Why Injuries Are Just Like London Buses...

Arsenal's return to action after 16 days saw a long overdue win over Fulham - thus consolidating second place and closing the gap to Liverpool to a 'mere' 9 points - and featured two notable talking points at opposite ends of the spectrum. 

On the happy side, the return of our very own Starboy, Bukayo Saka, following no less than 19 matches out, was rapturously received by the home crowd. And in true Boys' Own style it didn't take him long to get onto the score sheet. On the sad side, the loss of both Gabriel and Timber to injury during the game does not bode well for what's on the horizon. So let's get into it, before I cover a few other bits of news.

No massive surprise on the team selection front. Although it was a worry to note the absence of Ben White from even the bench. The big news was, of course, the much-heralded return to the squad of our best player. And a timely return it is.

Fulham have been giving Arsenal trouble in the recent past (no wins over them in the past two seasons; with a defeat last Spring proving extremely costly), and racking the points up remains important not just in the extremely unlikely event that Liverpool's season falls completely apart (they now need just 12 points from 8 games), but also to keep the chasing teams at bay. Forest remain within touching distance, but there's a sizable buffer to fourth place now. Fulham themselves came to defend - as most sides do when they visit Emirates Stadium - but I don't believe that a 'low block' is really their game; as the way the game went proved.

And so to the action. And whilst the first half was pretty low key it was notable for three things. Firstly, that Gabriel Martinelli - back approaching his very best - had the hapless Timothy Castagne on toast throughout down Arsenal's left. He created several half-chances, plus a decent one for Nwaneri, whose volley forced a hurried save from Leno. Secondly that Mikel Merino was once again in the right place at the right time to tuck away a chance late in the half following a tidy through ball from Timber and neat turn and cross from Nwaneri. There was more than an element of luck to the goal - Merino made room for himself tidily but shot fairly tamely with his 'wrong' foot; and the ball took a wicked deflection off of Cuenca. We'll take it.

But the most important piece of action in the half was the injury to Gabriel, who lasted less than a quarter of an hour before his hamstring gave out. This is, of course, disastrous, as Arsenal are about to come up against one of the most devastating forward lines in world football next week. Hamstrings take a month - minimum - so it looks like we've lost him at a critical time. On the plus side, his partner William Saliba is of course utterly imperious. But on the minus side Jakub Kivior is a clear downgrade as third-choice left centre half, and this will be the second season in a row that Arsenal will go into a Champions League quarter-final with the Pole in the starting line-up. It didn't go well last season, so it's a worry this time round. With Calafiori, White, Tomiyasu (long-term) and now possibly Timber and definitely Gabriel sidelined, this is a defensive crisis to match the attacking one suffered in January.

Second half and - until the substitutions started to make a difference - it was more of the same as the first. Perhaps even more so. Another chance created by my Man Of The Match Martinelli - this time for Odegaard who spooned it well over the bar - and then a lovely interchange between Timber and Odegaard forced Leno to make a smart save from the Dutchman at his near post. Martinelli's nutmeg on Castagne was probably the nadir of the defender's night, but the result was just one of a cluster of early second half corners... and then...

The return of the Prodigal Son. To rapturous applause, Saka retuned to the fray. And in just under 7 minutes made his mark with the crucial second goal. Set up - almost inevitably on his showing over the 90 minutes - by Martinelli, who picked up Rice's pass and drove at the Fulham defence before turning the ball out wide to Merino. The Spaniard's cross was met by Martinelli's flick, and whether he was going for goal himself or looking for his mate doesn't really matter. Starboy had an open goal from three yards out and nodded the ball home. Cue absolute pandemonium! 

Was it written in the stars? I really don't know. But it was made quite clear to us just how much we had missed him. And it was a lovely touch - from a lovely young man - for him to go over to the dugout and give Conditioning Coach Sam Wilson a 'thank you' hug. 

So, a buffer. And it was needed late on, as with Martinelli's excellent finish ruled out for offside Timber's injury and subsequesnt defensive reshuffle, and Silva's changes, breathed life into Fulham. Traore forced a good save out of Raya. Muniz missed an absolute sitter at the far post from Iwobi's cross. And finally Fulham got onto the board when Muniz's shot deflected off of Saliba and wrong-footed Raya. Some blame needs to be apportioned with the defending here. MLS was caught upfield by Sessegnon's turn, and Kivior didn't go to engage him; making finding the centre-forward too easy. That certainly won't do against Real Madrid! 

But there were just 90 seconds left at that point. Not enough time for any more panic. Three points; thank you very much. And so to matters pertaining to the next week or two. 

Firstly, Arsenal may be about to hit a defensive crisis. And whilst they have to some extent overcome the attacking crisis - especially now that Martinelli and Saka are back - this is another matter entirely. Losing Gabriel is going to affect the entire equilibrium of the defence - we were looking forward to seeing Europe's best defence up against arguably its best attack, but the absence of the Brazilian is going to leave a gaping hole. And especially with Calafiori also out. 

On the other side of the field there are doubts over the fitness of both right backs now - and the alternative is Thomas Partey. Leaving aside the nightmares we are going to give ourselves imagining the Ghanaian trying to deal with Vinicius Junior, that will also strip a key element out of Arsenal's midfield. If they line up Partey, Saliba, Kivior, MLS next week, with Jorginho at 6, it's going to make for a very long night. Quite how Arsenal deserve the bad spell has been cast over the squad this season, I do not know. In fact, in the circumstances it's quite remarkable that they are still in second place, and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. For me, this says a lot about the entire coaching/playing unit - it's extremely commendable. And so to hear the Fulham fans this time 'taunting' Arsenal supporters with 'Second again; ole ole' simply makes me laugh. They dream of getting anywhere near second place - as do the supporters of all the teams Arsenal have played recently. Jog on - jealousy does not become you.

On a happier note, it's worth pointing out that Real Madrid have their own injury/disciplinary issues at the moment. They managed to concede no less than 4 goals to Real Sociedad at the same time as Arsenal were beating Fulham. So all is not lost. I suspect that we're likely to see a very open game next week.

Before that, it's Everton away. Arsenal's final visit to the iconic Goodison Park. Everton are a difficult side to play against these days; they don't concede many goals, and play an old-fashioned type of game - more direct than most. The question for Arteta is - with the league fast disappearing over the horizon - how much he rotates with next Tuesday in mind. It depends on availability, of course, but I'd consider 4/5 changes if I was picking the side. Let's see.

Anyway, there's still plenty to play for, so COYG!

An Interlull To Actually Look Forward To?

Just for once, Arsenal fans can appreciate the arrival of an Interlull. A couple of weeks without competitive football, during which Bukayo Saka closes in on a return to the pitch at what could be a crucial time. Compare that to the 11 games in 37 days between Christmas and early February that the squad were obliged to cram in - madness, when you think about it; especially when it cost them the services of both Starboy and Havertz for months.

In this piece I'll cover the Chelsea game - which contained literally 'very little to write home about', Liverpool's bad week and what it might mean, Spurs 😂 and talking points on the Interlull. Let's start with Sunday's 'thrilling' encounter at home to the team that everybody loves to hate.

Sometimes it slips my mind how much I dislike Chelsea. For which I can only apologise. Then their fans turn up. As the game kicked off, I pondered how long it might take before the buffoons started their 'Champions of Europe; you'll never sing that' nonsense. 7 minutes, I conjectured; but not a bit of it - it took them all of 58 seconds...

Let's face it, they've not got much to sing about at the moment. And long may that continue. They're a study in how not to do things in the Premier League, in my opinion. They've bought literally dozens of young players - with potential, granted - at inflated prices, with little or no thought as how to meld them into an actual team. And to be frank not many of them are indicating that they're that good at the moment; they have no reliable goalkeeper, their defence are all over the place, their midfield lacks ingenuity and they - like Arsenal - have no focal point in attack in the continued absence of the (less than prolific) Nicolas Jackson.

And so Arsenal dominated them early on, with Sanchez's kicking truly abysmal, Trossard missing one decent opportunity and then a penalty area scramble eventually saw Sanchez scramble the ball off the line, only for Rice to hammer the return way over the top. 

Within that second incident, we saw a superb run from Timber that exposed the unbelievably irritating Cucurella (he of the most idiotic hairstyle in football) - leading to a reasonable shout for a penalty as he leaned into the ball. Could easily have been given; and probably would have been down the other end when one considers that the referee was the incompetent Kavanagh.

And it was Kavanagh who singularly failed in his duty to discipline Wesley Fofana correctly. The Frenchman (once William Saliba’s centre back partner at St Etienne - amusingly, whilst Arsenal snapped up Big Bill for a mere £25m, Chelsea paid no less than £70m for Fofana!) - could have received a straight red for a stamp on Rice or a high tackle on Trossard, or a yellow card for a tug back on the Belgian, before being finally booked for throwing a second ball onto the pitch in order to hurry the match along. That was unfortunate, but we know Mr Kavanagh, don’t we? A stickler for the unimportant rules, whilst letting serious foul play go unpunished. 

Cucurella, by the way, is high on my list of Premier League Most Punchable Faces: Right alongside Bruno Fernandes, and just ahead of Newcastle Assistant Manager Jason Tindall. He has that sort of face. And aura. Grrrrr.

Back to the meaningful action (won't take long). Merino scored the crucial winning goal from a new corner kick routine, making the 'Gabriel run' from the penalty spot, but to the near post, and his deft flick eluded a crowd of players in the 6 yard box and looped over the stranded Sanchez.

And bar a volley from Cucurella that almost squirmed into the net off of Raya's misfield, and a decent volley from Merino that Sanchez saved, that was pretty much it as regards action. Chelsea had 61% possession, apparently, but it was possession for possession's sake as Arsenal held them at bay comfortably, and they failed to muster any meaningful effort at goal in the entire second half. As we suspected, Arsenal games are likely to be difficult viewing for the rest of the season (with the notable exception of Real Madrid, of course). And this petered into boredom, frankly, in an arena more closely resembling a library at times. The only sounds to be heard were the perpetual whinges and moans from the likes of Enzo and Neto, who seemed more intent on gamesmanship than playing any actual football.

Anyway, that's another three points ticked off. And with Liverpool having got themselves knocked out of two cup competitions in the space of 5 days one wonders what that might do for their state of mind. Of course, that leaves them with just the Premier League to play for, and they are 12 points clear, but they are looking fatigued as a group and Arsenal just need to keep going. Just in case - 1% chance of catching them that we have...

Whilst they were thoroughly outplayed by Newcastle - and I certainly don't begrudge their supporters winning a trophy after a 70 year wait, for all that I don't think that we ever want to see Eddie Howe or especially his thoroughly unpleasant sidekick (the aforementioned Tindall) looking happy - I thought that the Liverpool/PSG game was of the highest quality, with both teams excelling themselves with their skill, mentality, quality and fitness levels. I found myself thinking 'Arsenal can't play like this' at times. Of course, it had to be Darwin Nunez who missed the crucial penalty... but Liverpool can count themselves unlucky to have gone out. It could have gone either way at any time. All we can hope for is that their week affects them so badly mentally that they fail to recover. It would be the collapse of all collapses, of course.

At the other end of the quality and mentality spectrum come Tottenham Hotspur, who have now lost no fewer than 15 Premier League games this season. They are rapidly closing in on their own record of 19 Premier League losses, achieved in 1993/4 and equalled in 2003/4 (what a season that must have been for their supporters as at the same time they watched Arsenal go Invincible). Arsenal fans are so very lucky to - well - not be Spurs fans. And it probably means just one more round of matches before we arrive at a very early St Totteringham's Day. #AngeIn, as far as I'm concerned.

And now onto talking points regarding the current Interlull. 14 first teamers off on international duty - and as I type the news of an injury to Riccardo Calafiori has come through - and the first thing that strikes me is the bizarre absence of Jurrien Timber from the Dutch squad against Spain. Not that we should be complaining about that. Elsewhere, David Raya was an unused substitute for Spain, for whom Mikel Merino came on as an 84th minute substitute and proceeded to fire in a late equaliser. So far, everyone else seems to have come through unscathed.

But now we come on to England, and a possible first cap for MLS. How exciting would that be for a young man, barely 18, who made his first team debut for Arsenal fewer than 6 months ago. With injuries and a general shortage of English left backs, it appears to be between him and - to give him his full name - Big Dan Burn At The Back - for the left back role against Albania. I am looking forward to the announcement of Tuchel's first starting XI.

Elsewhere, Ethan Nwaneri failed to make the senior squad. But competition - even in the continued absence of Starboy - for attacking roles in this England squad - is high. It is only a matter of time, but he will need to be patient. Today, by the way, is Ethan's 18th birthday; which means that he can finally get changed in the same changing room as his colleagues. Remarkable that somebody that young can be that promising. And he's ours...

Right. I'm done. Time to get this out. I'll be back in a couple of weeks; unless there's anything dramatic to report. Like the results of the Manchester City tribunal, for example...

COYG!

The Week That Told The Story

On a day when the hiring of former Athletico Madrid Sporting Director Andrea Berta has finally been confirmed (although as I type not yet on the club website), the past week has shown the scale of the task facing him and his future colleagues; and also where he needs to concentrate his efforts to fill gaps in the squad. I’ll go through this later in this piece - as promised last time - but let’s first take a quick look back at the last two matches - from the euphoria and disbelief engendered by the romp over PSV, to the intense frustrations suffered as a result of a disjointed (in some ways very typical, and in others completely atypical) performance at Old Trafford.

Let’s start with the trip to Holland. We’d gone into the game wondering if Arsenal were ever going to score another goal this season. But PSV are in diabolical form, and their manager Bosz committed professional suicide by choosing to play an open game against the Gunners. If there’s one thing one can learn from watching literally any video of Arsenal over the past several years, it’s that they struggle against a ‘low block’; yet he chose to do exactly the opposite, and paid a hefty price. I recall Arsenal thrashing PSV 4-0 at Emirates Stadium two seasons ago in this competition, when he attempted the same thing. Goodness knows how he remains in the job, frankly, having made the same mistake again.

Sure, there may have been a ‘sliding doors’ moment early on when a superb piece of work by Gabriel helped prevent a decent opportunity for the Dutch side, but Arsenal were already on top and once they’d taken the lead it really was a question of 'how many'. Excellent performances all round, including a return to form for Martin Odegaard and outstanding shows from Rice, Trossard and Nwaneri, and Arsenal strolled through the game with a swagger.

The only real blot on the horizon was yet another MLS ‘moment’, when the referee showed him leniency following a badly misjudged challenge - following an earlier booking - that would have seen him sent off for certain in the Premier League. Arteta wisely whipped him off before half time. This is clearly an issue for the boy, who has the football world at his feet but for this well-publicised issue. He risks getting a reputation, and needs to have this coached out of him.

The proviso against the 7-1 score line is quite obvious. No coach in their right mind is going to play like that against Arsenal ever again. The tie is clearly dead, and hopefully Arteta will take the opportunity to rest those with yellow card jeopardy for the next round. If there’s any hope about progressing to take out of the past few performances, it’s that the likes of Real Madrid will not be afraid to let Arsenal play. But the level goes through the roof from here on in.

And so to Old Trafford, and a match-up against a Manchester United side in dreadful form. Bruno United, really; with the exception of Fernandes and Garnacho they posed little or no threat. And yet Arsenal firstly found it impossible to break down yet another low block, and then - having equalised - contrived not to go on and win the match but to almost throw it away.

A game very much of two halves. I was actually bored in the first half, as Arsenal attempted to batter down the United door in a very slow and regimented manner. That old side-to-side, umbrella football that we know and hate. The only new tactic now appears to be the 'scoop pass'; a ball lifted over the top of the defenders for an attacker to run onto. The problem, of course, is that Arsenal currently have no attackers; not in the strict sense of the word. So nobody can really read what his team-mate is going to do; which run he is going to make. With Odegaard often dropping too deep for my liking, it was like West Ham all over again. 

Until injury time, when Trossard gave away a free kick near the edge of the penalty box and Anthony Taylor marched the wall back. And back. Sky measured it during half time at 11.2 yards; that extra 12% being more than enough for a skilled free kick taker such as Bruno Fernandes to get the ball over the wall and past Raya. Some are blaming the goalkeeper, but I don't see it. The wall failed to do its job; firstly by failing to question the referee (boy, does he have form with Arsenal this season!) and secondly by failing to get a head to the shot. 

And then, of course, Arsenal fans were back to 'where are we going to conjure a goal from?' mode. Things got a little more open in the second half; and whilst it played into United hands a little Arsenal still dominated possession. United were more than prepared to sit and wait and take their chances - and more came as Arsenal became more and more frantic - but at least that element of jeopardy opened up the occasional bit of space for the away team. Nonetheless it took an element of trickery down the right from Timber and a threaded pass into space for Rice to bury a gorgeous equaliser off of Onana's far post.

And then it all went a bit mad, as Arsenal seemed to forget how the manager wants them to play. The desperate search for a winner led to mistake after mistake, and by the end we had to be grateful to Rice himself for an excellent challenge to prevent the dithering Hojland from getting a shot off, and David Raya for three absolutely world class saves, to hang on to a point. But that's just two points from the last 9 now, and the Premier League is long gone.

A sad byline in this match for Raheem Sterling. Left on the bench - with left back Kieran Tierney on ahead of him on the left wing - with Arsenal chasing a goal. He is clearly finished. Just by and by, Kierney did well, laying on a decent chance for Trossard at one point. And it was good to see the return of Gabriel Martinelli; he was his usual busy self - forcing one decent save from Onana and then missing from 5 yards out (from an offside position). He will surely start on Wednesday evening.

Arteta himself was understandably tetchy when interviewed after the game. I don't like that, to be honest. He needs to play it straight at all times and, as Rudyard Kipling wrote all those years ago, 'If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same'... a lesson for the Manager.

We had hoped, following the midweek massacre, that the West Ham game was the outlier and that Arsenal could find some way to negotiate the rest of the season in a positive manner. Following this, however, it is clear that PSV were the outlier and, as we suspected, the rest of the season is going to be hard, hard going for Arsenal fans.

And so now seems a good time to look at the task ahead of Andrea Berta; who, for me, needs to start work immediately! Let's look at likely departures, and examine the gaps that need to be filled:

Goalkeeper

David Raya remains a firm Number One number one. I can't see Arsenal showing any interest in keeping the on loan Neto, so Berta needs to find a replacement for him who'd be happy to train every day and play the occasional Cup game. There really ought to be some of those around. The two teenagers coming up behind almost certainly need more time, or a loan in order to play regular football.

Defence

I'd be expecting Tierney (already common knowledge), Zinchenko and Kivior to leave. There isn't neccessarily a need to add anyone else, however, as Arteta will be left with Saliba, Gabriel, White, Timber, Calafiori and MLS. Maybe one more, but there is plenty of flexibility amongst that group. And who knows, maybe we'll even see Tomiyasu again at some point...

Midfield

Rumour has it that Martin Zubimendi is already lined up. In that case, Arsenal should be able to let Partey go along with Jorginho (who is heading home to Brazil in the summer). That would leave Rice, Odegaard, Merino and Zubimendi, plus the likes of Havertz and Nwaneri, to populate this part of the field. 

If you look at Liverpool or Manchester City's squads, this looks light on numbers. So more business needs to be done. There's enough experience in there, so a younger, promising player would be a sensible addition. But the waters are muddy when it comes to selecting the ideal midfield group for the first game of next season. 

Attack

Hmmm... well, Sterling will obviously be gone. And Jesus will be out up until around Christmas time, by all accounts. Which would leave Saka, Martinelli, Trossard, and Havertz and Nwaneri to mix and match. But that's nowhere near enough. Not even close. We're hearing talk of Sesko, and with Newcastle pricing Isak out of reach that looks like the way to go. There is a huge need for a focal point up front, and Sesko is big, strong, fast, with an eye for goal and plenty of upside. 

On top of that, another winger is needed. With Trossard and Martinelli both devastating on their day, but both also inconsistent, perhaps one of them will go. There's been chat for a year about Nico Williams - and I really like the look of him - but we all know that he'd prefer Barcelona. Let's see - it's not as if there's a shortage of exciting wingers in Europe. 

What is for sure, however, is that Arsenal have neglected this area for too long. There can be no excuse not to strengthen boldly over the summer. What is also very clear is that Arteta needs to put some trophies into the cabinet - and soon - otherwise there will be questions about the direction of the 'project'; about how long the Board will 'trust the process'. 

Personally, I remain fully behind Mikel - and three successive second places (on the assumption that Arsenal secure that spot again in May) is not to be sniffed at, for all the mockery of jealous supporters of other clubs. It's unfortunate that Arsenal were not there to take advantage of Manchester City's collapse, but progress is rarely linear. 

Bear the following in mind; for all the narrative that exists about a huge Guardiola/Klopp rivalry over the years - and there's no denying that it existed - Liverpool's finishing positions over those years are worth a look (and you may be surprised). In 2016-17 and 2017-18 fourth, 2018-19 second, then FIRST, second, third, FIFTH, third. Excellent, but not second, second, second, second, second; and that fifth place two seasons ago was a massive drop-off - fully 22 points behind City (even 17 behind Arsenal). 

Yes, they had a number of key injuries, but that's what Arsenal have had this season - alongside all the refereeing nonsense - and yet the Gunners remain in second place). It all goes to show how small the margins can be; but there is literally NO excuse now not to mitigate against them over this summer. It is absolutely critical that this is done.

I also wonder if Arteta may consider a tweak in formation. I know that I might. Using a 'double pivot' and a Number 10 ahead of them might suit his personnel better than trying to shoehorn somebody into the Left 8 role; and also force the Number 10 - assuming that it is Odegaard - to stay further upfield. It can also give licence to the full backs to kick on upfield (although ideally not at the same time!), with the twin 6s tasked to cover them; thus maintaining relationships on either side. What do you think?

One other thing that Berta is going to need to keep an eye on is contract renewals. A number of key ones are about to appear on the horizon. Saliba, Gabriel, Saka and Martinelli's contacts run until June 2027, so they are going to need to be renegotiated by this Christmas at the very latest. By all accounts, Real Madrid are already sniffing around Saliba; and Saka could go literally anywhere he wanted. Plus in order to keep these guys, Arsenal need to ensure that they have got some medals to show for their time at the club.

It doesn't stop there. The following season the contacts of Raya, White, Timber, Rice, Odegaard and Havertz will need to be dealt with. The fact is that a squad only has a short time span, and forever needs renewal. Those named in this paragraph and the one above are the backbone of this Arsenal side. It is clear that they need to deliver, and that those with the money and power have to deliver for them.

Anyway, back to this week. Two home games; the return leg with PSV, and then it's Chelsea (who are hardly in scintillating form themselves). Let's see some life from the squad, please. And let's get behind them. COYG!

 

Second Is The New First - New Perspective/Targets

With Liverpool having a 13 point lead, I don't think that I'd be out of place saying that the league is all but gone as a realistic target for an Arsenal squad bereft of a single fit striker. So it is now time to re-evaluate; to set new targets and to think about what is needed between now and the start of next season. There are two clear areas to work on - quite simply firstly on the field, and secondly off of it. It's not exactly rocket science. 

This would be a very long piece if I dealt with both today, so I'll look at off-field issues next time. But there's still plenty to consider on the first topic. So let's get into those.

The targets for Arteta and the team seem pretty clear to me:

1.    Work out how they are ever going to score another goal!

2.    Ensure a Top 2 - or should things go horribly wrong a Top 4/Top 5 finish at the very worst. Yes, it could easily get that bad in a 'worst case scenario'. And get past PSV

3.    Play to the team's current strengths

4.    And then re-evaluate when firstly Martinelli, and then Saka return

We've seen over the past two Premier League matches firstly the very worst of Arsenal, and then the unlucky side of the coin. There are no words to describe the performance at home to West Ham with any other than synonyms of dreadful (a thesaurus will give you such as appalling, atrocious, shameful and several others of a similar ilk). I have no desire to revisit it, except to say that the staff must have surely learned from it.

Against Forest, the performance was considerably better, with the team going into a ground that has become a fortress and controlling proceedings almost throughout - against, lest we forget, the team right behind Arsenal in the table -  and coming out with what, on paper, was a perfectly satisfactory point that we'd have all settled for beforehand. But it also illustrated a number of the issues with which the team have been struggling recently (since the 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City which was, would you believe, just a month ago!). 

As we know, Arteta loves his teams to have 'control'; to hog the ball and work the opposition over. But this tactic needs development; he needs to find new ways to do this - opposition managers are wise to his tactics and, in the absence of some key 'difference makers', he needs to throw in some curve balls. Certainly over the next 10 weeks. Otherwise the season is going to fizzle out in a sea of mediocrity and apathy.

Nuno's post-match interview revealed a lot about how teams are going to deal with the threat - such as it is - between now and the end of May. When asked why he didn't play his usual three centre-backs, he responded that they didn't need to as 'Arsenal don't have any strikers'. Well;.... derrrr! 

But despite that Arsenal still dominated. Because they still have a very solid defence and a pretty decent midfield - in whichever formation and player selection Arteta chooses. The manager did try a few new things against Forest; Jorginho for Partey was fair enough, he pushed Rice on to join Merino when he could, he even tried Zinchenko in midfield late on (something that he'd been loath to do for the past three years!) and he gave LOADS of freedom to Calafiori to get as far forward as he wanted. Indeed, had the Italian had a little bit more luck with what turned out to be Arsenal's best chance of the game (the ball cannoned back off of a post) it's entirely possible that a very satisfactory 1-0 win would have come Arsenal's way, and we'd have been evaluating things quite differently.

Arsenal had a lot of corners and free kicks against Forest, but unfortunately their good fortune from such situations has somewhat deserted them. Clearly some of their tactics have been well studied by opposing coaches, and so the results from them have somewhat reverted to the mean; fewer good chances, and fewer goals. Perhaps Nicolas Jover needs to switch things up like Richmond FC did in the brilliant series Ted Lasso. A Sandman, a Lasso Special, a Beckham's Todger or an Upside Down Taxi perhaps? I jest...

And so Arteta must surely lean into solidity; for all that - as I and others have warned you - is going to make for a very difficult 'watch' between now and the end of the season. Boring, boring Arsenal? Well... needs must; and I'll take a series of 1-0 wins at this point. Surely you will too?

But perhaps - just perhaps - Arteta might (in an alternative universe) go maverick. He can rely on a solid defence and midfield; but has he got it in him to try something wild? To be honest, I doubt it, but I'd love to see it.

So how can Arteta deploy his troops until the cavalry return at (hopefully) the beginning of April? There are several areas where decisions need to be made. So let's have a look.

• Full backs - MLS or Calafiori? Timber or the returning Ben White? Or Timber at left back? 

If it were me... I'd be tempted to use the returning White on the right; as I can see that helping a somewhat forlorn Martin Odegaard - at least get two points of the successful right hand side triangle back together. And Timber needs a rest. On the left, it'll be MLS for solidity, or Calafiori for that little bit of chaos going forward

• Midfield - Partey or Jorginho? Where to best use Declan Rice? How to solve the 'left 8' conundrum? What instructions need to be relayed to the skipper? 

And this is difficult, as there are many ways of skinning this cat. A lot revolves around what Arteta may choose to do ahead of the midfield, but I'll come to that. 

For me, Odegaard is trying to do too much. He has clearly not come back to anywhere near his best since returning from injury, and for me there are a couple of reasons. Firstly - and obviously - he is missing the presence of Bukayo Saka alongside him. Secondly, in order to compensate for perceived weaknesses elsewhere he is going searching for the ball in areas into which he doesn't need to go; dropping too deep and times and therefore becoming less effective. In short, he is trying to do too much. A lack of confidence also means that he is often playing safe as and when he does receive the ball in more dangerous areas; passing when he could shoot, or looking to play a safe pass when a more risky one might be on (this is of course not helped by having to deal with penalty areas packed with opposing defenders, and at the same time lacking the sort of movement he needs from his team-mates).

Alongside/behind Odegard, Rice's role is something of an enigma. Arteta is - in the absence of a better alternative - trying to turn one of the world's best '6s' into an '8'. With Partey available, it is easy to see why the manager would want to play them both, but at some point a decision needs to be made. This guy is a 'beast' at his best - an eater of space, interceptor supreme, and a duel monster - so I'd really look to play him in his best role. How tactics may develop next season remains to be seen, but perhaps a double pivot - and Arteta could easily revert to this now - and give Odegaard the '10' role instead of the 'right 8' might solve some issues?

• Forward line - with all it's (lack of) personnel issues. 

Merino's two goals at Leicester were clearly a flash in the pan, but Arsenal do need some sort of focal point at the point of their attack if they are going to continue to play in the same way. This is as much about pressing the opponoent when they are in possession as availability and movement when Arsenal have the ball. Merino is a novice at this (although I think he did quite well at Forest), but the alternatives aren't obvious. Trossard and Sterling lack the height and general build to do the job of a 9 or 'false 9' that is required - and that's without any discussion on Sterling's form and confidence - but are there any alternatives? 

Nwaneri may be one, but he has his own issues; which I'll cover in the next paragraph. But if Arteta is genuinely looking for somebody or something to give opponents something different to contend with, then why not try the 'chaos theory' that Calafiori or even the Master Sh*thouser Ben White might be able to bring to that role? Desperate times, but with the solidity afforded behind by a solid if unexciting midfield, and the best central defensive partnership in the world, then why the hell not?!? I'd personally love to see Ben White at centre forward!

As for Ethan Nwaneri, there are concerns. For all his great promise and technical ability, he is clearly suffering being asked to play 90 minutes in match after match after match. There aren't many 17-year-olds who can do that. Messi did it in a fabulous Barcelona side, and the only other player of the same age who I believe was capable of it was Wayne Rooney - and Ferguson looked after him. If Arteta isn't careful, he'll lose Nwaneri to injury too. The boy's been cramping up in the second half of matches recently. It almost feels like he'll have to start Sterling, and bring on the cavalry in the shape of Ethan later in games; at least the kid is able to change a game in ways that Sterling unfortunately cannot.

Look, I don't know what I'd do if I were the manager. He has no choice but to give Sterling minutes, and it's not like Raheem isn't trying. I'm DESPERATE to see him contribute meaningfully, but perhaps he's lost his mojo forever... This is a player who was once feared by opponents - and only three years ago. And he's only 29. If we could just see a spark...

The only thing for certain is that Trossard will start. But he can also be a bit 'in and out'. We need the best version of Leo for the rest of the season, as Arteta has to rely on him as the 'senior' forward until Martinelli and Saka return. How Arsenal got into this position is for my next post...

All will be revealed over the next 8 days, which are the crux of Arsenal's season. It's Manchester United away on Sunday - and they're terrible, obviously, but Old Trafford is traditionally a difficult place to go. Either side of that is the Champions League last 16 tie with PSV - with the 'prize' a likely tie with Real Madrid. Mouth-watering, and just as equally terrifying, but it's what the Champions League is all about.

PSV may have surprised themselves by getting as far as they have. Although they did beat a depleted Liverpool in qualifying, and they score plenty of goals. They'll be open and attacking, and will therefore leave their own back door open; the question is whether Arsenal's forward line - whatever it may consist of - can take advantage. But for all their pressing and desire to take the game to the opponent in open play they - like Arsenal - will be extremely dangerous from set pieces. Arsenal need to have a plan to deal with the highly experienced - and powerful - Luuk De Jong from corners.

I'm pretty sure that Arteta will be happy to take a 0-0 scoreline home with him. Easier said than done. It will certainly be less easy to 'control' or 'dominate' the game than it is in a Premier League match, but that may actually help - a bit of space for Arsenal players to run into would be a pleasurable sight. Anyway, we shall see.

Meanwhile, Liverpool go marching on. As if they've not avoided the type of misfortune that the likes of Arsenal, City and even Tottenham have suffered all season, in the past week they've played a City side without Haaland in it, followed three days later by a Newcastle side shorn of Isak. It's written in the stars for them, I guess. And it's bloody annoying!

COYG!

The Chickens Have Come Home To Roost

With apologies for completely overdoing a metaphor, here's my latest piece...

Can you hear that sound? The sound of squawking; of the chickens coming home to roost. Because the dream is over for another season.

Like turkeys dreaming of Christmas we had hoped, following the win over Leicester, that perhaps Arsenal could get away with it. That maybe, by some good fortune, Arteta had stumbled on the answer. But it is quite clear that this is simply not the case. We also had hope that perhaps some cracks were starting to show up in Liverpool. But as it turns out, Leicester are terrible, and the fact that it took 80 minutes to break them down turns out to be more indicative of where Arsenal are at the moment. And Liverpool can now absolutely relax. It's done. 

Crack the eggshell open, and what we're left with is no joke (or yolk, even) at all. A paltry (poultry, one might almost say) performance on Saturday, with little or nothing of merit on show; Arsenal's chances of a trophy this season have flown the coop. And I'm afraid that I, along with many others, am going to have to roast the club over the situation. Stuff the powers that be within the club hierarchy for chickening out of their responsibilities. 

Anyway, that's quite enough of that... 

I ought to have calmed down by now, shouldn't I? BUT Saturday was abysmal. From almost the moment the game kicked off there felt like there was a lack of energy and purpose in the team. Why that was, only those in or close to the team can answer, but the motivation should have been there, with Liverpool having dropped points in the week and having to go to The Etihad the day after. It was no surprise to see Merino start in place of Sterling, but I guess we were all a little surprised - although probably not that concerned - to see Califiori in for MLS. 

Whilst Arsenal dominated early on, they had little or nothing to show for it. West Ham, to be fair, were extremely well organised - specifically doubling up on Nwaneri - and sat in the type of low block that Arsenal have often found difficult to penetrate over the years. A couple of beautiful 'kills' of floated balls out to his wing by Nwaneri got the crowd going somewhat, but there was little or nothing about which to get excited. Nwaneri himself left the game early; Arteta blamed it on fatigue, but I suspect a calf injury. Odegaard was poor once more; he has not been the player he was since he got injured, and looks worn down by the responsibility he feels to carry the creative side of the team in the absence of Saka. Rice bizarrely seemed overwhelmed by being up against his old club. Partey; quiet. Trossard; more down than up. Merino; not at the levels he needed to be - although I can excuse him that in his unfamiliar role. Califiori; is he really a left back? Sterling… well…

I'll come back to low blocks soon...

It took Arsenal 22 minutes to have a shot on target; the rest either going wide or, more often being blocked by the massed ranks of defenders. Califiori's effort was straight at Areola, however. And, whilst dominating possession, the home team had frankly very little of note to show for it. Indeed, by the end of the game they'd had 21 shots, but only two of them made Areola work. No shots on target after a Trossard effort in the 63rd minute, in fact. A lack of guile, of energy, of urgency were laid bare in front of our eyes. In short, the paucity of all three ingredients had been masked by Nwaneri's performance, and Merino's 15 minute cameo, at the King Power. But we had chosen to believe, hadn’t we? - and it's the hope that kills. In this game the team hit the basement, with not one single player having anything over a 5/10 game. And that's of great concern with so much of the season left.

Now, those who read my last piece would have possibly been drawn into the narrative that everything was going to be OK; because that was what we all wanted to believe. But, having seen and digested what was put in front of me on Saturday I have very quickly changed my mind. I suspect that many will have done the same. And I reiterate; there is no coming back from this.

And so West Ham sat and waited for their opportunity to break. And got it late in the first half when they broke up play 20 yards from goal. The ball reached Wan-Bissaka on the right, and he was allowed to drive for fully 60 yards without being challenged as Califiori, struggling to keep up with him, instead chose to shepherd him wide. The cross came in, nonetheless, and between them Gabriel and Rice then contrived to leave it to each other to deal with; leaving them as mere spectators as Bowen's diving header beat the helpless Raya easily. Rice had tracked Bowen for all but the last 5 yards, when he inexplicably let the forward run off his back into empty space. It's worth noting that Arsenal had had an earlier warning of this very tactic when Bowen failed to connect properly with a Wan-Bissaka cross that had followed another lung-busting drive.

I, for one, put my head in my hands. I could already see no way back. I reminded myself of all the times this season when I had sat in my seat shouting at Arsenal players to not let opposition runners travel long distances with the ball. It happens in almost every home game, and this time they paid the price.

And so to low blocks... and a point made on commentary during the City/Liverpool game yesterday. Now, City absolutely dominated possession; but rarely looked like doing anything with it. It looked to me that Liverpool were comfortable throughout - and especially after they'd gone ahead. They held City at bay comfortably. And when did Liverpool look at their most dangerous? At the very moment when they won the ball back... 

It feels to me like the age of possession being key is coming to an end. It worked for Barcelona for years. It has worked for Manchester City. Both sides would stifle the opposition to death. Arteta is a Guardiola disciple, and has seen at first hand how keeping possession worked out for them in their glory years. But these days - and I've felt it coming and have alluded to it more than once - the buzzword is 'transition'; it's what you do with the ball in the moments straight after you win it back. It's how you expose the opposition by turning them round. The arch-exponent of this tactic was, of course, Jose Mourinho.

We've seen Arsenal's struggles with low blocks over the years. It's often painful to watch, as the ball gets moved from side to side and back again, whilst diligent defenders do their job. Umbrella football; boring as hell. And so it was on Saturday, as neither of the most creative players in the side, Odegaard and  - and forgive me for heaping pressure on a 17-year-old - Nwaneri could do enough in those congested areas right on the edge of the penalty area. West Ham doubled up on Nwaneri. And blocked shot after shot after shot. They also had - in Kudus and Bowen - two dangerous forwards who are capable of damaging any opposition. And it worked. 

Why did it work? And why is Arsenal's season as good as over? Because the team have been stripped of pretty much every attacking outlet they have. And how this has come about is something I want to examine. And to be brutally honest, I put it down to negligence at Management/Board level.

Yes, Arsenal have suffered some injuries this season. Odegaard missing throughout the autumn. Saka for the past two months, with no sign of a return. Jesus out for the best part of a year. Martinelli for over a month. On top of that, losing Havertz for the season has been a hammer blow. All these injuries in the top half of the pitch, following a summer when everyone knew that the club had left themselves short by failing to buy; whilst at the same time letting ESR, Vieira, Nketiah and Nelson leave. With the only replacement forward being the abject disaster that Raheem Sterling has been (the fact that they had used up both of their permitted PL loans on the ageing goalkeeper Neto, and Sterling, only made life even more difficult as the likes of Rashford and Evan Ferguson were immediately unobtainable last month). 

Yes, they had gone in for Sesko early in the summer; but when they couldn't get him failed to revert to a second or third choice. To top that by failing to act in January is frankly inexcusable. And it has taken just two matches for the negligence to be laid bare. So how do you feel? Is it easier to come to terms with matters 10 weeks before the end of the season, or do you prefer to cling to hope - against hope - until the final day? All I know is that the club have taken it out of our hands.

Other clubs have loads of injuries. Bournemouth, Spurs and Manchester United being the three that spring easiest to mind. But the former are coping well with it, and Spurs' season is about to take a turn for the better as players begin to return. I see little or no hope for a diabolical Man Utd squad; but I digress... Some may argue that Arsenal are in second place DESPITE all the injuries; but second is not first and it looks to me that the decision-makers have washed their hands of this season. It makes me wonder if we should too; perhaps we should treat the club with the same disdain with which we have been treated.

Compare and contrast to Liverpool, the team they are (or were) vainly chasing. Yes, Liverpool appear to have had all the luck with injuries - and other things (like getting to face a Haaland-less City this week), but that's irrelevant - but they have Salah, Gakpo, Diaz, Jota, Curtis Jones and even Darwin Nunez to call on up top. Add Szoboszlai and MacAllister to the mix. Harvey Elliott barely gets a kick. 

Thus Slot has been able to manage the load on his most important players. Keeping Salah fit has obviously been crucial. But against that Arteta has been over-playing Saka for years now; keeping him on until the end in long-won league and Champions League matches, and using him in the Carabao Cup and other dead cup ties when he had no need to. Arteta had singularly failed to do a comparative job, and the decimation - no wait; decimation literally means losing 10 per cent of your forces; but this has been considerably more than that! - of his forward line is down to him. And to the Board for not supplying back-ups.

Before I go on I just want to cover the latest sending-off. Poor MLS had a yellow upgraded to red by VAR, and having seen it I can understand why. Arsenal have had misfortune (to say the least) with red cards already this season, as we all know. Rice vs Brighton - later rescinded. Trossard at City - again rescinded. Saliba's harshly and unnecessarily upgraded at Bournemouth. MLS's previous red at Wolves - laughable. But this one? It doesn't look good. He certainly brought Kudus down. But... he had received an arm to the head a split second prior to the tackle. And I would frankly doubt that even the most gifted of footballers are going to pop more than 5 or 6 shots into even an unguarded net at full speed from fully 50 yards out. Thankfully, I understand that yellow cards upgraded to red by VAR only suffer a single match ban. But going down to 10 men was the absolute final nail in the coffin on Saturday; not even the welcome return of Ben White could cheer us up sufficiently.

Now onto West Ham's supporters. I'm not sure what kind of mentality would cause them to gleefully sing: 'Second again - allez allez' at our stadium. These are supporters of a club who never had a team finish higher than third in any top division, for goodness sake! Still, as long as they - and their small-time mentality - had a good time... I also can't get my head round attempts at taunting me by one or  two Spurs fans this week? I think it's because an Arsenal defeat is such a rare thing (it may not be by the time May comes around) that people like to make an event out of it.

What have Arsenal got to play for now? Assuming that they are capable of scoring any goals in the remaining matches, they need to ensure Champions League football for next season. At my most pessimistic, I can see them slipping away, and battling out for 4th or 5th with Chelsea and Villa if they're not careful. As for the Champions League itself, PSV suddenly looks like a much bigger obstacle that it did before the weekend. After that, should they negotiate that obstacle safely, it's one of the Madrid sides. And that'll be the end. 

It's a question of hanging in until first Martinelli, and second Saka, come back into the side. I said last week that I suspected that watching Arsenal was going to be hard work for the rest of the season. It now feels like hard labour. But I will do it; because despite all the criticism I love my club. Let's get behind them, because getting on their backs will only do harm. Fingers crossed, and COYG!

Nwaneri Shines - And Has Arteta Found His Kai Replacement?

Let's set the scene...

Last season, the Arsenal squad came back from Dubai fit and rejuvenated, and put together a fantastic run that all but took them to the Premier League title. Following FA Cup elimination, the opportunity came up to repeat the trick, but this time it was different. With Saka, Jesus and White already out injured, and Martinelli suffering a hamstring issue just prior to the flight out, we were hoping for better news than what we got from the camp. But it was actually catastrophic.

One would have hoped that the trip would be the opportunity for the players to take it a little easier in the warm weather, but training was by all accounts almost as intense. And the news soon hit that Kai Havertz had gone down with an injury 'connected to his hamstring'. How long will this be for, we wondered; and a day later the news broke that the German was out for the entire season - leaving Arsenal with no fit senior centre forward. Whilst Havertz divides opinion amongst supporters, there is little disagreement as to his importance to the way the team plays.

Now, you know all this of course. And what it did was shine a light on the decision not to go into the transfer market in January. Arsenal had taken a chance - as they had, in previous windows - on risking the fitness of current squad members and not reinforcing with any Tom, Dick or Mathys. All the eggs appear to be in the Sesko basket, and that one won't be opened until the summer.

What has horrified supporters is the news that Havertz - already clearly running on fumes over the previous couple of weeks despite Arteta's claim as to his incredible robustness - had received the injury doing a 'hard pressing' drill! And I'd like to ask Mikel why he thinks that Havertz, who along with Odegaard leads those presses in every game - would have needed to be doing that. For all that Arteta is a top tactician, the man (and load) management side of things leaves plenty to be desired still. Surely, if the squad is short on numbers, you back off them following no less than 11 matches in 36 days since the turn of the year? But no...

All this is likely to derail Arsenal's season completely, and I for one doubt that the squad can get close enough to Liverpool in the Premier League, let alone get past the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich et al in the holy grail that is the Champions League. Suddenly, Arteta needs to be creative in ways we couldn't have possibly imagined.

Yet hope springs eternal. Following the high drama of Everton's late equaliser at home to Liverpool, we wondered if a small crack had opened for Arsenal to squeeze into. Having seen how lethargic and nervous Liverpool looked in their narrow victory over Wolves yesterday, one starts to wonder if they are perhaps starting to feel some pressure. Their next three league games - all in the space of a week and meaning 5 PL games in 14 days for them - are Aston Villa away, rejuvenated Manchester City away, Newcastle (with a point to prove following last weekend, and with another clash with Liverpool in the Carabao Cup Final a few days afterwards) at home. Tough; and they will surely drop points (if they don't, I for one will concede them the title). On the other hand, perhaps - especially following Arne Slot's sending off in the aftermath of the final whistle at Goodison Park - this could be the start of what @mattkandela, on The Arsenal Opinion podcast, has dubbed the Slot Rot. You never know.

However we must bear in mind that Arsenal have enough problems of their own. So let's get back to the game at Leicester on Saturday lunchtime. And there are a number of conclusions to be drawn from it:

Firstly, if the first 80 minutes of that game are anything to go by, the rest of the season - at least until Saka returns - are going to be a hard watch for Arsenal fans. Forget entertainment, everyone; this is going to have to be a long grind. Arteta is going to have to lean strongly into his side's PL-leading defence (just 22 goals conceded in 25 matches). And if the team needs to 1-0 its way to the title, then so be it.

Secondly, following his performance on Saturday, when he finally got his chance to start and make an impact on a PL match, I never want to see Raheem Sterling in an Arsenal shirt again. Prior to the game, I tweeted the following: 'It's about time that Raheem Sterling remembered that he's a professional footballer by trade'. But he is clearly beyond redemption. He has gone at the game. He's apparently on £375k a week, so I'm going to have little sympathy for him, but since his magnificent showing for England at the Euros in 2021 his form has utterly deserted him. At the very moment when Arteta and his team-mates needed him to step up on Saturday, he stunk the place out. Sorry, mate; I've been prepared to give you every chance, but that's your lot.

Next, the shape of the team. Arteta's selection hadn't surprised me at all - I'd expected a front line of Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling - but it was a failure. Sterling was shocking, and Trossard is far better on a wing than as a diminutive 'false 9', where it's difficult to pick him out amongst the gigantic centre-forwards he's up against. I was expecting late runs into the box from Rice, and for Odegaard to attempt to weave some magic on the edge of the penalty area, but the game plan was largely ineffective; and this was merely Leicester City! Fortunately, Arsenal have an ace up their sleeve. Or maybe two.

Odegaard himself hasn't got back to top form since his injury earlier this season. This is explained by a combination of factors. Firstly, he's missing the presence of Saka (and White) in the right side 'pod' that worked so well last season. Secondly, he is surely suffering sleepless nights since the birth of his first baby. And finally he is probably trying to do too much in his role as captain/talisman. He was much more effective in the second half than the first on Saturday; let's see that trajectory continue, please.

Next; Ethan Nwaneri. I've been telling anybody who would listen about this kid since before the beginning of the season. Although it's only circumstances that have forced Arteta to give him the game time he has had, it is quite clear that he (along with MLS) is ready. If you're good enough, you're old enough. He was once again Arsenal's best player on the day; hit both crossbar and post with shots, won most of his duels, tackles and take-ons, put a perfect cross in for the crucial first goal, and his class stood out amongst a lot of the agonisingly mundane and pedestrian play going on around him. I've not been so excited about a young footballer since I first saw Cesc Fabregas in an Arsenal shirt. 

Echoing thoughts that I had not dared to express out loud Joe Cole, on commentary for TNT, described the boy as 'Messi-like'. Well; goodness knows if he can ever be that good, but if any young English player I've seen has a chance of achieving anything like what the Argentinian has then maybe - just maybe - Ethan Nwaneri can. Because he can already do the lot. Close control. Vision. Decision-making. Movement off the ball and with it at his feet. The ability to go either way; predominately left-footed, but did you see that shot with his right that smacked against the post? Already with a man's physique, and the ability to give full backs nightmares. Saka-esque, in fact. Surely this season's Golden Boy, and quite possibly a future Ballon D'Or winner. And he's not 18 for a few more weeks...

Still; no pressure.

Lastly, Mikel Merino. Perhaps the answer to our prayers. Well, time will tell, but I absolutely expect him to be leading the line against West Ham on Saturday. His two crucial goals on Saturday were superbly and clinically taken, and based on that 20-minute cameo looks to be a decent call as a stop gap before first Martinelli and then Saka return. And let's face facts; Arteta cannot select Sterling in a starting XI again. So for the moment he has nowhere else to turn. And Arsenal absolutely must continue to grind out win after win after win, or they will fall short again.

So let's see what the next week or so transpires. I don't expect the team to have too much difficulty with West Ham, so all eyes will be on Liverpool for the next week or so.

One game at a time. Keep the faith. COYG. ATID.