Arsenal need a shake-up after Newcastle loss
Arsenal fell to a 1-0 loss at Newcastle on Saturday afternoon, conceding early and struggling to create enough to change the game.
After Alexander Isak’s 12th-minute header, Newcastle defended resolutely, pressing Arsenal to disrupt their build-up play and limiting chances bar a couple of late Declan Rice opportunities.
Sound familiar? It’s what Arsenal have become so good at.
It’s been seven league games without captain Martin Odegaard, who was a clear miss for the Newcastle game - the exact player Arsenal need when facing a stubborn defence.
It’s now three games without a win in the Premier League and another game where Arsenal didn’t quite look at it.
There’s been a lack of consistency in the team sheet and that’s been reflected in the performances, and it feels like the team is in need of freshening up.
Mikel Arteta has switched to a 4-2-4 with Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard up top in the absence of Odegaard, but the attack seems to be misfiring and Trossard especially has struggled in recent weeks.
Whether it’s Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Jesus, or a shake-up in the midfield, a fresh approach could be the catalyst Arsenal need.
But the wider issue for Arsenal is that they’ve conceded first in 40 per cent of their games this season, giving themselves an uphill battle in too many games.
When scoring first, the Gunners have won 89 per cent of their league games since the start of last season. When conceding they’ve won just 25 per cent, with 50 per cent ending up as losses.
The number of games where Arsenal score first was always likely to come down this year, the issue is that it’s too frequent and often the Gunners don’t have an answer to turn the game around.
Arsenal, after a midweek trip to Milan to take on Inter in the Champions League, have one more domestic league game to play before the international break, travelling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues sit above Arsenal in the table currently, coming off a draw against Manchester United.
This London derby fixture finished in a 2-2 draw last season, but it feels like it wouldn’t quite cut it this time around as the points keep slipping away.
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