Arsenal: 4 negatives from 4-1 win over Leeds United

3. The Second Half Performance

Arsenal taking their foot off the pedal after getting their noses in front has been a major gripe for supporters this season. It’s been listed as a coaching issue, as a mentality issue, and as an inexperience issue. Nobody really knows the exact reason.

Having stormed to a 3-0 half-time lead, one where they could and should have been further in front, more of the same was expected after the break with Leeds at sixes and sevens and Arsenal aiming to boost their goal difference.

That did not materialse. Having hit the target 11 times in the opening half, Arsenal only did so one one occasion after the break. That was the goal.

A combination of Leeds pressing wiser and Arsenal dropping off, it was perhaps not so much a negative, but slightly disappointing to see the team look distinctly more laboured after the break. Tiredness seemed to creep into the game and it almost looked as if they were too confident. Urgency had dropped and they were happy to see the game out from the 45th onward.

This is different, though, and on this occasion by no means a great complaint. Why? Because Arsenal were winning 3-0. With the same team having started three matches in a week and been in cruise control at that scoreline, easing off is far more understanding given the game state and the excursions over the previous seven days.

You can’t go for double figures every game, but if conserving energy was what they wanted then keeping the intensity up for the opening stages of the second half and then stepping back a touch might have been a better course of action.

Any major grievances? Not at all. Just a small case of the ‘what if’s’.

Continued on next page…