Author: bradybergkampandbeyond

TOTL. Thank you Chelsea. Thank you Poch and thank you Nicholas Jackson.

When I saw that team sheet I realized two things. The first is that Chelski really does hate Sp*rs. And secondly, that Poch loves Arteta. What a shambles their team selection was.

Where to start this one. After Trossard, yet again, gave is the lead after 4 minutes, you thought the score line could end up like this. But there was a long period leading into the second half where you feared we’d regret all those missed changes. I forgot of course that Jackson is there main striking theat. How abysmal is this guy, thankfully. He is, hands-down, the worst striker I can remember since the wonderful Soldado at Sp*rs. Of course, with that tackle on Tomi, Jackson should have been sent off. He is a shambles of a player and perfectly suited to Chelsea.

With Tomi back in and Partey in the base midfield role Rice was able to shift out to the left. That provided a better balance such that not everything was down the right hand side. However, most of the chances were generated by the triangle of Saka, White and the masterful Odegaard. Today he ruled this match. He exuded joy. He feed passes and split their defense of some many occasions.

Going in only one-up at half time was frustrating. We won the ball high up the pitch – well, often Cheski generously just gave it to us – and we’d find ways to squander the chances. We dominated them and created so many chances I lost count. There was Have-that choosing to pass not shoot, Rice and Odegaard shooting. It was an endless stream. And sometimes their goalie would make a great save. You always worry that you’ll regret these missed opportunities. And there were periods where they would counterattack. And thankfully they (i.e. the aforementioned Mr. Jackson) found way to miss their chances as well.

You feared this might turn into a replay of the Wolves match. You figured they could not be as bad in the second half. They weren’t; they were actually worse. But the nerves started to enter the atmosphere. Anxiety crept in. It was not helped by some sloppy play. And Partey was guilty of numerous sloppy passes and lingering on the ball too long. Yet we also saw times where his simple link up play helped propel the team forward. For example his role in setting up that first goal.

Fortunately, we were able to sneak a Ben White goal to open up this game. Thoroughly deserved and resulting from one of our numerous corners. But nicely finished. And game over. You knew Chelski could not possibly recover. They have no leadership nor backbone. The anxiety dissipated. And our game continue to flow around them.

The third goal though was just majestic. The obvious foul by Gabriel was not called and then Odegaard feed the most exquisite pass through to Have-that. This time he drove directly to goal, brushing off the challenge of their £60m hairy fullback to thump the ball in for our third. That was a picturesque goal. Classic Odegaard and reminiscent of Ozil. The perfectly weighted pass. And the perfect finish.

And then it just because an onslaught. Again, from our right, Odegaard and Saka set up Have-that to get his brace to be swiftly followed by White. It became a procession that allowed us to make all the substitutions we needed ahead of Sunday.  It was good to see Jorginho back out there in place of Partey. But you could see the difference when Jesus replaced Have-that. As often said, Jesus can do everything but score.

We even got a chance to see Zinny get some minutes and for Martinelli to again show how he’s lost his scoring touch. And a miracle happened, we finally saw Saka substituted. Even if it took until the 82^nd minute. This was a much improved performance from him today. He was involved in nearly all our good moves. But he needs time to recover. Let’s see if those 15 minutes help him on Sunday.

Though he did not score, Rice again just crushed their midfield and dominated the play. He liberates Odegaard and pushes himself into many more attacking positions. He’s not quite developed the composure needed to score more goals but that will come with experience. Our midfield today was most likely that Edu and Arteta imagined when the signed Rice. And even though Partey has regressed you can see what the attraction when they brought in Rice.

Then you only have so amusingly look across the pitch at their £200m counterparts – Enzo and Caicedo – to appreciate how easy it is to make the wrong choices. And that’s not even consider the money they sunk into Mudryk. We were so fortunate that Chelski were brainless enough to save us from that one. We certainly dodged a bullet there. In fact with both him and Caicedo.

Consider this, we definitely got the better parts of Brighton. We have Trossard and White for about £70m whereas they have the Hairy left-back and Caicedo for £150m. Three goals versus one yellow-card. It’s hard to know where to start with the amount of money Todd Boehly has squandered way. It’s beyond arrogance to think that by acquiring (supposed) young talent, not even being aware that football is a team game and ignoring the need for senior, on-the-pitch guidance/experience, they could assemble a team like this. But it makes me happy none-the-less. In my dark moments I merely have to think about Nicholas Jackson and all is right with the world. I know supporters of this lot (sorry AJ); you have my long-term sympathies. How you must pine for the days or Roman.

Another clean sheet. I think that’s world-record for us. Or something like that. Score more goals and let in less than anyone. Pretty impressive. But not as impressive as the way we command the pitch, dictate the rhythm and control the game with our high press. We really are a joy to watch – aside from that period in the middle when the anxiety sets in. But surely, after watching us against Bayern, teams should figure that if they can starve our access to Odegaard they could (potentially) shut us down. Instead they let him have the freedom of the park.

So onto Sunday while still TOTL. We just need Everton to dig in now. And, we can rely on Forest to adopt a them against the world attitude. Hopefully they can channel their misplaced anger into a similar performance as they had against Liverpool at home last year. I doubt it. But they can at least make City suffer a little.

We need some luck. We need both of them to drop some points. It’s not much to ask. Just a little generosity ahead of our Sunday encounter with those wankers. As consummate failures they will be entirely motivated by their desire to try and help us fail. We, on the other hand, post Champions league and the Brexit of every other team (aside from Villa) can also put another nail in their aspirations to be in the Champions league next year now that there are only four places.

This is the game of the season for us. This is our most tricky remaining fixture. So, it’s good we were able to make wholesale substitutions today. And we actually have a four day gap which will seem like a long-term holiday for most of the players. But I am looking forward to watching Rice destroy them and for Odegaard to carve them open. And I suspect we’ll see Jorginho return. I don’t know if I can take Partey lingering on the ball for too long. This will be an intense match with a frantic atmosphere. But we go into this match perfectly set-up, two wins on the bounce and still TOTL.

-LB7

TOTL. Again. If only momentarily. After the last week this was the performance we needed. Actually, it was the result that we needed to stay attached to this race.

Though others will see the last week through the eyes of the grim reaper, the performances have not been too shabby. In both games we missed our first half chances and then visibly tired in the second half. Today though, Trossard, who missed that chance against Villa, somehow managed to squeak out an all important toe-poke right at the end of the first half. That was the game changer we needed last week but I’ll take it today.

Prior to that I’d been moaning about how anonymous he’d been up. Or rather ineffective. Unable to really defend and unable to breakout in attack – or place crosses. It’s interesting how Arteta has lent on him rather than Martinelli during this period. I suspect Martinelli is not quite fit. Yet, right at the end of this game we saw a breakaway that Martinelli, care of his speed, jumped on in a way that Trossard would have not. Yet his finish was all too different from Trossards. Maybe that’s why Trossard starts currently.

The team selection is pretty established by now. With so few games left now and every point vital as we chase the City 115 machine, there’s no reason to shake things up.  Clearly a number of players are running on fumes. Saka being the prime example. It’s hard though to put him on the bench. Even on one leg he will both occupy their defense and still generate chances.

Until we fully resolve that left back position the balance of this team will continue to be through our right hand side. That combination of White, Odegaard and one-legged Saka, generates most of our chances and creativity. While we dominated right from the beginning this game, fueled with the accumulated anxiety this week, had that ominous dreadful feeling of us not being able to score. This is just our fear of the past versions of Arsenal revisiting this version. But this version is different. We are somewhere between last years immature version and the mature Invincibles. And closer to the latter than former.

Our defense was as resolute as ever unlike earlier this week. No mistakes – except for the curse of the left-back – and no real attacking threat to deal with. Until Timber is able to return, we will have to endure the defensive vulnerability down the left. I like Kiwior. He’s defensively better than Zinny (though, to be fair, so am I). And at least he’s not a Santos. Their one outright chance, care of our left-back, in the first half was well saved by Raya. Aside from that he barely had a save to meet. And, as a bonus, his distribution was quite reasonable. There I go lavishing praise on Raya again.

Jesus is a fascinating player. We hear that he’s still not quite fit, carrying a knee injury. Yet he roves around the pitch with such energy, linking up the play and working so hard. It’s just a shame he can’t score goals. That’s the one thing missing from his game. It’s just a pity he’s our center-forward. Otherwise he’d be perfect. His pressing and work, in combination with the buzzing Odegaard allows us to apply pressure much higher up the pitch.

Have-that had yet another one of his reserved, quiet but very effective performances. There were two great chances in either half but it’s hard to be critical of either. Aside from that he won headers, was calm and controlled. It’s also nice that he’s got a nasty little edge to him. Don’t let that languid style fool you, he’s not averse to pulling shirts or being a little bit sneaky in his tackles.

I could not see us actually scoring today. We continued to insist on making that additional, unnecessary pass rather than actually shooting. But thankfully Trossard toe changed all that. The second half continued to be one-way traffic. Arteta seemed to unleash both Rice and Have-that. Both wandered over to the right hand side. There was more fluidity and control. Yet, we still lack that second goal.

As the game wore on, Wolves had their moments of control but without any threat. Yet with that scoreline, with our history, the anxiety levels inevitably increase. You’re one Gerrard-like mistake from being out of the race for the league. Thankfully though we have Declan Rice. He was, yet again, immense today. And you could see how exhausted he was. But he functioned on fumes. He is the primary difference from last year. And his effectiveness – aside from the last two games – continues to grow. Today, it felt, for him, was a statement game. He was determined to stop the slide and propel this team forward.

His second half performance was dominant. He was a true box-to-box player today. Dragging himself all around the pitch. It’s that mentality we were missing last year (in addition to a few injured players).  Each game now has the potential to define our season. All we can do is lose the race for the title with one slip-up. We have to win every game now. And there are some difficult ones ahead – and today could have had been one of those. And that’s something we have to embrace. Because that’s the pressure that’s a natural part of wanting to win the league.

Todays performance was mature, calm and reassuring. This was the Arsenal we’ve come to expect. Ok, maybe slightly less exciting than earlier this (calendar) year. In truth, both in the first half against Villa and initially against Bayern on Wednesday, we played like this. The difference is that first goal. And today we found a way. So we did not have to suffer through the second half decay we’d seen of late. That goal provides all the motivation you need. And more importantly, it means you don’t have to go all kamakazi desperately looking for that winning goal – and then leave your self exposed to the counter-attack.

Sure waiting to the last minute of overtime for that second goal seemed a little unnecessary but this was three point well earned. And it leaves us in the race. And, most importantly (rant warning) it avoids others (and, unfortunately, some moronic Arsenal supporters) from accusing us of choking.

I genuinely don’t understand the use of this word. Choking. It’s so emotive. And designed purely to trigger a reaction. Which, of course, what this is. But it’s so illogical. First off you can only “choke” if you’re in the position to actually compete and win something. So, technically, shit mediocre teams that never come close to actually winning anything – you know who I’m referring to – can’t be a choke team. Because. They. Are. Shit.

This word is designed to be inflammatory. It’s designed to instigate. It fails to recognize the reality of those teams that just don’t win. So, by this standard City choked over the last 7 years because they’ve only won the Champions league once. Liverpool are chokers because they only won the league once. But this is clearly rubbish. And technically all the English teams that got knocked out of Europe mid-week are chokers. Well, aside from our Accountant and Villa. You can only “choke” if you can compete. So that counts out that bunch of wankers down the road.

I digress slightly. My point is this word, aside from being insulting, is a distraction. The reality is that it takes time to build a winning team. And failure to win is part of that evolutionary process. That is the journey we are on. And today demonstrated that. Care of Rice and Odegaard, we demonstrated the backbone we arguably lacked last year. That failure helped prepare us for today. That is how teams evolve. It’s not choking it’s maturing.

So let’s review the last week or so. We failed against Villa. Then we arrived in Munich and competed and controlled the game for long period but failed to convert. Bayern, who are an improved version of Porto ,exploited  – in both games – our naivety and nervousness, to use all their years of experience, to find a way to win. That pain we suffered will come in handy next year when we are (hopefully) back in the quarter-finals. The teams we face in Europe are more technical, with some outstanding, world-class players (i.e. Sane) that are able to rest and rotate their players all year long as they are in one or two-horse race leagues. These teams only have to seriously worry about  one other team in their league. They have uncompetitive leagues. Which is why they all want a Super League. But it also explains why we saw the collective aversion to Europe this week. The most recent version of Brexit. The departure of all the EPL title chasers. There’s no coincidence to this.

With just five games left, the next two are the major hurdles. After next Sunday we can revert to a game per week. That will help both Saka and therefore us. We saw over Christmas what happens when we have to play every three days. Arteta does not trust his bench. It’s hard to fault him when that includes Vieira.  I can’t tell you how scared I was when Partey came on. One casual, nonchalant pass away from them equalizing. At this stage of the season there is no rotation. It’s just play your best eleven and suck it up. In five weeks everyone can rest. I just feel sorry for ESR.

As you can tell, I don’t consider the last week to be one of abject failure. Of us “choking”. You’re just not living in the real world if you think you can win every game. It helps that City do not have to live in our world. Check out Liverpool against Palace. It’s how you deal with these setbacks. And today we learned, yet again, that team has the mentality to react and respond. Those fine margins, or toe-nails, just have to go in your favour. And today they did.

TOTL again and now onto Tuesday night.

-LB7

We should have won this game in the first half but instead we lost it in the second. Games like this are inevitable. It just comes at an inopportune part of the season. At least we can comfort ourselves in Villa remaining fourth.

I do wonder whether this was our Fulham moment. Though we can’t now head of to Dubai. It’s Munich instead. That second half performance was reminiscent of Fulham. Leggy, sloppy and tired. We should also, as much as it pains me, give credit to Villa. They dominated the second half. It seemed inevitable that they would finally score. With the first half effort from Watkins that somehow hit the post and spun out and then the second half Tielmans effort that hit the cross bar and post, you felt it was coming.

In that first half we had a number of chances, whether it was Jesus’s missed header, Saka effort and Have-that running through a couple of times. We seemed to be playing our usual Arsenal way with Odegaard dominating in midfield orchestrating all of our moves. It seemed inevitable we would score. The defining movement, immediately after that Watkins effort, was when Trossard failed, from 5 yards out, failed to convert and instead Martinez was able to stick out a foot. As aggravating as this was it’s worth remembering how often Trossard has scored for us while being in that position. Shit happens. And today it happened to us.

It’s the contrast from the first to second half that was so dramatic. Arteta, who’s selection has been so good lately, changed up the balance of the team. Trossard got the nod over Martinelli but Have-that returned to left mid-field. In the first half the selection did not seem to impede us. Have-That made a number of penetrating runs while Jesus continued to work back and provide defensive cover.

Again, most of our creativity was down the right hand side with Saka and White working with Odegaard. It felt like we missed the breakaway speed in that final third. We would see Jesus and Have-that breakaway but not be able to separate from the defenders. Villa, who were wasting time from the first minute, continued to play out from the back and put themselves under immense pressure. It just seemed like we were destined to take the lead.

As we’ve seen before, of course, this though was a game of two halfs. And in the second half Villa were superior, the better team and controlled the game. We seemed off the pace, tired, somewhat sloppy and unable to convert any chances we had. Villa had the bulk of the possession and, most telling, we would lose all the second ball challenges. That’s the sloppiness we saw. But I suspect that came from tiredness. Sure, they also had a European match on Thursday and we had 48 hours more recovery time. But we largely have been using the same set of core players. Anyway, this had all the makings of a second half car crash.

And crash we did. After Zinny had made his customary mistakes, they were able to convert after the second phase of one of their numerous corners. While we had chances to get out of defense and had resisted the initial corner, we were suspectable to that second phase of the attack. White could have done better, Gabriel could have intercepted, Raya was caught in non-mans land and Rice was asleep at the back post. While none is entirely responsible, that’s too much collective loss of focus.

That second goal though was reminiscent of what happened against Bayern mid-week. In that instance, White was able to come back and recover. But this time as much as ESR tried, he’s no defender. And Watkins, who was impressive the entire game, wonderfully converted. It’s fair to say if he was playing for us, we’d surely have converted some of our chances. But the point here is that for the second time inside a week we over committed and left ourselves exposed. You just can’t afford to do that. And you have to be able to learn your lessons. Not that I felt we’d have even score an equalizer at 0-1. It’s more that we have to be able to learn from our mistakes.

I’m sure there will be some attention on Zinny today. I thought, defensively, he was a liability. He makes too many mistakes, passes in the wrong areas and fails to win important tackles and, in possession, he can linger on the ball for too long. To be clear, again, he was not the reason we lost. We lost because of our collective disintegration in the second half. Odegaard was non-existent, Saka barely touched the ball and Rice was largely anonymous.

You could see why Arteta made the changes he did. Not that they helped. And, I was surprised then White rather than Zinny came off. But we lacked our composure, rhythm and style. A large part of that has to go down to Villa and their accountant. They adjusted at half time and we did not know how to respond.

As disappointed and pissed off as I am it’s hard to get angry at this team. They have been so good for so long and such a pleasure to watch. And today, in the second half we just sucked. But, and I just checked on this, it’s not the end of the world. That only happens if that lot ever win the League. So, nothing imminent on that front.

The challenge now will be how we recover from this. Not just against Bayern but also against Wolves. Unlike Fulham, there is no recovery time. And the cloud of last year will reappear with the related fears about us fading away. But this is not last year. Der. We are a better team with better players. It’s just about whether we have the mental strength to respond.

What did make me angry however was the camera usage of the TV director. Today was an aggravating as I can remember. The number of times the camera lingered on a player with close up shots while the play was ongoing. Or the frequency with which they showed replays when the game was ongoing is so fucking annoying. We are tuned in to watch the game. Let us watch it. It’s ruins and detracts from the game. Rather than being absorbed in the rhythm and flow of the game we’re being forced to watch though this endless, tiresome “artsy” view of the game. Sure, I’m concerned about the creeping usage of VAR in the game. But, for me, this inept match director selection of various camera angles is much more frustrating. At least with VAR you know, at some point (and we’re seeing that in general) it will improve. But these camera shots are just getting more obtuse and destroying the viewing experience.

Ok, now back here on planet earth, as I’ve said, we should expect shitty days. We’ve not had one in a while. And today was certainly one. But it was a collective one. It was not down to an individual players. This was a collective failure – including Arteta. So, as I’ve profoundly said already, shit happens. It’s how you respond that counts. All is not lost. Just look at Liverpool. We have always known that City with their depth of squad and experience (and their pending 115 financial charges) were the likely favourites. But even they are likely slip up at some point. Hopefully.

What counts now is checking on the fitness of Saka and Odegaard and taking a breath to reset and refocus. We can’t be that aimless and disjointed again – I hope. Rather, we should be gathering ourselves for the mighty task ahead of us. This has been a better season than last year and it’s not yet over. There is no pre-ordained expectation that we should come out of this with a trophy. But we should expect a reaction and a response.

-LB7

TOTL. Again. Another 24 hours at the top before United implode yet again.

Today was such an impressive performance. Against a genuinely dangerous team that has not lost at home since August we were in complete control.

More changes after Luton. Jesus, Rice along with Jorginho and Saka returned. And so did our smoothness. This team just dominated Brighton and made them look quite ordinary. Let’s hope when City play they rediscover some form.

It took a while to breach their defense but we had chances from the 2^nd minute onwards when Gabriel headed wide with the goal open. But whereas in previous years where you’d worry that that was “the” chance, today we just continued to create.

At the center of it all was Odegaard orchestrating and Have-that wondering around, linking up and creating. Our movement was incisive and quick. Our passing was sharp. And Brighton had no real response. Once the game settled down there seemed an inevitability about the outcome.

Even with the squandered chances you just felt eventually we’d put one away. Jesus was a constant nuisance on the left and, importantly, provided cover for the vulnerable Zinny. I thought it was brave to play him against Brighton and he looked susceptible to a mistake. Defensively he seemed too exposed and prone to lapses in concentration. Thankfully though Gabriel also knows this and seems to know to cover for him. As much as Zinny helps us going forward against a team with a real winger you just can’t play him. The sooner we get Timber fit the better.

Jesus missed a couple of great chances before he was brought down by Lamptey for a penalty that Saka converted. Saka clearly benefited from his little rest. Along with the White/Odegaard combination they terrorized the right hand side of their defense. Saka could and should have also scored when he cut inside but overall he looked so much fresher. And it was good to see him brought off early as well.

The Jorginho and Rice axis was again in complete control and provided any protection the defense required. Not that they were that troubled. With our old friend Welbeck in their front line there was little danger that he would be able to score against us. But Enrico on their left is a little tricky but White had him under control. And Saliba and Gabriel dominated at the back. And from their corners White seemed to win every header. I’m not sure that Raya actually had a real save to make today. Again. That is a testament to the blanket coverage this defense provides. And yet another clean sheet – and that’s with Zinny at left back.

We’ve scored more goals than anyone and also let is less goals; with the largest number of clean sheets. That’s a remarkable statistic. For a game where we should have been 2-0 up inside the first twenty minutes it never felt like we’d let our chances slip.

The second goal was vital to creating some breathing space. As against Luton, through our high press we won the ball back high up the pitch. Thereafter it was a goal made by our ex-Chelsea friends. And there was Have-that at the near post to receive the Jorghino pass to nicely slot the ball away. Have-that really has been on fire for the last 7 games. Our run has coincided with his rise to prominence. He now seems to have owned that false 9 position.  

With Have-that upfront, that enables Jorginho to play at the number 6 and Rice in the number 8. Which means we apply a high press more consistently. And that usually starts with Odegaard who seems to have found additional reserves of energy to propel him forward through the entire 90 minutes.

After that second goal we sat back and absorbed some of their pressure without them actually getting a shot on target. And then we broke away, care of yet another assist from Have-that. I figured Trossard would run out of steam charging up field. But with the ungrateful Brighton fans booing him on, he delicately chipped their goalie to put the result beyond any doubt. And also further increase our goal difference.

This was a complete performance today. Brilliantly executed. Throughout we exuded a calmness and confidence that we just did not see last year. In addition to the interplay and control of the ball we have a grit and backbone that supplements our creativity. And this was no better demonstrated than the reaction of Gabriel and his teammates to his block of one of their few shots in the 80^th minute. It was as though he’d scored himself.

Last year Gabriel (like Zinny now) seemed prone to at least one moment of madness per game. And his distribution – whether long or short – was inconsistent. At the start of this year he was even, initially, dropped to the bench so that Partey could play right back. Thankfully that experiment was terminated. Since then, as smooth and skillful as Saliba has been, and as much as Saliba has, rightly attracted all the plaudits, it’s really Gabriel that has developed the most.

This year, in addition to his four goals, he seems to have irradicated those mistakes of previous years. His distribution – because of the availability of Rice – is more consistent and his defensive play has irradicated those careless or clumsy fouls. In terms of the most important players to this team, I know Gabriel will not rate in the top 4 (after Rice, Saka, Saliba and Odegaard) most important players but his improvement is pivotal to our defensive stability.

Even though Brighton was a much more daunting task than Luton, in many ways, this was, yet again, a relaxing watch. No stress. No anxiety. No drama. Even with our missed opportunities. That is the measure of this team. It is a pleasure to watch their development and evolution. They really have developed into a mature, controlled and exciting team to watch. And this all seems to have come together since the break in Dubai. Unlike last season where we started strong, led the league and then notoriously faded, this year we seem to have reversed the order. We are proving it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.

So, back to TOTL. Unfortunately, as Liverpool have to play that shambles that is United, it’s likely to be only temporary. And with City having the easier run-in, the odds are still against us. The European matches might now dictate where the title goes. Let’s hope that City can overcome Madrid to keep them engaged on the Champions League even they have a clear history of being able to win both at the same time. But we need them to pick up a few more injuries. Preferably to KDB. And as for Liverpool, let’s just pray they only manage a draw tomorrow. Unlikely though that is.

Bayern at home on Tuesday could be a nice distraction. In some ways this will be easier than playing Porto. Bayern will at least attempt to engage us. And with Partey and ESR rested they should be able to contribute some important minutes. But my focus will remain on the Villa home match. And at least Douglas Luiz is now ineligible. We just need McGinn to be injured. This will be another difficult challenge for us and would, unfortunately, help that lot get closer to the Champions League. But I suppose it’s more important for us to win. Just.

So enjoy the next few hours as we return to TOTL. We deserve it. This is far beyond my expectations at the start of the year. And unimaginable after that loss at Fulham. And while I’m still unconvinced that we can win the league it’s important to enjoy each and everyone of these victorys and recognize that this team is for real. And we’re still a few years away from being in our prime. How dominant were we today? So dominant that Arteta barely had to break into a sweat. No berating the referee or screaming from the sideline. He can see our patterns of play develop and has increased confidence in this team. As we should all have.

-LB7

TOTL again. If only momentarily. A nice relaxing three points. Players rested. Clean sheet. Just what the doctor ordered. Minimal anxiety and stress. As much as I admire Luton; plucky little Luton they really offered nothing. I fear they are destined to return from whence they came.

Arteta finally indulged in some genuine rotation. Gone were Rice, Jesus, Kiwior, Jorginho and, not by choice, Saka. They all needed time on the sidelines. It’s the first time in the Premier League we’ve started without Rice. Partey started his first game since before the discovery of electricity. And we finally saw the return of Zinny. Best of all ESR started ahead of Vieira.

From the outset we dominated. But you could see the slight lack of precision which comes about when you swap out nearly half your team. Slightly misplaced final passes or the expectation that someone would have made a run that they didn’t. Nonetheless, there was minimal pressure from Luton so we had total control of the game. It would just depend on whether we created any openings.

Fortunately we still had Odegaard. He linked up well with Partey and helped drive us forward. The first goal came from a high press with ESR winning back the ball before the interplay between Odegaard and Have-that saw Odegaard coolly score making a difficult chance look easy.

In the meantime, Trossard continued to burn their right back but marginally fail to deliver the killer pass or shot. Today was not his day. Nothing realy came off for him. And, you could see what he could not play against City. His defending left a lot to be desired. With both him and Zinny on the left, they conspired to make Townsend look threatening.

On the other hand, while he still had energy, ESR was a live wire. It took him a little time to adjust to actually playing rather than sitting on the bench. But he found pockets of space and linked up well with everyone. He even managed to defend as well. And he was the source of the second goal. Finding space in the box to pull the ball back for Nelson to let the other team score.

It’s a shame Reece could not put that away as he put in a decent performance. It’s hard to have to replace Saka. And while he does not have the incisiveness of Saka he was able to track back and defend Doughty in a way that I suspect Saka would not.  Of course, it’s tough for him as well, having spent so long on the bench. But he took his chance today and showed that he can contribute, even if he is no Saka.

The second half was pretty dull. After the domination of the first half, we played game management in the second half. Conserving energy and working the clock. It would have been nice to run up the score as goal difference is going to come into play. However, we kept a clean sheet. I’m not sure Raya had a save to make. At times, especially with Partey, the closet they came was when we were playing the ball out of the back. Partey can seem too casual and nonchalant at times. He was the only one that induced any anxiety. Thankfully we brought on Rice for the last 60 minutes. I fear I’ve just lost faith and, maybe, patience with Partey. He was so key to our success for so long. And I know he needs a run of games to regain match sharpness but I just wait for that slack, careless pass. Today we saw a few, but not from him to be fair.

Behind them all the pillars of stability were barely troubled. Saliba and Gabriel are on fire currently. As is White. They seem impenetrable. As physical as Gabriel is, Saliba was so graceful on the ball. So much in control and he reads the game perfectly. Behind them Raya though untroubled did have issues with his long ball distribution.

Arteta was completely vindicated in his team selection. After the injuries and fatigue of last years campaign it vital that we can successfully rotate players. Some of them – such as ESR – deserve more game time. And some of them – such as Partey – just needs minutes. The extra rest for Rice, Martinelli, Kiwior, Jorghinho and, unfortunately, Saka is vital. We saw again today why Zinny can’t play against a real winger; the boy just can’t defend.

Even Eddie got playing time. At one point we had Eddie, ESR and Nelson all on the pitch at the same time. All three Hale End boys. We were just missing Saka. Of these, it was ESR that stood out. He made the vital contributions and demonstrated he has something to offer to this team. He just needs to stay fit and healthy. Otherwise, he’ll end up treading the same path as another number 10 – Jack. I hope not. And to be fair to Jack he really did play many minutes from a very young age – and was not protected by the referees.

TOTL until tomorrow and then off to the south coast at the weekend. Our run in is challenging. More so than the other two. And the margins are so thin. I suspect one team will go undefeated and pick up the title. I just hope it’s us. But I doubt it. It’s a shame Villa could do us no favours today. And I doubt Sheffield are capable of even tieing their own shoe-laces tomorrow. Let’s hope that at least they keep the score line – and the goal difference – respectable.

The contrast between today and Sunday could not be greater. And that just amplifies the maturity and growth of this team. Actually, this squad. There is the sense that there is just a little more depth to this team now. And there is an adaptability and flexibility to how we can play. We have a Plan B. But, watching Plan A play out is so much more fun. We have seen others struggle to overcome Luton but, today, there was no drama. Just classic Arsenal football.

So, TOTL for one more day. Expect Saturday to be way more tense.

-LB7

Now that’s how to compete. No goals but a backbone performance unlike last year. We restricted them to a handle of opportunities. Raya was largely untroubled. We talk about how to win this league you have to grind out results. This was a game we could not afford to lose. And we didn’t.

Saliba and Gabriel, in particular, were monsters today. They provided the backbone to this performance. Though we looked a little vulnerable down the wings they intercepted every cross and blocked every shot. Initially Kiwior looked suspectable to being beaten by Silva but finally got he measure of him. He was helped by the diligent defensive work of Jesus. It’s just a shame he can’t score goals (Jesus not Kiwior).

On the other side the non-English playing White was imperious. He snuffed out Foden and then Grealish. And, at the same, time (in the first half) provided us with a real attacking threat. It was just a shame that Saka was not entirely fit. Mind you, against a team like City , you will be starved of the ball for long periods. This left Saka chasing back to cover Gvardiol.

This was a tense and dogged game. There were only brief moments when we had real possession. City pressed very high and remained relentless. Our approach was similar to that in the Community Shield. To play defense and, unlike last year, when we made too many mistakes, this year we had the personal and mental toughness to complete the task.

It’s a shame that we were unable to take advantage of the few chances we created. Not that we would have deserved to win. But we could have. And, in most cases, these chances revolved around Jesus. In the first half a couple fell his way. But as we know he’s not exactly prolific. One time, given a layoff from Kiwior, he took too many touches before shooting when he might have been better off passing to players lined up on the edge of the box. And then again his final pass to Have-that was just too strong as have-that piled into their goalie. In the second half, when we started with more energy and applying a higher-press, Jesus had one more chance when Odegaard and Saka created a cross into the box but he was late arriving.

Though I thought Anthony Taylor was quicker to call us for fouls than City, I was amazed – and happy – he did not hand out yellow cards like confetti. Kiwior could have received one very early on. As could nearly everyone else. Gabriel was very physical today. Rice stood firm and even Odeegard got stuck in. It’s ironic that the only yellows we received were for Jesus messing around with an extra ball and Raya for delaying goal-kicks.

We had to work so hard today. We barely saw Have-that but he was tireless today. Likewise Jorginho was quiet and rarely on the ball. For long periods, we were playing the Bolton defense – parking the bus and asking them to break us down. Thankfully, we are an improved team from last year. As nerve wracking as this was to watch, we just about deserved the point. And given our goal difference we just needed to ensure that we did not lose.

The international break loomed large over this game. Walker and Stones paid the price for Southgate being insensitive to the most intriguing tittle race in a decade or more. How he could play such key players for so many minutes for games that are irrelevant is beyond me. Likewise, KDB looked off the pace today and not 100% though part of that was due to Rice sticking to him like glue.

We were fortunate that Saka pulled out. But it’s clear he’s not really fit. Let’s hope he can recover for the Luton game. Martinelli also escaped minutes as did Gabriel. I hate to think of todays game without Gabriel. He out muscled and bullied their ugly Norwegian.

I know this guy is a natural goal scorer but he was largely anonymous today and that was due to Gabriel. I’m still not convinced that  he fits into City’s style of play. Maybe it was that we starved him of any supply. When Doku came on they looked more threatening. By that time we have seen the return of Tomi and Partey. Partey still makes me nervous. He’s still quite rusty. And I worry about his carelessness. In such a tight game, his mistakes could be critical. And his lack of pace was demonstrated when KDB ran pass him on one of their few transitional breakaways.

Trossard replacing Jesus helped us from a creative perspective but the boy can’t defend. It’s scary to seeing him trying to defend against Doku on the edge of our box. However, it can offer more going forward. He had one opportunity when Odegaard sliced open their defense. But rather than first time square the ball to a charging Martinelli he tried, instead,  a shot from a tough angle. In  a game such as this, when chances are so few, it’s imperative to take advantage of the few opportunities you have. And today, we didn’t.  

We have a tougher run-in than the others , so we could have done with the three points today. But, rightly, Arteta set us up to not lose and to, possibly, nick a win. But what we saw today was an Arsenal team we could only pray for last year. A team that clearly demonstrated a backbone and steel. A team that could concentrate for the entire 95 minutes. This is clear progress. It’s the kind of improvement we’ve been crying out for. Well, in fact, demanded. So, unlike last year, this is real progress.

We’re still in the hunt though the odds favour Liverpool slightly.  My worry remains Rice. He was vital today. Working so hard to shut down KDB. But with Southgate running him into the ground it’s vital he remains fit. And we’ll need Saka to get healthy. Luton won’t be a push over. Like all games now, it’s a must win game for us. It’s a shame because they are such a watchable team. Aside from us winning the league my other wish would be that Forest get relegated and Luton stay up. Oh, one more. In addition, Sp*rs to miss out on Europe and to have their entire team come down with a new strain of Covid.

Arteta got it right today. His tactics were defensive and protective. I have no issue with that. We will though have to recover quickly from this grueling game for Luton to then face a Brighton team that really should have left Anfield with a point. This run-in is going to be tough on our squad. As long as Saliba and Gabriel can stay fit we’ll have a shot. With Rice infront of them we have a backbone that we did not have at the same stage last year. We just need a little luck to flow our way. And we will need help from the bench. Whether it’s ESR, Nelson, or, god help us, Vieira. Or maybe Eddie. Someone will have to help our core team.

We have already proved we’re a better team than last year. I know everyone was worried about our fluidity at the start of the season. But it’s how you finish that counts not how you start. And, here we are, in the middle of a title race. And, to be honest, as happy as I am with a point today I thought City, overall, looked a better team.  We are very close though. And closer than last year. Arteta really has overseen a revolution at Arsenal. Let’s just hope he can dethrone City and put down the Kloppites. But it will be nail-biting right up until the end.

And now, without any annoying and irrelevant International breaks left, we really can focus on the next 2 months and enjoy this team and this challenge. We might not end up winning it all but, we really are contenders now. And that was the statement we made today. This team has now matured. We validated ourselves. And now we have to continue to challenge. There is no margin for error or slip ups. And unlike last year, this year I believe.

-LB7

TOTL again. Finally. If only for a day. Unlike our rampant demolition of the opposition in nearly every game this year, this one was more of a grinding out victory. This was back to what you expect in this league. Tense, nervy and nail-baiting. But, nonetheless, well deserved.

Brentford fought harder than these other teams, wasted time and disrupted as best they could our rhythm. And they thoroughly deserved to lose. This felt like some of those last minute winners from last season. But here our character really shone through.

A good starting point is Aaron. What a game for him. The whiplash of uncertainty, indecisions and mistakes to be followed by redemption. His distribution was erratic. The throw out to Trossard for the quick break was excellent. If Martinelli had been playing that would have been a different outcome. But too often he played it long right back to them. And then, of course, there was that hesitation leading to their goal. His teammates could have helped more by providing more options to him. But it’s his responsibility to recognize and read the situation. That last second twitch or stutter cost him – and us. And potentially our title chase. I felt so sorry for him. And some of this is a by-product of having mostly sat glued to the bench for the last 6 months; a certain amount of rustiness is inevitable. There is no substitute for actual gametime.

Then there was the second half redemption. Two outstanding saves. One from the long distance speculative Toney shot and then the close range header. This kept us in a game we continued to dominate. You could see his relief when Have-that scored. And in the celebrations on the final whistle. I fear though this is the last time we’ll see Aaron in Arsenal colours. You could see that in the way he was waving to the crowd. We’ll miss him. He could have been an Arsenal legend. It will be a shame to see him move on. But he should. He deserves it. He’s too young to waste away on the bench. And, unfortunately, we could see that jittery side to him today. He is a wonderful goalkeeper. As much as it hurts me to say so, and even before his mistake, I was sat there thinking, OMG, we’re missing Raya. Strike me down with a feather. But suddenly, finally, I realized what others have been claiming for months now. Sure, I’m a but dense. And just a little slow. But, Raya is better suited to the style of this team. We are a better team with Raya plays. There I’ve said it. Now take me out and shoot me (form an orderly line please).

Before going further it would be remiss not to comment on the referee today – Rob Jones. He, in addition to Brentford, did his utmost to disrupt and slow down the game. He blew up for nearly every niggly foul. He booked people for breathing on a player. The collective frustration of everyone with him meant that far more emotion and anger seeped into this game. It could have easily boiled over. And that would have been on him. Of late, the refs have been pretty reasonable but todays officiating was picky and rewarded the Brentford players for falling over and wasting time. He did not have a grip on this game. Let’s hope we don’t see him again.

One of the many beautiful things about this team is how they consistently try to play their football. We’ve seen this all season though in particular since the start of the year; well after Fulham anyway. Our captain, who was instrumental again today, is the perfect bellwether for our team. He personifies how we approach the game. He is our heartbeat; he is a microcosm of Arsenal. Consistent and calm. No panic. But a relentless commitment to controlled, intelligent and intricate football.

The vast majority of our threat today – due to the absence of Martinelli – was down our right. That triangle of Saka, Odegaard and White ran Brentford ragged all game. On the other side Trossard was largely anonymous. He only came alive when he drifted infield. Saka torched their fullback and, and in the second half, as we desperately sought the winner, was instrumental as he asserted himself. His character and determination really shone through; leading the charge, challenging their defense and pulling the string along with Odegaard. Though he did not score or provide an assist today, but his presence was pivotal.

And then there is Ben White. What a performance for a right back. Two amazing assists and forever providing options for Saka. How he is not in the England squad is mind-blowing.

Today it was all about the “2”s.

– The two summer signings – Rice and Have-that – both scoring our goals

– The two assists from Ben White

– Our two goals

– The two Ramsdale saves

– The two winning Have-that goals against Brentford this year.

Without those two summer signings we, literally, would be last years team. What an impact they have made. Sure, that was a ton of money to spend. And while there was no doubt about Rice the same can’t be said of Have-That. Yet again today he was the difference maker. Yes, he missed a breakaway chance in the first half where he should have scored. But, when the pressure is on, with the clock winding down, with us all fearful we’ll stumbling to a dreary underserved draw, there he is in the six yard box to head home the winner. That’s six points he’s earned us against Brentford this season.

And more credit to Arteta. He has backed Jorginho this year and he’s been rewarded. He had another fine game. And that has released Rice to operate further upfield. His goal today means that he has scored more now than all last season for WHU. And he hit the bar today. He is developing into a true goal scoring threat now. He is developing into that Lampard, Gerrard role now. A box-to-box midfielder who can score goals. And he makes Have-that a better player. It was Arteta’s decision to take off Jorghino and push Rice back to defensive cover though that enabled us to apply further pressure. Bringing on Nelson and Jesus injected further urgency and pressure. Culminating in White, yet again, setting up that glorious winner.

These are the games that you have to find ways to win. Look at Liverpool at Forest. You have to find a way to win. And we did that while staying true to how we play the game. There is a belief and confidence in this team. They stick to their principles and continue to play the same way knowing that it will yield results.

I’m still not convinced we’ll win the league this year.  We might but it’s going to be so tight and we have three tough away games coming up starting with City. This team though has elevated itself from last year. We have more maturity, more intelligence and more ability. Our game has evolved and we play the best football in this league. And we will, over time, only get better. These are two teams are cresting while we are still rising.

Before the extended break and the City game we have the small matter of Porto. I’m slightly ambivalent about this one. Sure, I’d like to win. I just don’t know if I want to waste time on this. If I had to chose between the league and the Champions league I’d take the league no doubt. Our squad is still thin and would hate to see any injuries to our key players. Also, Europe is tough for us due to our lack of experience. With the ways refs disallow physical contact and the opposition play negative, defensive counter-attacking football I’m not sure we’re well suited to this style – yet. It’s good experience for us – for next year. It’s also less enjoyable to watch these slow, tactical games with European players melodramatically falling over.

Tomorrow we can hope for one win and one draw. Villa need to put that lot to the sword. And Liverpool need to draw against City. As I’ve said, plenty of red cards and injuries are the order of the day. Let’s see Haaland and KDB stretchered off after colliding with each other only to them watch Walker and Stones both pull each others hamstrings. It would b e convenient if they were all sidelined for our visit. And of course, Klopp should also injury himself running up and down the touchline. Not that the celebration police would ever criticize him.

Even if we do somehow get knocked out by Porto, one positive by-product could be that the 5^th place finish would not qualify for the Champions League next year – and you know who’s in 5^th currently.

Let’s enjoy today though. What a wonderful, if slightly stressful, result. To be finally back TOTL. That feels so good. Back where we belong.

-LB7

And we march on. Yet another outstanding performance. Sure, Sheffield were truly shit. But you can only beat what’s in front of you. And we had them beat in record time. This was a beyond enjoyable experience. Total annihilation.

We could have been two nil up within the first few minutes. Saka hit the bar, Martinelli then had it cleared off the line. Previous incarnations of Arsenal would have me bemoaning the missed opportunities fearing that we’d rue the misses. Instead, my confidence is such with this team that I knew it was inevitable that we’d breach their defense.  And man, did we breach it. This game was done and dusted within 15 minutes. I can’t remember the last time we demolished a team so comprehensively as this.  

Have no doubt, as poor as Sheffield are, this result was down to the quality and precision of Arsenal. How many times have we seen games where we dominate that turn into one-goal dour affairs. Over many decades I can recount many such painful memories. But not with this team. There was no doubt from that first chance that we would put them to the sword.

I don’t have time to run through each and every goal. This though is the first time we’ve scored so many goals in consecutive games.  Through the entire history of this glorious club, including the Invincibles, no Arsenal team has achieved this. Sure, I know it does not equate to a trophy (unless your Sp*rs and are already cutting a DVD) but you have to enjoy this period of absolute supremacy. Within minutes it was so clear this would be a goal-fest.

Saka, who, it turns out was feeling sick, tortured their full-back and cut right through their defense.  It seems absurd that he did not get a goal and only one assist. Have-that at least got one goal. And how well taken was that one. And also an assist as well. Both were electric today. Every little flick and touch from Have-that seemed to come off today.

Sheffield started with a back four and then reverted to a back five. Truth be told they could have played with a backline of 11 and the outcome would not have changed. They were so outclassed and overmanned. It was a little pathetic on their part. How they could expose Trusty to Saka seemed a little unkind. It would be like me introducing kryptonite to Superman.  

Odegaard had the freedom of Sheffield. They literally gave him the key to the town. Of course, if you’ve ever been to Sheffield, you’d know that was not such an attractive proposition. To be fair I’ve never visited Sheffield. It’s way too far up north for my liking and they all speak with funny accents. Not as bad as the Scots but incomprehensible, nonetheless. Much like their football team.

After 25 minutes I had to confirm we only had eleven on the pitch. I was reassured to see that Saliba and Gabriel was there. I found Gabriel playing in an attacking left midfield position. And Jorginho was able to walk through the entire game at his leisure. I can’t really remember any shots that Raya had to save either. Of course, it was vital to keep a clean sheet. But then if you can’t get a shot on target it does make it a little challenging.

At some point I thought the referee might have called time on this game. Maybe we could have run up the score a little more. Clearly goal difference is going to be important this year. It’s so tight at the top and, after the upcoming matches, none of us will play each other. So goal difference will count. After our Christmas nightmare, our goal difference was inferior to both City and Liverpool. Now, after our run since Fulham, we’re 10 goals better off than City; even with them now having their ugly Norwegian back.

Arteta kept the same team today. I had half expected that Jorginho would start on the bench so we could be more attacking. Thankfully Arteta knows what he’s doing. This enabled Rice to play in a more advanced position. Which meant we could close them down even quicker in the final third. These rapid turnovers just further applied pressure on the wilting Sheffield. They had no way out of their defensive third.

The only shame today was that we ended up with both Cedric and Vieira on the pitch at the same time. That would present challenges to anyone trying to score. At least though we got Partey a few minutes. He clearly needs time to pick up the rhythm and pace of this team. And it’s a testament to Jorghino that we looked much smoother with him in that role. If you watch his movement and position, he’s always available to receive the ball. Partey should watch him closely and learn. Anyway, it’s good to have both of them available.

And we also got Jesus some minutes. He also needs time to readjust. Since he’s been injured this team has evolved. Jesus should have tried to score rather than play with flicks. He needed a few statement goals today. Because, with Have-that playing the false-9, this team is much improved. Jesus can now be the impact substitute.

It’s a shame ESR did not get any playing time. Especially when Vieira gets minutes. Even more so when we put on Cedric. We must have an alternative right back to Cedric. Sure, Tomi is out injured but somewhere within the Academy we must have a three-legged, one-armed right footed defender who could be an upgrade of our Portuguese midget?

But today is not a day to linger on my Cedric-phobia. Rather, we should continue to celebrate the pleasure that this team consistently delivers. Because, you know, it can’t continue forever. In one of these upcoming matches we will be sorely tested. And we can’t expect to win all our remaining games (well, except the one at what was called White H. Lane). I never witnessed a run of performances and scores like this. Sure, it’s not the toughest schedule (aside from Liverpool and Newcastle 🙂 ). But we don’t have to go back too many seasons to see us drop points against Brighton, Palace, Wolves etc. We are beyond that now. This team is operating at another level. And there aren’t many that can match this.

The other two continue to eke out painful wins. Maybe they consider themselves destined to win the league because against uncompetitive teams they find a way to grab last minute winners. The City game was not quite like that. But a moments thought for United. Abject and pathetic would be an understatement. I just pray they retain ETH as their manager. He really is a blessing for us. How he can believe they were even in the same timezone and City is mindblowing. They do look like that could give Sheffield a good, tight match.

Next week we actually get to play before the other two. Let’s hope we can keep this run going. 1-0 against Brentford would be fine with me. And we will see the last appearance of Aaron in Arsenal colours. Let’s hope he gets a good sendoff – with no mistakes.

Then, on Sunday we have to hope for a nice 0-0 draw with multiple red cards. Ideally KDB will get into a boxing match with VVD. And then both Klopp and Pepe will enter the field of play to be accosted by Foden and Diaz. And finally, Salah will come on as a substitute to only discover his hamstring is still attached to the bench.

We are still the underdogs, so we will need some luck here to have any chance. Maybe they could also stay involved in all their other competitions further sapping their resources. Let’s hope they can both meet in the F A Cup final to further distract them. As for us, I’m not too fussed about Porto. I’m more than happy to beat them and proceed further but, currently, I’m enjoying our league form too much. I don’t know how much of the dreary European football where you are not allowed to tackle anyone I can tolerate.

For today though, yet another brilliant performance. Enough to make me smile for the rest of the week. This team is something. They talk about football being in the entertainment business. While that’s not true of Man United or Sp*rs. It perfectly describes how we play the game. The right way. The Arsenal way.

-LB7

Another performance. Another statement. This time against, nominally, a good team. Right from the start we completely controlled this game. Deservedly won. And keep pace with the Juggernaut.

These last few games in the Premier League (let’s ignore the Champions League for the moment) have shown how much this team has developed since last year. Since our early Christmas break, this team has been on fire. And today, we ripped Newcastle apart. They had no clue how to respond.

Arteta brought back Jorginho and pushed Rice into the Xhaka role. And Jorginho, in the first half, completely controlled the game. He kept the game in front of him and linkup the defense to the midfield  – Odegaard in particular. Odegaard floated between their lines and helped slice them apart.

With Have-that up front, we played an intense high press and they could not cope. They made so many forced mistakes. In truth, we had a number of chances that we managed to squander. It seemed inevitable that we would take the lead. And, naturally, it came from a corner. Rather than spend money on a center-forward we’ve gone the route of becoming a goal-scoring team from corners. We are the more elegant version of Stoke City. Soon we will have Ben White launching long throws.

Jorginho was so good today. As he was the last time he started. As long as we can dominate, he can pull the strings. But as we saw with their lone goal, he does not have the pace to recover on counter attacks. In many ways, he is our own little version of Fabregas.

How bad were Newcastle? So bad that their best player was their worst player. Karius helped keep the score respectable and can’t be held responsible for any of our goals. He was unlucky with the first one after pulling of a great save from Gabriel. And thereafter he was undone by his leaky defense (and midfield). I just don’t understand what Newcastle’s strategy was. They looked like Forest or Palace, just with a much higher payroll and bank balance. Everyone was singing Howe’s praises last year – rightly – but today they looked completely random and uncoordinated. At home they are so aggressive while on the road they are meek and docile.

So many of their players did not turn up. Trippier was completely lost today. Martinelli, though he set up the second goal, was not at his best today but was still able to torture Trippier. Our movement was so much faster and decisive. We clearly wanted to make amends for Porto. It was so enjoyable to watch yet another demolition. It won’t always be like this so enjoy while we can.

This was as enjoyable to watch as the other recent games but more like the Liverpool match as these lot were supposed to be half decent. As we applied that high press they wilted quickly and had no outlet. I’m not sure they induced a single save from Raya in the first half. Arsenal were imperious. It was just a case of whether we would convert our chances. The Jorginho pass to the incisive run of Martinelli then set up Have-that to double the lead. Have-that really is a little bit of an enigma. Right at the start of the second-half, he managed to miss another, super straight-forward chance after we’d sliced them apart again. That, against a better team, might have been a sliding doors moment. Instead we had Saka to thank for the that goal that finally put the game to rest.

Have-that worked so hard at pressing and closing down their defenders. And his link-up play and passing is simple, smart and uncomplicated. He just has this propensity to miss too many easy chances. In that way he reminds me of the departed but not missed Danny Welbeck. That’s a little unfair (to Have-that). But his presence allowed us to compact the game into their 1/3^rd of the pitch. I’m just grateful he got on the score sheet again. If he’s rate of development and progress continues, he will, at some point, be a star in this team.

Rice took a little time to slot into the Xhaka role. While abrogating his primary responsibility to Jorghino, it took him some time to find his new groove. But having him press higher up the pitch meant he was able to breakup play much closer to their goal. But, at times, you wondered whether he’d have preferred to be playing in his normal role. Of course, this formation was most likely what Arteta was hoping for in the Summer with the expectation that it would be Partey playing that defensive role instead. I doubt we’ll ever see that happen now.

Saliba and Gabriel were again largely unchallenged. Certainly not in the first half. With Isak up front you’d have though they’d feed him the ball. But with White completely dominating their other high priced signing – Gordon – they were able to help push the play further up the pitch. And Kiwior again had another solid game. He even managed to support Martinelli and venture up field. With White playing the inverted role, Kiwior is released to play a more conventional attacking full back role. You can see though that he is a more natural center-back. And he can score goals as well! Without Zinny, Tomi and Timber, we’re lucky to have him. The idea that he might have gone off to Italy in the winter is a joke.

Saka had another stellar game. He destroyed their Dan Burns replacement. He created chances, linked up well with everyone and look like he’s back in fine fettle. And he got that all important third goal. And he set up that first goal as well. I loved though how Odegaard roamed over the pitch, he really seems to be enjoying his football. And he’s another one that presses their defense so well. Sometime, he insists on playing that perfect pass. But that’s the price you pay for brilliance.

We are firing on all cylinders in the league. We might not win this league but we clearly have grown since last year. Most of this can be ascribed to Rice but some of it is just a maturation process. In the second half we were not quite as aggressive, we played more in a game management mode. And even then we doubled the score. But, that’s what we should be doing. We are surely creating fear amongst other teams now. It’s not now as simple as doubling up Saka and Martinelli. We have evolved. And unlike the other two we have further growth years ahead of us.

It was good to see that we made some early substitutions today. We need to rest some of our key players when we can. Especially after Wednesday. That game reminded me why I don’t really enjoy European football. It can be so tedious watching these technical teams set up conservatively and play to hit you on the break. It’s like seeing and AI version of Bolton. They obviously have more talent but are so tedious to watch. It’s this style that explains why European football stadiums are largely empty for their regular league games. I mean, who’d pay to watch that dreary, tedious, Mourinho type football.

And then it’s compounded by the insanely poor referring. I know the EPL refs really suck. But in Europe the refs have gone off in a different direction. This referee was blowing for free kicks if someone touched anyone. Porto would fall over if you looked at them. And he kept awarding free-kicks (to them). In Europe football is a non-contact sport. In the EPL, thankfully, you’re allowed to tackle. It’s just VAR that sucks. But Wednesday reminded me why Europe is so different and difficult. It takes an adjustment. And we don’t (yet) have the experience to adjust.

Hopefully we’ll overcome Porto at home. But expect to see a Bolton-esque defensive wall, plenty of time wasting, Academy-ward winning rolling on the ground with the intent of disrupting any rhythm we might develop. Maybe this is inevitable when teams know they are over-match and the underdog. If we can somehow survive to the next round and play against teams that expect to win, then it will be interesting to watch.

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s just too much fun watching this team play at the moment. No-one saw this coming after our Christmas disaster. I’m sure this is related to being able to rest our key players. And that’s a by-product of not having Partey, Jesus, Tomi and Timber available (and ESR back then). So, it was good to see ESR get more minutes. I think that’s his role this season. Until he can demonstrate some durability. Not having mid-week games benefits us. And not having any red cards (sorry to jinx it).

As you look at the title race though, there’s only one team people would actually pay to see play. There’s only one team that is entertaining and exciting. And they are the youngest team in this battle. So we might not win it. But the future is blindingly bright. And it’s ours.

-LB7

We should play away more often. Maybe it’s something about the claret and blue we like. Another dominant performance at a venue where we’ve been tested in the path. Not today Junior. This was as enjoyable to watch as last week. Though, in the first half I thought Burnley were better than WHU. But that’s like picking between your least two favourite children (and, trust me, I have plenty of those).

This team was electric and confident today. Right from the start. Well not quite as Burnley had possession for the first three minutes. But then we exploded down the left where Martinelli feed Odegaard who dispatched his half volley perfectly. And that was the tempo of the game set.

In the last few games Rice has been the driving force of this team – as he was today – but you can sometime forget how elegant and intelligent Odegaard is. But not today, he was central to everything that took place on the pitch, acting as our conductor and feeding the right passes to the right people. He has found his groove this calendar year and explains (partially) the evolution of this team.

This was so enjoyable to watch. There is a rhythm and balance to this team that’s infectious. We dominate possession and seem so calm on the ball. Though Trossard was not at his best today – he seemed to be carrying a hand injury or something – Have-that drifted around to help link-up our play. He wins important headers and acts as a binding glue to propel this team forward. It was only just that he finally got on the scoresheet. Though his not out loud obvious, over this winning streak, he has provided us with both defensive cover and some physicality that we needed.

The movement and interplay left Burnley gasping for air. As it would most teams. It’s so tough to defend against. And here’s the media and some fans looking for a center-forward. When our false-nines play like this, you’d be hard pressed to figure out where to play such a player. I can’t remember the last time we’ve had back-to-back away games where before half-time I could sit back, relax and enjoy the show without the fear of dropping points.

Sure, this run has seen us encounter the mighty Palace, WHU and now Burnley. And of course, a real team – Liverpool. But even last year – if not over Christmas – we would not have been as imperious as we have been over this stretch. There is a confidence and belief in this team that I’ve not seen before. And a calmness. A sense that, given time – not that we’ve needed too much – we will unlock any defense and that we will take our opportunities.

Saka and Martinelli were our triggers last year and now have returned to form. Both are now destroying their fullbacks. They are either creating our goals or converting them. Saka, in particular, seems to be back to his best. That third goal at the start of the second half unquestionably decided this game – not that there was much doubt. I thought he’d missed his chance with that extra touch; that he should have shot first time. But the rifle shot from his weaker right foot yet again demonstrated why there is no doubt this boy is world class.

Another game with a clean sheet should not go unnoticed. It helps our goal difference but more importantly, all season, it has been the rock on which this team is based. And it’s not just the protection from Rice. Saliba and Gabriel must be the best center-half pairing in the league. Sure, they weren’t exactly harshly tested today. Forfana should some decent flashes in the first half. One time exposing Saliba on the by-line. On their right we now have White, in the absence of Zinny, playing like the inverted full-back. It’s just a shame that when we want to give him a rest, we have to bring on Cedric.

But with White on the right enjoying his football we now have a center-half playing left back in Kiwior. As long as he does not encounter a speedy winger, he’s going to be ok. And he adds to the physicality. But at some point, we really do need Tomi to return to fitness. At least we saw ESR return to the pitch for the last ten minutes. Even if he did not exactly lite it up. Eddie also saw some minutes and managed to miss another header. When you see Trossard and Have-that interchange positions, link up play and then play a high press, you can see why Eddie is on the bench.

Rotating the team, preserving the energy and minimizing the injury risk to our key players is going to be key. As they say, the sample size is small, but we are a much smoother, efficient team when we’re only playing once a week. When I go back to that disastrous (non) performance against Fulham, it feels much more like we’d just run out of gas after too many games in a truncated period, using essentially the same players.

This calendar year it’s been once a week for us. Now we go back into the Champions League at Porto. Which means that come our next match against Newcastle – no easy fixture – we’ll have to have provided some respite to Odegaard, Rice and Saka. So it was good to see two of them swapped out.

It would be good though when visiting Porto if we could at least offer them Vieira and throw in Cedric as a make-weight. Maybe soon we will find out where Partey and Tomi have been hiding. And even Jesus. We can’t continue without sharing out the minutes. But for the moment, we are fully deserving our position in the table. This is clearly now a three horse race. And we are part of it.

There will be an element of randomness to how this season plays out. Hopefully that’s not VAR related – which seems to have been a little bit less intrusive of late. But more likely it will be driven by player fitness and availability. Arteta has already commented that our squad is thin. You only have to look at the bench if you disbelieve that statement. With the injuries we’re carrying and the under-performance of some players, we don’t get to protect our key players. And we saw last season what happens these key players are unavailable.

City have ready replacement in each and every position. That’s what happens when you spend gillions of dollars on a squad. Liverpool have brought through some youngsters but are also vulnerable to key injuries. If they lost VVD that defense would be even more unstable. It would be like us losing Saliba. But they have Salah and many other attacking options.

The other element here will be the head-to-head games between the three of us. And each of our local derbies. And then the distraction of the European competitions. So, unlike previous years, City won’t have it all their own way. It will be good for the league to see them have to operate under some pressure. And, as we saw today, they are capable of dropping points. We also though have to play the improving Chelsea. Lets’s just hope that they still have Jackson up front. He must be one of the most irritating forwards I’ve seen. Combining laziness, skill and abject decision making along with a lead first touch.

So, back to Europe this week. It’s unlikely we can outright win or lose the game in this first leg so let’s hope, whatever happens, we don’t pick up any injuries. And then we can focus on Newcastle. To be clear, I still don’t think we’ll win the league. I don’t see us being consistent enough and the margin for error is going to be so small. But, in the meantime, it’s just so enjoyable to watch this team. It makes you so proud of the way we play, the way the players commit to our style of play and to witness the growth of this set of players.

Maybe, one day, we’ll find ourselves TOTL. For the moment, games like this – and last week – are more than good enough for me. The superiority, the class and the fluidity of this team are priceless to watch. And, we also know this team has far from peaked. We are still young and relatively inexperienced. Arteta will continue to work his magic on this squad. We are now a team that instills fear in others. A team more than worthy of our support.

-LB7