Premier League 2019-20: 3 reasons why Arsenal drew with Watford

If Arsenal fans were pumped by their come-from-behind draw against Tottenham Hotspur a couple of weeks ago, then the result at Vicarage Road would have undone all their enthusiasm. After leading 2-0 at the mid-game interval, Arsenal's shambolic defense enhanced Watford's resolve, which saw them come away with an unexpected point from the tie.

While a victory would have seen them move to third in the table, the disheartening result leaves the Gunners languishing at seventh. Though the draw in itself wouldn't have shocked Arsenal fans, who are desensitized to such results thanks to a decade of similar debacles, the manner in which it came about was surprising.

Here are the top 3 reasons that led to Arsenal's draw:

#1 Playing Ozil and Pepe in the same team

Arsenal need players who are willing to track back. But Nicolas Pepe had an ordinary game by the standards he'd set in matches gone by; is he taking his place in the Arsenal team for granted?

Not only did he lose the ball regularly, but his holdup play and ball control were also away on vacation. Pepe did not track back to retrieve the ball when he lost it and often left the defense vulnerable to Watford's attack.

As for Mesut Ozil, despite what the pundits say about him being Arsenal's best player, he sometimes seems like a complete misfit. Many believe there is no place for him in Arsenal's starting XI; he is clumsy and inept in defense.

Sure, he pulled off one great pass that led to Arsenal's second goal, but is that enough for the Gunners?

To tell you the truth, I was excited to see Dani Ceballos and Ozil starting together. I expected some real intricate passing between the two of them.

But we didn't see any of that. In fact they played so wide apart that they hardly passed the ball to each other. It was an absolute disappointment.

Arsenal cannot have Ozil and Pepe playing together because they cannot afford two players who wont track back after losing the ball. Hats off to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who helped the defense on multiple occasions after scoring a brace in the first half.

Arsenal need more Aubameyangs and less Ozils if they are to establish a winning team.

#2 The Xhaka predicament

What's with Arsenal managers and Granit Xhaka? Can they not see that he is a liability in the Arsenal team?

Xhaka's performance at Watford was totally sub-standard. He passed the ball to the opposition more than his teammates and did not cover the gaps left by Sead Kolasinac when he foraged forward.

When Unai Emery took over and Lucas Torreira impressed, many were hopeful that Xhaka would face the axe. But that isn't happening and it's hard to understand why.

In fact, Torreira regular presence on the bench has caused him to lose confidence in himself. Who wouldn't? You put in your best performances and the boss rewards you with the best spot on the bench. It's not right.

Every week Torreira watches Xhaka make ridiculous mistakes and still get picked over him. Sure Xhaka can pass the ball with pin-point accuracy, on occasions that are becoming rarer with every passing game, but is that good enough for Arsenal?

It is worth noting that Xhaka plays the role held by Patrick Vieira in the past: the leader who stops attacks from the opposition and spreads the ball for the team's own forwards. But Xhaka is not a leader. Secondly, he can rarely stop an attack without fouling the player. Thirdly, his ball distribution is distinctly sub-par. So why is he in the team?

Some people say it is because Arsenal doesn't have another option. But Torreira is a very viable option! And if for some reason the manager has other plans for him, there has to be an alternative solution to the Xhaka predicament.

#3 An out of position David Luiz

I'm bored of talking about Arsenal's defensive frailties. When people ask why Arsenal had a bad game there is never a more prominent answer than - terrible defense. So let's not talk about the obvious, even though the defensive performance against Watford spoke volumes.

David Luiz is a bad defender. You should not concede two penalties in 5 games. But Luiz is not a bad footballer. I believe that for years he's been played out of his preferred position.

The Brazilian takes the initiative to lead the team, which was evident in yesterday's match. While he pointed to his defensive partner to mark the run of the Watford man, Roberto Pereyra moved the ball and invited a tackle from Luiz.

When an attacker has the ball at his feet, a defender cannot afford to concentrate on anything but the ball. But Luiz tried to sort out the defense and stop the attacker, which led to the silly tackle that resulted in a penalty.

What if Luiz were to take Xhaka's position? He's definitely a better tackler, better passer and better leader than Xhaka. It wouldn't hurt Arsenal to give this a try.

With the return of Rob Holding, Arsenal will have more defensive options. Of course, Sokratis is another sub-par defender, but there doesn't seem to be an alternative for him at the moment.

Maybe the English pairing of Holding and Chambers will work for the Gunners. Or maybe it wont. But to leave the team unchanged is a certain recipe for disaster!

Edited by Musab Abid