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This controlling games narrative is not true. At this stage last season we had 24.97 xg (1 pen). 11.23 xg conceded (2 pens against) 6 clean sheets while our new defense was in their first competitive games. This while playing beautiful fluid football.
This season we have 23.1 xg (6 pens) and 10.60 xg (1 pen against) and 6 clean sheets while playing the deadest football ever.
We are worse than last year. Stats prove the eye test. Last season we were winning the ball high in the pitch and moving the ball quick to avoid opponent defenses to get hold their shape. That’s how you beat deep blocks, not spamming crosses against defenses with giants as defenders. The 8s were helping our wingers, Ben White was overlapping, Xhaka was overlapping. We didn’t give defenders the option to 3v1 our wingers. Now we are way too slow. It feels like every player is scared to move the ball forward. It feels like Arteta has ptsd from last season and doesn’t want to take risks.
How many times was Gabriel doing that long ball in behind for Martinelli. Zinchenko making line breaking passes to Xhaka. Odegaard to Saka. We never see those anymore. The only thing that we have better this season is not being scared when playing City.
We’re missing key ball progressers in timber and partey. It’s a new system that involves a different dynamic on the left side. It’s all an adjustment to filling the xhaka void I think. I do feel games are way more calm this season although it’s painstaking and tedious. Last year we looked so vulnerable in transition this year it’s less obvious but still present. My advice is to try and see the more defense oriented system for what it is and hope we only let opponents generate low xg shots.
Also last year before the World Cup we looked incredible. Amazing defense and great offense but think about peaking - maybe this year we are primed to peak during the run in… that’s probably my main copium fix
Very well written. We need options that stretch the defence. We have inverted wingers with inverted FBs. Teams clog the middle because we have no wide threats.
More often than not Pep has a Mendy/Same/Foden/Doku type option. A player happy to get chalk on their boots and go touchline to byline. That removes the Saka/Martinelli double team and let’s them cook. Or it means we get regular cutback oppurtunities for the arriving Midfielder to finish
Don’t think anyone can possibly deny this without some crazy gymnastics tbh. It’s most apparent on the right. How many times does Ødegaard receive the ball in rhs on the half turn where he can hurt teams nowadays? Saka was a constant threat last season, this season he drifts in and out of games but luckily for us he has the ability to always churn out one moment of quality
Not sure what this proves tho You are saying we are considerably worse than last season despite statistically being similar?
We can’t play the same way as we did last year because teams play differently against us and because it’s not sustainable to play high octane football with Champions League mid week when we have numerous key players who are susceptible to injuries. If you want an example of what happens when you play like that look no further than Newcastle - not a bad start to the season but tons of injuries and a considerable drop off is likely
we were still facing deep blocks last season, that is simply not true. and i’m curious, is arsenal the only team you watch? how is playing “high octane football” with ucl only a problem for us? how is freeing up the wingers going to injury anybody? shit and chelsea got no europe and they still got injuries while trying to play high octane football. this sub changes the narrative every week i swear. when our players get breaks and only play 1 game a week it’s “they’re rusty and out of form” but when they play 2 games a week now they might get injured. should we wrap them in bubble wraps as well?
these excuses are for midtable clubs. world class teams have been doing this for decades. you can’t control injuries. tierney literally slipped in the shower and partey gets injured while doing nothing. if you really think that ucl football and being scared of injuries is stopping us from playing fluid you need to watch more football.