{"id":6124,"date":"2022-05-02T20:07:30","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T19:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=6124"},"modified":"2022-05-08T05:37:07","modified_gmt":"2022-05-08T04:37:07","slug":"the-unassailable-rightness-of-winning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=6124","title":{"rendered":"The Unassailable Rightness of Winning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Capitola Rob gets his goal!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Arsenal started the matchday 34 against their East London, and fellow contenders for European spots for the next season, rivals West Ham with the result of a previous matches on Sunday moving them down a position from the much-coveted Champions League top four. A more surprising result of another match opened up the tantalizing (if less likely) possibility of fighting not just for top four but even the third position in the league table come the end of May.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The West Ham team in recent years, since David Moyes took over the managerial reigns at the club for the second time, has undergone an impressive transformation into a consistent Premier League performer. The Scotsman\u2019s trademark efficiency and tactical discipline, familiar from his Everton days, is complemented by attacking nuances that underline his managerial evolution. Our own manager — who was of course a linchpin of Moyes\u2019s Everton team and their creative fulcrum \u2013 Mikel Arteta has been going through his own rapid evolution both as a tactician and a man manager, and most of us have been happy to ride the transformational journey of our own club along with him and this emerging group of spirited, talented, promising young players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this season has been marked by the inevitable inconsistencies that characterize a youthful team, the overall trend curve has shown a steady upward movement especially in the second half of the season. If the three subpar performances and resulting losses against Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton threatened to push the team back in its evolutionary journey, the invigorating wins against Chelsea and Manchester United leading up to this London derby provided a timely boost to the team and the fanbase alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The return of Takehiro Tomiyasu \u2013 one of our most consistent performers of the season, providing defensive solidity and tactical versatility \u2013 in the right-back position after a lengthy injury lay-off was a boost too for the team, especially as that ensures that the chaotic forces of our other full-back \u2013 and I say this fondly, for I think despite the rawness of his talents Nuno Tavares is a very promising player who can grow up to be a real asset for the team and more than capable deputy for Kieran Tierney \u2013 is counterbalanced by our right back\u2019s inscrutable composure. There was one more change in the defensive line-up, Rob Holding earning a rare league start to partner Gabriel in place of Benjamin White suffering from some (one hopes) minor muscular struggles. In front of the defense the only change was Gabriel Martinelli coming back for Emile Smith-Rowe. The collective whirlwind of Tavares \u2013 Martinelli together on the left flank is a somewhat unusual choice for Mikel who prefers his shapes down the wings to be meticulously structured, and it was going to be instructive whether Martinelli could control his natural impulses and provide a more organized protection when Nuno inevitably lost his compass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ramsdale<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomiyasu \u2013 Holding \u2013 Gabriel \u2013 Tavares<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elneny \u2013 Xhaka<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saka \u2013 \u00d8degaard \u2013 Martinelli<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nketiah<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In pre-match interviews Arteta had alluded to our misadventures last season away at West Ham when we had rapidly conceded three first half goals, and probably mindful of that history the team started very cautiously, focusing on a very compact distance between the lines and leaving no spaces for the West Ham wingers and fullbacks to get drive into to deliver crosses. Saka tried to isolate the West Ham left back a few times and then cut back in the typical fashion, but there was very little space allowed by their defense; neither were there the quick switches of play or movement from others we needed to open up spaces. After two eye-catching performances of vertical and progressive midfield passing from Xhaka and Elneny in the last two matches they reverted more towards their steady safety-first possession recycling. Martinelli, while ensuring Tavares had both a cover as well as a passing outlet on the left, was rather subdued in an attacking sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eddie Nketiah, since he has been brought in place of Lacazette in the starting line-up, has demonstrated the value of rapid movements and pace in the central striker role. He doesn\u2019t quite have the technical abilities of his attacking peers, but his willingness to chase seemingly lost causes have definite advantages especially in an otherwise tight, and let us be honest quite turgid, match like this. His curled attempt at goal was palmed away by the ex-gunner Fabianski. From the resulting corner by Saka, Rob Holding outjumped his marker and finished with a smart flicked header reminiscent of his mentor Per Mertesacker\u2019s odd goals in red-and-white. This was Holding\u2019s first Premier League goal, and his ecstatic celebration with his teammates was well deserved for a loyal and consistent servant of the club. He was putting in a composed display at the heart of the defense as well with a few well-timed blocks and clearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

West Ham 0 \u2013 Arsenal 1 (Holding 38\u2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

West Ham ratcheted up their attacking intensity and almost immediately got an equalizer as Ramsdale was forced into an acrobatic stop to push away Rice\u2019s header. While Tomiyasu was keeping Benrahma relatively quiet, the more accomplished duo of Coufal and Fornals were finding it easier to ping in crosses from our left side, and from one such clever low cross from Coufal Bowen\u2019s shot on target \u2013 but probably to be saved by Ramsdale \u2013 received a deflection significant enough to find the net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

West Ham 1 (Bowen 45\u2019) \u2013 Arsenal 1 (Holding 38\u2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first half was a drab affair, and the second half carried on pretty much the same vein, despite West Ham starting the half with a more visible show of intent.  There were again some good defensive efforts by Holding and Tomiyasu, but we were more or less toothless in attack; even when, through our movement and playing between the lines, we were threatening our uncharacteristically poor passing and close control let us down quite a few times. Ramsdale provided the most memorable moment of that first part of the second half when he came out flying as a sweeper-keeper to clear out a long ball from West Ham that had beaten our advanced defensive line, and seemed in the process to have clattered Bowen who was giving the chase. But the replay confirmed that our goalkeeper didn\u2019t touch the West Ham midfielder who got a yellow for his simulation. A rare good decision in our favor from the most unlikeliest of sources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon after our two Brazilians combined to get us the match winning goal. Saka, cutting in from the right, brought out a fine save from Fabianski on his near post. West ham defense failed to clear Saka\u2019s corner out of danger, Martinelli showed nice control and composure to send an accurate lofted cross back towards the far post and Gabriel\u2019s goalbound header ricocheted off of Fabianski into the net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

West Ham 1 (Bowen 45\u2019) \u2013 Arsenal 2 (Holding 38\u2019, Gabriel 54\u2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nketiah had a few more attempts, one of them was from a sumptuous Elneny through ball that he curled just wide of the post. Fabianski made a couple of more saves from Eddie. West Ham brought in Soucek, Antonio and then Yarmolenko, Tomiyasu had to be replaced (for what later Mikel clarified to be just muscle fatigue which is understandable given how long he has been absent from matchday action), Sambi came in for \u00d8degaard to close out the match and almost got himself a goal (but maybe should have just kept possession in those dying moments), Eddie got into a mad bit of kerfuffle with a few West Ham players, and Arsenal saw out the match with a degree of \u201cstreetwise\u201d that is not always associated with the current incarnation of the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A subpar performance but a well-deserved victory leading us back to the fourth position on the league table. Among all the other London clubs involved in the fights for the European spots I personally dislike West Ham the least \u2013 and in Yarmolenko, Coufal & Soucek they have players that when playing for their respective international teams I would often find myself cheering \u2013 and wish them well in their second leg of the Europa semi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, having secured three consecutive victories against three very tough competitors in this most crucial part of the season it is paramount that we do not lose our advantage before the north London derby and go to that match couple of weeks from now on the back of four consecutive wins, and not take Leeds lightly at all at Emirates next weekend despite their recent struggles. A victory in that match would significantly improve our chances to get back to the Champions League, which would be a truly remarkable achievement for this young team and manager learning as they grow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Arsenal started the matchday 34 against their East London, and fellow contenders for European spots for the next season, rivals West Ham with the result of a previous matches on Sunday moving them down a position from the much-coveted Champions League top four. A more surprising result of another match opened up the tantalizing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"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\/6124"}],"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\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6124"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6143,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6124\/revisions\/6143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}