Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt: 5 Talking Points & Tactical Analysis | Europa League 2019/20

Eintracht Frankfurt produced a dazzling comeback in the second half to floor Arsenal 2-1 and consign the Gunners to another defeat. The North Londoners required a draw to ensure qualification to the knock-out stages but the defeat means that they now have to get something out of their final encounter against Standard Liege on match-day 6 of the UEFA Europa League.

The hosts started off sluggishly and rarely clicked into gear in a lethargic first-half display. However, they surged ahead just on the stroke of half time when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made the net bulge.

After the break though, the Gunners took their foot off the pedal and that set the platform for Frankfurt to mount an improbable recovery. In the 55th minute, Daichi Kamada pegged the home side back before he added another in the 64th minute to hand the German outfit the lead.

Arsenal tried to muster an equaliser but their efforts fell short as they were jeered off the pitch at full-time.

Here is a look at the talking points from the contest.

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#5 Arsenal do little to lift the mood at the Emirates in the first half

Arsenal did little to lift the mood at a sparsely populated Emirates Stadium

Arsenal began the game against Eintracht Frankfurt in front of a sparsely populated Emirates Stadium, with the arena just about half-full (or half-empty). Thus, the supporters had tried their utmost to add another layer of gloom to the murk surrounding the club.

Inevitably, the onus fell on the players to enthral the few in attendance and send a message to those careless enough to not turn up. And, though Arsenal eventually edged ahead in first-half stoppage time, they were largely uninspiring before it, thereby slightly compounding their on-field and off-field woes.

For large swathes of the opening period, the Gunners’ attacking play looked devoid of ideas as they ran into several blind alleys. Aubameyang seemed a touch off the pace whereas their much-maligned build-up play at the back was also lacklustre.

Moreover, they weren’t helped by a makeshift midfield arrangement comprising David Luiz and Granit Xhaka.

Hence, Arsenal, despite enjoying the majority of possession, sluggishly passed the ball around without any real intent, thereby allowing Frankfurt a bit of breathing space.

However, the Gunners were fortunate as the visitors also seemed intent on retreating into their shell and foregoing any sort of attacking impetus. Additionally, the German outfit also committed elementary errors at the back, mistakes that enabled the hosts to get a few shots on target.

Over the past couple of months, the situation in and around Arsenal has reached dire proportions, a fact embodied by the countless empty seats at the Emirates on Thursday.

And, a drab and dreary first-half display only set the tone for another dreadful outing.

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#4 Unai Emery’s David Luiz experiment leaves a lot to be desired

David Luiz (L) started in midfield

Back in May 2018, when Arsenal appointed Unai Emery, Gooners rejoiced at the sight of a manager capable of mixing pragmatism with purism. And, though that narrative hasn’t particularly panned out as envisioned, the Spaniard has, throughout his tenure, showcased a willingness to shake things up rather regularly.

On Thursday though, he took even the staunchest of supporters aback when he fielded David Luiz alongside Granit Xhaka in the middle of the park. The move seemed to highlight the indecisiveness engulfing Emery’s thinking, especially considering the Brazilian’s lack of experience in that position and the fact that he had enough options elsewhere.

The former Chelsea defender started off tentatively and never settled into his new role. He seemed a touch too lackadaisical, meaning that he took an extra touch often or was just a little reckless with his passing.

While his endeavours weren’t aided by the rib injury he picked up mid-way through the opening 45 minutes, he still looked a fish out of water and an experiment Emery would do well to not indulge in, at least for the foreseeable future.

Throughout his stint as Arsenal boss, the Spaniard has lived up to his reputation of being a tactical chameleon, with him pulling out numerous tactical rabbits out of his hat. Yet, he might not want to look back too fondly at this particular unfurling.

However, one must accord credit to Emery for sticking to his ideals. After all, he has so far lived by his tactical sword, even if that might mean that he ultimately has to die by it.

#3 Frederik Ronnow sparkles in goal

Ronnow was brilliant against Arsenal

Frederik Ronnow started the game at the Emirates, owing to the injury to Kevin Trapp and the Dane distinguished himself in goal with a stupendous performance.

For large swathes of the first half, Frankfurt were put to the sword, meaning that Arsenal created plenty of scoring opportunities. However, the Dane swiftly shut the door on each of those occasions, thereby conjuring a string of vital saves.

Early in the game, Ronnow reacted brilliantly to parry Gabriel Martinelli’s snapshot behind whereas he produced an equally impressive save moments later, when Martin Hinteregger inadvertently headed towards his own goal.

Thereafter, the Danish goalkeeper was on hand to rush out and thwart Bukayo Saka in a 1v1 situation while he also denied the youngster when the latter shot from a tight angle on the left edge of the penalty box.

After the break, Ronnow didn’t have a lot to do but whenever he was called upon, he showcased a safe pair of hands as he held onto crosses and commanded his box well.

Throughout the first half, Frankfurt seemed a team that just weren’t at the races. Yet, they managed to turn it around once the teams re-emerged from the tunnel. And, while their midfielders and forwards would rightly hog the limelight for that comeback, perhaps Ronnow played the most important role of them all.

#2 Daichi Kamada leads a sensational second-half fightback

Kamada inspired a sensational comeback

For the entirety of the opening period, Frankfurt were the inferior side as the Gunners enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and eventually, managed to make the net ripple.

However, the German outfit looked a team possessed after the break as they put the hosts under strife and reaped their rewards within the first 20 minutes of the second half.

Kamada restored parity in the 55th minute when he latched onto a pass on the right edge of the box and curled the ball beyond the goalkeeper and into the far corner with an exemplary left-footed shot.

Nine minutes later, the Japanese doubled his tally with an equally brilliant finish. From a corner on the right side, Xhaka headed the ball clear towards the edge of the penalty area. The Frankfurt midfielder controlled the ball, lined up his shot and rifled it into the bottom corner.

Apart from the goals, the German side showcased urgency in the second period and they were willing to press Arsenal higher up the pitch. Additionally, they denied them the requisite time and space in midfield, something they were guilty of not doing in the first half.

Before the encounter against Arsenal, Frankfurt also represented a team in turmoil, especially after their wretched recent run in the Bundesliga. Yet, on a night when one team fervently searched for divine intervention, the other delivered it and piled further misery on a side that already had a few wheels coming off its wagon.

#1 Will Unai Emery live to tell the tale after 2019?

The pressure keeps mounting on Emery

For the uninitiated, Arsenal are a team testing the patience of its fan base while it also represents an outfit that sometimes defies common footballing logic and borders on tactical absurdity. And, while the debate surrounding the former might be better saved for another evening, a certain Unai Emery might be culpable for the latter aspect.

Akin to many a time this term, the Gunners were abysmal all across the pitch. Their attack looked toothless whereas their midfield lacked bite and conviction. And, the defence just turned in a performance epitomising the ailments plaguing the club.

More worryingly though, despite nudging ahead, Arsenal never seemed a side capable of building on that lead and taking the game to Frankfurt. A step forward was always followed by plenty of strides in the opposite direction as they ceded control inexplicably.

And, to cap off the farcical nature of their performance, Emery decided to indulge in a couple of questionable decisions.

Firstly, he opted to start Luiz in midfield, a decision that cost him a substitute when the Brazilian got injured. After the break, his team kept dropping deeper as Frankfurt turned the screw, meaning that the German outfit were allowed to generate a head of steam.

Most amusingly though, the Spaniard decided to throw on Lucas Torreira in place of the injured Shkodran Mustafi, with the Gunners 2-1 down and only 18 minutes remaining.

And, though replacing a defender with a midfielder might not be the most ludicrous substitution ever, it certainly flirted with that notion, in light of the predicament Arsenal found itself in.

Ever since the turn of the decade, the Gooners have longed for a manager that flexed his tactical muscles quite frequently. But, for their end of the bargain, they got one that has perhaps fiddled a tad too much over the past season and a half.

At times, Emery’s gambits have paid dividends but the growing veils of discontent among the faithful might mean that that particular aspect could prove to be his waterloo.

And, at this juncture, it seems extremely likely that he might not live long enough to tell the Arsenal tale in 2020.