Prelude
Despite regularly ringing managerial changes since the departure of the man they refer to as ‘SAF’ (better known in N5 circles as Old Purple Nose, the Famous Red Grouse) and investing nearly uncountable millions in their squad, Manchester United have since failed to reach the heights that their legions of fans in Surrey and beyond believe to be their birth right.
Old Trafford has long since ceased to be a fortress, as evidenced by the team’s inability to win at home in their first three games, in one of which they also suffered a 6-1 reverse at the hands of …. who was it again?
Given that downward vector, the Arsenal might have expected to do better than achieve a solitary FA Cup win and four low scoring draws over the course of the last decade. Not since we beat United home and away in 2006 have the Arsenal triumphed at ‘theirs’ in the League, courtesy of a missed Gilberto penalty, a slice of Fabregas delight and a clinical finish by Adebayor. Consequently, only the brave would forecast a win for the away team, hence the Holic pound being wagered on 1-2 to the good guys 😊
On top of that doubtful back catalogue the Gunners went into tonight’s game with a brace of monkeys on their back, one on each shoulder, each with bananas in hand.
- Would the Arsenal be the first team to be beaten at the Old T by the home team this season? Cue gasps of horror from ‘neutral’ pundits rubbing their hands in delight.
- Would the Arsenal F2BaT6T (fail to beat a top six team…….yawn) since, well, Noah launched his ark from John Brown’s Yard on the Clyde? Cue an ‘aghast’ global chorus of cynical chortling.
In their last outing, ManU scored 5 against RB Leipzig with schools’ lunch hero Rashford serving up a hot sausage-and-mash fueled hat-trick in the space of the final 15 minutes. Would that prove to be the perfect aperitif for the home team to savour their visitors on toast? (Or would Marcus reserve that pleasure for the next visit of his new mate Boris to Manchester?)
The Arsenal
Mikel Arteta elected to stick largely with the players and formation who’ve come close/failed miserably, (depending on whether you prefer to drink your whisky or piss in it), in the past two League games against Man City and Leicester. In both of those, failure to convert guilt-edged chances cost the Gunners dearly. To win tonight that failure would need to be corrected, preferably with knobs on and whistles blowing.
Pepe, Lacazette and Aubamayang were not entrusted to deliver on the promise their names conjured when Nico’s signing was announced and the more seasoned Willian started on the right wing in preference to the man from the Ivory Coast.
Xhaka’s skill range is a small subset of that of Arsenal’s new midfield powerhouse Thomas Partey and so it was pleasing to see Granit take the hard rock road to the subs bench and be replaced by the much more nimble and creative Mo Elneny.
With only three of eight centre backs fit, it was no great surprise to see Rob Holding preferred over Mustafi to replace the recently rejuvenated but injured Luiz. Gabriel was afforded the opportunity to extend his impressive entrée to the Premier League. Kieran Tierney played as the third CB with license to thrill by getting forward if the opportunity presented itself. The twin talents Bellerin and Saka started as attacking wing-backs with the excellent Leno in goal.
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Saka, Partey, Elneny, Willian, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Man Utd: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Pogba, Fernandes, Greenwood, Rashford
The Off
In an eerily silent stadium Aubameyang got the game underway after a solemn moment in the memory of Nobby Stiles and a collective bend of the knee.
Arsenal started confidently and aggressively with both Willian and Saka threatening wide. The latter won two corners after 5 minutes but neither produced a real threat. Shortly after, a confident forward move by Partey to Aubameyang to Saka produced Arsenal’s first threat on goal but Saka’s shot was blocked. The early omens were good.
An excellent move featuring Partey, Elneny and Willian had Bellerin fizzing a ball across the six-yard box which Auba just failed to convert. So close!
It was all Arsenal with hard pressing everywhere, crisp and confident passing all over the field, and some excellent ball winning in midfield by Lacazette and Partey. When Fernandez fired a pass into the box, Greenwood was marshalled confidently by Gabriel, before being ruled off-side. Our new Brazilian looked solid as a rock.
By 20 minutes, even Gary Neville had stopped talking about the home team’s midfield diamond (thank fook) but was still stirring hope amongst the Surrey faithful by repeating constantly “Rashford is looking sharp”. Really?
The Arsenal were playing some lovely football. Saka and Tierney combined well for a fierce cross to the middle which Willian was unable to convert.
After 25 minutes, United finally made it into our back third. Their first effort, a cross-field ball by Greenwood to Rashford was comfortably saved by Leno for a corner which came to nothing. The diamond’s cutting edge was seriously in question 😊 Had they bought yet another fake?
Wan-Bissaka had to foul Saka who’d dispossessed and then sprinted past him. Willian’s blistering free kick was blocked on the line by Pogba, the Gunners were coming close.
United reverted to form – their specialty, a long punt forward resulted in another offside decision against Fernandez. Shortly after Gabriel was booked for a clever hold-up on Rashford. Immediately after, Laca, playing right out of his socks won yet another tackle in midfield. He was fouled but still pushed the ball to Willian who glided a lovely ball just over Lindelhof’s head, but once again, Auba couldn’t quite convert.
A beautiful build up on the right resulted in a Bellerin cross to Auba who cut back to Laca but Lindelhof just managed to get a toe to the ball resulting in a Laca air shot.
That was super-close!
Seconds later, another beautifully crafted move saw Willian smack the bar just before a great build up on the right saw Willian hit the ball just too deep for Saka to convert.
And then. An even better chance. (Could such a thing be possible?) On the right wing, Bellerin to Willian to Bellerin, a beautiful cross to Saka for a free header. Sadly, and to his chagrin, the young wonder headed rather tamely over the bar.
In a compelling first-half for Gunners’ fans, the Arsenal were by far the more composed team. They came closest to scoring BUT as in the games against Liverpool, City and Leicester failed to convert some really excellent chances.
Absent all three of the Marx brothers in defense and without Xhaka in midfield the Gunners’ propensity to focus on forty five degree backward passes was as infrequent as a visit by Manure into Arsenal’s final third.
Would failure to convert come back and hurt us in the second half?
Manchester United 0 – Arsenal 0
Second Half
Perhaps ‘Olli at the wheel’ had borrowed the Famous Red Grouse’s hair dryer for the interval. McTominey thumped into Auba before winning a corner off Holding which came to nothing. Quickly after, Greenwood made his way into the box and won another corner, which the Arsenal defended well. It was apparent immediately that United’s mindset had been retuned.
Mike Dean did his bit on 50 mins and blocked an excellent pass as Arsenal pressed forward. His efforts came to nothing though as, only seconds later brilliant work by Laca set up Auba for a golden chance. The Goonerverse held its collective breath, as Pierre opened his body, waved the wand that is his right foot and waited for the ball to hit the net. Unbelievably the ball sailed wide of the post for Arsenal 25th gilt-edge chance miss in four big games.
The game opened up, United glimmered and the Gunners’ pressing momentarily lost a bit of its edge. A naïve Bellerin push on Pogba gave Utd a great chance from a free kick. Maguire rose for a free header from an in-swinging ball but his head or his hair, perhaps full of Greece, caused, him to steer the ball wide when he should have scored.
Elneny, who was outstanding today, then controlled the ball beautifully before moving it to Partey. Thomas fired a powerful rocket which was saved by De Gea only because it went straight at him.
Although Arsenal had started the game with a nominal back three by mid-way through this second half Holding and Gabriel were holding the Manure attack so confidently that our defense was based on a back two giving Bellerin and Tierney a great deal of free rein to flood forward to reinforce midfield and sprint wide to provide danger.
A great cross by Tierney from one foray forward with Saka caused De Gea to punch the ball high. Elneny collected the ball confidently and steadied himself. Sadly he shot over missing another great chance. Elneny could have made a REAL name for himself there.
And then finally, the knife was inserted and a fatal wound inflicted in a very wounded animal.
The effervescent Willian pushed the ball into the right side of the box for Bellerin. Pogba tripped Hector. Even ‘neutral’ Gary Neville said “definite penalty” and our captain Pierre Emerick made no mistake from the spot.
Manchester United 0 – Arsenal 1
Mike Dean was devastated to have to make the penalty award but really had no choice, poor man.
Could Arsenal maintain their cool, their shape, their form and their calm and steer the game to a historic win?
Greenwood pressurized Gabriel in our left corner and, for once got the better of our Brazilian who was forced to give away a foul in a dangerous position, which Arsenal defended well.
In the final phase, Arteta replaced Laca, who’d been fantastic, by Nketiah for the last 15 minutes. Van de Beek and Cavani were introduced by United as Solskjaer decided to go for broke. School dinner man Rashford claimed a corner for a ball that had ricocheted off McTominey, but Mike Dean wasn’t hoodwinked.
Rob Holding went down causing concern but recovered quickly avoiding the prospect of Mustafi catastrophe.
A high lob into the box by Pogba was grabbed confidently by Leno who’d had really little to do. Then moments later Gabriel brilliantly disposed Matic before Leno saved from Elneny with his head off the post! Brilliant! Who needs Martinez when you have a talented German like that in your goal.
Nerves for this viewer were set on edge by the sight of Mustafi emerging for Auba on 86 minutes. Another brick in the defensive wall, or a brick clanger?
Four minutes of Ollie time. In 92 minutes Elneny, who’d run himself into the ground, demonstrated the Arteta effect to the very full by getting forward and pressing hard to prevent Shaw getting forward. Excellent! Moments after, Matic had United’s last chance when he shot weakly from the edge of box. Leno saved easily.
In Conclusion
Arteta set the team up brilliantly for this contest. The Arsenal players applied themselves perfectly. Partey was a solid rock in midfield and was my man of the match just ahead of Saka, Tierney, Elneny, Gabriel and Holding. There wasn’t one weak link in the chain tonight.
Xhaka has been an ever present for Arteta and I suspect Mikel must have thought hard before leaving him on the bench. However, in his absence the team’s forward movement was massively better and Elneny in particular shone like a beacon. Freed of the obsession to pass the ball back, sideways, or across to our Swiss ‘quarterback’, he looked like a completely new signing.
Today was a very big day in the development of Arteta’s Arsenal. The project is still very much a work in progress but all of the key indicators are, at least in this viewer’s eyes, shining a bright shade of green. Many will be desperately sad and despondent because, just as they were after the Leicester game, the Arsenal are still a whole four points off table leadership, which can be interpreted apparently as an indicator of a eighth to twelfth place finish. Bah humbug, Arteta doesn’t have it! 😊
It’s a very happy night for this old timer so, go on, ask me. When did the Arsenal F2BaT6T?
About thirty minutes ago, sunshine! 😊 😊 😊
Keep winning Arsenal. Play better.
Nice one, bt8.
No doubt that Arteta outfoxed OGS today. By effectively playing a back two and pushing Bellerin and Tierney up into midfield, Arteta blunted Man U’s diamond. OGS can say all he wants about his team not turning up in the first half, but they weren’t given any room to play in. Thus they couldn’t replicate the Newcastle/PSG/RB Leipzig performances, and OGS didn’t seem to be able to work out a Plan B.
On the final 10 minutes: I read a study of the impact of VAR on coaches and tactics that made a point that, in combination with the new handball implementation, VAR encourages teams that are trailing to bombard the opposition penalty area in the final 10 minutes in the hope of creating enough chaos to get a VAR-awarded penalty from a deflection that gets ruled to be handball or a push or a shove that VAR also sees as an infringement. Teams defending a lead thus need to play out the game outside their penalty area, as being too deep is now a bigger risk than it was.
First…. Get in
I will read the post when I get a spare hour….
Up The Gunners.
A brilliant report for a brilliant night BtM.
Second, and third…….. Get in.
I will read the post shortly.
Up The Gunners.
Btm
A masterful and most amusing take on the match . I am very much in agreement about the overall quality of the team performance and the key protagonists as Unai Emery ( remember him?) used to call blokes who’d played well. Funny that people who can’t speak English end up using the most complicated words ! But I digress.
Arteta will have learnt a lot today and the BIG lesson is don’t play Xhaka . I’m not sold on Willian but he affected the game positively today .But you can see the way that Arteta has stabilised the shitshow he inherited
Interesting that it’s not in the first two games on MOTD2. I wonder where it would have been if United had won?
An excellent, detailed report, BtM of a finely managed match.
There wasn’t a weakness in the Arsenal side tonight. The speed of movement of the ball through our midfield was gratifying (after all these years) though we really should have taken at least one of four good chances in the first half. As you observe, our recent history of paying for our profligance had us on tenterhooks at halftime especially in the first ten minutes of the second half when Manure went onto the front foot. Yet on this occasion, as you nicely describe we regained the initiative and carried the day with the odd slice of Lady Luck’s beneficience.
Elneny was MotM for me despite many excellent performances from his mates in midfield and the defence. As you predicted last week the effective midfield threesome of Partey, Elneny and Saka was well-balanced and actually quite magnificent.
Forward Arsenal.
And well done Pangloss too!
BtM: A thousand apologies for the mis-identification @1.
Thought we played really well and one thing I noticed is that we have started to make a lot of niggly fouls in midfield that broke up the MAnU rhythm. Very Man City. Holding was excellent in that regard. however, MOTM goes to Mike Dean for me – was convinced he wasn’t going to give the penalty but he was straight on it.
What an enjoyable and amusing report BtM! And also comprehensive and insightful.
Partey was smooth. The tough tackling physicality part was what people saw most in the Atletico days but boy does he also glide vertically across the pitch! Never shy to attempt an ambitious pass and forever responsible to recover lost ball if the pass is intercepted.
Mikel has channeled Elneny’s relentless enthusiasm, consistency of performance and the ability to circulate ball quickly into a very effective player. He used to be a consistently 6/10 player who now played a 7.5/10 performance away at OT. I wish Mikel had got more time to work with Torreira. (That is not to say I think we are missing Lucas but more like I personally would have loved to see him succeed at Arsenal).
Hector doesn’t always get enough credits for his contributions in the final third. I think he already has the highest assists by any Arsenal defender in the PL era. Today he sent a few fantastic deliveries in the box, especially in the first half. Both him and Kieran play this clever half-midfielder half-wingback role that Arteta deploys to perfection.
I thought Willian was a little better today. Attacked the space more, took more risks, dribbled more efficiently and on another day would have scored a sumptuous goal.
This win — and the clean sheet — now should be a tonic for the team. And the transition of the team’s spine to a more dynamic set of players in now taking shape.
Haven’t watched the match but glad to put 14 years behind us. And we lead the league with least number of goals conceded! Ned, I’m wondering if the monks can tell us the last time we conceded the least number of goals in the league after 7 matches? Pre-Wenger?
Hello Steve T.
Was that the rarely seen double
TABS?
Ecg@11: It has never happened before in the Premier League after seven games, although we have been one goal within it in at least four seasons. Oddly enough, on the three occasions we led the Premiership after seven games we never had the least goals conceded.
A very fine report thanks BtM.
I couldn’t honestly say I enjoyed
the game until it was over.
I was bottling it at half-time after
we didn’t take our chances and
bottling it in the last 10 as well.
Luckily for MA he has sterner men
than me at his command 😄
It’s been a tough start to the season
but only the Lesta defeat has really
sickened and now we have given
ourselves a good chance to move
up the table, though the wins against
the likes of Wolves, Villa and Leeds
will require the same levels of
commitment and control we showed
yesterday. Good to see Rob back
and I loved his introduction to
Rashford early on. Mother Marcus
looked like someone had just nicked
his lunch money afterwards.
Apologies, but it had to be done.
To much local concern (and some amusement), a Satanic Black Mass was held in Noosa over the weekend.
Given my worries about Mike Dean and all the talk in the last drinks about our lack of penalties, perhaps it helped break the spell of our Big6 form. Maybe I should encourage the Satanists to make it a regular thing?
UTA.
Well they do say the devil is in
the details Noosa 😄
Hi Noosa. I’ll take the help from whatever quarter, even the supporters of Old Nick! Dean did seem curiously deflated yesterday- maybe someone had possessed him!
After seven games it’s hard to draw firm conclusions because fixtures are so uneven . Tge Spuds have played four at home and scraped a win in one and won three easily away . But they’ve only played one Top Six side .
We’ve played four away including three of the top six and the only real bump in the road was Leicester. That disallowed goal cost us dear . Generally we are a better side away from home- most of our big wins have come away from the Grove . Home advantage for any team is of much less value ( about the only thing OGS in his grudging after-match speech said that made sense ) and the stats will be interesting on this as they are revealed . Arteta is a very gifted coach but his big challenge is building creativity into this squad before we can buy it in . But anyone who doubts the progress we are making under him isn’t paying attention.
This is hilarious. Credit to True Storey for the tweet that alerted me.
Interesting discussion again on penalties over the weekend, especially those given in favour of Kane and Salah. Some on this board have taken the moral high ground (a perfectly honourable place to be) in saying that you only go down if forced to. There are probably three scenarios:
1) You are fouled and it causes you to go down
2) You are fouled but stay on your feet, even if impeded
3) You simulate contact or dive.
1 and 3 are clear. It’s 2 that causes debate. How often are penalties given when the man stays on his feet? To bring it back to the weekend, I think Hector could maybe have stayed on his feet, even if staggering after being kicked by Pogba. Would Dean have still given the penalty? If you are kicked or fouled in the area and do not go down, are you putting your team at a disadvantage compared to other teams?
@20
Thanks C100 😂😂😂
Though we’ve all been there
at times
A really good read BtM – you describe the match perfectly with a dose of your dry humour as a bonus.
The pairing of Thomas & Elneny looks to be a perfect match – hopefully “sideways Xakha” will be consigned to the history books as we have Dani & Joe to cover when required. It was a poor show by Manure – living up to their name – but it was how we performed which induced that.
What is plain to see is how Mikel has changed a group of players who 12 months ago could not understand what Emery wanted into a team who know exactly what their role is…..and this reflects in performances on the pitch. He is just at the start of his project and the future is looking very optimistic.
@21 C100
Hector’s was a penalty yesterday
and I don’t think Dean would have
given it if Hector had stayed on his
feet. An interesting question for Hector
really as he always strikes me as a
guy with strong ethics.
But then so does Sterling and he’s a
serial cheat on a football pitch.
I suppose they are able to apply the
social norms of the game in the moment
and by doing so justify their actions. There
was little protest from Man Utd though I’m
sure there would have been 20 years ago.
I would rather it wasn’t the social norm
but it inescapably is and we can’t tie one
hand behind our backs and still expect
to win. It’s happened to us and will do
again – and as the Manure commentator
so eloquently said it was bloody stupid of Pogba.
I would also say we got the least penalties in the
PL last season if I remember correctly.
C100
A very succinct analysis of the options. I can remember years ago in my less exalted football career cutting inside and being illegally tackled . I wouldn’t have dived because I thought I would score but there was no way I could stay on my feet anyway as the impact was too heavy but ( and this was nearly fifty years ago) I remember getting dogs abuse from the defenders when the penalty was given. My teammates joked afterwards about me being a diver . At that time Francis Lee of Derby was notorious for diving and for a while they called me ‘ Frannie’. My point is that in Hector’s case he was moving very fast and you don’t need much of a shove to go over in that situation. I thought it was a totally legitimate penalty but didn’t expect Dean to give it. Yesterday Salah flagrantly cheated as he so often does and Kane actually fouled Lallana not the other way round ! A combination of Scott and Moss is about as incompetent as you can get .
C100, nicely summarised. I don’t approve of (3). Rooney, Sterling, Kane, Son and Vardy are exemplars of that technique. I don’t like seeing our players do it. Eboue was the last example of such a player. I am appalled that referees are so easily conned.
Kane has not only proved himself to be an incoherent halfwit but also an absolute cheat who puts other players at risk to win himself an advantage. England’s captaincy has been handed to some vermin in the past but that is plunging deep into Dante’s inferno.
I, personally, don’t think Hector could keep his feet in that challenge as he was moving so fast.
Good blog from our old friend 7am kick off. Interesting that he concludes that “Bellerin threw himself to the ground after feeling the contact (which is what he is supposed to do).” That was the point of my drink above. If you feel the contact go down and get the pen.
It is interesting to think who we could ( and should ) field against Molde
Maybe
Runarsson
Cedric Mustafi Xhaka Kola. AMN
Ceballos Willock
Pepe Nketiah Nelson
Subs – Macey, ? Chambers ? ESR? Balogun , Saka, Elneny , Lacazette
It would be interesting indeed to see that team play, TTG. Is Chambers judged sufficiently fit to even be on the bench? With current issues, that would be a positive.
Great report, BtM, and stylish as always. 🙂
Well in Steve T for the double TABS as defined above by our Japanese correspondent.
My two-cents on the Bellerin penalty was that there was nothing premeditated in his going down. Pogba stood on Hector’s right foot, so you would expect Hector to be off-balance and falling within a stride and a half, which is what happened. It was a trip rather than a shove. If Pogba had not attempted a tackle that he did not need to make, I have no doubt Hector would have stayed on his feet. Willian’s pass wasn’t of the best. It never got inside the line of Pogba’s covering run. Bellerin had to take a wide arc to get to the ball, and plays it with the outside of his right foot, in the direction of the touchline. If you look at the replays, you will see Bellerin raise his right arm long before he gets across Pogba, presumably to keep Pogba on his outside as he tried to recycle the ball to Willian, which is what probably would have happened had he not been fouled.
Diving is cheating and has no place in the game. The arguments that the other teams do it, so why not us, or why shouldn’t we dive if we can get away with it are as bogus in football as they are in life.
As a historical footnote, one of the objections to the introduction of the penalty kick in 1891 was that it would foster ungentlemanly behaviour by players, who would feign fouls to get a penalty awarded, the bounders.
TTG@28: Interesting team, and probably as good or better than half the teams in the league.
Ned. 100% agree. That wasn’t my point. I have seen arguments here that say that if you are fouled you only go down if that’s impossible to avoid. I think doing that means we get fewer penalties than most other teams and is impossibly Corinthian. If you get fouled in the area go down and make the ref/VAR makes decision.
For the avoidance of doubt I am 100% against simulation or diving.
In the Leicester game I think it was Willock and Saka who had good shouts for penalties but stayed vertical and not given. Perhaps they wouldn’t have been given anyway but give yourself a chance. Willock was having his shirt pulled a good two yards inside the area.
Cheers BtM!
C100@33: Understood.
With shirt tugs, you think you can wriggle free and you are usually more balanced than with a trip or shove, so you tend to stay on your feet. They should make shirts out of panels velcroed together so it would come away in the defender’s hands and the attacker could get away unimpeded.
Ned @36, I suggested that over 20 years ago when DB10 was regularly being tugged back. It would be an excellent development.
A superb discussion of the Manure victory and the improved Arsenal midfield from Clive on Arsenal Vision at https://www.arsenalvisionpodcast.com/episodes
This is excellent
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/nov/02/fans-without-football-have-been-left-staring-into-a-howling-void
Can I add that my post @24 was
not in support of diving either!
It was a foul by Pogba but I felt
Hector could have stayed on his
feet but chose to go down. There
is a difference between that and
feigning a contact that didn’t happen.
Bath@37: you are the Martin Peters of kit.
Excellent report BtM. Stylish, funny and describing the game I saw. Cheers.
Lots of good posts above and I’m a bit busy so I’ll just confine myself to saying that Elneny was a beast. I loved his surges forward with the ball. Although he did everything excellently. Please do that regularly Mo.
Him and Partey looked like a proper midfield!
The next big thing in British Cycling, Geoghegan Hart, who has just won the Giro d’Italia, is a Gooner.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/02/tao-geoghegan-hart-i-dont-want-this-to-be-the-only-time-i-cross-the-line-first?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
C100
So is Geraint Thomas ! Is there no end to our influence!?
GSD@42: I’ve always thought there was a player in Elneny, but, as I’ve said before, he used to run around like a headless chicken. Arteta has got him running with purpose. The difference shows. With Partey, he provides a defensive shield that lets Tierney and Bellerin bomb forward. No other combination of our midfielders does that.
An Elneny moment to replicate.
The first time I saw Elneny I was quite impressed. He was very hard-working andvalways available for a pass.He scored a spectacular goal at the Camp Nou. I saw him as a squad player though . His bad period came under Emery when we lost away to Everton and then he brought him into the Palace game where Zaha made a monkey out of Mustafi . That prompted Emery to send him out on loan and he went off the radar . But he was terrific in the Community Shield and in Arsene’s famous description he is ‘ like a new signing ‘ as we’d all discounted him as a future player .
Partey is such a top player I think he’s probably a dream to play with but Sunday may indicate that Elneny has leapfrogged Xhaka and Ceballos in central midfield . It may be that Arteta sees Xhaka as a defender . I see him as a very expensive signing for Bayer Leverkusen or someone else who plays in a slower league but he does provide squad cover and we will see him on Thursday needing to impress the boss .
I finally got around to watching the 1st half on Arsenal Player. It’s strange watching Arsenal with a mobile midfield! In the past, whenever I thought a pass was heading towards Xhaka, I felt like I had enough time to go grab a fresh beer and not miss a thing!
I’ve always liked Mo. Solid player who works hard and seems like a nice guy. Glad to see him back in the team.
Spot on TTG. Every team needs worker bees to support and cover forthe artistes, porteurs d’eau if you will, in the words of the artiste Eric Cantona referring to Didier Deschamps. We had one in our greatest team in the form of Ray Parlour. High work rate, lowturnover rate and occasional moments of inspiration. Mo is in any ways MA8 re-incarnated in the way he recycles the ball reliably but with a more durable engine and a tad more pace. I think he will play an important role in this Arsenal side as it develops into a top team again.
ecg, you sum Xhaka up nicely.
Ned @ 45. Absolutely agree about that midfield combo releasing the fullbacks. Bellerin and Tierney have the potential to be very dangerous players for us.
All the posts today have been excellent. Drinks for bt8, Baff, TTG, ecg and Ned. And I’ll have one myself too!
Sublime post match report BTM
In golfing parlance, that post is equivalent to an even par round on a wet and windy day at Carnoustie. !!
To Dorset Mick,
If you are still keeping an eye on the bar during your chemo treatment, i trust and hope the win at the Old Toilet put a smile on your face.
Thinking of you my friend.
All the best.
FA has suspended non-league football, from Thursday to early December.
https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/nov/03/non-elite-football-statement-031120
TTG – “Sunday may indicate that Elneny has leapfrogged Xhaka and Ceballos in central midfield”;
I’d interpret the situation a little differently.
In Partey, Arsenal have acquired the player they thought they had bought when Xhaka was recruited (a huge/expensive error). In reality Xhaka is a Partey wannabe. His performance profile is significantly deficient to Thomas’ who is quite likely to be the very first name on the team sheet for every important game. When Partey starts, Xhaka is redundant and so a future as captain of the Europa team or injury back-up beckons. Granit may well depart next summer.
On one side of Partey, I see Elneny just ahead of Willock as, for want of a better descriptor, our ‘box to box’ midfielder (Joe gets into the box better and so scores more regularly than Mo).
On the other side of Partey I see Saka ahead of Ceballos in the creative midfielder role, which I think Saka will make his own in the years to come. However, in the short term, because of his utility in attack and defence, Saka will often cede midfield starts to Ceballos before he returns to Madrid at the end of the season. I’m not yet convinced that Dani has the calibre to meet Arteta’s performance hurdle for the longer term. Time will tell if Smith-Rowe does.
Clive, that is a compliment indeed for which many thanks. 🙂
On the money, as ever, BtM @54. I fully agree.
Btm
Yes I’d line up with your view on the midfield . Things change quickly in football. Four weeks ago we were contemplating a Ceballos/ Xhaka combo with its obvious limitations. Now there are three better candidates as referenced in your drink.
Re Ceballos I am quite optimistic although he hasn’t played very well this season yet. I think he can train on into a better midfielder but I don’t think he is as flexible as Elneny . Let’s hope Willock makes even greater strides. Oddly I’ve seen three predictions for Thursday’s team and they are all the same as the one I posted yesterday the only doubt being whether Xhaka plays in defence or in a midfield three .
BtM@54: Spot on about the midfield.
Xhaka should do well in the Europa Cup team. That sort of European football suits him.
Willock’s position is intriguing. He mostly performs well when he gets the chance, but Arteta doesn’t play him that much. He hasn’t had a minute in the league yet this season.
I think it’s still quite possible Xhaka will come
back into the side at this stage especially if
we go with a 4-2-3-1 or Dani in place of Elneny
for that matter. I’d like to see Mo play well for
a run of games before I’m convinced.
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