The goalless draw at Arsenal followed identical scorelines against Chelsea, Liverpool and City. Often you need a little noise to make you take a chance or two against the biggest teamsAnother week of lockdown football. Another mannered, quietly deathly game between two of the Premier League’s heavier hitters.For all the talk of zaniness, of a season up for grabs, the lack of crowds has clearly taken something from these clashes between the Bigger Teams. Often you need a little noise and a little heat to take a chance or two when your opponent might just punish you in return. Related: Arsenal and Manchester United left to rue missed chances in all-action draw Continue reading...
The financial structures of modern football mean steady progression is unworkable and few former players taking the reins of an elite club are likely to have had adequate preparationEverybody wants their own Pep Guardiola. That is the dream. You take a club legend just beginning his coaching career, stick him in charge of the reserves for a season, give him the top job, then watch as he revolutionises football with a squad based around academy products and wins three league titles and two Champions Leagues. It’s not just winning, but winning your way.That’s why so many major clubs have turned to former players with limited or no first-hand managerial experience: Juventus with Andrea Pirlo, Chelsea with Frank Lampard, Arsenal with...
The Swiss midfielder has had a strange Arsenal career of ups and (mostly) downs but his goal against Chelsea could be a catalyst for the club and its managerWith 44 minutes gone, Arsenal 1-0 up and producing a performance of rare verve and energy, Granit Xhaka took a step back and stood completely still, staring at the top right-hand corner of the Chelsea goal.Bukayo Saka had been fouled 10 yards from the intersection of penalty box and penalty arc. A free-kick for Arsenal was reward for Saka’s fine, driving performance. Above all it looked as if it would be a chance to run down the clock on the half. Related: Arsenal relieve pressure on manager Mikel Arteta with win over...
An unlikely FA Cup triumph cannot mask 12 months of average league form under a manager yet to convinceAs a brisk December breeze swirled through Goodison Park’s stands, a fresh wind was sweeping in at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta looked on from the front row of the directors’ box, flanked by the chief executive, Vinai Venkatesham, and the then head of football, Raul Sanllehi, the day before he officially took charge. He was hardly alone in furrowing his brow during a tedious stalemate between his new side and Everton, who were about to begin their own renewal, but inside his heart was soaring. “I remember sitting in the stands and thinking: ‘I can’t wait to start working with the players and...
Top finishers are a varied bunch, from classic or false 9s to target men and wide-rangers who cut in to score – and adapting teams to match their gifts is what makes the best sides tickAs Arsenal’s rebuild under Mikel Arteta has stalled over the past few weeks, one of the most common quick-fixes suggested has been to move Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the left into the middle. He’s a goalscorer, runs the argument, so you need to put him in the middle, nearer the goal. Which, frankly, is the equivalent of those Victorian doctors who believed malaria was caused by the bad air around swamps – the theory isn’t entirely unrelated to the reality, but a series of vital stages...