Why Arsenal's Problems Are Even Worse Than You Think

[@bythecliff]

This is the exact problem that Barcelona faces. Xavi is trying so hard to be Man City. But Barcelona are just too static. Players are locked to their positions. They are slow in at passing, barely tries to progress the ball on their own and ends up moving left to right and back.

[@chris.48]

Couldn’t have said it any better. And that’s what’s wrong with this possessional managers they all try to copy Man City instead of finding their own solutions and way. Michel Sanchez and Alonso for example their teams have the most possession every game and control the game but they play nothing like city and I love their style of play.

[@HerbalMCFC]

The thing is, it's the only way Xavi knows how to do. But he's just not Pep. Exactly the same with Mikel. They've watched, learned and listened to Guardiola so much that it have shaped and formed them, but none of them have the qualities to do what he does. It may come with time, but I doubt it. I'm a biased City fan, I know. But Pep have changed they way I look at football and he's just amazing. It's almost impossible to do what he does, even when you know him and have watched and learned from him for years.

[@chris.48]

@@HerbalMCFC exactly. They’re just not pep. And I don’t think you’re a biased fan.

[@EvHateisForbidden]

@@HerbalMCFCI’m a Arsenal fan but I have to agree, Xavi and Arteta have genius complex, they wanna seem that they’re as smart as Pep and can be even better than Pep with Peps tactics, but you can clearly see that Pep’s is the real one and those two are pretenders. Arteta is a great coach but not for Arsenal level

[@msnbarca23]

Its not about competing with guardiola, its that theyve been under his wing for so long that hes shaped their tactics to replicate his. Xavi and arteta just lack the experience with using this style of play.@@EvHateisForbidden

[@simonspoke]

This season, Arsenal have generally slowed down their passing for more control which has allowed the opponents they face to get all 11 men compact behind the ball... That's why they are not putting the ball in the back of the net! Last season they were faster and more explosive. They need to strike a balance between the two. EDIT: Yeah, you kinda said this by the end of the vid now I've watched it all. lol

[@lw_2]

Which arsenal players do you think are suffering the most because of the current style of play?

[@exo.dus.1180]

​@@lw_2 Martinelli for sure, haven't seen a game this season where hes impressed a whole lot. More of the play is focused on Saka's side and this slower, less direct football hinders or counters his explosive nature I think

[@lw_2]

@@exo.dus.1180 I agree, but do you think another factor is teams are giving arsenal more respect out of possession like they do with Man City. Do you think if Arsenal had a better striker things would change slightly?

[@chris.48]

Yeah 💯. I heard someone say Arteta is a pussy and he couldn’t have said it better. In search of control and not conceding a lot he was abandoned what made them good last season and couldn’t find a way to balance both

[@simonspoke]

@@lw_2 Honestly, I think the whole team is suffering. Their passing through the lines is stifled, so everyone seems frustrated. The only way another stiker might help is when Saka and Martinelli are doubled up on the wings, it leaves a spare Arsenal player in the middle, if they can transition the ball quickly enough to that spare man, it might open up space for another striker that's more deadly in the box to convert those chances. But that's IF they can get it into the box quickly enough without being crowded out.👍

[@abidogunabu3128]

Your in-depth analysis is top notch...I always learn something from the videos

[@RansomMemoryAccess]

The Arsenal fans could do with this lesson. So tired of the Rice worship juxtaposed to slamming all the attacking players and crying out for daddy to buy new and better toys.

[@francisc9851]

Spot on. Most arsenal fans thinking the problem is Jesus or/and zinchenko. But rather it’s the way we play that brings these issues

[@LuxTheSlav]

Jesus might not be the reason we don't win, but Zinchenko _is_ the reason we lose. He can't defend, at all. And he's not exactly TAA level to excuse that, either.

[@francisc9851]

@@LuxTheSlav I can only agree that his mistakes and defending have cost us some goals, but never a loss. Against west ham, we couldn’t score. Against Newcastle, we couldn’t score. Against villa , we couldn’t score. None of these losses were zinchenko’s fault

[@LuxTheSlav]

@@francisc9851 Is a 0-0 a loss? Silly mistakes that cost goals when you otherwise dominate possession and defend well are exactly what turns a frustrating draw into an infuriating defeat. Though we did get robbed against Newcastle, and Zinny wasn't involved.

[@francisc9851]

@@LuxTheSlav the thing is that his role in the team makes him make a lot of risky passes, cuz he’s our deep lying creator I get he’s been making a lot of mistakes as of late, but what he brings to the team is too much for us to replace him rn. We just have to support him

[@LuxTheSlav]

@@francisc9851 I take more issue with his inability to stop crosses and cut-ins. If we didn't have Rice, Saliba and Gabriel, we'd be shipping goals like a relegation side. Raya's inability to gather loose balls and crosses doesn't help.

[@qasimansari7540]

As an Arsenal fan I found this analysis superb and to the point. For me, we should try both: aim to get a killer striker now (after all we did get Auba in January) or reduce our need to control and play with a bit more risk will some killer passing if we fail to get someone. Such times are the makings of a great manager. Arteta must sort it out.

[@Itspetespective]

I think Xhaka was so important to the way we want to play. I actually like Havertz but in that left no8 role, I don't think he's as good as controlling the game, and progressing the ball. Hence Ødegaard drops deeper than he was last season. Also the link up between Xhaka and Martinelli was excellent, it looks like in recent games we are back to the season before last where we are over reliant on the right side of the pitch

[@willyvonfalknerheim4128]

Do you think they will improve over time the chemistry

[@Itspetespective]

@@willyvonfalknerheim4128 I hope so, maybe we need to find a different way of playing or go in the market for a no8. I think having Partey back will definitely help though, maybe in the short term playing Jorginho centrally and Rice on the left.

[@kiranpandiyan159]

People were laughing at us when we were saying how much was Xhaka was truly important he was the one who made it click. Arteta is taking a huge risk with Havertz, you really need a slick passer in this team while most of Havertz passes are too safe and too slow.

[@jacobalexander4167]

I don't think havertz is the problem or missing xhaka, I feel most of our players are too young, inexperienced and immature to adapt quickly to new tactics and its not a coincidence the more matured ones have adjusted well, but the younger ones like martinelli are struggling massively, I think they need time together and I also feel we'd be better, come the second half of the season due to the break in January

[@acastello129]

True - Xhaka left half spaces crosses to the right hand side back post for a tap-in and cutbacks to Ø is what made him so great last season - coupled up with his duels and physicality in midfield is what made us so dominant last season.

[@stephenremnant8151]

As you point out Rice isn’t a defence splitting passer he’s a ball winner who can pass the ball. What Arsenal need is a defence splitting passer that can play next to Rice so he wins the ball hands it off and they can then get that ball

[@kwesiackon1296]

The guy is Partey, how I wished that Partey-Rice-Odegaard midfield would have played together this season, but unfortunately Partey is always injured..

[@kyr17n]

Still alot of time to delete this video now before Arteta sees it

[@gavinmcclement]

Arsenal are missing Partey’s ability to break the lines. But that still isn’t going to win the title. They’ve also changed the system and it’s not suiting certain players. Martinelli being the prime example. They need to go and get Vlahovic out of Juve (not an over-priced and out of shape Ivan Toney).

[@asant90]

Partey is not that good 🙄

[@madeupstory9510]

​@@asant90To be honest, he is decent. Definitely a player to upgrade on but no rush.

[@madeupstory9510]

Juventus are in a title race and are trying their best to close the gap on Inter. Why would you think that they would just sell a player of his quality for any less than 90m£? Heck, they might even go for 105m£ if Arsenal want to sign him in January.

[@kwesiackon1296]

​@@asant90He actually is, not easy to find a 6, who can do what he does on the ball. I don't think he will save our season, when he comes back, because it may be too late, but will definitely be a massive improvement..

[@wildchild3862]

screw vlad.. give us evan ferguson!

[@KamranRaja-n5u]

One major flaw in your analysis is you're using a pass by Zinchenko to highlight the impact or lack of impact in a given area for Rice. It would be more accurate to compare the contribution of Rice with Partey, who was the holding midfielder last season. Also Havertz is now playing the Xhaka role, might be worth comparing there roles. Lastly, perhaps Arsenal are less direct/vertical and incisive in their passing because teams are more wary of that threat and are now sat back and more compact, making it harder to penetrate with vertical passes.

[@felixbotch6334]

Teams have always been aware of that threat, hence the need to transition quickly from defence to attack, an ability which they lack this season, lets face it as great as Declan has been this season, the style they play has not allowed him to play those quick and killer passes, Partey,Xhaka and Zink use to play last season

[@wildchild3862]

true.. however if you watched arsenal at their best last season, the one touch passing play between ødegaard and partey was at the center of it all. The two of them have incredible chemistry and was able to beat the press so easily, there was so many actions where partey and ødegaard are outnumbered and surrounded by aggressive press and they just dance their way out of it and all of a sudden saka or martinelli is in open space. That salt n pepper chemistry between partey and ødegaard is the biggest difference from last season.

[@deegosnippHD]

@@felixbotch6334the style we play this season has not allowed rice 😂😂 he can’t do it he is the reason we play that style 😂😂😂 we slow and lethargic

[@alexfulgoni5417]

You're absolutely spot on, this is what I've been banging on for ages about. Having absolute control works perfectly with an unreal and dominant finisher/presence up front - hence why city adapted to this to suit haalands game. However Arsenal do not have that same player and as a result its restricting martinelli and saka to play their game. Currently if Arteta wants more control I don't see why he doesn't test Havertz up front as he isn't impactful playing the 'Xhaka role' and is a physical threat for defenders to deal with.

[@JulianJamesProd.]

Did you see Havertz at Chelsea up front? U don't want to see that buddy. Honestly i don't get why Arteta bought Havertz, but i hope he proves me wrong.

[@anghannyang5098]

This shows that Liverpool is so underrated when they came so close on the 18/19 seasons then finish so strong and win the PL at the next season with so many games left. Arsenal has a long way to go to reach MC and Liv’s height. Give credits where its due.

[@jahdoclarke371]

Why is it people are afraid to say Decan Rice is the problem? When it is obvious he is the issue. Declan is great at things we dont need him to be great at, and poor at things we rely on our lone 6 for. He is great when we dont have the ball, ball winning , tackling, shielding the defence (but we have the ball a lot). He isn't great at splitting defences with his passing or speeding up transition from defence to attack. Something our forwards like Martinelli need to be effective. I would revert to a 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 formation and play Declan in a double pivot with a better passer along side him (Jorginho or Partey). Similar to what Wenger did with Coquelin and Carzola. Declan could run around and regain possession and give it to the better passer to make the incisive passes. It really isn't that big a issue when you assess Rice honestly. The problem is we have talked ourselves into thinking he is the best thing since slice bread, not looking at the impact on the squad.

[@kwesiackon1296]

Spot on.

[@felixbotch6334]

Finally somebody pointed to the big elephant in the room😂. Declan is great, and there is no doubt about his abilities. However, his abilities and potentials are not being maximized for what makes this team successful, which is quick transition from defence to attack, this why Saka, Martinelli and even Odigaard have suffered in goal scoring. The build up is so slow that by the time they get the ball, the defence has recovered to "pack the bus", making it hard to get quality chances and score more goals.

[@claverGUru]

Top top analysis. I also noticed this same thing during the Westham game, the Westham defenders barely moved while we were in their final third, it was really to compact you could hardly see any space.

[@Dogmatix-24]

The analysis is spot on. Arteta is trying to turn Arsenal into what it hasn't been for decades- a sluggish and laborious bunch. Last year's meltdown has made Arteta paranoid about game control yet we let West Ham and Fulham slip through. It's unlikely Arteta would own up to his mistaken ideas so, goodbye beautiful football and goodbye winning the League.

[@youandme9569]

His arrogance wouldn’t allow that introspection and I’m afraid that would be his downfall as a manager

[@Mzakt71]

"Last years meltdown" was a 2nd place finish to a treble winning Man City. I don't think Arteta is crying over it, he's a grown man. get a grip

[@JulianJamesProd.]

To be fair, Man City without KDB also struggle to get anything from playing against a low block all game. So you really need a genius to consistently break these low blocks.

[@most5795]

This is the same issue Wenger had when arsenal had a reputation for trying to walk it in the box. Every goal kind of looks lucky or a scramble in the box

[@Bluemoon4415-s5v]

Pep is taking the p!ss out of football. He is so far ahead (of even his former assistant) that when they attempt to copy him he moves on. What everyone is missing is that Pep looks at his players and works out the best winning system using them. Everyone else (except Klopp) is doing the opposite, more fool them.

[@youandme9569]

Well when you have a world class player at every position you can afford to do that . The mistake Arteta is making trying to copy that when he doesn’t have stolen Arab oil money to spend and waste somebody like Kalvin Phillips on the bench . There is a level to this and people just need to realize it

[@Bluemoon4415-s5v]

@@youandme9569 oh, you a bitter one! City had a large investment 15 years ago, we are now a profit making, trophy winning club. Our treble winning season earned us £300 million in prize money alone, our academy is SELLING many players for £30/40/50 million. A lot of our world class players were not world class when we bought them, we developed them. Add to that the fact that Chelsea and United have spent similar and the real reason for our success is clear: manager and structure (in that order). I take it you are a gunner? Either way you need to show respect, as I was showing, your comments are libellous at best and bordering on racist.

[@youandme9569]

@@Bluemoon4415-s5v Not bitter, just stating facts !! If might you inconvenience to you but everything you just said is no different from any money launderer. If doesn't matter if City's next 10 championships come from prize money and sales, they will never be legitimate.

[@Bluemoon4415-s5v]

@@youandme9569 “stolen Arab oil money”, “money laundering”, “illegitimate”; when unproven (and wrong) those are the words of a bitter person. Take my advice pal: accept our superiority and live your life, you will be a happier person.

[@paulstephen100]

Best analysis of Arsenal's current ploblems I'm seeing

[@joem3063]

Fantastic video, Adam. So much is nearly word-for-word like discussions I've had with a good friend of mine who's an Arsenal fan. I'm not convinced that even inserting a big dynamic CF would solve this issue. City are able to benefit from Haaland's presence because their other players are so good at moving and finding space. Arsenal are miles off from doing that

[@helloplease1xsjdsds]

Arse'n'hole: sells Xhaka - gets much worse Leverkusen: signs Xhaka - gets much better

[@Rorschached]

I'm always thrilled to see that you've put out new content, and as an Arsenal fan, this was spot on.

[@chrispybaconrules]

I don't think you're completely wrong but you're also missing the key point; we don't have a LCM and most of our worst games are when our LB is unable to invert successfully. Our left side has been nullified, meaning everything goes through the right and that makes it easier to defend. Add to this the fact our attackers ARE misfiring is why we're not scoring. Note that we've missed multiple big chances in every one of the last few games - it isn't that we're not creating them, we're missing them.

[@victorovich90]

Gonna say Xhaka>Havertz is probably an equal drop in incisive passing to Partey>Rice, as Xhaka, while it wasn't the main part of his game, would regularly drop back and help distribute.

[@darynmiller5151]

Did you guys really have a graphic saying Arsenal were second in chances created with 450, then had city in third with 455?

[@FourFourTwo]

Oh ffs that's meant to be 445. I've still got new year brain 😩

[@YesOkayButWhy]

Too much of the Yorkshire marching puddings.

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

@@FourFourTwo Maybe you were thinking of 455 new charges against them?

[@nerdherdsman]

In the chance creation stats you have an error with either Man City's number of passes or position. You have them at 455, below Arsenal at 450. 455 is more than 450, last I checked, so something hinky went down Edit: also at 4:10 you have Gabriel Jesus twice.

[@kelvinkorir8134]

More control is playing in the mid no key passes. No one is prepared to take a risk and loose the ball. Those are attributes of harvetz and rice. We now rely on Oodegard and zinchenko as creative players. Supply of the ball to forward line is the very slow that's why martinelli runs into defenders

[@MaxGravitas]

Great analysis. To put it simply, Arsenal has overcorrected on the control and possession side and are now playing it too safe in the middle third not making the through balls and balls over the top. The handbrakes are on. Havertz and Rice are playing it too safe, too slow to seize the moment for a key vertical pass. Look at Xhaka at Leverkusen now who are a revelation in the Bundesliga.

[@Seids_89]

Loving these breakdowns, thanks. Seems pretty clear to me that Rice’s lower attempted penetrative passing is not because he lacks the ability or will to make those passes but because of instructions. Those type of passes from that position obviously result in lower completion and higher turnover rates, which would be juxtaposed with the additional control Arsenal are aiming for. Seems the addition of Havertz into the left sided 8 was theoretically meant to compensate for the reduction in penetrative passes from deeper midfield, and whilst that hasn’t been a complete failure, turns out it can be much harder to play those passes effectively 20-30 yards further up the pitch. Furthermore it seems that the player profile of pretty much every player in the “front 5” except Odegard better suit the transitional style of play we saw last year, particularly Martinelli in my opinion.

[@washingtonochieng5106]

Arteta would have stuck with the last season system bearing in mind we have Declan Rice and Saliba who are good on transition control

[@Aircool212]

You've got to wonder how Jurrien Timber's presence was going to influence how Arsenal play. They bought in Havertz and Timber overs the summer so you'd presume that both of those players were expected to be working together when attacking on the left flank. The back line was different for the first few games of the season with Ben White at centre back and Partey at right back. It really does seem like Arsenal had recruited and set up to play a certain way, unfortunately, with Timber's injury, we'll never find out what that plan may have been. What we can say, as you correctly pointed out, is that Arsenal's attack is constantly stalling against a tight defence; with the wings shut down, Arsenal don't have a Plan B for attacking down the middle. Perhaps that would have been a different story if Timber hadn't picked up an injury. I don't know how Timber plays, so I can't say if Arteta had something specific in mind for how he should combine with Havertz, Rice and Martinelli in attack to open up a deep defence. At the moment, Jesus, Nketiah and Havertz whilst being good players, don't seem like the 'right' players. The lack of goals compared to the amount of shots they have isn't really a problem of accuracy, it's that most of the shots are in such crowded areas that they're never going to get through the wall of defending players so statistically, shouldn't really count as an attempt on goal. These Arsenal players can score goals as they proved last season, but the bottom line is that other teams know how to snuff out the sequence of play that leads to Arsenal goals.

[@michaelglynn7010]

Agreed Arsenal slowing down their play so they aren’t as explosive going forward has definitely made it easier for teams to defend against them when compared with last season

[@junzzo3772]

It doesn’t work as well and it’s really boring to watch

[@04foreverinvincible69]

@@junzzo3772boring ???? It’s terrible

[@vojtanovak8934]

2:46 Open play passes leading to the chance 1. Liverpool - 493, 2. Arsenal 450, 3. City 455, how does this work? :D

[@YesOkayButWhy]

445*

[@Seveds]

Arsenal fan, Teams now appreciate Arsenal's quality and have more respect for them. Last season teams thought they could always get a result vs Arsenal and so gave them space. And now there doubling up on Saka and Martinelli which is a contributing factor to the drop off. Last season it was Saka getting past players and getting in behind for a chance. Martinelli used to collect the long balls and use his pace to get one on one. They just can't do that anymore.

[@marwanfakhradin2543]

I think one of the reasons for that is the double attacking midfielders in the Formation kai havertz isn’t equal to bernardo silva He is the main reason that man city can greatly pressure their opponent and be better wit his ability to completely control that right side channel both in defence and offense and become an outlet of creativity Havertz in the other hand is a static player in the offense and absolutely useless dare i say in the defence Insted of the double pivot of the last season that gave arsenal the ability to invite pressure on themselves and get the the other team in transition

[@aokaparagit]

Havertz was not signed to be the Bernardo Silva man. Stop chatting dust

[@PegasusSnoops]

The fact that you said Kai is " absolutely useless dare i say in the defence " clearly shows you dont regularly watch Arsenal games. Which is not a big deal until you start trying to talk about something completely false

[@marwanfakhradin2543]

@@PegasusSnoops oh fuck of i nearly watched every arsenal game this season missed maybe two or three Not because i am a fan of them particularly just because i want city to lose

[@attila-man]

The big problem is that Arteta is trying to be Pep but he isn't willing to shave his head.

[@Jozua86]

Timber being injured pretty much his whole Arsenal career is really disappointing. I think he can really help them forward once he is back.

[@SaltmixerVSC]

Im starting to realis more and more why they are intested in Jones from Liverpool

[@jeffreytsao5710]

At 3 minutes, Arsenal open play chances 450; Man City open play chances 455. Arsenal are above Man City. What am I missing …

[@marianchicago4002]

Basically there are 2 problems that create others down the line, Declan Rice is very good player BUT his passing range and willingness for those long thru balls just isn’t there, what he is the ball cycler, second problem is Kai Havertz, good player but he might need a system built around him and be the big fish in small pond versus a big team and system where parts can be interchangeable, i think him playing as an 8 high up is actually robbing Arsenal of that connecting midfielder in Xavi role and it is also limiting the freedom Odegard had last year to roam and create, thus limiting him also. You see what happens to City when Rodri and his long, decisive passing range isn’t there to feed those two number 8 players.

[@brelshar4968]

Moyes gave everyone the blueprint on how to nullify slow, plodding, dull Arteta ball.

[@rocketiain84]

Roy Keanes 2022 assesment of Rice done with proper stats and graphics 😂😂

[@simonkennedy2465]

Great analysis. A simpler answer is available. Play a creative left #8. Give Viera a chance to integrate into the team, as has been offered to Havertz.

[@georgilito]

We've seen Viera play before and he's never been good. Easily out muscled, poor positioning and doesn't press properly.

[@blast473]

ESR is fit

[@thelastjerkbender2505]

Gotta go shopping in Jan or hope to get one in the next transfer window. And unless Kai Havertz decides to get his shit together halfway through the damn season, their title hopes will remain just that.

[@tteccompany4049]

The best solution is playing Kai in Odegaard position and ode switching role with havertz because we’ve seen havertz play that role in Germany . And he is better at both feet as he can make crosses or he can play havertz as a striker as he can lay passes down for the next man Arteta need to change the tactics I don’t believe the issues is the players but I think Arteta is not utilizing the players to their full potential .

[@Parsa-je1vd]

@@georgilitozinchenko could play there i think

[@paulnova7536]

Arsenal are 2 injuries away from a total disaster.

[@TheKh65]

You can say that about all the top 6 teams. You really thought you ate there 😂

[@anghannyang5098]

Same goes to other club Where liv cant lose virgil and salah Mcity cant lose rodri and kdb Arsenal cant lose, saliba, rice

[@willydafunkykid]

you are right, spot on, but.. it's still true that Arsenal strikers are not prolific.. Our wide player can be tho, at times

[@stacyliddell5038]

We have conceded more goals and scored fewer goals than last season. That control narrative seems shot to pieces. We are so predictable and we have been sussed out. Double up on our wingers and we are toast because we have no plan B. Our bench has no radically different players so it's always like-for-like. We need our own system, we can't copy City and win the title because they are the best team at it. That's why Klopp's Liverpool that won the league was able to do it.

[@captainsmoke1612]

Xhaka was the only one smart enough to play and receive these passes. Watch Xhaka's movement before such a Zinchenko pass. Havertz doesn't freaking know what to do in these situations.

[@PaddyVieira4]

Back in the day we played with too many AMF players. We had Rosicky, Hleb, Nasri, Fabregas and the like. We were excellent at playing intricate fluid football because these players while diminutive were technically superior to the current Arsenal. In tight spaces they could accept the ball anywhere and keep it moving. They could move the ball quicker due to their technique. Declan Rice and playing CBs at Fullback, having one dimensional players like Martinelli, and sometimes Saka, albeit both have great quality in what they're good at. It's the same with Rice. However the team has become too rigid and is lacking fluidity due to reduced technique. Going for strength and directness over technique and flair. He's lost that balance. If you're gonna be direct you have to be clinical. Marc Overmars wasn't technical as let's say Nasri or Hleb, but he was direct and knew where the goal was and created panic. He could pick a pass in the final 3rd to. He was clinical.

[@commentarytalk1446]

Still needed that striker, to mix up the goal threat and control requirements and different opposition. Imho their "shopping" of Havertz sunk 60m which should have been used/saved to get a top striker. Definitely a big miss with Timber and Partey albeit Rice has been useful without Partey. But even with that that striker was always missing...

[@greenshootz]

Agreed. Without Partey and or a striker, we have no means to get the ball forwards quickly enough.

[@silverhost9782]

Between the Havertz and Raya signings, Arsenal have tied up almost 100m on players who haven't actually improved the squad (yet). Getting a great striker in will be hard because of FFP now

[@killabuddha88]

THANK YOU, been saying this since Arteta's first season in charge, we have big issues creating 'clear' chances since Arteta joined. Last season we outperformed our xG by 15 goals, that means our players were more clinical than they should expect to be given the chances they created, this season we've reverted back par for xG. So while we've had exceptions like against Liverpool where we created more than enough, overall, chance creation is our biggest problem

[@micah.101]

I cannot believe this is the same Arsenal side that played at home against Leicester at the start of last season... They played some of the best football in Europe and now Arteta is so fixed on ALWAYS playing the way he does now... Why is he incapable of changing things sooner? Jorginho offers that penetration, Odegaard or Havertz should be subbed at the 50th minute mark anytime Arsenal find themselves struggling to get through the lines quicker.

[@washingtonochieng5106]

You nailed it brooo! the system is not working properly for the boys that is why Arsenal players are struggling on pitch...their game is slow and boring nowadays

[@kazimraza6278]

You sir have earned my subscription with the excellent analysis!

[@soongwanjun9381]

@6:43 I agree that Rice stat shown that he is more actual defensive rather than attacking or contributing to create more chances for other teammates to attack, still worry though if this continues and Fabio always not fit or injury we need more attacking players or box to box but not one sided mind

[@Samwilson28]

Declan rice and left back are the problem. Rice is not progressive like Thomas partey. Left back is a problem as either zinchenko or kiwior are letting in easy goals and crosses. Without timber and tomiyasu, it’s difficult. Poor finishing from Saka and odegaard is a problem.

[@fastd3vil]

Nice. Finally a good analysis.

[@vallneeyfernandes7421]

Very well explained mate

[@lawallasisi7526]

Arsenal problem is tactical, from 2016 to 18 Liverpool played like last seasons Arsenal because teams were not afraid of them so their forward had space to run into but now teams are sitting deep, thats why Klopp unleashed Robertson and TAA to cross more which resulted in more assist whiles what Arsenal needs is powerful attacking fullbacks or city approach using technical midfielders like de bruyne,silva,gundagan,foden,that's what Klopp is doing now by signing szobosla,macallister and granvenberch because when the opponents is sitting deep you need technical energetic midfielders to carry the ball forward

[@manumohan4597]

They way you have understood xG seems accurate but the way it's compared is not totally right. While xGs accumulate with every shot, an xG above 0.35 is considered a great goal scoring opportunity. So if you consider Jesus xG of 4. And Martinelli at 3. You could presume they had around 8-10 good goal scoring chances. And Martinelli had 6-8. Of these high scoring chances their conversion has been 4/8-10 around 40-50% conversion. This for a title ambition team is very poor except if you have a salah.

[@kwekuannan4692]

Thank you, just thank you. For added context, Sakas tap in goal vs Fulham had an xG of .8something from 3 yards away. I know it "seems" he nearly missed but in the pre-xG world that chance is as sure of a thing you can get, still only .8somethin xG. This exactly highlights the fact that xG above .35 is a great chance (which a good/great player should be finishing far more often then not.) For more context, Haaland's prem xG last season was 25 goals he scored 35. A good/great player should be beating their xG everytime. To make things worse there were at least 3-5 goals he should have scored that he didn't.

[@kwekuannan4692]

To sum it up, we have many problems INCLUDING our GOAL SCORERS.

[@zhilong]

Arsenal has so much money on players other teams can only envy that power, if only Levy would invest in football half of what Arenal does.

[@afc4life_uk]

Another great video Adam and this is quickly becoming my favourite channel. Everything you said made perfect sense and we can see that Arsenal want more control but it's affecting the chances we create. People are blaming Jesus, Martinelli and Saka but they're not getting the good quality chances to actually score. They haven't suddenly just forgot how to score goals. I am dubious about spending big money on a striker in January because unless we change the way we play (which won't happen as Arteta has his principles) then even Halaand would struggle to score in this Arsenal team.

[@YesOkayButWhy]

6:58 cyborg exposed

[@mehulsingla6539]

Is it just me or does this guy look too much like Roberto De Zerbi? Makes him seem even better at analysis. Great video

[@Gideonsmythe]

Well I've watched every minute of every Arsenal match so far this season and I'd say you're spot on. I've been yelling at them to back off, draw the opposition in to our half and then hit them on the counter, Jesus, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli and even Eddie Nketiah are all far better in dynamic, fast attacks. I think a cheaper fix maybe to find a more creative midfielder to sit next to Rice. Someone like Partey but without the injuries. This would release Havertz to play up front (where he's always looked his best) and for Jesus/Saka/Martinelli to rotate positions and minutes on the field. That should be enough to keep us in the top 4 and then go big on a striker in the summer.

[@freddieellis869]

The Horseshoe, AKA 'The Arc of Dispair'

[@musicprodstuff]

As a Geordie I especially love your videos, always great, well researched and thought through. As an audio person could you roll off the low end when you mix or get a pop shield as it drives me a bit mad 😬

[@MrCheegz]

Arsenal are a world class manager, an elite striker and a real captain off winning a big trophy

[@youandme9569]

Wtf is a real captain? I didn’t know captains come up with the game plan and select players. Ffs I don’t even know who Man City captain is

[@MrCheegz]

@@youandme9569 you can't buy captains, they're made

[@badooh2561]

I believe on-screen data at 2:45 either mixed the numbers or teams in “open play passes leading to a chance” stat.

[@sharkmiiiscool]

Shame about the Thomas Party injury, he's really a specialist at forceful penetration, they could really use his skills

[@jamesw3546]

I really like how you explained this. Great video!

[@aljames171]

But Arsenal had 30 some touches in the box vs west ham defensive block and just couldn't finish.. it had nothing to do with breaking lines pass.. no suprise they couldn't break the line vs fulham because zinchenko wasn't there..

[@alexchoo7190]

And this is why Rodri is still the best CDM in the world,levels above rice.

[@leonmeyers7009]

Adam C. has done it again!❤️‍🔥

[@WS12658]

I know it's easy to say now, but when they signed Rice I was a bit sceptical. Every time I've seen him play, he slows play down so much and only ever passes backwards or sideways... He's good defensively, and has the odd wonder goal in him, but he needs a creative player beside him. The fact that he often ends up being next to the centre backs when Arsenal have possession and are looking to go forward is baffling.

[@SullyJ8]

Agreed, This is because he is actually a centre back, he passes like a centre back, he runs forward like a centre back usually charging through the line like Joel Matip or Harry Maguire (God forbid). He drops off like a pro and herds quite well. He is a CB....

[@chuak.c7349]

100% agree. Rice slow arsenal attack, reason why arsenal can't score lots of goal. Side pass, back pass 100 million overpriced player. Drop him plse.

[@tonicdb]

@@chuak.c7349I think he’s our best most consistent player to be honest.

[@DjokerFan]

9:01 were you evolving there😮

[@victoriyanuoyedeji3685]

Now, I believe I'm going to do well as a coach. This just validated the theories I had about Arsenal's gameplay in the last 7 matches and how it limits the kind of teams they can win.

[@S0L12D3]

Partey and Timber are massive misses so far this season. Without Partey, we cannot play exactly how we want to. And without Timber, we cannot defend as successfully as we had done in preseason. Overall, we play well. We defend well, we control the ball well. We simply lack a finishing touch. That of which Jesus doesn’t provide…. He’s a brilliant player, but not a striker for me. I could write an entire list of how many chances we’ve wasted this season!!! Martinelli and Saka provide a lot on the wings but we never finish our chances because we don’t have a striker who’s guaranteed to score!!! Defense definitely wins titles, but so does offense. If you can’t score there no use in defending because you won’t win anyway!!!!

[@WS12658]

"Defence definitely wins titles, but so does offense." - that's as insightful as saying "those who score more than their opponents win" 😂

[@RobertField-g2i]

Ffs another clueless plastic who after watching Timber for 47 mins against Forest thinks is world class

[@S0L12D3]

@@WS12658 no, it’s saying that you can have the best defense in the world, but if your offense was poor. You won’t win shit.

[@MikeWiggie-d2j]

Possible solution could be playing Jorginho at the base of the midfield. He can play these more incisive forward passes and then Rice can let the handbrake off and get forward more.

[@ekemodeolatunji5788]

The Declan Rice probelm..

[@moosa9850]

If only Arteta and the training staff could watch these videos.

[@BenWhite-mz7bu]

I'm sure arteta, the arsenal manager, knows more about what's happening than him

[@thetopfootycoach]

I think Arteta wants them to play this way but unfortunately the wide players are still young and naive whilst Jesus isn't really a goalscoring 9. Rice probably plays that way because of the manager's instructions because his progression was different at West Ham

[@virupakshawalla5734]

Fulham didn't play low block and that was our most impotent performance. Against West Ham low block we created more than enough chances. Finishing is the problem

[@dannync95]

2:47 Arsenal - 450 in 2nd place Man City - 455 in 3rd place Make that make sense.

[@tswelopeleseleka9641]

Forgot about Jurien Timber, as soon as he comes back we will see improvement on the left side as well as dominance, he is a perfect mixture of Zincheko and Rice.

[@floorusmat]

Thank you for the great video football analysis Jon Richardson 🙏

[@damianduguid6253]

you should work with one of these clubs as a tactical analysis guy. your video on Newcastle the other day and the role of guimares was eye opening and i saw the issues you highlighted in the games against liverpool the other day. love you vids

[@Theredbastard2023]

love your work Adam. You're bloody brilliant at break downs.

[@Goonermenu]

You cant use stat to explain everything. With the eye-test, there are several chances Arsenal forwards get but they rather take an extra touch/dribble or pass, which statistically makes it not viewed as an xG . Chances were a lethal finisher takes a shot and at least test the GK, the likes of Jesus,Odegaard and even Saka dwell too long on the ball. They dont have that 'killer' instinct. The only one with that 'killer' instinct-Martinelli, has been confined to stay wide so far this season.

[@ariseyhun2085]

4:09 Gabriel Jesus has 3 goals this season, and Gabriel Jesus has 2 goals this season? Lot of mistakes in this video including 455 > 450.. just double check it before hitting render and before hitting publish?

[@edsonbwalya382]

A double pivot of Rice and Partey would be extremely powerful for arsenal as Partey splits defences and we could use declan rice as a sweeper

[@FFCFulham94]

Rice would be an absolute dream to play against in midfield. You know you can sit off him because he isnt going to do any real damage to you at all. Every time ive watched him he only recieves the ball when in acres of space, he isnt press resistant and the back 4 know it so never give it to him in tight areas.

[@kwesiackon1296]

Exactly, isnt press resistance, thus Odegaard drops deeper to receive the ball from the CBs, something Partey use to do.

[@FFCFulham94]

@kwesiackon1296 said this all season. The front four has lost all affect now odegaard is deeper to cover for rice's lack of ability on the ball.

[@kwesiackon1296]

@@FFCFulham94 Yes, but him and Partey would have been a great combination, because of Rice ability to win the back the ball, when at times teams are in transition, if he passes the ball to Partey, he will be able to pick a pass, without any resistance, thus i was confident that we would win the league, but I now, i think Partey's return will be too late, but it will definitely improve us.

[@ShaunLevett]

Seems to me like Arteta has been very good at replicating Pep's playstyle, but when he has to change it daddy's not there to help him.

[@chilled99]

And also Pep doesn’t really change his style because his players are that good, whereas Arsenals aren’t quite as good or experienced. If you play Pep at his own game he will always win

[@JoshAFC]

Our best form, last season, we played a system that was changed from cities lol. In fact we're changing our style and system to be more like city not less lol

[@JoshAFC]

​@@chilled99pep changes his system constantly, the principles never change. Nor have they for arteta lol

[@ikw2828]

Shocker the assistant coach played how he knows how to play 😱😱😱

[@chilled99]

Styles and Systems are different things. All mangers change their formations sometimes multiple times within a game - but the style is something more like pressing, pass and move and so on. Style doesn't change to say low block or long ball. Style is something thats evident over multiple matches and is usually a reflection of the manager, systems can change more often. @@JoshAFC

[@ivanobella4216]

your analysis is spot on. Arsenal need Partey and Timber back as well as a target man

[@Growlizing]

Its hard to overstate how differently Arsenal are trying to play compared to last season.

[@tonywager5283]

Xhaka used to play the progressive through balls. That's the change

[@Bentossaurus]

So basically, they need a ball playing right back that can play in midfield like Zinchenko, dropping Rice to the back 3 in possession, and a Osimhen type guy up front. Guess focus on the RB in January first?

[@lukehannay1779]

Didn’t know martinelli had changed his name to Jesus

[@anamilendwandwe7982]

VAR we were 3rd in open goal chances😂 I love your content bruv!👊🏾

[@EthanSchaner]

It seems like to score goals Arsenal needs either Rice to create a play in build up or someone needs to boot it to Saka and have him make a play. Other than those two plays their offense seems stagnant.

[@nanhunter87]

Two points, both of which are completely unrelated to the topic, despite the fact that I'm an Arsenal fan. 1. Even after all this time, I am still surprised to click on this channel and hear Adam from What Culture. You absolutely hid your ball knowledge on that channel 😂 you were just our favourite Northumbrian minstrel. It's not been the same without you and in fact I've drifted away from WC since you left and Jay being less involved from a presenting pov. 2. Holy shit, Neil Morrissey in your local? Wow. Such a top bloke, and incredibly funny. Perhaps not a rare occurance in your next of the woods, I guess. But yeah, totally understandable that match is abandoned when he turns up.