Arsenal Vs Norwich City: 5 things we learned – Mikel Arteta rebuild continues

3. Why are the second-halves so poor?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a crucial third goal midway through the second half. It was his second of the night, another that was gifted to him after a harrowing error from Norwich City — on this occasion, the ball was played across the penalty area, straight to Aubameyang, who controlled and finished neatly.

For the 22-minute period before that game-ending goal, however, Arsenal were extremely poor. Norwich changed shape and gained a foothold in midfield, while the Gunners lacked the same energy, in and out of possession, that punctuated their excellent first half. This is not the first time that their second-half performance has looked extremely lacklustre.

Sheffield United dominated the second period at the weekend, even equalising from one goal down. A few days prior, Southampton looked very dangerous in the second half and largely controlled the game, Arsenal sitting off their opponents once again. Arsenal also conceded two late goals against Brighton, entirely switching off after a strong first hour.

For the most part, their performances in the first half have been decent. So what happens at half-time? It could be complacency, especially when they have a lead. It could be a lack of fitness. It could even be a purposeful choice with Mikel Arteta keen to not overexert his team in this packed period. Whatever the reason, Arsenal will not get away with it against better teams.

<p>Here are five things we learned.</p> <div id="attachment_102832" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-102832" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1223819333-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">(Photo by SHAUN BOTTERILL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h4>5. Hector Bellerin not safe</h4> <p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=hector+bellerin%22>Hector Bellerin</a> has been Mikel Arteta’s starting right-back ever since he returned from the ACL tear that robbed him of the second half of last season. As soon as he was fit and available, Arteta thrust him into the starting XI. Bellerin has started all but one Premier League match upon his return.</p> <p>However, while Arsenal have waited patiently for the Spaniard to find his full match-fitness, his performances have never ticked up. There was hope that a three-month layoff would provide Bellerin with the time to rest and find his full fitness. Since the restart, though, his form has continued to tail off.</p> <p>Meanwhile,<a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=cedric+soares%22> Cedric Soares</a> has shaken off his injury issues to make his first appearance. Signed on a six-month loan in January, it was believed that Cedric would merely back up Bellerin. However, after a spritely cameo, including several lovely crosses and an excellent debut goal, perhaps Cedric can yet put pressure on Bellerin’s starting role.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4. This is the Shkodran Mustafi problem </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_102820" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-102820" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1253692576-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Shkodran Mustafi of Arsenal controls the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h4>4. This is the Shkodran Mustafi problem</h4> <p>After showing a significant uptick in form under Mikel Arteta thus far,<a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=shkodran+mustafi%22> Shkodran Mustafi</a> produced one of his worst performances of the season. It started early on. He was slow to release passes, then when he did pass the ball, he either forced it into gaps that weren’t there or turned and played balls all the way back to Emiliano Martinez.</p> <p>The many touches he took on the ball are hugely detrimental to Arsenal’s play out from the back. It may not seem like much, but every half second is vital. Playing passes first or second-time, playing them quickly and accurately such that the receiver can play a subsequent quickly and accurately is vital. At his worst, Mustafi does not play in this manner and it leaves his teammates in impossible situations.</p> <p>In the first half, he completed just 78% of his passes. Only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completed passes at a worse rate. 78% is a poor level for a midfielder or attacker, for a centre-back in a back three who is meant to control the match via extended periods of possession, it is an atrocious level. That he had 10.3% possession, almost 2.5% more than any other player, goes to show how slow he was to release passes. This was Mustafi at his absolute worst.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3. Why are the second-halves so poor? </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_102833" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-102833" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1253699784-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Sead Kolasinac of Arsenal and Todd Cantwell of Norwich City battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h4>3. Why are the second-halves so poor?</h4> <p>Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a crucial third goal midway through the second half. It was his second of the night, another that was gifted to him after a harrowing error from Norwich City — on this occasion, the ball was played across the penalty area, straight to Aubameyang, who controlled and finished neatly.</p> <div class="recent-posts "> <h4>More from <b>Pain in the Arsenal</b></h4> <ul> <li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/arsenal-interest-miguel-gutierrez-girona/"> Fabrizio Romano confirms Arsenal interest in Girona star </a> </li><li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/when-will-martin-odegaard-return-from-his-injury/"> When will Martin Odegaard return from his injury? </a> </li><li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/2-midfielders-arsenal-could-sign-in-january-transfer-window/"> 2 midfielders Arsenal could sign in January transfer window </a> </li><li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/thomas-partey-unlikely-to-play-for-arsenal-again-in-2023/"> Thomas Partey unlikely to play for Arsenal again in 2023 </a> </li><li> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/11/10/predicted-arsenal-lineup-vs-burnley-saka-fit-to-start/"> Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Burnley: Saka fit to start? </a> </li></ul> </div> <p>For the 22-minute period before that game-ending goal, however, Arsenal were extremely poor. Norwich changed shape and gained a foothold in midfield, while the Gunners lacked the same energy, in and out of possession, that punctuated their excellent first half. This is not the first time that their second-half performance has looked extremely lacklustre.</p> <p>Sheffield United dominated the second period at the weekend, even equalising from one goal down. A few days prior, Southampton looked very dangerous in the second half and largely controlled the game, Arsenal sitting off their opponents once again. Arsenal also conceded two late goals against Brighton, entirely switching off after a strong first hour.</p> <p>For the most part, their performances in the first half have been decent. So what happens at half-time? It could be complacency, especially when they have a lead. It could be a lack of fitness. It could even be a purposeful choice with Mikel Arteta keen to not overexert his team in this packed period. Whatever the reason, Arsenal will not get away with it against better teams.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Dani Ceballos conducts beautifully </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_102834" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-102834" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1253703764-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01:Dani Ceballos of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h4>2. Dani Ceballos conducts beautifully</h4> <p>When Arsenal signed <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=dani+ceballos%22>Dani Ceballos</a> on a year-long loan in the summer, the hope was that he would become the conducting, creative central midfielder that Santi Cazorla had been years prior. He is an exquisite dribbler, a neat and tidy passer, and has the vision and awareness to pick out more difficult balls into teammates.</p> <p>In spurts, Ceballos has shown this ability. He was superb against Burnley early in the season, for instance. He played well under Arteta before lockdown, too. And he was an excellent conductor here, especially in the first half. Norwich players struggled to get close to him, his passing was supreme, supplying balls forward for Hector Bellerin and others with accuracy and weight, and he controlled Arsenal’s play in possession throughout.</p> <p>The issue Ceballos has had is consistency. He works hard, but his lack of athleticism means that he can be circumnavigated easily. He also has lapses in concentration when his distribution drops and he plays some terribly wayward passes. Those problems were not present on this occasion and Arteta will be hoping to see Ceballos perform at this level in the future.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1. Plenty of reason for hope </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_102835" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-102835" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1253700057-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal gives instructions during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h4>1. Plenty of reason for hope</h4> <p>All in all, Wednesday was an excellent day for Arsenal. They shipped out Henrik Mkhitaryan and his egregious wages, they signed Bukyao Saka to a long-term deal, one of the biggest issues that they needed to solve this summer, William Saliba officially arrived as a Gunner, and then they dispatched Norwich without much trouble or effort exerted.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia"> <div id="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-position="slideshow_inline" data-slot="inline_102814" style="width:300px;margin: 0 auto;"> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.defineSlot("/175840252/fansided.com/PainintheArsenal/mpu",[300, 250], "minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet") .addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.enableServices(); googletag.display("minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet"); }); </script> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>While the opening week of football’s restart was worrying, especially after the disastrous defeat to Brighton, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=mikel+arteta%22>Mikel Arteta</a> has turned the team around and is clearly showing that he is making a difference. Gradually, Arsenal are on the up and there is reason for hope.</p> <p>On this occasion, it was the performances of Kieran Tierney and Reiss Nelson, the response of the players to Arteta’s demands, the efficiency of the strike play, and the team’s second clean sheet in three games.</p> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Arsenal Vs Norwich City: Player ratings" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-player-ratings-delicious-dani-ceballos/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-5-things-learned-mikel-arteta-rebuild-continues/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/07/01/arsenal-vs-norwich-city-player-ratings-delicious-dani-ceballos/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Arsenal Vs Norwich City: Player ratings </a> </div> </div> <p>It is not perfect, of course, and Arteta still has plenty of work ahead of him. But there is reason to hope at Arsenal.</p><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">