Arsenal Lose 2-0

Arsenal are setting records this year, but unfortunately of the wrong sort. They have the lowest point total at this point in the season since Wenger took over and allowed Man City to beat them at home for the first time since 1975. Many would argue that the problems started before the game even began, as Wenger again made some suspect lineup choices. The first was player Walcott in the center and keeping Giroud on the bench. While his performance once he did come in was average at best, Walcott is just not strong enough to deal with the physical Man City defenders and it showed. The second was putting Kos and Vermaelen together in the back -- a combination that just hasn't worked this year. Given the physicality of City, it seemed an odd choice, and it only took 9 minutes for the decision to come back and bite him as Koscielny was sent off after tackling Eden Dzeko in the box. Szczesny did a good job saving a poor penalty, but Arsenal were already on the back foot and were down within 20 minutes, after Vermaelen again showed the lack of positional discipline that has plagued him this term. Yes it was a great pass from Tevez and a great finish from Milner, but Vermaelen should have pressed to the spot where the pass was clearly coming. Instead he missed a step and took a poor angle allowing the opener. From there, Man City forged forward for most of the half and made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute, when Sz could only parry a cross from Milner right into the path of an unmarked Dzeko, who tapped in. 

Arsenal did play better in the second half and had a glimmer of hope when Kompany was wrongly sent off for a challenge on Wilshire with 15 minutes left. But as has happened so often for the Gunners this year, they didn't create enough chances and missed those they had. It was thus another loss at the Emirates and further amplified concerns that the only "trophy" we ever win these days, the top four, is going to go the way of so many of our best players. First to player grades and then some analysis:

Szczesny (7/10): he had a fine save on the 9th minute penalty, could do nothing about the first goal and had little chance on the second (though he might have done a little better). Other than that, he kept the Gunners in it with a nice tip of a sure goal for Tevez 1-on-1 and was generally good with distribution (minus a couple flubs). 

Sagna (7/10): maybe only worth a six, but after his performances in recent games it was good to see him back marshalling the right side and getting forward with some decent crosses. Both goals came from the left side, though he might have done a better job covering Dzeko when he charged forward for the second goal.

Kos (2/10): this is the second big game this season that Koscielny has cost Arsenal, after gifting Chelsea both goals in the 2-1 defeat. He seemed to get confused and thought he was playing American football after tackling literally Dzeko in the box and I have to admit Mike Dean had little choice but to send him off. After a great season last term, he seems to have really lost form and I think we need to pick up another centre-half as cover.

Vermaelen (5/10): he was guilty on the first goal of being out of position and just isn't the player he has been the past couple of seasons. He has been better the past two months after a torrid start, but needs to improve if we are to struggle back up into the top four.

Mertesacker (7/10): called into action in the 9th minute, Per again shored up the defense, to some extent, and was not really involved in either goal. He was consistently good with the ball and passing and kept us close enough to hope. 

Gibbs (6/10): given that both City goals came from the left side, it is hard to give Gibbs too high a score, but he had a decent game. Wasn't as dangerous going forward as he sometimes is, but this was largely the result of playing with 10 men for 80 minutes.

Diaby (6/10): just seeing the Frenchman on the pitch again was one piece of good news from the game, but he was only slightly above average. He made a good run early and then lost momentum to get off a decent shot and then started giving the ball away before being subbed off. But will be a necessary member of the team given that Arteta is out for 3 weeks (at least).

Wilshire (8/10): one of the few bright spots from the game, he forged forward often, was fouled constantly (giving us free kicks) and created some openings that could well have led to goals with better support. Our second half resurgence without result was largely due to Wilshire.

Cazorla (6/10): the leveling off of Cazorla's game in the past couple of months is getting troubling. He is still good on the ball and rarely gives it away easily, but he isn't creating the clear chances he did earlier in the campaign. He also seems less likely to shoot from the edge of the box as he used to do more often and this eliminates an element of our attack. A rest might do him well -- and why not give Rosicky a run out?

Podolski (6/10): Podolski made some nice runs down the left, but was overmatched by Pablo Zabaleta for much of his time on the pitch. But a nice effort level from the German. 

Walcott (5/10): I thought this was a poor game by Walcott and a poor choice by Wenger to start him in the middle (as I mentioned above). He was bullied throughout, scuffed a good opportunity at the 18 yard mark after a corner slid out to him and just wasn't really in the game the majority of the time. He almost scored one late on a lovely through pass from Ramsey, but Lescott blocked it off the line. I also do not understand why he is taking free kicks. His are generally awful and the rest of the team should talk to him -- as right now getting him to sign seems to be costing us points (allowing him to play through the middle and take FKs).

Subs:
Ramsey (7/10): I have been one of the biggest critiques of Ramsey this season, for good reason given the stats, but this was his best game of the year. Most of his passes were forward today, I don't remember him giving the ball away and he created one of the best chances of the entire match. If he can start playing this well, it provides further fuel to my call for a 4-4-2. 

Ox (---): was on the pitch for only ten minutes so not much to say.

Giroud (4/10): I thought Giroud had a truly awful game off the bench. He missed a free header wide that could have halved the lead with plenty of time to find the equalizer, gave the ball up almost every time he touched it minus a few decent headers toward the end and just doesn't seem to have the speed or punch right now to do much. Very disappointing. 

Wenger (3/10): another terrible performance by our coach. For one, why take off Ox after the red card? I think it would have made more sense to pull Pod or Cazorla. For another, were the aformentioned decisions regarding Kos and Walcott. Finally, is his insane stubborness to always play a 4-3-3, when a 4-4-2 might have made more sense here (or the traditional 4-4-1-1 he used to win with). If we make no moves in the next couple of weeks, who can really argue that Wenger should stay, besides a blind man?

So we can take some positives out of the game, including the return of Diaby, the improved performance from Ramsey off the bench and the second half fight back. But the same old problems were glaringly clear yet again: 1. Insufficient options up front, 2. Lack of discipline on defense, 3. Inconsistency in finishing (we score five, six and seven in some matches, but then are shut out at home twice in a month). 4. Lack of creativity from our midfielders (we had few real scoring opportunities even when we bullied possession). The big issues from my perspective are as follows:

1. Striker Quality: right now we have two players at central striker in the squad -- Walcott and Giroud. The former is wildly inconsistent from week to week and just shouldn't play up front against the stronger defensive squads (City, Stoke, etc.). Giroud is inconsistent as well and I'm not sure he is the answer to our scoring needs. We could also try Pod in the middle, but that seems unlikely given the limited options to play left winger in our 4-3-3. We clearly need a striker and why we didn't even bid for Ba is beyond me. The options are shrinking, but I would like to see a formal bid for Lopez, Dzeko (cheeky as it might be), Lewandowski, Jovetic or someone/anyone else.  There are some interesting names from other leagues, though I don't know enough to comment on them.

2. Defense: after a bright start to the season, often credited to making Steve Bould the number two man, we have fallen back on trends that have plagued us for several seasons. We are suspect on free kicks (zonal marking is still open to debate) and make mistakes that cost the team almost every week. It seems to me we need a central defender and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa seems like a good option, as he can play across the back line. And to reiterate a point I've made on several occasions, we need a DM and I would take M'Villa over nothing -- though other options are clearly available including Capoeue, Biglia and a young African player that is supposed to be sublime but I have heard little about since a rumor we had signed him back in late December (anjou or something).  

3. Creativity: because of Wenger's stubborness in recent years, Arsenal are often predictable and although we had long spells of possession in the final third, only a few opportunities emerged from that spell. Why? Among other things, is a tendency to attack on the right side, exchanging between the winger, Sagna and Cazorla, Wilshire or Ramsey. With Walcott in the middle, this doesn't seem like a very fruitful approach to score goals (crosses have little chance of success). We need a more direct approach sometimes but rarely push the ball forward this way and thus the reason we are more dangerous on the counter. We have a good young squad now with real potential but are clearly missing leadership and seasoned players who can tough out wins. I also would like to see a little of Eisfeld, as he has really impressed me in the few games I've seen (and from tapes of his performances). But we need another midfielder or quality winger (why aren't we even bidding for Zaha?) Sometimes it seems like the board and Arsene have just ceded that we are to become a mediocre squad and are just easing fans into this reality, when clear options exist to strengthen and improve our formula for success.

4. Wenger: I know I have written a lot about Wenger in recent weeks, but it bears repeating. He has taken one of the best teams in Europe and made them average in seven years. This is his legacy at present -- ten great years and then seven increasingly mediocre ones. The team lacks heart, motivation, depth and talent. Watching some of the players before, during and after games. I get the sense they know this is a feeder club that makes a lot of money but cares little for their fans or results. Too many seem like they are just biding their time, often overpaid for underperforming (or sitting on the bench). Wilshire has real heart and so do Mertesacker, Arteta and Sz, but beyond this is a group that seem to lack the finesse, drive and winning mentality that used to be endemic at the club. Recent comments from Wenger show that he has too much power and too little accountability at the club. Would he have sold our best player to United even five years ago (probably giving them the title in the process)? Would we have been a club that fed City two players that helped them win the title last year? Would we have so many players choose other teams, including Vertonghen and Holty choosing hated Tottenham over us (on top of Mirallas (Everton), Mata (Chelsea), etc.). The team is lost and Wenger just seems to make one bad decision after another -- whether in the transfer window, in formation, who he starts or who he subs in/out. When things are going bad, even a genius can look like a fool, but it's Wenger's insistence in ignoring all those critiques that is so annoying. A foolish consistency is the hobgobblin of little minds and Wenger has far too many foolish consistencies at the moment. It was funny to hear him talk up Guardiola to Chelsea in the paper -- knowing that many of us would like to see the latter as our coach tout suite. 

In any case, enough for today. We have the Swansea replay on Wednesday night and then Chelsea Sunday. Let's hope the club can take some heart from the second half performance and win both.