3 positives & negatives from 3-3 draw against Southampton

Positive #2: Team spirit

Despite the result, there is very clearly a strong team spirit among the squad and that was on display again last night. Our almost-comeback would not have been possible without it and it is evident that every single player gives their all for each other on the pitch. This has been the case all season, however, team spirit comes naturally when you are winning. To still have that connection between the players in difficult times is far more important, and it stems from Arteta himself.

After the final whistle, the Spaniard was keen to express his support for his players, posing the question: “How can I not love those players?”.

Whether we can win the Premier League remains to be seen, but if we are successful, our team spirit will be a huge reason why.

Negative #2: Another set-piece goal conceded

Conceding goals from set plays, specifically corners, has been an Achilles heel of ours ever since the Qatar World Cup ended. Once one of our greatest assets, this area of our game has become a massive weakness.

The corner goal we conceded against Southampton was the hammer blow, and had we avoided doing so, there is every chance we would’ve been able to secure the victory. It is far more than a personnel issue with the system appearing to be at fault. Arteta must find a quick fix to this problem.

Continued on the next slide…