Two away Cup games down. Two victories. Sitting pretty everywhere you look. All is joyful in Arsenal’s world.
Well... isn't it?
I personally believe that there are still plenty of areas in which this group can improve. And I’ll take a look at a few here, while I quickly discuss the two games we’ve just watched.
By the way, read on for a couple of controversial opinions...
Unsurprisingly, the boss made 10 changes to the starting XI away to Portsmouth. In the final analysis, it was more than enough, but there were certainly moments of concern. Not least when a dodgy sequence of passes in attempting to play out from the back as early as the third minute of the game led to Madueke losing the ball, and Portsmouth taking the lead when Kepa could only parry a shot straight in front of him and directly into the path of centre-forward Bishop.
Before long, Arsenal were level; with the first of no less than three set-piece goals. Not a shock that Arsenal should do some damage here - they're very good at them, and Portsmouth's record defending them is nothing short of shocking. Here, chaos from Madueke's delivery led to an own goal.
And soon after it was two. Madueke delivered from the other side - with his other foot! - and Martinelli rose unchallenged to flick home at the near post. An excellent (one could almost call it Rice-like) piece of work from Noni.
Although he let himself down later in the half; winning - but then missing - a penalty. He tried to be too cute with it, I'm afraid.
Two second half goals wrapped things up. Martinelli's hat-trick (the third goal almost a carbon copy of the first) would have helped him recover from the bad press he received following his incident with Conor Bradley in midweek.
On the positive side, Kai Havertz got a few minutes into his legs, but it is clear that he is being eased back even more gently than Gabriel Jesus. Both will certainly be needed as the season hots up.
On the negative side, Portsmouth did create a few chances that I wouldn't want to see replicated by better sides/players. A Ben White block and a full-length dive from Kepa helped keep the score comfortable. Sure, the team was vastly altered, but we are going to have to expect these players to play their part as we head towards the business end. They must keep their standards high.
But I truly believe that there remains much more potantial in this group than what we have seen so far rhis season. We have yet to see the best of Saka, for example. There is so much more to come from Eze. Havertz has barely been sighted. So, so interesting and exciting.
With no less than 6 Premier League teams going out, and a home draw against Wigan in the fourth round, the FA Cup is opening up nicely for Arsenal.
Next, another competition; and another away game. This one was always likely to be a lot more testing! Chelsea away in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final; and the home debut for (yet another) new Chelsea manager - Liam Rosenior. Arsenal have an excellent recent record at Stamford Bridge, as it happens. The ground holds few fears for the Arsenal players. It's not Anfield, and will never have that aura.
I'm sure that all Arsenal fans share an antipathy for Chelsea with me. They are very high on my list of clubs I love to hate. And we had the usual pantomime chanting to deal with:
'Champions of Europe - you'll never sing that!' came very early. Let's see if we can kick that one into the dustbin on May 30th.
'We won it all!' - inevitably. Countered by 'You bought it all!' from the away fans. All the usual nonsense; but it's this whole perception of what Abramovich's ownership did for Chelsea - and to English football in general - that aggravates us Arsenal supporters. Watching the way they operated in the Abramovich era made my skin crawl. And watching what they're trying to do now (I'm actually not even sure that they know what they're doing) has me questioning whether their current owners have any real idea about how to build a genuinely successful side. For me, they will always be the flash Johnny-Come-Latelys of English football. The football equivalent of Harry Enfield's 'Loadsamoney' character. Unlike the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, they've not tried to do things organically. And I despise them for it. Still, I don't suppose that their fans give a flying f*ck about all that! But, by any measurement, they've bought it all.
Moving on to the match itself. Arteta went very strong. Full strength, with the exception of the goalkeeper (I can only assume that he's keeping a promise to Kepa). With no less than three of his eight-strong defensive cohort out injured, the manager plumped for Timber at left back. The rest of the side was as expected, I guess. Chelsea were missing a few due to injury or illness, so they were by no means at full strength. No James, Palmer or Delap. Still, they have a massive, bloated squad, so they were hardly short of players. Regarding Kepa; he's an upgrade on what Arsenal have had in reserve for a few years. But he's no David Raya. I wonder what Arteta will do should Arsenal reach the final?
An early goal - almost inevitably from a (Muller) Rice corner - set Arsenal on their way. Ben White notching his first goal since he scored a brace against Chelsea a couple of seasons ago.
I must say (perhaps controversially) at this point that I believe that the Laws of the game need to be dramatically altered insofar as it comes to set pieces around the penalty area. Whilst acknowledging that my club is a master at the art of set pieces, I am sick of seeing all the pushing and grappling that goes on prior to - and during the taking of - corners and free kicks. For me, it simply isn't football. I'd be penalising the blocking off of the goalkeeper, and equally penalising all the holding and pushing that defenders do. Stuff that would be punished anywhere else on the field is let go by the officials at dead balls. Something really needs to be done.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Jover is doing a remarkable job with his set-piece routines. When Arteta said a couple of years ago that he wanted to take every small advantage he could in every aspect of play, he really meant it. And his coach and players continue to deliver regularly on this aspect.
Talking of which, Arsenal's second goal saw another aspect of gaining every little advantage. We've all read about the recruitment of a 'throw-in' coach - one Thomas Gronnemark. And one immediately thinks that he'll be there teaching the players how to throw the ball even further than before. But that's not the only aspect of throw-in play. For Arsenal's second goal, an atypical quick throw-in from White saw Saka released on the touchline - crucially, ahead of his shadow, Cuccurella. Saka cut back inside instead of crossing - much to the annoyance of the excellently-placed Gyokeres - but he then found the overlapping White, and the full back's cross evaded Sanchez for Big Vik to slot home from three yards. A goal that the Swede badly needed. Although, to give him his due, he looked better than he has recently in this game, and also got the assist for Zubimendi's delightful third goal (set up by a quality through ball from Merino to Gyokeres, and a decent lay off to Zubi, who still had plenty to do but delivered with aplomb - and with his left foot)..
The point I'm making is that this was something we've hardly ever seen from an Arsenal side recently. And particularly from White, who often takes an absolute age to throw the ball back into play. Nice work all round, lads.
As for Robert Sanchez... for me, he is a weak link for Chelsea. He ought to have cut out White's cross, so was very much to blame for that goal. And if Rosenior wants to stick with playing out from the back in the way we watched his side do yesterday I don't see how Sanchez can survive much longer. in goal He looks nervous, and continues to make poor decisions with the ball at his feet. Arsenal exerted pressure on the Chelsea keeper and back line all evening, and made things very uncomfortable for them.
In truth, Arsenal dominated most of the game, and were comfortably the better side. Which makes the concession of two goals all the more annoying. Both were very preventable; although I must grudgingly give credit to Garnacho for the quality of his finishing. Chelsea finished the game with three wingers on the pitch - Garnacho, Neto and the very exciting Estevao - and they were the most threatening Chelsea performers throughout. But a one goal lead going into the second leg should hopefully be enough, with The Emirates being the fortress it has been thus far this season. It's looking odds on an Arsenal / Manchester City final.
Another two away games follow for Arsenal. In two further competitions. It's out-of-form Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening, and then Inter Milan at the San Siro in midweek. 4 competitions, and 4 away games, in a two week spell. Another block of fixtures that I'd like to see the team put behind themselves successfully. With a record so far this season of P32, W26, D3, L2, one would like to think that the momentum can be maintained. But nothing gets decided in January.
One game at a time. COYG!
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