In what has been a difficult and momentous week for this country, Arsenal fans were cheered by a result and performance that both took their minds off of the sadness, and cemented their place at the top of the Premier League table - although it's early days of course. In doing so, both club and supporters were able to put last year's massive disappointment at this same venue firmly behind them.
Of course, Arsenal are much-changed since then. Just 4 players from the equivalent starting XI made the side this time round, with Arsenal looking an entirely different outfit. Last season Arsenal were bullied and strong-armed to defeat; but this year it was clear from kick-off that this game was never going to follow the same pattern.
Yes, as I've said, it's early days; but this performance had shades of how Manchester City and Liverpool have been dominating opponents over the past few years. Vast swathes of possession, territorial dominance, coupled with a massive desire (and ability) to win the ball back within a few seconds of it being lost. Brentford barely had a moment's peace as Arsenal made their dominance pay throughout. The result was never in doubt.
Arteta has his side exceptionally well-drilled to deal with whatever the opposition throw their way. Preparation is key, and barring that one panicked set of substitutions at Old Trafford it's been paying great dividends. His continued barking of orders must be infuriating at times, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The dark days of last Autumn (and I guess this Spring too) look well behind him and his team.
Points of interest:
1. Gabriel Jesus continues to set the tone, pressing hard from the front, giving defenders nightmares, and continually looking to bring his team-mates into play. He is relentless in doing the dirty side of the job, and he drives the team forward continually. He's the most fouled player in the PL this season, and yet here's an anomaly (or at least I hope it is) - he's already been booked 4 times this season (leaving him one match away from a very early suspension). For Manchester City, he was booked a total of 22 times in 236 appearances (once in every 10 or so matches), but for Arsenal it's 4 in 7. As if we needed any further evidence of how Arsenal are refereed differently to other sides...
2. William Saliba, inevitably serenaded by the away fans from kick-off, got the vital first goal. Most importantly, however, I reckon that if he'd have turned out his pockets after the game he might have found Ivan Toney in them, such was his dominance over Brentford's striker. And to hear that he'd barely trained over the previous 10 days - wow!
3. Granit Xhaka. Whatever Arteta has seen in him to play him in this new role has been revelatory. Freed to a large extent from having to occupy the deepest midfield position, he's been showing a side to his game that I think we can honestly say we didn't know he had. We know that, given time on the ball, he can both see and make a pass. But to watch him do a passable impression of Cesc Fabregas really does make one's eyes pop open! That inch-perfect cross for Jesus' goal really could not have been bettered. Man of the Match for me
4. Fabio Vieira. If we thought that we might miss the injured Odegaard, we couldn't have been more wrong. A terrific debut from the Portuguese, full of promise for the future and capped by a fabulous strike. Depth is one thing Arsenal missed badly last season - especially towards the end - but whilst numbers are still lighter than we'd like that's not going to be the case this time round
5. Thomas Partey - a little rusty in possession (perhaps understandably after a few weeks off), but he brings such security to the team. Maintaining his fitness is going to be crucial to success this season
6. Ethan Nwaneri... hands up who'd barely (or never) heard of him. But now the youngest PL player of all time at the tender age of 15 years and 181 days (born in 2007, and was less than a year old when Spurs won their only trophy this century). Extraordinary. But, of course, Arteta could only have risked him from the position of security that his starting XI had given him. Good luck to the boy, but I expect that we'll only see fleeting glimpses of him for a while yet
And now for the most pointless Interlull of all Interlulls - bad timing, and helping to make things extremely difficult for Premier League clubs going forward. When it's over, Arsenal have no less than 9 matches in October, and will have to find the resources to play Saturday - Thursday - Sunday - Thursday - Sunday - Thursday - Sunday - Thursday - Sunday - Thursday - Sunday - Wednesday - Saturday right up until the stupid, idiotic, brainlessly and corruptly organised World Cup. Such is the price of success.
And it's Tottenham next, of course. They've become even more dislikeable (were that even possible) with the signing of perpetual irritant Richarlison. They need to be taken down a peg or two. They're (somehow) in third spot, but anybody who thinks that is a fair reflection of their ability should note that they've so far played the teams sitting 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th and 14th - along with 'only Fulham' and a Chelsea side that were in disarray at the time (Tottemham were extremely fortunate to get a point in that game on the back of Romero's hair-pulling assault on Cuccurella, you will recall). So, provided that Arteta doesn't fall for the Conte 'rope-a-dope' (Mourinho-lite, one might say), I think we'll be fine.
Meanwhile, we can relax. We are, after all, top of the league. COYG!
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