(Let me preface this reaction with that Man City were by the far the superior team man for man, tactically, physically, mentally, energetic performance, in all areas on and off the pitch, they get paid higher wages, probably have better looking wives/gfs, just in all areas, City were the better team today. Just a straight up, ole fashioned ass whooping, boys against men, insert any saying that resembles someone getting dominated by their opponent. So while I going in on Arsenal keep it all in mind that most of it wouldn’t have mattered anyway cause City are just better.)
Imagine a world where Arsenal were in a title hunt with about 8 or 9 games left to go in the season with Man City 5 points back, and they played 3 games where and inexplicably dropped points in each of those games, and and then you play against the best team in the world or direct rival to the title, YOU CHOOSE TO PLAY THE SAME PLAYERS WITH THE SAME TACTICS. Like how dumb/incompetent do you have to be.
“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”
There aren’t really words to describe the assault that took place at the Etihad stadium tonight with Arsenal getting battered by Man City with a gracious score of 4-1, should and could have been much worse. The title is well and truly over, I don’t have an issue with losing to a better team but the fashion we did it tonight was just well and truly embarrassing. So lifeless and useless when considering everything that was on the line.
THOUGHTS ON THE MATCH:
- I never want to see Rob Holding in an Arsenal shirt again: Rob Holding is 100% my scapegoat tonight for all of Arsenal’s failures, this loss is not all on him but it does start with him and ends with Mikel Arteta, let me explain, the reason why Arsenal couldn’t get the ball out of our own half, had trouble stringing 3 passes together was because we employ and played Rob Holding in our most important game of the season. We payed around 2m Euros for him from Bolton Wanderers and that is about what we have gotten from him in terms of value. When you have a team that is as disciplined and intelligent as Man City are in their pressing, all they need is 1 target to hound out and Rob Holding fit that to a freaking T. For City, it was so easy to press and get on top of us because they made it their mission to not cover or press Holding, what this means is that Rob Holding was always open when we were playing out from the back, Haaland literally stayed away from him, and what that did is gave two options, Rob Holding then would have time to fuck up a pass OR he would pass to Gabriel, Ramsdale, Partey etc. and then City would press like maniacs. City was able to maintain this press because they didn’t waste their time and energy on Rob Holding and saved it everywhere else which explains why they pinned us so deep so often and why they always won it back immediately when Rob would hoof it up to a City player. And whenever Zinny, Gabriel, Thomas, Ramsdale was under pressure, the only player that was open was Rob Holding, so they would then play it to him and then it was a revolving nightmare that would never end. Rob isn’t at fault for whole the performance tonight but he is the antithesis of the shit form we have been on.
2. Mikel Arteta is either stubborn to a fault or a straight up fool: Mikel needs to count his blessings tonight cause he is so damn fortunate he has gotten this team this far, this deep into the season cause if we were any lower in the table, I’d call for his head, just like I wanted last year. How can you go into this game after dropping 3 straight games the way we did to Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton and play the same team (Rob Holding) against City and expect us to win. As a coach, you have to suit your tactics to your players, not the other way around. You think the best managers in Arteta’s position would play Rob Holding?!??! Pep, Klopp, Ancelotti etc would rather die from bleach than have their soccer lives be on the line for some guy named Rob Holding.
“But Kent, what else was Arteta supposed to do?”
How about do your job and coach the team. Set up a game plan or tactics that would hide your glaring weakness. Create a game plan that hides your weakness but also suits the players strength. Even if you want to play Rob cause you have no choice, move to a back 3, and bring Tierney in. Or tell Ben White to play as CB and play either Reiss or Trossard or another living corpse at RB. Literally do something different than the past 3 games to prove that you aren’t a complete and utter moron. Maybe bench Xhaka and bring Jorginho to play next to Thomas. It’s all 20/20 vision now looking back but it for sure is better than what we did tonight cause nothing could be worse.
And even if there was a strategy/tactics in place that wasn’t able to be played out cause of City’s dominance, fine, but the players being outfought and outdueled none were in the right positions is still all on you Mikel. Man for man, all the players were poor, but Mikel as manager takes onus of the blame for all the decisions that were made. And to make things worse, when we were lucky to only be down 1-0 at halftime, he made zero changes, just unbelievable if you think about someone that supposedly wanted to win today. Just malpractice by Arteta
3. City dominated us in all aspects of life: (See Beginning)
IN-DEPTH PLAYER RATINGS (cause I need to go in on all the players):
Ramsdale – 4/10: Probably a little low cause of how many great saves he made tonight but I am still pissed with how much of an asshole that he was last week against Southampton that it applies here to this game.
Ben White – 4/10: He wasn’t the worst tonight and probably did the least amount wrong tonight. Did a lot of covering for Rob which sucks for Ben and couldn’t get forward as much as he wanted because of how much pressure we were under. And then his RW partner Saka for some reason was supposed to play on paper but for some reason, I didn’t see him on the pitch. I just talked myself giving Ben White a 5/10 because of how shit his teammates were. But then it was his foot that kept Stones onside for the 2nd goal, back to a 4/10
Rob Holding: – 0/10: the bane of my existence, please read above.
Gabriel – 3/10 – Just got dominated all night long as KDB and Haaland were taking turns having their way with him, he also too felt like he was covering for Rob a lot but Gabriel didn’t cover himself in glory when called upon, letting KDB run right through him for the first goal.
Zinchenko – 3/10 – Useless tonight, Pep must be laughing at how he just gave him to us and didn’t even feel the need to find a replacement for him.
Thomas Partey – 3/10 – He was dreadful when compared to how good he usually is but I do have sympathy for someone that was on an island all by themselves. He didn’t know whether to stick tight to KDB who was drifting all across the back 4, but Thomas couldn’t leave that space open so he was stuck. And then when he would try to help with Haaland, KDB would be running naked and free. It was just painful for everybody.
Xhaka: 4/10 – Everything Gundogan is, is what I wish Xhaka was.
Odegaard: 3/10 – Put in a captain’s performance that resembles closely to a captain that hid from his duties. He never got into the game, and coincidentally, neither did Arsenal. Also gave the ball up so cheaply for their 3rd goal.
Saka: 1/10 – The only reason he isn’t getting a 0/10 is because I needed to save that only for Arteta and Holding. Tbf, Saka didn’t play in this match but for some reason, the lineups said he did, and since I didn’t see him, he must get something for his efforts or lack thereof. A waste of my time. (HIGH KEY: He was ass).
Martinelli: 3/10 – He didn’t do much wrong but also didn’t get the ball.
Gabriel Jesus: 3/10 – Sympathetic to him cause the effort was there but the teammates and opportunity wasn’t. Had a few chances to cause some trouble but never got it right, feels like I am saying that quite a bit too often this season for him.
Arteta: 0/10 – How does Rob Holding last 90 minutes?
Jorginho, Reiss, Trossard: 6/10 – Provided way more value than the clowns they replaced.
Haaland: 1/10 – How can you be that good at football but be that ugly, goodness
KDB: 2/10 – Such a prick to play against when he is in this dazzling form, effortless
Chelsea: 5/10 -I can’t even laugh at these clowns for losing another game because of how bad we are as of late.
Kent/Arsenal fans: 0/10 – another 90 minutes we most definitely will never get back but also will be the reason why all of us go into some sort of early form depression/ anxiety that will be life threatening. That part might only be for me but still applies.
Champions League: 3/10 – We apparently qualified for the CL with the Brighton loss but these clowns have once again ruined any sort of positivity or happiness I could obtain because of how shitty they were tonight. Just end it all man.
featured image credits: Getty