Fixture…
Wednesday 15th January, 20:00
Arsenal Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On…
UK TV – TNT Sports 1
More Info…
Result: 2-1 (Arsenal Win)
Son Heung-Min (25′)
D. Solanke (40′ og)
L. Trossard (44′)
Match Report…
The less said about this result the better but seriously, what can we say. Losing to Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates stadium is no shock and by the scoreline you might even say it was a close one. But unfortunately the reality is this scoreline flatters us to say the least. If I was to sum it up in one word, it would be ‘embarrassing’.
Rio Ferdinand compared Spurs’ performance to an under-18 game and if you ask me, I think he was being generous there. It was an absolute shambles from start to finish. With the exceptions of Gray and Bergvall no Spurs player can really hold their head up and say they performed on this evening. Gray is benefiting hugely from this run of games showing grit and composure whilst Bergvall tried to make things happen although nothing to get over excited about.
With complete disorganisation throughout the team you have to question the teams tactics and of course the Ange ball which clearly lacks to such a level that even 5th tier Tamworth had him sussed! I know there will be some loyal fans out there keen to defend Ange once again and blame the result on injuries, fatigue, or the players themselves. But as far as I am concerned the players can only perform to their potential if they are set up correctly in the first place and that’s down to the coach.
Starting the game in midfield was Bissouma, Sarr and Bergvall which raised questions immediately. Why was Maddison dropped to the bench again? Does he have an injury? Is he no longer able to compete in two matches in a week? It seemed crazy to drop him for such a big game if there is not an issue with his fitness and whilst Bergvall does not lack confidence, he does lack experience. With other key players already unavailable it makes only sense to have your experienced players like Mads starting such a big game. You would think?
At half time he made two changes to that midfield, acknowledging it clearly wasn’t working. Sarr was absent for the entire half so it was no surprise to see him benched but it was a surprise to see Bissouma taken off too. With Maddison and Johnson being the replacements it meant Ange had decided to play the entire second half without a single holding midfielder on the pitch.
Correct me if I am wrong but I don’t know a single football formation that doesn’t require some sort of defensive midfielder, at least one to stop the midfield from being overrun. Well I didn’t at least before Ange ball came along. Now I am all for attacking football and we all wish we could play like the classic ‘Brazil’ teams of old but our players simply are not good enough for this way of football.
The second half kicked off and immediately you knew it was going to be wide open. Sure it offered some end to end football but Arsenal never really looked in trouble and I am sure they are asking themselves how they failed to add to the scoreline, with 48 touches inside the Spurs box. Had it not been for some frantic defending I am sure we were looking at a real hammering.
I was full of praise for new goalie Kinsky after the first couple of matches but his Premier League debut was one to forget. Kinsky should have done better with the second goal and he seems to have quickly embraced the Kamikaze way of football at Spurs with some crazy ball skills of his own.
In defence Dragusin continues to unimpress, clearly out of his depth with the pace of the Premier League leaving 18 year old Gray to hold the fort once again. Our so-called inverted full backs were ineffective and even after the substitutions the midfield was in scatters, making it far too easy for Arsenal to run riot. Up front we had a struggling Son who got caught on the ball far too many times and Solanke failed to make any impact against the likes of ‘man of the match’ Gabriel. Kulu, like a lot of the players, was probably guilty of over trying and making mistakes with poor passes and over dribbling. The only positive from the game was the return of Richiarlison who at least offers us another option upfront if he can stay fit for more than one game.
I don’t like to criticise players for lack of effort as I believe for the most part they are doing their best in what are very difficult conditions. You can see as the games progress the players are looking more desperate to make something happen but they are clearly lacking in confidence and you are wondering how many of them are now questioning Ange ball.
For me the blame has to lie with the coaches who prepare these players. After another dismal performance Anges job is hanging in the balance more than ever and it is no longer an if, but just a when. The only thing that’s stopping the inevitable is that second leg in the semi final. Will Levy set a new record and sack a second coach before a cup final ? We may soon find out.
