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LONDON – Mikel Arteta is still looking for a route out of Arsenal’s malaise, but keeping 11 men on the field could be a good starting point.
As Gabriel ran off, after being shown a second yellow card in the 62nd minute, midfielder Dani Ceballos turned to the assistant referee and angrily yelled, “All games are equal.”
You are right, of course, but the fault lies not with the officials. The Gunners stayed to save a point in this 1-1 draw with Southampton after receiving their seventh red card from Mikel Arteta’s tenure.
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The Spanish has been in command for less than a year and Arsenal’s account in that time is more than double that of any other club (three). There have been three in the last five Premier League games and, like against Burnley four days earlier, the local indiscipline came precisely at a time when they were gathering momentum. Just 10 minutes earlier, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had canceled Theo Walcott’s opener in the 18th minute to give Arsenal more confidence than at any other stage of the match.
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That belief was quickly dispelled, however, when Gabriel won two cautions in four minutes on either side of the hour mark, the first for dissent and the second for a clumsy tackle when Walcott rolled him to launch a counterattack from Southampton.
The 22-year-old defender has been one of Arsenal’s best players in a turbulent season to date, but he seemed insecure from the start here, shaky in possession and positionally questionable throughout.
Arteta explained Granit Xhaka’s red card as a misplaced wish to do well and perhaps Gabriel could be classified in the same way if we are being generous. The less accommodating view is that the defender was preoccupied with panic the entire time, caught trying to win the ball too high up the field for the Saints’ first goal and then sent off for an equally misguided attempt in the second half.
Gabriel was the last Arsenal player to lose his mind, joining Nicolas Pepe and Granit Xhaka as Arsenal players who have seen red this season. Clive Rose / Getty Images
Arteta has the right to hope for better. Xhaka and Nicolas Pepe, sent off for a header in Leeds, were fined for their indiscretions. Gabriel’s dismissal was not due to undue truculence, but also less recklessness, an error in judgment that could easily have doomed Arsenal to a fifth consecutive home defeat in the Premier League.
“It is very difficult to compete in this league when you play for such a long period with 10 men,” Arteta said. “And when you’re struggling to get results, it makes it more difficult.”
The Gunners, whose starting eleven averaged just 24, were nervous about a man from the start. It’s an impressive feat for a team to look stiffer on possession than off it, but the lack of confidence stemming from four straight losses at home mixed with Arteta’s carefully detailed instructions seemed to be contributing to an inhibition-riddled performance.
However, the good news is that they did not give up. In fact, after Saints substitute Nathan Redmond hit the post, Arsenal nearly snatched it up in injury time at the other end, Rob Holding’s header from a Bukayo Saka free throw hitting the crossbar.
Saka’s perseverance was a plus point at all times; his earlier effort had created Arsenal’s tie with a run before Eddie Nketiah slipped Aubameyang for his first goal since November 1. Arteta later stated that ending that drought “I’m sure it will take a lot of pressure off him.”
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It was also the Gunners’ first league goal since open play in more than 13 hours. Small steps.
“In the end, if you lost the game again, it would have been a really difficult one to handle. The players showed what we hope they will do, sometimes with more or less quality but at least the work is there,” said the Arsenal manager. “I saw all the players who were not participating and were in the stands shouting and behind the team, living the game with them, which is a very strong sign as well.”
This wasn’t a ‘tools down’ performance that accelerated the departure of Arteta’s predecessor Unai Emery, but it also didn’t suggest that the path to brighter days is clearer.
Arsenal manager Edu reiterated the club’s unwavering support for Arteta earlier this week, impressed by his immediate impact and long-term vision. The problem remains the middle ground, as summed up by the sight of Edu in the stands shaking his head in another poor first half.
Arteta needs to get more out of these players in the coming weeks and months to earn the right to shape the team in his own image. A full complement of players for 90 minutes on a regular basis would make the task considerably easier.
Source: espn.co.uk
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