“There will be one last.” This expression, threadbare, particularly suits Arsenal this season. Against Bournemouth last weekend, when the score was 2-2, the clock showed 96:58 when Reiss Nelson cocked his shot. The Englishman, trained at the club and who has appeared only 3 times in the Premier League this season (for 3 goals and 2 assists), catapults the leather to the bottom to give victory to his people. A success in extremis when Arsenal were nevertheless trailing 2-0 after 57 minutes. When such a scenario happens once, we can speak of good fortune. When he arrives a second time, we evoke the luck of the champion. But what do we say when it happens a third time?
Indeed, a little over three weeks ago, the Gunners had already won against Aston Villa after a dramatic finish: 4-2, goal from Jorginho in the 93rd minute, before Gabriel Martinelli sealed the fate of Unai Emery’s men in the 98th. Mid-January, it was Eddie Nketiah who crucified Manchester United in the 90th. But beyond these three matches which inevitably stand out, a recurring pattern emerges this season: Arsenal displays resilience, a willingness to fight until the last seconds of a match to win. The team scored 10 goals in the last 15 minutes, and 7 in the last 10. For example, earlier in the season, they won against Fulham (2-1, Gabriel, 86th), Aston Villa (2-1, Gabriel Martinelli, 77th) or Liverpool (3-2, Bukayo Saka, 76th) in which is similar to a kind of “Arteta Time”.
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To this must be added another statistic distilled by Opta: no team has taken more points after being led than Arsenal (15). Much has been said about the winning mentality that Mikel Arteta, who arrived in December 2019, sought to instill in his players. The latter seems to bear fruit this year, while the Gunners are still in the lead, depending, therefore, on episodes and meetings saved on the wire. Against Aston Villa and Bournemouth, in a way, Arsenal found themselves in complex situations of their own doing. An unusual passivity and fragility behind – with, admittedly, a cold realism in front – coupled with a lack of attacking edge, and his inability to force the lock of defending formations with control and discipline.
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The figures for these two meetings bear witness to this: 67% possession, 20 shots and 44 balls touched in the opposing area against the Villans, 81%, 31 shots and 73 balls touched in the opposing area (as well as 17 corners) against the Cherries . Against Manchester United, the Gunners also dominated the match on the aspects mentioned above, with 59 balls played in the Red Devils box and 25 shots. With, in front, all the same, an adversary of another caliber and more advanced offensive inclinations.
Still, for a few weeks now, Mikel Arteta’s players have not always displayed as much fluidity as over the majority of the first part of the season. But they keep this serenity, an assurance in their game and what they are able to do, which allowed them to glean valuable points. When the situation turns out to be critical, the Spanish coach can count on his men not to rush and continue to push, without going astray or playing against nature, for example with long balls swung in front.
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Pour “climb the mountain”, slipped Mikel Arteta after the meeting against Bournemouth, “we shouldn’t lose our structure, our discipline and try to do simple things correctly”. Mission accomplished. The game plan is pretty clear: manage to smother the cowering opponent, tire them out as they run behind the ball, and stay high to get the balls back quickly. Then follow waves of offensives. This constant pressure must crack the opponent at one point or another, where Arsenal take advantage of any space left free to punish the opposing team. The challenge is also not to panic with the passing minutes, but also with the weight of the title race in mind. These (very) late goals are not only the result of chance or luck, but they are also the result of a certain confidence in his ability to make the difference.
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Overall, this desire to control matches is reflected in the figures: in the Premier League, Arsenal dominate in terms of shots per game, balls touched and passes in/to the opposition box. The team is just behind Manchester City in possession (60.6%) and assists in the final third. After the incredible success against Bournemouth, Mikel Arteta naturally praised the attitude of his players: “We showed a lot of maturity and resilience […]. A will to win, a determination. When the match goes bad, there’s a time when you can lose momentum, hide a bit, and sail through the match. The players didn’t do that, they [en] wanted, to win every ball, they took risks and persevered until[ils] crack.”
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A second wind and additional physical resources also facilitated by the winter transfer window. Arsenal were able to strengthen a workforce that seemed a bit short, with the arrivals of Jorginho and Leandro Trossard in particular. The returns of Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson also give Mikel Arteta more latitude and striking power. If in the past the latter has not always been inspired in his changes, he had a hollow nose against Bournemouth with the entries of Ben White and Reiss Nelson, both scorers, the winger having also served his compatriot for the ‘equalization. The threat comes from all sides: 14 outfield players have scored for Arsenal this season in the Premier League.
But until when will the coin fall on the right side for Arsenal? If the staff and the players were exulted, Mikel Arteta probably does not want to take the risk of repeating these hard-fought victories too much, and would prefer to see his team win more “easily”. On these meetings, the Gunners conceded a goal very quickly, they who, until then, were one of the most solid and permeable teams in the first period (9 goals out of 25 conceded before the break, 5 only in the first half hour ). Be that as it may, since the beginnings of a few weeks ago, with the highlight of the defeat against Manchester City which raised fears of the worst, Arsenal remains on 4 wins in a row. With 12 games remaining, this somewhat irrational moment, that half-volley from Reiss Nelson, could be a turning point, a decisive moment if the Gunners were to win the championship for the first time since 2004.
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