Arsenal just keep breaking records, and they smashed another one in Yorkshire tonight as they became the first team in all four divisions of English professional football to win three consecutive away matches by five goals or more.
In the lead up to the game much of the talk was centred around the number of goals Arsenal were going to score rather than the outcome of the match. That was considered to be a foregone conclusion against what the table strongly suggests is the worst in the league. A touch of arrogance? Perhaps. But as soon as the game commenced it soon became apparent that this arrogance was justified.
With barely a minute gone Arsenal were within a whisker of a very early lead as Saka rattled the bar from close range before the ball rebounded to Martinelli who saw his fierce drive cleared off the line with the ‘keeper beaten. It set the tone for what was to follow and moments later Arsenal were ahead as Martinelli fed Rice on the left and the Englishman’s cutback found Ødegaard who slotted home with ease in what has become his trademark finish.
And in a flash, it was two. Saka skinned Auston Trusty, formerly of this parish, drove into the box and his low cross was inadvertently bundled in by Bogle for an own goal. And then we blinked and when we opened our eyes again it was three. We cut through the Blades like a knife through butter and Kiwior’s cutback found Martinelli who found the bottom corner via a slight deflection, but it was undoubtedly his goal.
It was becoming humiliating for the hosts who opted to make an early substitution as Ollie Norwood was replaced by Ben Osborn on the quarter hour mark as Chris Wilder opted for a back five in a bid to prevent a cricket score. Barring injury, I think that might be the earliest substitution ever.
But it had little effect as Arsenal added two more before the break, firstly through Kai Havertz who drilled home for his third goal in three games. 4-0 inside twenty-five minutes! And not long after it was five. Ødegaard found Saka who turned the defender inside out, cut it back for Declan Rice who duly converted for his fifth of the season. 5-0 inside 40 minutes….
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a sixth before the break which would’ve broken yet another record, but we can’t have it all. Saka was replaced by the returning Fabio Vieira as a precaution with the game already won. Arsenal continued with the same intensity and before the hour we had another. Jorginho clipped a sumptuous ball over the top which was brought down expertly by Havertz who took a touch inside and fed Ben White who clumped the ball home for number six, equalling our biggest away win in the Premier League era, only a few weeks after we put six past West Ham. These are heady days indeed.
Arteta then brought on Partey and Jesús – the former making his first appearance since early October. Both understandably looked a little rusty but getting those minutes in the legs can only be a good thing as we head into a crucial phase of the season. The game petered out from this point. Of course, it would’ve been nice to score more goals, but we have a big game on Saturday night at home to Brentford followed by that huge tie at home to Porto as we look to overturn the one goal deficit from the first leg. Those games are more important and when you’re six goals up with a third of the game to go you can afford to plan ahead. It’s a nice luxury to have and it is a luxury we have created for ourselves.
That’s 31 goals in seven games which is really quite something. To put that into context, that’s more goals than Sheffield United, Burnley and Everton have managed all season. In fact, it is only six fewer goals than Manchester United and their billion-pound squad have managed in the league all season.
We have now scored the most goals (68) and conceded the least (23) in the league. Basically, we’re quite good. And yet we are still third, two points behind Liverpool, one behind Manchester City. The good news is both those two face off this weekend so at least one will drop points, ideally both. But we will need to beat the Bees first and if we do, we will go top for 24 hours at least.
Goal difference is another factor that could well come into play come the season’s end. Ours stands at +45, six better than Liverpool’s and ten better than City’s. Pre Dubai our GD stood at a comparatively paltry +17 so it is quite the turnaround. If we win the league, I think we should refer to this season in two parts- BD for before Dubai and AD for after Dubai. You never know, it might catch on.
COYG!
Great report, 21CG! I like the BD/AD descriptor.
That was a fun night out, but only one record really matters.
Win the next match.
MCMBD
You have captured what I think is exactly the right tone for a report on this match 21CG.
Avoiding arrogance but acknowledging our incredible performance. Well done ! These last few weeks have been extraordinary and watching the matches has been both a joy and an education. We started just as we did at Burnley and the game was over .
When I first started to play football at age 6 we used to put all the best players in one side and beat the crap out of the hapless kids who weren’t as good. Arsenal have borrowed from Furzedown Infants School circa 1957. This was the most one-sided professional game between two sides from the same division I can ever remember .
The rustiness ( or perhaps drop in quality ) showed when we brought on the likes of Vieira and Cedric but it afforded rest and a chance to avoid injury for some of our key players .
Arteta is reinventing the game – ten players all no more than thirty yards from the opposition goal in the fifth minute . Pressure which seems impossible to resist . A remarkable night
Excellent job 21cg of reporting on a highly enjoyable match to watch from our point of view, and particularly that first half. The second one saw us give away a few careless passes but one or two were by our newbies like Thomas who deserves a break in his first game back. As you say, let’s win the next game. Brentford have taken enough points off us and we must be absolutely ready. Good if not intense training game at Bramall Lane.
Cheers 21CG!
Excellent report 21CG and I agree with TTG that the tone was just right. We’ve been lucky getting away tickets this season and this was our eighth away day. It’s not all been sweetness and light and we have an away record, after last night, of played eight, won four, lost three (Newcastle, Villa and West Ham in the Carabao), drawn one (Chelsea). So last night was our chance to join in with the recent away fun.
Neither my son nor I had been to Sheffield United before. Beautiful Down Town Bramall Lane, the locals call it, with more than a hint of northern self deprecation. But I was impressed with the ground, with the away supporters getting the whole of the lower tier behind one of the goals, just as it should be.
This was not a stressful match to be at. When you are three up after fifteen minutes and five up at halftime you can concentrate on having a good sing song. And so we did. When the Blades decided to head for home after 15 minutes just like the Hammers we regaled them with
Stadiums are empty
Wherever we go!
The song at Burnley and West Ham was adapted and reprised
Who put the ball in the Sheffield net?
Half our fucking team did!
We have a new song for Gabriel which I rather liked
Ole, Ole, Ola
Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole, Ola
You’ll fall in love
I know you will
Our number six
Is the King of Brazil
Our centre half
Will give you hell
Our wall at the back, is Gabriel!
Even Cedric got a song!
This game was so, so easy. It was even easy getting out of Sheffield at full time (mainly because all the locals were at home or in the pub). Home by 12.15.
We support a fantastic team. Long may it continue.
Thanks 21CG, summed it up well in the title. For some reason Sheff Utd’s owners chose not to bother with the pesky business of buying PL quality players last summer. I even felt a little sorry for Trusty although he was only fairly tenuously of this parish as he was just hung out to dry by Wilders oddly optimistic approach.
We’ve slaughtered better teams than them recently but it was still fantastic to watch.
Arteta was reported to say that Martinelli picked up a “cut” to his foot but avoided a serious injury and Saka went off at halftime because he was “feeling sick” which is good news because we don’t want them to get injured any time soon
Perfectly pitched report, 21CG. We are going through a purple patch. You are right not to get carried away while still celebrating the quality of our play, regardless of the woefulness of the opposition.
C100@5: Has ‘Six nil to the Arsenal’ become a song yet?
Your sympathy for Aaron Trusty is well-placed, OM. I doubt many defenders would have withstood the whirlwind he faced last night. He was Birmingham City’s player of the year on loan there last season. He is worthy of a better club than his current one.
To repeat a point I’ve made before: Kiwior looks better and better with every game he plays.
An oddball stat, but it illustrates the blanket of control thrown over opponents this season: Raya takes an average of less than three goal kicks a game.
I did wonder if MA gave any thought to giving Rammy the 2nd half last night as he will play against Brentford next game.
Cheers 21CG. Nice report.
Stone cold stuff from Ned, who appeared to offer some support to our ex-player Trusty, whilst showing his true feelings by brutally getting his name wrong. Absolutely burned the guy, in true Saka fashion.
An excellent report, 21CG, to match an excellent performance by the Gunners even when viewed on delay. The players do rather seem to be enjoying themselves and Ødegaard seems to be getting better and better. Long may both these phenomena continue.
I listened to today’s Arsecast, which was amusing and insightful as it usually is, but I especially liked the opening of a Spanish language announcer announcing the Ben White goal. Hilarious stuff.
Having done my away day impressions above, and having watched the game back today, here’s a few footballing thoughts.
1) Havertz is going from strength to strength. Arteta has taken a broken man from Chelsea and is turning him into an essential part of the team.
2) Ditto for Jorghino. I don’t know whether he is capable of playing twice a week, but he really has become the missing link. Partey doesn’t walk back into this team. New deal please.
3) Jorghino behind him is allowing Rice to develop as an eight. Watch this space.
4) Odegaard is the heart beat of the team.
5) Our centre backs are the best in the league
6) Ramsdale will be in goals on Saturday. I’d have given him the second half yesterday.
7) The Porto game is looming large. Huge game a week today.
8) This is the finest Arsenal I’ve seen since the Invincibles
Excellent all round performance. Not surprisingly, Partey looked extremely rusty. Cedric looked like his skillset might suit Sheffield’s more than ours.
Win the next one.
nicely done, 21cg. agree with the balance praise above. we’re playing beautifully, beating the teams put in front of us with aplomb. i’ll keep looking to our 3-1 victory over pool as the measure of this patch.
one thing i’ve been musing on is: where did all this come from? we spent much of the pre-christmas period playing relatively effective, if too-occasionally turgid, football, causing much of the clamor for us to spend some untold millions on a striker in january. we couldn’t break through the low block, and teams were scoring with their one or two shots on our goal too frequently. arteta even admitted we were playing for control, not for flair, high goal counts, etc., and only at rare moments did we see the joie du vivre we saw last year on the pitch. everyone was getting antsy, and nervous, and some were even writing off our title push.
and then we lost to wet spam and fulham in the league, and to liverpool in the fa cup on the trot at the turn of the year, just before our trip to dubai. and since then, we’ve been largely without flaw, or equal, in the last seven games. we all know the numbers, and have all (mostly) watched the games. it’s been a great source of joy, and pride, such as it is.
but what has changed? some will say salt bae (yeesh!), others will say rest, still others will say cameraderie. all were available in dubai, indeed many of them were available prior to the trip. something gelled in the minds of our players, and in translating their spatial awareness into one-touch football in and around the area. there’s a level of trust between teammates i’ve not seen since the invincibles era, knowing someone is going to be making the run and, most importantly, trusting enough to make the pass that opens the goal. it’s incredibly satisfying to watch this team play together and start to build a swagger (ok, porto away, but that, for me, was an aberration…let’s see what happens next week).
it’s not to say we don’t have problems. we’re still too profligate given the number of clear chances we spurn. there are times where the passes are not being played, or not being well-received to achieve an opening. our spine is incredibly reliant on the health of saliba, gabriel, and rice. we have no replacement for mø’s orchestration, ball retention, and captaincy, though the latter is clearly filled by committee and there are candidates that can do it. i am still not convinced by raya in goal, though given the paucity of shots he’s faced over the past two months it’s difficult to fault him for letting in only four goals in that timespan; it’s still a spot of concern that he makes one or two really poor decisions that against teams less beaten down by our goalscoring could cost us…
anyway, my thoughts. i can watch the first half of the newcastle, west ham, and sheffield games on repeat. we have become so, so good against lesser teams in putting them to the sword. i’ll be curious to see how this plays out over our next three games…
Cheers 21CG!
Quickest emptying of a Stadium might be another record to add to the list from last night!
Check out these dancing girls. Don’t expect you will be disappointed if you do.
GSD@10: Guilty as charged. And apologies to Auston.
Also, belatedly, the GHF Predictathon Leader Board for Match Week 27 is posted. You know where to find it…
bt8@18 – Those feet are first-team fast……
Cheer 21CG, a finely balanced report. Not a slight overcelebration :).
To be honest Arsenal only done its job but in spectacular fashion.
COYG
This is quite magnificent.
Brilliant C100 ! In the end that’s why we’re all here 👏🏻👍🏻
Excellent, Countryman.
And he uses a line I’ve only ever heard from Dave about football being the most important of the unimportant things. So apt.
C100 @22, that is simply beautiful. Thanks for posting.
C100@22: Absolutely terrific.
Warning: this is a long post.
Since we bought Havertz, I’ve been a huge fan of the player and the signing. Recently, his performances on the pitch have improved, including an increase in goals and assists, and a lot of Gooners who were unhappy or unconvinced are starting to warm to him. He has not won over everyone yet, and there seems to be a lot of debate about where he actually plays and what he does.
But I would like to rewind a little and say something about why I have been so on board from the start, even when that required defending him against some fervent opinion that he was an expensive waste of money.
It is certainly not because I am wonderful at analysing football and could see things others could not.
One of the few things that has improved in football coverage, to my mind, since social media and youtube made it ubiquitous, is the proliferation of genuinely excellent, expert analysis.
I almost never watch the opinions of the pundits on tv (moronic, wildly partisan ex-pros who do not have the skill to analyse the game and are paid for their ability to generate engagement, which is another way of saying that they are paid to wind people up). I certainly don’t listen to radio phone-ins (just like I don’t stick rusty nails in my ears).
And yet, despite the pitiful level of quality in the mainstream media which is still, somehow, consumed by vast numbers of people, there is some absolutely brilliant analysis available online which I find hugely illuminating, not least because I don’t have the understanding to appreciate the nuance of positioning which is the hallmark of Arteta’s brand of football.
So, I was no fan of Havertz because I could see him doing something clever on the pitch that others were not seeing.
And yet, my support of the guy was linked to my own lack of analytic ability. You see, if I had to present an analysis of a game of football to an audience of professionals within the game (or, perhaps what I really mean to say is “to a knowledgable and intelligent audience”), and I could have one person to help me do so, then I would choose Mikel Arteta.
In my opinion, Mikel Arteta understands football better than anyone else on the planet, Pep included. He is well ahead of Klopp (who obviously is excellent in this area, as most professional managers are, but relies on energy and passion far more than exerting control through rigorously coached positional awareness); He is leagues ahead of Slur Alex, or even dear Arsene – of course in part because he came after them and the game has moved on.
When Arteta watches football, he is watching a different game to me.
Have you ever watched a Youtube video of a Grandmaster explaining the rapid unfolding of a chess match? It is super interesting even if, like me, you know sod all about chess. And part of what makes it so eye-opening is the speed of their recognition of patterns, the ease with which they see possibilities open and close with each move made; the familiarity with which they talk about complicated manoeuvres. They are, quite literally, seeing things that are completely beyond my understanding.
This is how Arteta sees football. He has taken the visionary and inspired ideas of Pep and applied a new level of incisive rigour. He is building on the flair of Pep’s attacking philosophy to apply and advance the use of position (and the understanding of how to shift the entire postion of the team based on every five metre pass across the back the opposition makes – it is that level of detail he operates on) to negate anything the opposition try to do to his team.
Let me put it another way. If Arteta built spaceships, or submarines, and had begun training as a teen, then spent years professionally operating them and studying them in a series of the most advanced places in the world under the guidance of a succession of different yet superb leaders, before completing all of the highest level accreditation available under the world-leading body and then becoming the right-hand man of the top-expert in the field, all the while critiqueing what he saw and devising his own systems to improve upon all of it, then it would not occur to me, or most people, to go online and tell anyone who would listen that he doesn’t know what he is doing and that the alloys he wants to build his machine out of are inappropriate and won’t work due to their fundamnetally flawed nature.
But, in football, the very top experts in the world constantly have their decisions second-guessed by people who know very little about football. (Just watch Monday Night Football on Sky to prove that point, you don’t even need to head over to Twitter.)
Of course, that is the way fandom and the industry works, and I am not against it in any way – discussing football is literally why I found Dave’s bar, why I contribute here, and has been a huge part of my life for decades. We can’t all be world experts but we all love our clubs and have amassed varying levels of knowledge from our many years watching the game. We, and I include myself in this, are obviously not misguided in assuming that we have valid opinion and an understanding of what we are watching.
But I do find it does some good to step back sometimes and acknowledge my limitations.
After the fact, I can appreciate a reply showing when when one of our midfielders does not track a runner. This can be harder to see on tv, although when at a game it is often obvious as it happens. Even on tv, in real time I might well spot a tactic to switch the ball fast and long from TAA at right back to Diaz on the left wing, for example.
But when it comes to a player like Havertz (there are few) under a manager like Mikel (there are fewer still, if any) then I don’t claim to have had any idea what it was supposed to look like.
I just knew that Arteta knew what it was supposed to look like.
Remember, he did not take a punt on Havertz, oh no. He went out of his way to fly againt most people’s opinion and spend big money and wages on the guy because he was convinced he was the player we needed, even when buying him prevented us spending big on anyone else (given we already wanted Rice and Timber), including the striker so many people were clamouring for. And then he spoke every time about how happy he was with the player.
It always seemed to me like the boss got exactly the player he wanted and was happy with his call – I did not feel it wise to argue against his jusdgment, even if I could not quite see how he fitted in (Frankly, I assumed at first he would just play left 8 like Xhaka had been, which was completely wrong, but certainly one prism to view, and deride, his initial performances through).
I said months ago that I thought Arteta rated Havertz as having the footballing brain to understand tactical overviews of a game whilst he is in the middle of the playing it.
Players like this are gold dust. So, I continued to say, I reckon that Arteta wants Havertz to play a more subtle and nuanced position than he would ask of anyone else, because he thinks only Havertz has the understanding to do it.
Trev, not unreasonably, asked me if I could explain what that nuanced role was. I was noticebaly quiet at that point! (“No Trev – I bloody well can’t!” would have been my reply.)
It was just a feeling that Arteta wanted someone who could play in about three different positions in the same game, depending on where the ball was and what the opposition were doing, whilst minimising the times he was out of position, and so the boss had gone out to buy the player he thought might actually be able to pull it off.
I think now we are starting to see it. Opposition players have no idea where is going to pop up or how to mark him, yet every time they have the ball he seems to be standing right in the middle of their best passing lane.
If Odegaard is the oil in our engine, then Hazard is a bunch of small parts in the engine that have names known only to mechanics but that are very useful for getting the car to go fast. He is also the mudguards, thanklessly getting sprayed with dirt so the rest of the car stays clean. (That’s the best analysis I have for you Trev!)
In terms of his on-ball actions, Havertz still has a way to go. He needs to make the goal against the Blades his template for how to strike his shots with conviction – I am still waiting for an outside the box screamer. He wins a lot of balls in the air but needs some Giroud-esque determination to win headers in the box and convert crosses into goals. And sometimes he just over or underhits a pass, almost like he is already thinking about where he will be in three passes time and has stopped concentrating on the immediate action. So, lest anyone think I am suggesting we have seen the best of him, I am most certainly not.
He is a player with a huge ceiling, which he is not close to yet, and luckily for us he has the right manager to coax it out of him, which I want to see.
A further thing I have to say is how easy he makes football look. I used to watch DB10 do some very difficult things and make them look easy FOR HIM. They still looked like they’d be impossible for me, but he did them with a grace and harmony of thought and body which made them look like he exerted so little effort to do them.
Havertz does something different. I had to watch the assist for Ben White’s goal a bunch of times before I realised how good it was. Havertz makes a brilliant run, pulls the ball that is coming over his shoulder out of the air and into his path with one deft touch, he comes insdie the defender with a second, simultaneously checking his body around the guy, and then he lays the ball not to where Ben White wants it, but to where it needs to be for Ben White to hit it (he forces White to shoot, not his first instinct, by playing it across him onto his left foot).
The whole thing is inch perfect, but it wasn’t like watching Bergkamp do something remarkable in a way that made it look easy. It was watching a guy do something remarkable in a away that made it look ordinary.
Havertz made that look like I could have done it, like it was no big deal. Except it was a majestic piece of play. Just wonderful. He can be so matter-of-fact I don’t always notice just how beautifully he manipulates a football.
I also think he is the perfect foil for Odegaard. The Norweigian plays best with the ball and needs to have a lot of it. Havertz is devastating in what he does without it, and, at his best, maximises what he does when he gets it by getting rid of it again efficiently. He is not a guy who strokes the ball around dictating play, we already have that guy. He is someone who pops up where the opposition don’t want him to, even if it just to bounce a five yard pass off, which facilitates someone else in our team hurting the opposition.
He is such an unselfish player, with so little ego, and I think he is going to get better and better from here on in.
Based on my gut and nothing more, I reckon he will also score the decisive goal in a couple of close and important games by the end of the season.
Right, that’s my ruminations on Havertz. If you read all of it, then cheers for that. There’s a drink for you on the bar.
Wow. Great post GSD. As my point 1 in drink 13 above shows, I’m a believer. You’ve just brilliantly articulated why.
Great stuff, GSD !
I thought, to prove that I’m prepared to change my mind, I’d post the comment that prompted GSD to come and explain –
I have to say that his (Havertz) attitude (apparent) was what bothered me most. Almost all players take time to settle to a new team / position / way of playing but he didn’t even seem to out much effort in, which is always the minimum requirement.
Like some others, I’m still not exactly sure where he plays or quite what he does but he does seem to keep popping up in the right places.
His work rate is transformed and I find myself actually feeling pleased when he’s now in the starting line up.
I know you (GSD) were convinced about his role and ability from the start and I really disagreed. Seems you knew something I didn’t. Well done, mate !
Three excellent posts here. The two by C100 who does the hard yards(miles ) to watch the team are contrasting in that one is about Arsenal and one about football generally. I agree with almost everything in the first post and disagree with nothing . I will clarify that later .
The second about Wimbledon is dear to me because I used to spend a lot of time watching Isthmian league when I was too small to go to Arsenal. I spent a lot of my life in Plough Lane . One of the officers at the prison where I’m on the board is a huge AFC Wimbledon fan. I saw him last Wednesday . ‘ Ready for the Derby Al’ ?, I asked .’ You bet’ he said . ‘
‘ That game means as much to us as your game with Tottenham means to you ‘.
If I might say so it means more . Neither side stole the other’s birthright – we just nicked their place in the First Division!
As for GSD , he articulates beautifully something I’ve increasingly started to think . That Arteta isn’t Pep Lite. Pep may be Mikel Lite ! I’m inclined to completely trust him and having watched All or Nothing I sense , importantly that the board trust him totally . I hope Arteta chooses the players and Edu buys them because I trust Mikel’s judgment much more . I sense he is someone who has extraordinarily rich ideas which could drive businesses successfully in many different spheres .
I think we paid too much for Havertz ( and pay him too much ) but if Mikel is happy I’m happy and we are seeing the flowering of a fascinating talent . He has scored against Bournemouth, Brentford , Brighton , Burnley , Luton , Sheffield United and Newcastle . If he can notch against Liverpool , City, the Spuds or Villa I will be completely convinced because he hasn’t played well in the big games other than Liverpool. But he’s heading firmly in the right direction .
Great post GSD, exactly what this blog was designed for .
Helluva post, GSD! Helluva post.
I one hundred percent agree…and Havertz is just 24. This past summer, a Chelsea acquaintance laughed that he’ll be happy to hear my lamentations and curses as Havertz misses shot after shot. I laughed, and told him, we’ll see. It’s all gone crickets on his side.
There are also some Arsenal “supporters” at my office who scoffed when I backed Havertz to score 10 goals this season. We’re all enjoying the ride, but I gently remind the new Havertz bandwagonners of their previous lack of vision.
I agree with you Arteta is seeing a different game and knows what he wants. There are those, in this very parish, who bristle at the notion that the game has changed.
They’ll trot out the same hits: the grass is green and the ball is round. But, ladies and gents, Arteta is doing some high level stuff, and I am loving the hell out of it. I can’t wait to see the continued improvements his coaching and theory will have on this team. I only hope it is vindicated by winning the big trophies playing with his players playing his way
Ad secula seculorum. Veritas.
MCMBD
c100@22. magnificent. exactly right. thank you.
gsd@27, yes, yes, YES!
GSD@27: Top notch. A distinguished addition to what is turning out to be an excellent round of drinks.
Saliba is another one in whom Arteta saw a future key piece of the way he wanted his team to play when many Gooners thought the young Frenchman a colossal waste of money.
I wonder if Havertz-like conversations were had among fans in 1929 after Herbert Chapman spent a fortune for the time buying a little inside right from Preston North End, who was having an indifferent first season at Highbury, but in whom Chapman had seen all the attributes for a novel but key role in the (revolutionary) way he wanted his team to play. He positioned Alex James as neither a conventional inside forward nor wing-half, but as the playmaker servicing Bastin and Hulme on the wings, the inside forwards Beasley, Bowden and Jack, and the centre forwards Coleman, Drake and Lambert. Once Chapman had assembled a team to make the most of James’s particular abilities and got it playing the way he wanted, the trophies rolled in.
Big tick to GSD@27
Ned@34
Your remarks about Alex James are very pertinent .
Chapman was an incredible innovator and , for example, the role Herbie Roberts played at centre half was fundamentally different to other teams.He adapted to the new offside law before other teams had adapted . We are now seeing inverted full-backs , inverted wingers , false 9s and left 8s and all the terms that we are now used to bandying around when we comment on games here .
But that first goal on Monday astonished me when you saw a side, away from home after five minutes seizing an initiative so that the whole Arsenal side bar Raya ( who was probably forty yards from his goal ) were within thirty yards from their goal compressing the Blades right from the kickoff . I’ve not seen football played as aggressively as that before and you couldn’t do that against say Man Citeh at the Emptihad because you wouldn’t have the ball . But against sides where you dominate possession ( and this may happen on Saturday ) you push defenders into territory that nobody envisaged an away ( or even home ) team occupying, particularly at the start of a game .
On another point I’m in Liverpool and will visit the Hillsborough memorial tomorrow
There are rumours afoot that Tomi has signed a new contract for close to £200 k pw. That’s fine in terms of his ability but we need to see him on the pitch much more .Similarly Zinchenko
That’s an excellent drink, GSD @27. A very large measure of your favourite tipple sits on the virtual bar awaiting your return.
I was convinced of Arteta’s intelligence as a player when I saw him at Rangers then Everton and was delighted when he joined us even though his legs were going (much like Jorginho now (who may have a similar level of football intelligence)). Moreover I have trusted him as a manager since his appointment despite being surrounded by moans about his teams’ so-called over-controlled playing style when he had to field players from a dysfunctional fractious squad not of his choosing. Like TTG I have complete faith in his choice of players and am delighted to see conversions among the Kaiphobes. Can we have some positivity for Raya and Vieira now too?
Raya has improved markedly and it is some months now since there has been much cause for criticizing his performances. The jury is still put on Vieira since he has not played much recently and his performances before that were less than scintillating. As for Havertz, isn’t he the new Chamakh? 😉
TTG@36: Raya could probably have been 40 yards from the Blades’ goal, let alone his own. They had no out ball. McBurnie touched the ball just 10 times all game. Toney will be a different proposition on Saturday.
Now we know to look for it, we can see how the team moves as one, reshaping as the ball is moved around, whereas Sheffield just looked like the disorganised rabble they were.
What is crucial to the way we are playing at the moment is the fitness of William Saliba.
When we lost him for the last couple of months of last season it affected the entire team.
Without his pace at the back – and equally the lack of pace of the stand-ins – the back four had to play much further back. That increased the gap to the midfield which created space between our lines, and consequently our midfield also had to drop further back to get the ball.
That in turn increased the gap to our attack which disabled our press and left the attack without the kind of support in numbers we are seeing high up the pitch now.
Without Saliba we would not be able to play as compact and create the same pressure we currently do because the back line would have to change shape from that high, flat line.
I don’t know what the backup plan is if Saliba were to get injured – PKEASE NO – but I hope it’s a good one. I would guess it might be Tomiyasu at right centre back as he is also quick but, as TTG also said – he needs to stay fit.
Trev@41: Point well made. Benny Blanco is no slouch, either.
A great lot of drinks to catch up on this morning, thanks Gents!
Though I am around a century younger than TTG, like the gentleman himself I spent some time on the original Plough Lane terraces watching us in the Southern League, through FA Cup exploits and then for a couple of seasons in Division 4. My older brother watched them rise from about Beerbelly League Division 8 to league football again and still goes occasionally now, as TTG said it meant the world to stick it to Milton Keynes, the thieving bastards. Very happy for them all 🍾🍾🥂
I agree with GSD, and other posters here, that it’s well worth trusting MA’s judgment on players. In Havertz’s case MA has done a great man management job in restoring his confidence and we are getting the reward now. Seems to be working with Raya too.
Personally I think you sometimes need to give it a couple of seasons to really see with players but that’s not a one size fits all opinion obviously as Rice is proving every week.
Good to get Tomi signed up as he gives us options on right and left. Though Trev’s point about Saliba is well made I think we will be much better able to cope this season with Kiwior looking more at home in the PL and if a well-rested Tomi stays fit this time, not sure we can reasonably expect much from Timber before May.
Not 100% sure but I think MA sees Declan as another CB option as he looked at him there pre-season, and with Partey, Jorginho available it would be doable.
Bath,
I think there is a principle that is very much upheld on here that we are generally positive about the club and support our players but we do raise concerns if we have reservations .
My own take on Raya is to back Arteta’s judgement although I feel huge sympathy for Ramsdale . Frankly I could have played in goal for the last few games and the number of on target shots has reduced to a trickle because of our dominance . But Mikel sees Raya’s starting positions and distribution as his USPs . Fair enough.
As for Vieira he is one of the finest midfield players we have ever had, oh sorry that Vieira ! Tbf I haven’t seen enough of him to be convinced but hope he can push on fitness wise and show his ability . On recent form I think Sambi Lokonga might push him for a squad place as he is playing very well in a slightly resurgent Luton. Jorginho was a masterful signing, in fact the work done in the previous winter window with Trossard , Jorginho and Kiwior signed , all for less than the price of Mudryk looks excellent business so credit to Edu and his team there . Missing out on Mudryk was a sliding doors moment !
There’s something good going on at the moment with confidence, and hopefully it pays off in more difficult fixtures soon too.
It may ‘only’ have been Sheffield United, but there’s no way Havertz buries that chance confidently the way he did even against a GoonerholicsForever XI.
The little stuff before he assisted Ben White too, that was brilliant.
As for Raya, I don’t feel worried anymore, he also seems a lot more confident.
Some caveats may apply on opposition and smoking a cigar while in goals, but again, it’s the evolution that is noticeable. There’s been some immediate successes, some less so, but our recent signings overall have been rather inspired.
I’m chuffed with Raya. I couldn’t see it right away, but as TTG notes, his starting positions and distribution (and his interception of crosses) are key features.
This fine article by Tim Stillman in his Arseblog column is well worth a read if anyone missed it.
I think the interesting thing for me is that this is the first time I’ve ever really thought about having the right type of goalkeeper. It’s not a position like striker, where different teams might need a different profile. I’ve basically always thought keepers were pretty comparable, and simply wanted us to have the best one.
In the last few years some teams have wanted keepers better at passing than used to be the case, but that’s about the only quality they don’t all have that might distinguish them, and something I’d have said Ramsdale did very well.
Yet I’m starting to see that Raya is an upgrade on Ramsdale’s distribution, and he claims a lot more crosses, which is often a platform for launching a counter.
He’s not the best keeper I’ve ever seen, but he does seem incredibly well suited to being the goalkeeper in this team.
Conversely to his namesake, our current Vieira is often peripheral and doesn’t stamp his authority on games. Not that he needs to be all blood and thunder, a player can influence a game by a willingness to get on the ball and show his quality, but I want to see a lot more from Vieira. He looks fine when he comes on in matches we are already winning, but he’s not pushing for a starting place in the way that Trossard is always in the conversation. That’s what we need from a player of his profile.
I wonder if he might be effective against Porto, good at opening up a well-organised continental defence? It would be good to see him have a really great game for us – perhaps feel a bit more that he’s proving himself next to some of our other top performing players.
Given the travails of the England cricket team I am happy to claim a precious half century!
Can’t even get that right.
Off to Anfield!
Well in for an emphatic half-ton, GSD! And I think the points about Raya as self-assist were convinving too.
Heh TTG, looks like the cricket was a bit of a massacre this morning after a promising opening spell.
I missed the dash to the line too! 😉
To be fair, I got caught into a meeting at just the wrong time.
Excellent observation, Trev @41, that Saliba is key to the extraordinary way that this team presses and plays and that his absence last season was a critical factor in our collapse compounded by the simultaneous absence of Tomiyasu (and White?). Those two plus Kiwior offer us better backups with and without the ball than we had available last season as others have observed though I would prefer not to test the theory.
Excellent observations about Raya from several. It is worth remembering that Arteta added Ramsdale (a very likeable young man and an excellent keeper) to the squad because we could not persuade Brentford to sell us Raya that summer. Clearly Arteta went back for Raya at the earliest opportunity as he saw something in him that he couldn’t see in Ramsdale. I think Raya’s calm demeanour, ability to gather crosses, eye for a swift pass/throw as well as his skill with the ball at his feet more than make up for his perceived lack of height and occasional positioning gamble. He is clearly Arteta’s number one.
Vieira shows great skill on the ball and has scored some lovely goals but as GSD observes he has, so far, failed to assert himself in games even to the extent of Trossard let alone his name sake. Every coach buys the occasional turkey and Arteta will prove no exception but it looks like he sees in Vieira or gets something from him in games that he doesn’t see or get from ESR. Time will tell.
Great picture Ollie. Well done, sir.
Cheers, bath! And yes, I’d rather not test the Saliba theory either, for all the reasons raised by Trev. There are some who said we were starting to fail before Saliba got injured last season, and while I think we’ve progressed further this season defensively as a unit, I think that was mostly ‘trying to reassure yourself that this was not THE reason, but deep inside knowing it had a big impact’. I think it’s not at all innocent that Arteta for a few weeks was trying to dangle the carrot of hope on Saliba’s fitness, but I suspect he knew long before that we wouldn’t see Saliba again next season.
Hopefully, his back is being rubbed the right way now, literally.
Yes, well run Ollie !
A belated well in for the half ton, GSD. The flag seems to have stayed down on the self-assist.
Ollie@53: You looked quite the part, especially with 100m to go.
On Raya’s cross-catching ability, he is in the top 1% of keepers in the Big 5 leagues over the past 12 months for the percentage of crosses claimed.
Also, 97% of keepers have faced more shots on target than him over the same period, which shows what a blanket our defence is throwing over oppostion attackers.
Well run Ollie and well in GSD @50 and 27. To put some faith into the proposition that Mikel knows what he is doing does not seem to be too much to ask at this point, does it?
Haaland is in some kind of spat with Alexander Arnold over some load of crap or other. I say let the crap slinging continue while Arsenal can quietly pick up their three points
Well done Ollie 👏👏👏
How was Anfield TTG? Did you remind them we won the league there once? 😄
Cheers folks. Ned @ 57, well I was certainly trying not to fall apart and giving the last ounce of energy left at that stage. ‘Sprinting’ to the line, but really straining, I couldn’t get more speed there.
Impressive stats on the cross-catching and indeed the whole defensive business. We’ve barely been threatened lately, hope we’ll withstand next time we will be. Bound to happen at some stage, although we’ve actually done brilliantly against the best teams to this season on a whole, so….fingers crossed.
bt8 : hopefully they can have a go (spit?) at each other and both get sent off at the weekend.
Well run, Ollie – top effort, top man!
BBC report:
“The bad news for Brentford is Ben Mee’s ankle injury means their entire first-choice back four is missing for this game”
>>>>>>>