Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Arsenal

[TRO]

15 hours ago, VillaChris said:

I just thought it was unlucky. Saka breaks free from Digne, just about keeps it in and hits the cross in exactly the area needed as it basically wrong footed half of our team. Rogers reads the cross but hits hit and basically falls perfectly for Trossard to slot in.

You could spend another 200m on a new defence and you'd still concede goals like that throughout a season.

Second one more disappointing as Emi simply has to push that round the post. Basically killed the game going 2-0 down..

Not trying to be harsh, just objective.....but when you only achieve 39% possession at home, you are relying on moments in a game. If we can't keep the ball opportunities are not as plentiful and more importantly it passes the initiative to the opposition.

I am not saying possession is the be all and end all, but when you keep the ball, luck will eventually come your way, and they was building momentum when their goal came, and it was from an area, where we have conceded many times before.

We can argue until the cows come home, about HOW to stop conceding......all I am saying is, IF we keep conceding too many goals, no amount of attacking play, will compensate and take us to winning things.

The conceded goals you refer to "like That" happen too often, for comfort.

I am not professing to say, I know the answer, I have suspicions, but thats all I have......I am merely saying, if we don't shore up, there will be more folk thinking we can score our way out, and I don't think we can...not to achieve things anyway.

 

Edited August 25 by TRO

[TRO]

13 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

It's those second balls again, costing us. You have to want it at both ends of the pitch. I thought Konsa was excellent, and unlucky not to score a goal from that set - piece. 

absolutely agree.

[VillaChris]

9 minutes ago, TRO said:

Not trying to be harsh, just objective.....but when you only achieve 39% possession at home, you are relying on moments in a game. If we can't keep the ball opportunities are not as plentiful and more importantly it passes the initiative to the opposition.

I am not saying possession is the be all and end all, but when you keep the ball, luck will eventually come your way, and they was building momentum when their goal came, and it was from an area, where we have conceded many times before.

We can argue until the cows come home, about HOW to stop conceding......all I am saying is, IF we keep conceding too many goals, no amount of attacking play, will compensate and take us to winning things.

The conceded goals you refer to "like That" happen too often, for comfort.

I am not professing to say, I know the answer, I have suspicions, but thats all I have......I am merely saying, if we don't shore up, there will be more folk thinking we can score our way out, and I don't think we can...not to achieve things anyway.

 

I think the only solution is to get Kamara fit and that's still a few months off. Our defensive stats with him in/out of the team is pretty stark so ultimately for us he is that good at shielding the backline when we come under pressure.

[PaulMcGrath_5]

Couldn’t make or see the game yesterday (was best man at a wedding). It seems to be the general consensus that we played well, missed chances and were unlucky. Lots to feel positive and encouraged about? Cash injury bad?

[TRO]

19 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

I think the only solution is to get Kamara fit and that's still a few months off. Our defensive stats with him in/out of the team is pretty stark so ultimately for us he is that good at shielding the backline when we come under pressure.

Or get in a quality defender, like Gertruida.

That could be so, and it's still very early in the season, I am just pointing out, warning signs, because last seasons 61 was too many, despite the commendable 76 for.

When you cast a look over Arsenal, they are a changed team, they have added the resilience of the George Graham days, and early Wenger where their back 4 was formidable and the 2 in front Viera and Petit.

The latter Wenger years, despite the great players, they had offensively  they got a bit "Spursy"

This outfit is defensively sound, and to get the chances we did, was commendable IMV.

Yesterday for me, was as much about the goals we conceded as the misses we made.....I don't think the disappointment, should only be levelled at the misses.

 

Edited August 25 by TRO

[Pinebro]

45 minutes ago, TRO said:

I agree.....and I am surprised, that the main view is just of the missed chances.

It will go a long way to defining our season......2 games is no sample size, but if we do not achieve clean sheets, our success will be marginal.

We had a better record in the 2022/23 season.....we have to get back to those levels whilst maintaining our offensive prowess.

It's because Digne and Cash are so bad at preventing crosses

It's killing us in many games

[TRO]

15 hours ago, Bazmonkey said:

1st half I think both teams were a bit apprehensive. We had the better chance, but Arsenal had more of the ball.

2nd half the game opened up a bit more but even after the ollie chance and trossard coming on the result was inevitable.

A cagey affair....2 nil flattens arsenal a bit but that's what good teams do...they win ugly and not playing that well.

Rogers was immense today ran their midfield ragged today.

Martinez needs to shakes this arsenal voodoo he has.

This game probably would have been better 10 games in rather than 2 for both teams.

Two criticisms.. I would like us to move the ball more quicker...just to slow at times...we.end creating our own errors rather than being forced.

Press...we look so much better and get more rewards for pressing...the first ollie chance prime example...just do it a bit more...more proactive than reactive.

Three games coming up we should on paper get something from 

Good observations as always......Emi does play in to the  hands of the Arsenal crowd alright.

Irony is our 2 best players were not at their best.

[TRO]

5 minutes ago, Pinebro said:

It's because Digne and Cash are so bad at preventing crosses

It's killing us in many games

can't argue.

[sheepyvillian]

32 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

I think the only solution is to get Kamara fit and that's still a few months off. Our defensive stats with him in/out of the team is pretty stark so ultimately for us he is that good at shielding the backline when we come under pressure.

I miss Kamara. Arguably, our most naturally talented player. 

[TRO]

4 hours ago, bobzy said:

He definitely SHOULD have been… but he wasn’t. The ref was really lenient all game tbh. 

I thought he let stuff go, when maybe he shouldn't.....and he give us stuff, when it didn't matter( late in the game)

We was pulled and shoved all over the place in the early exchanges, and it encouraged them to continue to do it. Their physical game was encouraged not deterred by him.

I am not keen on Michael Oliver anyway.

[TRO]

15 hours ago, 479Villan said:

I saw an Arsenal fan post that they were worse than last year, and we were better, and they won. 
 

That’s exactly right. 

That can happen, when individual errors are factored in.

 

[TRO]

14 hours ago, stewiek2 said:

Dam right. Without his goals and assists we wouldn't be near champions league. Some people need to remember that. God we have short memories. He's had absolutely no preseason. Give the guy a break. Once he gets to speed he'll fire us again to top four.

His misses maybe instrumental, but other factors maybe overlooked too, as I have mentioned earlier.

This is the time he needs us to support him.....not when he is in a purple patch.

[sheepyvillian]

8 minutes ago, TRO said:

His misses maybe instrumental, but other factors maybe overlooked too, as I have mentioned earlier.

This is the time he needs us to support him.....not when he is in a purple patch.

If you're a striker and you miss chances like Watkins missed, then you're going to be criticised, regardless of the credit he has in the bank. The same rules apply to Martinez, terrible blunder for their second and he knew it.

[TRO]

12 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

If you're a striker and you miss chances like Watkins missed, then you're going to be criticised, regardless of the credit he has in the bank. The same rules apply to Martinez, terrible blunder for their second and he knew it.

I agree,

but the same level of criticism is not proportionate is it sheepy?...well not on here.

They are our 2 best players, so it's ironic they make the headlines for the wrong reasons, but that's both of them, not one....just pointing out, a bit of fairness, that's all.

 

Edited August 25 by TRO

[PaulC]

Stating facts like the Watkins misses played a key part in us losing the game is not being critical of the player because we all know just how good he is and he will bounce back.  There's other areas of our game that we can be critical of but we defended pretty well for most of the game but switched off for their first goal. I don't think we are good enough to dominate possession against Arsenal. The tactics were right but it was just Arsenal's day. Think we rode our luck last season at home. 

[Follyfoot]

Did anyone else hear those fireworks going off halfway through the first half outside the ground or am I imagining it?

[sheepyvillian]

51 minutes ago, TRO said:

I agree,

but the same level of criticism is not proportionate is it sheepy?...well not on here.

They are our 2 best players, so it's ironic they make the headlines for the wrong reasons, but that's both of them, not one....just pointing out, a bit of fairness, that's all.

 

It's black and white, you get the plaudits for good performances, you get the criticism for poor performances. They both made mistakes and were rightly criticized for those errors. I'm sure over the fullness of a season, the plaudits will far outweigh the criticism. The miss, in the first - half, was critical to the proceedings, had that been converted, we most likely come away with at least a point. I don't think there will be any bigger critics than Ollie and Emi themselves.

[VillaChris]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

Or get in a quality defender, like Gertruida.

That could be so, and it's still very early in the season, I am just pointing out, warning signs, because last seasons 61 was too many, despite the commendable 76 for.

When you cast a look over Arsenal, they are a changed team, they have added the resilience of the George Graham days, and early Wenger where their back 4 was formidable and the 2 in front Viera and Petit.

The latter Wenger years, despite the great players, they had offensively  they got a bit "Spursy"

This outfit is defensively sound, and to get the chances we did, was commendable IMV.

Yesterday for me, was as much about the goals we conceded as the misses we made.....I don't think the disappointment, should only be levelled at the misses.

 

I think the Cash injury alone will mean we get in another defender at some point next week.

Arsenal are a quality team and should win the league this year. They're capable of hitting 95 points whereas for us being in the 65-70 point range is another very good season.

I too would like to see some clean sheets soon. If we're not keeping them against some of our opponents in the next month then there is a big problem that will likely stop us winning something this season.

Last week v West Ham aside from the penalty and the late Soucek chance they created very little. Arsenal went nearly an hour yesterday without a serious shot at our goal so I don't really think it's an issue of letting opponents run through us as happens to Man. United and Chelsea most weeks, we've just become sloppy at times in games.

[Leeroy]

From Arsenal Mania: 

Why do you think we looked better once we scored? What do you think happened to the game there?

The answer to the above question is one of the key points that this Arsenal team is trying to solve again. How it solved our problems last season. Scoring early opens up the game… that’s the keys to the kingdom in the PL.

But, yes. On the mid to low block situation and how we manage it, it’s still not good enough. I think TP5’s time as a starter comes to and end with the arrival of Merino, but also yes, we need more central access and efficiency much earlier on in games.

The key with teams like Villa, who design their entire philosophy around sitting deep and looking only for counterattacks. Is that you must hit them hard and early. Had we scored in the 10th minute yesterday, we would have destroyed them. Easily a 6/7-0 win I would say.

That’s the big thing to fix, on the training ground and hopefully in this market as well.

 

................................................................................................................

 

There are a couple of serious mentalists on their forum. I genuinely can't even begin to unpick this nonsense but the bit in bold is the most uneducated thing I've ever seen written about us. So we sit deep and counter attack, that's our style according to this genius, yet for virtually all of last season everyone kept talking about our high line and how our defence pushes really high up the pitch. Has this guy been in a coma and never watched us play, moronic comment. He's actually their moderator too.

 

We might have played a bit deeper yesterday in a mid block but that's because Arsenal have spent far more on their squad than we have. Net spend for them since summer 2020 is £491m, ours is £219m, we have to sell key players to invest like Luiz and Grealish, Arsenal don't. If we spent exactly the same amount on our team as they have and it was a level playing field the match would be completely different. The lack of respect for us is absolutely remarkable given we sh*t on them twice last season.

 

I'm classy enough to admit they have a brilliant side backed up by huge spending in the last few years in every area of the pitch but their fans really are gobshites.

[MakemineVanilla]

Watkins' first miss was criminal but the header was far from a tap-in.

Villa looked lousy against West Ham after the first hour and Duran's late winner led to the performance being over-praised and expectation against Arsenal weren't realisitic.

Before the game the pundits were saying that Saka would have a productive afternoon against Digne and so it proved.

In the end it was only small margins which seperated the two teams but I think Villa have started where they left off last season.

They lacked enough quality for the Conference League and the Champions League will tax the best eleven even more.

Villa did fantastically well but I don't see them finishing much above halfway.