As we are in the midst of a football inter-lull due to the International break, let us take a look at the way Arsenal's performances in EPL matches have evolved during the last few seasons.
Rock Bottom
Lets start with the 2011-12 season. The season where we had a disastrous start, Arsenal were at one point at 17th in the league. Barring a few matches, scraped through and registered defeats against beatable opposition. It was mostly edge of the seat stuff as Arsenal's opponents were able to score 9 goals (EPL) in the last 15 minutes of games piling pressure on the defense.
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| Arsenal Goal Timings 2011-12 |
There was no guarantee that an Arsenal lead would turn into a full 3 points. There were moments of tension and nobody was sure if Arsenal could hold on. Lapses in concentration were frequent and opponents took their chances wisely.
Late Starters
This stat improved considerably for the 2012-13 season, as the opposition scored only 2 goals in the same duration with Arsenal scoring 18 of their own. There was a significant improvement in holding on to leads and seeing out games.
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| Arsenal Goal Timings 2012-13 |
The run that started after the win in Munich helped arsenal secure 4th spot at the expense of Tottenham. These results consisted of matches where arsenal won by 1 or 2 goals. Arsenal were prone to an opposition goal just before half time and just after the hour mark. And when opponents thought they gained a point or two, Arsenal would bang in the required amount of goals and see victory.
By the end of the season I was confident that Arsenal could hold on to leads and win matches. The entire team took upon defensive duties, Giroud's aerial presence was vital in many games as were the calm and commanding Mertesacker in the heart of defense. For most of the season, Arsenal had an average first half followed by a promising second half. This prompted Arsene Wenger to claim that "Arsenal would be top of the league if the second half results were alone considered". But a football match is not about the second half alone.
One game that comes to my mind is the Newcastle game at the Emirates. At half time, the score was 1-1 typically letting in a goal just before half time. Newcastle might have thought they had a chance, but were blown away in the second half. One of Theo's brightest performances resulted in a cracking 7-3 win for the home side.
Perfecting the Game
Arsenal started the 2013-14 EPL season with a demoralizing 1-3 defeat at home to Aston Villa. But from the next match on wards it was solid performance from the gunners. Arsenal the first to score most of the time taking the lead into the second half in which the excellent solid performance from the previous season prevailed. Arsenal seem to be more focused in the first half with converting chances and seeing out games in the second half. They are seemingly perfecting their game.
In-spite of all these, some individual errors and lapse in concentration contribute to defend-able opposition goals. We are not far from perfect, but that looks achievable with proper concentration and team work. Lets hope Arsenal can keep on improving from this solid platform through the season.
Additional Read
For a more stats for these views can be found at this excellent article over at 7amkickoff.
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