{"id":6670,"date":"2022-09-18T17:40:26","date_gmt":"2022-09-18T16:40:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=6670"},"modified":"2022-09-25T12:53:25","modified_gmt":"2022-09-25T11:53:25","slug":"a-nice-kickabout-for-the-lads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=6670","title":{"rendered":"A Nice Kickabout for the Lads"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\"><div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1424869297\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div><div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.66667% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1424869297?et=I53_x086S49Ez3FMseuSQA&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=Omafl6Air9RrwSymqg9yFe3l9RpQjSidxp4b9tO-A04=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s be honest, despite bullish prognostications on the site, almost all Arsenal fans were wary about the outcome of this match. Just over a year ago, we were beaten by a very physical Brentford side in the first game of the season in a bearpit of a stadium, staging Brentford\u2019s return to the highest echelon of English football after seventy four years. No matter that we had a Covid outbreak in the club nor that we had a young league debutant as our only fit striker, the strong suspicion was that we had been bullied by a more determined side. Sky loved that game, it played to their favourite narrative of an Arsenal team who in the immortal words of Corporal Jones, \u201cdon\u2019t like it up \u2018em!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the match Ivan Toney who had given Arsenal\u2019s new centre back Ben White a very tough evening tweeted, \u201cNice kickabout for the boys!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those of you who have watched \u2018All or Nothing\u2019 will have seen how Mikel Arteta was angered by the arrogance of that quote and used it to motivate the team in the return fixture in February. What would Toney be tweeting after this game? There was a degree of pressure building as the table begins to take shape following a comfortable win for Manchester City at Wolves and a 6-2 victory for the Spuds that looked immensely flattering to this observer\u2019s eyes, although my attention on the game was only fleeting. On top of that Arsenal had injuries. \u00d8degaard and Zinchenko had slight knocks and missed the game, ESR was absent and although Thomas Partey returned, how fit would he be? On the bench Arsenal blooded Lino Sousa a 17 year -old left back and, almost unbelievably, Ethan Nwaneri, who at 15 years and 181 days old was the youngest player to be included in a first team squad in our history. I have stuffing in my fridge older than him! In \u00d8degaard\u2019s place we gave F\u00e1bio Vieira his debut as a \u2018number10\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After an impeccably observed minute&#8217;s silence for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and a rendering of &#8216;God Save the King&#8217;, we were at it right from kick off. Not only did we monopolise possession but we were incisive and a beautiful crisp move initiated by Xhaka set up Martinelli in the very early minutes but he slipped in shooting and fired wide. The team\u2019s rhythm was excellent and the main key to the game was the superiority of our midfield. Xhaka was superb today and is perfectly suited by the more advanced position he can occupy as a \u2018left 8\u2019. He was able to settle into that role because of the excellence of Partey who gave a consummate display in front of the back four. The whole side was pressing manfully and effectively and Sky seemed alarmed that our side was so much bigger than Brentford almost as if this was sharp practice. It certainly didn\u2019t play to the \u2018Snowflake Arsenal\u2019 narrative we\u2019ve had shoved down our throat since that opening game last season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This quite unreasonably large Arsenal side took the lead on 16 minutes when Saka looped in a fine corner and Saliba flicked the ball on at the near post. It found its way across goal and entered the net very clearly off the far post. The confirmation by the referees watch was superfluous. GSD rightly bemoaned last season that we do not see our defenders notching enough goals. We have three from seven games this season!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Brentford 0 &#8211; Arsenal 1, Saliba&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our attacking play almost overwhelmed Brentford at times and Xhaka picked out Jes\u00fas with a perfect cross that he diverted past Raya into the top corner. It was both a brilliant cross and a magnificently executed header despite what Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had to say!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Brentford 0 &#8211; Arsenal 2, Gabriel Jes\u00fas&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jes\u00fas was terrific today with his lightning movement and dynamic pressing. He is such an upgrade on Lacazette, it is untrue. At half time we could honestly say that we had been completely untroubled by Brentford even the garrulous Ivan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Half time: Brentford 0 &#8211; Arsenal 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the team came out for the second half I thought that the icing on the cake would be for F\u00e1bio Vieira to produce an assist or dare we hope a goal? Amazingly, we had only three minutes to wait for that to happen. Saliba looked in deep trouble but shimmied out of danger, Saka fed Vieira about twenty five yards out and giving Raya the eyes, he whipped in a shot that clipped the inside of the right hand post and careered across goal and in. A very satisfactory way to crown your league debut !&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Brentford 0 &#8211; Arsenal 3, F\u00e1bio Vieira<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The scoring was over but not the exciting, incisive football from the Gunners. Jes\u00fas fed by Xhaka was well blocked by Raya who went full length to tip away a Saka curler. Brentford threatened on a couple of occasions and thought they had a penalty only for it to be ruled offside. But we dealt with their set pieces effectively. They clearly need a bigger team!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We managed to play \u2018keep ball\u2019 very comfortably for the rest of the game.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>History was made as the game moved into injury time when Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest player in Premier League history. With Charlie Patino opening his account for Blackpool yesterday Arsenal\u2019s future is very bright.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nwaneri came on for Vieira along with Marquinhos for Saka and Nketia for Martinelli on 90+2 after Sambi had replaced the excellent Partey on 78 minutes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Full Time: Brentford 0 &#8211; Arsenal 3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I look forward to Mr.Toney\u2019s tweet describing this game. Something like \u201cWe were absolutely mullered by a much better team\u201d would describe it well. Who was our MOTM? I\u2019d just give it to Xhaka, despite a completely unnecessary booking in the second half which may provoke investigations into peculiar betting patterns in the Balkans. But Saliba was superb. He really is an extraordinary talent. In a couple of tight situations, including in the build-up to our third goal, he looked so elegant and assured. Partey played very well and showed us what we had missed at Old Trafford. Jes\u00fas was an absolute livewire and Saka and Martinelli worked their socks off to good effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some Gooners might suggest this was an easy win. It was because of the work ethic and quality that this team has but we also have a notable ability to shithouse where necessary. Ramsdale gets a calf time out each game, Gabriel had one too (side of knee) and we just looked so much more effective than we did here last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My final comment was that Arteta looked very smart and respectful in his suit. He must have been delighted with the performance and the knowledge that he doesn\u2019t have to follow Ivan Toney on Twitter any more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images Let\u2019s be honest, despite bullish prognostications on the site, almost all Arsenal fans were wary about the outcome of this match. Just over a year ago, we were beaten by a very physical Brentford side in the first game of the season in a bearpit of a stadium, staging Brentford\u2019s return [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"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\/6670"}],"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\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6670"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6693,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6670\/revisions\/6693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}