{"id":8748,"date":"2023-11-12T01:36:28","date_gmt":"2023-11-12T01:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=8748"},"modified":"2023-11-16T15:07:51","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T15:07:51","slug":"the-dregs-of-the-summer-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=8748","title":{"rendered":"On the 11th day of the 11th Month"},"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\/1787771947\" 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\/1787771947?et=sSouSl8wSAdWQsH3eXDHmQ&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=xNGCRscbUvai3R7IdM2gjXZN1XKtbqj1Mkj4_sI0kxQ=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Arsenal hosted Burnley this afternoon at TNHOF, our very own Ashburton Grove.  And while Burnley spent a good portion of the game acquitting themselves rather well against some occasionally beautiful Arsenal play, in the end the Gunners put the Clarets to the sword of a 3-1 victory.  Having watched the game with the Silicon Valley Gooners in San Jose, I can say we all agreed on one thing:  Burnley&#8217;s away kit makes ours look like something you might see in the halls of Paris&#8217;s  haute couture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We lined up pretty much as we had to, given our injury list.  I was still disappointed there was no Ramsdale to start, and while Raya was wrong-footed by the deflection on Burnley&#8217;s goal he didn&#8217;t make any mistakes with the 4 saves or 3 corners that came his way.  Our back line was absent one Benjamin White, for the first time all season.  Tomi came in for him and very quietly (and without flash) played a man-of-the-match performance, even as Koleosho challenged him all night with his speed; Saliba, Gabi, and Zinchenko were likewise excellent, and at times amazing, all game long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our midfield consisted of Jorginho, Rice, and Havertz, which was where we were weakest.  Solid, but no creativity, and most of the times I was cheering their play was on the defensive side (and when Havertz went off; he is a trier, working hard to why he&#8217;s worth \u00a365 million&#8230;maybe he will finally do so after the coming international break).  Up front our three of Gabigol, Trossard, and Saka alternated between thrilling and very, very quiet.  In the first half so much came down Saka&#8217;s side, and in the second we seemed to concentrate on Gabi&#8217;s play, where he interchanged again and again with Trossard and Rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first shot on goal went to the visitors; they actually had three attempts on goal in the first half that could have put them on the scoreboard with better finishing.  In the 8th minute Burnley worked it up from the back, passed crossfield (through what I think was an unplanned dummy) as they moved forward at pace.  Amdouni was left in a cushion of space by Zinny, Gabi, and Rice, from which he stung Raya&#8217;s palms with a rasping shot parried into touch.  Their corner came to nothing.  Arsenal&#8217;s first shot was a powerful Saka blast in the second phase of a corner kick.  Young Trafford made a brilliant fingertip save, pushing it just onto and over the bar from such close range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Around 30 minutes in, Raya caught a looping Rodriguez header just in front of the bar, just before a loose Havertz header that went high and wide (from another corner).  Then Gudmundsson took advantage of a rare Saliba miscue to fire from the edge of the box; Raya got a hand to it and Gabriel cleared the ball into touch.  Credit to Zinchenko for following the Burnley player all the way in to the box, and limiting his angle so Raya could save.  Rodriguez fired from the same spot a minute later; Raya saved easily, gathering at the second attempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For most of the first half we were the better team but fairly sterile in possession.  Crosses were sent in from either side, we got a number of corners, and we just couldn&#8217;t work anything well enough to make a goal.  In the 36th minute Rice (another candidate for MOTM, who is so much worth his \u00a3105 million fee) robbed a Burnley player in the middle of their half, and passed to Havertz.  His pass to Trossard on the left was late and behind him, and the play could have been throttled; instead, Trossard shifted it on to his left foot and lashed a shot that Trafford did well to deflect over the bar.  A meter to the left and it would have been the first goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then the goal did come.  Right as we approached first-half stoppage time we moved the ball from left to right and back to left again, and Zinchenko looped a ball to the center of the box.  Saka beat Havertz to the header, which he sent to the onrushing Trossard to head in by the left post&#8230;into which he slammed after the ball nestled in the net.  Cue pandamonium at the bar, tempered by concern for Leo.  It looked like a dislocated shoulder, or worse, a collarbone break, but it was neither.  After a few minutes of treatment he walked off under his own steam and returned to see out the last few minutes of extra time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arsenal 1-0 Burnley (Trossard, 45+1)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There were no changes at the half, either in personnel or, as one might hope when the teams returned to the pitch, in the tenor of the game.  Arsenal had controlled it well, with Burnley looking to play on the break.  But in the first minute of the half Burnley intercepted a Raya long ball on their left; Koleosho was away and into Arsenal&#8217;s half in a flash.  He had Saliba to beat, and slowly got ahead of the Frenchman.  Fortunately, once into the box Saliba stretched out a long leg and poked the ball behind for a corner kick, without giving VAR even a hint to have to look for a penalty.  Perhaps the tenor was tightening up, becoming more of an alto?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Burnley drew level due to more good work from Koleosho, who took a ball down against Tomi to the byline.  It looked like he fouled Tomi before getting off a cutback to Rodriguez, whose low shot glanced of the heels of Brownhill past Raya into the net.  Certainly VAR would look at the play leading to the goal and assess whether it should have stood?  It did, VERY briefly, and it did.  I can&#8217;t say it was as clear and obvious a miss by VAR as Joelinton&#8217;s two-handed push on Gabriel being determined not a foul, but it certainly reinforced the bitter aftertaste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arsenal 1-1 Burnley (Brownhill, 54)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I said to my mates at the bar that, by God, let&#8217;s see Arsenal play angry.  As in &#8220;F!#$ this s#$!&#8221;.  And as sure as the woad-daubing team in Middlesex are s#$!, Arsenal ascended and pressed Burnley hard from the restart.  Within three minutes Martinelli picked up a pass ahead by Rice, rushed forward and had his goal-bound shot saved by Trafford, who knocked it out for a corner.  Trossard&#8217;s corner was excellent, deep into the box and into the crowd, from which Big Bill Saliba rose and headed home.  Cue pandemonium in the bar, the stadium, and wherever Arsenal fans gathered, along with repetitive &#8220;Saliba!&#8221; chants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arsenal 2-1 Burnley (Saliba, 57)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Immediately after the goal Havertz was replaced by Vieira, and Martinelli nearly lost a mouthfull of teeth to the heel of a defender&#8217;s boot.  Besides that there was little Burnley could do to take the ball from Arsenal, who moved it around and between, all over the pitch for most of the next quarter hour.  Koleosho and Rice both missed attempts at goal, and then Arsenal won a corner.  After another excellent delivery by Trossard the ball was half-cleared out to Zinchenko, who laced a Miyagi-influenced Crane volley into the upper right corner of the net.  A brilliant goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arsenal 3-1 Burnley (Zinchenko, 74)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rest of the game played out as it had started, though Arsenal continued to press for a fourth goal.  Two pairs of substitutes (one from each team) came on in the 81st minute, and then a touch and a problem.  Vieira went in late on Brownhill, missed the ball, and touched his studs to Brownhill&#8217;s knee on the way down.  Referee Michael Oliver immediately, not to say gleefully, went to his pocket and showed our Portuguese destroyer the red card.  Truthfully, we in the bar agreed we&#8217;d see red if the card wasn\u2019t given the other way.  The question was raised, however, as to why Udogie got off with just a yellow on his first against Chelsea in last week&#8217;s ScumHumbling (mate!), or how the excuse not to give Kovacic a red card of &#8220;just above the ankle&#8221; for his horror tackle on \u00d8degaard a month ago squares with the decision to award red to Vieira.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter.  Even down to ten we were a match for the Clarets.  After Kiwior was brought on for Martinelli, the rest of the game was an exercise in playing out the win.  Burnley had a couple of attempts on goal, but nothing that bothered either the defense or our keeper.  After 11 minutes of stoppage time the referee thrice blew his whistle and pointed to the center spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Full time:  Arsenal 3-1 Burnley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, a lot to be happy about in this game.  We scored three nice goals, two from set pieces or initiated by them, and held Burnley to a mildly contestable goal against.  Tomi played a silky, subtle, and incredibly active game that could have gone unnoticed, and the rest of the defense was nearly faultless.  Our forward play was often just one interchange or cross from opening the Burnley defense like a laser can opener.  While our midfield wasn&#8217;t exactly on song, we were able to control large stretches of the match, moving the ball into good positions all over the pitch. Raya played well, distributing the ball with aplomb, and controlling his area with more command than we&#8217;ve recently seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, some things that are going to be less easy to swallow:  Vieira&#8217;s red card in comparison to other recent yellows.  Havertz and his confidence, and how he fits into this team.  Giving up a goal when there was so little impetus from Burnley to get forward.  The continued inconsistency of approach by the VAR officials on how to operate.  Fortunately, that&#8217;s about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A last word<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On this Day of Rememberance, known as Veteran&#8217;s Day in the United States, let us indeed recall the lives lost in Flanders&#8217; fields.  In light the goings-on in the world up to this very minute, the memory of their sacrifice is essential as we strive towards peace.  Arsenal&#8217;s victory today enabled me to be that much happier as I considered the last of Robinson Jeffers&#8217; lines from his poem &#8220;Advice to Pilgrims&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally I say let demagogues and world redeemers bab-<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ble their emptiness<br>To empty ears; twice duped is too much.<br>Walk on gaunt shores and avoid the people; rock and<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;wave are good prophets;<br>Wise are the wings of the gull, pleasant her song.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images Arsenal hosted Burnley this afternoon at TNHOF, our very own Ashburton Grove. And while Burnley spent a good portion of the game acquitting themselves rather well against some occasionally beautiful Arsenal play, in the end the Gunners put the Clarets to the sword of a 3-1 victory. Having watched the game [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8748"}],"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\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8748"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8776,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8748\/revisions\/8776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}