Arsenal pragmatism suggests attack is the best form of defence

Phew, and breathe! Despite securing a commanding lead during last week’s Europa League trip to Athens, an abject home performance on Thursday saw Arsenal fall to a disappointing second-leg defeat against Olympiacos, recording a frustrating 1-0 loss that ensured their name was in the hat for Friday’s quarter-final draw.

Whether it was due to our 3-1 aggregate lead, the quick turnaround for Sunday’s clash with West Ham or a magical combination of the two, a system change saw the Gunners employ a pragmatic 4-3-3 formation for the visit of our Greek nemesis, with the conservative midfield choice of Granit Xhaka, Elneny and the more advanced Dani Ceballos suggesting Mikel Arteta trusted our defensive abilities to ensure progression to the next round.

Although such intentions may have been noble, particularly with the comfort of a two-goal cushion, Arsenal picked up from where they left off against Tottenham at the weekend, making a sloppy start that set the tone for the rest of the game.

The manager’s faith in the defensive unit appeared misguided as the visitors almost snatched the lead early-on, with a long punt forward by the opposing goalkeeper somehow sending El-Arabi through on goal to force a save from Bernd Leno.

Arsenal’s cagey home display against Olympiacos suggests the squad is unsuited to a pragmatic approach and should instead play to their strengths

However, the Gunners did not fare much better at the other end as woeful play in possession regularly killed any attacking momentum – this was epitomised by the over-complicated endeavours of Dani Ceballos that contributed to the away side’s goal.

To his credit, Arteta responded quickly to the early second-half setback by bringing on Thomas Partey and the in-form Martin Odegaard, and their arrivals gave us a stronger foothold on proceedings to assuage fears about an unthinkable repeat of last year’s heart-breaking exit.

In hindsight, while the scoreline justified the adoption of a reserved style, the pragmatic approach attracted unwelcome pressure that the team struggled to cope well with, leading to an unnecessarily stressful evening for all concerned.

Therefore, as we look ahead to the forthcoming games, perhaps playing a bit more to our attacking strengths, while appreciating the importance of a formidable defence, will result in a more assured collective effort.

Many will bemoan our elusive search for consistency, or criticise the boss for handing Olympiacos the initiative with his selection choices, but a place in the quarter-finals is all that matters for now and this result means Europa League glory remains a real prospect this season.