{"id":2154,"date":"2026-04-12T13:44:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T13:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2154"},"modified":"2026-04-12T13:44:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T13:44:07","slug":"mikel-artetas-tactic-that-backfired-just-four-days-after-arsenal-masterclass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2154","title":{"rendered":"Mikel Arteta&#8217;s tactic that backfired just four days after Arsenal masterclass"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_790335\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Mikel Arteta has gone from hero to zero, and the Arsenal boss is under even more pressure to finally deliver a Premier League title after the Gunners&#8217; latest setback against Bournemouth<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33754546\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, points to his watch during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Bournemouth at Emirates Stadium on April 11, 2026 in London, England\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33754546.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2270854542.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33754546.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_GettyImages-2270854542.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33754546.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_GettyImages-2270854542.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33754546.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2270854542.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Mikel Arteta was the architect of Arsenal's downfall on Saturday afternoon\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Mikel Arteta was the architect of Arsenal&#8217;s downfall on Saturday afternoon<cite aria-label=\"Image: Photo by Stuart MacFarlane\/Arsenal FC via Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Photo by Stuart MacFarlane\/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mikel Arteta has been left egg on his face following Arsenal&#8217;s defeat to Bournemouth. The Spaniard had an afternoon to forget at the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners squandered the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Arsenal could&#8217;ve gone 12-point clear of Manchester City in the title race, but they crumbled under the weight of expectation. Although the north Londoners struggled to create many chances from open play, relying on set pieces as they have done for much of the campaign, David Raya hardly filled them with confidence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Rather than put the pedal to the metal, like Arteta had promised in his pre-match interview, Arsenal coasted to defeat in first gear. The Gunners goalkeeper embodied the lackadaisical approach, dawdling on the ball and inviting pressure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Only two Arsenal players \u2013 Declan Rice and Ben White \u2013 had more touches of the ball than Raya (60). In fact, only the England international attempted more passes than the shot-stopper (49) in Arteta&#8217;s side.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! <\/strong><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><a aria-label=\"Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook pageLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AFCFootball.London#\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Raya isn&#8217;t entirely to blame; he received an astonishing 38 backpasses from his teammates. While the Spaniard is widely regarded as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe, he caused panic on numerous occasions with his rash decision-making and stray deliveries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">During one particular stage in the game, when Bournemouth had deployed a high press, Raya attempted a pass with the outside of his foot. Unsurprisingly, it was intercepted, but fortunately for the Arsenal shot-stopper, Evanilson couldn&#8217;t bring the ball under control.<\/p>\n<div class=\"AffiliateContentsEmbed_affiliate-contents-container__oTiet\" data-testid=\"affiliate-contents-embed\">\n<div data-testid=\"affiliate-content\" class=\"AffiliateContent_affiliate-content-container__10EX_ affiliate-content\">\n<p>Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package<\/p>\n<div class=\"AffiliateDisclaimer_affiliate-disclaimer__dG5ST\">\n<div class=\"AffiliateDisclaimer_affiliate-text__8nmDa\">This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"AffiliateContent_section-container__JMDzM AffiliateContent_content-details__U6C2M AffiliateContent_has-content-img___LY95\">\n<div class=\"AffiliateContent_section-content__QCkL9\">\n<div class=\"AffiliateContent_content-image__FxPNL\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Content Image\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article29688868.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s510b\/0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"AffiliateContent_section-container__JMDzM\">\n<div id=\"product-description\" class=\"AffiliateContent_section-content__QCkL9\">\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The north Londoners struggled with their build-up. They had no backup plan, so it came as no surprise when Alex Scott put the Cherries in front shortly after Arsenal made a mistake at the back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Speaking on <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tntsports.co.uk\/football\/premier-league\/2025-2026\/martin-keown-arsenal-leaders-bournemouth-title_sto23289411\/story.shtml\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">TNT Sports<\/a>Owen Hargreaves questioned why Arteta wanted his side to play out from the back, despite little to no success. The former Manchester United midfielder said: &#8220;It\u2019s a current trend, a modern trend, and I\u2019m not a big fan of it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;The ball goes back to Raya all the time, and for a team that presses as well as Bournemouth, all you\u2019re doing is inviting pressure. Raya received 38 back passes today.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-33753477\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33753477\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ben White and David Raya during Arsenal's clash against Bournemouth\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33753477.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_GettyImages-2270291192.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33753477.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/1_GettyImages-2270291192.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33753477.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/1_GettyImages-2270291192.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33753477.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_GettyImages-2270291192.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Ben White and David Raya during Arsenal's clash against Bournemouth\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Ben White and David Raya during Arsenal&#8217;s clash against Bournemouth<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;This is against one of the best pressing teams in the country, so that allows them to squeeze up. That\u2019s a remarkable stat: David Raya played the second most passes in this Arsenal team today; only Declan Rice played one more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;He is brilliant with his feet, but why would you encourage that? Then the crowd gets a little bit nervous. Even though he\u2019s brilliant with his feet, there were a couple of passes in the second half that were high risk and (Andoni) Iraola knew that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I just think get the ball forward quicker, get it into the channel, win duels, second balls, and then you get up the pitch.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-33754405\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33754405\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Viktor Gyokeres was frustarted as his Arsenal side lost to Bournemouth\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33754405.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_Viktor-Gyokeres-and-Arsenal.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33754405.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/1_Viktor-Gyokeres-and-Arsenal.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33754405.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/1_Viktor-Gyokeres-and-Arsenal.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33754405.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_Viktor-Gyokeres-and-Arsenal.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Viktor Gyokeres was frustarted as his Arsenal side lost to Bournemouth\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Viktor Gyokeres was frustarted as his Arsenal side lost to Bournemouth<cite aria-label=\"Image: Pedro Porru\/MB Media\/Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Pedro Porru\/MB Media\/Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Yannick Bolasie also chimed in on social media. In one post on X, the former Premier League winger wrote: &#8220;All comes from Raya dancing on the ball like he has all game, when your back line is touching the ball more than any offensive players, it\u2019s a big problem, dead stats people get rated for these days.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He added: &#8220;Of course your pass rates gonna be 95% if you&#8217;re always passing backwards and side to side, same way wingers who don\u2019t lose the ball aren\u2019t trying to take on the full backs\u2026 safety first.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">And in another post, Bolasie wrote: &#8220;Raya passing the ball more than Declan Rice or (Martin) Zubimendi is the strange thing about football today, the players with the least attacking ability touching and passing the most.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Arteta was lauded when Arsenal clambered to a so-called professional win over Sporting Clube de Portugal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League. Four days later, the Spaniard was booed by supporters at the Emirates Stadium when his tactic backfired&#8230;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"Factbox_factbox-container__hSMOa\" id=\"factbox\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Entering Factbox content\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"32887284\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"factbox\" data-testid=\"factbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" sizes=\"(max-width: 615px) 615px, (max-width: 810px) 810px, 1168px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article32887212.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1168v\/0_SEEING-RED-ART-1.jpg\" srcset=\"&#10;        https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article32887212.ece\/ALTERNATES\/n615\/0_SEEING-RED-ART-1.jpg 615w,&#10;        https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article32887212.ece\/ALTERNATES\/n810\/0_SEEING-RED-ART-1.jpg 810w,&#10;        https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article32887212.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1168v\/0_SEEING-RED-ART-1.jpg 1168w&#10;    \"\/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"HeadingThree_heading-three__PBHLs Factbox_heading-three__NXU52 __className_dcb0ad\">Welcome to &#8216;Seeing Red&#8217; &#8211; our new Arsenal podcast<\/h3>\n<div class=\"Factbox_content__xdMV8\">\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">We&#8217;ve launched a new Arsenal podcast &#8216;Seeing Red&#8217; with chief football writer John Cross and Arsenal reporter Tom Canton.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Each week, they will dive deep into the biggest topics as they follow Mikel Arteta&#8217;s side every step of the way &#8211; and will also discuss nostalgic flashbacks before each fixture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It&#8217;s a great time to be an Arsenal fan, with the Gunners flying high under Arteta as they look to win silverware this season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The North Londoners are going strong in the Premier League and Champions League &#8211; and they&#8217;re also in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">We&#8217;ll provide insight and reaction &#8211; and have fun along the way &#8211; as Arsenal target the biggest trophies this season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">No stone will be left unturned. VAR controversy? Poor performances? Unsung hero who deserves praise? Fixture chaos? We&#8217;ll have it all covered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"Click here to view our YouTube channelLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@SeeingRedArsenal\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to view our YouTube channel<!-- --><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"Click here to download our podcastsLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/pod.link\/1652497071\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to download our podcasts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mikel Arteta has gone from hero to zero, and the Arsenal boss is under even<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arsenal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}