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I can't remember the last time I felt so much hurt by an Arsenal loss than yesterday. Although I remember how the first leg ended, when we needed last gasp strike from Lacazette to pick one point, I was hopeful that since we had improved since then, we may be better.
For some reasons though, I wasn't comfortable with the fact that we had to play this fixture on a Monday night. Build up to the game, I wasn't really feeling the vibes like I do whenever Arsenal were to play.
Like I preempted a bad night, it started when we were unable to string passes together in the opening stages and allowed Palace choke us. Credit to Viera and his boys, they gave Arsenal a night of their life, but I feel Arsenal lost it in the first 45. We came back the better side in the second half, but the irrepairable damage was already done.
When you concede two early goals in the first half, if you're to get something out of it, the best thing was to get at least one goal before half time and Arsenal failed to do that. Even after the restart, the best Arsenal chance fell to Odegaard from about 12 yards out with the score still 2-0, but he managed to fluff his line. Had that goal gone in, we could have gotten better than nothing from that game. Throughout this season, I think it's the worst first half I've seen Arsenal play, even with other matches we lost; we weren't this bad. I was even more concerned when Partey began to misplace five-yard passes and we couldn't get Lacazette into the game.
The first goal was much of Arsenal's own doing and very unlike Ben White, the tackle to give that free kick away was very clumsy. The player was no threat and in fact had his back to goal. He was close the touchline far from the penalty box and that tackle was needless. White shouldn't clamp into a player from the back like that.
Even though we still boast of being the only team yet to concede from a corner kick in the league this season, that goal was too soft and while I don't like to single out players, I feel Tavares should have done better for that goal. You don't go down like a pack of cards when you're defending a setpiece, especially against a team that plays with strong players like Palace.
Personally, I was hyped about the potential of Tavares when he joined in the summer, but having watched him in competitive games for Arsenal, I believe we should just return him and get our money back. We've been defrauded. He's always been awful anytime he gets the chance to play. Tierney on that left is always a comfort and I'm sure even he wouldn't have cowered for that setpiece. Obviously, the manager saw what we all saw and for the second successive game, Tavares didn't return to the field after the interval.
In retrospect, I even feel Arteta should have risked starting the game with a back three like he eventually did after Tierney picked up that injury during warmup. We were better after the switch and I hope he doesn't get to play Tavares again. Please, send him back.
The second goal was a bit fortuitous. Although a fine pass to Ayew, Gabriel missed it by a hair's breadth and it was too late for White to react. Even Ayew didn't know much about the ball until it him. Not to take it away from him; he did well to dispatch into the left bottom corner.
We were generally poor in our all-round game on the night and this was evidenced when Arteta apologized to the fans for the poor showing after the game. We really don't want these apologies; we just want to win.
After Chelsea lost to Brentford, I was really hoping we could try stick our neck for the top three spot and with Spurs chasing down our throat, it was not a performance I expected. A win would have taken us just two points within Chelsea. Imagine the kind of belief that would birth in the boys. But now, we have Spurs weeing on our heads from the 4th spot.
The penalty given away by Odegaard was a bit clumsy too. A tackle like that could have been forgiven outside the box. But, knowing the kind of player Zaha is, aside from the fact that he's tricky and fast, he looks for every opportunity to go down. Although the kick was soft, Odegaard didn't give the referee much of an option not to give it.
I've always being a big fan of Lacazette, but his performance in recent times have been worrying knowing that he's the only out and out striker that we have. In fact I could say that Eddie had more impact on the game after he came on than Lacazette did the whole 90. At a point, I had forgotten that Lacazette was still on the pitch until the commentator mentioned that he still was. That was how bad he was on the night. Perhaps, it's high time Arteta gave Martinelli a shot at playing in that central role. Lacazette has shown over time that he's most effective when playing in that number 10 role or just behind a striker. Put Martinelli up front and let Lacazette support him. Wherever Arsenal finish this season, money must be splash to get a very good striker. The problem now is, which good strikers are they? We'd cross that bridge when we get there.
More worrying is that there is a potential that we have lost Tierney for the rest of the season. I just pray not because I can't deal with watching Tavares for the remainder of the season, except we have Tomiyasu back, which has been another big miss for us and have Cedric play left back. Anything but Tavares.
Partey also went out injured in the build up to that third goal. This smells of that Tottenham game last season. It is not a good time to have someone like him injured when we're on a hot chase like this.
With both Tierney and Partey potentially out for the foreseeable future, I hope Arteta can find a way to change our playing style to accommodate the available players. I wouldn't mind him playing a back three, even if it means Xhaka playing as the third centre back. He even still has Holding, so, that could work.
More of a concern is the midfield. Xhaka has fared pretty well with Partey behind him. I can't trust Lokonga, who himself I'm almost tempted to call a fraud like Tavares, has not lived up to billing. I remember Vincent Kompany after we signed him saying that Arsenal had gotten the new Yaya Toure. I can't stop laughing remembering this.
Our next game is home to Brighton and I'm just hoping for a resounding response to this hammering.
I must mention, thumbs to Viera for controlling his emotions even after a good win from his team and not jubilating in our faces. PV, we appreciate that.
Thank you for reading.
