TOTL. EOY. TOTL. What a way to end the year and enter 2023. TOTL.
Review Over. And a day late.
Same team and some outcome. No changes and a goal in the first two minutes. We did not dominate a good Brighton team but controlled the game. Two nil up by half-time and then another goal right at the start of the second half. This was cruise control.
Sure, we wobbled a little towards the end and it became more fraught than needed. But with others dropping points we’re still lodged at the top with some breathing space. Who would have believed this? Not me.
Right from the kick-off we were aggressive and opened them up. Zinny on the left is so important to us. He liberates Xhaka and feeds Martinelli. But the man of the moment is Odegaard. He was aggressive, worked really hard and dominated this game. His vision and touch were stellar. The last few games he’s managed to elevate his game. And today he was central to our attacks.
The pressing and passing quickly lead to our first chance which fell neatly to Saka. It took a good first touch to allow him to pass it in and take some of the pressure off. Brighton are a really good team and, at full strength, would be a real threat. But today, our creativity our-created their limited threat. We broke quickly, and, care of Odegaard, often sliced them apart. Odegaard glided around the pitch today. Whether it was playing delicate, short passes in the box or threading the ball to our forwards, he operated on another – and new – level.
Our second goal came care of MO from a corner. It was well deserved. We looked like we could score at will. Brighton offered some threat, mainly down their left wing where their Japanese winger nipped around. White had to work pretty hard to contain him. Saka, unfortunately, was caught out a few times not tracking back. But they barely had a shot on target in that first half. It all looked to easy. This team expects to win.
Then the second half starts with a repeat of the first half. Martinelli, who’d been trying to beat Impy Lamptey on the inside, took him on the outside and forced the goalie into a good save. Eddie, the poacher, pounced and then we’re three nil up. Game over, right? But first a word on Eddie. This was a goal that Jesus would not have scored. Sure, he does not work as hard as Jesus – I mean, who could – but this is a classic Eddie goal. And vital as it turned out.
Somehow Saka managed to get a yellow card for a single foul. I can’t fathom how he can get kicked from pillar to post and the fullbacks rarely get a yellow and somehow, he makes one tackle and gets a yellow. OK, today Brighton – who do play football – did not hack him. But the point still stands. Saka needs protection; from referees.
At this point I thought Arteta would pull Partey and Saka to protect them. Instead, we replaced both full-backs. Turns out that was not the best idea MA has ever had. Whereas Tierney helped locked down our left hand side, poor Tomi got ripped apart by Mitoma. Once we made this change our defense seemed unsure. And Saliba, for the second match in a row, hesitated and dithered long enough for March to nab a goal to put us under unnecessary pressure.
Before the nerves could really creep in though, we stole one back. Again, they got to us down our right flank; Tomi got beaten and Saka was nowhere to be seen. The cross whipped across finally landed with Partey who feed Zinny and then Xhaka. As quiet as Xhaka was today, he held the ball and surveyed the field. Then Odegaard made himself open in the middle. Before he received the ball he already knew what he’d do. So, when Xhaka feed him, he immediately played the perfect ball over the top for Martinelli to out run Impy. And then, rather than pass it to the open Saka, he placed the ball between the goalies legs to make it 4-1.
What a classic counter-attack goal. Reminiscent of the great AW teams of the past. But that pass from Odegaard was sublime; perfect – fucking brilliant! It was Ozil-esque but without the attitude, without the salary or the lack of commitment. As each game passes by Odergaard is becoming our very own KDB. Today was another masterclass. His intricate passing is unparalleled. Thinking back to when he was initially on loan from RM, he seemed more like Ceballos than DB10, but, like this team, he has evolved and matured. I was skeptical of him being appointed our captain, but he’s also proven that he can be a silent leader. I never bought into this lead by example role but it’s hard to fault it now.
Watching this team makes me so proud. Not proud to be TOTL. Any team can do that (well, apart from that lot). And some other team will surely displace us. But proud of such a young team, with a young inexperienced manager, producing this style and quality of football. This is the type of football that we would all be happy to pay to watch and enjoy. Some of the interplay is exquisite. The style of play is as close to that of the peak Wenger years as you could hope to see. We started as Manchester City Reserves but it’s beginning to feel like we’ve migrate to be Wenger Reserves. And that’s something to be truly proud of. Not just to be successful (which we’re not yet) but to play in a way that inspires admiration from others. That leads the way; that moves the game itself forward.
Of course, I expect this all to implode during the next game. We surely can’t sustain this level of performance. I will always be haunted by prior years implosions. But here we have the future on our side. Any defeat or trauma will be but fuel for the future. Can we win the league? I doubt it. But, all I want for this season is Champions League qualification. Anything beyond that is a bonus. For instance, if that lot fail to qualify.
As the game got a little nervy, we can certainly give praise to VAR. In prior years the score would have been 3-4 with a tense 10 minutes. Somehow, it turned out that Mistoma’s long toe-nail was one micron offside in the build-up to this disallowed goal. In years gone past this would have been the prelude to a full on implosion. But this time we had VAR to protect us. Rather than have any of Tomi, Saka, Xhaka or Saliba actually defend the corner of our box we had to trust in VAR. Needless to say, if that had been our goal ruled out I would be fuming at VAR. As grateful as I am for VARs intervention, I’m not convinced that this was the intention of VAR. I can’t remember a single Arsenal player shouting for off-side. We had all assumed they scored. Someone, somewhere has to figure out this VAR thing. One idea from the new mistro Webb was putting ex-players in the VAR center. As long as it’s not that neanderthal Owen or moron Tony Gale.
That last 10 minutes was too nerve racking. Now that we survived, it can be a good learning lesson for the team. And for MA. Once Odegaard and then Partey went off we seem to fall apart. Against better teams and without VAR on our side, we would be punished. And now, as leaders or this fine and noble league, we have to hang on for as long as we can. We still have to play our first team twice and also Newcastle. This was a great weekend for us in the terms of the immediate teams around us. And thank you our ex-accountant for your contribution. But we have to be careful about how we close out games. Our Achilles heel in the past.
This was though, aside from the last panic-fueled last 10 minutes, an assured and polished performance. Unlike prior encounters with Brighton this one demonstrated the gulf in our class. And was yet another testament to the remarkable achievements of Arteta. He seems on track to out Pep’ing Pep. Even if we don’t quite make it through to the end of the season, We have seen more than sufficient evidence that we are blessed to have Arteta. He has helped rediscover the soul of this club. He has been able to rub out the tenure of Gazidis, Emery and Raul and reassert the Wenger values. Within a year of the exit of these three our view of Arsenal began to shift to where we are today; 180 degrees from where we had been. Think about that. The irony that the departure of our greedy Gazidis reignited this club. Thank you AC Milan. Please enjoy him to the fullest extent possible.
Now it’s time to turn to the transfer window. I think we all know what’s needed. A £500,000,0000,000,000 investment in new players. But besides that a nice back-up to Partey along with another forward to support our current forward-line children. Of course, no-one above puberty need apply. Anyone with facial hair is already too old for us. Maybe a few zygotes would do nicely. Or, if we can stretch that far, a couple of toddlers. Or, alternatively, we could always try and recall Pepe. How we miss him. Sorry about that. Won’t happen again.
So happy new year. Enjoy the new year (at least until Tuesday). Enjoy the beauty of this team. And did I mention that we’re still TOTL.
-LB7