By Cameron Sheath

Arsenal fell to an all-too-familiar 1-1 draw against Brian Sorensen’s organised Aston Villa side at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon. After back-to-back wins against Spurs and Benfica, hope was high that the Gunners would continue to build momentum ahead of some huge tests in both the WSL and Champions League.

Instead, the home side were again left anxiously hoping for a late winner that never came, something they’ve now experienced in half of their eight WSL matches this season.

First Half

The tone for the afternoon was perhaps set before the first kick of the game, as Louis Dunford’s ‘The Angel’ began playing halfway through the minutes silence for Remembrance Day. That embarrassing gaff aside, Arsenal started the game on the front foot, with Villa immediately revealing their intentions by dropping deep in defence and looking to play forward immediately upon winning possession.

Renee Slegers said in her pre-match presser that managers often change their structure against Arsenal, which can make it tough to scout opposing teams. Having spent considerable time reviewing Villa’s previous games and pointing out weaknesses in my match preview, I was naturally delighted to see that Slegers was right, and that it was all a complete waste of time.

Villa played with a fluid system that was true to Sorensen’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system when in possession, but switched to a 4-3-3 when defending higher up the pitch, and finally into a deep 4-4-2 in their own defensive third. Villa sat deep enough not to allow runners in behind and simultaneously flooded the wide areas with numbers to thwart Arsenal’s build-up play.

Despite that, the opening 24 minutes were dominated by the hosts, with Stanway forcing a save from Akane Okuma and Caitlin Foord, Stanway, and Alessia Russo all firing high or wide from various angles. Unfortunately for Arsenal, though, the afternoon then changed dramatically.

With the game slipping into a bit of a lull, Villa worked the ball out to their right hand side, just inside the Arsenal half. Right-wing-back Lynn Wilms then slid a cutting pass down the inside right to her Netherlands teammate Chastity Grant. Grant carried the ball into the Arsenal box, cutting left and then right to shake Steph Catley, before firing a low shot which deflected off the Australian and past Misa and into the Arsenal goal. 0-1.

That shot would prove to be Villa’s only effort of the entire game.

Arsenal responded positively, with Geraldine Reuteler working space for a left-footed shot just moments after the restart, but her effort went straight at Okuma for an easy save. There was a nearly moment for both sides in the 37th minute, first through Russo, who deftly flicked the ball over a defenders head to work a shooting chance before being blocked off at the critical moment.

Villa then broke the other way and Catley just about got her toe to a loose ball on the stretch with Grant threatening to get in behind again. Catley’s athleticism could be vital for Arsenal’s chances of saving their domestic season, as opposing teams continue to rely on fast breaks, so far to great effect.

The first half ended with more pressing and probing from the home side, with Stanway forcing another Okuma save and Kyra Cooney-Cross firing off-target.

Second Half

Arsenal made two changes at half-time; Lisa Baum was introduced in place of Reuteler, while Emily Fox replaced Taylor Hinds at left-back, making her 100th Arsenal appearance in the process. Fox immediately offered more attacking threat down the left and the whole team started the half with more pace and purpose about everything they did.

Russo was linking play incredibly effectively, with several first-time passes to keep things moving while various teammates orbited her. After directing a sumptuous Ona Batlle ball across goal and just behind Smith in the six-yard box, the England striker then received the ball the feet on the left corner of the box, held off a defender, and back-heeled a ball into the path of Fox, whose shot was deflected and saved.

Fox and Russo then linked up again a few minutes later. The full-back drove half the length of the field and into the Villa third before finding Russo, who again played it first-time to Foord, who in turn whipped a cross to the back post which just evaded Baum and drifted agonisingly wide of goal.

Just three minutes later, Fox then had the chance to clear up the line from her own corner flag, but instead calmly dribbled her way out of trouble and drove diagonally across the field before finding Batlle on the right-hand side. Batlle then played forward to Baum down the right, but the German’s powerful cross travelled straight through the Villa box without being touched.

Arsenal continued to press without much luck for the next ten minutes, but the lack of success was clearly starting to wear on them and a couple of injury stoppages for Catley slowed the game down even further. Catley eventually had to be replaced by Elisa De Almeida, just seconds after Kim Little came on for Olivia Smith.

Little was immediately involved as Arsenal almost bagged what would have been a very fortunate equaliser. Patient play on the left of Villa’s box led to Foord overhitting a pass inside to Stanway, which instead fell to Little, who looped in a wayward cross that nearly beat Okuma under her crossbar.

Then, finally, with a little over five minutes remaining of normal time, Arsenal got their leveler. Leah Williamson drove her team forward before playing right to Baum, who then dribbled inside and slid a pass through to Stina Blackstenius, who’d replaced Cooney-Cross just moments earlier. From the right channel, Blackstenius looked up and fired a first-time cross to the front post, where it was met by the onrushing Russo who glanced a header across goal and in off the far post. 1-1.

Including added time, Arsenal then had 10 minutes to find a winner, and they certainly tried against a Villa side who have made a habit of conceding late goals. Another Little cross almost found the net in bizarre fashion, as the captain’s corner was parried directly onto the head of Russo, but ricocheted wide when it could have easily have ended up in the net.

Two minutes later, a brilliantly composed one-two between Stanway and Little on the edge of the box gave the England midfielder the opportunity to fire home, but she shot wide of the near post with the whole stadium expecting the net to bulge.

Batlle then had a shot blocked right in front of goal, and Arsenal floated in a couple of tame crosses, but the best chances had already been and gone and Slegers’ side were left frustrated once more.

Summary

Slegers must be pulling her hair out after this one. Just as her side looked to be gaining momentum, this result, and the manner of it, is incredibly deflating. Drawing 1-1 with a team who mustered just one shot, 27 less than you, is the kind of result that only happens when you’re in the kind of form Arsenal are in.

But while Slegers can point to the stats, as she almost always can, beating a low-block and dealing with counter attacks should be her team’s bread and butter. Lapses in concentration can always cost you, but if you need to be perfect at the back to win games, you’re not doing anywhere near enough at the other end.

While Arsenal are dominating all over the pitch in their 4-2-3-1 system, they have consistently gotten almost nothing out of the No.9 position all season. In 11 games, the Gunners have recorded just two open-play goals from their lone striker, and they were both scored by Russo (Paris FC, Man City), who is now operating in the No.10 role.

Unfortunately, Russo’s move to the No.10 came on the back of those two games, just as she had started to find the net for both club and country. Slegers has tried both Smith and Blackstenius ahead of Russo in recent games, with neither offering anything. Blackstenius did at least provide the assist for Russo’s leveler against Villa, but she had to drift further away from the goal in order to provide it.

It’s not only on the manager; the players need to step up, too. Arsenal had 65% possession, 56 touches inside Villa’s box, 28 shots, and an XG of 2.61 on Sunday, stats that are now far more frustrating than impressive. That being said, the fact that Arsenal spent 70 minutes crossing the ball to 5’4″ Olivia Smith is absolutely on the manager. Both Russo and Blackstenius are five inches taller than their Canadian teammate, and Arsenal crossed the ball 46 (!!!!) times in this game.

And for everything Smith lacks in the box, Arsenal lose just as much when they can’t get her on the ball. Just as Russo’s move to No.10 came when she started scoring as a 9, Smith’s move to centre-forward came after she got herself on the ball against Birmingham and rifled in a 20-yard equaliser. The modern game is an incredibly tactical one, but there’s nothing wrong with going back to basics when you need to win ugly.

I’ll leave it there for this one. Arsenal head to Liverpool next weekend and will need to show real character to bounce back from their latest setback. Slegers’ side are struggling to score, but thankfully the brick wall blocking the goals at Anfield yesterday afternoon is now safely back in North London.