Arsenal analysis: Individual mistakes cost Gunners against Rennes but Sokratis red infuriates Unai Emery

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James Olley7 March 2019

Arsenal's hopes of reaching the Europa League last 16 stage have taken a major hit after a 3-1 defeat to Rennes in Brittany.

The Gunners took the lead when Alex Iwobi's cross found its way into the far corner but the Gunners crumbled in front of a rocking home crowd.

Superb efforts from Benjamin Bourigeaud and Ismaila Sarr either side of Nacho Monreal's own goal leave Unai Emery and his side with plenty to do in north London.

James Olley was at Roazhon Park to provide analysis for Standard Sport.

Arsenal must come from behind again

After overturning a first leg deficit against BATE Borisov in the previous round, Arsenal must come from behind again to keep their Europa League hopes alive after a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Rennes in France.

Rennes lead 3-1 after the first leg.
AFP/Getty Images

The Gunners led early on through Alex Iwobi’s fourth-minute effort – which looked more like a cross than a shot – but gradually lost control in a raucous atmosphere at Roazhon Park.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos’s 43rd-minute dismissal was the obvious turning point as Arsenal’s poor away form came back to haunt them once again.

Next week’s second leg offers another shot at redemption but this time they will have to overturn a two-goal deficit against a team who will surely put up more of a fight at Emirates Stadium then BATE managed.

Sokratis red infuriates Emery

Sokratis was dismissed for two yellow cards in seven minutes, the first for bringing down Hatem Ben Arfa.

If that was slightly contentious, there were few complaints about the second as the Greek centre-half stopped Ismalla Sarr charge towards Arsenal’s penalty area by pulling him back.

Getty Images

As Sokratis trudged off, Emery stood motionless at the furthest point possible away from him in the technical area. He even turned his back on him at one point, such was his frustration as the Gunners threatened to let a promising position slip.

Moments later, Benjamin Bourigeaud had the resulting free-kick blocked but he thrashed the rebound past Petr Cech with an unstoppable low drive.

Individual mistakes cost Arsenal dearly

Granit Xhaka lost the ball cheaply to put Sokratis in trouble for his first yellow card, the 30-year-old made a clumsy attempt to win the ball to earn his red card and Nacho Monreal turned Mehdi Zeffane’s 65th-minute cross into his own net.

These were three key mistakes that cost Arsenal but many more occurred on the night.

Action Images via Reuters

Xhaka, already on a yellow card, was perhaps a little fortunate not to receive his marching orders for a foul on Hatem Ben Arfa as Rennes turned the screw after half-time.

Shkodran Mustafi was also guilty of playing his team-mates into trouble on occasion – it is a familiar pattern which continues to undermine Emery’s revolution.

Ozil takes a small step forward

Playing the whole second half with ten men limited the options and opportunities for Mesut Ozil to be effective but prior to Sokratis’ dismissal, the 30-year-old had taken up some dangerous positions and linked play well at times.

Operating first as a number ten in a 4-2-3-1 system and then at the top of a midfield diamond when the Gunners went down to ten men, Ozil was central to Arsenal’s best moves but the missed a glorious 68th-minute chance to level the score at 2-2.

He was substituted for Aaron Ramsey shortly afterwards as Emery sought to inject fresh energy and although the night was a disappointing one overall, Ozil was one of only a few to emerge with any credit.

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