Arsenal defeated Chelsea 3-2 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal. This is a good victory, although the Gunners conceded two sloppy goals. Kepa, who Arsenal signed in the summer, could have done better in preventing both goals. Regardless, the team is well on course to make it to the Carabao Cup final, where they will likely face Manchester City. Arsenal also played out a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League away from home. Without further ado, let’s analyze this win in our Arsenal Report 1: Seven Points Clear article.
Arsenal Report 1: Seven Points Clear – A Tale of Two Defenses
The Gunners’ defense performed quite differently in the Nottingham Forest draw than it did in the win against Chelsea. Arsenal conceded two sloppy goals against Chelsea, despite the victory. However, the Gunners defended much better against Nottingham Forest. Nottingham Forest didn’t get a single shot on target.
This defensive performance is the main positive from what was otherwise a poor performance from Arsenal and a frustrating result. Now, let’s move on to discussing how Arsenal’s attack did in both games.
Arsenal’s Attack Performed Well Against Chelsea But Struggled Against Forest
The Gunners’ attack was effective against Chelsea, scoring three goals and putting Chelsea’s defense under major pressure. Ben White scored his first goal since his return. Additionally, Gyokeres scored and provided the assist for Zubimendi’s goal. Gyokeres’ performance was great to see, since he has struggled in front of the goal in recent matches.
However, against Forest, Arsenal’s front three were ineffective. Martinelli missed a sitter and Madueke didn’t do enough to justify starting in place of Saka. Also, Gyokeres didn’t have a very good game, either. Arteta made a mistake by rotating the front three this heavily, especially considering that the Champions League match against Inter Milan on Tuesday hardly matters.
Arsenal Report 1: Seven Points Clear – Arteta Blundered By Rotating the Front Three Against Forest
It is somewhat understandable why Arteta rotated two of Arsenal’s front three against Nottingham Forest. Saka and Trossard both started in Arsenal’s victory in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final against Chelsea. However, the Champions League match against Inter Milan is virtually irrelevant, since Arsenal are guaranteed to finish in the top eight of the Champions League league phase table and are therefore automatically through to the knockout stages.
Starting a front three of Martinelli, Gyokeres, and Madueke against Forest didn’t work. None of them played well. Arteta also made some questionable substitutions, including subbing Merino on 20 minutes before he subbed Eze on. Hopefully, Arteta learns not to rotate the front three in the Premier League again under such circumstances. Arsenal likely would have beaten Forest if Trossard, Gyokeres, and Saka started in that game.
Arsenal’s Striker Situation
Arteta has substituted Gyokeres after giving him about 65 minutes to play in multiple matches. However, that tends to negatively affect the team, since Gyokeres occupies the opposing defense, even in games where he doesn’t contribute to a goal. Therefore, it’d be best if Gyokeres played at least 70 minutes per match when starting.
Since Arsenal are still participating in all four competitions, being careful with Gyokeres’ minutes makes some sense. However, Gyokeres is more than capable of playing 70 minutes when he starts. Additionally, Havertz should start getting more minutes, too. Havertz recently returned from an injury, but he needs playing time to shake off the rust. Havertz could play a vital role in helping Arsenal win at least one, if not several major trophies this season.
Arsenal Report 1: Seven Points Clear – The State of the Premier League Title Race
Arsenal is seven points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa. This is good overall, although Arsenal failed to capitalize on Manchester City dropping points in its previous two matches. Considering the points gap, the fact that Manchester City has a far more difficult run-in than Arsenal, and Manchester City’s injury woes, the Gunners are the clear favorites to win the Premier League title. Hopefully, Arsenal can extend the gap between themselves and the chasing pack even further. We will see.
Arsenal Faces Inter Milan Next
The Gunners’ next match is a Champions League clash against Inter Milan away from home. The outcome of this match doesn’t matter too much for Arsenal, since Arsenal is already guaranteed to finish in the top eight of the Champions League league phase and automatically qualify for the knockout stages. Ideally, Arteta will rotate heavily in this match. It is best to ensure that Arsenal’s strongest eleven is rested ahead of a crucial home game against Manchester United in the Premier League.
Check back next week for the second installment of our Arsenal Report series.