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3. Options, options, options

Throughout the first half, Arsenal really struggled to play out from the back — which is a troubling pattern with this team. In the past, it has been the pace of their passing and the overall tempo with which they have played that has held them back in this aspect of their play. This time, it was options.

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Let’s start with Emiliano Martinez. Martinez had two or three curious moments with the ball at his feet. But while they made him look incompetent, the true fault lay with centre-halves, none of which were willing to pull wide and away from a defender to receive a pass, leaving Martinez with no options. He then panicked and faltered, admittedly, but the initial errors came from those in front of him.

Similarly, Dinos Mavropanos struggled greatly to progress play. Like with Martinez, he did not help his cause, playing one terrible pass to the edge of the penalty area and foolishly trying to dribble out of the defensive third when under pressure, but there were no passing options on either occasion, Ainsley Maitland-Niles particularly responsible with poor movement off the ball.

Unless they had ample time and space on the ball, the Arsenal players did not want the ball. Joe Willock was poor in this area, Matteo Guendouzi was often isolated, while Sokratis clearly had little intention of getting involved. It may be the distributor that looks stupid when the team fails to play out from the back and loses the ball, but often, it is on the teammates to provide suitable options. Here, Arsenal failed to do so.