Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa Reaction | Arsecast Extra

In this episode we look back at the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday which, despite being our first loss of 2024, has caused a significant amount frustration and disappointment.
We examine the reasons for that response, reflect on game of two halves in which the Gunners can have attacking regrets in the first and defensive ones in the second, as well as discussing why it felt like Mikel Artets allowed the game to get away from us after the break. Then there are listener questions beginning with Oleksandr Zinchenko's performance and what that might mean for his future, who plays at left-back in the Champions League, home and away form, Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and lots more.
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[@kimtai254]

I also feel like the team has been performing exceptionally well in this calendar year and one game shouldn’t make us think that the squad is terrible

[@PakluPapito]

Been a while since I heard the 'Aaaaaaah' effect in the intro 😂 Had almost forgotten it 🤣

[@KarpeNoctem]

tbf until 115 is dealt with, competing against it is kinda pointless. We just simply don't have the depth to compete against 115. I am still immensely proud of these players. And I am happy that we are upset after a loss instead of feeling nothing a couple of years ago.

[@Bruhhello22]

Give more useless reasoning for bottling 😂 bottlers cry

[@afctaylor12]

I don't think it's about talent physicality or consistency. It's the fact we don't have a left back nor a cdm nor any cover the whole right side .

[@oakleygolden-pursey6636]

​@@Bruhhello22What are you even doing here on an Arsenal podcast? Says a lot about your life that you go this far to throw shade...

[@Gooner184]

Liverpool still managed to win things though.

[@tom11mansfield]

​@@afctaylor12saying we don't have a cdm is a wild statement lol

[@yesteryear]

when i lose a duel…

[@virupakshawalla5734]

When Vieira wins one i will have a beer and I am tee total

[@olayemiotuniyi7719]

…I’m upset

[@KarltonFranz]

That second half was easily the worst of 2024. All we can do now is hope it doesn’t spill over to Wednesday

[@alexcoyg3281]

Felt like we lost every 50/50 in the 2nd half

[@cranehero11]

every bounce of the ball went in their favor (except for those two shots off the woodwork ofc lol)

[@trinigooner8865]

We have limited resources! We're NOT Man City! Spending MORE money on ANOTHER LB would be financially negligent tbh! We NEED a forward...we NEED an 8! We NEED a more than adequate back up for Saka! LB can be sorted out between Zinny, Tomi, Kiwior and Timber

[@DurhamGooner]

Kicking the ball out, the fans around me went nuts.

[@davidkeith9015]

Yes I completely agree with mate this was a game we needed to take 1 point the invinsibles as brilliant as they were they took many a draw 1 point isn't a disaster

[@macm125]

I dont know why Saka has to always play when its clear hes not fit. Play gabriel Jesus RW and play either Jorginho or partey in the midfield

[@TheArsenal123456]

I really do wish we had Xhaka this season alongside Rice, Havertz has been great for us especially as a number 9. He was such an integral part of our team last season and seeing what he has accomplished in Germany is outstanding.

[@kunimitsune177]

Eww jfc no He had one good season in his entire time here in which he still cost us points ffs. Good riddance.

[@bedokboy75]

U can support Leverkusen from now on if you still like him so much

[@FreddyMacT]

was always a possibility that we bottled it in this run, but at home vs Unai... christ man, I just didn't expect that bad of a performance like they gave in the 2nd half.

[@jamesjohnson7556]

City was always gonna get to the top eventually, even so gutted for the players and the fans I just didn't see us going unbeaten in the last 8 games 😔 BUT we hope for a miracle from here on that's all that's left to do

[@SueMyChin]

Isak has played about 4 games more than Partey in the last 2 seasons. He's good but he's not what we need.

[@virupakshawalla5734]

We were linked with Isacc and Guimaraes a d they might have been better options than some we bought at price Newcastle paid. City have scored four or 5 bangers in last 2 games. Liverpool went through that phase. We really dont have enough good ball strikers. Tine to concentrate on it in training note? Jesus and Eddie can't shoot. Eddie hasn't scored since that banger as it shocked his system 😫

[@manlikedan2865]

PLEASE DISCUSS, so Saka seems to get alot of help from Odegaard and White overlapping yet Martinelli seems to get nothing on the left, isit just me or not???????

[@cranehero11]

Because Zinchenko is more often than not becomes an inverted FB rather than overlapping like Benny Blanco.

[@manlikedan2865]

@cranehero11 I know that, it just seems it's unfair when Martinelli becomes ineffective so often, how do we fix that is what I'm getting at

[@NphiniT]

We have too many good players that arent good in their position. We have Havertz, a midfielder that's better playing as a striker, Zinchenko, left back that's better playing in midfield, Jesus, a striker that's better on the wings. We need to be ruthless and get rid of them in favor of more honest players. Also, Martinelli and Partey seems to have lost form. It's gonna be a rough last couple of games.

[@dandane3819]

Do win 0-2 away at a team in the top four with both our starting midfielders not playing?

[@wyatt1973123]

As much comment about individual players.. we went 0-12 points vs Fulham and Villa. that is where we lost the PremL forget the Zini or others , our stars did not put the goals in.

[@mrprince6467]

Mate, alot of people said at the begining of the season : get a good striker or you will suffer, and indeed we are suffering, no one is good infront of the goal in this team except for Trossard.

[@virupakshawalla5734]

Live big Gabby but gets panicky when bums are squeaking. Zinchenko is a nightmare now. Jesus may never be the same as first half of last season, Rice had made mistakes from Porto on. We have quite a few things need sorted before we win the league including Arteta under pressure. I will take CL and third 🕺. We were one point ahead of city 7 to go last season. Losing it by 5 seems very possible. We probably aren't up to it mentality wise yet or squad wise. Still it's not iver yet but fear next 2 weeks might shatter us. Let's hope not

[@NphiniT]

We need another Dubai trip

[@o1freed]

Lmfao at the Wilhelm scream on repeat. This banter era goes to 11

[@hawkwind77]

Best podcast on any format 👌

[@hainers2711]

Tomi should start at LB in the CL and Kivior in the Prem until Tomi has match fitness. I do not want to see Zinchenko anywhere near the pitch anymore. He is a walking disaster on the pitch at the moment.

[@NphiniT]

Unless he's starting in midfield, which Arteta is clearly never gonna do. We need to move him on in the summer

[@hainers2711]

@NphiniT Even as a midfielder, I don't see him making it any further with the club. Arteta is playing a total football style defensively, and Zinny doesn't fill his defensive duties at all. Prime example is the 1st AV goal. If he was doing LB defensive duties, he is there to cut out the chance. Instead he was on the right playing between RB and CB taking away useless space.

[@NphiniT]

@@hainers2711 Can't disagree with that 😫

[@Tameem3000]

@@hainers2711 me and my brother always cheer when he does something right. that's how useless he is! takes too long on the ball and then passes to the same guy he should have passed to way before.(usually if you take longer you don't pass to the guy that made the run or was open 30 seconds ago). defensively inept, plays wingers on side. he is always the outlet for the other team when we pressure them as he doesn't mark his winger correctly. and that Aston villa game showed all his weaknesses. he tried to nutmeg in his own box while Saka was wide open for the counter, they almost scored from that(hit the cross bar and post). watch it again. absolutely clueless player.

[@Gigity1107]

This is the problem with not having an out and out goal scoring striker. I love how Jesus causes panic in the opposition defence, like he did against Bayern for Trossards goal. But its the bread and butter thing a No.9 is supposed to bring to the team that he just doesn't have, nor ever did. He's just not clinical enough.

[@SueMyChin]

Like Haaland. Whi was anonymous in both ganes vs us this season..?

[@Gigity1107]

@@SueMyChin who has 20 league goals.

[@SueMyChin]

@@Gigity1107 Irrelevant though. Your point is that you need a clinical player. Well even with the most clinical player you don't always win because they don't always get chances...

[@Gigity1107]

@@SueMyChin but that's literally the point. We do create chances, but they're not converted. Odegard alone this season has 80 chances created and only 6 assists. So chances created, not converted, therefore, not clinical enough.

[@SueMyChin]

@@Gigity1107 Yeh, and you take out one of the players for a number 9 and we will create less. Odegaard has 8.6 Xa and 6 assists. It's not like those numbers are miles apart..

[@prash_t]

48:00 zinnys mistakes are always costly with his positives yielding very little in terms of goals. KP must be laughing at our LBs. Artetas ego is responsible. He would rather play CB,RB or midfielders in that position then a fan favourite international player. Remember when Pepe lost possession against Leeds he was dropped and never played again whilst this clown makes mistakes after mistakes and continues to be picked. BTW no one is going to buy him he is on a high salary, plagued with injury and keeps on threatening to go fight in the war in Ukraine.

[@Tameem3000]

Him and Nketiah are not even a mid table team quality players.

[@llwyde1104]

Boys I know you don't want to be correcting vocabulary but at least don't compound the error by joining in😅 Reactionary doesn't mean over reacting...its something VERY different. You know it, I know it...😮

[@davidkeith9015]

My therapy I think we have been here before I love the show but in a nutshell the squad is not good enough Grealish comes on for City and Eddie comes on for us Saka Rice Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus and we rely on a very poor Jesus and mad as it may say why don't we freshen the situation up and bring in Ethan fresh and talented

[@NphiniT]

Arteta integrates youngsters way too slowly

[@thewisetzar5363]

Emery has had the last laugh, taken 6 points from Arsenal in the title race and knocked out Arsenal in a Europa league semi-final and won the competition back in 2021. Arteta's favouritism regarding the City rejects has costed us the game and this nonsensical Havertz midfield experiment that costed us 16 points in the first half of the season, we put Havertz at 9 and dropped only 2 points at the Etihad

[@kunimitsune177]

The last laugh in being at the smaller club, sat in 4th or 5th, who are probably going to fade into obscurity like clubs in that position usually do or be bottlers and perennial nearly men like Emery teams usually are? Seems like he has Arteta's number in head to heads but having the last laugh means a bit more than that.

[@matheus.bueno47]

Zinchenko is being played by Arteta because this is the team he envisioned in the beginning of the year, with Havertz playing on midfield and Rice as 6. Looking back now, there is maybe an argument to be had that Arteta was being naive to think he could bring in to speed Havertz to midfield with his last few seasons as a ST for Chelsea and Rice who has never played as a proper 6 in a possession side. Also, I don't want to sound like a hater as well, but Zinchenko is being played because Rice is simply not up to par as a ball progressor 6. If you seriously think about this part of his game, he really does not offer us much. Since Dubai his performances have not been amazing, out of possession he is a monster, but we struggle to progress the ball tremendoulsy with him there as a 6 and we have to pull Odegaard so far back and we have to play Zinchenko who is a clear liability now defensively. The fact that Arteta, who is so risk averse, feels the need to play Zinchenko tells us everything you need to know about the help we need progressing the ball in the 1st part of the pitch.

[@peaceforallbeings1]

The plan was to play Timber instead of Zinny because that's who started 1st game.

[@djedwjones5982]

Careful, you’re in danger of taking pelters here. We don’t have final form Rice yet, the Moyes PTSD is real and in Europe especially we’ve seen he reverts to a spoiler who looks nervy on the ball. Saka is our boy but the idea we can’t rotate him in the future shouldn’t be off the table - he’s been playing in moments all season and looked injured half the time. Bayern away is looking tough

[@vivek2115]

No sound? 😢

[@olu9983]

No audio

[@LanesraVek]

Sign Ait Nouri

[@Kders]

Oh, Wilhelm… 😭

[@yesteryear]

i would rather them blink 6 games out than 2-or-3 games out, we need to locc in now.

[@Audiostyleable]

Only one answer, buy mbappe and play martinelli/jesus/havertz in 9 on rotation

[@lauhiuyan25]

We have to make braver decision in selling. Last summer should have sold Ramsdale and Partey while they still have market value. Same this summer for Zinchenko, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, and possibly Jesus.

[@colourlessbluethings]

That wasn't booing. They were saying "boo-urns".

[@infamous_e]

😂

[@MrTkeddo]

To spend months and months in contention we get to April and we collapse , this is fan abuse 😢

[@virupakshawalla5734]

Villa played Thurs nsde me confident we would win that one.😧

[@manlikedan2865]

This not me blaming Havertz at all, and it aint his fault but I told my mate I wernt sure about Havertz in midfield.

[@SueMyChin]

He was our most dangerous player....

[@Changed_my_name_to_Bob]

We went away from our in form squad - paid the price - it is time to move on from Zinchenko - keep Jesus on the wing - leave Havertz up top - We need Spurs to do something vs Man City now - shit

[@Tabish29]

This intro always has me falling out of my chair...those shrieks!!

[@TheRickydamen]

Is this a respectful silence In tribute to yesterday?

[@kunimitsune177]

How do people still not get that the audio is fine, it's an issue on KZbin's side and all you have to do is wait a few minutes??? There is no silence.

[@TheRickydamen]

Calm down

[@rrm1903]

​@@kunimitsune177you can tell people if you know of this issue without being AH about it. It's not like everyone lives their life on YT to know the underlying reason behind everything. Learn to laugh at jokes and don't take football so seriously that you act like this to strangers.

[@kunimitsune177]

@TheRickydamen In what world do I seem in any way not calm? Like that doesn't even make sense as a response?

[@kunimitsune177]

@rrm1903 P.s. you don't have to be terminally online to know about this incredibly common thing on that happens all the time on one of the biggest websites on the planet over the span of 15+ years. Nice implication though. Good hypocrisy.

[@Heni930]

As a mirage deceives a thirsty traveler, offering a false hope that crumbles upon closer inspection, like wise we were chasing a mirage, only to be met with disappointment. Lured by the shimmering oasis in the distance, we press on, oblivious to the emptiness that awaits until the truth shatters our delusion, as usual. I said it before, and I repeat it again, Asymptote Arteta, a NEARLY man, so close, yet so far to cross the line. 'Desgracia' 😳

[@KarltonFranz]

Sell Nketiah, Rambo, Zinchenko, Nelson, Cedric, Partey. Sign a #9, sign a fast and ideally versatile winger for competition and options on the counter, Sign a LCM. Sign a backup 6, sign a LB

[@diehardgunner4844]

I will say it again. Declan Rice cannot play 6 for Arsenal. He was exposed by Bayern on the counter and again against villa. He cannot progress the ball. Therefore all villa has to do is force zinchenko to play left back and defend and our midfield ball progression dies.

[@kunimitsune177]

Obligatory "fuck xhaka". Only player to actually blame the fans for his own performances.

[@taipaleenmakips]

Yet City didn't make you concede 2 to Villa. There's levels to this Andrew.

[@Arseblog]

I never said that

[@taipaleenmakips]

@@Arseblog No you didn't, but seemingly implied.

[@pissh]

man what in the actual fuck

[@pissh]

i still believe city will lose one but y do we do this to ourselves