“Arsenal will qualify but if only Arteta change this particular thing”: Pep Guardiola has backed Arsenal to knockout PSG but on one condition
Arsenal appear to have hit the buffers just as their season demands peak performance. Saturday’s 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth was the worst possible preparation for next week’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, a tie in which the Gunners trail 1-0 on aggregate.
Their visit to Paris comes ahead of Premier League games against Liverpool, Newcastle and Southampton. Mikel Arteta’s side are yet to seal Champions League qualification for next season, something that will frustrate the Arsenal boss, who would have ideally wanted that milestone reached weeks ago. Arteta has three problems that need solving before his players take to the pitch again.
Conceding from set-pieces
Arsenal are one of the best teams in Europe at attacking set-pieces. What has flown under the radar is that they are terrible at defending them. Twelve of the 31 Premier League goals they have conceded this season have come from dead-ball situations, including both against Bournemouth. No Premier League team has conceded a higher percentage (38.7 per cent) of their goals from set-pieces.
For a team with such size and power, Arsenal were poor in those scenarios against Bournemouth. Their goal also came under threat during the first leg against PSG. given that Arsenal cannot really afford to go behind in Paris, it is a weakness that Arteta and set-piece coach Nicolas Jover must solve to prevent any cheap goals going past David Raya.
Martin Odegaard’s form
Odegaard’s ankle injury at the start of the season cannot be blamed for his poor form anymore. He returned from that issue in November and has been available for all but one of Arsenal’s games since.
The Arsenal captain has struggled to stamp his mark on any of his side’s recent matches. Against PSG, he was crowded out by the French side’s busy midfield. Bournemouth kept his influence to a minimum.
There would be no better way for Odegaard to avenge his below-par campaign than by leading them to a big victory against PSG on Wednesday.
Mentality
Arteta confessed that Arsenal’s players were furious after their defeat against Bournemouth. He said: “We defended really poorly, nowhere near the standards that we are used to. We wanted to generate the momentum and a really positive vibe today – we haven’t. What we have created is frustration, rage and anger – make sure we use that on Wednesday.”
The Gunners boss will need to change that mentality ahead of facing PSG. Anger must be channelled in the right way, otherwise Arsenal’s stars risk losing their heads early on in Paris.
