Arsenal Vs Olympiakos: 5 things we learned – Oh dear, oh dear

3. Tempo, tempo, tempo

I feel like a broken record. The ball must be moved at speed. It is vital for both playing out from the back, to prevent the opposition from easily pressing and forcing errant passes and for breaking down a low block, pulling opponent players out of position.

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And when Arsenal play well, they really do move the ball quickly. The passing is crisp, their collective first touch perfectly cushioning the ball to then release it early. Hesitations are limited, passes are not delayed, and if the chance to drive forward and exploit space is there, it is taken without err or caution.

Here, however, the Gunners played down to Olympiakos. The Greek side were keen to slow down the play. They took their time over restarts, they passed the ball slowly, they played tentatively, conservatively, with control their primary motive. But that does not mean that Arsenal had to play at their pace. The home side could — and should — have dictated the tempo.

On the sidelines, Mikel Arteta grew increasingly frustrated with his team, gesticulating, gesturing, shouting and hollering at his players to press harder without the ball and move it quicker when they won it back. It is not rocket science, and yet Arsenal so consistently forget it.