Is Arsenal struggling to come up with a Plan B for games?

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Amadou Onana of Everton competes for a header during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on February 04, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Everton surprisingly beat Arsenal in their last Premier League game, a result that meant Mikel Arteta’s side lost for only the second time this season in the league.

The Gunners remain one of the clubs to watch in European football, considering how well they have performed in the league and Europe.

However, the game against Everton proved they are a one-way side that will not win matches when a team gets into their head and stops their original plan.

This also happened in the game against Newcastle United, with the Magpies earning a draw against Mikel Arteta’s side.

Journalist Dean Jones has now suggested it could be a clear sign Mikel Arteta’s side lacks a Plan B.

He tells Give Me Sport:

“Newcastle was the same, they frustrated them. They got into them and broke up the play. Arsenal didn’t really know how to come up with a plan B. So, I think that’s going to be the big test for them in terms of tactics.”

Just Arsenal Opinion

We have won too many games this season to be criticised for lacking a back-uo plan.

In the game against Everton, most of our players simply did not perform well, leading to defeat.

WATCH – An amusing and informative look in the aftermath of the Everton defeat – from JustArsenal’s new Irish friends @DublinArsenal (official Arsenal supporters’ club)

CAN’T CHEW THE DYCHE TOFFEE! By DublinArsenal

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Tags Dean Jones

17 Comments

  1. Does he really think there are only two possible plans?

    My view is that losing GJ was losing the key the Everton defensive gate.

    Plan B, if we must talk in those terms, is playing with someone up front who isn’t GJ.

    No offence to a certain Edward Nketiah, but he’s not the solution to the parked bus problem.

  2. Arsenal players a beautiful passing game, they score beautiful goals, that’s plan A, recently our boys shoots from distance, examples of those are goals from Ødegaard, Saka, Tierney, Partey, Vieri and many more, that’s plan B…. The only plan left is crossing from both wings which a lot of fans hated mostly during the time of Giroud, a lot of plans called him lampost.

    Arsenal is doing well so far, we drew 2 and lost 2 so I don’t see this urgent need to change our tactics because we fail to win against Everton. I noticed our fans are the most gullible, they take to heart whatever they read in the media. Support your team and let go of the media.

  3. I am of the idea that Arteta does lack a plan B. At one point in time I believed our thin bench was the weakness. However the Everton game showed that Mikel has difficulties adapting his tactics for a specific type of match. A coach must be willing to tweak his game plan to suit the current challenge.

  4. Why come up with a Plan B when Plan A is so effective?
    Anyway, we often change our tactics during matches with the substitutions that take place.

  5. Arteta likes his players 5′ 9 to 5′ 11 he tries to get like for like replacements. We have no plan kitchen sink. If we win the league there will be no argument. For me we need a few disruptors and physical menace. A 6ft 4 plus midfield giant and a 6ft 4 aerial presence to put up front.

  6. When the gaffer tried to add Mudryk to the attack that’s a different dimension he was aiming to tweak in our attack.

    Still there are times when we need to move the ball quicker in our attack.
    A very mobile defensive midfielder too could enhance our style of play.

    Have note with intrest how Onana was not only strong in tackling but his sheer pace forward was devastating against us.

    1. One thing that happened and most seem to be missing, is the change of formation since GJ got injured. We used to have the 4-2-3-1 formation where Jesus would play as a sole striker, with Odegaard operating as a middle attacker. I don’t know why Arteta switched to 4-3-3 formation, hence playing Odegaard out of position.

  7. Some how it’s true, not critiquing Our team but we seem to be lacking the edge to pass past resilient teams..playing well but failing to find gear 2 to beat tactical teams, look at games Vs Newcastle, Mancity(FA) and Everton.. we played well but could not find an alternative tactics to see these games done…
    The earlier we find a solution to beating resilient team the better..No plan B at the moment..

  8. One thing that happened and most seem to be missing, is the change of formation since GJ got injured. We used to have the 4-2-3-1 formation where Jesus would play as a sole striker, with Odegaard operating as a middle attacker. I don’t know why Arteta switched to 4-3-3 formation, hence playing Odegaard out of position.

  9. I think Arteta is a good coach but lacks plan B,look at Newcastle game and this of Everton if teams defend deep our coach doesn’t have a plan to me I that Everton and Newcastle context he was supposed to change system to 4-2-3-1 and move from 4-3-3 coz our both wings were cut down so he was supposed to add more in midfield as he remove odegaard and bring on trosaard like after 60 minutes then that would break that back line of those teams which defend deep hence we create more chances on goals

  10. Arsenal should train a lot on strong and shot on target shoot so as to bring their shot on target close to 100% and increase their goal scoring chances
    .if they don’t shoot on target the chances that they have rearly got against such a defensive team winning would be impossible ,Nketiah shoot the chances he got near the goal over the bar later Nketiah superbly passes
    Two defences and passes the ball to odegard and he shooted the ball with his favorite foot only for only the ball to go over the bar . this problems with the un forced errors giving the ball away simply costs arsenal a lot while this problems can be corrected on training the coach should give a lot of emphasis on this .

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