Emery Bogey Laid To Rest - A More Than Decent Start

Right then. A decent enough start to the season. Two wins out of two. No goals conceded. Long periods of domination in both matches. And - in my opinion - a lot more to come. But, at the same time, I do have some concerns.

I’ll address those a little further down. But first a quick general summary of what we’ve seen so far from the team.

Evolution; not Revolution

 

Arteta has taken the team close in the last two seasons, and clearly sees the defined style of play that he has developed as the best way towards achieving his aims (and our desires). So it’ll be more of the same, as he looks to add a few extra ingredients to the mix. Timber back - tick. Calafiori - tick. Merino (eventually) - tick. And I suspect that the line-up we’re seeing now is not much like what we’ll be seeing come March/April.

Arsenal Are Still Undercooked

Of course, it wouldn’t make sense to have the team firing on all cylinders from Match Day One. Nor would it have been physically possible, frankly. And whilst some players look readier than others, there’s clearly room for improvement in several key parts of the side. Gabriel, Partey, Rice and Martinelli to name 4…

The Fixture Calendar…

… has been a total clusterf*ck as far as Arsenal are concerned. But, should they negotiate these first few matches relatively unscathed, it doesn’t half make the latter stages of the season look much easier to cope with. Wolves at home; a decent enough start. But to then have to go to three of the most difficult away grounds before the end of September is, quite simply put, an evil piece of programming. With 100% Brighton next to chuck into the mix. The Emery bogey was laid to rest on Saturday. But the next two away games are at The New Toilet Bowl and The Emptihad. I need say no more… except… imagine starting with 15 points out of 15?!? (I’d be happy with 11, by the way).

Moving on to quickly cover the first two games (circumstances, including illness, prevented me from blogging last week), I think that we’ve seen some themes and patterns come to the fore:

1. Firstly, Arsenal don’t concede too many chances to their opposition, but, when they do concede chances, they tend to be really big ones. Cases in point; Strand Larsen’s header for Wolves, and Watkins’ first on Saturday. 

Three things to say about that. One; I’m sure that as players get fitter and more familiar with each other, Arteta will hope to see those Big Chance moments tail off. Two; when the make-up of the midfield changes with the introduction of Merino, there’ll be even less propensity for risk in any case - as I expect to see Declan Rice revert to Number 6. And Three; David Raya has shown himself to be quite the shot-stopper!

2. Secondly, it must be of concern to Arteta - and is clear as day to us supporters - that the right hand side of our attack is far more effective than the left. The Saka/Odegaard/White triumvirate can hardly be bettered worldwide, but the left is relatively dysfunctional. Martinelli looks a long way from the confidence and form of which we know he is capable. Trossard doesn’t necessarily offer the completeness of a left-winger that Arteta is striving for (for all the fact that his goal scoring statistics are remarkable!). And the Left 8 role is still up in the air - it remains to be seen how Merino fits in. Interestingly, the Manager is spoilt for choice at left back - Timber looks to be capable of playing it Zinchenko-style even better than the Ukrainian can, and what we saw of Califiori’s passing range and athleticism in even a very short period of time was unbelievably exciting! The left appears to be the main area for growth/change over the next few months.

3. Thirdly and finally, there’s the matter of squad depth. And, with only a few days of the Window to go, there’s actually quite a lot to sort out in order to ensure that he has enough ammunition for the season. Let’s take a closer look:

Goalkeeper: Aaron Ramsdale needs to go and play somewhere (as does Karl Hein, actually). Arsenal need to facilitate that, and also to ensure that a suitable replacement is found. Not long for those ducks to be lined up.

Defence: Almost certainly more than enough depth here. In fact, it would make sense for Jakob Kivior, whose minutes look likely to be severely curtailed, to at the very minimum go out on loan for the season.

Midfield: Merino will surely be a sufficient addition (although how Odegaard gets a rest isn’t easy to work out). The addition of Merino should see Rice go back to what he himself regards as his best position; with both Partey and Jorginho ready to step in when necessary. This also means, in my opinion, that the Havertz At Left 8 experiment is over. ESR is gone now, and Vieira looks to be finally being put out of his misery, so that leaves a path for Ethan Nwaneri to pick up maybe around 300 First Team minutes over the season. This all makes for a deal of clarity, in my opinion.

Attack: Hmmm… far more difficult. And there are two strands to this. Firstly, what to do about the left wing situation, and at the same time how to ensure that Bukayo Saka isn’t over-burdened. With Nelson likely to depart this week, Gabriel Jesus’s latest injury (albeit apparently not serious) brings this into focus. Because if one compares the possibility of using the Brazilian to fill the gaps as necessary with what Pep has put together at Manchester City (Doku, Grealish, Bernardo Silva and now Savinho are their winger options), Arsenal are deficient here. 

But not as deficient as they can look at centre forward. Admittedly, Erling Haaland is imperious (and City are definitely short of alternatives for him with the departure of Alvarez), but Arsenal look well short in comparison. Havertz and Jesus may be able to do a job, but they are simply no comparison to the Norwegian. And with Eddie looking on his way too, for me Arteta simply must pull a rabbit out of the hat here. I don’t think that Ohsimen looks like an Arsenal player - plus he’ll be crazily expensive - but I do like the look of Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting Lisbon. 

Whatever happens over these next few days, for me a centre forward alternative is absolutely critical!

I can’t end without mentioning a few things that we saw on Saturday. First, Trossard’s quite pointed ‘non-celebration’ following his goal. Arteta will have taken note, and I suspect that for the Belgian’s state of mind he must start on Saturday (against his old club).

Second, the Arsenal supporters’ relentless trolling of Emi Martinez following his error that led to the second goal. If you dish it out, mate, you have to be prepared to take it.

And on a similar note the reminder that Ben White remains the absolute King of the Sh*thousers. The instant retribution meted out to McGinn was magnificent work!

So we move on. The fun and games of the end of the transfer window. Then Brighton at home - not easy - followed by the first of several pointless, annoying Interlulls. And then the double whammy that is Spurs away, followed by City away. It’s going to be a very interesting month.

COYG!

Season Preview - Hopes and Dreams

Right then; here we go! A new season commences, and anything could happen. And I thought that I'd lay out my hopes and dreams, my expectations and my concerns, and would see how they resonate with yours. Let's get right into it. But warning - long read...

Title aspirations

Last season, Arsenal fell just short of toppling Team 115 from their perch, despite taking 49 points out of 54 from their PL matches in 2024. 89 points wasn't enough, and it was almost certainly the relatively slow start to the season that cost Arsenal the title (remember, Liverpool once got to 97 points and it wasn't enough!).

As far as trajectory is concerned, it's been 8th to 5th to 2nd, and then 2nd again in the past 4 seasons - with every season end tinged with regret of some kind or the other. But it's clear that Arsenal are getting closer and closer. It's in the area of marginal gains where Mikel Arteta knows he needs to squeeze a bit more out of his squad, and for sure he's working on it.

I see the strengths and weaknesses as follows:

Goalkeeper and Defence

Little to criticise. The best defence in the country, without question; and Arteta has addressed the perceived (or actual) weakness posed when oppositions pick on Zinchenko by adding Riccardo Califiori to the ranks. Plus Jurrien Timber looks ready to go as well - indeed, I'm not quite sure how to get 6 into 4 right now; although there will be plenty of opportunities for rotation as the season progresses - it's highly unlikely that Saliba and Gabriel will be able to keep their exemplary fitness records for another full season. 

Honestly, there are no worries here. In William Saliba, Arsenal have the stand-out centre half in the entire league. And his partnership with Gabriel is equally the number one partnership. Add Ben White, and with a choice of first class left backs, just relax...

Midfield 

Again, Arteta appears spoilt for choice; and may be even more so if he gets Merino. 

Declan Rice is a machine, and whilst he did start looking a little tired towards the end of the recent Euros, the break will have done him sufficient good. Alternatives to him at the 6 spot are Jorginho (excellent passer; not too mobile these days but very capable) and Thomas Partey (gives Arsenal something different with his ability to quickly beat a man and create vertical passing spaces, but not reliably fit and his legs are perhaps starting to betray him). Between the three of them, Arsenal are well served in that position, but this is an area that will need reinforcing next summer.

Further forward, the 'right 8' role belongs firmly to Martin Odegaard; a player who must surely be the envy of literally every single club side in the world. £30m from Real Madrid has turned out to be an absolute bargain! Left 8 is rather more complicated, and it's worth pointing out at this stage that Arsenal's right hand side has been considerably more effective as an attacking force than the left for probably two seasons now. If Arteta can find a way to make the opposition worry more about what's going on down Arsenal's left, then what an attacking outfit they will have become!

But the waters are muddy. Should he put Rice there; with Partey or Jorginho behind. Havertz? Trossard? Vieira (sadly, he doesn't have the option of ESR any more)? Nwaneri, even, at the right time? Who would work best, and how will that upset the equilibrium on the left wing, and up top? I'm glad that it's not my problem!

Forward line 

Just the one place out of three is set in stone here; Saka on the right. After that, it does appear that Kai Havertz is the centre forward of choice, with Gabriel Jesus a decent alternative. On the left wing, there's Martinelli or Trossard. Or even Jesus (could play all across the front). But...

And here's what bother me the most; yes, Arsenal scored 91 league goals last season. And the goals were spread all across the team, with contributions from almost everywhere. Saka top with 16 (including penalties). Then Havertz 13, Trossard 12, Odegaard 8. Which is all great news, but for me there are two issues:

Firstly, Arsenal are missing the key ingredient of a top centre forward. Last season three players - Haaland, Palmer and Isak - notched 20+ goals. Saka was number 9 on the list for the season. Arteta and Edu are well aware of this; look at the very first move they attempted to make this summer - trying to sign Benjamin Sesko. For me the addition of a goal scorer is the missing ingredient in this Arsenal squad. Yes, 91 League goals - but look at the games when Arsenal failed to score to see where those extra margins can be made up. City away. Newcastle away. Both matches against Aston Villa. And inexplicably at home to West Ham. Not forgetting the 1-0 defeat in Munich. 

Margins... the odd extra goal here and there in those games would have been huge. It's OK to knock 5s and 6s past inferior teams, and they'll do that again this season, but that's not actually enough.

Which brings me on to point two: expected goals. Because Arsenal don't have a clinical finisher in the squad, they need to create more - and better - chances than other sides to allow for the 'big chances' that are squandered. Matches are consistently dominated, but quite often that isn't reflected in the scoreline. There are any number of examples from last season, but Brighton at home stands out for me. It could/should have been 6-0. 

But I'm not asking for two and three goal wins to become 5 or 6 goal wins (enjoyable as that would be). I want to see them score in every match! Even against the most difficult of opposition. A single goal at Villa Park, St James' Park, or even The Etihad (remember that Trossard chance in the second half?) would have made all the difference to the entire season! 

For me, if Arteta is going to make just a single extra signing in the next fortnight, then please let it be a centre forward! Although I guess that there will need to be further departures first.

The Squad

So... what does the current squad need by way of additions? And who needs to go? Let's do this!

Goalkeepers - Aaron Ramsdale; let's be fair to the bloke - he needs to go and play somewhere. A sale would be the best move for all parties. He'd do a fine job pretty much anywhere. And Karl Hein needs playing time. What that will mean, of course, is that Arsenal need to sign a replacement; somebody who would be happy enough to under study David Raya. Bentley from Wolves would be no bad idea; he did a decent job standing in for Jose Sa last season. Alternatively, our old pal Wojciech Szczesny is currently a free agent...

Defence - and here Arsenal have not only quality but quantity. It wouldn't surprise me to see Jakob Kivior depart, and there looks to be space to advance young Ayden Heaven into the group too, alongside Miles Lewis-Skelly. Both very much for the future, but closest to breaking through

Midfield - and continuing that theme, there Ethan Nwaneri. the departure of ESR gives him a chance for more first team minutes, and he certainly looks up to taking them with both hands. There are shades of Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas in watching him, and I'm excited to see how he gets on. Elsewhere, even if Arteta would have been happy to shift Partey out, there haven't as yet been any takers. He's got a year left on his contract, so let's make use of him whilst he's fit. Plus the likely addition of Mikel Merino creates further opportunities to dominate opponents.

Forwards - Arteta is trying to shift both Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson out. They don't have the quality for this Arsenal squad. Thanks, and good luck. But as I said before they surely need to draft in another body. Havertz's qualities are clear, but he's not a reliable finisher. Jesus similar, but with the added trait of being so unpredictable that he can sometimes upset the pattern of play. On the left wing, Arteta has a real conundrum choosing between Martinelli and Trossard - sure, they'll both get playing time, but who's the 'starter' and who's the 'finisher'?

On the whole, the squad is almost complete. The bulk of them are aged 22-26. It bodes well for a period of great excitement and optimism for us fans. I've got nothing more to add on this.

And now for the 'elephant in the room' - Team 115. And it's all about to come to a head over the next few months. There's no point attempting to make sense of anything at this stage, but it's worth bearing the following in mind:

1. The charges cover the period 2009-18 only

2. They have already had a legal fight with UEFA over their FFP rules

3. They alleged to have consistently broken the Premier League's old PSR rules

4. Almost a third of the charges relate to them 'failing to co-operate with Premier League investigations'

5. Whilst remaining favourites to win the Premier League yet again, they are also just 10/1 in places to be relegated. Remarkable...

I mean... WOW! 

So what would/could the penalties for this be if found guilty of even half of these charges? Well, bearing in mind what happened to Everton and Nottingham Forest last season, it's got to be a massive points deduction - enough to make relegation a certainty. I hear that their players have relegation clauses in their contracts; why on earth would the club bother to put them in in the first place?

What this could mean for Arsenal does not need to be spelled out. Arsenal are generally acknowledged as Manchester City's closest challengers, and with Liverpool expected to be in a post-Klopp lull are ideally placed to take advantage. Case to be held in the next couple of months - results early in the New Year. Juicy stuff...

And so to predictions:

1.    Arsenal to finally win the Premier League following a 21-year gap

2,    Champions League - quarter final at the minimum

3.    FA Cup/Carabao Cup - why not? One of those to come Arsenal's way

4.    Top scorer - Bukayo Saka

5.    Player of the Season - Martin Odegaard

6.    Breakout player - Riccardo Califiori

7.    Best young player - Ethan Nwaneri

8.    Most disappointing player - Fabio Vieira

As to the rest of the league:

Other Champions League qualifiers: Manchester City (if the points deduction doesn't fit the crime), Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United, Newcastle (for me, Villa are going to suffer in their Champions League year)

Most disappointing team - surely the nut-job that is Chelsea FC? First managerial sacking: Enzo Maresca

Relegation: Southampton, Leicester, Ipswich. Sorry, guys. Unless a team like Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford or Forest have a shocker, they're really going to struggle. As it is every year.

Anyway, that's me done for the moment. See you at the Emirates tomorrow. COYG!

Arsenal Make Heavy Weather Of It in Manchester

Old Trafford was bathed in sunshine for the visit of Arsenal. 'Arsenal Weather', as my dearly-missed father used to describe it; although to be fair he described all weather as Arsenal Weather... and Arsenal were rocking up for what on paper looked like a pretty simple task. United's Monday night thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace suggested that they were in disarray, and the continued absence of Old Weasel Face Bruno Fernandes, and of a single centre-back who was more than half-fit, all added up to what we hoped would be a relaxing afternoon.

Sure, with a win an absolute necessity, there was pressure. And that place doesn't hold too many fond memories; I recall two absolute thrashings (8-2 and 6-1), and that appallingly refereed game that stopped The Invincibles unbeaten run in its tracks. Although there were also 1998 and 2002, of course...  but that's history, and Arsenal had big fish to fry in May 2024.

Another unchanged squad from Arteta, whilst United had McTominay back, but again selected Casemiro at centre-half. To his and their cost, as we know... and for the first few minutes Arsenal were camped in United's left back corner of the pitch and looked likely to utterly dominate proceedings.

United finally got out of that corner, and as Arsenal retrieved the ball following the home side's first foray at goal Thomas Partey turned into trouble. And for me - and this was in just the 5th minute - this seemed to change the way the game played out. It was clear that, for a change, Ten Hag had actually thought about tactics. A different set up, block and press and - until Arsenal scored - a reasonable amount of discipline that stopped Arsenal from doing their best work by cutting off many of their favourite passing channels. 

Odegaard and - particularly - Rice were stifled. There was space wide out but it wasn't really exploited. Partey looked leggy in the face of pacy counter attacks. On the whole, not a brilliant performance. But there were two keys. Firstly, Arsenal got their goal; as early as the 20th minute. And secondly for all their huffing and puffing United rarely looked particularly dangerous - Hojlund had an early chance, and Garnacho very much flattered to deceive. Gary Neville, the most biased of pundits, correctly pointed out that he often doesn't know what he's trying to do, so how can his team-mates? 

Yes, it was tense. But it was only tense because the lead was a single goal, and just one slip could have been fatal. It did feel that the only way United would score would be down to an individual Arsenal error, because they created very little. The Arsenal centre-halves almost always looked comfortable.

And so to the crucial goal. And you've of course all seen what happened. Intelligent play from all the Arsenal 'pressers' forced Onana, for once, to go longer than he wanted, as passing channels were blocked off. Casemiro never recovered from having to drop very deep from the previous phase of play, and never got out in time. White's clip over the top found Havertz, who had taken up a position that under almost any other circumstances would have been well offside. He then drove into the penalty area, where Casemiro made a second mistake by not covering the near post, Wan-Bissaka failed to see Trossard's clever dart inside, and Trossard did what Trossard does. This was intelligent off-the-cuff play from Arsenal, taking advantage of a scenario that could hardly have been envisaged. And it proved crucial to where the points ended up.

At the other end, my main concern was the amount of possession that United were afforded. But looking back I personally believe that we fans were probably more concerned about that than the Arsenal players were. They let United have the ball, knowing that they really didn't have the wherewithal to do anything constructive with it. Just the odd flash of danger, mostly centred around Garnacho, but Raya was rarely tested and Saliba made one awesome tackle at one point, as you'll recall.

I must admit to pacing around my lounge as injury time started. But in truth United had very little to offer, did they? Perhaps after their previous result the almost felt relieved to escape with a 0-1 defeat, and not get the thrashing that Arsenal could have given them?

The match, of course, ended in 'heavy weather' as a massive storm hit Manchester. Ten Hag's ludicrous linen suit was surely ruined,as biblical rain hit Old Trafford. All of which would have been of great interest to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who could see at first hand how much disrepair the ground has fallen into. I'm aware that Emirates Stadium has had its own roof issues over the past few years, but this was something else. Water pouring off the roof and forming streams in the lower tier, and by all accounts a number of leaks sprung up in the away dressing room. What with the state of the playing squad, the ground and the training facilities, there's a massive job required to start to return United to former glories. If there's any proof as to the damage the Glazer family has done to that club, those images of veritable waterfalls summed it all up.

Still, that's hardly out problem, is it? Our main problem is mathematical. Manchester City can guarantee the title with two more victories. Away to Tottenham this evening (as I type, we're hours away from that), and then a simple home game against West Ham United.

And it's all a bit complicated; psychologically at least. City have failed to register a single goal at Spurs' new ground in 4 PL attempts (admittedly against Mourinho and Conte sides; this Tottenham side will be set up completely differently). But there must surely be something in that for Guardiola and his players to overcome? On the other hand, they are a much better side than Tottenham, so they can probably only beat themselves. Still, the longer the game goes on without a City goal, the tenser they'll become.

From Tottenham's point of view, Villa's result on Monday means that they need two wins in order to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League, so they have to try to win the game. Villa have a very tricky final game, and the gap is 5 points. The fans may hate the thought of it, though. Spurs beating, or even getting a draw, would probably hand the title to Arsenal. I honestly don't believe that this will have much effect on the players, and the supporters should, frankly, grow up and worry about their team's progress above and beyond anything else.

As for West Ham; if it comes down to Sunday we can forget it. They are as 'on the beach' as any PL club can be. Everton, our last day opponents, will be trickier opposition - they have 5 successive clean sheets behind them. But if Arsenal need to beat them to win the title, I'm sure they will. 

Meantime, let's hope for a miracle. So it's COYG, and (one time only) COYS!

We Got Him Half Price!

Not without some hint of jeopardy - something that the final 3-0 scoreline wouldn’t necessarily suggest - Arsenal took the required three points at home to Bournemouth on Saturday lunchtime. Thankfully, there weren’t quite the theatrics of Reiss Nelson’s 97th-minute winner the previous season, but there were plenty of moments of concern along the way - and not a small amount of ‘the rub of the green’ going Arsenal’s way. Still, as I’ve said before and I’m sure we’ll all agree, the three points is all that matters.

So, to nobody’s surprise, Arteta selected an unchanged starting XI (and bench) to the one he put out in the NLD. A week between matches certainly helps - I’m not sure that the current squad could have coped with a midweek CL semi final with Real Madrid sandwiched around this game, and I’m also sure that it would have helped Arsenal’s cause had Manchester City beaten them and found themselves embroiled in a two-legged semi-final instead. Both sides exiting at the same stage - well, I suppose that keeps it a level playing field (on the field, at least)…

Arsenal absolutely dominated the first half. 16 shots to one. Most saved; or blocked. But, as the half wore on, more and more nerves became evident in the crowd. It felt like only a matter of time before Arsenal took the lead, but the longer the deadlock continued, the more the feeling of jeopardy grew. Certainly in block 17, anyway.

The second most controversial moment of the first half took place as early as the 11th minute. Ryan Christie went in hard and high, studs up and with outstretched boot, on Bukayo Saka. See below for images. Result - barely looked at by the referee or VAR, and not even a yellow card. So if Bournemouth have any complaints about later decisions, perhaps they should consider that they ought to have played 80+ minutes with 10 men... a horrendous assault.

When Arsenal finally took the lead close to half time, there was more than a hint of controversy about that too. Havertz, bursting into the penalty area to meet Odegaard’s incisive (aren't they always?) through ball, appeared to be brought down by Travers in the Bournemouth goal. Penalty? Yes, but… and for those who read this blog regularly you’ll know how I feel about ‘initiating contact’. He'd unquestionably dragged his left leg in the keeper’s path in order to initiate contact with him. 

This is what I wrote subsequently on one of the WhatsApp groups I’m in (a group over-populated with Spurs fans, by the way):

“I’ve now watched it back and seen all the angles. Yes, he left his leg there purely to initiate contact. But the way the Law is written he’s allowed to do that. Kulu and Trossard last week was a different scenario - an accidental coming together. Contact was made; but by neither player’s design. 

The problem is the Law. The Law is an ass. That’s why I NEVER give penalties when I’m refereeing and a forward initiates contact - even though I probably should according to the letter of the Law. Because I HATE that Law! It ought to be changed. But as the Law is written it’s a penalty.”

So yes; it was a correctly awarded penalty. Because that’s what the Law says. But it’s not at all fair on the goalkeeper. And the Law needs to change; as much as the handball Law still needs to, by the way (remember the penalty conceded by Saliba at Stamford Bridge? Ludicrous).

Anyway, at this stage of the season, we were obviously going to take it. And, whilst it wasn’t his best penalty ever, Saka buried the kick; much to everyone’s relief.

Bournemouth came out with renewed intent in the second half, preventing Arsenal from exercising the control that the score line required . And whilst they hardly created a chance they certainly kept Arsenal on their toes, with the game resembling a basketball game at times. More jeopardy; and they’re a decent side in good form. 

It wasn’t until Arsenal’s second goal that the crowd could start to relax. Yet another opportunity expertly taken by Trossard; but really the product of the anticipation, strength, vision and athleticism of Declan Rice. The guy’s an absolute powerhouse - more of which later when I discuss the third Arsenal goal.

There was, of course, a further moment of controversy when Bournemouth had a goal chalked off. A bit of pinball in the Arsenal box, including one shot that rattled the crossbar, saw two concurrent fouls take place. One saw Saliba drag Billing down; at exactly the same time as Solanke eased Raya off the ball. What an American Football referee would describe as ‘offsetting fouls’, I guess. But in ‘soccer’ the goalkeeper is a protected species - a perceived foul on the keeper is more harshly judged than one on an outfield player. Rightly or wrongly, anyway… and so Coote blew his whistle, the goal was disallowed, and there was no way that the VAR was going to over-rule that. Another stroke of luck for The Arsenal, I should say, as there wasn't much in the challenge. Although he did prevent Raya from getting a punch on the ball, with his hand on his back (and perhaps even under his armpit); and that's why it's a foul.

From then on the match was as good as over with (although I did get into trouble from some around me when I proclaimed that it was 'done and dusted' in the 81st minute). We nonetheless still had time for a couple of treats. Firstly, Gabriel's sweetly hit cross-shot volley found the back of the net, only for it to be ruled out for a marginal offside on Kai Havertz. A great pity, as it was a thing of beauty. 

And very late into stoppage time came the final full stop on the game as Rice made it three. But that doesn't tell the story, by any means. Arsenal retrieved a loose ball deep in their own half; and at that point Rice was around 25 yards from his own goal. As the play progressed down the right - the ball making its way up to Jesus in the right 8 position - Rice speeded up from a gentle trot to a sprint, flashed into the penalty area, signalled to Jesus where he wanted the ball played, rounded his defender, and then hammered a cross shot underneath the goalkeeper. In the 97th minute, and with the result already long settled! Remarkable.

Which sums the man up. He's on the go from start to finish, playing with the same intensity from minute 1 to minute 100. He reads the play, tackling and intercepting. He carries the ball forward in 10 to 20 yard bursts. He has a vast array of passing skills. He is one of the rocks upon which this incredible Arsenal team is built. If anything can be called a bargain at £105million, it's him. As the crowd sang lustily: 'Declan Rice - we got him half price!'

Of course, Rice can only have the freedom to be as attacking a midfielder as he can be in this role depending on what's behind him - even though I'd probably say that the number 6 role is his best position, and he's still learning how to play as an 8. He gets the cover he needs from Jorginho, but he gets it in Spades from Partey (who I discussed in my last piece).

And at this point it's perhaps worth diving into the decisions that are going to have to be made regarding Arsenal's midfield next season. Because for all that Partey adds something Jorginho does not have - that willingness and ability to drop a shoulder, turn out of trouble and beat the press, and then find Havertz or Odegaard - there is a similar element of 'risk and reward' as there is when Zinchenko plays. With Partey, we saw that very early on in the NLD, when he was robbed from behind after just a few minutes, but  that time Arsenal escaped with no damage done. 

Does Arteta want to go down the 'control' route, or go for something more daring; more maverick? Plus, of course, the big question is whether he can rely on Partey's fitness - on all known evidence, he cannot. Big decisions there. But, back to Rice; he can be as good a player as Patrick Vieira or Steven Gerrard going forward, and we should be delighted that Arsenal pushed the boat out to £105million. One only has to reflect on David Moyes' words about the reason why West Ham have taken a few hammerings (unintended pun) this season. No Declan Rice leaves a big, big hole.  Rice can be a focal point of this young side for many years to come.

And so, with City also winning - against a Wolves side who looked like they were already on holiday - the percentages are less and less in Arsenal's favour. They've got Fulham away, Spurs away, and finally West Ham at home. The latter two sides lost 4-2 and 5-0 at the weekend. They're also the only two teams that Fulham have beaten in the past two months. We're counting on a miracle now, to be realistic. Nonetheless, if Arsenal manage 49 points out of 54 in 2024 and still fall short, you just have to hold up your hands. I said two months ago that there was no margin for error; and I've unfortunately been proved right. So far... and goal difference is highly unlikely to go against Arsenal at this stage.

I'd expect Arsenal to do the business themselves in their final two games. For all that Spurs have some sort of 'Indian sign' over City - no goals scored by the latter at The New Toilet Bowl in 4 PL visits - form tells us something else. Spurs have now lost 4 successive matches, and seem powerless to stop the rot. Arsenal, on the other hand, might under normal circumstances treat an impending visit to OT with trepidation. But United are in complete disarray. They've got a load of injuries, and a single half-fit centre-half available (Casemiro is a disaster in that role). They look badly coached, and bereft of any structure or confidence. Without the injured Bruno Fernandes, they have literally nothing to offer going forward; as well as being unable to defend. They're an abolute Sh*tsho*w..Arsenal are assuredly going to tear them apart, and put another nail in the Ten Haag coffin, on Sunday afternoon.

But we'll stick to the 'one step at a time' scenario. Come On You Gunners, and Come on Fulham; you owe us a favour. Where there's life, there's hope...

Riding The Derby Roller Coaster

Well. Well. Well. That was quite an experience, was it not? Mixed emotions during the game, and still plenty of the same the next day. But all that matters at the end of the day is the result. And the three points, of course. 

Tottenham Hotspur 2, Arsenal 3. North London is Red. Happy St Totteringham’s Day to you!

Lots to unpack. Let’s get right into it: Arsenal were unchanged from Tuesday’s romp over Chelsea. Tottenham, by contrast, had had a full two weeks of rest - Arsenal had played no less than 4 times in that period - but, Big Ange, you picked what for me looked like the wrong team, mate. 

Davies was never likely to be able to keep up with Saka for 90 minutes. For all his flaws, I was expecting Emerson Royal at left back. He has pace, at least. Plus what you need against Arsenal is legs in midfield, because Arsenal’s midfielders don’t stop running. So the choice of Hojbjerg baffled me. Bissouma or Sarr, surely? And finally. I’d have started Richarlison; for all that he wasn’t likely to last the game. Surely Ange would have seen the need to try to upset the equilibrium of Arsenal's formidable centre half partnership? Oh well…

The concern for me was that Spurs were fresh, whilst Arsenal were likely to be jaded; both physically and mentally. Relatively, at least. The way the first half went - apart from the scoreline - seemed to illustrate that to me. Spurred on by the rabid masses of orcs in the stands, Spurs came out of the traps pretty hard, and were unlucky not to be ahead by the time Arsenal took the lead from Hojbjerg’s inadvertent flick from Saka’s near post corner. 

It had made for mostly quite uncomfortable viewing up to then, with Arsenal sitting in a deep and narrow block as they had at The Etihad, and continued to do so until Saka’s breakaway goal - selling Davies a massive dummy on the way - from Kai Havertz’s raking crossfield delivery. 

Spurs could perhaps have had a penalty a mere 10 seconds prior, and even before then had had an equalising goal chalked off (rightly, but it was incredibly tight) for offside.

3-0 at half time, as King Kai headed home unchallenged - this time from a corner from the other side; delivered with pinpoint accuracy by Declan Rice. Marking? Non-existent. Arsenal were in dreamland; strutting their stuff - I certainly was from the comfort of my sofa at home - and made all the more enjoyable because it felt so unjust on Spurs. 

And certainly to these three Neanderthals, whose abuse of Rice as he went to take the corner got its just desserts. The guy in the Spurs shirt was seen leaving the ground seconds later.

Look, I’ve got no desire to offer them any sympathy. At that point, they’d failed to take any of three decent chances, and none of their penalty appeals felt quite right.  But whilst they are undoubtedly a decent side going forward, their defending leaves a hell of a lot to be desired. Sheer naivety at set pieces exposed them twice - they appear to have paid no attention whatsoever to Arsenal’s brilliant corner routines - and to leave a keeper already known to be flaky on crosses alone to deal with Ben White was frankly negligent. I especially enjoyed watching White un-velcro one of the keeper’s gloves prior to one corner; he's the absolute King of Sh*thousery. And for all that they can probably get away with asking the unbelievably swift Van Der Ven to sweep up their messes, they simply need to be smarter all round.

At 3-0, I was supremely confident that Arsenal would see the game out professionally and with little difficulty. How wrong could I have been?!? And perhaps it remained too easy as the second half wore on, as what was surely a loss of concentration from David Raya led to Romero - who had a terrific game, by the way; channelling his aggression properly for a change - firing the ball past him to reduce the deficit on 64 minutes. I can really offer no explanation for Raya’s lapse but, however you dress it up, trying to chip the ball over two onrushing attackers into the very centre of midfield with one’s weaker foot was not a bright idea. There was simply no need for it.

And that, of course, gave them hope where there had been none. The momentum shifted. All of a sudden Arsenal’s 4 games in a fortnight looked to be starting to catch up with them, as they dropped back into ultra-defensive mode and relying on breakaways - all snuffed out by VDV of course. Mentally and physically, those fixtures looked to be taking a toll; for all that they stayed resilient. 

The introduction of the lunatic Richarlison had by this time added momentum to the Spurs attack, as he launched himself around the pitch like an enraged bleach-blond bull. Fortunate, indeed, not to see red for one totally reckless and unnecessary challenge on his compatriot Gabriel. But he really stirred things up, and Spurs drove on relentlessly. But, of course, it was all so unnecessary, Senor Raya!

And Spurs got further reward when Rice’s somewhat unintentional kick through Davies on the edge of the box - he didn’t know that he was there; but that’s a foul all day - gave Spurs an 87th minute penalty. Quite how Michael Oliver, standing two yards away, failed to give it in real time is hard to fathom, but it took just one look at the VAR screen for him to award it. Son’s finish was clinical. Kane-like.

Which left three minutes, plus whatever injury time was left (a further 6 minutes, during which my heart rate went over 120bpm!), for Arsenal to hang on in the face of a barrage. Thanks mainly to Raya’s command of his area, they managed to do so. And to give him his due he showed real personality not to shrink into his shell following his error - he really stood up to be counted, and showed great strength of character where others may have melted. He's not the tallest of goalkeepers by any means, but he dealt with cross after cross after cross with aplomb.

And so it was that what had looked like a stroll in the park - a procession, in fact- had turned into something else entirely. And it was more with relief that any other emotion that the players were able to go and salute the fans. I’ve said it before, and I reckon I’ll say it again; results are the only thing that really matter at this stage of the season. And if Tottenham and their fans feel hard done by, that’s merely the delicious icing on the chocolate cake of success. The table does not lie.

A word for a few individuals now: firstly, Kai Havertz who had as good a game in a red shirt as we’ve seen. He led the line superbly, occupying the central defenders, dropping deep to link up with the midfield and making telling run after telling run. Plus yet another goal (Waka Waka) and the assist for Saka. 

This was a player, remember, who we were struggling to understand at the beginning of the season. But his stats are suddenly looking very decent; that’s now 12/6 PL goals/assists this season, of which 8/5 have come since February 17th. A remarkable streak, and he has been transformative.

Secondly, Bukayo Saka. Starboy has frankly been looking a little jaded over the past few weeks - Arteta rarely gives him a break - but there have been signs of life over the past couple of games and here he was back to his best. He tormented Davies all afternoon, worked hard out of possession, and got a goal and assist to boot. 

And finally, Gabriel. Another really strong and influential performance from the big Brazilian. Where Saliba’s performances have perhaps plateaued recently, Big Gabi has really stepped it up. I remember worrying early on in his Arsenal career that he was a little clumsy, and often had a mistake or a crucial piece of poor distribution in him. No longer; indeed not for a long time now. He’s an absolute colossus, and had another superb game.

Another three points, then, but with City also winning it’s ‘as you were’ at the top. Three games left for the Gunners, and we need not only to win them all but for City to somehow not win all of theirs. Quite what it will mean for this group to end up with 89 points and it still not be enough, I’m not sure. It’ll hurt us fans; so goodness knows what it will mean for the players to come even closer than last season, but to again fall just short. 

But let’s remain optimistic. We need to rely on others - wouldn’t it be hysterically funny if Tottenham, needing to beat them to qualify for the Champions League, do a job on them (they are unquantifiably City’s bogey side) in their penultimate game. We’re all Spurs that night, for sure!

So we move on. Bournemouth at home on Saturday lunchtime. Remember the scenes last season?

I’d hope for something more comfortable this year. But one step at a time. In the interim, let's bask in St Tott's Day.

COYG!