Arsenal: 3 damning abnormalities from diabolical Manchester City loss

Arsenal got thumped against Manchester City. They wiped the floor with us. And the worst part about the entire debacle? It was mostly to be expected.

We’ve always been pretty diabolical away at the Etihad, and against the Citizens in general. Arsenal haven’t won away at Manchester City since January 18, 2015, and have conceded fewer than two goals just twice against Pep’s men since 2017. It truly is not a pretty sight.

They’re league champions. We’ve just slumped to our second consecutive eighth-place in the league. And the less said about our league start, the better. It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where this COVID-ridden Arsenal side, bereft of confidence, comes away from the match with anything other than another black mark on our record. But this loss was so, so much worse than this writer, or any of us could have expected.

It’s not just the scoreline that has our collective heads hanging low. Nor is it the rash of so-called  “normal” issues – lack of intensity, apathetic defending, the lack of a right-back, etc – currently plaguing the Gunners. No, this match was cause for much greater concern.

Arsenal: 3 damning abnormalities from diabolical Manchester City loss as Mikel Arteta sees pressure mount on him after 5-0 humbling

Despite our run of poor results, and lack of general success in the league over the past few seasons, we Arsenal fans still possess a few weekly comforts that tide us over to the next match without entirely allowing us to fall into despair. The imminent departure of Willian aside, we were missing nearly all of those little comforts against City, and it left us all feeling rather empty.

Here are three abnormalities Arsenal suffered in their 5-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City.

3. Kieran Tierney Lacking Fizz

It’s a bit of an odd statement, given he’s not a soft drink, but the way I can best describe Kieran Tierney’s mannerisms on the football pitch is that he’s full of fizz. He’s constantly bubbling under the surface, looking for the right time to boil over and make somebody’s day.

Okay, so maybe the analogy needs some work. Regardless.

The Scotsman’s normal ‘pashun and desiyah’ was completely absent. Despite plenty of opportunities to get stuck into the opposition, and the stiff type of competition that tends to ignite a fire in a player of his quality, he did not look his usual self.

Frankly, he looked a bit of a vampire victim: pale, wan, and mostly lifeless, all the verve sucked out of him.

Of course, it didn’t help his case that he was constantly isolated against multiple players out on the left flank, or that he was forced to cover for the blatantly inept Sead Kolasinac, who should never grace the field for Arsenal again – how many times have we said that? – but even despite that, we’re used to unending effort from the Isle of Man-born defender, and we received much the opposite.

2. Woeful Midfield Selection

Mikel Arteta consistently fields questionable lineups, but typically, those questions are reserved for defenders, and the rotation of forwards. You know the typical questions. “Why is Aubameyang still starting on the left wing?”, “Why did we loan out Saliba?” and “Why can’t we just sign a right-back?”

But usually, Arsenal fans have a modicum of security in their midfield selection. Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey will start, with either accompanied by Albert Sambi Lokonga if neither is fully fit. It’s a pivot that tends to work quite well, regardless of who is fielded in and around them.

So the decision to start Granit Xhaka as a lone holding midfielder, behind a pairing of Martin Ødegaard and Emile Smith Rowe who, frankly, are much better used in the opposing half. They’re not exactly in the team to defend for 90 minutes.

Furthermore, attempting to field an asymmetrical midfield four – Emile Smith Rowe can hardly be asked to play as a true left midfielder when he works best in the half-space or through the center- isolated both Bukayo Saka on the right flank going forward, and Kieran Tierney defensively, both of which came to pass. Saka was the first man withdrawn, and our first few goals were conceded from the right flank.

Finally, Xhaka simply is not mobile enough or defensive enough to play alone in the center. We’ve known that since he signed for Arsenal. Poor defensive selections didn’t help that case, but the game was lost from the moment we rendered ourselves unable to combat City through the middle. The red card didn’t help, but not starting a defensive midfielder signed Arsenal’s death warrant.

1. The Kids Went Missing

Arguably Arsenal’s greatest asset at the moment is their youth. Of our starting lineup, we fielded two Hale End starlets and a further two players under the age of 23. Those four players are typically among our standouts, and to an extent they were. In the five minutes Arsenal decided attacking was a viable option, they were involved throughout. Off the ball, though, their influence is limited.

There’s a narrative going around that Bukayo Saka is a defensive player, but it’s mostly untrue. He was fielded at left back to begin his Arsenal career because we needed somebody at the position, but his greatest influence comes off the right flank, in this writer’s estimation.

The aforementioned pairing of Martin Ødegaard and Emile Smith Rowe, too, should be played as two in a front four in an ideal world. Asking them to play as a double pivot is tomfoolery, and it’s no surprise their typical energy and pep (pardon the pun) was entirely nonexistent. Smith Rowe was still arguably our best player, though he was still rather paltry on the day.

We cannot expect our young players to carry us every week. As Aubameyang said in a rare post-match appearance, the veteran players must step up and take charge, especially when experience can be at a premium when it comes to maintaining focus and defending for extended stretches.

I’m not blaming our younger generation for their disappearance. They were asked to do a job for which they were not well-suited, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, they failed. But all the same, it was rather disconcerting to see their normally vibrant influence completely snuffed out.

But disconcerting could be the buzzword for the entire match, if I’m honest. On to the next, though my faith is as shaky as Mikel Arteta’s footing just now. Let’s hope Norwich don’t decide to show up.