Arsenal Vs Atletico Madrid: 5 things we learned – Era has ended

3. Dear Lord, learn to cross

Arsenal were the better team in this tie. Across both legs, they controlled the game for large periods, created the better opportunities, if not outright shots on goal, and deserved to win, if a team can ever ‘deserve to win’. But there was one key issue with their performance, at least in regards to the execution of their display.

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Arsenal can’t cross. It was painful. Actually, in the first leg, their delivery into the penalty area was accurate and dangerous, providing a number of opportunities for Alexandre Lacazette and Danny Welbeck and contributing to their only goal of the game. But it could not have been further from the case here.

The two primary culprits were Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal. In Arsenal’s system of drifting wingers and in-cutting attackers, the width often comes from the two full-backs on overlapping runs. And against a narrow Atletico defence, both Bellerin and Monreal found their way into some excellent positions.

Unfortunately, they squandered nearly all of them. Overhit crosses, inaccurate cut-back passes, limp balls that didn’t clear the first defender. Every calamitous example was there for all to see. It was dastardly, truly horrible to watch. Back to the training ground, I think.