection the team have with its fanbase. But on enemy territory this was another reminder that Brentford are a force not to be underestimated. As Frank and his players go from strength to strength, it's 10/10 for them this season.
Peter Smith

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