How Arsenal's frailties cost them v. Bournemouth
The Generation xG crew takes a closer look at Arsenal's struggles in possession throughout their loss to Bournemouth in Matchweek 32.
Video Transcript
Chelsea's impressive second half in particular.
And let's turn our attention now to the team at the top of the table, Arsenal, where slightly different.
They're nervous, aren't they?
They're looking over their shoulder.
Yeah.
They've got Manchester City coming up quick and fast behind them.
I was actually at the Emirates at the weekend, and it was a really nervy atmosphere.
Really?
You could just sense it right from the off.
And I mi- I thought Mikel Arteta actually on Friday in his press conference had done quite a good job of trying to rally the crowd, trying to rally everyone behind the team, saying that they need the supporters.
they'd been knocked out of both cup competitions, but responded well against Sporting Lisbon.
But you just sensed an atmosphere at, at the Emirates at the weekend that a team that had finished second three years running- Yeah.
They've got something to lose, and you can feel that.
Yeah Because they've done so well to get this far, and now they're in a position where they've got something to lose.
You know, we've been talking about their set pieces.
people are saying it's not attractive football.
It doesn't matter.
He's there to win.
Mm-hmm.
And now they're in a position where they think, you know, w- home to Bournemouth, and people expect more, better football, better results- Yeah and it wasn't going to be.
Bit, bit safe, a bit negative at times, do you think?
It is.
I mean, the recent record, recent seasons, last three seasons they finished second.
Yeah.
You know, Wilson Graphics, he's really nervous.
He's an Arsenal supporter.
His, his nails will have disappeared.
Absolutely, totally disappeared.
And he represents all the Arsenal fans- because they've been in this position so often.
so it's understandable.
But you know what?
They've just got to get through it.
Yeah.
They've got to get through it.
Right from the off a- as well.
I, I was They gave the ball away more than I've, I think I've ever seen- Arsenal give the ball away.
This is early on.
This is Gabriel to Declan Rice.
Declan Rice makes a position, and you see him straight away saying, "Just relax.
Just calm down."
Yeah.
And he was actually out of all the Arsenal players, the one that was still looking to get on the ball.
I think what we should do, we're talking about Arsenal and how they gave the ball away and they were nervy.
What I would say is Bournemouth press.
They're one of the best pressing teams and the fittest teams in the Premier League.
I think the most sprints in the Premier League this season.
They squeeze the life out of you.
They go man for man as well, don't they, Thomas?
Yeah.
Respect to Bournemouth.
I mean, we all know Arsenal, they played many more games this season than Bournemouth, and yet Bournemouth, they've done their homework.
They are super fit.
And also they have the courage to press high, go man against man.
We, we've just We, we see here, Declan Rice, he's, he's, you know, pointing at, at Zubimendi, say like, "You show for the ball."
Yeah.
There is a little bit of frustration early in the game, but yeah, Bournemouth, which is great for the Premier League.
Yeah.
You have a team like Bournemouth, they have, have less resources, and yet- Yeah they have the courage to, to play any team with the same style.
It's very difficult to play against.
I, I just wondered, Lee, while I'm looking at this, and Havertz.
Yeah.
So Havertz, could he or is he a little bit too deep i- in this position?
I know he's come very deep to try and get on the ball.
He's the number 10 though.
Yeah.
He's playing off, off Jokerez.
Mm-hmm.
Could he make his way into this position here?
I think his starting position is absolutely fine, 'cause if you look at that, Bournemouth are, are pressing the 4-4-2.
So there's the, there's the four- Yeah and there's the two up top.
Yeah.
There's the Arsenal.
They've got two behind the ball, and Saliba's out of the picture.
Yeah.
And there's five across there.
So they, they Three against four- Okay at, at the top end of the pitch.
I think A- and if we just play it on slow, just play it on slow.
You see, just see, look, as he just looks round, he's looking to looking that space.
Yeah.
Just hold it there.
He's looking, he's looking there- Yeah 'cause that's where he wants the ball to go.
To Jokerez.
To Yeah, Jokerez.
Yeah.
'Cause he's making that He's, he's look- looking to make that run to kind of to spin it into there.
Okay.
Hoping that the ball gets kind of dropped into that area, and I think that's absolute, absolutely right.
Mm-hmm.
But Bournemouth are so athletic, Thomas, in- Yeah in that position.
They make it so difficult for you.
And I think this is always a good option, the long ball- because when you're not comfortable enough to, to come short, to, to play out from the back- play that long ball, but then it depends on how the, the, the striker, Jokerez in this case, deals with it- Yeah and how you follow up.
And that seems another issue for Arsenal, where they don't do well enough.
No.
Let's play it on.
Yeah.
So eventually they do play the ball to Declan Rice, and they actually work it quite nicely to Ben White.
Touch gets away from him.
It's a forced pass though, isn't it?
Forced pass.
It's, it's a forced pass.
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, I, I understand that, but it's- It- He still should control it though, shouldn't he?
Yeah, but look, he knows it, and he's on his way.
Yeah.
You know, if he felt that that was a, a really good pass into him, he'd have to hold his position, and you think, all right, he's got all that space to, to play with.
But you would expect- He recognizes that I mean, if we could stop it here for a second.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Take that.
You would, you would expect, like the way Declan Rice was pointing at Raya- Mm-hmm this is something they've discussed.
So this is a move they've done in training.
Yeah.
Declan Rice gets the ball, plays it into Ben White.
Now, Ben White- He's his man Ben White looks uncomfortable.
Yeah.
Like, he knows this is his job.
Yeah.
And, and I know Declan Rice doesn't play the perfect ball, but it's good enough, and Declan, and Ben White thinks like, you know- Yeah "How do I deal with this ball?"
And that you invite more pressure.
And this is the problem, getting him on the ball in this area where he doesn't really wanna get on the ball.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And they do press the life out of you, don't they?
Yeah.
Of course, yeah.
Bournemouth.
Totally.
And there's no one makes more overlapping runs than that man.
True, fair.
True, true.
Almost double any other player in the Premier League this season.
Again, pressing.
I think they're, they're really good at going man for man, Bournemouth.
Yeah.
If you look at James Hill in this position, he's thinking already, "Should I go in on Eze?
Release Alex Scott.
Alex Scott can maybe release himself."
Perhaps they can release themselves a little bit earlier.
Arsenal stand on the ball.
I think this was This is something that was frustrating the Arsenal crowd.
The Arsenal crowd were getting frustrated at this.
David Raya on the ball- Yeah taking his time.
But there's not You know, there's nothing really on, is there?
You talked about dropping it into a front man or dropping it into center forward.
I mean, that ball's not onto, to Victor Jokerez there, is it?
That's not an easy ball.
No, it's not on.
But, what I'm gonna focus on, I want to ask Tom- Thomas' opinion, is, is the front three, of Arsenal, the, right at the top, the top of the, top of the pitch there.
Just highlight tho- those three.
Yeah.
When the ball's moved, you move the ball to change the picture.
Yeah.
And this picture doesn't ever seem to change where they move the ball.
No.
Mm-hmm.
And then there's no, no real movement.
And so he's on the ball.
People have a go at Raya- Well, even, even I'm looking at this and thinking, actually, I think that's Lewis-Skelly actually.
Yeah.
Is that Gabriel here?
Yeah.
Could, could Lewis-Skelly run out the way and allow that ball to Gabriel, and he can come into the space?
Yeah.
Just, just a little bit of movement.
It's, it's a bit static, isn't it, from, from Arsenal.
The way they are positioned now, it's all wide, it's stretched.
That way I'd say you keep possession.
Yeah.
You make it difficult to, to, to press you.
Which is what they've done.
Which they've done.
But the picture hasn't changed, has it?
But then Yeah.
Well, exactly.
But they, again, they never look comfortable in playing out from the back.
what they do, when you play that long ball, you gotta be closer together in order to get the second ball, and that's what they, they never, never really do.
They still try, and as you said, you were there- Two balls that ended up back at Raya's feet.
Yeah.
And you can sense the- Yeah the contentment.
Like, I have to do something special.
Yeah.
We have to get out from the back and, you know, quickly because the pressure is on.
And that's when you think, "Okay, I'll play the long ball."
And maybe this is the reason why they don't play the long ball into the front because Jokerez wants to run away.
Simple.
And look at the center half, brings it down on his chest.
Yeah.
Honestly, Jokerez should have done so much better here to press.
If you don't get the ball because it's not the best ball you're gonna receive, at least put pressure on the center half.
There he is again.
Don't make life easier for him.
Yeah.
There he is again, on the ball, taking his time.
Yeah.
Waiting for the picture to change, waiting for someone to move.
Waiting for someone to get on it.
I do think this was a tactic with Bournemouth.
Yeah.
You know, we all said, look, the trigger was when this guy gets on the ball, as good as a defender that he is, he's, he's Out of the back four, he's the worst on the ball- out of Arsenal's back four.
And in all these clips, he seems to be the spare man.
The one to get on the ball.
Is that what you think, Thomas?
Is it?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
here's the same as we said before with Chelsea and Man City.
You wanna get your best player on the ball.
That's not the case with Arsenal.
Yeah.
They're not the sort of team who, who've got enough players who want to play with the ball.
they had different focus, and that's what happens.
They concede from Alex Scott.
This is 2-1.
Um- He was the best player on the pitch, Alex Scott.
Yeah.
Yeah.
On the day.
Thought he was excellent.
Fantastic player.
Fantastic player.
Yeah.
Nervy.
Yes.
Arsenal, Arsenal were nervy.
It I mean, you could pick out a number of individuals.
I thought, as I said to you, I thought Declan Rice, of all the players, was the one that showed a bit of composure.
This man, Martin Zubimendi, I think has been excellent this season.
You know, I think his composure on the ball, I think he's a terrific passer-
