Premier League 2019-20: 3 reasons why Arsenal drew with Watford
If Arsenal fans were pumped by their come-from-behind draw against Tottenham Hotspur a couple of weeks ago, then the result at Vicarage Road would have undone all their enthusiasm. After leading 2-0 at the mid-game interval, Arsenal's shambolic defense enhanced Watford's resolve, which saw them come away with an unexpected point from the tie.
While a victory would have seen them move to third in the table, the disheartening result leaves the Gunners languishing at seventh. Though the draw in itself wouldn't have shocked Arsenal fans, who are desensitized to such results thanks to a decade of similar debacles, the manner in which it came about was surprising.
Here are the top 3 reasons that led to Arsenal's draw:
#1 Playing Ozil and Pepe in the same team
Arsenal need players who are willing to track back. But Nicolas Pepe had an ordinary game by the standards he'd set in matches gone by; is he taking his place in the Arsenal team for granted?
Not only did he lose the ball regularly, but his holdup play and ball control were also away on vacation. Pepe did not track back to retrieve the ball when he lost it and often left the defense vulnerable to Watford's attack.
As for Mesut Ozil, despite what the pundits say about him being Arsenal's best player, he sometimes seems like a complete misfit. Many believe there is no place for him in Arsenal's starting XI; he is clumsy and inept in defense.
Sure, he pulled off one great pass that led to Arsenal's second goal, but is that enough for the Gunners?
To tell you the truth, I was excited to see Dani Ceballos and Ozil starting together. I expected some real intricate passing between the two of them.
But we didn't see any of that. In fact they played so wide apart that they hardly passed the ball to each other. It was an absolute disappointment.
Arsenal cannot have Ozil and Pepe playing together because they cannot afford two players who wont track back after losing the ball. Hats off to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who helped the defense on multiple occasions after scoring a brace in the first half.
Arsenal need more Aubameyangs and less Ozils if they are to establish a winning team.