It’s often said that the team with better players will win a game, but today we also saw the difference that excellent coaching can make.
Spurs probably have the better overall squad but both teams are fairly evenly matched on paper, but you could just see that Jose Mourinho has built a team which knows how to get a result.
Everything Spurs did had a purpose and everyone knew where their teammate was going to be at all times, while Arsenal adopted a more scattergun approach and the lack of a plan was painfully obvious.
Every time they get the ball there’s a delay of a second or two while the ball carrier tries to figure out what run his teammate is going to make, but that’s just enough to allow the opposition to funnel back into their shape and deny any space.
READ MORE: ‘Leaders don’t allow that’ and ‘you wouldn’t walk off’ – Souness and Alex Scott react to Thomas Partey’s decision to walk off as Spurs scored second against Arsenal
Mikel Arteta has to take most of the blame for that and it’s surprising to see because he was given a lot of credit for the way he organised the team when he first arrived, so something has gone wrong somewhere.
They never really looked like beating Spurs today and it’s understandable that the fans are hacked off, while you really do need to wonder if Arteta’s job could be on the line at some point soon:
Really important this game. We were allowed to attack for 90 minutes. It completely exposed our lack of creativity, cluelessness of Arteta as well as our lack of game plan. We are not going anywhere with this manager.
— (Pseudo)Random Stranger (@Indrathegooner) December 6, 2020
Arteta has no damn game plan, we just running around hoping for the best #TOTARS
— . (@_BraBhiza) December 6, 2020
Arteta… No plan
— Will (@_bengky_) December 6, 2020
Arteta’s game plan is to throw in crosses. That doesn’t fit our strikers in the slightest. Only thing we ever try to do. Absolutely no adaptation or change week to week
— J (@CatalystRR) December 6, 2020
Arteta today
Played Bellerin instead of Niles
Ignored Nelson & ESR without any explenation
Still played Willian
Has no game plan whatsoever only sideways pasess and inshAllah— Arbër ?? (@gunner18893) December 6, 2020
Arsenal’s attacking plan. Cross, cross and more cross. Cross and pray. Damn it Arteta, is that all you’ve got in setting the team up? #AFC #TOTARS
— Chin Sian (@chinsian) December 6, 2020
Beginning to have major doubts over Arteta. Where was plan A B or C. Just cross crosscross its rubbish. We’re to slow to many backwards passes. no hunger.
— @steakers. #AFC ?? ? (@steakers) December 6, 2020
Mikel Do Normally Fear Big Games And Does Not Have Any Game Plan, I Think It Is Time For The Board To Do Something Before It Will Be Too Late.
sack Arteta right away or he takes arsenal backs to relegation
He’s lost the dressing room and the respect of players he gained last season. Don’t think he will be there long after Christmas
The next manager must throw Xhaka, Mustafi Elneny and Willian out of the squad and sign wilfred Zaha, forget about using your goalkeeper as an outfield player and we will have enough to get back up the league
When we compare Klopp, Arteta created a lot of attrition in the team without anticipatings its effect.Tactically he has failed,why play willian,play crosses and yet a Giroud is not among Arsenal strikers.Cant score from crosses unless its Gabriel
From Kenya
Artetas inexperience is all too evident. First he plays Luiz after a serious head injury, now he plays a half fit Partey aggravating his thigh injury. He is an idiot and should be kicked out of arsenal soonest.