Arsenal
This prodigious 18-year-old ace is capable of providing Arsenal with a solution for their lack of creativity
Why Bukayo Saka would be a great solution for Arsenal
Arsenal had a massive victory on the weekend against Aston Villa as they had to launch a comeback twice with 10-men down to win 3-2.
The player sent off was academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles and it was 18-year-old Bukayo Saka’s misfortune that he had to be sacrificed by Unai Emery after looking fantastic against Frankfurt in the Europa League.
He got 2 assists and 1 goal in a very impressive performance and Unai Emery trusted him to start a Premier League game immediately after.
One of the reasons why the English teenager has been trusted by Emery is not just due to his passion but because of his ability to create.
Arsenal have traditionally always been one of the most creative sides in the Premier League era since the days of Dennis Bergkamp, Cesc Fabregas and Mesut Ozil but with the latter not fancied by Unai Emery, it’s been difficult for Arsenal to create chances this season.
They are fortunate to have two quality strikers in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, who can create chances for themselves out of nothing.
However, performances like that are unsustainable in the long-term and they need to find someone who can do that job if Ozil is not going to be used frequently.
The Gunners also sent Henrikh Mkhitaryan on loan to AS Roma, who also provided a similar threat but his lack of form was a massive concern and it was the right move to send him out on loan. This is a tremendous opportunity for Saka as he can play in many positions and has an eye for a pass.
With Aubameyang, Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe, Arsenal are in dire need of a creative player.
While Lacazette does drop deep because of his ability to hold up the ball, he’s a decent link player but not a predominantly creative one like Liverpool have in Roberto Firmino, with his tricks, flicks and eye for a pass.
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Lacazette is predominantly a goalscorer and so are the two other forwards that Arsenal have and it’s very hard to find a system in which all 3 of them are not looking for service.
This is a similar problem to what Manchester United faced when they had Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial – with all 3 of them being predominant goalscorers and not creative players.
Manchester City have Leroy Sane or Riyad Mahrez to set up their forward players as they’re predominantly creative players who can also chip in with goals. Saka might provide a similar solution for Arsenal’s fiery attack.
Arsenal Women surrendered a commanding two-goal lead at the Allianz Arena, collapsing spectacularly after dominating the first half. The defeat represents an early blow to the holders’ Champions League defense and exposes fundamental weaknesses in Renee Slegers’ side.
Defensive High Line Proved Disastrous
Arsenal’s backline held an extremely high defensive position throughout, which Bayern ruthlessly exploited during their second-half comeback. Stephanie Catley and Lottie Wubben-Moy were caught flat-footed for Alara Sehitler’s 67th-minute goal, with Bayern breaking quickly while Arsenal pushed high up the pitch.
Sehitler found herself in acres of space to clip past Daphne van Domselaar, highlighting catastrophic positioning from Arsenal’s defenders. The same defensive naivety appeared for Pernille Harder’s equalizer, with both center-backs standing off and allowing the substitute uncontested shooting space on the box edge.
Read More: Experienced Vet Wins Arsenal Women’s October Player of the Month After Breaking Goal Drought
Second-Half Tactical Capitulation
Arsenal dominated the opening 45 minutes completely, making Bayern look ordinary through high pressing and controlled possession. But Slegers failed adjusting tactically after halftime, allowing Bayern to completely dominate proceedings and turn the match around.
The manager receives a damning 4/10 rating for her inability to respond as Bayern’s momentum grew. Her substitutions failed stemming the tide, with Chloe Kelly and Frida Maanum making minimal impact. Maanum particularly disappointed by squandering a glorious opportunity with 10 minutes remaining after excellent Alessia Russo work.
Pernille Harder Continues Arsenal Curse
Harder’s 80th-minute equalizer marked her seventh goal against Arsenal following her Chelsea career. The Danish striker’s unorthodox but brilliant looping shot over Van Domselaar demonstrated her instinctive finishing ability that has consistently punished the Gunners.
Arsenal’s inability to handle Harder’s movement and shooting prowess reflects deeper issues defending against intelligent forwards who exploit space between lines. Her goal sparked Bayern’s late surge, with Glodis Viggosdottir completing the turnaround four minutes later following another Klara Buhl assist.
Arsenal Dragon
Arsenal Women Player Ratings vs. Bayern Munich: Pernille Harder Haunts Gunners as Champions Squander Two-Goal Lead
Arsenal Women surrendered a commanding two-goal advantage to lose 3-2 at the Allianz Arena, suffering a devastating Champions League defeat that threatens their title defense. Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey established control before Bayern’s second-half onslaught overturned the deficit.
The Standout Performers:
Mariona Caldentey – 7/10 Thrashed home Arsenal’s second goal after capitalizing on dreadful Bayern defending. Shifted the ball brilliantly before unleashing an unstoppable 20-yard drive into the roof of the net.
Provided creative spark throughout, constantly threatening with technical quality whenever receiving possession.
Alessia Russo – 7/10 Deserved more for her efforts after seeing plenty of possession in dangerous areas. Forced excellent save from Mala Grohs with long-distance strike and created wonderful opportunity for Frida Maanum late on. Her attacking intent couldn’t prevent the collapse.
Emily Fox – 7/10 Opened scoring by capitalizing on goalkeeper error, heading home from close range after Beth Mead’s powerful shot.
Faced significantly more defensive work after halftime as Bayern dominated proceedings.
The Solid Showings:
Beth Mead – 6/10 Credited with assist for opener after her fierce low shot was palmed down into Fox’s path. Involved in buildup for second goal and shrugged off heavy challenge in the 50th minute. Productive evening overall.
Stina Blackstenius – 6/10 Nearly scored spectacular goal when fierce strike crashed off crossbar. Constant threat before 60th-minute substitution but couldn’t add to Arsenal’s tally.
Caitlin Foord – 6/10 Productive display cut short after hour mark when replaced by Chloe Kelly.
Katie McCabe – 6/10 Relatively quiet evening before 75th-minute substitution.
Victoria Pelova – 6/10 Covered significant ground with tireless running before replacement by Kyra Cooney-Cross.
Daphne van Domselaar – 5/10 Virtual spectator during dominant first half. Exposed completely for Alara Sehitler’s 67th-minute goal and helpless preventing Pernille Harder’s brilliant looping equalizer or Glodis Viggosdottir’s winner.
Stephanie Catley – 5/10 Caught flat-footed holding high line for Bayern’s opener. Stood off Harder disastrously for equalizer.
Lottie Wubben-Moy – 5/10 Similar struggles to defensive partner Catley. Slow closing down Harder for leveller after being caught off-guard by Bayern’s quick break.
Chloe Kelly – 5/10 Struggled making impact after 60th-minute introduction with Arsenal pinned back.
Frida Maanum – 5/10 Squandered glorious chance after excellent Russo work with 10 minutes remaining.
Renee Slegers – 4/10 Shell-shocked after watching commanding position evaporate. Failed adjusting tactically after halftime as Bayern completely dominated.
Arsenal Dragon
Dramatic Turn of Events That Led to Arsenal’s Underrated 2013 Signing, and how Fans Reacted to it Back Then
One of Arsenal’s unsung heroes in the club’s rather silent years was Spanish full-back Nacho Monreal. Any given match, the former Malaga man would give it his all. A solid player, and an even nicer man off the field.
Nacho Monreal Recently Narrated that Hilarious Morning he Signed for Arsenal
Monreal joined the club in the winter transfer window of 2013. And more recently, he narrated how dramatically things went down before he reached London to sign for the club. He told Ladbrokes in an interview:
“I was in Malaga, playing for Malaga, and I remember, I woke up, I checked the phone and I had, two phone calls from Santi Cazorla. So I was a bit surprised…So, I arrived to the training ground and I called back, Santi, ‘Santi, what’s happening? Why are you calling me so early in the morning?’
“‘Nacho, Nacho, be quick, do you want to join for Arsenal?’
“I said, ‘What?’
“‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, the club, Arsene Wenger asked me if you want to join the club.’
“I was like, ‘What, really?’
“‘Yeah, yeah, Nacho. Yeah, it’s 100% serious.’
“And I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course I want to go.’“
Monreal went on to add that it all happened so quick that he hadn’t even told his wife that he had signed for Arsenal.
Arsenal Fans Back in 2013 Had No Clue Who Nacho Monreal was
A boatload of Arsenal fans back in January 2013 didn’t have any idea about Nacho Monreal. Although, the Spaniard had been a regular in La Liga for over half a decade by then, he wasn’t popular among the Gooners.
Here are some tweets from 2013 about Monreal’s signing:
Monreal, after over 6 solid years with the club, returned to Spain to play for Real Sociedad in 2019. After three seasons, until 2022, he was a pretty regular starter. Monreal hung up his boots the same year.
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