Tactics, selections, transfer policy and set of standards have Gunners on an upward curve but there remains work to doSuccessful clubs crave stability because that is what keeps them at the top. It is a trait Arsenal have lacked on and off the pitch in recent years but Mikel Arteta is bringing it back and putting them on an upward curve.When Arteta arrived the team were all over the shop but he has brought together a cohesive unit thanks to his tactics and the club’s recruitment. The former midfielder has enjoyed plenty of highs and endured numerous lows in his two-year tenure while sticking to his principles, which is paying dividends. Continue reading...
João Cancelo continues to shine, Dele Alli shows his worth and Blackburn are looking upJürgen Klopp spent much of the pulsating 2-2 draw with Tottenham frothing with rage at some of the refereeing decisions and his anger was more than justified. We all have bad days at the office, but certain elements of Paul Tierney’s display were inexplicably poor. Diogo Jota was denied a blindingly obvious penalty in the first half, before Harry Kane escaped with a yellow card for a potentially career-ending tackle on Andy Robertson. Robertson was smart enough to jump, without which the damage would have been severe. “That’s definitely a red card ... if Robbo’s leg is on the ground, it’s a broken leg,” Klopp correctly...
The Argentinian’s injury-ravaged side follow 7-0 humiliation against Manchester City with a 4-1 home defeat by ArsenalHeavy defeats can be purgative. In 1992, Marcelo Bielsa’s Newell’s Old Boys lost 6-0 to San Lorenzo in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, sending him into despair. He was an ambitious and idealistic young coach who had clinched the apertura in 1990-91 but then seen his side win only nine games in the whole of 1991. Could it be his methods were ineffective? Was his whole vision of football flawed?For two days he locked himself away in the Conquistador hotel in Santa Fe. He wept. He rang his wife, Laura, and admitted he thought his career might be over. In the end,...
Striker’s display against West Ham was incisive, mature and well-timed given Aubameyang’s disciplinary problemsThree days before last Christmas, Gabriel Martinelli set about making up for lost time. The young forward had arrived in England with a bang but knee surgery meant he missed the opening months of 2019-20. He finally returned to the starting lineup for a Carabao Cup game against Manchester City and it was some performance: for 45 minutes Martinelli ran around like a man possessed, charging down clearances before putting himself in the line of danger. There was serious concern when he hurled himself into a 50-50 with Zack Steffen, who was marginally the favourite for a through ball, and went down in a heap; he was...
Striker’s standing may not have plummeted as Mesut Özil’s did but demotion puts the need for an overhaul into sharper focusArsenal may feel their captain’s armband is cursed. Pierre‑Emerick Aubameyang is the 10th player to have received, and relinquished, the role since Patrick Vieira’s departure in 2005 and it is hard to make a case that any of its bearers have been particularly successful. The long line of short-lived leaders speaks succinctly of the uncertainty that has dogged the club in recent years and Mikel Arteta will be exasperated that the issue of leadership has reared its head again over the past week.Arteta might consider himself one of the few modern-day Arsenal captains whose tenure, between 2014 and 2016, did...