Former West Ham defender Matthew Upson admits letting a two-goal lead slip in consecutive games is a big problem for Arsenal.
The Gunners just dropped points against the Hammers despite being two goals up early in the game.
It is exactly the same thing that happened in their match against Liverpool and the fixture ended with the same scoreline.
The Gunners have now dropped four precious points in consecutive games, which has allowed Manchester City to close the gap between the clubs.
If City wins their outstanding games, they will be just a point behind Mikel Arteta’s men and the Gunners will visit the Etihad in the league this month.
It is hard for Arsenal fans to stay positive, considering City has hit top form at the right time and Upson believes Arsenal’s recent poor performances are a cause for concern.
He said on the BBC:
“Letting a two-goal lead slip again is absolutely a concern – it’s that ruthlessness, that game management to be able to see that through.
“It’s been the one thing that’s been levelled at Arsenal for a number of years and they’ve put it right this season, 100% they’ve put it right and they’ve made massive strides as a group to be a better team.
“But after the way they started this game, the decision from Thomas Partey to try to nick the ball around Declan Rice, you’ve got to think ‘I can’t do this here’. It’s just those little decisions you make start to have a huge impact.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
This is the time we should be in our best form, but our inexperience is shining through.
We need to learn to hold on to leads better. If you are in a title race, you cannot drop points against West Ham.
“Former West Ham defender Matthew Upson”.
Did you forget he also played for Arsenal?
👍
Well well, here we are again at the business end of the season and we bottling it.
Seems Arteta learnt this from Wenger it would seem.
The guy is not capable of making a decision during the game that could influence the outcome.
How long have you been waiting for this clutching your knife sws? This is a work in progress and we are ahead of schedule with a young manager and a young team. You are toxic for even mentioning Wenger after all that he achieved not just for Arsenal but for football. Those less ignorant than you already know this . Easy 5o be a supporter when all is well, real supporters are there when the chips are down, especially…
We are still top. Their penalty should not have stood unless Rice can use his hands to win the ball. Regardless, yes, we blew a 2 goal lead twice, but we did not lose, not long ago we would of. Take your doom and gloom and support a sugar daddy team. The last I checked you plant a seed it is not a tree the next day. Go watch AFTV they are supporters as well apparently
If you are going to respond with bitterness, then rather not respond.
I can support which ever team I choose and am entitled to my opinions like everyone else, no more and no less.
To call me toxic and ignorant for expressing my views unfortunately, days more about you than I.
I will leave it there and ignore any posts you make to my comments as clearly you are too emotional on the subject of Arsenal.
Don’t let your love for the club blind your intelligence.
After years of making massive game changing errors it seems we still cannot stop shooting ourselves in the foot. Here we are with one hand on the EPL cup and somehow we just don’t have the belief and determination that we can get both hands on it!
City on the other hand won’t make the same “school boy errors” as us. They have the right attitude and common sense in how to deal with pressure. For Partey and Gabriel to make said errors in what will now surely be the game that changed our destiny, It’s highly likely that this was the closest we will get to winning the EPL for years to come? This is the year that saw Chelsea, Man U, Spuds, Leicester and Liverpool dip massively and falter. It has been us and City for months. We had an eight point lead three games ago but, we all knew it could change. It did change yes, but it has been the way in which it changed. Clearly, a certain cockiness and down right complacency in the squad is about to bite us on the ass (again) as we watch City swiftly pass us to the line, even though they are still in the FA cup and the CL semis. We should have more energy and time and yet watching West Ham today after we went 2 goals up, anyone would have though we swapped kits after 30 minutes. How does this even happen at this stage of the season? Oh, that’s right. This is Arsenal! 🙁
I think things are getting worse for arteta now because Man City have closed to us now and why most it be the same thing that happened to him against Liverpool happen to him today again I think if Mikel arteta lose this cub it will be a big shame for us all the arsenal fan because we don’t have any competition again than EPL which man city still had championship game and even FA cup I think Mikel arteta should have know his mistakes now and should not repeat itself again because because it as happen to him twice now if he continues like this we are gonna lose the cub and I’m gonna be happy with him at all
I think we miss big game and experienced players like Lacazette at thus business end of the season. We lost points against Everton, Liverpool and today against West Ham games which Lacazette with his experience and robustness could have helped us. Xhaka and Odegaard always play below par is tense games and that is a big concern. We can’t blame defensive players as we can’t seem to hold onto the ball upfront leaving the back line under a lot of pressure
It’s like Arteta doesn’t see that Xhaka and Ordegard usually perform below par in tense games. By the way what wrong thing has ESR done to Artera surely?
Now that the Elephant (Arsenal) who is still on top of the tree despite dropping 4 valuable points consecutively in the last 2 matches.
However, the Gunners and Arteta MUST regroup and retrigise to find the right solution to the anomaly which has suddenly crept into the Gunners game that has made them to dropped 4 points in their 2 races to out race the Citizens to the title race finish line and lift the title trophy at season’s end.
Therefore, Arteta and the Gunners MUST find and get the correct solution where ever it is. And use it to fix this sudden anomaly which has seen the Gunners dropped 4 points in their last 2 matches at away. And nail it to stop the rot from continuing when next they play hosts to the Saints. This anomaly that is threatening to derail us Arsenal Epl title win this season MUST henceforth be arrested and be put into jail permanently as from our next match at home against Southampton and onwards to season’s end.
For me, I am not panicking but remaining in the confidence mode.
Because I know and believe that surely, the Gunners and Arteta will as from our next home match against the Saints will recover and overcome this little blip that they are currently going through. And will come out of it to win all their remaining matches of the season. Including beating Man City at the Etihad.
Todays result is not the problem but the way we won 1 point from a safe 3 points for the second week in a row. Playing like relegation fodder from being 2 goals up, to the end of the game.
At least we won the St Totteringham day trophy back today. The league is secondary compared to that🥳
Arteta’s version of the rope-a-dope: after throwing two good punches we go onto the back foot and invite the opposition to throw punches.
We value possession over penetration…without the final knockout punch to kill off the game. Soft underbelly. Instead of being ruthless, we become toothless.