{"id":10373,"date":"2024-11-23T20:38:28","date_gmt":"2024-11-23T20:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=10373"},"modified":"2024-11-26T05:20:14","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T05:20:14","slug":"nottingham-undone-as-mikels-merry-men-hit-the-bullseye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=10373","title":{"rendered":"Nottingham Undone as Mikel\u2019s Merry Men Hit the Bullseye"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Arsenal were good today, running out deserved winners with three unanswered goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, what may be most pleasing both to the gaffer and to the fans was that this was a long way from a perfect performance – and it is easy to see where we can make serious improvements. That bodes well given that our aim must be to go on a run where we rack up the points and chase down the league leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the only way to do that is game by game, and whilst today was a template for us to build on, it is only worth three points. In the dressing room, the focus will already have moved on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For us fans however, we can enjoy this Interlull banishing result for a while longer at least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the team sheet came out, I was surprised by what I saw. Havertz and Rice were on the bench, Jorginho started instead of Partey and Trossard was in for Martinelli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bright opening ten minutes showed us that Arteta had judged it well. We had a Timber goal disallowed after VAR took an age to confirm a marginal offside call against Merino, who looks increasingly comfortable in this side and continues to threaten in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few more shots and some good play from us looked ominous for Forest and we took less than fifteen minutes to score our first, the effervescent \u00d8degaard offering end-product in a brilliant captain\u2019s performance when he combined with Saka on the right to set our rejuvenated England absentee up with the ball in the area; he danced around three defenders before lashing the ball back across the in-form Sels and high into the net. Top, top quality and it was so clear all day what we\u2019ve been missing in our captain\u2019s absence. He is a joy to watch and he makes Saka more effective too, either by starting on the right in Saka\u2019s space and dragging a defender infield, or by dropping deep and playing early balls out to our man hugging the touchline. It was good from them today, but there was still a lot they can improve. When they do, we are going to hand some unlucky team an absolute thrashing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first half was mostly us. We didn\u2019t quite create the chances to go with our dominance, but we were in control. The watching Martin Keown – I can\u2019t wait to read his new book, which I would be a good shout for a Christmas present for the Gooner(s) in your life – would have been pleased. So too the Prime Minister and well-known Gooner, Sir Kier Starmer, no stranger himself to early challenges under his leadership but doubtless hoping he can have a similar effect Arteta has had in implementing his ideas for change. It might look on the surface like the PM\u2019s job is harder, but he won\u2019t have to deal with PGMOL, so swings and roundabouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of referees, we ended a fairly innocuous half with three yellow cards: the measured Jorginho receiving one for a nothing challenge when Simon Hooper bought an overreaction from the Forest lad; hard-working Jes\u00f9s unlucky but deserved when he accidentally caught an ankle; Saka for a high foot when he didn\u2019t touch the player, who made that very modern action of bravely putting his head in where it might get caught but without any intention of getting the ball, simply of getting his opponent a card. It worked. Forest got a card of their own right at the end; it was either for delaying a restart (but I doubt it as every other offence was ignored) or for a late attempt at a block that was never a yellow card either. Just the typical low-level mistakes we are accustomed too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many a Gooner, first half yellow cards put me on edge much more than they used to – it is hard not to feel that the refs are just looking for an excuse to reduce our numbers – but fortunately Hooper had a quiet second half and no big decisions to make. At one point, he did get in the way of the ball as we tried to break forwards. A meaner man than me might congratulate him on avoiding it the rest of the time, given the size of the target he presents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At half-time, Arteta decided discretion was the better part of valour, taking no unnecessary chances on red cards and bringing on Partey for Jorginho. It took the Ghanaian six minutes to sweep the ball home with his instep after Saka teed him up just outside the box. Tactical genius from the gaffer, that. Ahem!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We simply controlled the game after that. No fuss, no panic, we held them at arm\u2019s length, continuing along the way to play some great stuff that lacked end product. Sels made some saves. Raya got us going more than once with some sublime distribution, absolutely the best in league when he sprays it about like that. His safe hands from crosses completed a consummate day\u2019s work for him, and the clean sheet was one we will look to build on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forest brought on a lad called Jota who appears to have modelled his look on Jack Grealish (calves notwithstanding). He had a snapshot volley that might have been headed in until it hit Chris Wood in the bonce, the New Zealander following his instructions to the letter, after being introduced to get his head on the end of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With ten minutes left we brought on Nwaneri and Sterling for Saka and \u00d8degaard, who we will need to keep fresh for the busy run ahead. The two new arrivals combined a few minutes later when Sterling made a good run and pulled the ball back intelligently into space for young Ethan to knock it home, becoming our second youngest ever PL goalscorer. If he goes on to have a career anything like Fabregas (the only man (boy?) to do so at a younger age) then we will all be thrilled. Although he will want to give Chelsea a swerve, obviously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I do notice is that he drifts around into space in the same way \u00d8degaard does. It\u2019s a very rare skill to find the space and the ball, and I wonder how much \u00d8degaard\u2019s mentorship is shaping his game as well as his attitude?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The match petered out, Forest demoralised and without hope. They have had a good start to the season and rightly taken the plaudits but we looked levels above them today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jes\u00f9s had a good game and the minutes and vote of confidence from the manager will have done him the world of good. If Timber stays fit then we won\u2019t miss White, and I can\u2019t offer higher praise to a right back than that. Calafiori managed over an hour and played with his usual blend of class and energy before being swapped for Zinchenko, a player I still think has a lot to offer us both on the field and in the dressing room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a bitty start to the season which just doesn\u2019t get going until the three awful international breaks are over (my advice is to vote with your wallets people, just ignore them) it is now that things kick off for real. Form up to this point counts for little if results start to slide on this unforgiving lead into the New Year. Similarly, early struggles are forgotten if the chances are taken to rack up the points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was so much to enjoy about the game today, and so much more to come from the team. Arteta and the players know they need to build their season brick by brick, but today was a reminder that bad luck and a series of underwhelming results have done nothing to shake the foundations we have laid down with years of hard work and commitment. It shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our players are tough. They believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So do I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until next time, \u2018holics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arsenal were good today, running out deserved winners with three unanswered goals.  However, what may be most pleasing both to the gaffer and to the fans was that this was a long way from a perfect performance – and it is easy to see where we can make serious improvements. That bodes well given that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10373"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10375,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373\/revisions\/10375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}