Arsenal took a lot of heat for their approach to Manchester City. It was not a great spectacle for the neutral but I don’t think Arsenal cared one bit, rather having the point (and nearly all three with the couple of nearly chances they created) than the admiration of pundits as a team that lost but gave it a go.
This match, especially the second half won’t change people’s minds about them but again I don’t think Mikel Arteta or the team will lose sleep over the complaints one bit.
There is not a ton of meat on the bone in this match, but let’s break it down anyway.
Arsenal 2-0 Luton: The Graphics
Arsenal 2-0 Luton: The Debrief
13 - Shots for Arsenal
4 - Shots on target for Arsenal
1.2 - expected goals on my model, 0.8-1.3 on models I have seen of this match
This was not the greatest display of liquid attacking soccer that you will have seen or will see from Arsenal this season. This was a very controlled display where the first half was significantly better but it did seem like once the second goal went in and the game was as good as over Arsenal were pretty content to dial down the intensity.
There is no other way to put it, it was pretty much over after that goal.
One of the moments that symbolized the we will just keep the ball and kill the game was the long possession sequence at the start of the second half. Arsenal kept the ball for 41 passes.
Arsenal won back possession to start this at 48:45 and then didn’t lose the ball until 51:40.
In the first half when the team seemed to be actually trying the metrics were pretty good, especially considering the level of rotation that can and often does dirupt how a team executes.
In the first half:
11 - Shots for Arsenal, 2 for Luton
1.1 - xG for Arsenal, 0.1 for Luton
66% - Possession
78% - Field tilt
27 - Touches in the box for Arsenal, 6 for Luton
Scaled up to a full game and this looks a lot more like a “normal” Arsenal match. In the end, it was probably just a fine performance where 4 out of the 5 goals that the team wanted to accomplish were done.
✔️ Three points
✔️ Rest to key players
✔️ Match fitness into the legs of players needed for the run-in
✔️ Keep intensity low, to not take too much out and keep injury-free
❌ Run up the goal difference
Arsenal’s Defense remains suffocating
5 - Shots for Luton
0 - Shots in the first 29 minutes
0 - Shots in the second half until the 87th minute
Luton manager Rob Edwards I think nailed it on the head with his post match comments about Arsenal:
"They give no chances away to the opposition teams. We saw them against... a top, top team on the weekend, and they limited City to very little.
They don't give you anything, and then... it's very clear in how they attack but it's really difficult to stop as well. They're always there in good numbers and then they can really suffocate you as well.
I think maybe they're the one team out of all the three that are fighting at the moment that can sort of play any game. If it's a physical game, if it's a footballing game, if it's a running game - whatever it is, they've got the answer, they've got the personalities who will play any way"
In this match, you saw Arsenal play a number of different ways. There was front-foot pressing, which saw Arsenal generate several chances and the opening goal.
There was more mid and low-block defending where Arsenal settled into their defensive shape and challenged Luton to try and break them down, and they just never really could.
Emile Smith Rowe makes his case
44 - Pass Attempts on 88.6% completion percentage and 101.8% Pass Efficiency (actual compared to expected completion percentage)
4 - Final 3rd Entry Passes
3 - Progressive Passes
2 - Key Passes, not counting own goal
0.07 - xA
2 - Shots
0.13 - xG
5 - Progressive Carries
3 - Progressive Passes Received
5 - Touches in the box, even had 1 in his own defensive box and 7 in the defensive third
0.77 - xG Buildup
1 - Tackle, winning the ball to set the team off to score
0 - Times Dribbled Past
1 - Foul committed
2 - Interceptions
3.53 - Fields Gained with his ball progression
Emile Smith Rowe has been a bit of an enigma. He has shown an extended period of time where he has looked good (how good is open to debate) but it has been disrupted time and again with injuries. Over the last two seasons, it has felt like he has spent more time recovering and rehabbing than available for selection.
This absence has I think driven divergent lines of thinking about what is possible for him going forward.
This match was a solid data point that he still can and hopefully will make an impact for Arsenal. It wasn’t perfect and an injury-depleted Luton is not the hardest opponent in the World but it is still something that is a positive step for him getting back into the squad.
He showed a lot of the good things about himself, the constant movement, the Wenger-era quick pass and try-to-run beyond-the-line movement, and his ability to quickly get a shot off. He also looked to answer some nagging worries about his off-the-ball work.
He, like many of the players rotated in looked gassed after about 55-60 minutes but that isn’t a surprise with the lack of match fitness they have. I think this was a real positive for him going forward and I am glad to see it.