Villa look a good side with Barkley and grealish pulling the strings

Might need to change this at half time

Just about to say he's been dogshit. I don't understand how he offers more than Nelson? So far he looks a terrible investment apart from one game against Fulham which is not saying much.

Carved open.

Villa conceded 3 to Leeds and 4 to Southampton. Both teams that play high tempo, high press football. If you pressure weaker defences with that sort of football you will cause them to make mistakes. We simply don’t force opposition defences to do any proper defending enough. If you just hold a decent shape and concentration against Arsenal that’s usually enough because you’re never really asked to defend 1v1, track a runner, block a shot or run towards your own goal

Oi Ash, is that Willian the guy that used to play for Chelsea?

God help us, he's not the same player ffs

To be fair Partey just cocked one up in similar fashion and we got away with the counterattack.

Holding and Gabriel holding firm.

Chelsea fans used to say he was inconsistent back then tbf. His class will come through at points this season I'm sure, but you get more athleticism from Nelson, so it's what you value. Pépé I just can't even begin to categorise, he's living up to whoever said he was Gervinho mark II. As for Willian can't see him being much more than a waste of money over the time he'll be with us. Which is three years...

Yeah but he wasn't useless before that he was our best player

Too often I see us building up play with 3 or 4 attackers just stationary in line with the opposition defence. No movement to come short between the lines and no movement to spin and go in behind. It is no wonder we struggle to create anything

I’m just making excuses for Willian. Partey is a star.

We need the equaliser before half time you'd think if we're going to have a chance to overturn this.

Another big chance for a Lacazette header missed. Happening far too often now

Sigh. Lacazette misses one on a plate.

Sorry Lacazette that’s ridiculous you have to score that. New striker required

Interesting stats. We have one shot on target. They have none.

Fair enough, I'd make excuses for him too but I can't think of any - bloody hell how did Lacazette not get that on target.

Martinelli?

When he’s fit.

4 hours now since we scored an open play goal in the prem. Arteta can’t keep playing like this, he has to change tactics. Even if it leaves us less defensively sound we’re just too susceptible to games like this without any creative and attacking intent

I'd go and get Edouard from Celtic in January, Lacazette is finished by the looks of it

Var check takes 4.5 minutes on its own. Only 3 minutes added on time. Why is this so consistently awful?

Got to get Aubameyang down the middle

Lacazette has had just 8 touches in this half.

I cannot for the life of me understand why he is not up front. Lacazette is clearly out of sorts.

We have to get Aubameyang back in the central striker position for the simple reason that he finishes far more of the chances that are falling to whoever plays as our central striker.

Our squad seems to plug a big hole and another one gapes wide open. A good Cb and good CM in and we now have major problems up front and in creative mids.

Utter dogshit
Willian has been an awful signing so far.
I'd rather the unpredictability of Pépé.
I knew even before kick off this would be a tricky game and we would have to be at our best to win it.
Got out of jail with the VAR offside but to let them toy around with us for their actual goal is infuriating.
Lacazette should do better with that header.
Really hope we can turn this around

Lacazette and Willian not earning their wages

Willian for me is continuing to disappoint and doesn’t deserve to be ahead of Pépé on this form. Pépé frustrates but can provide match winning moments.

Also Saka looks a little out of sorts right now, wonder if he needs a rest after playing a lot of football

Arteta needs to change something. The team is not in play yet.

Take Willian out.

It would be different if we had Lewandowski playing down the middle but we haven't. Playing Aubameyang wide is just wasting his striking talents.

Curious substitution. Couldn’t have predicted that one.

Assume Partey must have a knock

Partey picked up an injury. Blow

You get the feeling we're seeing in Arteta what Pep would be like with an average squad...

I’m stuck between cursing the subdued and timid tactics vs simply having weak and poor players who are unable to cut it at the level we need to be at.
The most frustrating thing for me is that virtually every team in the league can play some sort of high energy, quick football with shots at goal. At least 14 of the other teams can. They don’t do it every game but they are capable. I just never see us do it. We just don’t unsettle the opposition defence enough.

Holy moly. Horrible effort by Willian.

At least Ceballos looks like he's attacking today not defending.

Come on Arsenaaaaal

I”m reminded of the first ever league game at the Emirates. Such expectations.

When you put the team up on the tactics board, you know with players in their positions, that seems to be quite literally how we play. No one moves between the lines, we pretty much line up against our opposite number and lack any movement to move them.

The formation you take is pretty much for defensive situations.

https://www.dummies. com/religion/spirituality/how-to-use-mindfulness-to-cope-with-anger/

We run out of ideas as soon as we get in the final third.

Villa the better side

Martinez has his pipe and slippers out

This is really really poor.