Neil A. Fry, Arsenal Audit
2. PREMIER LEAGUE CAMPAIGN
Tottenham’s unexpected defeat at already relegated Newcastle United in their last match of the season allowed Arsenal to snatch an unlikely second place and maintained your proud record of St Totteringham’s day finishes.
At the end of a frustrating season, the final match day gave supporters something to cheer about?
After the 2-2 rollercoaster draw at Tottenham 5 March, you dropped Per Mertesacker who had not exactly covered himself in glory over their second goal. Indeed, you seemed to oscillate between picking Per and Gabriel and you did admit that Arsenal “were not clinical enough defensively” last season.
In fairness Arsène, only Tottenham and Manchester United conceded less, just one goal less each, than Arsenal's 36 goals. Perhaps not that bad after all?
In previous seasons Arsenal were quite adept at closing out games from winning positions, but that was not the case last season against smaller clubs or some of the bigger ones. Arsenal scored 10 goals in away matches at Tottenham, Manchester United, Liverpool and West Ham – yet failed to win any of those matches.
Surely Arsenal’s biggest defensive failing was the failure to close out matches?
You also said Arsenal were not clinical enough “offensively” and Arsenal did not have anyone with 20 goals in the Premier League.
Before the season started, supporters and commentators did say that without one Arsène, Arsenal would be very unlikely to win the Premier League?
You relied on Olivier Giroud who scored 16, despite his long goal drought, at a relatively respectable 152 minutes per goal.
Nevertheless, a poor return compared to Kane (25 at 135), Vardy (24 at 131) and Aguero (24 at a remarkable 99)?
You also played Theo Walcott as a centre forward.
Was your faith at the start of the season in Theo operating as a centre forward badly misplaced?
Theo didn’t have his best season out wide either. But, in fairness, he wasn’t the only who has struggled with goals and assists from wide forward positions. Alexis Sanchez registered more goals and assists than all the other wide players - Campbell, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Walcott, Iwobi, Welbeck - put together.
Why have your wide players struggled so?
Arsenal didn't always get the rub of the green with refereeing decisions over penalties Arsène. Nevertheless, Arsenal were the only team in the Premier League not to be awarded a single penalty at home! With just two away, only relegated Norwich received less overall! Leicester's rapier like movement and skill was rewarded with 13 in the Premier League alone. Arsenal were only awarded one more penalty in all Cup competitions.
Was this dearth of penalties a consequence of Arsenal's often laboured offensive play?
Turning to Arsenal’s home form, the wins against the Manchester teams were surely two of the best performances of the season in terms of the results and the attractive attacking football Arsène?
You also beat Leicester, drew against Tottenham and Liverpool, and just suffered the defeat to Chelsea – a respectable return against the top teams. As you rightly said, you dropped the points against the smaller teams. You noted that the smaller teams “play very deep” and Arsenal needed to pass quicker, have sharper movement and be more efficient than they were.
Why do you think things went wrong?
Before the protests at the Norwich match, you said “we have to realise that, away from home, we are championship winners.” At that time Arsenal had 3 points less away than Tottenham and 7 less than Leicester? And, despite their late implosion, Tottenham still had 3 more points away than Arsenal at the end of the season and Leicester 8 more away.
