Arsenal are still searching for a way out of their home rut after another frustrating afternoon at the Emirates raised fresh questions about where this team is really heading.
Groundhog Day at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal rescued a point against Aston Villa.
After two wins against Tottenham and Benfica, there was hope Arsenal had turned things around. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
We went straight back to the same problems we have seen in home games so far this season.
Opta said: “1- Arsenal’s opponents have scored with their first shot in both of their last two WSL games. The Gunners have gone 1-0 behind in three consecutive home games in the same top-flight season for the first time since 2015. Vulnerabilities.”
Another statistic that says it all. In three of Arsenal’s four home games, the opposition have had one shot on target and scored from it.
Only Manchester United failed to be quite so efficient, scoring once from three shots on target.
Arsenal have an elite shot-stopping goalkeeper. She is close to being back to full fitness and I really hope Daphne van Domselaar can return soon and help stabilise the defence.
The goal conceded against Villa was really poor in terms of team defending.
Arsenal were pressing the Villa goalkeeper as they tried to build from the back. They committed six players high up the pitch, Akane Okuma went long towards their central midfielder, who turned and played the ball wide to Wilms.
She then played a simple first-time pass to Grant, who was one-on-one with Steph Catley, while Ona Batlle was also left one-on-one with Vansgaard.
How is it possible for almost the entire Arsenal team, bar two defenders, to be taken out of the game by Villa using three touches to get up the pitch?
It was horrible defending to watch and you have to wonder how Arsenal got the balance of the team so wrong.
They were punished for it, and that sort of press breaking down happened several times during the match. If you commit six players to a high press, you have to make sure the others are not left stranded in no man’s land.
Add the recurring attacking problems, mainly finishing and, at times, the final ball, and you get another episode of Arsenal chasing a game at home.
It really does feel like Groundhog Day and, at one point, I genuinely wondered whether there was some sort of curse hanging over the Emirates this season.
What is interesting is that Arsenal have started to address some of the problems we saw earlier in the campaign when it came to creating chances against a low block.
There is now more variety in the off-ball movement and sharper interchange through central areas, leading to more entries and shots from those positions.
But the end result is still the same.
So, you have to ask whether there is a mental block somewhere.
Scoring goals during a drought is very much tied to confidence.
Alessia Russo has now scored several, but the contribution from the other players is simply not enough at the moment.
So, the questions remain the same. Is it the tactics? Are players being used out of position? Are they feeling the pressure when playing at the Emirates? Is it on the coaching staff?
The truth is that, right now, this is a mid-table team in the WSL.
In the Champions League, once the games against Barcelona and OL Lyonnes have been played, we will have a much clearer idea of where this team really stands.
If Arsenal are still in the top four after those two matches, there will be hope.
I also think the home game against London City Lionesses will be decisive.
If a decision is going to be made over a managerial change, I would expect it to come around the end of November, when the international break arrives.
But if someone new does come in, they will need to bring different ideas and a style that suits the squad Arsenal currently have.
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