Month: September 2023

A nice relaxing day on the coast. Bournemouth really are pleasant, decent and well behaved hosts. We can only hope they remain in the EPL.

I’m not sure Raya actually had a save to make today. But, clearly, he is now the number 1 goalie. There is no rotation here at Arsenal. Though I remain a fervent Ramsdale fan, I could see the value in Raya’s calmness on the ball. We continued to play back through him today. He was patient on the ball and, aside from a few passes that were misplaced, did not place us in danger. Of course, having said that, I’d still prefer to see Ramsdale there.

The clean-sheet though is based on the spine of Saliba, Gabriel and Rice. Though they weren’t stretched too much, in those few instances Saliba and Gabriel were perfectly positioned to intercept or block. And in front of them Rice provides a solid, consistent shield.

On either side we had White and Zinny pushing forward. Zinny was more involved this week and help move us forward. Odegaard had so much time on the ball and Saka – apart from being kicked – had the beating of his man. He was of course the catalyst for our first goal. Jesus combining with the cross-bar to have Saka nod the ball in.

Eddie remains a conundrum. He really should have scored today and we seem to lose something from Jesus when he’s pushed out to the wing. However, Eddie won us our first penalty. I like the way that we randomize who will take our penalties. If only we would do that will our goalkeepers. I’m sure their goalkeeper would prefer to know who’s taking the penalty. It certainly makes us less predictable.

The most important goal was that third one. Allowing Have-that to take-that yet again demonstrated the leadership of Odegaard. The away fans reaction was brilliant. As was his team-mates. You can see the ground-swell of support for him. It will take him a while longer though to settle in. I could have seen Arteta starting Vieira today. But, if you watch closely, you can see how much work Have-that does off the ball. How much he slides into the middle to support Rice. And how well he tracks back.  

Somehow, he managed to pick up a yellow card from Salisbury the referee. Overall, he was not the worst ref – I mean, we did get awarded two penalties (that’s three in two games now so don’t expect any more this season) – though they were pretty clear-cut. But I don’t know how Have-that got a yellow but then refuse to give a yellow to any of the Bournemouth players who committed identical fouls.

This was such a nice leisurely game for us. They barely pushed us. It was noticeable though that we played a much more patient game. Often choosing to play backwards and sideways. And using Raya as the pivot point. Odegaard found it hard sometime to receive the ball. Only when he dropped deep alongside Rice would he receive the ball.

Most of our play was developed down either wing. Occasionally though Rice would burst forward and open up opportunities. This is what Partey does so well. It’s this vertical play that changes the pattens of play. Rice, as he continues to settle in, will grow into that part of his game.

It was good to see ESR get more minutes even if he should have scored (at least once). And that Nelson is now one of the first substitutes. Of course, against Bournemouth, I could one of the first substitutes. My only worry is relates to Saka. At three nil up he really should have been withdrawn. I was relieved to see Rice removed but we should also be protecting Saka. He barely gets a break and in games like this we have a responsibility to protect him. Especially with the depth on the bench that he had today. An even nicer touch would have been for Ramsdale replace Raya. But that’s wishful thinking I suppose.

Even though we’re back in the top four I still don’t feel that we’ve really rediscovered the form of last year. That’s not a criticism merely an observation. We don’t need to be in top form now. As we were last year. We just have to stay close enough such that when we do find our form we can then capitalize on it. Our style of play is slowly evolving. We seem to be slightly more possession based and more determined to play from the back – patiently. And that’s fine. Teams are adapting to us so it’s important to evolve.

There are more elements of todays game I could comment on but it really felt like a pre-season game.  Aside from the first 10 minutes Bournemouth really had no game whatsoever. They were much more threatening under Howe. Given the quality of some of the teams this year it might be the first time that four or five deserve to get relegated. Sheffield, Luton, Burnley, Everton and Bournemouth are all pretty crap. There seems to be much less middle ground in the league. That is, teams either raise their quality – Villa, Brighton, West Ham – or start to sink. But there are few less natural mid-table teams. Maybe that’s what comes of new owners and more money in the league.

We still have to navigate past Lens on Wednesday but the focus will surely shift to the Sunday City game. Without Rodri the complexion changes. And without KDB. Let’s hope they play Phillips. And also that they win mid-week. It’s unusual for them to lose two games on the spin. A few more injuries would also help us. But this will be an important test for us.

It’s remarkable that they could lose to Wolves. It’s not as surprising that United could fail again. Which leads us to the Liverpool game and the standard of referring in this league. As much as the quality of the teams in the EPL continues to develop so the standard of refereeing regresses. Somehow the availability of technology still leads to eye-popping poor decisions. Today Liverpool were robbed. It was literally day-light robbery.

Aside from being the better team they somehow had a clearly good goal ruled offside. This is unforgivable. This is exactly what VAR is there for. The naked eye could see if was onside but common sense does not seem to apply here. Note also, in this era of improved transparency, the PGMOL refuse to provide the lines they use to make their decision. Do they think they are the Supreme Court that is not answerable to anyone (well, to be fair, they explain their decisions). What right do they have to not show these lines. And explain their own incompetence. I’m not blaming the linesman. But the morons in their nice little offices in Stockley Park, who have the benefit of reviewing at their leisure rather than in real-time with the added pressure of the fans. How can they continue to make these mistakes?

This was then compounded by the sending off of Jones. This was the worst use of VAR. When you slow it down it looks terrible but at the time, you could tell Jones was going for the ball and his tackle rolled off the top of the ball before hitting the shin. This was never a red card. And changed the game. And the ref originally had this right.

Then we have the offside. And finally, Jota, emulated Tommy. The first yellow was beyond a joke. He barely touched the Sp*rs player who tripped over himself. It was not a foul let alone a yellow card. And then that second tackle was a foul. But somehow he got sent off within 90 seconds of the first yellow.

Which brings us back to the standard of referring in this league. They are, week in week out, too many clear mistakes. And mis-use of this technology. This will only be resolved when they remove the human element and use automated off-side technology and also explain how the decision was made. Until then we’re left with a billion dollar sport being ruined by underqualified, under-paid, amateur referees. Which leads back to the FA, EUFA and FIFA; organizations all run by people who are overpaid and under qualified to run the game. Corruptions runs through all of them. And we are the ones that have to suffer. From forcefully kissing women in public and having no decency to resign to putting the WC in Qatar. These organizations stink. Change will only come from clubs – but they are also at the mercy of state run public funds. Which means it’s going to require an uprising by the fans. But don’t hold your breath.

In the meantime, let’s hope we wrap Saka in cotton wool along with Rice. It’s important not to lose on Wednesday but we have to rotate. I’d take a draw as long as we are ready, rested and prepared for City on Sunday. This is our opportunity to step up.  I don’t believe this will be our year but this is a game where we have to show that we’ve progressed and that we can compete with them.

-LB7

Yuk. Too many mistakes and too many injuries. We should have won the game in the first half and then lost it in the second. This was a game of what could have been. Let’s just hope the injury room is not too overcrowded.

Raya was officially anointed the number 1 today. There was one brilliant save in the first half from Johnson. But his distribution was not great and he should have done better on the initial cross for their first goal. I’m clearly biased but Ramsdale should regain his position for the next few games but he wont.

We also missed Trossard today. Unfortunately, Eddie chose today to have his worst performance for us. Nothing he did worked. His passing was off, his touch was off and he added nothing to our game. He did seem to close them down either. If Jesus was fully fit, then Nelson should have replaced him not Jesus.

Of course, in that first half, Jesus should have increased our lead when he dispossessed Maddison on the edge of their box. Prior to that he had a back-post shot saved but this one really should have hit the target. This is where games are won and lost.

But back to Eddie. This was so frustrating to watch. In such a big game to see him flounder reminded me of how he was a couple of years ago.  Even when he did win the ball back he’d lose it straight-away. He’s body language seemed off as was his effort. He was really ineffectual. So much so that Vieira looked quite good in comparison. It was brave of Arteta to start him over Have-that. He also though had trouble coming up to the speed of the game.

On that same side Zinny had one of his quietest games. And, likewise Rice. Early on he charged forward but he was as subdued as I can remember. We should have gone in at half-time ahead. We regained possession of the ball high up the pitch on a number of occasions but could not create real chances. The Saka goal arrived from their turnover and our quick movement. Maybe that shot would have curled in. But we deserved the lead. And we needed to extend it.

The wankers continued to play out from the back and were very high risk but, to be fair, they did play football. Unlike prior years, they came to play. There were periods in the first half where they controlled the ball quite nicely. And, once the second half started, they further asserted themselves.

In hindsight, losing Rice was the turning point.  The change to our rhythm was dramatic. We were unable to retain the ball nor create. Have-that was an improvement over the injured and withdrawn Vieira. Again our corners came to the rescue. We had a couple of chances – even though, today, none were short corners. Then we had the penalty. With Paul Tierney on VAR duty it was always going to be complicated. That was as clear as a hand bull as you could see. Yet Tierney dragged on the review for so long like he was looking for any opportunity not too award it.

And then, as the TV was showing yet the nth replay we missed the lead into to the Jorginho Gerrard-like mistake to hand them an immediate reply. Ironically, this was reminiscent for the Fabergas goal against from the kick-off about ten years ago. Anyway, by this stage without Rice and Partey, Jorghinho with all his experience should have kept it simple rather than dallied on the ball. A fundamental mistake which destroyed our momentum. At that point I feared we’d lose this game.

We had no fluency or control. Maddison was carving us open and they were controlling the game. It was only when he joined our injured players that we started to find some control. Saka then added to our injury list while Eddie continued to lose every knock down and chance. The one he missed in the first half was difficult but thereafter his contribution was zero. I was hoping he’d be replaced by Nelson and Jesus could go centrally.

This was such a frustrating and disappointing performance. The second half was as poor as we’ve seen in a while. I can understand why though. With so many replacements it was hard to find a rhythm against a fluent side that had a clear intent in playing. This unlike the United game was a challenge for us. One that we did not meet. While we might have won this game it’s not clear we deserved to. Even at the end that thug Ricarlison could have scored.

Even Saliba was making a few mistakes today with his distribution. Both he and Gabriel were resolute in defense. As was White. Until, when Saka was too easily beaten by Maddison, no-one had anticipated that and we too slow to come out and close him down.

Saka was hacked most of the game. We expect that. It was a relief to see him replaced in order to protect him. Let’s hope his recovers quickly. We saw today why we needed a little more cover for him. Less money on Raya and more on a replacement.

As frustrating as this performance was – and I have some sympathy given the disruption through the injuries – this was all compounded by the unbearable TV camera work. As mentioned, we nearly missed the entirety of their second goal. But there is this new fixation to show prolonged shots of each manager while the game is happening. Likewise, we have these tedious close up shots of individuals in the crowd. And, then after any action, they have close-ups of any player involved. All the while, the game is happening. I just don’t understand why there is not more of an outcry. It makes the game so difficult to follow. It disrupts your sense of the flow of the game. And these shots add literally zero value. And then we have the constant replays whilst the play is continuing. Over the years I’ve been complaining (it’s in my nature) but this season it seems to have deteriorated. The camera director thinks he’s trying to provide some insight into the emotions or brain patterns of the managers, players etc whereas instead we are denied the chance to actually follow the game. The only solutions I can think of are (1) introduction of picture in picture or (2) I become anointed the Czar of all TV camera decisions. It’s not clear which one of these two is more unlikely.

Given our performance against PSV our expectations were quite high going into this game. And, given that they are only a few months into their new managers reign, they are not quite at the level they would expect. Therefore, this was our chance today. And quite frankly, for various reasons, we blew it. As we know, this is a game of fine margins. You have to take your chances when you are dominating. Both Jesus and Eddie missed theirs today. And thereafter, with all our injuries, the second half was as scrappy and as disjointed as I can remember seeing us. In fact, watching this performance today highlighted high much more work we still have to do in order to compete with City. Even with Rodri now out for game – and how refreshing was it to see one of their players finally get a straight red – if we play like we did today in the second half, they will tear us apart.

All eyes will now turn to the injury room. Mine will also turn to the goalkeeper but that’s just my obsession. With Rice, Partey and possibly Saka in addition to Martinelli and Trossard all requiring treatment we are, so early in the season, going to be challenged.  Now we will see how our squad depth looks. We knew Partey would be injured. That’s as certain as day following night. But losing both Rice and Saka will cause a relapse of this team. Though I doubt Jorginho can be as hesitant and uncertain as he was today.

As we know it’s a long season but with these addition Champions League fixtures it’s going to be stressful on the playing time for players. Obviously it’s too early to concede on the mickey-mouse Milk-League-Coca-Cola-whatever-its-called-cup, but Wednesdays game should see an entirely different team fielded. With Ramsdale of course 🙂 . Though it’s only Bournemouth at the weekend, we need players to recover prior to Lens and then City.

With LA Chelsea imploding and United being just tiresome and dire, we’ll be fighting Liverpool, The wankers, Brighton and Newcastle for these other top 3 spots. Or is it 5 next year? Today we demonstrated why we’re not quite ready to challenge City. Without a world-class striker or left-midfield player we’re just a little deficient. And then once injuries kick-in we are exposed. We could easily have lost this game.

Arteta has a ton of work to do. As good as this team has become, getting it to the next level will require a fully fit Rice. Today we again saw his importance; without him we were vulnerable. I don’t think for one minute that he was fully fit even in the first half. And we need to convert our chances. Of course, some would say, I don’t know who, that we also need Ramsdale in goal.

By the end of the match we had started to reassert ourselves but without any real cutting edge. Minus Saka and Jesus and with no Trossard or Martinelli there was not obvious place the goals would come from. Odegaard was also kept fairly quite today. He continued to work hard on the press – along with Jesus – but Eddie was always a little late to the press. But today Maddison outshone Odegaard. Though part of that was because of the Rice being fried (sorry) and Vieira being, well, Vieira. Have-that was more assured today so let’s hope it’s part of his acclimatization to our team. Because we’ll need him now. And Elneny!

We played a decent team today so this is not like dropping point to Fulham. And it was a pleasure to watch a game (well, that part that the TV cameras would show) where neither team parked the bus. But it’s clear there’s plenty of work to be done on our young team. Arteta will be tested this year given the increased expectations. And we have to remain patient. In particular, I have to. But once we start converting our chances we’ll move in the right direction. As long as our physios can kept our key players fit.

So I’ll give the Wednesdays game a pass and start training for the Bournemouth game in case Arteta needs someone to play alongside Elneny in midfield.

-LB7

Three points at Everton. Not to be sniffed at. Irrespective of how abject Everton are, it’s been our graveyard for many years now. So, coming away with three points, a clean sheet and no red cards is the best outcome we could have hoped for.

Sure, it was a bit laboured. Playing against a team who were committed only to nullifying our game and utterly devoid of any intention to leaving their own half, it was a struggle. Our possession stats were through the roof but all they cared about was parking the bus. They made Bolton look entertaining. I believe they had a few corners in the second half and a few free kicks but it was just dumfounding to see how little Everton tried to challenge us. Instead, they bunkered in for the entire game.

Within our possession game we cycled the ball smoothly and created some openings. If I was to be a little critical it was that we did not open up their defense too much. Poor Eddie was continuously surrounded. They did not allow for any space for us to operate in. But that’s what happens when a team play with a backline of ten players. The combination of White and Saka were able to open them up a few times but then their ten-man defense would all throw themselves to block any shots etc. Pickford hardly had a save to make.

Then there was the disallowed goal. Martinelli, who had been probing and teasing old man Young was set free by a perfect Vieira pass. Unfortunately, in addition to his perfect finish he also strained his hamstring. Personally, I find it hard to understand the offside rule these days. In this instance, everyone seemed to agree it was offside. Eddie was coming back (marginally) from an offside position. But Gabriel’s pass was wickedly deflected off Beto. So how was it offside? Because it was inadvertent? Instead, we lost a goal and the energy of Martinelli.

Trossard took a while to get acclimatized. The right hand side of this team seems to dominate now. That combination of Rice, Saka and White – the English side – plus Odegaard, seem to be more creative and threatening. Whereas even with Zinny and Martinelli, the left hand side with either Vieira or Have-that, just feel more ponderous.

The half-time team talk seemed to work as, in the second half, we picked up the speed of our play and interchanges. Chances were created. Odegaard brought out a save from Pickford and Vieira sniffed around at the back post on a couple of occasions. Trossard also became more involved. There were a few scares when misplaced passes from Trossard and also the wonderful Rice could have been threatening – that is, if we were playing against a football team and not a concrete defense.  

Even with this improved momentum it was hard to see where a goal might come from. However, in the course of eleven – that’s right 11 – corners we figured out that we‘d not win any balls in the air. So, a number of the corners were short-ones. And from one, we created the goal. Forget the time it took to take the corner (if you’re concerned about that you should review Pickfords goal kicks and handling time) but the planned interplay culminated in the perfect left-footed shot from Trossard that was unstoppable. Completely deserved.

Thereafter Jesus had a breakaway chance but could not quite control the ball. All very reminiscent of the United game. We won with a corner routine. That’s six points from corners now. One of these teams will wake up and figure this out at some point. In the meantime, this demonstrates the attention to detail of our manager and his staff. If only now they could figure out how we might be able to take quicker throw-ins.

The selection for this game was obviously impacted by our return to the Champions League on Wednesday. Finally, the end of our own little Brexit as we enter Europe properly. Last year, at the end of the season, we paid the price for the lack of squad depth. Now we have a stronger and deeper squad we need to rotate to preserve both fitness and competition for places.

Replacing Have-that with Vieira made sense. I remain unconvinced by Vieira but also acknowledge that he’s showing signs of growth and needs minutes to develop. Have-that, will, with time, also acclimatize to our style. Trossard remains an enigma. He has proved himself invaluable but there are times when he disappears.  Some of this depends on the role he’s been allocated. He’s not a straight replacement for Martinelli – no one can be. We will miss his pace and directness – and goals.

Maybe on Wednesday we will see minutes for both ESR and Nelson. Both must be itching to play – ESR in particular. At some point we also have to protect Rice. He was dominant again. He’s ability to recover quickly and stop their build-up play higher up the pitch near the half-way line is something we’ve not seen in decades. It is reminiscent of the original Vieira. Against Everton he strolled around and protected the backline and linked up play. He’s yet to add in the forward, directness of Partey but that will come. He’s been a remarkable signing. Worth every penny. But we can’t play him every game.

Behind him the restored pairing of Saliba and Gabriel provided the required solid defensive shield. Gabriel has to either work on his distribution or we need Rice and Saliba – and Zinny – to take the ball away from him. Gabriel does not have the same vision not speed of passing of the others. But with White excelling again at right-back and Zinny roaming the field from the left, this back four is clearly our best. Though when Tommy came on and restored the six foot defensive shield in place of the undersized Zinny, we retained our confidence and composure.

Which leads us to poor Aaron. I was not a happy camper when I saw the change in goal. As I’ve said here previously, I’m conflicted by the acquisition of Raya. It’s a lot of money and I think Ramsdale is the best goalie we’ve had in decades. I also acknowledge that Arteta knows what he’s doing and it is comforting to know that if Ramsdale was injured or sent-off we have more than adaquat cover now.

But poor Aaron. He’s been waiting in the wings for ages to prove that he should be the England #1 goalkeeper. So, finally, he gets his chance midweek and he starts for England, keeps a clean sheet (aside from the obligatory Maguire own-goal) and then returns to Arsenal to find out that, for the day, that he is now the number 2 goalkeeper. This was, naturally, the pre-game discussion point. Arteta, who wisely, deflects on most questions and won’t be draw on his strategy, should, for the moment, be taken at face value. That there will be fair competition for the goalie spot. Raya looked good yesterday; his distribution is just a little more rapid than Aaron. The worst outcome here would be if Aaron became the new Leno – relegated to the #2 slot. But, again, that’s not what Arteta is saying. The next two games will tell us a lot. If Raya is playing in both the CL and in the NLD then Aaron will eventually pack his bags. But I pray that is not the case. Aaron will have to play in at least one of these games. Maybe he’ll become the CL and cup goalie?

Would Arteta rotate the goalies between EPL games? That would be novel. I don’t think that has ever happened for a EPL team. The argument usually is that the defenders need to have an understanding of the positioning, strengths and style of the goalie behind them. If you change that too frequently, you’ll destabilize the defensive. So, as important as rotation is, let’s see how this develops.

A final word on Everton. They really are appalling. Usually, they take time to sink into the relegation zone before somehow escaping on the last day of the season. This year they seem to have perfected their approach. This was as abject and poor as I’ve ever seen them. There was no energy or purpose to their play. One of the mains strengths they have at Goodison is their vocal supporters – who are nearly up there with Newcastle. But the teams lack of energy was transmitted to their fans who had no chance to motivate their team and intimidate us. This was so unlike a Sam Dyche team and so unlike our visit last year. Maybe this is the year they could finally be relegated – just as they move into their spanking new stadium. Now that would be funny.

Another important week lies ahead. Beyond Eindhoven we have the improved wankers and their crying center-forward coming to us next week. They don’t have the distraction of Europe so they will be fresh and energized by their manager. This will be an interesting game. Unlike most games this year when the opposition parked the bus – the wankers won’t do that. So, whereas, we have not regained our form of last year, this will hopefully be the game where the more open approach will allow us to finally click and perform as we did last year. Sure, Arteta has made tactical changes to have us play more controlled football, but against a team that will come out and challenge us more, it will be fascinating to see whether we can revert to our more fluent and creative nature.

-LB7

Wow. That was some game. We unquestionably deserved to win. But we cut it mighty fine. If only you could bottle that unbridled joy when Rice and Jesus gave us those three points.

This was a strong test as it was the first time this season we played a potentially top 6 team who would not sit in a low block the entire game. With the annual Partey groin/hamstring injury the team formation reverted back to last year. In came Gabriel and Zinny. Normal service was resumed.

We will never know what Arteta would have selected had Partey been fit. I wonder whether this will be an equivalent moment to when his selection hand was forced prior to the Chelsea game when ESR started and we turned it around by winning 3-0. Not that we quite needed to turn it around. But we flowed more naturally and controlled large periods of the game.

Of course we need to discuss our newly acquired Have-that. I feel a little sorry for him TBH. He seems to be struggling. Not that I can get inside his mind but his body language would seem to indicate that he’s suffering. He had Zinny behind him and a buzzing Martinelli ahead of him. That’s quite a nice sandwich. But he remained hesitant and unsure. Of course, the complete whiff in the first half from the six yard line will haunt him for a long time. That was the moment when he could (and should) have burst that pressure bubble. Instead, he followed that up with an uncertain, hesitant pass that lead directly to their first goal.

As much as he tried to track back and catch Erickson, he ended up heads in hands on our penalty box as they celebrated. Sure, White and Saliba might have not cloned each other and denied Rashford more space. But that boy can always score against us.

Rashford is wasted in this United team. BTW, what misnomer. They are anything but. they are Manchester DisUnited. There is no clear style or structure to their team. From defense the best player on the ball was Onana. Most of the possession was in their defensive third. They barely did anything meaningful with the ball. Fernandez only got into the game in the second half whereas Anthony still remains the most over-priced, useless, annoying Cunning Ungrateful Noxious Turd. And Martial barely touched the ball. I don’t get this team at all. For all the money they’ve spent, I see no progress. It’s been 10 years since they won the league. I know it’s been even longer for us. But, I see no evolution with United. Just more money being poured in and wasted.

Back to our Have-that. Beyond the abysmal miss and setting up their goal he really does work hard. I’d really like to see him work out. I suspect though it’s not a question of talent but just whether he has the mental strength to overcome this period. As the great Wenger would say, it’s a though he’s playing with the handbreak on. It remains to be seen whether he’ll end up being another Gervinho. Let’s hope not.

He’ll be under more pressure now that Vieira is seemingly starting to produce the goods. After Nelson won the ball back, Fabio’s first time pass to Jesus set up that final, beautiful third goal. And, did you notice, that Nelson, after winning the ball and releasing Vieira, then chases all the way up field to receive the ball before Jesus dummied everyone to score himself.

Jesus needed that. Especially because Eddie was impressive yesterday. Sure he had no real chance to score but his link up play is so important. He was pivotal to that first goal. Overall, he continues to evolve and show real development. Eddie will now go off to spend time with the England squad. Unlike White. It’s beyond logic that Southgate can still pick the tortoise Maguire but yet ignore White. That competition between Jesus and Eddie can only be good for us – as long as they both stay fit.

Martinelli buzzed around all game. He was as lively as he’d been all season. And he was instrumental in creating that all important first goal. To respond so quickly was critical. Before they could put up a low block and hit us on the counter, we were able to have our captain equalize. And notice, that rather than over celebrate, Odegaard had us running back to continue pressing.

This was one of Odergaard better games. He works so hard and leads the team on the field. And he’s a better player when White is right-back. And so is Saka. But, it has to be said, Saka was not exactly on fire. It’s an interesting (yet unfair) comparison of Saka versus Have-that. In our last game Saka set-up the Fulham first goal and against United he missed a stone cold opportunity to give us the lead towards the end of the game when White, yet again, put in a killer cross. But, rightly, no-one will criticize Saka. I won’t. He’s earned way too much credit. Has lifted this team ever since the Accountant was fired. He saved out last two seasons. So, I’m not saying they are equivalent players. It’s just interesting that Have-that will be abused for his contribution against United. Whereas, we should support him more. In six months we can judge whether he was a bust or not. Not yet.

How good was Gabriel? To have him back in the defense helped solidify that back-line. And with Zinny roaming the entire midfield – often being on the right – and always willing to receive the ball from the defense, it’s vital that he stays injury free. Saliba had his usual masterful game. Reading the game superbly. Making the odd mistake I know, but generally cruising along and marshalling the defense. He really is the crown-jewel of center-halfs – along with White!

Of course, the star of this game was Rice. He stamped his authority all over the pitch. He tackles like a freight train. He protected the back-line yet linked up well with Zinny; propelled the team forward and dominated the midfield. How we need this guy. He is as close to the original Vieira as we’ve ever had. And this was only his fourth game for us. This was truly money well spent. You can see how he and Bellingham will form the core of the England mid-field for the next 5 to 10 years.

The emotion that was released when he scored lifted the entire stadium. It was deserved both for the team and for Rice. He is truly a box-to-box player. But unlike, say, Gerrard and Lampard, Rice truly knows defending. He exudes a force of personality that is infectious. As long as he stays injury free, he will be deemed as the best signing of the entire transfer window. Against United he was masterful. A lighthouse of talent. And a springboard for the entire team. With him and Odegaard at the core of the midfield, we just need someone (like Have-that) to occupy that left-sided midfield role. It would be nice to see ESR given a chance as well. Maybe we’ll see him in the League Cup. There is genuine talent there but he has to earn some playing time. And that’s with Trossard sitting next to him on the bench.

As frustrating as the Fulham game was, yet again, we displayed a resilience and spirit that speaks to a belief in this team. Responding to their goal within a minute and then fighting through to the additional minutes to steal the win is a testament to that belief. We’ll need that this season. As long as we can keep this back-four in place we’ll be fine.

Another word on ETH. Wanker. How could you possibly argue that their disallowed off-side goal was actually onside? It makes a mockery of him. And then to complain they were due another penalty and were the better team? No wonder they are suffering. That is not leadership. It’s just plain old winging and moaning. And, lastly, is that not the nastiest, ugliest most repulsive away kit you’ll ever see? What have they done to their heritage? Playing in those colours they could be Macclesfield Town (I mean no disrespect to Macclesfield Town).  

Now we head of into another worthless, disruptive International hiatus. Four games into the new season. Just as the season is starting to gain momentum. What a joke. At some point, somewhere, somehow, this will have to change. Between SPL buying all possible players, Chelsea spending all the Clearlake money and PSG failing to win anything aside from the tinpot French League, there are so many things wrong with global football. But at least we can console ourselves with the joy that Arsenal bring. That Arteta generates. And that Saliba, White, Odergaard, Zinny, Saka and Rice et al continue to build towards. This is a team that is still a little away from its full potential. But look at that list of players. It starts to smell of the Wenger years. Now we just need to be a little patient and soon enough we’ll have some trophies.

In the meantime, wallow in those last 8 minutes of bliss and let that glide you through the next few weeks until we face the wankers down the road.

-LB7