For what is worth, I think both the Bilbao and City games showed our growth on last season.
Huge improvement on our options off the bench. I’ve talked about the Bilbao game then but this game reminded me a lot of the losses last season against like PSG, Newcastle(multiple times), West Hamor Inter where the rival got the lead, parked the bus which lead the team die a slow death.
There is so much possibility of shifting things around with our personnel now which allows us to be more unpredictable.
The goal today was produced by two subs who played in a different position than they usually play for us.
That’s a horrible goal to concede. So easily outplayed, that’s peak Wenger banter era stuff.
Why is Gabriel so high up the pitch?? Did we have a corner there or what??
He’s marking Haaland there, fails to win the ball and then Haaland outsprints him for the goal leaving him behind like an old granny, leaving Saliba basically in a one vs two against Raindeers and Haaaland.
Ffs
I still can’t wrap my head around this goal. Watched it about 20 times now, I can’t understand why are we in that shape. I’d say Gabriel is quite reckless to be so high up the pich and let Haaland to win that ball and play Raindeers on. He’s very high, closest to Haaland, but still relatively far from him (a few yards) to win that ball, strangely unagressive begaviour from him. Had to win that ball, or make a foul. Had to be marking Haaland more closely, otherwise should have just stayed behind like Saliba, and we don’t concede.
Very very poor defensive behaviour by him there. I’d say he’s mostly to blame for the goal.
Btw, have to say brilliant play by Haaland first of all ( ) and Raindeers too. That fucking robot cunt, he was fucking created in a lab, I’m sure he isn’t human. It’s unfair a guy of that size who can hold up the ball, has also very good touch, has top notch understanding of space (basically Xavi) and can sprint like Bale. Cunt.
Haven’t been looking on twitter or reading articles, but I’m sure the media is criticising City for their defensive display, considering it was 11 v 11 all game?
The problem in my eyes was just the positioning. It just looked so off and watching Gabriel basically jog and Saliba making the wrong decision to not close the angle off a bit more on Haaland… just a little amateur hour all over from some world class defenders.
That’s what I said at one point. Gabriel HAS to either foul him or win that ball if he’s standing in that position, so high up the pitch, as the guy closest to Haaland - if he already commited to mark Haaland. That’s literally a textbook yellow to make there, you simply can’t allow a break to happen from there if you’re the CB standing in such a position, ESPECIALLY against Haaland.
Again, that’s super reckless from Gabriel.
Yeah, City have that kind of goal in them, but it absolutely shouldn’t happen against us, against our full defence on the pitch.
If they scored that against West Ham I’d say it’s too easy. No way that kind of stuff should happen against the likes of Gabriel, Saliba, Rice, Timber, Cala on the pitch.
Btw, rewatching it again… How the f… does he have the nerve to attack Saliba after the goal and criticise him whie it was him who created the space for Haaland?!
If Saliba opts to cover Haaland there then Reijnders gets all the space either to score himself or to play Doku on if Timber goes to him. I’m not blaming Saliba at all here btw, even though many are mentioning him.
Yeah, this stood out for me too, and he was yelling at Saliba constantly, most likely telling him to cover Haaland. Don’t know what happened to him there but he was really struggling to get back.
