Arsenal survive but was 'mental pressure' all too visible?
[Getty Images] Football should be fun but at this time of the season the stress levels can edge towards being dangerous. In east London on Sunday, Arsenal piled the mental pressure on themselves with a strange approach to their must-win game against West Ham. The good start crashed after Ben White's injury.
Declan Rice, the most influential player on the pitch, was pulled from the centre of proceedings and plonked at right-back to accommodate substitute Martin Zubimendi, a fine but lesser presence in the midfield. Why did Mikel Arteta do that? He could have slotted Cristhian Mosquera in at full-back with minimal disruption.
It was a mystifying call. Was Arteta overthinking or maybe over stressing? West Ham immediately found confidence and began to take part instead of just spectating.
The mistake was rectified at half-time as the Arsenal manager readjusted before the next incomprehensible decision – allowing his team to slow the game down to a crawl. There was a period of almost two entire minutes near the start of the second half when Arsenal passed it aimlessly around the back and midfield without the merest thought of making a serious forward pass. Fortunately, the willingness to take some risks and add some chaos arrived with Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.
Was this genius planning by Arteta to leave it this late to push on? Was it him finally getting it right after trial and error? Or was it desperation by himself and his players?