Premier League 2018-19; Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield: 5 Talking Points

Huddersfield faced off against Unai Emery's rejuvenated Arsenal side on Saturday afternoon. Arsenal having an unbeaten run of 20 games came into the game looking to extend their unbeaten run and move up in the points table. Huddersfield, being in the relegation zone only had one goal, get a point and get out of Emirates Stadium.

Unai Emery made a few changes in his team from the midweek draw against Manchester United. Rob Holding's injury should have forced Emery to go back to a four-man defense but instead, he kept the three-man defense with Lichtsteiner at the back. In the front, Aubameyang continued to start but this time with only Lacazette for support.

The first half had no goals for both sides with Arsenal missing easy chances. Aubameyang missed a simple tap-in while Alexandre Lacazette blasted a shot over the bar. Torreira managed to force the only save from Lossl in the first half. Huddersfield continued to hold their defense tight in the second-half with no headway for the Gunners. It was late in the 83rd minute that Arsenal took the lead through Lucas Torreira's brilliant bicycle kick.

The Gunners managed to see off Huddersfield with the only goal. They moved to the third spot in the table which later changed to fifth following Chelsea and Tottenham's wins. Huddersfield stays at the 17th spot, still in the relegation zone.

Here are five talking points from the game.

#5 Huddersfield came in for a point but left empty-handed

Huddersfield's intentions were clear from the beginning of the game. They sat back in their area looking to defend anything and everything while looking to hit on the break. The mindset that they possessed from the start was to get a draw.

They managed to hold tight in the first half with minor scares from Aubameyang and Lacazette. But Arsenal did not manage many clear-cut opportunities at goal thus going into half-time scoreless. The visitors continued their gameplan from the first half but Arsenal's attack became more and more lethal with time.

They were unlucky on one occasion when Sokratis pushed Depoitre off the ball and a penalty was not awarded. Although not fatal, it was a foul and a foul inside the box is a penalty. Apart from that, Huddersfield did not show any intent in going forward with the ball or hitting the counter attacks. All they cared about is a point which they could not get as Arsenal managed to get a goal somehow.

Huddersfield looked like a team that is in the relegation zone, not one which wants to do something about it. Lack of intent cost the Terriers.

#4 A poor day at the office for the Arsenal forwards

Arsenal started off with Aubameyang and Lacazette as the two forwards. Alexandre Lacazette had a very underwhelming night at the Emirates. He was really lacking the urgency that a forward should possess and looked out of sorts. The only real chance that Lacazette had should have been converted but he slipped and shot with his other leg. He only managed to blast the ball over the bar.

This forced Emery to take Lacazette off at half-time and introduce Iwobi and Mkhitaryan. Both players themselves did not have a great game. Iwobi only managed two shots with none on target. Mkhitaryan matched the Iwobi's stats on shooting. In addition, Iwobi was dispossessed thrice in the game. Both passed with just over 60% accuracy despite the small number of passes that they attempted.

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was the pick of the forwards but going by his standard even he looked a bit off color. It was his brilliant control and assist that gave Arsenal the goal but he should have put Arsenal ahead before that. He missed a golden chance to finish in the first half and did not manage a single shot on target in the whole game.

All in all, a poor day for all the forwards, especially Lacazette.

#3 Unai Emery keeps his cool, his players don't

With Huddersfield keeping the defensive gates shut, the Gunners' frustrations kept growing with time. They started to make rash tackles and lost composure. They jumped into tackles too easily, giving away freekicks and precious seconds.

In the process, the Gunners even lacked understanding. There was a sequence between Iwobi and Mkhitaryan where both players did not know whether to dummy or to pass. Similarly, there was a strange side pass by one of the defenders which nearly rolled out of play before Monreal kept it in. The long passes that were there to switch wings were mostly too heavy and went out for throw-ins.

The frustrations could be seen even in the booking count. A total of five Arsenal players saw yellow with Sokratis on the verge of a second due to outpouring emotions. Matteo Guendouzi strangely dived in the box, the only way he thought a goal could be scored.

But as Arsenal kept wasting chances and dived into tackles, their coach at the touchline kept his cool. He signaled his players to keep calm with both arms, telling them to relax. Due to the persistence, Arsenal managed to get a goal but they should do better to keep calm. The players did not look composed at all time the goal came but Emery urged them. We saw a situation similar to Simeone and Atletico Madrid.

#2 Guendouzi and Torreira to the rescue

Unai Emery had a strange selection of his midfield, fielding all of his acclaimed defensive midfield players. Guendouzi, Torreira and Xhaka, all extremely good on the defensive end are not the best for the attack. The coach refused to bring on a more attacking player and continued to trust his trio.

The faith that Emery showed on Guendouzi paid off for the Gunners. He worked hard all night, at both ends on the field, being on almost every part of the pitch. He attempted two or three lobbed passes inside the box, one of which was ultimately brought under control by Aubameyang before the goal. He made a total of 5 key passes in the game and passed with a success of 94%.

Torreira continued to provide stability to the defense. He had the only two shots on target in the whole game. His first was a long shot in the first half and the second was his wonderful bicycle kick. When forwards failed to get into the groove and push for the goal, Guendouzi continued to search for the perfect pass. Meanwhile, Torreira did a job that forwards should do, be in the right place at the right time.

Both players deserved the MOTM award equally.

#1 Arsenal extend their unbeaten run but for how long?

The Huddersfield game gave us a lot of insights about the Arsenal team. When a three-man defense was looking really good for them, Rob Holding suffered an injury. So what does Arsenal do now? Emery stuck to his three-man defense but Lichtsteiner looked really rusty, it is understood as he has not got much match practice. When Arsenal switch Bellerin and Kolasinac to full-back, their game suddenly doesn't seem the same.

It is clear that Bellerin and Kolasinac work well as full backs. Yesterday's midfield was a gamble by Emery. It paid off against Huddersfield but it might not against better teams. There is a lack of a more creative midfielder in the team. Arsenal is missing Ozil at the moment. But even if Ozil is available, there are no young attacking midfielders in the team.

We saw how Lichtsteiner failed to cope with Huddersfield. Who takes up the central defense in Mustafi and Sokratis' absence? Arsenal has some business to do in the transfer window and keep a good eye on Reiss Nelson in the Bundesliga. Emery has some answers to find regarding the team. Arsenal needs to work on solidifying the third person in the central defense or they need an attacking midfielder.