Arsenal’s loss to Leicester City in the Premier League pushed them further behind the race for a top 4 finish which qualifies them for a spot in the Champions League next season. The defeat was largely expected given Arsenal’s woes away from home in the Premier League for the past two years. However, the manner in which the loss came about was as a result of their manager Unai Emery making a few errors. Here are three of them..
1.Starting Line Up
For all of Arsenal’s high praise in their attacking third, they never seem to click as an attacking force whenever Alexander Lacazette and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang start together. Both are excellent strikes and any team would like to have at least one of them but not at Arsenal.
No top team in World football operates with two number 9s on the pitch at the same time. The system may have worked in the late 90s but not anymore. Unai Emery’s first mistake was fielding this two in his starting line Up because it meant that the midfield was under staffed and Arsenal were completely outplayed at the center of the pitch as a result.
First substitution
Down to 10 men after Maitland Niles early sending off, Unai Emery had to make a change in the second period but no one expected that it would be Alex Iwobi. Iwobi is the only player at Arsenal capable of running with the ball at his feet and with speed thus should have remained on the pitch for that sole reason.
Unai Emery should have taken off one of his strikers as the ball was not getting to that part of the pitch anyway! He messed up with his subs.
Cowardly approach
Arsenal football club is a big club that should have enough quality to impose themselves on any opposition, especially those sides not in the top six. However, from the onset of this match, Unai Emery set his team out to defend, it was like they were playing at Anfield or at the Etihad.
This approach allowed Leicester to have much of the ball and completely dominated Arsenal from start to finish, even before the red card. He needs to realize that not every team deserves the respect that Arsenal have been affording their opponents this season.