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For all the criticism of Odegaard holding on to the ball too much , we much be truthful to ourselves that when Odegaard plays 10 there’s always a ray of hope that we may still find a way to break low block playing teams .

On the other hand , Eze playing 10 against a low block team just doesn’t inspire any confidence we may break them down . I think Eze is best suited for playing those long passes from our half to pick out a runner when teams lose possession when pressing us high . That was what played out in the City game and Bayern game.

Saka and Odegaard exchanging passes along the right wing seem to be the only thing has worked in breaking the resolve of low block teams thus far. Definitely Arteta and the coaching crew need to find more ways around breaking low block teams thus far, but for now that seem like the only thing working .

Eze is a very good player but he seems to struggle in that 10 role for now

Gabzy1:
Arteta's quote on Gyokeres after the game

“There's a collaboration between the two [Gyokeres and midfielders]. He was in a lot of really good positions and the ball didn't get into the area quick enough, sharp enough, or just with the precision that is required for a nine to score a goal. But his work and intentions were there and we need to keep insisting.”

The same thing I have been saying for games now. Thank goodness he is seeing the same thing!

How’s it that Merino get serviced when he starts as false 9 ?

How’s it that Jesus who just returned from injury got serviced in the two games he’s had cameo appearances this season ?

How’s it that Havertz before his injury was over serviced starting in that 9 position ?

Are we implying that the rest of the team don’t fancy Gyokeres well enough to service him ?

BlueRayDick:
For all the criticism of Odegaard holding on to the ball too much , we much be truthful to ourselves that when Odegaard plays 10 there’s always a ray of hope that we may still find a way to break low block playing teams .

On the other hand , Eze playing 10 against a low block team just doesn’t inspire any confidence we may break them down . I think Eze is best suited for playing those long passes from our half to pick out a runner when teams lose possession when pressing us high . That was what played out in the City game and Bayern game.

Saka and Odegaard exchanging passes along the right wing seem to be the only thing has worked in breaking the resolve of low block teams thus far. Definitely Arteta and the coaching crew need to find more ways around breaking low block teams thus far, but for now that seem like the only thing working .

Eze is a very good player but he seems to struggle in that 10 role for now

don't know if you noticed, at some point odegaard shifted to the left side but the attack and connection wasn't as good as when he links up with Saka. Wolves sat back and allowed us play our game but had total control of their own organisation. It was a frustrating game for us because we were actively pressing and attacking but the end product was limited. They got a good 5 minutes and made it count, our overall defensive unit isn't as it used to be. I think Gyokeres gets into good positions but he is either too fast to go in or the players with the ball don't trust themselves enough to release the ball. Both the players and Gyokeres should work on changing their games to bring out the beast in him.
Just like Henry said "the fear of winning is sometimes more than the fear of losing, especially when you haven't won anything yet". In as much as we can say this team is mentally up for the challenge, we can't write off that fear of bottling again. They panic and try to hold on to their results during the end of games, they try to be careful and defend, but Arteta should know that the approach isn't necessary if we can still kill the game by controlling the midfield and up pitch play than sitting deep to defend. Saka played like a world class player he is and made the difference. Big shout out to little chilli 🌶

germaphobe:
don't know if you noticed, at some point odegaard shifted to the left side but the attack and connection wasn't as good as when he links up with Saka. Wolves sat back and allowed us play our game but had total control of their own organisation. It was a frustrating game for us because we were actively pressing and attacking but the end product was limited. They got a good 5 minutes and made it count, our overall defensive unit isn't as it used to be. I think Gyokeres gets into good positions but he is either too fast to go in or the players with the ball don't trust themselves enough to release the ball. Both the players and Gyokeres should work on changing their games to bring out the beast in him.
Just like Henry said "the fear of winning is sometimes more than the fear of losing, especially when you haven't won anything yet". In as much as we can say this team is mentally up for the challenge, we can't write off that fear of bottling again. They panic and try to hold on to their results during the end of games, they try to be careful and defend, but Arteta should know that the approach isn't necessary if we can still kill the game by controlling the midfield and up pitch play than sitting deep to defend. Saka played like a world class player he is and made the difference. Big shout out to little chilli 🌶

Odegaard and Eze seems not to be working, arteta should try nwaneri, we need change fast

BlueRayDick:
How’s it that Merino get serviced when he starts as false 9 ?

How’s it that Jesus who just returned from injury got serviced in the two games he’s had cameo appearances this season ?

How’s it that Havertz before his injury was over serviced starting in that 9 position ?

Are we implying that the rest of the team don’t fancy Gyokeres well enough to service him ?

Jesus and Havertz are the main men for our attack and have a chemistry with our wingers than any other player up front. Our attack became potent when we signed jesus and Havertz because of how they confuse defenders with their movement. Gyokeres is more traditional box striker and defenders knows what to expect from him when he's making a run or have the ball on his feet. It is more easy to mark him than the others, he's strength lies in his ability to overpower the defenders and sometimes when he gets into those positions, they players don't trust him making a difference hence they focus of dragging the ball to see if more space can be opened for other players to utilise when he drags the defenders.

iamoyindamola:
Odegaard and Eze seems not to be working, arteta should try nwaneri, we need change fast

when trying to break low blocks, I think odegaard is more able to do that. Eze thrive more with spaces but odegaard can play a bit more comfortably in tight spaces than Eze. Nwaneri is best when he is free too, our match against club brugge is an example. He can control the tempo more if he isn't bullied and have space. Nwaneri needs more minutes in such tough matches to grow in confidence and learn, but at the same time, Arteta is more scared of loosing than even us the fans which reflects in his selection and subs.

Games like yesterday are games were we would normally loose, I'm happy to see us win. Sunderland, Newcastle, Villa and Wolves are matches that would have all taken 3 points from us cus of how we retreats and try playing with caution. Thank God so far we've lost only to villa. We might have the confidence of going forward but that fear of loosing sometimes shakes us more than both Arteta and his players choose to admit. Everton is going to be another tough game, but thankfully by then the players should be getting enough rest before the match, and also Everton will be losing two of their integral players to afcon, so we should be winning that one too.
Got Saliba back and lost White, every match day feels like we are about to lose another player.

germaphobe:
don't know if you noticed, at some point odegaard shifted to the left side but the attack and connection wasn't as good as when he links up with Saka. Wolves sat back and allowed us play our game but had total control of their own organisation. It was a frustrating game for us because we were actively pressing and attacking but the end product was limited. They got a good 5 minutes and made it count, our overall defensive unit isn't as it used to be. I think Gyokeres gets into good positions but he is either too fast to go in or the players with the ball don't trust themselves enough to release the ball. Both the players and Gyokeres should work on changing their games to bring out the beast in him.
Just like Henry said "the fear of winning is sometimes more than the fear of losing, especially when you haven't won anything yet". In as much as we can say this team is mentally up for the challenge, we can't write off that fear of bottling again. They panic and try to hold on to their results during the end of games, they try to be careful and defend, but Arteta should know that the approach isn't necessary if we can still kill the game by controlling the midfield and up pitch play than sitting deep to defend. Saka played like a world class player he is and made the difference. Big shout out to little chilli 🌶

I’m glad Saka always comes through for us when it matters most .

If he’s not scoring goals to bail us out , he’s playing deadly crosses into the opponent ‘s six yard box to cause mayhem .

BlueRayDick:
I’m glad Saka always comes through for us when it matters most .

If he’s not scoring goals to bail us out , he’s playing deadly crosses into the opponent ‘s six yard box to cause mayhem .

That Lad was a gift from God to Arsenal

Shegzdave:
That Lad was a gift from God to Arsenal

He's arguably the best Arsenal academy product to ever play for Arsenal FC. No one comes close in terms of talent and actual productivity on the pitch.

BlueRayDick:
He's arguably the best Arsenal academy product to ever play for Arsenal FC. No one comes close in terms of talent and actual productivity on the pitch.

Agreed💯
No one come close, always put his best when called upon

BlueRayDick:
I’m glad Saka always comes through for us when it matters most .

If he’s not scoring goals to bail us out , he’s playing deadly crosses into the opponent ‘s six yard box to cause mayhem .

How I wish Sanchez had stayed at Arsenal just 1 or 2 years longer

He could've mentored Martinelli, who shares that same relentless energy and fighting spirit as Sanchez, but lacks the same level of technical flair, dribbling magic, and creative vision that made prime Alexis so devastating.

That 2016/17 version of Sanchez was truly unplayable, carrying the team with 24 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League alone.

Whenever he cut inside from the left onto his favoured right foot, he'd unleash those dangerous, whipped crosses into the box that terrorized defenses.

Gabzy1:
How I wish Sanchez had stayed at Arsenal just 1 or 2 years longer

He could've mentored Martinelli, who shares that same relentless energy and fighting spirit as Sanchez, but lacks the same level of technical flair, dribbling magic, and creative vision that made prime Alexis so devastating.

That 2016/17 version of Sanchez was truly unplayable, carrying the team with 24 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League alone.

Whenever he cut inside from the left onto his favoured right foot, he'd unleash those dangerous, whipped crosses into the box that terrorized defenses.

Maybe... However, they're not of similar profile. Trossard is closer to Sanchez than Martinelli.

Our next five games are games we failed to win last season (1D 4L). Interesting time ahead.

mostob:
Our next five games are games we failed to win last season (1D 4L). Interesting time ahead.

I think we need to make it a duty to score early and press our opponents more for second goal. That's the only way for us to get results out of those matches.

Gabzy1:
How I wish Sanchez had stayed at Arsenal just 1 or 2 years longer

He could've mentored Martinelli, who shares that same relentless energy and fighting spirit as Sanchez, but lacks the same level of technical flair, dribbling magic, and creative vision that made prime Alexis so devastating.

That 2016/17 version of Sanchez was truly unplayable, carrying the team with 24 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League alone.

Whenever he cut inside from the left onto his favoured right foot, he'd unleash those dangerous, whipped crosses into the box that terrorized defenses.

Martinelli is more of a speedster ( Walcott kinda player) and less of Alexis Sanchez.

I think the only way to make Martinelli better is to deploy him as a striker in some games in which we need to press our opponents in their half and need a striker who can run from our box doing defensive duty to the opponent's box running at them to cause mayhem.

BlueRayDick:
Martinelli is more of a speedster ( Walcott kinda player) and less of Alexis Sanchez.

I think the only way to make Martinelli better is to deploy him as a striker in some games in which we need to press our opponents in their half and need a striker who can run from our box doing defensive duty to the opponent's box running at them to cause mayhem.

I agree with this. I wonder why Arteta hasn’t try something different.

I mean, it’s obvious that putting him in that position especially against teams that park the bus can be quite effective. Man City, A.Bilbao, Bayern, Chelsea?

One thing I would love Arteta to do more often is try different approach to things.

I remember saying that, Odegaard must not always play RM, He could try playing LM and Nwaneri plays the right, while Martinelli could sometimes play CF.

I’m not saying he should be like Guardiola, just try something else to give us some form of unpredictability. It could also be helpful in the players development.

Spy360:
Eze preferably

We can both admit our attack is broken, there is something fundamentally or tactically wrong with it and this has been going on for a while.

Honest question.. How do you think we can resolve it? Honestly I am really worried about it? What are your thoughts?

We need Morgan Rogers kind of player

iamoyindamola:
We need Morgan Rogers kind of player

They'll still change him away from his strengths. Na Arteta be dat. Lol.

Fkforyou:
I agree with this. I wonder why Arteta hasn’t try something different.

I mean, it’s obvious that putting him in that position especially against teams that park the bus can be quite effective. Man City, A.Bilbao, Bayern, Chelsea?

One thing I would love Arteta to do more often is try different approach to things.

I remember saying that, Odegaard must not always play RM, He could try playing LM and Nwaneri plays the right, while Martinelli could sometimes play CF.

I’m not saying he should be like Guardiola, just try something else to give us some form of unpredictability. It could also be helpful in the players development.

1. We can still play to Martinelli's strength without playing him as CF. Martinelli is suffering from same thing Gyokeres is suffering from. Both like running into space but our midfielders (especially Odegaard) rarely give them the ball.

2. That he has pace and finishing doesn't mean he can play comfortably as a CF. Pace and finishing are just two of the numerous qualities a standard EPL CF must have. Martinelli would be better off feeding off from a big striker doing the 'heavy jobs' than telling Martinelli to do the jobs himself.

3. Odegaard needs to step up or we get a replacement. All this barber chair football he is playing is hurting the team. He is our creative fulcrum FFS.

The reaction of the players yesterday after the match kinda raised eyebrows. Not the usual funfair and smiling face. Maybe they're disappointed in their performance. Now that they have two days off, let them go and freshen up and refill.

BlueRayDick:
I think we need to make it a duty to score early and press our opponents more for second goal. That's the only way for us to get results out of those matches.

Yea.. I agree. Score early and press them for more. Inviting teams to attack us must stop.
We used to be one of the best teams when it comes to holding possession.

daveP:
Exactly. Before they say he's not doing his bit. Service needs to increase. Better days though. Me just wished they focus on him vs these small teams and use the grand approach vs big teams. Better days soon.

How many services is enough before he will score a goal? Because I know that there were two or three occasions he was given the ball and couldn't even hold it

I also know one or two occasions Saka and Odegaard wanted to give him the ball but he was hiding behind a defender.

Perhaps the service you mean is for Odegaard, Eze or Saka to dribble everyone including the GK and pass the ball to Gyokeres to score into an empty net?

You can look for a way to defend your MCM but please don't blame it on anyone. It's the same team Merino scored 3 goals in 4 games when Gyokeres was injured.

BlueRayDick:
For all the criticism of Odegaard holding on to the ball too much , we much be truthful to ourselves that when Odegaard plays 10 there’s always a ray of hope that we may still find a way to break low block playing teams .

On the other hand , Eze playing 10 against a low block team just doesn’t inspire any confidence we may break them down . I think Eze is best suited for playing those long passes from our half to pick out a runner when teams lose possession when pressing us high . That was what played out in the City game and Bayern game.

Saka and Odegaard exchanging passes along the right wing seem to be the only thing has worked in breaking the resolve of low block teams thus far. Definitely Arteta and the coaching crew need to find more ways around breaking low block teams thus far, but for now that seem like the only thing working .

Eze is a very good player but he seems to struggle in that 10 role for now

Eze was specifically signed to break down low blocks.

If you noticed, Eze stays near the box when the opponent is defending. He on near the box is dangerous because he can work his way in tight spaces. We need to get the ball to him near the box.

He was lethal against Tottenham because Merino comes out to take away markers from him. That's what Gyokeres is not doing and it's making it difficult.

I need to see Eze and Jesus in the same line up.

BlueRayDick:
How’s it that Merino get serviced when he starts as false 9 ?

How’s it that Jesus who just returned from injury got serviced in the two games he’s had cameo appearances this season ?

How’s it that Havertz before his injury was over serviced starting in that 9 position ?

Are we implying that the rest of the team don’t fancy Gyokeres well enough to service him ?

I wonder.

germaphobe:
Jesus and Havertz are the main men for our attack and have a chemistry with our wingers than any other player up front. Our attack became potent when we signed jesus and Havertz because of how they confuse defenders with their movement. Gyokeres is more traditional box striker and defenders knows what to expect from him when he's making a run or have the ball on his feet. It is more easy to mark him than the others, he's strength lies in his ability to overpower the defenders and sometimes when he gets into those positions, they players don't trust him making a difference hence they focus of dragging the ball to see if more space can be opened for other players to utilise when he drags the defenders.

The bolded is point blank. Also the way we play, we usually overload the opponent's box. And the players that are usually less marked are the wngers. They are our main goal threats, not the CF.

Playing a traditional striker whose movements are restricted within the box means he is easily predictable and more work by the midfielders and wingers because they will have more markers.

It's different for Haaland because he is sharper and more imposing. But anyday he is successfully marked out, Man City doesn't score. Unless until recently they found a way for Foden

Roland17:
We can both admit our attack is broken, there is something fundamentally or tactically wrong with it and this has been going on for a while.

Honest question.. How do you think we can resolve it? Honestly I am really worried about it? What are your thoughts?

When you look at the top scorers list, there is no Arsenal player in the top 10. It simply means we don't have a steady attacking arrangement or plan. Let's start from there.

Possible causes
1. Manager does not know his best selection. Keeps changing starting eleven.
2. Injuries denying the manager availability of players as tools
3. Manager has no fixed attacking plan, so players rely on whatever they can create

The first thing is to get our players back fit. Gyokeres was improving scoring 4 league and 2 CL goals until he got injured, being the only outfield striker available. We switched to Merino who scored 4 in 6 games until he became fatigued being the only usable centre forward player available. Trossard was scoring until he too got injured.

Whenever there is a form of stability we have improvements. Now that we have two or three options as CF Arteta needs to now decide his best selection and stick to it while reducing the load burden through substitution, and rotation in non league matches.

Secondly, there should be a fixed attacking plan. A known attacking pattern. They have to master it in such a way that everyone knows his role and executes it with speed and accuracy. And then a plan B in case the first plan does not work within the first 30 mins.

Most times the teams we face defend low block. That should be put under consideration.
Earlier in the season we used set pieces to open up the game. We have kind of lost that since Gabriel M got injured. We need to re-establish that option irrespective of who is not available.

Here is a video compilation of gyokeres getting into promising positions and being ignored

“Gyokeres is the problem”
“Gyokeres is a builder”

Nope his teammates just ignore there most prolific player making runs into space

pic.twitter.com/s0Y0QVQES0

— #14 🏆 (@AFCKaden) December 14, 2025

[quote author=Gabzy1 post=137800363]Here is a video compilation of gyokeres getting into promising positions and being ignored

“Gyokeres is the problem”
“Gyokeres is a builder”

Nope his teammates just ignore there most prolific player making runs into space

pic.twitter.com/s0Y0QVQES0

— #14 🏆 (@AFCKaden) December 14, 2025

know this
That's why I concluded we are not creating enough chances

Spy360:
How many services is enough before he will score a goal? Because I know that there were two or three occasions he was given the ball and couldn't even hold it

I also know one or two occasions Saka and Odegaard wanted to give him the ball but he was hiding behind a defender.

Perhaps the service you mean is for Odegaard, Eze or Saka to dribble everyone including the GK and pass the ball to Gyokeres to score into an empty net?

You can look for a way to defend your MCM but please don't blame it on anyone. It's the same team Merino scored 3 goals in 4 games when Gyokeres was injured.

I wish i was defending him. There's a lot of buzz interviews about this matter here and many from the wenger era are with my POV. Perhaps Gyokores is their MCM too. Latest is Ramsey.

Even rival fans are seeing this lack of play towards him.

I can beat my chest and say that this season, he's made spaces for every other of his teammates in the final 3rd than they finding him for a final touch. Bring a counter argument.

My conclusion is this is hibernation mode and he's going to get better, and this phase will pass. But don't come and pretend like im defending him blindly. Lol.

Coach even affirmed this stance o. But you're here throwing this cheap punch. Habaaaa!!!