The response to Arsenal’s loss to Lyon reflected a story that is all too familiar.
“Masters of their own downfall,” according to Nikita Parris, an England forward with 74 caps.
“You cannot have errors at this level and not expect to be punished,” Ward stated.
Halfway through the first half, Melchie Dumornay gave Lyon the lead with two goals in five minutes.
The first goal was obviously preventable after Daphne van Domselaar, the goalie for Arsenal, foolishly shoved the ball into her path, while the second goal resulted from a misdirected pass on the outskirts of the home penalty area.
Another recurring element in the team’s 3-2 loss to Manchester City over the weekend was misplaced passes.However, those are not the only shortcomings in Arsenal’s current style of play.
They were beaten to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa in the league last month after failing to take advantage of opportunities to expand their early lead and then giving up in second-half stoppage time.
In their 0-0 draw with Manchester United, they failed to create enough clear opportunities.
Their defensive efforts are also being hampered by the fact that England captain Leah Williamson is out at the back after suffering a knee injury during the Lionesses’ victory at Euro 2025.
According to former England forward Sue Smith, “there is a pattern,” as she stated on Radio Live. “I continue to believe that the margins are slim. That game, in my opinion, could have gone either way.Would Arsenal still be making progress if the goalie’s error didn’t occur? They were ahead 1-0, and they appeared to be at ease, in my opinion.
“It’s making sure defensively you’re sound and don’t make mistakes, and then in the final third, can you have a little more quality when the ball comes in?”
Source (bbc.com)
