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Arsenal’s Lack of Ruthlessness Continues to Prove Costly
It feels like it’s been the same story in every Arsenal game this season.
Renee Slegers’ side left Stamford Bridge on Sunday with a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, but the scoreline only tells part of the story. Arsenal created enough attacking situations to get something from the game, particularly during a dominant opening spell, yet once again they struggled to turn promising positions into shots, and shots into goals; the story of their season so far.
The numbers clearly underline the problem.
The Gunners registered 18 shots, compared with the hosts’ 13, but only two were on target. Chelsea, by contrast, managed seven efforts on goal, crucially netting one, and produced four big chances. Arsenal, in contrast, created zero big chances and produced an xG of just 0.79 to the Blues’ 1.91.
That is a remarkable disparity for a side that had periods of control and spent significant time around Chelsea’s penalty area, especially in the first half.
But this wasn’t simply just down to a case of poor finishing.
One of the most noticeable features of the visitors’ performance was the hesitation in and around the penalty area, most importantly, in front of goal.
On several occasions the Arsenal attackers appeared to have the opportunity to shoot, only to take another touch before attempting to create a slightly better angle. That extra touch allowed Sonia Bompastor’s defenders to recover their positions, close the space and get bodies between the ball and Hannah Hampton and therefore lead to nothing.
The more concerning issue is that it became a recurring pattern throughout the full 90 minutes.
Slegers’ side would work the ball into a promising area, find a player facing goal and seemingly have a window to shoot. Instead of taking the opportunity first time, another touch would follow. By the time the shot eventually came, the window had often disappeared. That helps explain why Arsenal finished with such a high number of blocked attempts, with 12 of 18 shots being blocked.
A blocked effort isn’t necessarily evidence of poor attacking play because Chelsea deserve credit for throwing bodies in front of the ball, but the sheer volume is revealing. The Gunners were frequently allowing the Blues enough time to get a defender between the ball and the goal.
Against a defence of this quality, half a second can be the difference between a clean strike and another blocked effort.
Arsenal’s Opening Spell
The frustration will be greatest when Arsenal look back at the first half and the opportunities they should have converted.
Slegers’ side started aggressively and put the Blues under early pressure, with Lisa Baum providing an early attacking outlet and spent considerable time in Chelsea territory; 44.2% of the action during the opening quarter took place in Chelsea's defensive third, highlighting how much of the early game was being played in Arsenal's preferred areas.
However, Arsenal couldn’t make that pressure count or even trouble Hampton with all 9 shots being blocked or off target. In comparison, the Blues forced Anneke Borbe into four saves before Alyssa Thompson converted from close range.
The visitors’ closest efforts came from captain Kim Little, and Mariona Caldentey, who were both unfortunate to hit the woodwork, but this should have served as motivation. When you are dominating a game against one of your main rivals, the opportunities have to be attacked with maximum conviction. Arsenal had the territory and the momentum, but Chelsea survived the spell without conceding before hitting the Gunners with the crucial goal.
This wasn’t simply a performance where Arsenal simply failed to create anything. The problem was what happened once they got into those positions.
The final action lacked speed, clinical edge, but more alarmingly, certainty.
Rather than receiving the ball and immediately attacking the goal, the forwards too often seemed to want one more touch, one more adjustment or one more pass. That gave Chelsea too much time to recover and turn dangerous situations into crowded ones.
For a forward, the first touch inside the box is often not about controlling the ball perfectly, sometimes it’s about setting up the shot immediately and at least getting it off. The longer the visitors took, the more difficult the shot became. That was particularly damaging against a Chelsea side that was increasingly comfortable defending its penalty area.
The contrast between the two teams could hardly have been clearer.
Chelsea didn’t dominate the shot count. In fact, Arsenal had 18 attempts to the hosts’ 13, but when the decisive opportunity arrived, they were ruthless and that’s what matters most.
Melvine Malard's pressure helped force the mistake from Steph Catley, with Borbe initially saving, Keira Walsh's effort, but the rebound dropped to Thompson, who reacted quickly and fired Chelsea ahead in the 39th minute.
One opportunity. One decisive finish.
Arsenal, meanwhile, had 18 attempts and scored none. That is the difference between creating chances and converting them.
The Substitutions
Slegers attempted to change the game in the second half, introducing Chloe Kelly, Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius just after the hour mark. The idea was to provide Chelsea with different problems and add greater directness to Arsenal's attack, but Bompastor’s side had already gained control of the match and were pretty comfortable both on and off the ball.
The hosts defended resolutely, and the midfield partnership of Walsh and Lexi Potter were controlling and dictating play whilst Arsenal's attacks increasingly became predictable. The extra touches continued to make it easier for Chelsea to organise themselves, and the number of blocked the Reds’ efforts became symbolic of the wider problem that has been evident throughout the season so far.
In the past few games, a bright spark for Slegers has been summer signing Selina Cerci. The German striker arrived at the Emirates off the back of a clinical season, netting 16 goals and providing nine assists in 23 games.
With Alessia Russo struggling to find her feet so far this season, Cerci could be an effective replacement or at least given the opportunity earlier on in the game. Against Manchester United, the childhood Gunners fan had more attempts on target in 20 minutes than the number 23 and provided plenty of threat, arguably changing the game for Slegers’ side.
The summer signing also offers a different profile to the likes of Russo and Blackstenius. Cerci isn’t exactly the type of striker who wants to spend the entire game with her back to goal. she likes to attack with pace, and confident with striking first time, rather than taking the extra touch.
As the side chasing the game, it could be argued that Cerci's introduction should have come a lot sooner than the 81st minute, as she offers something completely different to what Slegers had on the pitch and could have been the difference maker as she was against United.
The Bigger Concern for Arsenal
The Chelsea defeat wasn’t exactly the first time the Gunners have displayed attacking uncertainty. The opening weeks of the season have already provided several examples of Arsenal controlling matches, accumulating shots and possession, but failing to translate that dominance into goals.
Against Brighton on the opening weekend, Arsenal won 1-0 despite producing 13 shots, with six on target. A week later, the problem became far more obvious.
Slegers’ side had 30 shots and 80% possession against Crystal Palace, yet the match finished 0-0. Only nine of those 30 efforts were on target, whilst we cannot take anything away from Palace goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin who made several important saves.
Then came Manchester United, a side who had been leaking plenty, and providing an opportunity to regain confidence in front of goal.
However, it wasn’t the case. Arsenal had 17 shots to United's four and 59% possession but could only find the net once and that goal didn’t arrive until the fifth minute of stoppage time, when Smilla Holmberg rescued a late point.
By the end of the first three WSL games, the Gunners had scored just two goals from 60 shots, a statistic that neatly captured the disconnect between their attacking volume and their overall output.
The Champions League was another chance to find their goalscoring form as they faced off against HB Køge but it offered more of the same.
Against the Danish side, Arsenal dominated possession with 70%, had 19 shots, 10 corners and 13 attempts from inside the penalty area. Yet only two of those efforts were on target. It took a 93rd-minute Caldentey penalty to finally break the deadlock and secure a 1-0 victory, and again, it was Cerci who made the difference and won the spot kick from her direct approach.
To put it into context, the Gunners had scored 10 goals in their opening four WSL fixtures last season; four against London City Lionesses, five against West Ham, and one past Aston Villa.
This year? Just two in four.
The next step for Slegers' side is therefore not necessarily to create more, because they are getting into those attacking, dangerous areas.
It’s to do more with what they have already created, and to regain that clinical edge and confidence they once possessed.
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