Swansea City 3 - 2 Arsenal: Swansea deservedly triumph over woeful Arsenal

I posted on another thread so am not going to say much on here. Just wanted to add my portion to the ratings. I am going to go in a little different direction, than just the ratings for the players in this 1 game.

AFC board - 3. Did they really think that this team was going to compete for honors this year.

Wenger - 3 Same reason as above since none of us really know who is making the decisions.

Do we have money or not. Did Wenger actually think this team was going to compete?

I have had my opinion all year not just after this game just wondering what others think.

Why are you acting as if the season has just ended and we're in the Europa League next season?

It's January, not May.

Dec 18 FT Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Dec 21 FT Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
Dec 27 FT Arsenal 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Dec 31 FT Arsenal 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
Jan 2 FT Fulham 2-1 Arsenal
Jan 15 FT Swansea City 3-2 Arsenal

We are 4 points out of the top 4 now. With the possibility of being 7 points out after next week. Can one or 2 of the top 4 have a monumental collapse sure.

...Or the posibillity of actually being in the top four. God forbid, it's such a scadalous idea.

Chelsea and Liverpool look just as bad as we do at the moment. You cannot rule us out of the race becasue of a couple of bad results.

I do agree with Jay, its too early to say if we out of top 4 race. Lets pray and hope we get Wilshere, Sagna and Gibbs ASAP. Wilshere will boost our midfield as he the most creative player we have got.

Swansea 3-2 Arsenal: Swansea outpass Arsenal

Brendan Rodgers’ line-up was largely as expected. Kemy Austien played in midfield alongside regulars Joe Allen and Leon Britton, while Steven Caulker continued at the back.

Arsenal are now without Gervinho, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations, so Andrei Arshavin started on the left with Thierry Henry on the bench. Yossi Benayoun replaced the injured Mikel Arteta, and Ignasi Miquel was at left-back.

In a battle of passing and pressing, Swansea were calmer and more composed on the ball.

Midfield battle

The sides played with a similar style and formation, with Arsenal starting the stronger in the first few minutes. When the game calmed down, however, it was Swansea who passed the ball better. Both sides focus upon retaining the ball, but Swansea were more composed at the back – they like to take plenty of touches in their own half, and build up play gradually, drawing the opposition out of position before looking for the killer ball.

At their best, Arsenal do the same – but without recognised full-backs and with Per Mertesacker frequently knocking the ball forward aimlessly and conceding possession, Arsenal were sloppy.

Passing

However, the interesting thing about the passing statistics was that neither side passed as reliably as they usually do. Swansea’s pass completion ratio was 80% compared to their usual 85.5%, Arsenal’s 79% compared to their usual 84.9%. There were lots of underhit square balls, lots of hurried passes in midfield.

A major reason for that, of course, was that both sides knew each other’s game and tried to press from the front. This was a huge factor in the game, because the pattern of pressing fitted the pattern of the game overall – Arsenal started better but faded, Swansea started slowly but got much more energetic and efficient as the game went on. They were also much better at winning tackles, with a significantly higher success rate. (Incidentally, this was a very clean game, with no yellow cards).



It was particularly impressive how Danny Graham played upfront for Swansea – he was always working to close down and cut off passing angles, and was a major reason why Arsenal had problems playing out from the back.

Swansea domination

Swansea were in control of possession, which meant Arsenal were playing on the counter. Whether this was Arsenal being ‘forced’ to play that way is debatable – they are a much more counter-attacking side than last season anyway, and their best away performance of the season was at Chelsea when they played almost exclusively on the break.

What isn’t in doubt, though, is that their transitions from defence to attack were very poor. Swansea pushed up and won the ball quickly, Arsenal often wasted the first pass or didn’t have the composure to attempt a positive ball rather than a clearance.

Second half

Rodgers brought on Gylfi Sigurdsson for Augustien to play as the highest midfielder up the pitch, moving Allen a little deeper. This worked well in both respects – Sigurdsson played some excellent passes including the assist for Graham’s winner, while Allen helped out Britton defensively. In the second half, Allen made five successful tackles, more than any other player managed in the entire game.



The game was mainly based around use of the ball and pressing than individual positioning, but there was one exception to this. Miquel, playing out of position at left-back, played far too high up the pitch and left a gap in behind him, which Laurent Koscielny had to try and cover whilst holding a position in the middle.

Both Swansea’s second and third goals came from a player getting the ball in behind Miquel down that side, and it’s clear that Arsenal’s lack of a recognised full-back on either side is causing them major problems. After the defeat to Fulham, where the game was turned around after Fulham targeted Johan Djourou to get him sent off (in Arsene Wenger’s view), it is two consecutive games where Arsenal have turned wins into defeats primarily because of a weakness at full-back.

Conclusion

Swansea outpassed Arsenal, which was the first victory. The second, equally crucial factor was managing to stop them breaking. This was partly because they pressed well at the front when the ball was lost and partly because Arsenal played poorly – Alex Song wasn’t a force, Aaron Ramsey had a disappointing game and Benayoun doesn’t yet look comfortable in the system having started so few games.

That, combined with a clear Arsenal weakness in the left-back position, was enough for the win. Swansea will play much better this season, but playing against a side like Arsenal suits their passing game.

Jay, we all admire your faith, but because we have been in the top 4 since 97, it doesn't mean we will be in the top 4 this year ( I know you didn't say this but I'm just saying, you seem to keep mentioning "seen it all before" a lot)

At the same time, yes it's Jan. But there are only 17 games left.. not 30

I'm well aware our place in the top four is the biggest danger it's ever been, but I'm simply not prepared to completely dismiss our chances because a couple of results have not gone our way, as seems to be the case with some fans.

There are 17 games, but in those games we play Spurs, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcaslte again. Three of them are at home.

Likewise, those clubs also play each other again.

Bascially, what I'm saying is there are plenty of opportunities left to make up the ground, still time left to improve things and get into the top four. A four point gap with 51 points still left up for grabs... don't know about you, but I still very much fancy our chances.

It's hardly a "couple of results" - 6 away defeats this year, worst away defence in the league. Defeats at Blackburn, Fulham and Swansea despite leading 1-0 in all 3 games.

Just because we face teams at home, doesn't mean we will do well. We lost to Newcastle, Spurs at home last year, and drew with Liverpool.

I don't fancy our chances at the minute. Unless a whole host of players magically return.

Have some faith ffs.

You're quick to forget that unbeaten run we had and the spirited display at Manchester City that suggested this team had enough about it to get into the top four.

Yeah, our last two defeats were poor. Yeah, we've had some crap results. But then, look at our rivals. Are they not the same way? Do they not suffer from poor results? Do they not drop points in games they should be winning?

So what we lost to those teams at home last year? That was last year. That doesn't suddenly make our chances of winning this time around smaller.

It's undeniable that once players start returning from injury, things will improve. It's difficult to see how a team with players like Sagna, Vermaelen, Arteta and Wilshere returning to it wouldn't improve.

At the end of the day, we still lost that match at City, courtesy of ANOTHER defensive error.

But yes, I agree, players returning will improve us.

Sagna, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Santos, Wilshere, Arteta and longer-term Gervinho/Diaby.

But we should look to bring someone in during this window.

I have faith we are looking EVERYWHERE for a talented player to come in ala Arshavin in 09 and save us.

djoe26 wrote:I do agree with Jay, its too early to say if we out of top 4 race. Lets pray and hope we get Wilshere, Sagna and Gibbs ASAP. Wilshere will boost our midfield as he the most creative player we have got.

please stop doing this. you know what will happen. Gibbs is a joke, Sagna has screws in his leg now, and wilshere... a reinjury waiting to happen. and his creativity is overstated. he had poor final product anyways which is what we need.


this is arsenal. you cant count on guys to return and miraculously 'save the season.' dont get hopes up wishing for these guys to return and rescue the team from anything

Samuelj29060 wrote:To take the lead at Blackburn, Fulham + Swansea and leave with 0 points is really bad.

To think, those are 9 points down the drain. 9 points that would have us in a title challenge position.

btw passing stats:
Arsenal
480 passes
369 successful
46% in our own half
----------
Swansea
592 passes
458 successful
59% of their passes were made in their own half

Samuelj29060 wrote:At the end of the day, we still lost that match at City, courtesy of ANOTHER defensive error.

But yes, I agree, players returning will improve us.

Sagna, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Santos, Wilshere, Arteta and longer-term Gervinho/Diaby.

But we should look to bring someone in during this window.

I have faith we are looking EVERYWHERE for a talented player to come in ala Arshavin in 09 and save us.

don't think it will be enough to get us in to the top four. Most of those guys will need 4 or 5 games to get going and we are still relying on RVP to get goals. I am resigned to channel 5 next season...lech poznan and twente here we come

Most of Arsenal fans got pissed not because we lost hope for a Champions League spot but most probably because that's it for the title race which wasn't that far had we won.