Valencia 2-4 Arsenal: 5 Talking Points 

#4. Nacho Monreal typifies Arsenal's defensive woes

Monreal, during a duel for possession with Valencia's Daniel Wass

As for Nacho Monreal, he had a solid defensive display but one thing that stands out above all is his culpability for both Valencia goals here. It's something that often gets swept under the carpet in games like these where Arsenal win or crucially, avoid defeat - but at 33 and clearly regressing, the experienced Spaniard's woes typify a deeper rooted issue within the Gunners' backline.

Rodrigo's low pass across the box was gratefully tucked away by an alert Gameiro to break the deadlock after ten minutes. The experienced Frenchman couldn't believe his luck and that's no surprise - Monreal unknowingly invited him to follow the ball and found himself caught in no man's land with his body position all wrong when he should be intercepting the pass, clearing his lines in the process.

With five interceptions, three clearances and one tackle completed, it's unfair to solely pin Valencia's goals on him - but lapses in concentration are costly at the highest level. A more potent team would punish them more regularly, which is usually what happens against Premier League opposition when their defensive deficiencies are exposed.

His role in Gameiro's second is questionable too. A defence-splitting pass sees him recovering frantically, yet he should again have been alert enough to intercept the pass in its tracks and clear his lines. The second instance is more intricate given Arsenal's defensive line as a whole, coupled with the fact that Sead Kolasinac is caught ball-watching, but the point remains the same.

He played well over the 90 minutes and yet when it mattered most, he was nowhere to be seen on two separate occasions which led to goals conceded. It's not a harsh assessment either, because this has always been a criticism of Nacho's game.

That it has been allowed to continue for so long reiterates the problems which lie at the heart of Arsenal's defensive woes. Scapegoating individuals doesn't help as their issues clearly run deeper: instead they need world-class reinforcements!