{"id":2254,"date":"2021-01-27T13:12:33","date_gmt":"2021-01-27T13:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2254"},"modified":"2021-01-29T21:59:17","modified_gmt":"2021-01-29T21:59:17","slug":"incisive-passing-and-clinical-finishing-shred-saints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2254","title":{"rendered":"Incisive Passing and Clinical Finishing Shred Saints."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<a id=\"cuGSGM0UQc5LGsNgyJMlFw\" class=\"gie-single\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1298713168\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'cuGSGM0UQc5LGsNgyJMlFw',sig:'X3VRpzlczd_PNoCH2E_BUA4mrwoCDM78WTCOpHJ7Gbk=',w:'594px',h:'420px',items:'1298713168',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src=\"\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\" async=\"\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Off down the M3 to St Mary\u2019s again to take on Southampton for the second time in four days, this time in the Premier League. Tens of thousands of words have been written about whether our Basque manager did the right thing by making seven changes for the FA Cup, in contrast to a full strength Saints. Last night Arteta claimed that five of those seven were injury enforced. Anyway it didn\u2019t work out and he incurred the wrath of Gooners who, after four FA Cups in seven years, were beginning to regard a walk up Wembley Way as a birthright. Still, what\u2019s done is done and we came to tonight\u2019s game on a pretty good league run, since Christmas,&nbsp; of P5, W4, D1, L0, GF 11, GA 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We drew at home against Southampton in the league in December as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=1996\">GSD\u2019s excellent match report<\/a> will tell you. Much discussion pregame about our team tonight, with KT3 having some worrying calf issues (see comments by Trev, our resident expert sports scientist physio, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2243#comment-15139\">in the last drinks<\/a>) and with our Captain, seemingly solving his goal drought against the barcodes, diverted by personal\/family issues. All the best Auba \u2013 you have our total support and family always, always comes first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, with dinner done and plates in the dishwasher off to check the team:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Cedric, Xhaka, Partey, Saka, ESR, Pepe, Laca<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bench: Ryan, Gabriel, Chambers, AMN, Elneny, Willock, Martinelli, Eddie<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No Gabi in the starting line up and no KT3\/Auba as previously trailed. The mystery of Reiss Nelson continues. Surely he has to go out on loan?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Southampton played a similar line up to Saturday in the Cup, but missing the two full backs, Betrand (suspended) and Walker Peters (injured). In goal Fraser Forster was dropped to the bench for McCarthy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rain was lashing down in Southampton (not an infrequent event from my personal experience) as we kicked off. In less than a minute, after winning back the ball, Xhaka put Laca through one on one with McCarthy. Sadly he didn\u2019t take the golden chance as the keeper saved with his legs. Virtually immediately Southampton broke and Ings forced a corner. Ward-Prowse whipped in a corner to the penalty spot where Armstrong, unmarked after Pepe bought a dummy run, hit a fabulous half volley past a blameless Leno, who did well to get his hands to it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Southampton 1-0 Arsenal (Armstrong 3 mins)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saka, in these early minutes, was playing on the right and looking very lively. Pepe was on the left. After a sweeping move of crisp passes from right to left, Xhaka played in Pepe who held off the defender with his arm and passed the ball into the corner with his left foot. For a brief second (but only a brief second, don\u2019t get on my case) he reminded me of DB10 \u2013 the Iceman used to finish in just that style. A peach of a goal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Southampton 1-1 Arsenal (Pepe 7 mins)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a lovely run through midfield by Partey to the edge of the box, the ball went into the area, then fell 20 yards out to Cedric, who hit an excellent volley just wide. After 15 minutes, despite going one nil down, we looked the better team. Pressing well, moving the ball rapidly and vertically and running at the opposition. The game was fast and wide open though, with Saints looking quick and dangerous on the break. In one of those breaks, Hector was booked (rightly) for hauling down Armstrong. Again the Saints found space on the Hector\u2019s side and put in a great cross met well by Adams and well saved by Leno. Our right side was looking vulnerable. Coming up to the half hour and Southampton were now looking the more potent team. They were bypassing the press, with Adams playing well with back to goal and then advancing on the flanks. Attacks were coming fast and furious. Our midfield was failing to defend the back four.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had a nasty moment on 37 mins when Luiz totally miscontrolled the ball straight to Walcott just outside the area. Luckily he messed it up and shot high and wide (unlucky Theo!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A minute later Xhaka picked up the ball on our side of the centre circle and passed upfield to Laca just the other side. He hit a wonderful first time pass to Saka just outside the area who calmly rounded the onrushing goalie (who maybe shouldn\u2019t have been out there) and slotted it in with his right foot. A wonderful, rapid, clear thinking goal, and a lot more difficult than our precocious little Ealing Express made it look. What a footballer this boy is becoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Southampton 1-2 Arsenal (Saka 38)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On 41 minutes Laca went tumbling in the box, but no penalty (and having seen the replay again rightly so).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A really open first half (probably too open for either manager). I haven\u2019t mentioned ESR (the Croydon de Bruyne) above, but he was everywhere, in space, linking, playing simple progressive passes. The lad is a gem. New contract soon please! Saka is also a star, who looks to have found his most effective position on the right with licence to roam inside, and a goal well taken by Pepe and made by Xhaka. We played with tempo and some verve, whilst not looking completely secure at the back.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HT Southampton 1-2 Arsenal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No changes at half time and it was still raining. Five minutes in and a nice move for Saints saw Walcott hit a piledriver from the edge of the box, straight at Leno. Unlucky Theo!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ESR was put into the box by Xhaka and just lacked pace on his shot after beating the goalie. Bellerin put in a great cross which Pepe managed to deflect away from Laca on the back post. Cedric danced into the box but it was scrambled away by the Saints. The next goal was going to be crucial.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ings made a lovely, slaloming run into our area but Leno beat him away from a narrow angle. Nathan Redmond came on for Saints and we thought Martinelli was coming on for Pepe. However Pepe slowed right down as he saw ESR in pain on the ground and was ludicrously booked for time wasting by the abject Kevin Friend. ESR came off (hopefully nothing serious), Pepe stayed on and Willian (Nooo!!) came on. Gabi went back to the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Straight after the restart, Cedric pinged a superb, right footed pass from the left touchline on halfway to Saka. Just onside, he controlled the ball and fizzed in a right footed slide rule pass for a Laca tap in at the back post. The third great goal of the evening. Oh my word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Southampton 1-3 Arsenal (Lacazette 73 mins)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Partey went down with cramp. Elneny took his place. Eleven minutes to go and Southampton were looking tired and beaten. Could we see this out? Luiz had his third brain fart of the evening giving the ball away in our half and then almost dropped Leno in it by dummying in the penalty area. Credit to Leno and Rob Holding for staying switched on. As the minutes ticked by, Xhaka made his first bad move of the night with a trademark clumsy tackle on the edge of the box, giving the dead ball specialist Ward-Prowse an opportunity. He hit a good free kick which was going in but that man Leno made another great, one handed save.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We saw out five minutes of added time well. For the first time this season we had come from behind to win in the league. A gritty, classy, highly entertaining performance by The Arsenal. BtM has been saying in the drinks for months \u201cplay better Arsenal\u201d. Well they did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I thought we saw excellent games from ESR, Saka, Laca, Cedric, Holding, Xhaka and Leno. Good games from Pepe (only marked down from excellent by his failure to track for their goal), Hector and Partey. Only Luiz, with repeated brain fades which could have been punished, was less than good.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So were we right to weaken on Saturday and win tonight? The debate continues. But in the league that is three consecutive away wins, and 16 points from the last 18 with 14 goals for and 2 against.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kudos to Scruzgooner with the \u2018holic pound. Anyone who lumped onto his 1-3 scoreline at 19s made much coin!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A final thought. Our next eight games are Man U, Wolves, Villa, Leeds, City, Leicester, Burnley, Spurs, West Ham and Liverpool. Whilst I will be optimistic for each while we are playing like this, it is likely we will lose some. I urge patience if and when that happens. We are going in the right direction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Come on you Gunners!<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images Off down the M3 to St Mary\u2019s again to take on Southampton for the second time in four days, this time in the Premier League. Tens of thousands of words have been written about whether our Basque manager did the right thing by making seven changes for the FA Cup, in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2254"}],"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\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2254"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2254\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2283,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2254\/revisions\/2283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}