Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Spurs: The good, the bad, the ugly – Defenders falter again

By Nikesh Teckwani

Arsenal, Shkodran Mustafi (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Arsenal, Shkodran Mustafi (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur battles for possession with Shkodran Mustafi of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on July 12, 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 Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur battles for possession with Shkodran Mustafi of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on July 12, 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 Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

The Ugly: Shkodran Mustafi, Sead Kolasinac, and David Luiz

For anyone who truly bought into Shkodran Mustafi’s 2020 renaissance, his display on Sunday was a slap in the face. The German committed a calamity of errors, but it was really just the same old Mustafi: cheap giveaways in possession, terrible spacial awareness, and an inability to defend one-on-ones without sliding in recklessly. With only a year left on his contract, he surely needs to be sold this summer.

Lining up on the left side of the back three, Sead Kolasinac always looked like the weakest link in the Arsenal defence. He is an extremely limited player on the ball and positionally has been caught out several times in every game he has started recently. His loose pass set up Son Heung-min to equalize less than three minutes after Alexandre Lacazette’s opening strike, which epitomised the panic and poor decision-making that he plays with.

David Luiz, at the heart of the back three, wasn’t nearly as disastrous, though he often lost Harry Kane when the Spurs striker drifted in behind. He is much more comfortable in possession, but he is equally as susceptible to foolish defensive errors and a lack of focus and concentration.

dark. Next. Arsenal Vs Spurs: 5 things we learned

While Arteta’s switch to a back three has improved Arsenal’s defensive performances in recent weeks, this match was a reality check and a brutal reminder of the need for investment in competent defenders. A good shape and system can only conceal individual flaws for so long.