Arsenal are near perfect; they really are. The Gunners have proven as much this season.
They have lost just one game, that ghastly outing down on the south coast at Brighton. Besides that, their defence has been the best in Europe again.
Their midfield, buoyed by the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes and the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly, is even better. The attack? Well, as it has shown in three consecutive games now, needs a bit of work.
That, however, is no surprise if you are familiar with how Mikel Arteta‘s side played last season.
How Arsenal’s attack faltered again
Against Brighton, Arsenal’s defence came under scrutiny for the way in which they lost 3-0. Yet, it was the forward line that ended up being the biggest talking point.
The Gunners wasted several crucial chances, namely through Bukayo Saka on the counter-attack in the first half and then through Kai Havertz late on.
Against Leeds it was a slightly different story, not just because Arteta’s side won but because on this occasion, they actually struggled to carve out opportunities to score.
The Whites deservedly took the lead through James Justin after a first half that lacked a cutting edge. Arsenal’s play in the final third was too slow; it was too predictable. They did, however, rescue all three points courtesy of Riccardo Calafiori and Guimaraes.
They required a late rescue act against Lille too. The first half played out in a remarkably similar way to the game against Leeds just a few days ago.
In the first half, they did not force the visiting goalkeeper into a single save. Wave after wave of crossing opportunities went begging and Viktor Gyokeres was left starved inside the area.
So, after Jurrien Timber’s fine opening goal, on came the cavalry. Subbed on alongside Havertz and Martin Odegaard, Saka scored and assisted off the bench.
The Gunners were able to turn it on when it mattered most, scoring three times in the space of seven minutes. That doesn’t bode well for those on the fringes at the Emirates.
Why Madueke and Gyokeres are to blame
Last weekend Noni Madueke was given the chance to show what he could do on the left flank. In all fairness, he did not have a bad game.
He was a real livewire on the wing, completing both of his dribble attempts, registering four key passes and completing five of his six crosses.
The story couldn’t have been more opposite when he played on his favoured right flank on Tuesday. One thing you can always credit the winger for is his directness. He was direct again in the Champions League but his final ball was non-existent.
The England international lost the ball on as many as 21 occasions, which is hardly a surprise when just one of his 15 crosses found a teammate.
He did assist Timber’s goal, but that was the only positive about Madueke’s evening in north London.
As a result, it left Gyokeres visibly exasperated at times. The Swede has been hounded for his movement and technical ability since arriving at Arsenal but even the most staunch of Gyokeres haters would have had sympathy with him on Tuesday.
|
Madueke vs Lille |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
65 |
|
Touches |
58 |
|
Shots |
1 |
|
Shots on target |
0 |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Accurate crosses |
1/15 |
|
Successful dribbles |
1/3 |
|
Carries |
27 |
|
Defensive contributions |
0 |
The striker didn’t actually have a single shot in the game, which, when you consider the abject creativity of Madueke, is hardly a surprise.
While he only had 12 touches, Gyokeres was feeding off scraps. What is he meant to do when you surround him with a pair of inconsistent wide players?
Still, Madueke was not the only one to blame.
Madueke and Gyokeres hid 3/10 Arsenal star
A 3-0 win in Europe looks routine. In truth, it was. At times, Lille did make things tough for Arteta’s side, but in the end, the only team who were going to stop Arsenal from winning this one was Arsenal.
The last three games have provided us with all the evidence necessary for why this team needs to go out and buy an elite forward signing in the winter transfer window.
However, while Arteta must stop playing Madueke on the right, he must also stop playing Mikel Merino in the no.10 role.
The Spaniard has been a mighty fine servant since arriving back in English football and is firmly ready to take on the mantle as the club’s new Mr Clutch after Leandro Trossard left over the summer.
For Spain, he was in phenomenal form over the international break, scoring three goals in four matches. Yet, playing slightly out of position on Tuesday, nothing came off for the World Cup winner.
To be brutal, this was one of his worst performances for the Gunners yet. Playing ahead of Eze and Odegaard in that attacking midfield role, he did not do himself justice.
The 30-year-old completed just 81% of his passes and provided his teammates with only one key pass and a dismal expected assists (xA) tally of 0.02. We’ll come back to the point we made earlier. What is Gyokeres or anyone in the forward line supposed to do with service like that?
To make matters worse, Merino should have scored too. After being found with a cross from Timber, he had the freedom of the penalty area to head home but stuck the attempt straight at the ‘keeper.
The Spaniard will no doubt have better days in Arsenal red but this was a really poor display, one that showcased why he should either be played as a striker or further back in midfield; he cannot start as a number 10 again.
So poor were Gyokeres and Madueke that it rather allowed Merino to escape criticism but he should not be immune to that, even if Arsenal did win 3-0.
