I agree, I don’t mean that it’s set in stone or anything. He’s an incredible player. I just think he needs to adapt (not be a different player necessarily) for us to be even better. Move to different spaces, let other people handle buildup in some instances, trust Saka/Timber to handle it.

I have seen signs earlier in this season that suggested he’d drift more, by the way. I am curious if it was instructed by coaching or if that was players choice; either way yesterday he seemed limited in drifting to the left. Which would be an Arteta mistake, if it was purposely instructed.

However, all that positional stuff is not even bothering me that much. That can work. What can not, is slowing tempo down more, when even without him, we sometimes needed more urgency.

Zubimendi can normally handle that part of the pitch if our build up is in order. Saka and Timber can occupy that zone without him being there normally. He needs to try an link play more centrally. You can overload a side of a pitch without it feeling cluttered.

It’s three things: tempo, tendency, and positional play. He takes too many touches. He has an obvious right side bias when he moves or plays a pass. He comes too deep. He needed too yesterday at times because we had structural issues, which I get.

To me, there are issues and there have been for a while. As soon as he starts, I see the same patterns that are so predictable. Premier League coaches see those patterns, they know how to react. I have seen some data that supports this, but it’s also mainly eye test, I acknowledge that.

I’m curious about Odegaards return and your opinions. Individually, he’s a phenomenal player disregarding fit. One of our best against Villa. He has tendencies that might limit our ceiling and might limit both Saka and Zubimendi. He occupies spaces he shouldn’t. He slows the game down.

I’ve watched it back as I couldn’t see the game yesterday. A lot of the patterns I don’t like about our play are back. He just congests and slows it down sometimes because he occupies areas he doesn’t need to occupy.

Could be of use later on in the game, to be fair!

The whole 48 teams thing is absolute lunacy.

Good to hear. Apart from the first half save by Raya and some small things, seems like we never really got in trouble. Shame about all the defensive injuries, at least we’re getting some depth in attack and midfield back now.

Rice seemed fine, was just spent. Don’t think he’s injured.

Yeah weird team to watch too and the statistics don’t say a lot to me either. What I do know, is that I think with that group of players Andrews has done well to get to that data, in my opinion.

Agreed. At the moment they don’t seem like a team that will take a scalp like that. It’s much more likely to be Leeds or Bournemouth vs Chelsea in the next week. Not incredibly unlikely City win out the year in the Premier League. Fulham, Sunderland, Palace, Forest. Maybe Palace or Forest away.