Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Norwich City: 5 things we learned – Mikel Arteta rebuild continues

By Andrew Dowdeswell

Arsenal (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Arsenal (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Sead Kolasinac of Arsenal and Todd Cantwell of Norwich City battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Sead Kolasinac of Arsenal and Todd Cantwell of Norwich City battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

3. Why are the second-halves so poor?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a crucial third goal midway through the second half. It was his second of the night, another that was gifted to him after a harrowing error from Norwich City — on this occasion, the ball was played across the penalty area, straight to Aubameyang, who controlled and finished neatly.

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For the 22-minute period before that game-ending goal, however, Arsenal were extremely poor. Norwich changed shape and gained a foothold in midfield, while the Gunners lacked the same energy, in and out of possession, that punctuated their excellent first half. This is not the first time that their second-half performance has looked extremely lacklustre.

Sheffield United dominated the second period at the weekend, even equalising from one goal down. A few days prior, Southampton looked very dangerous in the second half and largely controlled the game, Arsenal sitting off their opponents once again. Arsenal also conceded two late goals against Brighton, entirely switching off after a strong first hour.

For the most part, their performances in the first half have been decent. So what happens at half-time? It could be complacency, especially when they have a lead. It could be a lack of fitness. It could even be a purposeful choice with Mikel Arteta keen to not overexert his team in this packed period. Whatever the reason, Arsenal will not get away with it against better teams.