I had fully intended to be in my place on the North Bank for the FA Cup game against Wigan on February 15. However my son had been ill all weekend and cried off late Saturday. After my recent issues I am still not happy travelling to football without him, so we put our tickets on the Exchange. They sold within four minutes! The demand for tickets is extraordinary at the moment.I hope whoever was in our seats enjoyed the game. When I woke up on Sunday morning heavy snow was falling from the Cambridgeshire skies. At least I could watch the game in the dry and warm.
The Wigan fans were not so shy. A hugely creditable 5000 of them were there at the Emirates for a big day out. Wigan were in the Premier league for 8 seasons from 2005. I remember going to their ground. I parked by the canal and walked along the tow path. My son and I fell into step with two Wigan supporters, a Father and son. I asked the boy, what did you make of the Emirates? Eee, he replied, it were a Palace! I hope he and his Dad were in the crowd today.
Team news broke. As originally selected the team was:
Kepa, White, Mosquera, Saliba, Calafiori, Nørgaard, Lewis-Skelly, Eze, Jesùs, Martinelli, Madueke.
The Goonerverse was agog with the news that MLS was going to be playing in midfield, his natural position and where we all expect his career to take him. However, as the players ran out, it was announced that Calafiori had pulled up lame in the warm up, and that Saka would take his place, playing as an inside forward, with MLS dropping back to his more customary left back position.
So a very attacking line up, with two 10s and just Nørgaard holding. The Gunners started very fast with Eze seeing a lot of the ball. Noni and Saka were weaving patterns on the right, with Noni wide and Saka at an old fashioned inside right (I know my readership).
After just ten minutes, Eze played a superb pass, reminiscent of the great DB10, to Noni, who confidently slipped it past the keeper.
Arsenal 1-0 Wigan (10 mins, Madueke)
Just a few minutes later, Nørgaard, who was showing his ability with the vertical pass, found Eze in the centre circle. Eze played it forward for the speeding Martinelli on the left. He slammed it into the net with his left foot.
Arsenal 2-0 Wigan (18 mins, Martinelli)
It was non stop Arsenal and Wigan just couldn’t cope. Noni skated down the right wing, burnt off his winger and played in Saka who squared it to Jesùs. Jesùs tried to shoot but only found Hunt, who diverted it into his own net. Owen Goal had struck again.
Arsenal 3-0 Wigan (23 mins, Hunt OG)
Just four minutes later Nørgaard played another fabulous pass forward to Jesùs, who chipped it deliciously over the keeper.
Arsenal 4-0 Wigan (27 mins, Jesùs)
At that point Wigan changed from a back three to a back four to try and reduce the damage and the game was effectively over. Wigan got some possession in their own half, and passed the ball around. The Wigan fans, determined to enjoy their day, rolled out the Ole’s. Bravo! They got up into our area and, after a couple of fortunate bounces the ball fell to the hard working Taylor. He hit it at point blank range at Kepa who made a great save.
HT: Arsenal 4-0 Wigan
The second half was much less exciting than the first. Arsenal passed the ball around. Gyökeres came on for Saka in the second half, with Jesùs playing up top with Viktor. A kind of 4-4-2 big man, little man if you will. A great pass was played into Viktor into the right hand side of the box. He hit it first time. It took a small deflection off a defender and, instead of nestling in the far corner, hit the post and bounced out.
On 60 minutes 16 year old Marli Salmon came on at centre back, replacing Saliba. Trossard came on for Madueke and went to the left wing, Martinelli switching to the right. On 78 minutes White went down and had to come off, although the way he walked off didn’t suggest a bad injury. Zubimendi came on and dropped into midfield with Nørgaard switching to centre back and Salmon moving to right back.
The last significant action came after we broke down the left, with Zubimendi putting in a great cross which was met with a bullet header from Martinelli but brilliantly saved by the Wigan keeper. A few minutes later he made another fine save, this time from big Viktor.
With five minutes to go, Arteta made a nice sub, bringing on 19 year old Tommy Setford for his home debut, replacing Kepa. The lad made a fine claim from a late cross. He had played well the previous year at Preston.
FT: Arsenal 4-0 Wigan
So, a stress free win against a team mired in relegation trouble in League One. What did we learn?
We saw excellent performances from man of the match Nørgaard (assist), Eze (two assists) and Noni (a goal). Our midfield work in the first half was exemplary. Saka seemed to have more time when central, and watching Eze, Saka and Noni reminded me of ten years ago when Santi, Ozil and Sanchez were playing in similar triangles. A great option for future games when facing a low block?
Nørgaard had a superb game and really should get more minutes. He also showed his versatility, playing as a sole DM then moving to CB. Marli Salmon showed he is a great prospect for the future and is similarly versatile at both CB and right back.
The FA Cup 5th Round draw takes place at 6.30pm on Monday, then we (including me if the lad has recovered) are off to Wolves on Wednesday. The pressure for results in the Premier League continues.
Thanks for a fine report C100, best wishes to your son and I hope you are
both ready to go for the jaunt to Molineux this week.
As you say the first 30 minutes was fun, and a nice break from the league.
Great report, C100. Sorry you didn’t get to the game. All the best to your son. I haven’t seen anything of the game; I must dig out the MoTD highlights.
COYG
Cheers C100!
Cheers C100. It was nice to enjoy a stress-free, sorted-out-early win for once.
And for Arteta to be able to experiment against essentially poor opposition.
GWS C100Jr.
Hope he recovers quickly and you can make it to the Black Country.
Thanks C100 ! Sorry you didn’t make it to the game – fingers crossed for Wednesday 🤞🏻
Even though it was League 1 opposition, Eze gave us a great demonstration of his determination to keep our play moving forwards whenever possible, which he always tried to do against Premier League opponents. It’s not always going to work against better players and sometimes you have to be prepared to lose the ball in order to reap the rewards of those defence splitting vertical passes. That’s the sort of unpredictability it can take to unlock the low blocks. Once the players around him are all alive to the possibilities, he could still prove a match winner for us.
Thanks c100 for your fine report. I saw the game with the Twin Cities Gooners in Minneapolis but had to leave afterwards to attend the theater with the better half so it was a good thing we had scored four times by then. Onwards to Molineux and a bigger challenge I expect.
Thanks for a typically eloquent report, C100. Your praise for Nørgaard and Eze is well justified. Noni was good, but there is still more fatal peril to defences to be wrung out of him.
One thing I wonder is, why, if Arteta wanted to experiment with Saka as a 10, he didn’t do so with his original team selection, and if he had wanted to experiment with MLS in midfield, he didn’t use Hincapié for Calafiori at left-back and stick with the original plan.
I thought their young keeper, Sam Tickle, had a fine game. I predict that he will be playing at a higher level before long. The other nice touch was Matt Smith getting a huge hug from Gunnersaurus when the Wigan team arrived at the Ems.
I liked your anecdote about the young Wigan fan considering the Ems a palace. I would commend searching out the highlights of the Grimsby v Wolves tie on a Blundell Park pitch that was a throwback to the mud-fields of the ’70s, and would have had the kitman stoking up his copper long before the end.
Also, best wishes to C100 Jnr for a speedy recovery. Hope you are both on parade at Molineux on Wednesday and we have an awayday report to savour.
An efficient, accurate and concise report (just another way of saying “That’s very much the game I saw” 🙂 ), C100. Not surprisingly given the four goal fiesta, I enjoyed the first half rather more than the second. Wigan’s surprisingly ‘brave’ high line in the first provided a superb template for Arsenal’s attacking play and left me wishing that more visitors would be quite so generous. Wigan wised up in the second and, to some extent, Arsenal reduced the weight on the pedal and as a consequence chances were fewer.
I enjoyed watching Saka play what was known back in that as ‘inside right’ and I hope we may see more of him in that role with either Noni or Martinelli outside him pulling defenders wingward and away from him. And, of course, a great pleasure to see Salmon enter the fray. There may be occasions next season when he, accompanied by Saka, MLS and Nwaneri all start for the team – Hale End Forever.
Well you’ve read my thoughts – here are those of Mike McDonald. I’m delighted to say we are in agreement about most things.
Spot on report, C100. Sorry that you couldn’t get there on the day and I hope your son recovers in time for a visit to Molyneux. The food court outside is reason enough to attend!
Lots of non-season ticket holders got a chance to see The Arsenal yesterday, and good for them. It was one way traffic, as expected, but all credit to Wigan – team and fans- for being so up for it. They contributed to a good day. Managed to catch up with Bath for a post-match livener or 2, so all in all, a good day.
Very enjoyable and accurate report C100. Yesterday was ghastly here in weather terns and I was happy to watch in the warm and without a twenty mile drive each way to catch a train !
Arteta used a key word yesterday – ‘ verticality ‘. We actually passed forwards …and we did it quickly. Eze played with a totally different demeanour yesterday . He looks very subdued when playing for us normally . Norgaard also looked very comfortable in the holding role and we scored some super goals . I suspect Mr.Tickle may return in goal – we apparently have a keen interest in him . Nice home draw tonight please . Mansfield at home will be fine .
Mansfield away in the next round. Only a 10,000 capacity. We’ll only get 1500 tickets. Will sell out way above my level.
TTG@11 – much pre match mirth about them being a team made up of Mr Men. In fairness, Mr Tickle certainly seemed to have very long, flexible arms!
Looks like we ought to be in the FA Cup 6th round. Question: Does semi final ( presumably at Wembley) count as an away credit?
Mansfield away is a potential FA Cup banana skin, but we seem to be better at avoiding them these days. With all due respect to the Stags, beating Burnley isn’t exactly slaying the giantist of giants. Pleased to see the Barcodes getting City. Hopefully, Wrexham will get a Hollywood ending over the Chavs and Wolves pull off an upset against the Scousers.
A stag do in Mansfield should be winnable, and the Dictator Derby will get rid of another PL club, nearly what BtM and Ned requested.
To answer CER @13, no games at Wembley attract an away credit.
Thanks for a fine report of a fine game. The first half alone was worth the effort of making it to the ground after a monsoon but a comfortable couch and a glass of Chianti would probably have been a preferable perch. The bonus was meeting up with CER and Glen, an alumnus from Dave’s Drinks afterwards.
So it’s to be Mansfield. Another professional performance by the ‘B team’ should do it and provide a rest for our weary of leg.
OM@15: Perhaps they could play the Dictator Derby in the Middle East so it would be a home game for both sides.
C100@16- B*gger.
Ned@18- Ha!
Cheers Countryman. Top report. I hope you and your son are at the Wolves game and raring to go.
I agree completely that Norgaard is really good. He should definitely get more minutes. Rice and Zubi need more rest than they get, and the guy who’d step in is defensively and positional switched on, as well as offering excellent passing, aerial ability and much more attacking threat than I’d have guessed. And he is so calm. I think he’s being seriously underused.
Mansfield away is a great FA Cup draw. Winnable, sure, but also a proper cup tie.
The performance analytics company Gradient has made available vis CIES a list of the fastest players from the teams still competing in the CL, based on their top speeds recorded in the competition. The players are divided into the top 20s by position — centre-backs, full-backs, midfielders, wingers and centre-forwards. I am slightly surprised to see we have only two players listed, and considerably more surprised that one of them is Viktor Gyökeres, who is No 13 among centre-forwards at 33.26 kph. Gabriel Martinelli is tenth among wingers at 34.68 kph.
https://football-observatory.com/WeeklyPost534
Saka signs new five year contract
https://x.com/samimokbel_bbc/status/2023767729661161685?s=61&t=cVFjCyGkt4y-Ne45LtfqkQ
C100@22: I hope that sends a signal that we won’t repeat the rapid dismantling of the Invincibles.
>>>>>>>