In the match against Fulham, Arsenal found themselves conceding the opening goal in just 57 seconds. While the Gunners managed to stage a comeback and alter the course of the game, they eventually shared the points in a 2-2 draw.
Mikel Arteta’s team has been diligently striving to establish a solid and challenging-to-play-against identity. However, a recurring issue for Arsenal has been their tendency to start matches slowly.
A report on 90 Mins highlights that the early goal conceded to Fulham is not an isolated incident. This goal marked the third occasion this year that Arsenal has allowed an early goal within the first minute of play, setting a new Premier League record. Notably, similar instances occurred in matches against Southampton and Bournemouth in the previous season.
This trend is concerning for Arsenal, as conceding goals in the opening minutes can put them at a significant disadvantage. The Gunners will undoubtedly aim to rectify this issue and avoid allowing such early goals.
Just Arsenal Opinion
This is not a good habit, and we must work on ensuring we eliminate it as soon as possible.
We have the players to help us achieve this and we expect Arteta to work hard with the boys to eliminate these slow starts to games so that we can be more proactive in the beginning of them instead.
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The latest goal was born out of confusion as a direct result of square pegs in round hole, an Avenue we’ve been down before.
No, it was a direct result of a shocking back pass from Saka.
Irrespective of what system you’re playing, the manager cannot legislate for one of his players playing the opposition clean through on goal.
Artetsa seems determined to prove he’s a football genius.
He had a team that was six points from winning the title and added three really good players. With Declan Rice upgrading the defensive and central midfield, Kai Havertz adding quality and depth to the front line, and Jurrien Timber adding depth and versatility to the back four, the club looked like it did exactly what it needed to do to improve on last year’s performance and challenge Man City for the title; again.
Then the season started and Arteta benched half his successful center back pairing (Gabriel Magalhaes). He exiled Kieran Tierney from the team (and moved him on in a loan to Real Sociedad). He took his best holding midfielder (Thomas Partey) from last year and moved him to fullback, and played a young, unproven center back (Jakon Kiwior) at right back. He played his right back (Takehiro Tomiyasu) at left back. He played Kai Haverts at center forward, an experiment that failed miserably at Chelsea, and took his right back (Ben White) and moved him to center back.
The bottom-line results are not so bad on the surface – two wins and a draw from three is a good astart to the seaosn, but Arsenal squeaked by Crystal palace, barely escaped Nottingham Forest, and even with the benefit of playing against 10 men, drew at home to Fulham.
This is not Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United, and Chelsea. These were teams Arsenal should beat. And they managed it. Just, just, and almost.
This harkens back to the Aubameyang benching in terms of poor managerial decision making. Arteta deserves some leeway given last season’s results, but his selection was curious to say the least. This feels like someone desperate to prove he is the reason for the team’s success, not someone who is content to perform his role and give credit to the players for the team’s success.
Hi Paul,
I agree with you totally. There are good and bad about MA trying abit different in this early stage. We should have taken advantage n put out our best 11 but he’s also kot wrong trying to test certain players and tactics this early. But still I think MA should have rotated and sub Hav and not use him repeatedly where there are wonder boy Emile on the bench. M nt sure about Emile is he totally back to fitness but I think Emile will provide a different dimension for Arsenal.
I believed this Arsenal can do much better than last season but again leaking goals like this is going to be challenging to fight against City Newcastle.
The positive side this early stage Arsenal is not playing the best and in some testing phase and yet we still manage to ring out good results compare to last season.
It’s all very well to criticise the selections and formations. However, it is unclear why people keep suggesting unhelpful personal motivations for the tactical decisions. It is also noteworthy that you haven’t referenced the injuries that have occurred or Gabriel’s somewhat suspect form in preseason.
As for the the reasons why we have conceded certain goals the new system may have had something to do with it but they were primarily down to sloppiness and bad errors rather than the set up per se.
I am also not sure why you are bringing up Aubameyang. He was not performing, behaved poorly, was benched and then transferred. Yet you and others keep referring to this as poor managerial decision making.
I wouldn’t say nor conced that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s match playing personnel essuffulment this season, that is different from that which he adopted last season and finished 2nd to Pep Guardiola’s Man City team who finished first to win the Epl title has failed, NO! It hasn’t failed as us are only 3 matches played out of the 38 us will eventually play. The Arteta’s Arsenal game playing personnel resufflement/rearragent has not yet fully matured. Hence, Arsenal are 2 points behind the current table toppers Man City who have garnered the maximum 9 points from the 3 matches they’ve played. The same 3 that Arsenal have also played.
Against Man Utd at the Ems next Sunday, Arsenal will definitely come very good in the game to spank thee Red Devils. And will spank them absolutely in the match with Arteta seemingly fielding the Arsenal starts he started at home against Fulham yesterday Saturday. So heretofore, let us support and trust the Arsenal manager.
Blind support, because his arteta we should stupidly support every single nonsense he does because his privileged to be arsenal manager, until he starts winning trophies 🏆 and become consistent challenging at the top he hasn’t earned such a Blind followership, time given, money spent, power given, no single youth player promoted by him, in all his full season yet to reach any final or win a trophy…
He won FA cup in 1st season & the Shield recently. How quickly some 4get.
We’re number one😜
I said full season, the cup run he won was not started by him, that was in his 1st 6 months not his full season
To get back to the issue raised in the article, I think it’s significant that we have conceded goals to 3 of the lessor lights in the EPL with respect to the Club’s concerned.It would appear that our “superiority complex” has led to a disregard for defensive basics and our failure to treat the opposition with the respect they deserve has rebounded on us.It’s up to the Manager to set up his team mentally for the battles ahead by emphasising the fact that there are no easy games at this level.Concentration for 90 mins plus add one is imperative.
and there’s game it couldve been worse. There’s a lot of useless backpassing the first few minutes of every game at the emirates. Think we need to reconsider starting games like this
We are definitely vulnerable to the early ‘sucker punch’ goal, and the one against Fulham won’t be the last. It may be that because we don’t have a settled defence, and are constantly playing (often makeshift) defenders out of position. The crazy tactic of playing Partey at right back, and omitting Gabriel altogether, although he is fully fit just doesn’t make sense. It’s also worrying that Arteta has morphed into a bit of a tinkerman with his odd selections and substitutions. While it’s true that the loss of Timber was a bitter blow, it doesn’t explain letting go of Tierney, and even Holding, who apparently could be off to Luton. We appear to be taking a chance that the injury-prone pair of Zinchenko and Tomiyasu remain fit.