Former Wimbledon midfielder Robbie Earle believes that Mikel Arteta made one critical error as Arsenal fell to defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Arsenal were far from their best as they were deservedly beaten by Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners started the game well. Martin Odegaard dazzled for Arsenal in the first half, as he danced around opposition players, and played incisive balls through the Aston Villa defence. However, when the hosts did get into good shooting positions, they were invariably wasteful.
Misfiring Gabriel Jesus cost Arsenal against Aston Villa
Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard were brought into the starting XI for this match. To accommodate the Brazilian striker up front, Mikel Arteta dropped Kai Havertz back into the midfield trio.
Havertz has shone as a striker for Arsenal in recent weeks, but this was a chance for Jesus to prove his enduring worth to the Gunners. As it played out, though, the former Manchester City man failed to impress. Jesus frustrated Arsenal fans with performance, and Arteta will not feel that he led the line as incisively as hoped.
Arsenal have been linked with a number of strikers ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, as concerns about Jesus’ profligacy have nagged at the club throughout the campaign. In 22 Premier League appearances so far this season, the forward has only found the back of the net four times. The calls for the Gunners to invest in a reliable goalscorer will only grow louder after Sunday’s showing.
Robbie Earle highlights tactical error from Mikel Arteta
However, rather than focusing on Jesus’ shortcomings as a finisher, Robbie Earle has pinned the blame for this defeat on Arteta. Speaking on The 2 Robbies podcast, the pundit said, “I still would have kept Havertz as the 9. I would have kept Jesus on the left-hand side, because I think he’ll work up and down for you, and I’d have put Trossard in midfield.”
“The moving of Havertz out of the No. 9 position was the biggest mistake he made, because he’s built a nice rapport and understanding now.”
The decision not to have Havertz spearheading the attack certainly backfired on Arsenal. Though, in truth, the German had his own chances to score in this match and couldn’t take them.
In the second half, Arsenal lost their fluency and momentum all over the pitch. They made uncharacteristic mistakes at the back and struggled to create going forwards.
This may well have just been a bad day at the office for the Gunners, but in the context of the Premier League title race it may well prove to have been a devastatingly costly one.