The first time in a while I'd put put some faith in Arsenal

[Bergkamp Was Best]

Why oh why did I do that?

[SWv2]

Indeed it was easy to understand a sense of optimism – a good run of results coupled with a decent level of form which peaked with Spurs at home, the additional pre-game boost of Lacazette being passed fit despite all sources ruling him out of the match.

Unfortunately the game then started.

To gift any side a 2 goal lead is regrettable, to gift one of the top sides in the country even more so, irrespective of how well we then played.

[Peter]

Indeed it was easy to understand a sense of optimism – a good run of results coupled with a decent level of form which peaked with Spurs at home, the additional pre-game boost of Lacazette being passed fit despite all sources ruling him out of the match.

Unfortunately the game then started.

To gift any side a 2 goal lead is regrettable, to gift one of the top sides in the country even more so, irrespective of how well we then played.

The hope was false and it ignored the obvious signs from most of our recent games- pretty much all of them in fact. At 1-0 we completely collapsed against Huddersfield, gifting them the ball again and again for a sustained period. God knows how they failed to score during 32nd to 38th minute and again in the first five of the second half.

We give the ball away repeatedly. Its just something we do. United knew this and just sat up the pitch waiting for us to do it. Admittedly, they worked the situations beautifully once they had won the ball but good sides will do that. The basic fact is you just cant afford to keep doing that. As long as we are that sloppy in possession and that careless about the situation around us we are going to struggle against anyone half decent.

The rest of our game was excellent and I really have no idea how we didnt score in that first half.

[World's End Stella]

The hope was false and it ignored the obvious signs from most of our recent games- pretty much all of them in fact. At 1-0 we completely collapsed against Huddersfield, gifting them the ball again and again for a sustained period. God knows how they failed to score during 32nd to 38th minute and again in the first five of the second half.

We give the ball away repeatedly. Its just something we do. United knew this and just sat up the pitch waiting for us to do it. Admittedly, they worked the situations beautifully once they had won the ball but good sides will do that. The basic fact is you just cant afford to keep doing that. As long as we are that sloppy in possession and that careless about the situation around us we are going to struggle against anyone half decent.

The rest of our game was excellent and I really have no idea how we didnt score in that first half.

As always with recent Arsenal vintages under Wenger, you see many good things that give you hope, and enough bad things to ensure your conviction that we can't win anything as long as the bad things are not addressed. We do give the ball away too much, especially when pressed, certainly more than our talent suggests we should. However that is also partly a product of how we play, and how wonderfully we can play at times.

The problem is that playing that way with both wing backs pushed forward and one of your two central midfielders frequently ahead of the striker leaves you wide open to counter attacking football. The killer third goal shows why this team won't challenge for the league. And yet the manager absolutely refuses to acknowledge the weakness and address it.

[Peter]

As always with recent Arsenal vintages under Wenger, you see many good things that give you hope, and enough bad things to ensure your conviction that we can't win anything as long as the bad things are not addressed. We do give the ball away too much, especially when pressed, certainly more than our talent suggests we should. However that is also partly a product of how we play, and how wonderfully we can play at times.

The problem is that playing that way with both wing backs pushed forward and one of your two central midfielders frequently ahead of the striker leaves you wide open to counter attacking football. The killer third goal shows why this team won't challenge for the league. And yet the manager absolutely refuses to acknowledge the weakness and address it.

I can live with losing the ball when pressed. We werent under any real pressure in either of the situations that led to their goal. Koscielny didn't look properly when sweeping that pass out to the left and Mustafi...well, god knows what he was doing for the second goal but he was not under any real pressure. He had plenty of options.

I dont think this is really anything to do with how we play, its just sloppiness, poor passing and bad judgement/awareness.

THe counter attacking thing is about stupidity. Its ok that we put so many players ahead of the ball, although you shouldn't do it all the time. THe problem is that those in possession dont seem to be take this into account when looking for balls into the final third. If you have seven players ahead of you you cant afford to play the short pass into the guy with his back to goal and surrounded by the bank of covering midfielders. If you lose that ball, which is pretty likely, you are immediately in big trouble if the opposition are looking to seize on it. Likewise, you cant cut in from the wings and play balls across the pitch and behind your seven forward players. Again, lose that and you are ****ed. Sanchez is a big culprit for this.

Again, it is lack of awareness- poor judgement about when you can and cant take a risk.