Second Viewing 2019: Pre-Season Lyon

Formation

Arsenal returned home after their American tour to take on Lyon in the Emirates Cup, opening in a 4-2-3-1 with Lacazette as the #9 and Aubameyang on the wing. Following Lacazette’s 13th minute injury substitution, Aubameyang moved central and Reiss Nelson occupied the wing.

In the second half, Willock dropped into central midfield alongside Xhaka, and Nketiah joined Aubameyang up top in a 4-4-2 formation. Then the kids came in and it was mayhem.

Substitutions

A host of them, as was expected.

Reiss Nelson ➡️ (13′) ⬅️ 🚑 Alexandre Lacazette
Eddie Nketiah ➡️ (45′) ⬅️ Matteo Guendouzi
Gabriel Martinelli ➡️ (70′) ⬅️ Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Dani Ceballos ➡️ (70′) ⬅️ Joe Willock
Shkodran Mustafi ➡️ (70′) ⬅️ Calum Chambers
Tyreece John-Jules ➡️ (76′) ⬅️ Reiss Nelson
Carl Jenkinson ➡️ (76′) ⬅️ 🚑 Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Zech Medley ➡️ (86′) ⬅️ Nacho Monreal
Robbie Burton ➡️ (86′) ⬅️ Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

First Half
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
0:16	M. Guendouzi	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Lyon pass the ball straight backwards before looking to build out from their defensive line. Guendouzi (+1) has none of it, and steps up to knock the ball backwards. A step quicker and Arsenal might have had a counter attack
0:28	Willock	4-2-3-1	Transition	0-0
A bouncing ball is headed back to Sokratis by Maitland-Niles, whose clearance falls to Lyon’s Jean Lucas. His attempt to turn upfield is blocked by Willock (+2) and rolls to Mkhitaryan. Mkhitaryan looks to return the ball to Willock and is nearly intercepted, but Willock makes a sliding attempt and is able to knock the ball back to Guendouzi (-1), who allows the ball to bounce off of him into a Lyon player.
0:41	Xhaka	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Xhaka (+1) does well to recover and win the ball back, getting a fortunate bounce to Guendouzi, who lays off to Aubameyang and Arsenal break forward.
1:01	Lacazette	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Willock feeds Aubameyang down the right wing, and his first time cross ends up a bit behind Lacazette (-1). Even so, Lacazette allows the ball to bounce under his foot, then jumps to win it off the bounce and lands awkwardly. This is the injury that will see him substituted ~10 minutes later. Lyon are bailed out by a soft foul call against Xhaka.
1:43	Mkhitaryan	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Lyon work the ball to their left, and then back through the middle where Lyon’s Traore overhits a pass that’s recovered by Mkhitaryan. After a brief turn back, Mkhitaryan (-1) has his pick between Sokratis and Leno, but inexplicably tries to thread a through ball backwards to Chambers. The pass is blocked and Guendouzi can’t recover the loose ball in time, allowing Lyon to retain possession
2:20	Aubameyang	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Aubameyang (+1) does well to cut the backwards passing lane off after Maitland-Niles (+1) baits Fernando Marcal into playing the ball into Amine Gouiri. Guendouzi (+1) also does well to press on Cheikh Diop preventing a pass into the middle. Gouiri attempts to play the ball backwards, but it’s intercepted by Aubameyang who plays it inside to Willock.
2:24	Willock	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Willock (-1) receives the ball from Aubameyang, but with Lacazette still struggling through injury has no forward target to play the ball to. He takes an extra touch while Aubameyang is racing up the wing, and the ball is poked away back to Lyon.
2:48	Sokratis	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Lyon work the ball to the right side of the field, where Xhaka steps up to apply pressure on a takeover by Lyon’s right back Leo Dubois. When Dubois turns back, Xhaka (-1) is slow returning to shape, allowing Memphis Depay a pocket to receive, turn, and run towards goal. Mkhitaryan (-1) has done admirably to track back initially, but when the ball is sent to Traore on the wing he jogs alongside him instead of doing any real defending. Monreal (-1) steps to apply light pressure, but gets caught in two minds, giving Depay space to run into the channel behind him. Sokratis (+1) is quick enough to make a sliding block on Depay’s cross and the ball goes out for a corner.
3:16	Xhaka	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Memphis Depay’s corner kick comes in to the near post, where Xhaka and Bernd Leno both make a play for the ball. No Lyon attackers in sight. Xhaka (+1) heads the ball clear to Willock (-2) on the edge of the box, who miscontrols the ball and allows Lyon to send the ball back in. Calum Chambers has stepped to apply pressure enough to force the ball backwards, and the Lyon player shoots from 25 yards well over the bar and wide.
3:48	Aubameyang	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Arsenal attempt to play out from the back unsuccessfully, ending with a long clearance by Leno that should be easy for Marcal to deal with. Aubameyang (+1) has other plans though, and makes up 10 yards in a matter of seconds, nearly beating Marcal to the ball. Aubameyang gets a knee to it, but the bounce rolls Lyon’s way and into the feet of the center back. A luckier bounce and Aubameyang would have been through.
4:19	Monreal	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Monreal (+1) closes quickly and wins the ball back for Arsenal, playing it into Xhaka who resets possession.
4:38	Mkhitaryan	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
A brief spell of possession is squandered by Mkhitaryan (-1) as he looks to take two players on near midfield rather than open the play up to the right. In the attacking third I can understand the creativity risk. Not so at midfield.
4:42	Xhaka	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Xhaka (+1) has burst forward to provide an option to Mkhitaryan, but does well to recover and get a foot on the ball to tap it back to Sokratis after Mkhitaryan loses the ball
4:51	Lacazette	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
A beautiful combination. Maitland-Niles plays the ball into a checking Lacazette (+1), who weights the ball into Guendouzi’s path. The Frenchman zips the ball into Aubameyang (+1) on the right, who cuts his man inside ~25 yards from goal, but isn’t on the same page with Lacazette and his pass gives the ball back to Lyon.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
5:03	Guendouzi	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Guendouzi steps on the Lyon CM to prevent an outlet, and he’s caught off guard, giving the ball back to Maitland-Niles (+1), who had to be alert to step in front of his man.
5:54	Lacazette	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Guendouzi (+1) recieves the ball on the left, turns and runs towards goal drawing two defenders. Lacazette (+1/-1) takes advantage of the vacated space, receives the ball, and plays a 1-2 with Mkhitaryan (+1), who does well to control a pass that is waist high and get it back to Lacazette. Lacazette’s shot doesn’t do the sequence justice though, and rolls harmlessly wide from ~20 yards.
8:46	Guendouzi	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Arsenal attempt to build from defense despite a Lyon press. It would be unsuccessful if it weren’t for the quality of Aubameyang (+1), whose perfectly weighted pass into Guendouzi (+1) still wouldn’t have been enough to get out had Guendouzi not taken a perfect touch away from his defender to play the ball back to Chambers in space.
8:56	Leno	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Leno (+1) sends a cross field pass to Monreal (+1) right on the money, who takes the ball out of the air and passes the ball into Willock first-time as Arsenal cross midfield.
9:35	Maitland-Niles	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Maitland-Niles (+1) combines well with Lacazette (+1/-1), impressively dropping his shoulder and earning a foul. The ball rolls to Lacazette as the referee plays advantage, but Lacazette’s pass goes behind Monreal and what could have been an opportunity to cross fizzles into just simple possession.
9:46	Monreal	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
A bit of fortune as Mkhitaryan’s attempted pass bounces of the Lyon defender right into Monreal’s (+1) path. The Spanish left back outraces his man to the endline and sends an inviting cross towards the back post, which is sent behind by Lyon for a corner kick.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
10:43	Guendouzi	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Arsenal had taken the ensuing corner short, eventually resulting in a Xhaka cross that didn’t trouble the Lyon defense. The ball made it’s way to Guendouzi (-1) just inside the attacking half, but his pass intended for Mkhitaryan is both a bad idea and poorly executed, and should be easily intercepted. Instead, the Lyon left back makes a mess of it and nearly sends Lacazette through on goal himself. Arsenal earn a corner that’s sent in but cleared.
11:20	Monreal	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Aubameyang (+1) plays the ball into Willock (+2) inside the box, who hesitates long enough to allow Monreal (+2) to break inside. The Spaniard dips his shoulder, eliciting a lunge from the Lyon defender and should earn a penalty. Referee Jon Moss is unmmoved however, and Lyon clear their lines. Lacazette is substituted for Reiss Nelson.
13:34	Guendouzi	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Great cross field pass from Guendouzi (+1) to Monreal to open up the left side of the field.
13:49	Willock	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Aubameyang (+1) hesitates to open space for Mkhitaryan (+1), who turns and plays a well-weighted pass into Willock (+2), who still has plenty to do to beat two defenders. He does it anyway, and gets off a left-footed shot that’s saved by the Lyon GK.
14:09	Xhaka	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
The epitomy of Xhaka’s undisciplined and lazy defending. Arsenal turn the ball over after Willock’s shot, and Xhaka (-2) steps to press high on the left side of the field, despite two Arsenal players being in better position to do so. The ensuing long ball to the Arsenal right allows Lyon to break. Guendouzi (who is at most 10 yards better positioned) hauls back and occupies the play-side CM, but Xhaka is no where to be found. Who knows what is doing—he’s out of frame—but when the ball bypasses Guendouzi to go to the backside CM (Jean Lucas), Guendouzi gives a WTF motion and belatedly goes to press. He’ll never make it in time. Thankfully, Lucas’ shot is a poor one and Leno (+1) saves. This is why Arsenal gave up 50+ goals the past two seasons.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
15:10	Nelson	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Chambers (+1) smartly fizzes a pass between the lines into Willock (+1) who cushions for Nelson (+2). His initial touch is a poor one, but does well to not only recover the ball, but take it past two defenders. He then nutmegs Marcal on his way to the endline. His cross is blocked and goes out for a corner.
15:53	Xhaka	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Xhaka’s (-1) corner fails to beat the first man and is easily cleared away.
16:35	Mkhitaryan	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Monreal (+1) plays a pass into Mkhitaryan (-1), whose touch lets him down yet again, his intended pass for Willock or Aubameyang (it’s not clear who), going well beyond allowing Lyon to recover possession.
17:46	Nelson	4-2-3-1	Transition	0-0
Arsenal’s press pays off here, baiting Jason Denayer into playing the ball to Thiago Mendes. Xhaka (+1) pounces, pressing hard and panicking Mendes into a hurried pass to the wing that Nelson (+2/-1) reads and intercepts. He has an opportunity to play the ball early into Willock, who’s made himself four or five yards in the box, but Nelson delays a beat too long and his cross whizzes across goal untouched. +1 for the cross, which was a good one, -1 for missing Willock, who was furious
18:56	Mkhitaryan	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Xhaka (+1) picks up the ball on the edge of his own box and spots Mkhitaryan between the lines. His pass is perfectly weighted, erasing six Lyon players, and setting Mkhitaryan loose. Mkhitaryan (-1) carries the ball to the edge of the box, but plays a pass to heavy that Reiss Nelson can’t quite run on to, and he’s forced to turn back.
19:16	Guendouzi	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Guendouzi (+2) receives the pass from Nelson and plays an inch-perfect pass to Willock (+1), who turns and fires a shot low to the GK’s right. Saved.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
20:15	Mkhitaryan	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Arsenal probe the final third, first with Guendouzi (+1), then with Xhaka (+1) playing passes into tight areas. The ball eventually finds its way to Maitland-Niles (+2) on the wing, who delivers a cross to Mkhitaryan (+2), whose full volley shot is matched only by the GK’s reaction save. Willock (-2) gets to the rebound first, but sails it over the bar from six yards.
22:18	Chambers	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Maitland-Niles (-1) is caught out by a terrific pass from the Lyon left back, but Chambers (+1) is there to clean up. He gets to the ball first and is fouled, allowing Arsenal to regroup.
23:10	Mkhitaryan	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Mkhitaryan and Nelson have switched sides. Mkhitaryan (+1) receives the ball and lays off to Guendouzi, who plays the ball back to Mkhitaryan despite being surrounded by three Lyon defenders. Mkhitaryan could drive to goal with a pass or dribble, but instead plays back to Guendouzi and the chance is gone. No minus because I’m nitpicking.
23:18	Willock	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Arsenal quicken the tempo, the ball moving from Maitland-Niles to Xhaka to Willock (+1), whose first touch pass to Nelson erases the defender. Nelson plays the ball to Monreal on the wing, who nearly beats his man for the cross. In the end it’s deflected into the hands of GK Anthony Lopes.
24:15	Nelson	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
A wayward pass is picked up by Xhaka, who quickly plays the ball into Nelson (+1). He drops a shoulder to create a sliver of space between two defenders, but his shot ends up weakly rolling to Lopes.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
26:15	Willock	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Willock’s (+1) press pays off as he wins the ball off Marcal. The bounce falls to Aubameyang, who lays off for Reiss Nelson, but the pass is just inaccurate and Lyon win possession back.
27:00	Xhaka	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Xhaka (-1) gets skinned by Memphis Depay, and Guendouzi (-1) takes two wrong steps to cover the backside before realizing. He’s not quick enough to recover. Depay runs at Chambers then lays the ball off to Diop, who sends it to Traore on the wing. Traore’s final ball (is it a shot or a pass?) is tipped by Monreal out for a corner.
27:30	Sokratis	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
The ensuing corner comes and and Sokratis (+2) does enough to clear to the edge of the box. The ball isn’t all the way cleared though, and Guendouzi (-1) gets caught ball watching, allowing his man to burst free behind him onto the end of a dinked ball over the top. Sokratis backs him up though, and holds his ground to win the ball back. Didn’t love the two yard pass into Nelson under pressure, but Nelson smashes it and Arsenal step out.
27:56	Nelson	4-2-3-1	Transition	0-0
Nelson (+3) stands up his man defensively on the left and wins the ball back, then beats two players, one of them with a slick nutmeg, and is off to the races. Lyon covers well defensively and Nelson turns back to keep possession.
28:40	Monreal	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Guendouzi (+1) draws two defenders before squeezing the ball into Monreal (+1) on the wing, who’s been terrific offensively on the day. This time is no different, as he finds Nelson inside the left corner of the box. Nelson attempts to wiggle free for a shot but has it blocked.
28:17	Nelson	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Xhaka (+1) plays the ball into Nelson (+1), who turns to drive at goal. He lays off to Monreal, whose low cross intended for Aubameyang is blocked.
29:41	Maitland-Niles	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Arsenal really turning the screw here. Guendouzi and Mkhitaryan play a 1-2 before Guendouzi (+1) finds Maitland-Niles (+2) on the wing. The young right back dips his shoulder and beats his man to the inside, combining with Mkhitaryan (+1) to work the ball into the right side of the box. Maitland-Niles’ final ball is intercepted though, and the chance comes to nothing.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
30:35	Aubameyang	4-2-3-1	Transition	0-0
Defense turns to offense, as Monreal’s (+1) press allows Sokratis to win the ball back and play it quickly to Aubameyang (+1). Aubameyang turns and runs at goal, sliding an intricate pass into Willock who just can’t find an opening. The ball is blocked back to Mkhitaryan (+1), whose first time volley is saved by Lopes.
31:56	Nelson	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
The Gunners playing with fire here, allowing Diop to manuever into the box. No single culprit, and they do enough to win the ball back. Unfortunately, Nelson (-1) forgets where he is and gets caught trying to dribble, but Sokratis (+1) steps out to block and the ball bounces back to a relieved Nelson. His pass into Aubameyang is met with a foul, and Arsenal regroup.
32:55	Monreal	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Monreal (-0.5) turns easy possession into Lyon’s ball by trying to squeeze a pass into Nelson (-0.5) unnecessarily. Nelson can’t sort his feet out and the ball is turned over.
33:32	Chambers	4-2-3-1	Defense	0-0
Chambers (+1) stands strong in the corner and wins the ball back, before playing out to Maitland-Niles to relieve pressure.
33:58	Guendouzi	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Guendouzi (+1) sprays a 40 yard pass to Mkhitaryan (-0.5), putting him in 1v1 against the Lyon left back. He decides to shoot from a poor angle and the ball goes well over.
34:22	Guendouzi	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Guendouzi (+1) runs like a bat out of hell to press high up the field, forcing a few frantic passes from Lyon that he’s eventually able to pick off himself. He plays the ball into Willock (-0.5) down the channel, but his slot-back pass is too far in front of Mkhitaryan and Lyon intercepts.
34:35	Aubameyang	4-2-3-1	Offense	0-0
Undeterred, Guendouzi (+2) presses on and wins the ball back yet again high up the field, chesting the ball to Mkhitaryan, who leaves it for Maitland-Niles. Maitland-Niles (+1) drives at his defender, drawing him away from Mkhitaryan long enough to open space before slipping it down the line. Mkhitaryan (+2) takes two touches to prep, then smashes a cross into Aubameyang (+2), who calmly side-foots it into the far side of the net. 1-0.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
37:07	Willock	4-2-3-1	Offense	1-0
Xhaka (+0.5) finds Willock (-1), who tries to run at two Lyon players despite having no help in front of him, and promptly loses the ball.
38:31	Chambers	4-2-3-1	Defense	1-0
Moments after a likely foul against Lyon goes uncalled, referee Jon Moss is in full makeup mode and fails to give a clear push in the back on Guendouzi. No minus. After a combinationinside the right side of the box, the balls falls to Jean Lucas who fires towards goal. Chambers (+1) is there to block. Lyon crowd around the referee demanding a handball, and they have a case, but the referee waives them away and it’s only a corner.
39:00	Maitland-Niles	4-2-3-1	Offense	1-0
Leno (-1) puts Maitland-Niles in a tough spot, sending the long ball to him despite the proximity of defenders. Even so, Maitland-Niles (-1) could do better. First he heads softly back towards the middle of the field, then somehow comes away with the 50/50 ball only to let it bounce off his shin guard and allow Lyon to retain possession.
39: 31	Nelson	4-2-3-1	Defense	1-0
Ball crossed in from the right, headed away by Sokratis (+1) to Nelson (-2), who inexplicably passes the ball back towards the middle to no one in particular; the ball ends up with Memphis Depay who, luckily for Nelson, shoots over.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
41:30	Aubameyang	4-2-3-1	Offense	1-0
Aubameyang (+0.5), operating on the right, takes two players on down the sideline, winning a corner in the process.
43:20	Nelson	4-2-3-1	Offense	1-0
Nelson (+1) picks up the ball on the inside left channel, and beats two players before trying a scoop pass to Willock in the box. Willock isn’t on the same page though, and Lyon clear.
44:48	Monreal	4-2-3-1	Defense	1-0
The Arsenal back line is too deep, forcing Guendouzi to sag and leave Mendes free. The Lyon CM plays a hopeful ball out to the right, where Monreal (-1) looks surprised that it’s come to him, and passes it right back to Lyon. Nelson (-1) is there to delay, but also switches off when his man (Jean Lucas) passes off to Traore, allowing Lucas to get a step on him. Traore fees the ball into Lucas, but the Lyon man fires just wide. The referee blows for halftime.
Second Half
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
45:25	Leno	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Nketiah in for Guendouzi. Arsenal pass the ball back from kickoff and dick around with it for 20 seconds before Leno (-1) inexplicably kicks it straight out of bounds.
46:02	Nelson	4-4-2	Transition	1-0
A poor touch by the Lyon player allows Nelson (+0.5) to pounce. He plays the ball to Nketiah (-1) whose return pass is inaccurate to the point that the Lyon defender is easily able to intercept. Arsenal retain possession because he knocks it right out of bounds. A comedy of errors.
46:46	Maitland-Niles	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
A period of controlled possession in the defensive third ends when Maitland-Niles (-1) tries to thread a pass into Mkhitaryan despite him being well-covered.
47:44	Leno	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Leno (-1) takes the goal kick to the left, then the video feed cuts to Unai Emery so we can’t see what happens. It can’t have been good though, because Emery looks like he’s had a bathroom accident, and when we return to the field the ball is bouncing around 15 yards outside the box. Leno is bailed out by a Lyon handball, and Arsenal retain possession.
47:58	Maitland-Niles	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Arsenal attempt to play out through their defenders, but the Lyon press is a good one. Chambers (-0.5) telegraphs his pass to Maitland-Niles, then Maitland-Niles (-1) compounds the error by misplacing his return pass behind Chambers. At that point it’s pump and dump. Aubameyang (+0.5) just about does enough to bail the defenders out, outmuscling his man and forcing a second defender to help. That second defender blindly plays the ball back to his defenders, but Nketiah (+1) reads and intercepts, racing down the line into advanced position before being slowed by the Lyon recovering defenders. Arsenal eventually work the ball to the left side of the box, but Monreal’s cross is cut down and Lyon clear their lines.
49:32	Nketiah	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Nelson picks up the ball on the edge of the attacking third and turns to dribble towards goal, playing the ball into Nketiah down the left channel. Nketiah (+1) turns and attacks the corner of the box before playing an intricate pass into Nelson (-1), who’s surrounded by three Lyon defenders. His touch is poor and Lyon attack the other way.
49:39	Willock	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
Lyon look to break quickly. Mkhitaryan (-0.5) gives a half-hearted stab at the ball from the wrong side and is rendered useless by a simple turn. Willock (-1) is next up, but he’s nutmegged and left behind. The ball makes it’s way to Moussa Dembele and despite having cover, Chambers (-0.5) backs off and allows Demebele to switch the play. Maitland-Niles (-1) drops off seven or eight yards too far expecting Xhaka (-0.5) to step on the ball, but Xhaka is doing his usual 50%-intensity defending. The result is Depay has room to step into a shot, and he does so. Only Leno’s (+1) acrobatics keep Lyon off the scoreboard. Corner to the French side.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
50:19	Nketiah	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
The corner is taken short to Traore, who is slowed by Nketiah. Traore passes inside then runs behind Nketiah (-2), who’s switched off. Aubameyang (+1) jumps and barely gets a foot to the ball, knocking it out for another corner.
50:37	?	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
We can’t see why, because the camera is too zoomed in, but Lyon work a corner in which they get a free shot from 14 yards. It’s a relative mishit though, and Chambers (+0.5) makes the block.
51:17	Willock	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
Lyon work the ball to the right just inside the Arsenal defensive third, and attempt to play a ball inside to the CM. Willock (+1) shows good strength though, bodying his man off the ball and coming away with possession. He’s fouled and Arsenal can reset.
52:26	Nelson	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
The Arsenal press works well here, and Nelson (+1) is the beneficiary. He reads the play well and intercepts. His initial touch is poor, but he keeps fighting and wins the ball back a second time
52:29	Xhaka	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Nelson plays the ball to Xhaka (+2), who dinks a lovely ball over the top to Monreal. It’s bouncing, and Monreal does well enough to serve the ball into the box, but the Lyon CB is there to win it and clear.
52:44	Mkhitaryan	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
Lyon swing the ball to the left, and Mkhitaryan (-2) dives in and gets beat. The French side break down the left via Memphis Depay. Maitland-Niles (+1) does well to stand him up and win the ball, only for it to drop to Aouar, who fires a shot in that Leno (+1) does well to save off of a deflection. Mkhitaryan gets dinged a second time for failing to read the Aouar danger after WIllock understandably goes to double team Depay.
53:29	Mkhitaryan	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
Mkhitaryan (+1) wins the ensuing corner in the air, but Arsenal’s step-out is disorganized leaving Sokratis (-0.5) as the widest player. He doesn’t shade far enough, and Lyon take advantage, working the ball to Traore on the right, and he sends in an inviting cross that Chambers (+1) clears.
54:10	Monreal	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
A sustained period of attack for Lyon sees a fantastic ball to Arsenal’s left leaving Monreal (+1) scrambling to get back. He does so adequately, then blocks the shot when it comes. The second opportunity is sent back in, and Maitland-Niles (+0.5) recognizes it’s going well wide and let’s it roll harmlessly out.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
55:08	Aubameyang	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Lyon again pressing high, and even the commentators think Arsenal should play it deep. They don’t, and it pays off, with Chambers (+1) squeezing a pass between three Lyon defenders to Willock to get them out. Willock gives the ball up to Aubameyang, who plays a delayed 1-2 in the box with Nketiah (+0.5). Aubameyang’s cross in the end is behind the three Arsenal players in the box though, and the chance comes to nothing. Plus 0.5 for Aubameyang’s movement into the box, -0.5 for the cross. Had the ball made it to Mkhitaryan, he have been able to walk it in.
55:35	Nketiah	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Willock (+2) does well to beat his man from a stationary position and send in the best cross of the day, inch-perfect on the edge of the six. Nketiah (-3) misses the header completely and the ball rolls out of play. Should be 2-0.
57:13	Nelson	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Xhaka (+2) threads a pass through to Nelson (+2) on the left, who beats his man and plays in a cross to Nketiah (-3) that’s just as good as Willock’s 90 seconds early. Nketiah can’t sort his feet out though, and outright whiffs the ball, allowing it to roll through to the other side.
57:55	Sokratis	4-4-2	Transition	1-0
Sokratis (+1) does well to step into midfield and win the ball out of the air. Eventually the ball finds its way to Mkhitaryan (-1), who is careless in possession and passes the ball directly to the Lyon defense.
58:12	Chambers	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
A long ball over the top to Dembele is handled easily by Chambers (+1), who calmly passes back to Leno to relieve the pressure.
58:45	Aubameyang	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Aubameyang (+1) picks up the ball and hits a dipping shot from ~25 yards that the GK parries, but no Arsenal player reacts and he can collect without pressure.
59:18	Nelson	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Nelson (+2) is in the mood. He lets Sokratis’ pass run by him and races into the box, beating his man and firing a shot that narrowly misses wide. A chance out of nothing that was all Nelson.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
61:12	Aubameyang	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Mkhitaryan plays the ball into Aubameyang (-1), but his first-time pass is no where close to its intended target.
61:18	Willock	4-4-2	Transition	1-0
Willock (+1) steps in expertly to intercept and send Arsenal on the counter attack. Nelson’s (+1) scoop pass find Nketiah (+2), who turns his man inside the box and goes through on goal 1v1 with the keeper. Saved.
62:00	Monreal	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
Monreal (+1) reads the play and intercepts. Straight forward +1.
63:35	Maitland-Niles	4-4-2	Offense	1-0
Possession wasted by Maitland-Niles (-1) as his pass is overhit for Aubameyang.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
65:44	Maitland-Niles	4-4-2	Defense	1-0
Depay lulls Mkhitaryan (-1) and Maitland-Niles (-2) to sleep before bursting behind. The ball played to him is a good one, but Maitland-Niles gets there in time to put a foot in. Instead, he’s beaten to the endline and the cross comes in. Chambers (-3) is five yards away from Dembele, who rises and heads in the goal for 1-1. Leno no chance.
67:45	Willock	4-4-2	Transition	1-1
Willock (-1) attempts a difficult pass that’s intercepted. Xhaka (+1/-1) works hard to recover the ball but is bundled over and loses it right back.
67:53	Maitland-Niles	4-4-2	Defense	1-1
Lyon work the counter. Willock (-1) too slow closing his man, allowing him to turn and run at the back line. The ball is played through to Dembele who beats Chambers (-1), and looks to have an opening before Maitland-Niles (+1) recovers and knocks the ball out for a corner.
68:30	Xhaka	4-4-2	Defense	1-1
Corner played in, Xhaka (-1) beaten to the spot. Ball is headed inches wide.
69:41	Xhaka	4-4-2	Offense	1-1
Ball fizzed into Xhaka (-1), who can’t control and knocks the ball out for a Lyon throw-in.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
72:15	Nelson	4-4-2	Defense	1-1
Ceballos and Mustafi in for Willock and Chambers. Arsenal content to possess the ball for a period, until Nelson (+1) opts to go 1v2 in the corner. He’s successful, but his cross is too soft and Lyon clear. The ball goes right to Xhaka (-1), but his touch is poor and the ball is cleared again, this time out of bounds.
72:55	Ceballos	4-4-2	Defense	1-1
Ceballos (+1) carries the ball into the attacking third before playing Aubameyang (+1) down the left channel. His cross is a good one, but just ahead of Xhaka (+0.5) who had made a great run into the box. The ball falls to Nelson (+1), who hits a rocket but it’s blocked on the goalline by a defender and sent out for a throw.
73:18	Nelson	4-4-2	Offense	1-1
We’re late to return to live action so we miss the build up, but do get to see Nelson (+1) play a well-weighted pass into Nketiah (+0.5), whose run sent him through on goal only to be denied again by the GK. Martinelli taps the ball into the open goal, but is ruled offside. Commentators don’t realize for 25 seconds.
74:12	Ceballos	4-4-2	Defense	1-1
Ceballos (+1) reads the play well and wins the ball back for Arsenal. His 30-yard diagnoal is barely cut out.
74:24	Referee	4-4-2	Defense	1-2
Nketiah presses hard but misses, and Martinelli (-1) and Ceballos (-1) are too slow to push up. Lyon quickly counter. Arsenal have a high line and play it well, only for the linesman to screw up the offside call and allow Dembele to go through on goal. He doesn’t miss and it’s 2-1 to Lyon. Mustafi, Sokratis rightly furious.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
76:50	Aubameyang	4-3-3	Offense	1-2
John-Jules in for Nelson. Jenkinson for Maitland-Niles, who picked up a knock. Aubameyang (-1) looks to be tiring. Here he misplaces an easy pass, and is lucky the Lyon defender smashes it out of bounds instead of trying to retain possession.
77:02	Aubemeyang	4-3-3	Offense	1-2
Maybe not. Aubameyang (+1) races past two defenders on the edge of the box and slips in Martinelli (-0.5), who gets the ball stuck under his foot. By the time he sorts them out, the Lyon defense has recovered and his shot is blocked. He retrieves the ball but crosses it right to the GK.
78:58	Monreal	4-3-3	Offense	1-2
John-Jules (+1) plays Monreal (+1) towards the endline, and he serves a wonderful cross in that no one’s there to meet.
79:13	Ceballos	4-3-3	Defense	1-2
Pre-season caveats aside, Ceballos (+3) has been fantastic. Here he collects the ball inside the center circle and drives forward past two Lyon defenders. Then plays the ball to Monreal, gets it back, and drives past two more before playing John-Jules into the box. Lyon stonewall John-Jules, but Ceballos is quick to read the bounce and gets to the ball first. He’s kicked and goes down. Free kick to Arsenal 19 yards out.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
80:32	Aubameyang	4-3-3	Offense	1-2
Aubameyang (-1) wastes the chance, hitting it wide.
81:10	Jenkinson	4-3-3	Transition	1-2
Jenkinson (+1) steps forward to win an aerial ball, heading to Nketiah (-1) who loses possession.
82:25	Aubameyang	4-3-3	Offense	1-2
A series of 50/50 balls in midfield ends with Xhaka (+2) hitting a terrific 40 yard pass that Aubameyang (+1) latches onto. The Lyon GK charges out and Aubameyang successfully chips him, only to see the ball bounce off the post and out for a goal kick.
84:20	Nketiah	4-3-3	Offense	1-2
Ceballos and Aubameyang (+2) combine nicely in the inside left channel, then Aubameyang finds Nketiah (-2) inside the box. However Nketiah doesn’t seem to be interested in going for goal and instead passes back outside, over-hitting his pass. Aubameyang retrives and beats two players down to the endline for the cross, but Nketiah again can’t sort his feet out and doesn’t make contact.
Time	Primary Player	Formation	Offense/Defense	Score
86:24	Burton	4-3-3	Offense	1-2
The last of the Arsenal subs: Medley for Monreal and Burton for Aubameyang. Arsenal probe the left side of the field, with the ball making its way to Burton (-1), whose pass goes right to a Lyon defender.
86:33	Sokratis	4-3-3	Defense	1-2
Sokratis (+1) is alert to the pass into Dembele, and steps quickly enough to win the ball back for Arsenal
86:50	Nketiah	4-3-3	Offense	1-2
Ball into Nketiah (-1), who takes a heavy touch, turns it over, then commits a foul.
87:49	Mustafi	4-3-3	Defense	1-2
Medley (-1) fails to control a bouncing ball and allows Lyon to break, but Mustafi (+1) comes sliding in to the rescue
90:08	Nketiah	4-3-3	Offense	1-2
John-Jules players the ball into Nketiah (-1) at the edge of the box, who turns and then goes down rather easy. The ball rolls out for a goal kick, and the final whistle is blown.

How on earth did Arsenal lose?

Poor finishing on the offensive end, and the same defensive frailties is the short answer. The long answer is a bit more nuanced. More worrying than the two individual defensive mistakes that led to Moussa Dembele’s opening goal, were the repeated failures in midfield to track dangerous runners, and just hope the ball didn’t make it to them.

Xhaka is the biggest culprit. Here’s one example:

He presses up to Lyon’s right back on a ball he has no chance to win, then takes four steps while the ball is in the air before he begrudgingly starts jogging back to defend.

Fast-forward nine seconds, and he comes strolling back into the picture around the same time his man is squaring up to shoot.

This type of defending happens all the time, all over the field (and not just by Xhaka). Here’s Mkhitaryan doing the same thing:

He’s still walking towards Aouar as he’s winding up to shoot. Literally any effort whatsoever from the build up to the ball bouncing to Aouar completely changes the outcome of the defensive sequence, and we’re talking about the great job Maitland-Niles does defensively instead of the excellent save by Leno.

There’s a lack of accountability within the Arsenal squad; that’s what happens when your captain goes on strike. But when the guy slated to take over for him is the same guy making error after error, it doesn’t instill a lot of confidence that a change is coming.

Who impressed, and who struggled?

Let’s look at the chart:

Offense					Defense					Total	Minutes
Goalkeeper	+	–	+/-		Goalkeeper	+	–	+/-
Bernd Leno	1	3	-2		Bernd Leno	3		3		1	90
Defenders	+	–	+/-		Defenders	+	–	+/-		Total	Minutes
Nacho Monreal	7	0.5	6.5		Nacho Monreal	4	2	2		8.5	86
Sokratis	0	0	0		Sokratis	6	.5	5.5		5.5	90
Calum Chambers	2	0.5	1.5		Calum Chambers	5.5	4.5	1		2.5	70
Ainsley Maitland-Niles	6	4	2		Ainsley Maitland-Niles	4.5	4	0.5		2.5	76
Shkodran Mustafi	0	0	0		Shkodran Mustafi	1	0	1		1	20
Carl Jenkinson	0	0	0		Carl Jenkinson	1	0	1		1	14
Zech Medley	0	0	0		Zech Medley	0	1	-1		-1	4
Midfielders	+	–	+/-		Midfielders	+	–	+/-		Total	Minutes
Matteo Guendouzi	9	2	7		Matteo Guendouzi	5	2	3		10	45
Granit Xhaka	10	4	6		Granit Xhaka	5	5.5	-0.5		5.5	90
Joe Willock	11	5.5	5.5		Joe Willock	4	4	0		5.5	70
Dani Ceballos	4	0	4		Dani Ceballos	1	1	0		4	20
Tyrece John-Jules	1	0	1		Tyrece John-Jules	0	0	0		1	14
Robbie Burton	0	1	-1		Robbie Burton	0	0	0		-1	4
Attackers	+	–	+/-		Attackers	+	–	+/-		Total	Minutes
Henrikh Mkhitaryan	9	5.5	3.5		Henrikh Mkhitaryan	1	4.5	-3.5		0	70
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	15	3	12		Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	2	0	2		14	86
Alexandre Lacazette	1	1	0		Alexandre Lacazette	0	0	0		0	13
Reiss Nelson	16	4.5	11.5		Reiss Nelson	4.5	1	3.5		15	63
Eddie Nketiah	4	12	-8		Eddie Nketiah	1	2	-1		-9	45
Gabriel Martinelli	0	-0.5	0.5		Gabriel Martinelli	0	-0.5	0.5		1	20
Total	77	28	49		Total	40.5	24	16.5		65.5	793

The top two scorers were Aubameyang (+14), and Reiss Nelson (+15), surprisingly. Aubameyang is a given at this point. Nelson isn’t, but he looked lively all over the field:

He was willing take take initiative in ways that maybe only Aubameyang and Lacazette were last year, and while July 28 against Lyon is a far cry from doing it week in and week out in the Premier League, he’s checked all the boxes this pre-season.

New man Dani Ceballos also impressed:

That’s him beating two players in midfield, then playing a pass into the hole to John-Jules. More of that, please.

Eddie Nketiah on the other hand, had his second poor game in a row:

Nelson does fantastically well to beat his man down the line and put the ball on a plate for him, but he misses it entirely. This was the second of three point blank opportunities he missed, and after one against Fiorentina a week ago, it’s in danger of becoming a trend. For a guy looking to contribute this season, it’s not great, especially with €80 million signing Nicolas Pépé coming to take 90 minutes per game from attacking positions.

Mkhitaryan also was up and down. His technical ability is probably matched only by Mesut Ozil in the team, but he’s lacked a defensive intensity since his arrival that shows no sign of waning.

What does it mean for 2019-20?

• Signing defensive reinforcements won’t help if there’s not an increase in accountability, from both the players and the coaching staff.
• Central midfield might actually be a strength. Ceballos, Guendouzi, Torreira is probably my preferred midfield three, but for all their faults Xhaka and Ozil are quality as well. It should be a good fight to see who makes the spots theirs.
• Aubameyang can actually play on the wing. His flexibility so far this pre-season gives Unai Emery the option to play a variety of formations, and is different than last year when he disappeared when playing on the wing more often than not.

Only two games to go before Newcastle…