Arsenal Vs West Ham United: 5 things we learned – Champions League hopes alive

3. Defending still a major issue

When Mikel Arteta arrived at Arsenal, one of the first positive impacts he enacted in the team was a greater defensive solidity, structure and efficacy. From the improved intensity and organisation of the pressing to the higher defensive line, Arteta went about fixing many of Arsenal’s long-lasting defensive vulnerabilities.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

But while the initial bump was indeed a positive one, since then, those same old defensive shortcomings have come back to bite. And on Saturday, the Gunners looked far from comfortable when trying to deal with a West Ham United side that is above the relegation zone on goal difference alone.

Michail Antonio was a particular issue. His pace and physicality on the counter-attack caused Pablo Mari especially all sorts of problems. Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka played several misplaced passes in midfield to put their team in a vulnerable position in transition, while Eddie Nketiah’s hold-up play was poor and the high-press lost that same intensity of previous performances. All these issues contributed to West Ham’s offensive threat.

And then you add in the increasingly hapless set-piece defending, with zonal marking that lacks individuals to attack the ball or blockers to prevent opposing players running onto the ball and clear communication and organisation to ensure that every threat is accounted for, and it is easy to see why this current Arsenal team are struggling defensively.