3 positives & negatives as Arsenal gain a point versus Atalanta

Arsenal got their Champions League drive off to a tame start on Thursday as they were held to a dour 0-0 stalemate with Italian outfit Atalanta.

Once the team news dropped, it seemed the Gunners would go all out for three points as just two changes were made to the NLD 11 from Sunday; Gabriel Jesus and Declan Rice replacing Leandro Trossard and Jorginho respectively.

But the game told a very different story, one that suggested ‘Do Not Lose’ was the mantra and it led to a tepid evening in Bergamo where only some penalty-kick heroics by David Raya spared Arsenal from an opening-night loss.

3 positives and negatives from Arsenal’s Champions League tie with Atalanta

One point is still not to be sneezed at – especially versus the Europa League holders – and here are three positives and negatives that Arsenal can take from their midweek travels.

Positive #1: David Raya the hero again

There is only one place to start: David Raya delivering the goods for us yet again with a brilliant double save from the spot.

Disaster loomed for Arsenal just five minutes into the second half when Thomas Partey fouled Éderson inside the box. However, after a few words with goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana, Raya dived the correct way to save Mateo Retegui’s shot before miraculously springing up again to palm away the follow-up header.

It was outstanding work from the Spaniard; totally out of keeping with the collective effort, yet one which displayed his immense talent and (again) justifies Arteta’s decision to sign him.

How crucial could that save prove to be?   

Negative #1: An abundance of caution

This could be construed as a positive but, in truth, the boss was saved by his goalkeeper.

Arsenal set up to nullify Atalanta and for good reason; they are a strong team who are at their most dangerous when allowed to exploit space at the back. ‘Home advantage’ only bolstered the case for a safety-first approach.

But it was ‘complemented’ by a truly awful on-the-ball performance. The Gunners spent large periods defending deep in their own half and could not retain possession once they won it back, almost being happy to surrender the ball and escape with a point.

Perhaps credit is due to Arteta as he certainly did not play into the Italian side’s hands, yet the team never looked like scoring and, thus, probably would have lost the match if Retegui had converted his spot kick.

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