Arsenal lacks the killer instinct!

What started out as a strong Arsenal performance in the first 20 minutes of today’s game ultimately turned to dust as the Gunners conceded a free kick goal before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s straight red card seemed to seal their fate. The final, Palace 1 – Arsenal 1.

Mikel Arteta used the same line-up he sent out against Manchester United on January 1st. The XI responded with an all-out, spirited start to the game. The Gunners held the ball, controlled the pace, and kept the Eagles on their back foot. Aubameyang scored his 14th Premier League goal of the season, and Arsenal was cruising. Then, the lads hit a lull, and allowed Palace to gain some confidence before the halftime break.

The second half was mostly Roy Hodgson’s men as they controlled possession, got their equalizer, and held tight to earn the point. They were also given a bonus when Auba was given a straight red card (courtesy of VAR). From that point on, the Gunners did everything they could to hold the draw, but also had a one clear chance to get the win when Pepe hit the post in stoppage time.

So, there is good news, and there is bad news…

First, the good news:
1) Arsenal played the first 20 minutes of the game quite well. They were well-organized and had a very good work rate.
2) After Aubameyang went off, the 10 man Arsenal team did not give up, but played hard and even pushed forward to try to get the win.
3) Except for the one defensive miscue that led to a goal, the back four looked pretty good. There seemed to be good communication with David Luiz having a good game.
4) Overall, Arsenal allowed only 6 shots on goal, 3 on target. Much better than most past performances.

Now, the bad news…
1) Arsenal got only 1 point today, and stand 10th in the table.
2) The Gunners couldn’t keep their winning streak momentum alive.
3) Aubameyang has been suspended for the next three games.
4) Lucas Torreira has an injured hip. Hopefully, not serious.
5) Arsenal had 58% of the possession, but could only muster 7 shots, with 4 on target.

So, what now? Well, there has definitely been improvement in the squad since Arteta took over, but what baffles me at the moment is why are we so unable to create more chances on goal? Has Arteta been so concerned with our defense that he just hasn’t had the time to work on organizing a better offense? I hope this is the case because we just can’t seem to generate many opportunities for the front three.

Finally, does Arsenal lack the killer instinct?
Take today’s game for example. We were up 1-0, we had Palace on their back foot, and we controlled possession. This is when you put your foot on their neck, squeeze the throttle, and go for the kill. Arteta needs to get this attitude instilled in this team. Arsenal needs to learn to put teams away! How many times this season have we had the lead, put on the brake, and either lost or came away with a draw? 10 draws in the Premier League illustrates my point perfectly.

Ok, we have a week off before the Gunners host Sheffield United next Saturday. Let’s hope our lads learned a lot today, and come out fighting on the weekend at the Emirates!

Cheers. Gunner1953