Luton 3-4 Arsenal Tactical Analysis | WE MUST DEFEND BETTER ON SATURDAY!

The morning after the night before, people deluded, I'm back again. You are not dreaming. Arsenal completed a dramatic turnaround against Luton Town. Luton Town 3, Arsenal 4. Now, when you look at it on the balance of things, 23 shots, nine on target, eight corners, and we've dominated possession and passes, we deserve to win the game in that regard. It wouldn't be drama without Arsenal Football Club. You know, it's the latest last minute winner that's become a theme this season. And let's be honest, Arsenal, we love it. We love our club, but it's an emotional roller coaster. Let's start with the things we could have done better. Now, we'll talk about stuff as we go on. Ryan, now, had Ramsdell done that, we all know what would have been said. And, you know, I do think Ryan did not cover himself with any blade of glory, with at least two of the three goals that we conceded. I don't think he was strong enough for the set piece. I don't think he was strong enough for Barkley's goal, although he's not alone. No team in Europe's top five leagues has committed more individual errors leading to an opposition goal than Arsenal with five this season. We want to win the league, that can't happen. Big up Gabriel Jesus, because he had a hand in at least three of the goals, and it's nice to see him and Martinelli score. They're long overdue goals. And we've actually got 11 different goalscorers, people, in our last 11 Premier League games. Gabriel Jesus had a very good game. I did like his assist for Havertz, did like his role in Martinelli's goal. And I obviously like the fact that he got on the score sheet. Now, you wouldn't have seen it, but if you remember, Gabriel Jesus for Martinelli's goal took the throw in very quickly. It's nice to see Kai Havertz scoring. You know, this is probably Kai Havertz's best period in an Arsenal shirt. He's making the difference. He's looking a lot more comfortable and confident. So shout out to everybody involved, really and truly, even Zinchenko and Odegaard in the second half. You know, Odegaard was getting bullied in the first half, if I'm honest, but he turned on the swagger and showed us why he's the class region when he set up Declan Rice's goal. It was poetry in motion. Declan Rice is one of the greatest signings Arsenal have made in the Emirates era, and he's undoubtedly a signing of the season contender in the Premier League. Long may it continue, if I'm completely honest with you. Dramatic scenes. I mean, you have to give credit to Luton. They made it difficult. They were physical. They obviously scored three goals. They exploited our weakness at set pieces. Not a clue how that's not given as a pen. I know Arsenal cry wolf a lot of the time. Don't know how that one's not given as a pen. But you know VAR isn't our friend, and I think Mikel Arteta has actually been suspended for the Aston Villa game. He won't be on the dugout. Saka got 200 appearances. Luton is the latest team he's ever scored or assisted against. Real star boy settings. As you know, Luton, we don't have a great record against them. It's nice that that's the first win against them in my lifetime. So yeah, we won the game. When the dust settles, it was probably too emotional. I'm not sure Mikel Arteta will be happy with aspects of the game, but we never gave up. We got the three points, and we won without necessarily playing amazing defensively. So good stuff. Now, obviously, by now you're getting to the end of the video. Now, when I look back at our 4-3 victory against Luton, first thing, as I said, I'm happy that, you know, we've come back from behind. Well, yeah, we did come back from behind when Barkley scored. We reacted to setbacks. We got the win. We got the three points. We got a big three points heading into an Aston Villa game at the weekend. And obviously, we've ended a bit of a hoodoo against them. As I said, you have to give credit to Rob Edwards and Luton. I think they were compact. They were physical where they needed to be. They gave us problems in the final third. I think both teams, both managers, won't be happy with the defensive performance, really, and truly. Their seven goals. We've scored four, so they've conceded four. We've conceded three. And especially because we've been half decent from set pieces, we've let ourselves down, and they've exploited that, if I'm honest. For Barkley's goal, I don't think Raya is alone, because your goalie, the one luxury they do deserve, is they are the last line of defence. And I think Benjamin White, actually Kai Havertz and Odegaard, they've made it too easy. That being said, Raya, we want to see a bit better. And when you look at Ramsdale's performance against Brentford a few games ago, when you look at Raya generally this season, even though he looked a bit confident in recent weeks, there's question marks over both keepers, who is better, or if either one is potentially good enough. I am happy that we share the goals around. And I like the fact of everyone wanted to take responsibility and make the difference. Declan Rice got the goal. I actually feel Declan Rice, Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Raya from set pieces could have done better, along with the whole team. But I saw Gabriel Jesus standing up to be counted, potentially a man of the match performance. Declan Rice obviously got the winner. Odegaard put on a clinic in the second half, encouraging Cameo from Zinchenko off the bench. Kai Havertz put in a shift, but Kai Osaka, you could see the man's tired, his energy's gone, he still keeps going. And there's plenty of others really and truly that deserve their praise. Defensively, it weren't good enough. When the dust settles and the emotion removes away from this performance, I don't think Mikel Arteta will be happy with how we played, apart from the fact that we got the three points to show the clinical nature. And we was a bit naive. I think when we took the lead, actually, we held on to the lead for five minutes. On reflection, I was very disappointed with the opening five to ten minutes of the second half. And Ross Barkley had a good game. He deserved to get his goal, which put Luton ahead at the time. And they deserved to go ahead because they caught us cold. I don't quite know what happened there. But yeah, I am very happy again that the boys from Brazil and Gabriel Jesus and Martinelli scored. I think Jesus, he's got a goal in assists and had a hand in three goals, but he was on a bit of a drought. Martinelli, since bagging against Manchester City, obviously, he's been on a bit of a drought. I think Trossart was a bit so-so when he came off the bench, but who really cares? In that regard, we won. I do think had Ramsdale made those mistakes that Raya did, they'd be getting pelters. And I don't advocate pelters. Obviously, fair criticisms, really and truly. We all have to take responsibility for all aspects of the play. Raya is not alone. You never win or lose alone. So we need to do a bit better. But the jury is still out on David Raya, if I'm completely honest. I like him. I like your passing and things like that. But games like that, I want to see a bit more from my keeper when the going gets tough. Again, big up Kai Havertz, because anytime you can get a goal or an assist or mucking, you look confident. Odegaard, very happy with you in the second half. Have I missed out any of the notes? Again, probably a bit too emotional, if I'm completely honest with you. You know, it was a very emotional game. When the dust settles, of course, on occasion in the Premier League, you're going to have games like this. But these last-minute winners having to turn games around, it's becoming a bit too frequent. And this season, when you look at the teams that are kind of close to us, like I know Luton isn't in London, but it's not that far away. You know, it was a testy, techy game and a testing game against Luton. Obviously, we shot ourselves in the foot against Chelsea and Spurs. We definitely did that against Fulham. So I don't know what it is. And obviously, a last-minute winner against Brentford. But we need to be a bit better. You know, again, you're never going to be perfect for 90 minutes, but we need to chase, in my opinion, that illusion of perfection, really and truly. Because there are, you know, when we start games well, we don't necessarily end games well. You know, when we're a bit slow to get into the game, then we're finally at it. And we need to manage periods. For me, once again, the first five, 10 minutes of that second half kind of sets the tone. That's where I wanted to see my boys come out and do better, forgive themselves for the mistake. As I said, we won. We enjoy it. It's emotional, as football is, really and truly. You sign up for a couple of games like this, regardless of what team you support in the Premier League. But when the dust settles, there's several things we could have done better. We need to be more boring for the neutrals and be a lot less emotional, especially if we really want to fight for a title. I don't think Raya covered himself with any blade of glory. I must admit, obviously, it's a bit of a downer now. Unfortunately, I didn't expect Kirill to start. I understand Wysenchenko would probably be dropped out. I don't think Kirill laid down a marker and showed Mikel Arteta that maybe I could start heading into the Aston Villa game. Again, the three goals we conceded is the most disappointing thing because they were all unnecessary. And we need to improve a tenfold credit to Luton on the night. And, you know, they're doing good things. You play like that, you'll stay in the division. But with the greatest of respect, you can't do that against Una Remre's Aston Villa. They're in form. They've got a better team than Luton. We're at their place again. And as you know, they've got some very good players, the Diabes, the Baileys. You know, we'll be here all day to Oli Watkins in great form in a Euros year. You know, you play with fire, you get burnt. So we forgive ourselves. We count our blessings that if any players had slow games or any players made mistakes or if any player thinks that they could have played better across the 90 minutes, we've got a way of it. But we couldn't have had any complaints had we have drawn that game. Maybe if, you know, if it was the other way around, then Luton would have scored. I do think the fair result would have been a point. Don't get it twisted. I don't care about that because I want three points and we want to keep ticking over, especially with City dropping points and, you know, these midweek fixtures. I think Aston Villa ironically have Man City. I don't look at the league table, but hopefully they can do us a favour in that regard. So, yeah, man, the ending point is we got three points. We keep moving. You know, we enjoyed last night and stuff. But this morning when the boys are in London, Coley doing their recovery sessions and getting their massages and that, I'd imagine there's some tactical analysis. We can and need to play a lot better, especially defensively, you know, for one of the teams that statistically is one of the best defensive teams in the league at the moment. We never displayed that against Luton. Obviously, there's a lot of variables and no two football matches are alike, but you keep Arlen quiet at your place and then you let a glorified championship team with the greatest of respect to Luton, because you are, score three. Now these things happen, but as I always said, I think we're an improved defensive side. Statistically, we're one of the best defensive sides in the league. But I don't necessarily think we're a good one when it comes to necessarily fighting for a league title. I still think we have these elements of shooting ourselves in the foot and switching off. Like even for Barkley's goal, once again, Raya needs to do 10 times better. But Benjamin White isn't closing down the space. I actually think Odegaard and Havertz aren't strong enough. From the two goals we conceded via set pieces, Raya hasn't covered himself with any blade of glory. If you come off your line, you need to meet that and collect that. But he's not alone. I think Declan Rice ain't done well enough. I think Martinelli and Jesus for one of the goals ain't well enough. But everybody stood up to be counted, especially the attackers in the midfield trio. You know, I can't accuse Kai Havertz. I did think early on in the game, I wanted to see more from our midfield. But Declan Rice, Odegaard, Kai Havertz stood up to be counted. Jesus had a hand in at least three of the goals. Martinelli in the minutes played did well. Saka, you know, even when he's knackered, did very well, encouraging cameo from Zinchenko. Obviously, Benjamin White got an assist regardless of what we say about his defending or defensive actions. Yeah, so I can't accuse a single player of not wanting to be the difference maker. And it's a collective, really and truly. So we go again, we need to be a lot better against Aston Villa and so on and so forth in this December period. You know, in no order, we've got Villa, Brighton, Liverpool, I'm sure West Ham, there's some tough games. And they might be looking at that looting game and saying, you know what? We can give Arsenal a game. We've got a target on our backs now. So we need to keep going. But yeah, hit the like button, comment, subscribe, all of that good stuff. Let me know what you lot think. I've got nothing more to add, man. Peace.