Where is the wanker with the drumWest Ham fans asked this question 10 minutes before the end of the match at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal lost 2-0; This question was followed by loud cheers as the infield drums beat defiantly.
Just like the Arsenal players, the drummer here never gives up, never gets tired, never lets his level drop. But like Arsenal’s players, he seemed to have only one tune; It’s a phrase everyone on the field, including the opponents, has already heard a little too much over the last two seasons.
Relating to: Arsenal title hopeful as old Mavropanos wins West Ham
There are worse problems in life than Saka-dependencia. Firstly, an over-reliance on English football’s outstanding right-wing attacking midfielder also means Bukayo Saka is definitely in your team; and when he’s there he looks like English football’s outstanding right-wing attacking midfielder.
Good teams always depend on good players. This is how this equation works. Barcelona have been fatally over-dependent on Lionel Messi for at least a decade; This woe is only mitigated by the fact that they too won 34 trophies in that period, so there is something to build on. The difference with Arsenal, of course, is the sense that a question is still being answered, that this is all there is to a good team for now; still an asterisk in the story of championships won and trophies handed out.
West Ham did little that was unexpected here. But they also felt completely in control of their own destiny as they cruised to a fine victory by a single goal in each half. Faced with this, Arsenal spent the first half stroking his chin, doodling in a notebook, running through these complex, lateral patterns and waiting for victory to arrive. Sometimes it felt like I was watching the knockout stages of the world competitive knitting championships. Clicking sound. Here we go again. Another furrow, another row, another attempt to tickle you to death with our slightly abrasive red rope.
The most obvious obstacle to Arsenal’s ambitions is the lack of change in their attacking patterns. Every time Saka plays he has to expend a huge amount of energy to get past two designated defenders. One thing about having a ruthlessly crafted attack formula is that your opponents can also read it, pull it back, and predict the consequences. Here Saïd Benrahma and Emerson Palmieri were seen creating the pre-planned wall by literally measuring the distance between them with their arms every time Saka received the ball.
Saka never stopped coming, hit the post and didn’t have a bad game here. Actually, this is not a problem for him to solve. It was more the lack of a suitable centre-forward that hurt Arsenal against a team happy to sit deep. This is hardly a mysterious story or diabolical tactical insight. Arsenal don’t have a goal stick. There are no sharks. They lack an angry, selfish and terrible player who only acts ecstatic after wins in which he personally did not score. Perhaps a signing in January will bring its own problems. Who knows what kind of situation Ivan Toney is in right now? On the other hand, sign a striker.
This is not just a matter of attack. In possession, Arsenal looked like a split team at times, with five attackers and five defenders, and Declan Rice was handed over the job of establishing what a deep midfield should look like.
This is not just a Saka issue. Gabriel Martinelli is also a great player with his speed, cunning, stamina and courage. But he also seems like he needs to rest; and a rest that will not come, for if not he, then who?
It is this lack of diversity that could be hurting Arsenal right now. Liverpool have more flaws but also more goalscorers. Manchester City have a greater attacking range than any other team on the planet when the machine starts humming. Meanwhile, Arsenal have a 22-year-old player who has bruises on his ankles and has been suffering from headaches throughout the season as he constantly has to deal with the same problem.
Relating to: Arteta admits West Ham suffered one of Arsenal’s most frustrating nights
West Ham took an early lead after a lengthy VAR review to determine whether the ball had gone out in the build-up. The second goal was Konstantinos Mavropanos’ beautiful header from the corner. Arsenal kept coming, didn’t stop, kept going up the scales. The soul is perfect. He has good chemistry. But it was also a missed chance and a moment when the limitations of Arteta’s current best XI came to light.
This should be Arsenal’s hunger period, a series of crucial games in which City are still recovering from jet lag and five points behind. A buffer zone, an acorn pile of points, is necessary to have a real chance of staying ahead. Arsenal don’t tend to make big transfers in the winter window. This might be a good moment to start.