After an abject performance by Arsenal at home to Aston Villa, you can bet the last thing Arteta and his carefully selected coaching team wanted or needed was a prolonged, enforced period, in which they were unable to work with their squad. However, against Leeds, the line up and team structure at least suggested a […]
Many supporters have recently been asking for Nicolas Pepe to be given an opportunity to start a Premier League game. Mikel Arteta duly obliged against Leeds and we were all severely let down by the Ivorian in a foolish incident which could potentially trigger the end of Nicolas’ Arsenal career. Particularly as he’s seemingly playing […]
It is fair to state that, coming into the 2020/21 season, Mikel Arteta was very much in credit in the hearts and minds of football fans everywhere. Nowhere was his stock higher, however, than with the Arsenal faithful. He had, after all, led Arsenal to FA Cup success the previous term, with late-season victories over […]
The Gunners come into Sunday’s fixture full of confidence, after their impressive performance at Old Trafford was followed up with a convincing 4-1 win over Molde in the Europa League on Thursday night. Arteta will be hoping his players can execute his game-plan as effectively as they did against United, as their organised and versatile […]
Match Report Arsenal continued their perfect record in the Europa League and moved three points clear at the summit of group B, as they came from a goal behind to beat Molde 4-1 at the Emirates. Nicolas Pepe and Joe Willock starred for Arsenal as they both got on the score-sheet late on, after two […]
Arsenal head into the game against Manchester United on Sunday in something of a rut. Back to back league defeats against Manchester City and Leicester have taken the shine off of a promising preseason and transfer window. For the first time in his brief managerial career questions are being asked of Mikel Arteta. On the […]
Even the most ardent of positive Arsenal fans have taken the home defeat to Leicester badly and the questioning of Arteta’s methods and tactics is on the increase. It would be fair to say the Spaniard’s honeymoon period during which he basked in FA Cup glory and to a degree the Community Shield triumph, is […]
First Half With regards to the shape, Arteta continued with the hybrid 3-4-3 system. Generally, it was a 4-3-3 because the Gunners were predominantly in possession and a 2-3-5 formation was deployed as they approached the final third. The diagram below illustrates how Cedric would partner Pepe in the attacking phase, with Elneny covering the […]
Attacking solution enclosed POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES “Do Rapid Vienna have a goalkeeper? I haven’t seen him yet and this is the 55th minute” “This looks like a massive game of keep away. Again.” “If we are going to score, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be from open play.” “Eddie looks lost. Why […]
In the embryonic stages of my Arsenal related writing pastime, I chose Gunner Be Honest as my blogging pseudonym because I pride myself on my honesty and felt that many supporters allowed their views to be clouded by their love for their club. Those who know me personally will tell you that I love my […]
