Goonerholics Forever

It’s always nice to get even an easy box checked nice and early. The Arsenal did just that on a Wednesday evening in January when the seasonal double over the wrong end marsh-dwellers was achieved with a winner from Leo plus a welcome slice of luck seeing us home. Now, 2-1 is not the most convincing of wins on paper, however on the night we thoroughly deserved the points and of course the bragging rights. North London remains red. And on the back of that spineless spud effort it will be for some time to come. 

The Opening

The evening had begun with Mikel Arteta naming an XI much as expected, with Sterling retaining his place on the right and Gabriel Martinelli the man to miss out among our four remaining attackers. Nice to see MLS flying the flag for Hale End. The club had helpfully laid out a large North London is Red montage in the West Stand to explain the current situation to whatever percentage of the neighbour’s support is literate nowadays and with that and the playing of the National Anthem North London Forever the game got underway. Well, we got started anyway as we utterly dominated the first 20 minutes. We looked confident on the ball and the crowd were noisily behind us, or so it sounded from my seat on the edge of the sofa. Sterling looked lively early on and was put in behind with a good ball in from Lewis-Skelly but the keeper was out quickly. A few minutes later our best chance of the opening quarter came from a Trossard shot in a good position just to the left of the six-yard-box, but it was blocked and scrambled clear by a nervous looking makeshift Spud rearguard. Corners came and went with no clear chance, although amusingly No Practise Ange had left two forward to try and dilute the threat, perhaps he phoned a friend for advice. Son did his best to rouse the visitors with his second-best dive and beseeching look at the ref but was ignored and the only other opposition action of note was Bergvall very luckily escaping a booking for a poor foul on Partey. The Spuds then had just about their only good five minutes of the first half. It began with a break down our right, Timber and Saliba allowed Spence too much room to cross and Gabriel had to do very well to divert the ball behind. From the ensuing corner we again had to defend as the ball dropped nicely for Kulusevski, fortunately Raya was out smartly to save at close range – an excellent piece of keeping. However, a couple of minutes later the Spuds won another corner. This time the ball eventually came to Son unmarked on the edge of the area and his fairly tame shot took an inopportune deflection off Saliba’s foot and into the far corner of our net giving Raya no chance. A large slice of luck for the undeserving but we had not helped ourselves at all by leaving Son so open. Frustratingly too, just a couple of minutes earlier a similar thing had happened but Sterling had smartly taken the ball off Son’s toe and made a break upfield. That is not at all to blame Sterling in particular for the goal but surely someone should have been closer. 

The Fightback – 1-0 down, 2-1 up The Arsenal

For about 10 minutes after the goal we did, in truth, look a little set back though we pushed forward and strove hard. The goal as you would imagine gave them some confidence too and our sudden doubts seemed to transmit to the crowd who were somewhat quieter (again this is from my now hunched over position on the edge of the sofa!). Fortune, an annoying worm of late, was, however, about to take a timely turn. Leo attempted a cross from the left but it was blocked and went out after a double deflection for a goal kick – or should have, but bless the officials they missed it and gave us a corner, a porro decision really but hey I’ll take it. The corner came in to the back post, Gabriel got his head to it and the ball somehow, well, wormed its way into the net via a couple of deflections. Now, there was a large slice of luck there sure, but a couple of points should be made, firstly it was an excellent delivery from Rice to take out the keeper and most of the spud defence, secondly it came in at speed and it was an outstanding effort from Gabriel to get to it and make something happen. Those things were not luck, they were about skill and determination. At a difficult moment two of our most important players got us level and changed the whole atmosphere. The crowd were back at full roar and after a short break for an inconsistent yellow for Kai, we were back on the attack. Partey won it well in midfield, fed it to Øde, who passed it on to Leo. There was plenty to do but Trossard took it forward to the left edge of the area and then slammed it home across the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Should the keeper have saved it? Probably, but he is new and young and was undoubtedly nervous in a NLD. He had already got lucky a couple of times when well chased down by Kai and he couldn’t get away with it forever at this level. Half-time came and we had turned it round with great courage and purpose, I honestly can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t expect anything else as this manager and this squad has demonstrated those qualities numerous times, they do not hide, they fight. 

The Foregone Conclusion

At the start of the second half I had thought that the neighbours would at least put up some kind of fight but I was relieved in a way to see Maddison and Johnson thrown on by Ange. These are not men to be feared in the heat of battle, mainly because they won’t be there. I am not going to go into any detail on the 2^nd half because the only things to really say are that we mostly managed the game well, it was nice to see KT3, we should have scored more goals, and that I was never concerned even in the last minute when Porro hit the post, it was a shot that was never going in. The ref blew the final whistle and one of the great scientific questions was answered – Can spuds slunk? Yes, they can! I saw many slunking away, certainly enough for statistical significance anyway. 

When all is said and done……………..

MLS said afterwards that his grandma was there for the game and he hoped she was proud of him. I am absolutely sure she was, I know I was, and MA described him as phenomenal.

Been a difficult week or two for Kai, but he certainly didn’t hide and I was proud of him too.

It was nice that David Raya took the time in an interview to remember Gabriel Jesus, the injury gods have been particularly cruel and I wish Gabi all the best

Raheem Sterling came in for a little criticism I noticed but to be honest I thought he did as well as can be expected given how little he has played. He obviously tired and MA was right to make the change on the hour but I feel more comfortable that Sterling can contribute well after that outing.

Having said that, MA said afterwards that we are actively looking for attackers as it’s urgent with Bukayo out for 3 months and now Jesus out for a long period. We have to accept that in the circumstances we may not get exactly who we want and may well get stiffed too but one more is necessary now. 

Be great to see Ode and Kai on the scoresheet in the near future.

On we go then in better heart to the next game – home to Villa. Let’s welcome Emery and Emi back and then stick it to them. 

Finally, fight for the Top 4 my arse, we are going for the title. We were before the game and we are now.

Well, this month is certainly dragging. A somewhat sobering footballing week, or so, was rounded off by an extra time defeat against probably the worst Manchester United team in 35 years, reduced to 10 men for 65 minutes. It was almost enough to have me reaching for a post-match pint. Fortunately, I was able to call upon a similarly stoic, bloody-minded willpower to that which allows our team to refuse to compromise and give up on a chosen course of action. For them, a determination to build slowly, at times painfully so, attempting to grind out games through employing the “Death of a Thousand Sideways and Backwards Passes” stratagem. The temptation to think that, perhaps, both of us would be better falling off our particular wagons, is great.

I rose out of the bowels of the earth at Arsenal tube at 2.30 pm to discover that Calafiori was out injured, again, and Lewis-Skelly would be in his place. Rice and Partey were rested with Merino and Jorginho in their places. Arsenal lined up:

Raya

Timber Saliba  Gabriel  Lewis-Skelly

Ødegaard Jorginho Merino

Jesùs Havertz Martinelli

Arsenal started well, dominating possession and territory. United started as they meant to continue with a series of fouls of varying degrees of snideness which the referee was happy not to call for bookings. One of the Block 10 Magi made the point that they were playing very much as Ferguson’s early 2000’s teams did against us, very physically, relying on the generosity of the officials. 

In the 18^th minute, Arsenal had a goal disallowed. Timber played a through ball. Martinelli was in an offside position, but The Obelisk tried to cut it out and in doing so played the ball to Martinelli who finished with aplomb. Now Maguire definitely tried to play the ball. Lineker on the half time punditry went through the rules for such a decision where the player doesn’t control the ball and deflects on for a goal, which were: 

1. The ball has travelled a short distance
2. The offending player doesn’t have a clear view of the ball
3. The ball is moving quickly
4. The direction of the ball is unexpected
5. The offending player had limited or no time to coordinate his body movement.

Well, none of these applied to the situation here. Next week we will see a similar decision go the other way. The only thing consistent about PGMOL attitude to what are, after all, laws of the game not guidelines, is the inconsistency with which they apply them. 

Arsenal continued to pile on the pressure without really looking like we would score. On a few corners, the degree of manhandling, of Gabriel in particular was ridiculous. In Rugby, you cannot tackle or hold off the ball. How has this been able creep into the game? Who thinks this is okay? On 28 minutes, Martinez quite cynically elbowed Jesùs off the ball. This received the correct sanction of a yellow.

In the 37^th minute, Jesùs was taken off after seemingly catching his studs in the turf after fouling Fernandez. There might have been some sympathy for the latter were he not such a rat in human form. Jesùs was stretchered off, hands over his face. It looked serious. Sterling took his place.

Martinez clogged Ødegaard from behind on 46. Free kick but no second card for Martinez. The Surrey-based hordes treated us to one of their comical renditions of “Same old Arsenal, Always cheating.” Oh, the irony!

Half time: Arsenal 0 Man U 0

On 48 minutes, Dalot took out Lewis-Skelly with an ugly tackle on the edge of the box after a clever run in behind by the central midfielder repurposed as a left back. Dalot was rightly booked.  Three minutes late, Gabriel slipped while deputising in the left back role and Garnacho was able to sprint forward and pick out Fernandez on the edge of the box to hit a smart finish into the net giving Raya no chance.  Until this point, United had done nothing of note and it took considerable good fortune for them to do so.  Two minutes later, Havertz had a bad, bad miss from 6 yards.  Hitting the target was the minimum required. 

Arsenal 0 Man U 1

On 58 United broke, after the referee allowed Hojlund to elbow Gabriel in the face on the half way line while protecting the ball.  This resulted in Gabriel going down holding his face. When was the last time a referee ignored a player holding his face on the floor and didn’t stop play?  Having not given a foul, the referee then sent Gabriel to the touchline for what I presume to be a blood injury. Did the referee think he had cut himself shaving?  I don’t want unwarranted decisions going in our favour. I just want consistency.

A couple of minutes later, Dalot was sent off for an out-of-control studs up lunge on the half way line. Dalot plaintively appealed to the referee with the sweet smile of a Saint. Garnacho then impeded the free kick being taken, and the referee simply asked for it to be taken again.  It mattered not. Gabriel scored the equaliser after a clever Martinelli cross came down to him to hammer via a slight deflection past Bayindir.

Arsenal 1 Man U 1

On 68 minutes, a dancing run into the box by the effervescent Sterling released Havertz who went past The Obelisk, showing all the customary fleetness of foot we have come to expect for club and country, and fell. Every season of Strictly Come Dancing requires the compulsory leaden footed oaf to laugh at. It can’t be long before Maguire receives his invite. There was contact. The kind of contact we are often told by the “experts” means it’s a penalty.  BBC comms couldn’t wait to cast doubt.  Consistency?  That doesn’t live here anymore. Some handbags then followed, as United players tried desperately to antagonise Arsenal players into reacting in a failed bid to even up the numbers. Arsenal players, most internationals, ought to have recognised this for the sort of “professionalism” it was and walked away but were drawn into a number of confrontations. Ugarte clearly made contact with his head on Havertz. Had there been VAR, he ought to have been given a second yellow. Then again, with VAR it might have gone the other way. Consistency.  Gabriel was booked. So was Havertz. Go figure! Bayindir made a very good penalty save. This was not going to be Arsenal’s day. 

The pretty much invisible Merino made way for Rice on 72 minutes and 6 minutes later he could have put Arsenal into the lead when his header, from a fabulous, chipped cross from Ødegaard was placed a touch too close to the keeper. On another day it would have nestled in the back of the net.

It was now relentless Arsenal pressure and United threw on 3 subs, taking off a couple of booked players and the diamond elbowed Hojlund and injecting some energy. The game then dragged towards the inevitable extra time.

On 86 Amad went down in a skirmish and rolled off the pitch. Arsenal looked to take the goal kick, but the referee decided, presumably, that he needed to ensure Amad wasn’t on the pitch receiving treatment. Of course, the linesman, with whom we are led to believe referees are in contact over microphone, could have told him this. No. He needed to run from the half way line back to the player to check, preventing the goal kick. I have never seen this before. It was odd.

Full Time: Arsenal 1 Man U 1

We pressured. It didn’t happen. 

Result a.e.t. and Pens:  Arsenal 4 Man U 5

Conclusions

After the game, Arteta tried to put a brave face on it in his press conference. It wasn’t really convincing. His repetition of how proud he is of his team and how we had dominance had echoes of the dog days of Wenger. It’s all very well winning the possession stats, but the nature of the performances doesn’t pass the eye test. So much of it is sterile possession. The football is painfully slow and laboured for the most part. For heaven’s sake, on the BBC commentary even Shearer, who is to tactical understanding what fish are to bicycles, spotted this. Gone is the free-flowing football, with almost telepathic understanding between players enabling quicksilver breaks. In has crept a blend of conservative, at times stultifying, ossified football; a seeming determination to ensure that we are at all times defensively secure before launching attacks, resulting in opposition being able to pull 10, at times 11, behind the ball. When he first arrived, he had to put pragmatism ahead of style, as he dealt with the dross and the ne’er-do-wells he had been bequeathed. But this team now is to a man his. I don’t have the answer. Perhaps the more tactically astute of you do. But something in the way we approach games needs to change.  What doesn’t need to change is Arteta in the role of manager. We are all frustrated at how this season is turning out. We are not playing the football we expected and, I believe, the manager wants to play. But you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. This place tries to live up to the outlook of its namesake, the incomparable ‘Holic.  It benefits hugely from being staffed by people who share this outlook and who in many cases have seen a lot both in life and in football. That provides the benefit of perspective. In football as in life, things don’t always go your way. We are defined not by our successes, but how we deal with our disappointments. There are people currently calling for the manager’s head. The benefit of perspective is that it allows you to remove yourself from the detail and look at the big picture.  That big picture is rosy. It is now down to us, as supporters, to rally round and dig in.  This is turning into a difficult month. Let’s show a bit of guts and back our team and club.

Phew! It’s enough to make a man turn to drink. Almost! 

On a cold night in north London, an Arsenal side recently ravaged by viral illness and still learning how to play without its creative genius, Bukayo Saka, took on a vibrant and confident Newcastle United in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. 

We were delighted to see that Ødegaard had shaken off enough of the lurgy to start and so too had MLS and Havertz (Jesùs dropping to the bench) and that we started with our first choice midfield:

Raya

Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, MLS;

Ødegaard, Partey, Rice;

Trossard, Havertz, Martinelli.

The Codes started much more briskly than we did and moved the ball quickly through our ranks in contrast to the way in which we seemed usually to ponderously built our attacks throughout this match. Our defenders passed the ball mainly laterally to beat the high press, midfielders regularly dropped deep to receive the ball then passed laterally as if to allow the Codes’ high press to drop back then when the ball eventually reached our wide men, they usually stopped, danced a bit, allowed the opposition defence to set themselves and then either passed back to a teammate or swung the ball in to meet the head of one of the Codes’ big stoppers. A friend described the experience as akin to watching David Raya plus ten Ray Wilkins playing. Perhaps I exaggerate a tad, but this was a very frustrating game to watch.

Of course, the efficiency of Newcastle’s high press and low block did slow down our attacks but our desire to pass the ball to feet facilitated that block as midfielders sought out a clear pathway for a pass to feet and opposition players sat on or in front of possible recipients. Our midfielders turning from right to left and back again, then choosing a square ball or a back pass became a frequent feature of this game. This Newcastle team proved a hard nut to crack.

After Newcastle’s early vigorous start in which Joelinton skied the ball over after 3 minutes, we played our way into the game and began to dominate possession. There were several near things. After 13 minutes, Timber headed a Rice corner wide from a decent chance. A Rice free kick from wide right, caused bedlam in the box with a Martinelli shot blocked by Tonali, a Saliba shot blocked by Burn near the goal-line and Havertz’s toe-poke smothered by Dubravka. A taste of things to come, sadly! Timber then met another Rice corner that he sent over and this one really should have hit the net. Our set pieces were getting closer! At this point we looked a good bet for the opener.

Yet Newcastle remained dangerous on the break. Isak beat Saliba and cut a ball back from the byline which reached Hall whose shot, blocked by Gabriel reached Tonali via a poor MLS clearance and the Italian blasted a great opportunity over the bar. A warning! 

Then, after 30 minutes, a sumptuous one touch ball out of our own half from Trossard gave Martinelli a one-on-one with Dubravka. Sadly Martinelli’s shot hit the post and rebounded. Another Arsenal corner followed leading to another scramble in the box which ended with a superb block by Botman to another close-range Havertz effort.

Shortly thereafter, their goalkeeper lofted a long free kick to the edge of our box, Botman nodded it on, we failed to clear the ball, it bounced to Murphy who got a lucky touch to Isak who had lost his marker, Ødegaard. The on-form Toon striker thumped the ball high into Raya’s net.

A foul on Partey at the edge of the D offered the chance of a swift equaliser but Ødegaard’s effort hit the wall. As 45 minutes loomed a close-range Gabriel effort was blocked by Dubravka.

Half Time: Arsenal 0-1 Newcastle United

An Opta stat that Newcastle had blocked eight Arsenal shots in the first half was ground for half-time optimism that we could wrest this tie back under our control but the vision of Barcodes throwing themselves in the path of goal bound shots in Keownesque fashion was the abiding image of the half. We had 58% possession, 14 shots vs 5, 3 on target vs 2 and 19 touches in the opposition box vs 10. Surely the second half would see us finish the job?

We started the second half on the front foot and had Newcastle under early pressure but after 6 minutes the shit hit the fan. A Murphy pass found Isak inside our box. His shot was parried by Raya diving to his right but fell to Gordon who put it in his net at the far post.

The rest of this half was a siege, albeit often in slow motion as described in the opening paragraphs. On 58 minutes, Havertz missed a sitter, the ball looping from a deflected cross to him in the 6-yard box with only Dubravka to beat but he shouldered it wide. That could have changed the complexion of this match and the scale of our task in the second leg.

On the hour, Arteta then put Jesùs and Jorginho on for Trossard and a tiring Partey. Interestingly, there was no attempt to add Sterling to the mix despite our need for a goal. Five minutes later, another excellent Rice corner was headed wide by Saliba from a few yards. ‘Nice Eddie’ then put Kelly, Barnes and Longstaffe on for Murphy, Willock and Isak, adopting a 5-4-1 by adding Kelly to the back line and leaving Gordon up front on his own.

The siege resumed and was met with stolid, brave, last ditch defending. A Jorginho strike from 20 yards was blocked by a diving Joelinton before Almiron replaced a flagging Gordon and joined the midfield line to make their formation 5-5-0. 

Arteta’s last throw of the dice was to replace MLS with Zinchenko who took up an ‘inside left’ position in the absence of any attacking threat from Newcastle and got a yellow card on 80 minutes for a magnificent challenge on Joelinton. The game played out with more pressure and more blocked shots. Jorginho fired a beauty just over the bar as 90 minutes came round.

Full Time: Arsenal 0-2 Newcastle United

Match stats show 70% possession, 23 vs 7 shots, 3 vs 4 on target and 47 vs 15 touches in the opposition box. The key difference was that they had an on-form top class striker who scored the first and ‘made’ their second. For all my hyperbolic criticism of our pedestrian build-up in the opening paragraphs, I must credit the team that their heads didn’t drop, their efforts never flagged and they kept trying right to the final whistle but it just wasn’t our night. Newcastle put in a superb defensive performance without displaying many of the dark arts we have seen from them before and took their few opportunities well. They deserved their win.

I thought that Saliba, Ødegaard and Havertz in particular played as if they were still suffering from post-viral malaise and none of those three, despite much effort, showed the quality that we have come to expect of them. I have seen much angst, anger and criticism in social media but in truth we have played less well this season and taken the points. The effort was there, the crispness, the final ball and the finish just weren’t and at the other end we had two unlucky bounces of the ball.

I am optimistic that this Arsenal team, when we throw off the viral lurgy and get a few of our wounded back, can win this tie in the away leg in Newcastle.

Believe!

Onwards.

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[This was originally scheduled to be Lonestar Gooner’s review, but life moves pretty fast and Baff had to step into a temporary breach. Nonetheless, here’s LG’s piece as a fillip to Baff’s. — eds.]

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We Must Save Ourselves…

Jan 8th, 2025 by Lonestar Gooner

Let me establish a couple points from the start: (1) Newcastle are a good team in very good form. The barcodes brought a substituted line-up (no Guimarães) to the Emirates, rode their luck, finished their chances, and established a solid (but not insurmountable) lead for the Carabao Cup second leg. (2) The Arsenal are a very good team in fair-to-middling form. Of course there are numerous explanations, we’ve recounted them ad nauseum, but, even if the team is not serving up scintillating fare at the moment, we produced enough to win our match.

Alas, make no mistake, we’re in the washing machine right now…

The Lineups
Less than seventy-two hours from a mentally and physically draining trip to the South coast, Mikel Arteta once again drew-up the ranks, this time to welcome the Geordies to North London. Undoubtedly, the team had been running on the thinnest gruel, paracetamol, and Biofreeze, but the gaffa fielded perhaps the strongest side available (which was almost perfectly predicted by Bath’s quality preview). Given our squad’s current fitness levels and rotation needs, I thought it was quite a strong line-up (perhaps I would have gone with Bath and started Jesús, but, hey-ho), and Arteta clearly penciled a team designed to give it go:

Raya
Timber—Saliba—Gabriel—Lewis-Skelly
Ødegaard—Partey—Rice
Trossard—Havertz—Martinelli

Gordie, I mean, Eddie Howe also fielded a team designed for a protracted skirmish. Fair play to them, Newcastle did not sit back and low-block us from the off; rather, they came to play. With height at the back, swift thuggery in the midfield, and top-level finishing leading the line, Newcastle would be no mugs, and much like Alexander’s phalangites squaring off against Darius’s Immortals, quality “finishing” would make all the difference. Deploying in a 4-3-3 formation, the visitors looked thusly:

Gordon—Isak—Murphy
Joelinton—Tonali—Willock
Hall—Burn—Botman—Livramento
Dúbravka

Arsenal 0 – Newcastle 1
Although the visitors deserved credit for coming to the Emirates in a mind to play football, and this could be down to their lack of fear (interesting Orbinho statistic: Arsenal had failed to score in four of their last six matches against Newcastle), Arsenal played some dominant and very good attacking football for the first thirty-five minutes or so. Attacking the Clock End, the Gunners produced wave after probing wave. Havertz was denied a point-blank attempt, Timber spurned a presentable chance from a corner, Gabriel shot wide, and Ødegaard blasted over. Newcastle attacked when they could and Isak’s cutback really should have forced Raya into action. One rare Newcastle foray into our half produced Arsenal’s best chance of the night when Partey and Trossard combined to set Martinelli free on goal. Trossard’s first-time pass split the Newcastle midfield like a hot knife through butter, and Martinelli’s control and pace left him with just the keeper to beat. Shaping for the near post, Gabby’s shot seemed poised to ripple the back of the net only to cruelly smack the post and rebound into touch. I melted into my couch…this felt like it could be one of those nights. And so it proved. From what appeared to be a foul on Rice, Newcastle were awarded a freekick, and the keeper’s ensuing offering was nodded down, split Saliba and Gabriel, and was rifled home by the in-form Isak. It was poor from our red Twin Towers, but, not for the first time this season, the margins had broken against us, and the Geordies were enraptured.

HT Arsenal 0 – Newcastle 1
Although Gabriel forced Dúbravka into another brave save from close range, Newcastle had the lead they craved and began to settle into a low block. Arsenal would have everything to play for in the second half.

Arsenal 0 – Newcastle 2
Truth be told, many of the Emirates support (the criminally quiet crowd was rumored to be heavily populated with tourists) had barely returned from their halftime snacks and constitutionals when Newcastle’s strike force extended their lead. Somewhat against the run of play, Isak was allowed to receive the ball in the Arsenal final third and rifled a cross-cum-shot towards Raya’s far post. Raya was only able to parry the ball, and Gordon beat an uncharacteristically inattentive Timber to the rebound. Once again, the Magpies had breached our defenses.

FT Arsenal 0 – Newcastle 2
The traveling horde in black and white could scarcely believe their eyes (neither could I). Newcastle had played for a smash-and-grab, snaffled it up, and prepared to sink back into their lair like a satiated badger. And they defended their lead like a badger protecting its hard-won carcass from a marauding bear. Arsenal pressed. Newcastle sank back. Arsenal replaced the ineffective Trossard with Jesús, the again impressive Lewis-Skelly with Zinchenko, and Partey with Jorginho. A quick word for the eighteen-year-old MLS, we really have a good one on our hands here. At least twice, he received the ball under pressure in our eighteen-yard-box and either rode the challenge into space or drew the foul. He plays with moxie, intelligence, and maturity…get him on an improved contract please.

Arsenal continued to probe and dominate possession, and, on about sixty minutes Havertz contrived to “head” a deflected cross…with his shoulder. Newcastle responded with fresh legs (Harvey Barnes, Almiron, Kelly, and Longstaff) and curled up into an obstinate 5-5-1 formation. The Geordies made block after block as the Gunners alternated between peppering the Newcastle goal and blasting shots over it. In the end, the good guys were unable to convert chances into goals, and Newcastle galloped off our pitch and into the second leg with a two-goal cushion.

Conclusion
In many ways, this result has been in the post. We’re a tired team. Losing our skipper for more than ten weeks (along with Benjamin White’s absence) placed a heavy mental and physical burden on the team. Losing our best player for likely the remainder of the season has poured water on a drowning man. Our attack, at times, looks stunted, but, if you study the stats… (well, I’ll just leave that there and observe that we simply got varianced, we got footballed). Critics abound, and many, rightly either question how the team has found itself in this predicament or, more importantly, ask what the Board and front office can do to remedy our offensive malaise. Loud voices clamor for January attacking signings, but, unless these folks know some form of sorcery, I haven’t seen a list of gettable names (it takes two to tango…)

No, I’m afraid the team will be on its own to grit out nine games in January (last year, Arsenal had three January competitive fixtures). I think Mikel has done a yeoman’s job of keeping this injury ridden, snake-bitten, and physically and emotionally depleted side second in the Premier League (within six points), third in the new and improved Champions League, and into the third round of the FA Cup. Lest we forget, this Carabao Cup semifinal is far from over, and, if any team can go to St. James’ Park and steal a result to go through to the final, I’ll back us to do it.

So, I’ll not tell anyone how to support the lads, and I have no idea whether we’ll receive any January reinforcements. But I do think it’s time for Arteta to tell the boys to break the pots and pans, sink the ships, and burn the tents. We’re on our own, and at the end of the season, either we’ll sleep in our opponents’ tents, or we’ll just (metaphorically) sleep. Take care, ‘Holics.

MCMBD.