Month: September 2024

Well, that was more tense and nerve wracking then I’d imagined. Especially after the first half. It looked like we’d squandered the three points. Instead we had another Bournemouth moment.

This team really does have that mental fortitude and resilience we’ve lacked in the past. Of course, we fully deserved to win. We dominated Leicester throughout. They really offered very little. I know they scored two goal but those were their only two attacks. The first one was very fortunate and the latter a singular moment of brilliance that they’ll never repeat again.

This was the type of game where I feared we’d miss Overgaard’s ability to unpick the lock on their defense. But the truth is we barely missed him. And part of that is that Leicester were so shit but part of it was because Rice was so dominant on the left (and everyone else) such that we actually created down our lefthand side. And on the right, with Timber still at right back, the overlapping and cohesion on our right was much smoother than I’d expected.

Without wishing to digress to far, after the utter shit we’d been hearing from supposed pundits – by the way, what does this word actually mean? – from the “dark arts” to Arsenal not being creative enough, too dour and unattractive to watch, today was just an onslaught. Sure, they moaned about our first goal but there was nothing there apart from Vardy being an old moaning prat. Along with his ugly manager. Of course it originated down our right with Timber setting up Martinelli. If ever anyone needed a goal it was Martinelli. Let’s hope that unleashes him. Though I have my doubts. His conversion rate is not where it was a year or so ago. But he was much better today. And he set up that second goal just before half time for Trossard.

I’d figured the second half would be an enjoyable breeze. It turns out so did our team. From the onset of the second half I felt like we thought the game was won. Our intensity dropped and we were careless with our opportunities. So many chances were wasted or thwarted by their goalie. And then, somehow, before you knew it, they we were tied up 2-2. I still don’t understand quite how this happened. But then we reengaged and just dominated but continue to find ways to not score. Whether it was from corners or numerous shots from Trossard, Saka and others. BTW, this was again a stellar performance from Saka. He had the beating of anyone on that side of the pitch. And when he wandered infield he would dance past everyone – except for when Skipp chopped him down (and somehow avoided both a freekick and his second yellow card).

It seemed only fair that the winning goal would come from a corner. We had so many today and none were as threatening as last week. But for a prior one Trossard had signaled to Saka to wait for him to get in position beyond the back post. And then he took up the same position in the 93^rd minute to deservedly score the winning goal. I’m hopeful on Monday that they will award that goal to him. While it was deflected it was on target. Trossard has to be one of our most valuable signings. From being a 12^th man acquired at the last minute of a winter transfer window he’s now an essential natural goalscorer for us. Unlike Jesus. Of course, Trossard remains just a little scary when he has the ball outside our own box or is holding the ball in midfield. In both spots he is liable to lose or give the ball away. But then so is our friend Partey. It was another depressingly average performance from Partey today. Too often he’d give the ball away in important positions or just be too slow to track back. That second goal came because he could neither track Ndidi nor close him down to prevent the cross.

As soon as he was removed and replaced with Nwaneri, our dynamic changed. This kid is exceptional. From barely seeing any playing time last year he is now one of the first off the bench. His arrival also allowed Rice to drop deeper and provide us with reliable protection. This was one of Rices’ better performances this season; he dominated midfield and roamed all over the pitch. But back to Nwaneri, he immediately provided a spark, running past players, shooting and linking up with Saka. His additional energy stimulated both the team and the crowd. We looked so much more threatening with him on the pitch. And we looked a more balanced team. I get that he’s too young to currently have him be in the starting line-up but before the season is finished, he will be starting matches for us; hopefully in place of Partey.

It was nice to see Have-that sneak in that final fourth goal. It might have flattered the score line but he deserved it. He works so hard for the team and so intelligent in his play. He and Trossard would interchange positions. No-one talks about the false-9 with Arsenal but that’s how we’ve been since Odegaard was injured. It was just annoying that as Jesus was breaking through he refused to pass to ether Have-that or Sterling and shot instead. But that’s why Jesus does not start now.

I feel sorry for Ben White; he was not on the bench today. Hopefully that was to allow him more recovery time. We’ll need him this season for sure. Timber can’t play the number of intense games that we have coming up this season. But, my, how impressive was he again today. This boy is so talented. Reliable in defense, supportive to Saka in attack and creative in midfield. And on the other side Calafiori was dominant again. And he helped strengthen and support Martinelli. With him there we look more threatening and brings more balance to the team. These two seemed to have invigorated this team. And of course, between then we have the rocks of Arsenal – Saliba and Gabriel. Neither could be blamed for either goal today.

I don’t understand how Saliba picked up a yellow card today. Just for breathing on Vardy; who’s was utterly anonymous today. Honestly, I despair at the quality of referees. This one – Samuel Barrott – was handing them out like confetti. It seems like they directly equate any foul with a yellow card now. Why is it that we have the best league in the world with the worst referees (that’s for you BFR as I stole that observation from you while you were eating your way through the game). We have players from all over the world in the premier league but insist that our refs should be largely English. Sure we have one Aussie. But why aren’t we bringing in refs from everywhere? And why don’t we pay them like professionals? That, of course, we have to lay at the feet of the PGMO; that incompetent entity that overseas (no pun intended) this mess of refs. The entity that decided that the most important aspect of the game to change is to issue automatic yellow cards if you even breath on a ball after a free-kick and thus warrant a yellow card. Talking about a solution in search of a problem. If you asked any fan what they’d like to see change, delaying restarts would never make the list. Fix VAR, introduce automated off-sides, stop giving penalties for unintentional handballs etc. But delaying free-kicks? Spare me.

It’s strange to think that, this early in the season, todays result was that important. But after the valiant draw at City and them seeing them drop two more points today, it was vital we recovered those three points today. Especially after we switched off at the start of the second half. Maybe Arteta administered valium at half-time. More than anything though, this result allowed us to retain our momentum. With Liverpool being the beneficiary of dubious penalty decisions and Cheski finding ways to win, the top 4 is going to be mighty tight. That’s not to say we can’t compete for the top spot. With Rodri sidelined, our chances have improved. But we have to be consistent. And so, far, aside from referee interruptions, we have been.

We now revert back to the Champions League. They should be some rotation. I’d like to see Ethan start but I’m sure he won’t. This match will be a little more cagey. I mean, PSG can’t be as inept as Leicester. And then it’s Southampton before another stupid international break. Maybe we can get Odeegard fit enough just in time for him to play for Norway again.

-LB7

What a remarkable performance. Fighting the injustice of yet more abject referring this was a performance for the ages. The backbone and fight were so impressive. You have to love this team. The spirit and the fight. It does not get much better. Well, side from that last goal that is.

Chris Kavanaugh is one thing but Michael Oliver? I’ve always thought he was one of the best referees in the league. But this was one of the poorest referee’d games I’ve seen in a long time. This was more like Mike Dean. Right from the start Oliver got everything wrong.

Have-that and Rodri bumped into each other within two seconds and we had our first flash point. You could see Rodi stepping towards Have-that. I hate this rolling on the ground and playing dead. But Rodi would get his comeuppance later on. Oliver thereafter set the bar such that tough tackles and fouls were not given a yellow card. However Trossard picks up a yellow for a slight tug on the shirt – borderline but not too surprising.

We also saw Doku (I think) kick the ball away after a foul was awarded to us. No yellow. Then, the moment that defined the game and changed its’ entire complexion. Trossard charging out from their bundles over Bernardo and then kicks away the ball just as Oliver blows his whistle for a foul. And here we are again with the Van Persie moment against Barcelona all those years ago. Somehow Oliver deems this to be time wasting and sends him off. What is Trossard supposed to do here? His action to kick the ball is simultaneous to Oliver blowing the whistle – that’s assuming Trossard heard it. Either way it’s a ridiculous decision.  

Why have referees – and by extension – the PGMOL decided these events now warrant a yellow card – especially when they are borderline and especially when they apply this rule so inconsistently (see Doku). There were other instances in the game where players blocked free kicks and yet no yellow card was awarded. And at the same time, real physical, tough challenges/fouls were not given yellows. I actually like the leeway on the physical nature of this game but it makes not sense to then have players sent off for these borderline technical issues that are so debatable and impactful. It’s was horrific referring by one of the best refs we have. It completely changed the nature of a game that Arsenal progressively looked comfortable in.

As a rule I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, but how do you explain the speed with which Oliver went for that second yellow. At least Kavanugh had the decency to apologize and play-act how he did not want to do this but considered that he had no choice. Oliver just went for it. And wrecked a fascinating game. It’s shockingly appalling. It destroys the game. A few years ago we barely saw this type of event and now we’ve seen two red cards for the same borderline, technical issue. How is this consistent and fair refing? And you know, in a few years, we won’t see any of these occurrences as the PGMOL decide to reset this bar. What a joke.

It was surprising to see two changes to the starting eleven. And to the backline as well. The one part of our team that has been so consistent and stable. The one area where we could rely on. The one area you never change unless you have to. Yet Arteta switched Timber and brought in Calafiori. So White, who, to be fair, had been below his best this season was dropped to the bench.

And what a up and down game Calafiori experienced. His aggression open up our defense when he overcommitted to tackling Savinho inside their half. This exposed our center backs and Savinho played the perfect ball through to the ugly Norwegian. At that point I feared the worst. Savinho looked very impressive and he was linking up so well with Silva. City started with more energy and purpose and we looked vulnerable.

Yet somehow we found our way back. Parteys quick free kick to Martinelli opened up space for an astonishing shot from Calafiori, atoning for his prior mistake. Ederson had no chance and we were level. To be honest though if I was a City fan I would have been livid with this. Not because, possibly, Partey took the free kick from a more advanced spot. No, it was that Oliver had summoned the two captains to him to try and calm the game down. The game that he had inflamed by his inconsistent decision making. And yet, he did not then allow Walker to get back in position thus allowing Partey to exploit the space with his free-kick. That is just insane. You summon the captain to you and then don’t give him time to get back in position? As great as a shot as that was by Calafiori, you can’t have refs doing that.

From that point on, with the scores level, we started to impose ourselves on the game. Of course, we were helped when Karma struck Rodri resulting in him being substituted. He really is more important to this team that KDM or Foden. There was one corner where Gabriel came close with City looking disorganized. I mean they had Doku marking Gabriel. So, for the next corner they swapped Walker to mark him. And even without White to block their goalie, Saka’s perfect cross enabled Gabriel to power in our second goal.

As an aside, as important as these goals are for us we really should be creating opportunities in open play and having our forwards score. But hopefully that will come as the season progresses.

Going into the end of that first half the game had entirely turned, We were in control and looked solid and confident. And then Oliver decided to leave his mark on the game. I still can’t believe that Trossard was sent off and he was the one making that decision. But by then he’d lost control of the game and I’ve never seen that before.

That second half performance though was a complete statement. Let’s start with Arteta. As incandescent with anger as he rightly was about the sending off from half-time onwards he remained calm and in control. He had to make a half time change now we were down to ten men. But who would have guessed he’d take off Saka – our captain? He brought back White and reverted to a back-five. And for more than 45 minutes we withstood the City onslaught. The backbone, organization combined with the physical effort was just so impressive. It made you proud to watch this team throw every body part on the line to defend this lead. They completed nuted City. City, with all the talent they had on display, just ran out of ideas. We just sat there and denied them any space.

It’s hard to know who on our team to praise more. Aside from the time the ugly Norwegian got between them, Saliba and Gabriel suffocated him. Blocked very shot and dominated our defense. Raya put in yet another outstanding display making numerous reflex saves and controlling his area for any crosses. Partey only made one or two errors – BTW why would anyone try to chest down the ball in the penalty area as he did? Luckily Raya made another refex save from Gvardiol.

You could see why Arteta swapped over Timber to the right in order to man mark the dangerous Doku. In that first half, with Rice playing on the right-side, they were able to recreate, with Saka, that triangle we used to see with Odegaard. We really are a better team with Timber.

Rice had to swap back to the left-hand side in the second half but in that first half he was so much more comfortable than he has been than in his other games this season. And in the second half he defended tirelessly. Then we have Have-that who defended like his life depended on it. Running himself into the ground. You have to love his spirit. But then you have to love everyones. Even Martinelli. He was left to mark Bernardo. Even though he seems unable to score goals he definitely knows how to defend.

At half-time I would have settled for a draw. Before the game I would have settled for a draw. But with 7 minutes of extra-time I wanted that win. And certainly with 1 minute left. But it’s hard to be too disappointed to only come away with a draw. Psychologically we got the victory. I know that does not count towards points in the table. The belief though this team showed, the effort, concentration and determination was not something we’ve seen from an Arsenal team since the best of the Wenger years. Today this team grew up. It moved to a different level.

As unjust as this game was – City did not deserve to draw; we did not deserve to play the entire half with 10 men – and even though they scored in the dying embers of the game, we saw today that we genuinely have a team that can compete with City. This team is ready. It can win the league. The unity they displayed along with the focus and teamwork made me realize we are ready this year. And the players we needed to bring on supported the team. In prior years we’d not have the players on the bench to cover for injuries and tiredness.

This team can win the league. We are good enough. It does not mean we will. If the appalling state of referring in this country is not addressed we will have many injustices to overcome. And note that in the entirety of the second half Arteta remained in control and calm on the sidelines. No histrionics. It was Pep who went and kicked his chair. It was Pep who was screaming at his bench and his players. Not Arteta. That move of White for Saka and moving to a back five saved us. His team is one we should be mighty proud of. Today Arsenal were the winners – I don’t care what the scoreline said. This is a team we can believe in. This is a team we can bet on. This is a team that reminded me of the old Arsenal. Resolute, dogged and tough to beat. The ghosts of Sol Campbell, Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira and Martin Keown were joined today by our backline and goalkeeper.

Was I disappointed in the end? Sure. But, more importantly, by the end I was mighty proud of this team. And saw enough to know we will only get better. That we will truly compete this year. And with that I can sleep soundly tonight. Unlike Michael Oliver who should be having nightmares for weeks are that embarrassing display.

-LB7

Yet another NLD victory. But this one was different. With a severely weakened team, we fought and eked out a deserved victory.

After the Kavanaugh induced injustice from our last match and the stupidity of pointless international matches we were reduced to a very restricted midfield. Nonetheless, after surviving the first 15 minute onslaught, we defended as resolutely as ever, kept a clean sheet (again) and walked out with the all important 3 points.

I still don’t expect us to win the league this year given that we continue to face the uncensored machine that we face next week. Matches and victories like this remind us how far Arteta has grown this team. In fact, it reminded me a little of the early Arteta performances when we only had the ability to defend and counter-attack. Of course, we have evolved a long way since then. But performances like this where we grit it out and find a way to win whilst being clearly undermanned, just go to underpin the mental strength of this team.

Of course, the defense was again colossal.  White seemed off his best today but that was more than compensated for by the tigerish Timber. How we missed this last year. Timber was defensively excellent and yet still spring into attack on a number of occasion. That was our best left back performance since the days of Monreal. Alongside him Gabriel was like a rock. Throwing himself on the line to block everything and then springing up to head that all important goal. Alongside him Saliba was cool and calm as ever with Raya providing that additional protection. With this defense, we surely have a platform to continue to challenge. I’d have to give the man of the match though to Gabriel due to that winning goal, otherwise it would have been Timber.

Midfield was where we were at risk today. Jorginho brought poise and control. It was his first game this season and you could see him visibly tire towards the end. Alongside him Partey provided cover fo the defense but still got caught on the ball too often and was too sloppy with his passing. But between them, they managed to restrict Sp*rs. Partey though does not inspire great confidence. His slowness on the ball seems destined to put us in jeopardy. You just know he is one step away from giving the ball to them in a dangerous position. In the first half his first step, on their breakaways, was invariably the wrong one. Moving to block the square pass and not the forward one. But this opposition were just not good enough to exploit that.

From having one of the youngest starting teams in the league last year, our midfield today had a collective age greater than the years since Sp*rs last won the league. Fortunately we’ll have Rice back for the next league game. Away at City won’t be the same story for sure.

Both wingers today worked overtime on their defensive duties. Martinelli in particular. It’s a shame though that he’s lost his strikers instinct. I thought the turning point might have been that missed opportunity in the first half. Clearly he should have squared the ball to Saka instead of that weak shot. He had more time to take a few more steps if he was going to shot. We’ve seen this from him this year. That’s why Trossard has gotten more time. In game like this, you just have to takes these chances.

Speaking of Trossard, I did not expect him to play this withdrawn role. It’s dangerous, because, like Partey he will lose the ball outside our box just as we’re starting our counterattacks.  His effectiveness was reduced today but given the teams set-up that was not too surprising. Ahead of him Have-that worked as hard as ever and had one chance with one header that was well saved. Overall though he clearly missed Odegaard. As did Saka.

Saka, who, for some reason was forced to play each minute (more or less) of those stupid international games, was too isolated today without Odegaard to feed him the ball. And he had to defend a lot. Of course, he got yet another assist from his corner.

As I had mentioned all the way through the transfer window my biggest concern was the lack of cover for Odegaard. We now have been fully exposed to his absence. It’s hard to figure out how to replicate his contribution but clearly weakens the best part of our team – Saka. Arteta won’t give anything away to help our opposition to prepare but it seems clear we won’t see him to the other side of the next useless international break. This is analogous to what happened to City with KDB last year – and hopefully we’ll end up with the same outcome.

I always thought Lloris was a liability for them and therefore was sad to see him replaced. But thankfully their new guy can’t handle corners. Sure he can stop a shot and is not as bad as Lloris with the ball at his feet, but we’ve seen a number of occasions where he’s been Fabiansky-like in flapping for the ball. I don’t think we’d scored from a corner yet this year so one was due even without Rice there to launch them into the box. For Gabriels goal though – from inside the six yard box – he was walled off by Saliba and White. So, it was a brilliant defensive effort on both ends of the pitch.

I would happily have taken a draw before the game started, With this depleted midfield I thought they would overrun us and leave the slow-horses of Jorginho and Partey in their wake. They just weren’t smart enough to do that. I thought Sp*rs were overall pretty lethargic. Solanki looked ok – better than Richarlson. Though that’s like saying life is better than death. Son was threatening in that first 15 minutes but then lost his way. And overall, they just could not muster much in the way of attempts on goal. Thankfully, it looks like they are in for a frustrating season. We can only hope.

Our bench was pretty bare today. Full of teenagers. Except for the two City alumni that both came on at the same time. Neither of which had too much time to impact the game. It’s just strange seeing Sterling in our (adjusted) colours. This was a good signing due to Chelski paying at least half of his wages to play for us. And with Nelson leaving, we needed more depth. After losing the wonderful ESR we needed something. And that came with the addition by subtraction of Vieira. Without Merino we are on a skeleton crew. Until after the next stupid international break. Let’s see if Norway have the chutzpah to call after Odegaard for those matches.

So, now we have our 2^nd of three away matches. This time in Italy. Again, all I need is a draw from this one – and no injuries. We’ll have minimal time to recover before we journey up north for the challenge of City. When you look at the depth of their bench and compare it to ours you can see where still a transfer window away from being able to withstand these types of waves of injuries. But this performance today was so determined and resolute. With a classic scoreline of 1 nil to the Arsenal. How can you not love that?

So we get to enjoy this for a few days – and keep those Everton-like upstarts in their place for another few months. And let’s hope that we pick up no more injuries though it would be good if some of them could find away to avoid responding to international call-ups.

And lastly, as much as I don’t understand why we did not find a suitable back-up for Odegaard, I was relived that we tied Arteta down for another three years. I would have liked to have seen a longer contract but I’ll take this. I’m pretty convinced his committed to this team and club. And we should be more than happy committing to him. We might not win the league this year but we are certainly an improved team. And it stems from him. He turned this club around in a way that Wenger changed our trajectory. Of course, he can’t be in the same category as that because he’s not won enough trophies – though you wonder what Wenger would have done if he had to face City and Pep. Nonetheless, we are very fortunate to have him. And just remember back to how he was first viewed when he was appointed. We are indeed lucky.

-LB7