Ex professionals say its always more tiring defending for long periods rather than attacking and as we tend to have most of the possession it puts a lot of pressure on the opposition. As they tire at the end of the game it gives us the edge to break them down.

Mentality monsters

It’s mostly about fitness of the squad. Mostly players start getting more and more tired the longer a game lasts. The Arsenal players seem to be extremely in shape and can continue even after 80 minutes, while the opponent starts to get more and more trouble keeping up the pace.

My theory is that Defending is more stressful and tiring than a possession based offense. It requires more running and more focus. Both of which get harder to do the more tired you get.

As a result they might not close down Saka quick enough so that he can get his cross off, or They just loose track of Rice on the back post and he gets a quick shot.

Another thing to think about is that a lot of teams go even more defensive in the last 15 twenty minutes of a game trying to hold a result. It means that the offensive team as a lot more chances, because the defensive team isn’t competing for possession.

We try not to burnout towards the end given matches now can go into the 100minute territory

Well against Chelsea they had to be given a way back into the game and they looked like they had absolutely no chance of digging themselves out.

They looked completely despondent at how they were being dominated and were only buoyed by Sanchez’s gift.

Because we are fucking inevitable mate

I think it is common to have goals around 15 mins towards the end.

Because arsenal have formulated a game plan that they believe will win the every game they play. They have full believe in themselves, their play style, and the commit to their training to the last minute.

They will relentlessly play Arteta’s way an Arteta will relentlessly back then and that belief and confidence trumps anything most teams have to offer againts them

Arsenal won’t win the league, the elephant season 2 is back.

It’s a tactic sourced from 1974’s Rumble in the Jungle. 🥵🥊

More focus on defense and also more reliance on key attacking players to produce that one moment of brilliance to win/level the game. I think this is the vibes for this first half of the season, and maybe in Jan/Feb.

There will be a point in time Arsenal will have to play the usual attacking football, but there is a lot more game management happening atm. Hopefully saving the energy for the long season as we know what happened last season.

Lapse in concentration of Brentfords RB. Otherwise they’d still be playing goalless.

And luck. Havertz doesn’t make that every day. Maybe 1 in 7.

On more serious note, if Brentford punished some mistakes in first half, you’d have to change the title to reason for Arsenal late game escape or smth worse.

Random chance. That explains almost everything of this variety. People can cook up all kinds of stories, but they almost never hold up to actual analysis.

3 reasons:

1. Strategy: Arsenal play the highest line and has the best defensive trio in the league (Saliba, Gabriel, Rice). That makes them the hardest team to counter.

2. Tactics: Arteta has many bench options to change the tactics of the game. Very low block? Throw in Havertz and Tomiyasu, and bomb them aerially. Need players to make runs? Throw in ESR, Trossard or Vieira, and let them open up the defense.

3. Confidence/concentration: The team knows they can score late, and also helps that added time tend to help Arsenal because opposition must maintain concentration over 100-110 min of game time rather than over 95 min. Harder to do that when you’re always defending than in attack.