Arsenal Football Club

[Manu_Graz]

themanwhowasntthere schrieb vor 11 Minuten:

stoppage time Niederlage wäre eigentlich wieder einmal aufgelegt.

Stark wie man das zu 10 gespielt hat, muss man echt sagen. Alles reingehaut, wirklich alle stark. Hervorheben defensiv möchte ich eigentlich nur Benny Blanco. Unglaublich starke Vorstellung.

Hoffentlich hat man für Tottenham noch Reserven. 

[Jay Gooner]

Jay Gooner schrieb vor 10 Stunden:

war unglaublich wichtig ihn Saka im schulmilchcup einzusetzen. jetzt fehlt er im NLD

 

 

aber ja, wenigstens weltklasse verteidigt heute, muss man schon anerkennen. (dafür hätts einen Saka trotzdem net braucht)

bearbeitet 14. Januar 2022 von Jay Gooner

[schooontn]

Mr. DT leider ein ziemlicher Dodl. 

[huawaJ]

Auba verlässt das Thema, um sein Herz checken zu lassen.

Angeblich bereits öfter vorgekommen bei sportlner, die eine corona infektion überwunden haben.

Also an einen Transfer glaube ich kaum in diesem Fenster...

[Jay Gooner]

schooontn schrieb vor 4 Stunden:

Mr. DT leider ein ziemlicher Dodl. 

aber eh schon immer oder 

najo ich schau das zum Glück eigtl eh nie 

[Jay Gooner]

huawaJ schrieb vor 21 Stunden:

Auba verlässt das Thema, um sein Herz checken zu lassen.

Angeblich bereits öfter vorgekommen bei sportlner, die eine corona infektion überwunden haben.

Also an einen Transfer glaube ich kaum in diesem Fenster...

 

hoffe, er wird wieder, hört sich zach an :/

 

aktuell ausm Athletic:

Arsenal’s cleaner, quicker, purposeful passing a big reason behind upturn in league form

Spoiler

Arsenal’s improved performances — bar the awful FA Cup loss to Nottingham Forest and the enforced, more defensive approach at Anfield in the Carabao Cup — have not come by chance.

Although they faced sides battling COVID-19 in December, one aspect of their game has been refined in that time to ensure they were deserving of the points they picked up — their passing.

For much of the first of Mikel Arteta’s first two years in charge, Arsenal’s play has appeared slow and too methodical. Especially during the first half of last season, when 3-4-3 was deployed and attacks seemed too structured and predictable, leaving the side in games of cat and mouse.

During this time, it was not uncommon to see plodding build-up to reach the final third where the winger and full-back would trade passes. Unable to create an opening, they would recycle the ball across to the other flank, hoping the opposition defence opened up. That was not productive and led to a major disparity between Arsenal’s total passing distance and total progressive passing distance last season.

They finished 2020-21 fifth for total distance of passes in the Premier League with 341,180 yards, behind Manchester United (fourth), Chelsea (third), Liverpool (second) and Manchester City (first). Their progressive passing distance of 93,564 yards saw them drop to 13th for that metric, however.

It has taken time, but Arsenal’s passing became quicker and more purposeful this season as the new year approached.

The emphasis on improvement began at defensive solidity with the new back four and goalkeeper and went upfield from there.

Looking at Arsenal’s passing sequences (passages of play ended by opposition defensive actions, stoppages in play or a shot) since the start of the 2018-19 season, those ending in shots have been on an upward trend over the past 18 months.

Things could change, but Arsenal’s average of 14.5 sequences ending in a shot per 90 minutes, is their highest average since Arsene Wenger’s departure following the 2017-18 season.

The game at Leeds United a week before Christmas was the most blatant example of this more efficient passing. Taking advantage of their hosts’ insistence on playing out from the back, Arsenal moved the ball very quickly upon regaining possession and ended the first half with 11 shots on target — the most by any side in the Premier League for a first half since Opta records began in 2003-04.

Scoring four that day at Elland Road and following that up with a 5-0 win over relegation favourites Norwich City was somewhat expected, but Arsenal’s sharper passing was evident in games both before and after those thrashings. The theme cropped up when discussing the improved presence of midfield goalscorers last month, with Martin Odegaard’s goals against Manchester United and Everton in particular.

Aside from being crucial to goals, the speeding up of play in the middle third has made Arsenal more threatening.

In the first half at Old Trafford (below), for instance, United try to apply pressure, but the speed of Arsenal’s passing not only allows them to escape but also sets up an attack. Bruno Fernandes chases Thomas Partey’s pass back to Gabriel as Mohamed Elneny comes back to support.

Partey holds his position and with three one-touch passes, Arsenal take Fernandes and Scott McTominay — who chases Elneny’s pass to Partey — out of the game.

Partey then bursts forward as Emile Smith Rowe drifts between the lines. Another simple pass into the space follows, Smith Rowe receives on the turn and plays the ball into Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with his second touch.

Arsenal went from the halfway line to getting a shot on target from the edge of United’s box within seconds. By using as few touches as possible, the United midfield could not keep up and that allowed them to play in more open spaces higher upfield.

Moving the ball early also helped with shot creation against West Ham United two weeks later.

Here, Partey spots where the space is and exploits it as soon as he can, stroking the ball wide to Bukayo Saka.

Saka drives forward and is helped by Gabriel Martinelli’s run in behind before finding Alexandre Lacazette in space near the penalty area.

Given the speed of the move (two passes), Lacazette has a decent amount of time to measure his shot. If Martinelli was onside, the chaos that came from Lukasz Fabianski’s parry towards him could have made the move more than worth it.

The first half in particular against Manchester City was the big test for the sharpness and purposefulness of Arsenal’s passing.

As mentioned at the time, Arsenal only managed seven shots and 29 per cent possession but still carried a threat, doing as much as possible with limited touches when attacking the champions.

There were multiple instances of this in the first half but the prime example of this during the game was Saka’s goal. Partey scans twice (below) before receiving the ball in midfield and has a clear picture of what is around him, as does Granit Xhaka to his left.

Partey moves the ball in two touches, Xhaka in one and Arsenal are on their way. Odegaard also needs just two touches to get the ball into Kieran Tierney.

Not only does Tierney receive the ball in space, but Martinelli continuing to push high and wide occupies Joao Cancelo. The Scot, therefore, has more room to run infield, which is where he eventually feeds the ball to Saka for the goal.

It is no coincidence the improved sharpness in passing coincided with Partey’s upturn in form.

He and Elneny currently participating in the Africa Cup of Nations for Ghana and Egypt respectively will require Arsenal’s other midfield options to step up in his absence.

Albert Sambi Lokonga arrived in the summer as a very progressive passer, as highlighted in this analysis of him from the time. The Belgium international has proven this to be true over the six months since, with his floated balls over the top something of a signature pass, but at 22 there are other aspects of his game — such as his body positioning when receiving the ball — that still need developing.

That will come with experience, and the fact he has already made 17 appearances in all competitions (nine starts in the Premier League) is promising. As is that in his most recent league start, against Newcastle United, he was taking responsibility on the ball while partnering Partey in midfield, and created a match-high six chances. His performance against Forest, in which he was at fault for the winning goal, also shows there is a way to go before Lokonga is a reliable starting option.

With Ainsley Maitland-Niles joining Roma on loan earlier this month, Arteta admitted Arsenal “are very, very short at the moment (in midfield)”, before stating “obviously we are going to move, and we are going to look for options because we are very short”.

Xhaka’s red card against Liverpool at Anfield adds to that, with the 29-year-old now missing that Carabao Cup semi-final’s second leg on Thursday and Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Burnley.

With or without Partey, the rhythm Arsenal found with the ball must continue.

Although it should especially be evident against Burnley at the Emirates, that goes beyond these next two games. The 28-year-old’s Ghana are third in their AFCON group after two games and risk early elimination tonight but even so, it may be a stretch for him to be involved against either Liverpool or Burnley, while Arsenal have also held loan interest in Juventus’ Arthur Melo, which could help ease the issue.

Ensuring their midfield is not bypassed, like it was against Forest, or like it was very often in the first half of last season, is essential.

While results will be the ultimate currency for this season’s success, controlled performances will also be expected, and necessary, if Arsenal are to be true contenders for European football next season.

 

[Patre123]

Kolasinac wechselt zu Marseille! 

 

[themanwhowasntthere]

Gsd, fehlen nur noch xhaka, auba, elneny, mari, leno, soares und dann schaut das wieder einigermaßen vernünftig aus.

bearbeitet 18. Januar 2022 von themanwhowasntthere

[Manu_Graz]

themanwhowasntthere schrieb vor 33 Minuten:

Gsd, fehlen nur noch xhaka, auba, elneny, mari, leno, soares und dann schaut das wieder einigermaßen vernünftig aus.

Mari ist zumindest leihweise bei Udine. Xhaka und Elneny kannst ohne Ersatz halt nicht abgeben, nach dem AMN auch weg ist.

[Patre123]

themanwhowasntthere schrieb vor 2 Stunden:

Gsd, fehlen nur noch xhaka, auba, elneny, mari, leno, soares und dann schaut das wieder einigermaßen vernünftig aus.

Bilde mir ein irgendwo gelesen zu haben, dass Elnenys Vertrag (läuft im Sommer aus) nicht verlängert werden soll.

Cedric kann auch gern noch im Winter abgegeben werden auch wenn ich nicht daran glaube, als Ersatz sind wir ja angeblich eh an Spence von Nottingham dran

https://www.transfermarkt.at/djed-spence/profil/spieler/483348

[Patre123]

Unfassbar, Ghana scheidet nach einer 3:2 Niederlage gegen die Komoren aus dem Afrika-Cup aus. 

Partey kommt also doch früher zurück, könnte vielleicht sogar schon wieder am Sonntag gegen Burnley spielen. Sollte er spielen, hätte er nicht mal ein PL-Spiel verpasst. 

[soccerfreak89]

schooontn schrieb am 17.1.2022 um 15:52 :

Mr. DT leider ein ziemlicher Dodl. 

Mr. Who?

[Jay Gooner]

themanwhowasntthere schrieb am 9.1.2022 um 19:54 :

 

Der Wechsel ist auch pure Selbstaufgabe 

womit jetzt geklärt wär warum der da Minuten bekommen hat. 

ciao und alles Gute Kola, hat ja doch fast einen Kultstatus erreicht wie Eboue, mit vergleichbarem fußballerischem Geschick 

[Noobody]

Jay Gooner schrieb vor 7 Stunden:

womit jetzt geklärt wär warum der da Minuten bekommen hat. 

ciao und alles Gute Kola, hat ja doch fast einen Kultstatus erreicht wie Eboue, mit vergleichbarem fußballerischem Geschick 

 Eboue The Passmaster   vergleichen mit Kola is ja schon hart  

[Jay Gooner]

Noobody schrieb vor 6 Stunden:

 Eboue The Passmaster   vergleichen mit Kola is ja schon hart  

hehe

dabei ja eigtl gar net

Kola hat zB mehr assists pro Spiel (0.118) für Arsenal auf dem Konto als Eboue (0.102)

aber in den Herzen der Fans wird Eboue immer auf nem eigenen Level sein, da kommt eh auch der Tank nicht ran

bearbeitet 19. Januar 2022 von Jay Gooner