There is a certain symmetry book-ending Arsenal’s season so far – we kicked off the season with 0-0 draws versus Sunderland and Stoke and the last two games have been 1-0 wins versus Stoke and Sunderland. All four clean sheets for us, goalless draws at first attempts and hard-fought wins the second time around. In the first few games of the season, there was much talk of the ‘Bould Effect’, of new assistant coach (and former Arsenal defender) Steve Bould drilling a more solid defensive mindset and shape to the team’s well-known frailties. We were actually looking tougher and more stable defensively while there were worries and doubts about the offensive and goal-scoring lack. It even took us 4 games to concede finally a goal during the 2012-2013 season.
But it wasn’t long before the chants of ‘Same Old Arsenal’ surfaced – basic defensive 101 errors, individual player mistakes, marking, getting muscled off the ball, giving the ball away in dangerous areas etc. Since those first few clean sheets, we’ve conceded a total of 48 goals to date in all competitions and 29 in the Premier League. Man City have conceded the least with 24, followed by Chelsea with 28 so it is not like we are calamitously leaky, but the manner of many of these conceded goals is what makes it a point of discussion. There is a general need for consistency which has been lacking in the squad. Gelling together as a team with new players is never a quick process, but that is no excuse for silly, avoidable errors. According to @OptaJoe, Arsenal have the most errors leading to goals in the PL so far this season (13). There wasn’t a list, but I thought it would be interesting to attempt a breakdown of the ones in question.
I won’t get into our vulnerability on set-pieces and whether it’s a zonal vs man-marking issue (We have conceded many goals due to poor or non-existent marking). It’s more about a general, solid, defensively-aware foundation that needs to be ingrained in the players and as a unit, whichever strategy we follow. It’s not a matter of talent but discipline and basics. But that’s been discussed at length and well by many so I won’t repeat it here. Apart from 4 of the goals conceded below, all the rest ended up losing us important points.
1) Daniel Fox is there to convert the half chance just before halftime after Szczesny spills the ball onto Jenkinson’s head and it falls to Fox on the left of the goal (FT Arsenal 6-1 Southampton).
2) Mannone spills Alex Tettey’s drive and Grant Holt is there to convert, 19th min (FT Norwich 1-0 Arsenal)
3) Vermaelen’s mistimed clearance falls to RVP in the 2nd min and he coolly slots home. (FT Man Utd 2-1 Arsenal).
4) Arteta loses possession to Bryan Ruiz at the edge of the area and then hauls him down when he tries to recover it. Berbatov scores from spot (FT Arsenal 3-3 Fulham).
5) We are defensively flat-footed for the long ball up-field and then Szczesny makes an unnecessary spill to gift Adebayor the opening goal in the 10th min (FT Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham).
6) Good finish from Gareth Bale but a misplaced clearance gives him the chance to shoot (FT Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham).
7) Arteta gets caught out in possession by Pienaar, and Sagna’s eventual clearance falls to Fellaini giving him the chance to shoot and score an equaliser from 25 yards out (FT Arsenal 1-1 Everton).
8) Jenkinson gets tackled on the byline in the Swansea half, loses the ball, gets up to recover only to slip again which lets Michu go clear. To be fair however, the rest of the defence are also to blame for letting themselves get caught up field (FT Arsenal 0-2 Swansea).
9) It’s Poldi errant ball back to Thomas Vermaelen that causes problems. It falls short and the Arsenal skipper fails to clear. After a few ineffectual attempts to clear the lines, Ramirez gets the ball just inside the area and beats the keeper with a good low shot (FT Arsenal 1-1 Southampton).
10) For me, Dzeko’s goal was the least worrying. We played much of that game with 10 men and though teams have been known to keep clean sheets with a player down, playing against the reigning PL champions is never going to be easy. We should have done better yes, but I’ve seen us defend far worse with all 11 men on the pitch (FT Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City).
11) Diaby gets caught in possession by Ramiez which starts off the eventual goal move. Szczesny then procedes to bring down Ramirez and concede a penalty that Lampard coolly scores from (FT Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal).
12) During the last of a few consecutive corners for West Ham, Giroud’s clearance finds Collison at the edge of the Arsenal area and he lets fly with a powerful shot that finds the net through a crowded area (FT Arsenal 5-1 West Ham).
13) The move for Liverpool’s opening goal in the 5th min starts with Sagna’s slip. Glen Johnson crosses over to Sturridge who sees his shot saved by Szczesny’s legs. However the ball flies to Suarez who fires home from the edge of a crowded area (FT Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool).
Football is a team game and it doesn’t help singling out individuals or highlighting their mistakes, but this article isn’t about that. It is simply making a case for better defensive coaching as a unit and individually as much on the basics than anything else so that such instances can be avoided as far as possible. Many of these were soft goals, but a few were caused first and foremost by lack of general defensive shape leading to putting one of the players in that position. Once we are more assured and organised as a unit, the individual errors will go down. Mistakes are inevitable but if Arsenal can try to stop the preventable ones even by half, it will help them tremendously not only in confidence but also in consistency. After the last two PL games, Arsenal can hopefully take heart and combine their confident attacking showing of late with the sort of determined and disciplined team defending that they have shown themselves capable of on occasions. We have never needed it more than we do in the coming months.
