A Difficult Evening

Arsenal endured one of the most difficult matches of their season to date at the GTech Stadium on Thursday evening. A 1-1 draw was probably a fair result, with both sides possibly coming away disappointed at not having secured all three points. But - and make no mistake about this - Brentford are very difficult opposition. Especially at home.

They're actually a remarkable club. They have risen from the depths of League One very rapidly in recent years; on a safe and solid financial footing and a very specific way of going about their business. Their modus operandi is very similar to that of Brighton, who have achieved similar success. Actually, I understand that Brentford owner Matthew Benham is not very popular with Brighton owner Tony Bloom, with whom he used to work. I'll leave the reasons for that to your imagination...

It was interesting to hear Brentford manager Keith Andrews, when interviewed after the game, implying that the way that Brentford work in selecting their playing staff would lead him to not fancy trying to implement what works at Brentford with 'other groups of players'. Suggesting that character is very important when putting together successful groups, and probably implying that disparate groups of individuals - the likes of those put together by clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Chelsea - are far more difficult to keep pulling in the right/same direction. Fascinating... As Arsenal fans, we know that character is a key trait that Mikel Arteta and his team take into consideration when looking to bolster the Arsenal squad. So the clubs appear to share that viewpoint

To the game itself:

The news a few days prior of the loss of Havertz for several weeks was - frankly - not unexpected; if nonetheless disappointing. One doesn't come back from a year out and expect smooth sailing. If he can be back for Chelsea, that would be handy. 

The loss of William Saliba through illness was another blow; for all that his deputy Cristhian Mosquera did well enough.  And whilst Saka and Odegaard were back on the bench, this all meant that Arsenal were perhaps a little light on 'first choice' players for a test of this magnitude. The key selection was that of Eze in an attacking midfield role - how he performed was likely to be critical to the way the game went. With Manchester City having literally strolled to victory the previous evening (Fulham having rolled over for them) to cut the gap to three points, the pressure was certainly ramped up a little for the league leaders.

The atmosphere felt electric - at least from my armchair. I am sure that stadia such as the GTech under the lights, with big visitors such as Arsenal rocking up and the opportunity presented to try to make a statement, must feel different to any relatively mundane fixture on a Saturday afternoon. And Brentford were clearly up for the fight. Andrews had mentioned looking to 'create chaos', and this is something that the home side certainly did manage to do. Early on, Arsenal's play was jittery and error-strewn, as the ferocity (and I don't mean this as suggesting violence, by the way) of Brentford's press put Arsenal players under pressure all over the pitch. 

Nonetheless, there was little to report as regards penalty area action. A fairly tame header from Gabriel from a corner was all that Arsenal had to show for the first 10 minutes of play, whilst Brentford created nothing, and looked most likely to cause damage through the gargantuan long throws of Kayode. As it happens, the first one of those went out directly for a goal kick, but the aftermath of the second led to the game's first big chance. Raya - over-ambitious - gathered the loose ball and looked to set Rice away, but his roll-out was easily intercepted by Jensen. and the midfielder's subsequent cross was met with the full power of the forehead of Igor Thiago. Raya redeemed himself with a brilliant point-blank stop.

And for the next 10 minutes or so it was almost all Brentford, with alarm bells ringing amongst the Arsenal ranks. This was not how this was supposed to go. Thankfully, the home side created little, but Arsenal are simply not used to this. It took them a fair while to regain possessional and territorial dominance. But half time arrived with very little more to report - apart from a booking for Gabriel - and with plenty of room for improvement from a nervy away side. Arsenal were offering little going forward, despite regaining control, and Brentford continued to look dangerous from set pieces; and especially on the break.

The almost completely ineffective (and fast becoming something of a disappointment) Eze was replaced at half time by Martin Odegaard, in the hope that he could inject some urgency into Arsenal's attacking play. Which he initially did; looking busier and helping Arsenal to move the ball quicker in the opponents' final third. There were early half-chances for Gyokeres and Trossard, as Arsenal started to look a little more like... er... Arsenal.

Just a word at this point on Eze. And Odegaard. And even David Raya. The former Crystal Palace player is still struggling to adapt to life at Arsenal. There have been flashes of brilliance - the assist for Martinelli against Manchester City, and of course the hat-trick against Spurs. But his languid style of play is often unsuited to the frantic nature of some games, and he needs to adapt to that. Odegaard, on the other hand, sometimes seems almost TOO eager to impose himself on matches. As I have said before; when he drops deep, there is no central link to the forward line He needs to learn the discipline of his role.

As for Raya. Well, I must say that I was disappointed at his distribution in this match. He seemed either flustered, or simply too eager to go long. Which made life difficult for Gyokeres, who was up against two gigantic central defenders.

On the hour, they finally got their noses in front. Hincapie, who had managed to work himself into several good positions at various points, intercepted a clearance and looped a cross to the far post where Madueke leapt higher than the diminutive Henry and diverted the ball back from whence it came and into the corner of the net, with the wrong-footed Kelleher flailing at thin air. The winger's second goal in successive away games, and a vital contribution.

Brentford upped the pace immediately, and the pattern was set for the rest of the game. It's funny how a goal can change players' mindsets, and the pattern of a game. A side can be on top and take the lead, but then a switch goes off and they change modes. In this instance, there was very much an element of looking to hold on to the lead - and this was evident almost immediately. All of which fed into Brentford piling on the pressure - especially from set-pieces.

That's not to say that Arsenal didn't have the odd chance on the break. From one, Odegaard robbed his man and found Rice inside the penalty area. He probably ought to have shot, but passed to Gyokeres - and the ball was taken off his toe by Kayode. But for that intervention, Arsenal would have put the game to bed. But Brentford broke directly from that, and Thiago worked Gabriel and Raya hard as he bore down on goal.

For the rest of the game the heart was in the mouth. Gabriel and Mosquera were both working overtime to keep Brentford at bay, and at every dead ball situation the home side were giving Arsenal a taste of their own medicine, with space in the 6-yard box at an absolute premium. 

I hate watching all that jostling at corners and suchlike, as I've mentioned before. Players get away with stuff in there that they cannot get away with elsewhere on the field. For all that Arsenal have profited over the years - and especially recently - from their prowess in these situations, I do wish that FIFA would change the Laws of the game here. It's unseemly and unsightly, and simply not football.

From another Kayode long throw, Brentford equalised. The ball was headed on at the near post to an unmarked Lews-Potter, who got the wrong side of Odegaard and directed a powerful header back past Raya. Which was what the home side deserved, frankly. But was there a foul on Gabriel as the ball came over?

Odegaard hurt his knee in trying to prevent the goal, and whilst he was able to carry on and finish the game he was limping badly afterwards. I hope that he's ok.

The rest of the game was frantic, with my pulse rate through the roof.  Gabriel brought down Outtara out on the right hand side. Could easily have received a second booking, but got away with it. Mosquera made up for an error in a chase with Thiago by getting back to prevent a shot on goal from the prolific Brazilian (who must surely have a chance of making his country's World Cup squad; such is his excellent form). Rice nipped in superbly to take the ball off of the toe of Damsgaard. Not long after, Thiago fired a cross-shot wide of Raya's goal. Arsenal were hanging on to a precious point by their fingertips. Brentford piled forward, and Arsenal certainly weren't looking like Champions-elect.

But there was more drama to follow as the game entered 5 minutes of stoppage time. Timber, set free following some proper centre forward play from Gyokeres, headed directly for goal with Henry trailing in his wake. He set up Martinelli who, by cutting back onto his right foot  instead of hitting the ball first time with his left foot, gave Kelleher the chance to get a block in. What an opportunity!

And so it ended 1-1 with, for a change Arsenal's xG (0.6) dwarfed by Brentford's 1.34. But this could be an absolutely vital point. From Brentford's point of view, this could also be vital as they hit 40 points, and go after in search of their first ever European spot. A spot that they richly deserve.

And as the WhatsApp group I mentioned last week went into another meltdown, I pointed out that we are in fact allowed to feel differently from each other about the current state of the run in. Arsenal are 4 points clear, and that's either a lot or not much at all depending on one's state of mind. As in every season, there ar sure to be twists and turns aplenty. 

I suppose that this is as good a time as any to look at the remaining fixtures of the main protagonists. That was one of Arsenal's most difficult remaining games, with only Chelsea and Manchester City themselves likely to cause Arsenal trouble on the run in. It is, of course, dangerous to predict, but I seriously expect Arsenal to gain 33 points out of their remaining 36 available, and that - irrespective of what Manchester City do - will be enough. I remain confident; if not quite as confident as a win against Brentford would have made me. Provided the squad stays relatively fit, they'll be ok.

So what’s next? Wigan at home in the FA Cup should be a formality. And then it's Wolves away in midweek - which should stretch the lead to 7 points. Next weekend, City host Newcastle and Arsenal go to crisis club Tottenham Hotspur. And the week after that is Arsenal's second most difficult remaining game - at home to Chelsea. Win that, and I seriously think that we'll be over the line. 

The fact is that Arsenal struggled to cope with Brentford's style. But not too many of their remaining opponents are capable of playing like that. Thank goodness! And, of course, the possibility of 4 games against City before the season ends is daunting... but I cannot get out of my head that they lost to Bodo/Glimt and made Spurs look good only a few days ago.

Let's keep the faith. COYG!

Media Madness

Lots to pack in following a fascinating week. Let's get straight in to it.

I'll be covering the 'routine' home win over Sunderland, the highly satisfying win over Chelsea on Tuesday; and the madness of Liverpool vs Manchester City, which according to Sky Sports has 'blown the title race wide open'. Here we go then:

A second successive Saturday afternoon 3pm league kick off? What on earth is going on, television companies? Actually, I suspect that they are obligated to cover every team a minimum number of times per season, and want to save Arsenal matches up for the business end. 

Sunderland, without Granit Xhaka, were nonetheless a pretty tough nut to crack They have bought well, and are not flattered by their inflated position in the league table. Like pretty much every team that visits Emirates Stadium, they sat in deep and looked to hit Arsenal on the break. Their main variation on what other opposition has done this season was to make sure that they got the ball into the Arsenal box with long diagonals at every dead ball opportunity; early on causing a deal of panic as Raya dropped a high ball. They bought a number of very decent players - including Xhaka - in the summer, and will hope that they can hold on to them going into next season; I suspect that 'bigger' clubs are going to be sniffing around the likes of Mukiele, Diarra, Sadiki and the massive unit that is Brian Brobbey over the summer.

It was interesting to note a variation in Arsenal's tactics in this game. Another string to the bow. Having scored one of their two goals in the away game against them from distance (Trossard the scorer), Arteta looked to repeat that tactic, and the number of shots from outside the box was notable. Arsenal sucked defending Sunderland midfielders into places they didn't want to go, and made use of the ensuing space around the corners of the penalty area. There were close calls for Declan Rice (from the left) and Kai Havertz (from the right), before Martin Zubimendi's sublime daisy-cutter with the outside of his boot cut across the ball, beat Roefs at his near post, and went in via the inside of that upright. A glorious finish. Lovely to see the goalscorer's 'homage' to the injured Mikel Merino, as he mimicked his team-mate's 'around the corner flag' celebration.

I'm absolutely obsessed with Zubimendi. Yes, he has the odd mistake in him; and in the position he plays those can be fatal (and have been at least twice this season). But the difference he makes to the way that Arsenal operate compared to what Partey contributed last season is noticeable. He is metronomic in the pace of his play and the quality of his passing; and he dovetails superbly with Declan Rice. On top of that, he is now scoring goals - and different types of goals at that. Which is a string to his bow that I'm not sure even he knew existed. Last week, a late run into the penalty area to head Arsenal into the lead at Leeds. This week the finish I described above. And who can forget his Goal of the Month volley against Nottingham Forest in September?

Sunderland, for all their huffing and puffing, created very little. Just 0.17xG; another side who found it almost impossible to penetrate this amazing Arsenal defensive line. But they didn't feel out of the game until Big Vik, from off the bench, put Arsenal two up on the back of a clever and clinical assist from Kai Havertz. 

Jesus, who had been given the start ahead of the Swede, did typically Jesus things, and was perhaps unfortunate not to have scored - or at the very least won a penalty - just before he came off (he was adjudged offside despite having both feet inside the Arsenal half as he began a defence-splitting run).

Gyokeres applied the coup de grace in the 93rd minute following a fast break, during which he kept pace with Gabi Martinelli before the Brazilian unselfishly set him up for a tap in. That's now 6 goals in 7 matches for Gyokeres, by the way. As I said several weeks ago, the goals were going to come. He needed time to settle, and get up to speed having not had a pre-season. 

Plus - and I cannot emphasise this enough - the key to the lock that is Kai Havertz is making a massive difference to the capability of the whole side - but particularly Gyokeres. The German's ability to generate space that Odegaard, Eze and Merino (although the latter is a very clever player himself) cannot locate is really helping change Arsenal's normal patterns of play. His fitness is key to this becoming the landmark season that 2025/26 could easily become.

If there was a single downside to report on the Arsenal performance, it was the showing that Riccardo Calafiori - replacing Hincapie at left back - put in. He looked off the pace; caught out of position and flapping at the ball at times. He is only just back from injury, and we know what he is capable of doing, but at this stage the Ecuadorian looks a far more solid option at left back. At his best, the Italian is a quite unique player, but he looks to have a fair bit to do to get back to that level. On the right wing, Madueke wasn't at his best either. But he's the type of player from whom one expects the odd below average showing. But a 3-0 win is pretty comprehensive; three more points in the bag, and one fewer game left to play.

Now to events at Anfield, and the mood swings that the changing fortunes generated. Firstly, what a hit that was from Szoboszlai! A rare and unique thing of absolute beauty. And one that had us Arsenal fans dreaming of ending the weekend fully 9 points clear at the top. Alas, it was not to be, as firstly the thoroughly irritating Bernardo Silva pulled a goal back and then Allison - now no longer the world's best goalkeeper in my humble opinion - having a crazy rush of blood to gift Manchester City a penalty. As the ball was running harmlessly off the field, I hasten to add. 

There was no way that Haaland was going to miss, was there? And, if I can bring this back to Arsenal, how that's a penalty and Nick Pope's foul on Viktor Gyokeres at St James Park earlier this season was not I simply cannot fathom.

There was then the farce of the goal that wasn't a goal, and the mutual shirt-grabbing between Szoboszlai and Haaland that led to Cherki's 50 yard shot being disallowed (thus costing me 5 vital FPL points, I should mention), and to the Liverpool player being given his marching orders. Yes, I understand that the officials reached the correct conclusion by the letter of the Law; but why not just let the goal stand - last kick of the game and all that - and just move on? As a result, the Hungarian has a ban, and City are deprived of a goal that would have been a fitting end to the match.  

And so to the fallout. Firstly on Sky Sports, and then in one particular WhatsApp group that I inhabit; in which I received absolute pelters after the Liverpool/City game ended. And we'll start with Gary Neville, whose punditry and agenda-setting - with its innate anti-Arsenal bias - I am getting more and more aggravated about. 

Suddenly, the 'Title Race' is 'back on', apparently. This despite the gap between Arsenal and Manchester City remaining exactly the same as it was before the weekend, and there being just 13 matches left to play. Look, I know that Sky feel that it's their duty to try to make things interesting, but the gap is fully 6 points. And I'll take Arsenal's remaining fixtures over City's every day of the week.

Yes, City play before Arsenal in midweek, and the gap may be down to three points by the time Arsenal kick off their next game. But with a goal difference 5 better than City's, a deeper and fitter squad than their rivals', and far fewer weaknesses I know who I'd rather be.

In the WhatsApp group, however, my pronouncement that it's not really a race was greeted with both derision and anger. Like it's my fault that they feel that way. Yes, City have been there and done that - although not too many of this particular group of players, I must add - and Arsenal have not. But whilst the manager and players appeared steel-focussed on their targets, many elements of the fanbase - if fairly represented (as I would say they are) by this WhatsApp group - are collectively losing their minds. Yes, we all bear the scars of recent history and those three successive second places. But this Arsenal team/squad is an entirely different animal to that of the past three years. 

Anyway, I reined back from describing it as 'not really a race at all' to saying that I remain confident. And whilst I can expect to take the blame personally if Arsenal implode on the run-in, I promise not to tell my peers that 'I told them so' back in February if the season ends as we all hope. Meanwhile, it's one game at a time. That's how the players have to approach it.

It does appear, however, that Arsenal and City are on a massive collision course as we approach the end of the season. The Carabao Cup Final. A league game at The Etihad on April 18th or 19th. And - if we examine the Champions League draw closely - the likelihood of a quarter final showdown in that competition too. But should we be afraid? No we should not. Cautious; yes. Afraid; no - why should we? They ought to be more worried about playing Arsenal than Arsenal ought to be about playing them. How Liverpool failed to score at least two more goals against them I'm really not sure - although our nemesis Donnarumma does have something to do with that - and this is a side who were recently defeated by Bode/Glimt, and who managed to make even Tottenham look good a week or so ago. So, guys... let's keep calm.

I cannot end without going quickly back over the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg victory over Chelsea, which remarkably propels Arsenal to their first final since the FA Cup Final of 2020. And firstly, I should mention that thanks to the antics of their match-going away supporters, Chelsea have finally made their way above Tottenham and Manchester United to the top of my particular chart of teams I love to hate! It's something about the arrogance and lack of self-awareness of these oiks that makes my blood boil! I am sick of their 'We won it all!' chant; a chant which we, quite rightly, counter with 'You bought it all!' - which goes over their heads, no doubt... Can't stand 'em.

But to the match itself. And for all that outsiders and neutrals could sit in front of their televisions commenting about Chelsea's negative tactics and general lack of threat, that didn't stop me from 90 plus minutes of nerves. Indeed, when the away side won a free kick around 25 yards out with 10 or so minutes to go I checked my pulse on my Fitbit; and it was 111bpm... 

All's well that ends well. How pleasurable it was to watch Kai Havertz going through on goal against his former club, rounding the goalkeeper and slotting home, and then kissing the cannon on his chest. For all that his goal won Chelsea a Champions League, I don't think that he has much affection for that club. He's found somewhere where he's appreciated at Arsenal, and I don't think that he ever felt that at Chelsea. Waka Waka.

Some might find it difficult to reconcile my nerves throughout the semi-final to my relative calm as I contemplate Arsenal's title challenge. I can't quite understand it myself, to be honest. I guess that it's the jeopardy of a one-off game, and I have to assume that as the season goes on my match-going nerves are going to increase exponentially. As the games are ticked off, all I can hope is that Arsenal continue to ease themselves clear of their Premier League opposition. Meantime, there's a Cup Final to contemplate, and I know that I'll be a nervous wreck for that one.

I'm holding my nerve in the belief that Arsenal have been through their 'blip'; those two successive 0-0 draws, and the defeat the Manchester United which resulted from one errant back pass and two absolute 'worldies'. It's been plain sailing since then, and whilst I'm sure that it won't be that until May, hopefully we've got enough in the tank to hold the opposition at bay. Meantime, for all that I'm starting to hear certain rumblings in some quarters, I am banning the 'Q' word from this page.

Meantime, it's Brentford away on Thursday. Back to the grindstone, and COYG!

 

Now That’s More Like It!

What a difference a week makes! The pleasure of seeing/listening to pundits re-writing their agendas actually gives me as much pleasure as Saturday's result did (and as did Sunday's results too, of course)! Paul Scholes being the latest to need a slap, with his 'Arsenal would be the worst Premier League winners ever' drivel.

For goodness' sake, media buffoons. How can this be the worst Premier League ever when the Premier League is absolutely dominating the Champions League standings? It's impossible to reconcile those two facts. So button it, and give Arsenal the credit they deserve!

This is not going to be one of those 'as it happened' posts. There's enough to discuss without going through a minute-by-minute review. I'll just crack on.

It's worth reviewing the team selection, however; with Havertz preferred to club captain Odegaard in midfield. This might easily have been a 'horses for courses' selection, with Leeds' well-known aggressive outlook - especially at Elland Road - taken into account. Kai is obviously a much bigger unit that Martin. But it may just as easily have been a message to the skipper that nobody's place in the side is guaranteed - and we have all seen that he has not been at his best these past couple of weeks. 

Havertz dovetailed well with Gyokeres on Wednesday evening, and is clearly going to be looking to play higher up the pitch than Odegaard. I, amongst others, get annoyed at the latter often dropping very deep to receive the ball when - with Zubimendi and Rice in the side - he really doesn't need to. So perhaps this is a subliminal message to the skipper to stay high when he does get the nod. Fascinating, anyway.

The squad is currently almost fully fit. Quite a remarkable situation for Arsenal in late January. But it does appear that we have lost Mikel Merino with a foot injury for several months now. The Spaniard is a key squad member - whether starting or off the bench - so he will be missed. But it's probably too late to draft somebody in to replace him before the current Transfer Window 'slams shut' (Sky Sports News style...).

The only other point of note was the late injury to Starboy, which necessitated the drafting of Madueke into the side in his place. At this stage we cannot be sure how serious it is; but at the time of writing there must be serious doubts as to Saka's participation in the semi-final second leg against Chelsea.

And it's to Madueke that I turn first for an analytic point. Here, he had easily his best game in an Arsenal shirt; tormenting his full back and ensuring that Saka wasn't missed one iota. The player who I had christened Noni Noendproduct on Wednesday evening had metamorphosed in a matter of days into Cristiano Nonaldo! 

Madueke set up Zubimendi for the crucial first goal (yet another headed goal for the Spaniard, by the way), and his superb delivery from a corner caused sufficient mayhem for keeper Darlow to get tangled with two of his own men and punch the goal bound ball into his own net. Well deserved, Noni. Keep this up.

Of course, the old agenda gets recycled again and again. Set Piece FC. Own Goal FC. I wish those people would just SHUT UP! What gets conveniently ignored by all these simpletons is that Arsenal time and again face deep blocks, and have little or no space in which to operate. Penalty areas tend to be packed with 7-10 defenders at any stage, and the only room is often around the outside and towards the byeline. It's not rocket science to realise that when Arsenal's wingers and full backs attack those spaces, that there is a pretty good chance of them winning corners.

And after that... well, Arsenal happen to be very good at corners. Stop conceding them, oppositions, and defend them better if you don't want to concede. I have no sympathy with anybody over this. And I have no truck with anybody who regards it as boring/negative/predictable etc etc. They just want to find a stick - any stick! - with which to beat Arsenal. 

I think I've made my point!?!

Two goals ahead at half time. The much vaunted Elland Road crowd pretty much silenced. An xG of just 0.02 given up. Total control. And this against a side with a formidable home record and reputation. Arsenal were clearly back. And whilst Leeds were a little better for maybe 10 minutes at the start of the second half, they hardly had a sniff at goal; Raya making a routine save from a header that was their only attempt on target. But there's plenty more to discuss.

Havertz did a great job. I am delighted to see him back, and whilst his minutes need to be carefully managed as he looks to regain match fitness, I sense that he is the missing link that who could take this group to glory this season. Whether playing in midfield or up top, he has a new-found aura of control and self-belief that is going to really benefit his team-mates. It's going to be so exciting to watch this develop. It is clear that Big Vik is enjoying the presence of Havertz playing so much closer to him than alternative players have been doing.

Gyokeres himself had a typical game. Not winning as many duels as one may hope. Missing a decent chance having almost burst past the last line of defence, only to allow his defender to get back at him. But scoring exactly the type of goal that we want to see him score, as he held off his defender - surely it would have been a penalty otherwise - to bundle home Martinelli's cross. That's two goals in two games, and 4 in 6. Perfectly respectable in my book.

A word at this point for Gabriel Martinelli, who took his chance as the 'finisher' on the right hand side as he replaced Madueke. He showed tenacity and tactical awareness, plus the delivery for Gyokeres - with his wrong foot no less - was sumptuous. Superb stuff, and adding to the perfect day.

Which was completed by a typical Jesus finish. Having already missed two decent opportunities after replacing Gyokeres, Jesus wrong-footed two defenders before curling the ball into the far corner of the net. Trademark.

So there you go. Nobody beats Leeds 4-0 at home, but Arsenal did just that. Their manager Farke duly gave Arsenal the credit they deserved, and all feels right in the Arsenal world - Merino and Saka's fitness notwithstanding.

And especially following the setbacks suffered by Aston Villa - losing at home ot 10-man Brentford - and Manchester City, who looked in total control in the face of a pathetic first half performance from the home side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but who capitulated in the second half to share the spoils against a club who are inexplicably Guardiola's kryptonite. Thus leaving Arsenal 6 points clear.

Here's Arteta thanking his favourite chicken; which he's just lifted off of a basketball...

Let's take stock at this point:

• 6 points clear. City at Liverpool next. An easier run in than either of our closest challengers
• Irrespective of all the nonsense, Arsenal are scoring goals from open play. With both Gyokeres and Jesus getting on the score sheet regularly
• Kai Havertz is back
• Needing to avoid defeat on Tuesday against Chelsea in order to reach a first cup final of the season
• A home tie against League One opposition in the FA Cup to follow
• A 100% record secured in the group stages of the Champions League
• An incredibly deep squad from which to choose. Just look at the bench for this game!
• 14 league games to go. Only three of them outside London, so little travelling to do

Ignore the negativity. And the agenda-driven media nonsense. It's all in Arsenal's hands. And whilst it would be ludicrous to expect them to win the lot, they are superbly placed in every competition. One game at a time - and that's Chelsea in the league cup next. Followed by a Saturday afternoon home game with Sunderland. The manager can start to plan how to rotate for the next few games. Stay grounded, but you are allowed to dream.

Just a word before I go for Arsenal Women, who won the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup on Sunday. "FIFA Women's Champions Cup winners - you'll never sing that"... Well done, ladies; well deserved, and hopefully a confidence boost for the rest of the season.

Meantime, it doesn't stop for the men. A game every three and a half days on average. That's what the squad is for. We go again. COYG!

Rejuvenated United Punish Lacklustre Gunners

I'm not quite sure what Michael Carrick has done to his new charges at Manchester United in his two weeks as Interim Manager, but the transformation has been quite remarkable. There's been a massive emphasis on going back to basics; to a simpler and more familiar way of playing. And the change has been quite extraordinary. Quite what this says about the methods of the previous manager, Ruben Amorim, I'm not entirely sure. But I think that it's safe to say that the guy was completely out of his depth. If I was Sir Jim Ratcliffe I'd be giving Carrick the job on a permanent basis right now.

United swept Manchester City aside last weekend, and had a full week to prepare for their visit to Emirates Stadium; whereas Arsenal, still very much involved in a four-pronged trophy attack, were in Champions League action in Milan in midweek. Not that I - or anybody - should be using that as an excuse for what transpired on Sunday. Let's get into it:

Four changes from the previous weekend for Arteta. Hincapie fit and straight back into the side, with Ben White dropping to the bench. At the other end of the pitch, Gabriel Jesus's double at the San Siro saw him favoured to start over Gyokeres. Personally, I disagreed with the latter decision; and we'll get on to that. Saka and Trossard unsurprisingly back in for Madueke and Martinelli. 

No Calafiori yet. Nwaneri off on loan to Marseille; and already making his mark by the way - I'll discuss that later on. And of more concern no sign of Kai Havertz - the rumours of a setback in his recovery are clearly correct. And that is of great concern.

The game started as we expected, with Arsenal dominating possession; but creating virtually nothing. It was noticeable how far up the pitch Saliba was getting, as he seemed to be designated as the tracker for Bruno Fernandes (he of the most punchable face in the Premier League; although he is closely matched in that by Richarlison and Cuccurella). Arteta had clearly taken note of the damage the Portuguese had wrought in the number 10 role last week, and was looking to deny him the space to repeat the feat. What was also notable to me was that a) Trossard didn't appear to be trusting Hincapie too much - he was constantly overlapping yet being ignored, and b) how difficult it was proving to find Gabriel Jesus unless he came short for the ball. In truth Jesus did very little the whole game - possibly, ironically, until the last 60 seconds before he was replaced by Gyokeres very early in the second half.

The Arsenal players' reluctance to pull the trigger from distance has been infuriating me for years now. Once or twice, players had that opportunity but chose to pass, pass, pass. These intricate moves look great when they pay off, but with opponents sitting so deep surely other variations are called for?

It took until the 18th minute for Arsenal to finally get an effort on target. Perhaps inevitably, from a dead ball situation; Rice's free kick headed straight at Lammens by Zubimendi from 6 yards out. Anywhere but there, Zubi. 

More pointless possession followed. The Arc of Doom, as the ball went from side to side, with little movement up front and Arsenal choosing to recycle to the wingers again and again. Look, it's hard work to find a creative spark when there's little or no space to work in. But surely they should be able to come up with something different? Until - finally - a breakthrough on 29 minutes. And Arsenal's leading striker Own Goal struck again; Saka's scoop found Odegaard, his sliced effort found its way through to Timber - marked by Martinez just a few yards out. Timber missed the ball, as did the defender; but it hit the latter's heel and trickled into the net. Probably deserved; but it had been hard work, and a pretty terrible watch, frankly, up to that point. Saka - giving Luke Shaw a real workout on the right - was as is often the case the brightest spark and the most likely source of excitement.

Now, you'd think that from that point Arsenal would have killed the game. They never lose when they score first, do they? They don't lose at home either. And United had offered nothing up to that point. But the atmosphere was very strange. The team were failing to rouse the crowd, and the latter were exhibiting their nerves. After two successive goalless draws, and very little excitement being served up, it all felt like a bit of a chore to support the team. The players looked as nervous, frankly, as we felt. 

United were finally galvanised by the concession of the goal. As we saw last week, they are a massive threat on the break, with a very pacy forward line and in Fernandes one of the top players in the league. The latter's presence caused Saliba some panic, and a desperate lunge from the Frenchman prevented a clear shooting opportunity for the United captain. Not long after, Arsenal didn't so much shoot themselves in the foot as stab themselves in the heart.

When you choose to play out from the back time after time after time, it is inevitable that you are going to occasionally get caught out. United's press is pretty good, and this wasn't the game to continually try to be cute. Especially with people not showing for the ball in crucial moments. 

A huge mix-up between Saliba and Zubimendi - the latter caught off balance as he received the ball  and looked to pass back to Raya - let Mbuemo in. Not the type of player to leave one on one with one's goalkeeper, as he is as cool as a cucumber in front of goal. He is left-footed, so Raya anticipated him taking the ball that way. But he feinted, went to his right, and passed the ball into the empty net ;despite a desperate lunge from Gabriel. A body blow - to have had to work so hard to break United down, and then concede just 10 minutes later... both players and crowd were utterly deflated.

A disastrous error, for sure, but Arsenal had been showing their nerves from the moment they took the lead. It all felt very strange. And here's the thing - we're only in January, and there's a long, long way to go. If the players are feeling the nerves now  and transmitting that to the crowd - then we're in for an agonising few months of incessant grind. It feels to me that the Manager needs to find some other ways of taking the game to the opposition, as so much if it is telegraphed and everyone is wise to it. 

So 1-1 at half-time; and I half-expected a change in personnel at the break. Gyokeres for Jesus looked obvious, and Odegaard had been extremely subdued. Perhaps it was time for Eze to make his mark. 

Talking of which, it didn't take long for Ethan Nwaneri to make his in Marseille. A trademark goal as early as the 13th minute as the home side crushed leaders Lens. As I mentioned as soon as the Eze signing went through, Nwaneri was likely to suffer most for lack of game time as a result; so it's probably right for him to have been allowed to develop elsewhere for a few months. But I can't help but feel that Arteta has abandoned him - not given him game time even when he had the chance to do so. He offers something different - a certain 'je ne sais quoi' that others don't have. He is something of a Saka/Odegaard hybrid, and there have been times when we could have done with him. Forget age and seniority. If you're good enough, then you're old enough.

I know that it would have been difficult to turn the opportunity to sign Eze down, but the latter hasn't exactly set the world on fire yet (apart from against a puny Tottenham). And so - with no Nwaneri to call upon now - it is surely time to unleash Eze and see what he's got. Odegaard's purple patch was quite short-lived, was it not; and he was virtually anonymous (one exquisite pass notwithstanding) in this game. Time for change? I think so.

No half-time changes. Much to my disappointment. Nonetheless, Arsenal have been very good at the start of second halfs all season. Arteta's tactical tweaks have often paid dividends. But this time United started the second period the better. 5 minutes into the second period, the away side moved the ball at a speed at which I'm sure we'd love to see Arsenal do, as an exchange of short passes from Dorgu and Fernandes cut through the Arsenal midfield like a hot knife through butter. Loads for Dorgu to do, nonetheless, as he had an opportunity to have a hit from 25 yards. And... crash! Caught perfectly on the half volley, and past Raya and off the underside of the bar - all in a flash. No keeper would be saving that; and all anyone could say was Wow. 

There was a VAR check for a possible handball by the goalscorer but it would have been harsh to deny him to tiniest of contacts with his hand. You shouldn't be ruling strikes like that out on a technicality.

Arteta had obviously seen enough to make changes. To be honest, he could have chosen almost anybody to haul off; so much were United in the ascendancy. A quadruple change was nevertheless something of a shock. And a message; possibly of things to come. Off came Hincapie (just back from injury to be fair), the disappointing Odegaard, a somewhat flat Zubimendi and - inevitably  - Gabriel Jesus. White, Merino, Eze and Gyokeres on in their places. But things didn't really improve. Gyokeres at least put himself about a bit, but there was little urgency in Eze's performance, and of the 4 new men Merino looked to have the most impact to me. But Arsenal were, at least, starting to apply some pressure.

Carrick wasn't sitting on his laurels, however, and Mbuemo made way for Cunha. Hardly a defensive move. The threat on the break remained very much there. But Arsenal did start to pin United back; all the while looking laboured and short of ideas. There was one moment of slight controversy when Maguire - who had a really solid game, and is much-maligned in my opinion - handled a shot from Merino from the edge of the penalty area. However, he was falling over at the time, and those don't get given. Arsenal could hardly claim being hard done by when you consider the penalty Liverpool didn't get when Martin Odegaard did something similar at Anfield a couple of years ago. No complaints from me.

As the game moved into the final 10 minutes, Arsenal became more frantic, but there was little method to their play. Madueke on for Trossard, with Saka switching to the left. Bukayo Saka looked the most likely to make something happen, and he did force a good low save from Lammens from a cleverly disguised low shot. Pretty much the only difficult thing the goalkeeper had had to do all game. Madueke’s performance was summed up in one moment, as he beat his man with ease; only for a heavy touch to knock the ball over the bye-line when it would have been considerably easier to get a cross in.

If the home side were ever to equalise, a dead ball situation looked the most likely route. And Merino managed to level things up following a Saka corner and a melee in which Lammens found himself stranded in no man's land in the 6-yard box. Finally, the crowd had something to shout about, and actually smelt Mancunian blood! 

But not for long. If Dorgu's goal was spectacular, Cunha's winner was more calculated and frankly brilliant, as he cut in from the left of midfield and hammered the ball into the far corner of Raya's net. Another shot that the goalkeeper could do nothing about. Magnificent, and frankly no more than United deserved. Nobody got near him. Rice was bypassed in the run, and Merino and Eze were ahead of the ball. Another excellent finish.

So... defeat. And an ugly one at that. It's hard to imagine that a team clear at the top of the table, at the top of the Champions League table, into the 4th round of the FA Cup and with one foot into the Carabao Cup Final could look so short of confidence and ideas. Kudos to United, who have had two incredible results in the space of a week, but simply not good enough from Arsenal. It does feel to me that things are a little too predictable, and that the manager needs to shake things up a bit. There's no reason why he shouldn't try this, as Arsenal remain 4 points ahead of City and Villa and have a reasonably favourable run of fixtures now. 

For me, Arteta's obsession with 'control' makes Arsenal extremely predictable at times. One way of playing; get it out wide and see the full back 'underlap'. Not enough pace to their game, and they are yet to adapt to Gyokeres (some would say and vice versa). I remember watching Liverpool last season and noting how Slot was prepared to cede the ball at times in order to force turnovers and hit the opposition on the break. For me, there's no harm in this, as the defence are the best around (normally; one may agree to disagree after this match) and they need to pose a different threat to Premier League opposition. They have been winning matches through simply having better players; and also though the effectiveness of their dead ball planning. Is that sustainable? I doubt it; everything gets found out eventually in this league.

In Europe, it's a little different. Teams do get more space in which to play, and Arsenal have taken advantage of that with statement wins this year over Athletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and - just this week - Inter Milan. There remains the formality of a win over the worst team in the competition on Wednesday to secure a crucial Top 2 spot. But nothing can be more certain than if Arsenal want to go far in that competition they are going to have to play at least one - and possibly two - Premier League teams on the way to Budapest.

Elland Road on Saturday is a tricky enough fixture to follow. But Arsenal should go there with little fear. Especially if the home side, roared on by their crowd, come out to play. I remain confident enough that Arsenal have enough to win the title, but they need to banish their demons, start playing with more pace and confidence, and put this result firmly behind them.

Additionally, we could do with Calafiori returning to fitness. And some clarity on Kai Havertz would be helpful.

Let's see what magic the manager can conjure up this week. COYG!

Context...

The life of a football supporter is full of ups and downs. Of moments of joy and insecurity. And of course of Schadenfreude. And the weekend just gone has been a microcosm of that for Arsenal supporters. The team have ended the week one further point ahead of the chasing pack, but if you read or listen to some fans it's probably the end of the world. 

All this hs to be taken in context. So let's examine matters in the cold light of day.

Let's start by taking a look at Arsenal's 'rivals' for the title. And we're down to just two of those - if that... 

No better place to start than the Manchester derby, which saw what can only be described as a genuine NMB (New Manager Bounce for the uninitiated) from United. All of which does mean that questions need to be asked firstly of the newly-departed Ruben Amorim, and also of the players. From Arsenal's point of view, it was a great watch on Saturday lunchtime as City were made to look pedestrian for much of the game, as the returning Bruno Fernandes (from injury), Mbuemo and Amad (from AFCON), and a reversion to a back 4 tore into City's injury-riddled defence at every opportunity. Despite the return of Rodri, City had no answer, and were possibly lucky to come away with just a 2-0 defeat.

The two main things I'm taking out of that game are firstly that teams can see that City can be got at, and so hopefully they will do so from here on in. There's no denying their range of attacking talent, but they're in a bit of a mess defensively. Even the imminent signing of Marc Guehi cannot be enough to sort that out; and when even the great Rodri is overrun in transition in central midfield, there is a massive issue there. Plus - lest you forget - this is not the City side of two, three, four years ago. 

Secondly, that United's next game is Arsenal away on Sunday; so what looked likely to be a stroll in the park for The Gunners is now likely to be considerably less so. Which may have repercussions on Arteta's midweek team selection (a matter to which I will return later on).

As regards Arsenal's other closest pursuers, Aston Villa... well, they certainly blew an opportunity on Sunday afternoon as they went down to a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Everton. How they lost that game, I honestly have no idea, as the away side rode their luck and the excellent form of Jordan Pickford. Between the other set of goalposts, Emi Martinez made yet another mistake which led to the decisive goal; surely this is his last season in the Premier League. With Liverpool - trailing well behind in any case - failing to win at home to Burnley this really wasn't the terrible weekend that some are describing a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest as meaning.

Before I discuss that, I think it's time to quickly talk about a subject from which I've kept away recently, as it's so insignificant in the world of Arsenal supporters. But it's time, I think... so here we go.

Tottenham Hotspur. They're cr*p; and that is all. To contrive to lose at home to the team on the worst run of form in the division on Sunday was quite a feat. And don't we just love it?!? Dr Tottenham. Banter FC. and - as Arsenal's away support have been keen to remind us: "Arsenal fans are on a bender. Thomas Frank's a Silver Member!" 

But on to far more important matters; the main talking points from Saturday evening's drab draw in Nottingham.

Firstly, team selection. And in the continued absence of both Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie Arteta once again opted to switch Jurrien Timber to left back. Whilst the Dutchman can do a job there, it's not his best position, and his presence does upset the attacking equilibrium on that side of the field. The alternative, MLS, isn't really a full back - but he has plenty of excellent attributes even if he hasn't been able to kick on this season, and I would imagine that both he and Ethan Nwaneri are somewhat bemused by their lack of game time this season as compared to last. Up front, Arteta opted to rest both Saka and Trossard, and stuck with Big Vik at the pointy end of the field.

The thing is... nobody - and I include Mikel Arteta in this - knows what the "Life Or Death, If It Was The Champions League Final" starting XI is. We can probably all nail down 7 slots, but the rest are conceivably up for grabs, and the key to becoming a fluid unit is to find the combinations of players who work best together. On Saturday, a left hand side of Timber and Martinelli was below par. On the right, Madueke - for all his positive attributes - is quite possibly just as difficult for his team-mates to read as it is us supporters. 

Behind him, the choice between Timber and White is not as cut and dried as we might think; Timber is undoubtably the better defender, but White's attacking link-up play is on another level to the Dutchman's, and Benny Blanco has an excellent on-field relationship with Odegaard and Saka. And the jury remains out on Viktor Gyokeres; but the alternatives to the Swede are not clear cut. Does Jesus really give us what we need? When will Havertz be fit enough to start making a meaningful contribution? Would it be a backward step to go back to Merino? And so for me, on Saturday, there was something of a disconnect in some parts of the field; leading to a consequent lack of fluidity going forward.

Don't be fooled by Forest's position in the table. They were able to field their strongest team of the season on Saturday; and that was a side that almost qualified for the Champions League last season. They are defensively strong, have a powerful midfield and dangerous wingers and under Dyche are well-organised and well-motivated. But for all that - and for the second league game in a row! - Arsenal prevented their opponent from getting a single shot on target. Although despite that amazing statistic Arsenal have taken just a point apiece from those two games. 

The problem is quite clearly further forward. And some of the statistics are pretty damning for Arsenal's attackers. Gyokeres; one goal - a penalty - and zero assists in his last 10 PL matches. Jesus 1/0 in his last 8. Madueke no goals or assists in his last 24 PL matches! Martinelli 1/0 in 19. Saka 0/2 in 8. Trossard 1/0 in 7. Odegaard 1/3 in 16. Thank goodness for our secret weapon, Own Goal. And for being Set Piece FC.

It's up to Arteta to find the key; the correct formula. And when he does Arsenal will really cook! But he has to get his team selection right. What I would add is that despite those statisitcs Arsenal are 7 points clear at the top, and have maximum Champions League points so far. But - as a caveat - I believe that despite the size of the squad there is an element of fatigue in the players' legs. It has been a very intense month, and the treadmill doesn't stop. 

Since December 3rd Arsenal have played  Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, Saturday, (a whole week's break!) Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday; and before the end of this month they are faced with Tuesday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday. 17 matches in the space of 59 days - a match every three and a half days on average. No wonder the quality of football has dropped.

That's not to suggest that they didn't have enough decent opportunities to win Saturday's game. Martinelli missed a virtual 'sitter'. Gyokeres broke following a Forest attack but couldn't quite shake off Murillo, neither Gyokeres nor Rice could quite meet a clever cross from Ben White, and the latter also missed a decent opportunity on the volley from 18 yards. Zubimendi shot across goal. Saka had a header brilliantly tipped away by Sels. Jesus almost converted a Zubimendi header into a goal. A Merino header just missed the target. 

And then there was that penalty incident. For me, Aina makes a sweeping movement with his hand to prevent the ball going out for a corner. There were extenuating circumstances, but any manager is going to be disappointed not to have that given.

On another day, one of those chances gets taken, and the conversation is different. But Arsenal need to create better chances, and be more clinical. There is little to concern us at the other end of the field, but a few those chances need to start going in. And I can absolutely assure you that nobody is more disappointed about failing to win these successive matches than the players themselves - Declan Rice has been widely recorded as being extremely annoyed about matters.

Meanwhile, for all the moaning from certain quarters, the gap is 7 points. Pretty healthy by any standards, and it's merely a matter of matching City's results in the 16 games that remain. If you're not feeling positive about Arsenal's title chances, that's completely down to you.

Just a quick mention regarding Wednesday's semi-final at Stamford Bridge; which I covered a few days ago. A 3-2 win and a lead to bring home next week is OK, but Arsenal should frankly have been out of sight. Chelsea scored twice from an xG of 0.65, and that's pretty irritating. We ought to have enough to see it through and get to Wembley.

Meantime, there are two massive games this week. But Inter away in the Champions League pales into insignificance compared to Manchester United at home on Sunday. So if I'm Mikel Arteta I'm rotating quite heavily for Inter - Arsenal are in an extremely strong position in the group stages, and have the worst team in the competition at home to round off the qualifying. They can actually afford to lose to Inter, in fact. I want to see White, MLS, the returning Mosquera, Norgaard, Merino, Eze, Madueke and Martinelli all starting in Italy. And maybe Havertz too. Let's hope that these are the type of thoughts that Mikel is having. Because Manchester United MUST be vanquished on Sunday.

Keep the faith. COYG!

Arsenal’s Cups Runneth Over

Two away Cup games down. Two victories. Sitting pretty everywhere you look. All is joyful in Arsenal’s world. 

Well... isn't it?

I personally believe that there are still plenty of areas in which this group can improve. And I’ll take a look at a few here, while I quickly discuss the two games we’ve just watched.

By the way, read on for a couple of controversial opinions...

Unsurprisingly, the boss made 10 changes to the starting XI away to Portsmouth. In the final analysis, it was more than enough, but there were certainly moments of concern. Not least when a dodgy sequence of passes in attempting to play out from the back as early as the third minute of the game led to Madueke losing the ball, and Portsmouth taking the lead when Kepa could only parry a shot straight in front of him and directly into the path of centre-forward Bishop.

Before long, Arsenal were level; with the first of no less than three set-piece goals. Not a shock that Arsenal should do some damage here - they're very good at them, and Portsmouth's record defending them is nothing short of shocking. Here, chaos from Madueke's delivery led to an own goal. 

And soon after it was two. Madueke delivered from the other side - with his other foot! - and Martinelli rose unchallenged to flick home at the near post. An excellent (one could almost call it Rice-like) piece of work from Noni. 

Although he let himself down later in the half; winning - but then missing - a penalty. He tried to be too cute with it, I'm afraid.

Two second half goals wrapped things up. Martinelli's hat-trick (the third goal almost a carbon copy of the first) would have helped him recover from the bad press he received following his incident with Conor Bradley in midweek. 

On the positive side, Kai Havertz got a few minutes into his legs, but it is clear that he is being eased back even more gently than Gabriel Jesus. Both will certainly be needed as the season hots up.

On the negative side, Portsmouth did create a few chances that I wouldn't want to see replicated by better sides/players. A Ben White block and a full-length dive from Kepa helped keep the score comfortable. Sure, the team was vastly altered, but we are going to have to expect these players to play their part as we head towards the business end. They must keep their standards high. 

But I truly believe that there remains much more potantial in this group than what we have seen so far rhis season. We have yet to see the best of Saka, for example. There is so much more to come from Eze. Havertz has barely been sighted. So, so interesting and exciting.

With no less than 6 Premier League teams going out, and a home draw against Wigan in the fourth round, the FA Cup is opening up nicely for Arsenal. 

Next, another competition; and another away game. This one was always likely to be a lot more testing! Chelsea away in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final; and the home debut for (yet another) new Chelsea manager - Liam Rosenior. Arsenal have an excellent recent record at Stamford Bridge, as it happens. The ground holds few fears for the Arsenal players. It's not Anfield, and will never have that aura.

I'm sure that all Arsenal fans share an antipathy for Chelsea with me. They are very high on my list of clubs I love to hate. And we had the usual pantomime chanting to deal with:

'Champions of Europe - you'll never sing that!' came very early. Let's see if we can kick that one into the dustbin on May 30th.

'We won it all!' - inevitably. Countered by 'You bought it all!' from the away fans. All the usual nonsense; but it's this whole perception of what Abramovich's ownership did for Chelsea - and to English football in general - that aggravates us Arsenal supporters. Watching the way they operated in the Abramovich era made my skin crawl. And watching what they're trying to do now (I'm actually not even sure that they know what they're doing) has me questioning whether their current owners have any real idea about how to build a genuinely successful side. For me, they will always be the flash Johnny-Come-Latelys of English football. The football equivalent of Harry Enfield's 'Loadsamoney' character. Unlike the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, they've not tried to do things organically. And I despise them for it. Still, I don't suppose that their fans give a flying f*ck about all that! But, by any measurement, they've bought it all.

Moving on to the match itself. Arteta went very strong. Full strength, with the exception of the goalkeeper (I can only assume that he's keeping a promise to Kepa). With no less than three of his eight-strong defensive cohort out injured, the manager plumped for Timber at left back. The rest of the side was as expected, I guess. Chelsea were missing a few due to injury or illness, so they were by no means at full strength. No James, Palmer or Delap. Still, they have a massive, bloated squad, so they were hardly short of players. Regarding Kepa; he's an upgrade on what Arsenal have had in reserve for a few years. But he's no David Raya. I wonder what Arteta will do should Arsenal reach the final?

An early goal - almost inevitably from a (Muller) Rice corner - set Arsenal on their way. Ben White notching his first goal since he scored a brace against Chelsea a couple of seasons ago. 

I must say (perhaps controversially) at this point that I believe that the Laws of the game need to be dramatically altered insofar as it comes to set pieces around the penalty area. Whilst acknowledging that my club is a master at the art of set pieces, I am sick of seeing all the pushing and grappling that goes on prior to - and during the taking of - corners and free kicks. For me, it simply isn't football. I'd be penalising the blocking off of the goalkeeper, and equally penalising all the holding and pushing that defenders do. Stuff that would be punished anywhere else on the field is let go by the officials at dead balls. Something really needs to be done. 

Meanwhile, Nicolas Jover is doing a remarkable job with his set-piece routines. When Arteta said a couple of years ago that he wanted to take every small advantage he could in every aspect of play, he really meant it. And his coach and players continue to deliver regularly on this aspect.

Talking of which, Arsenal's second goal saw another aspect of gaining every little advantage. We've all read about the recruitment of a 'throw-in' coach - one Thomas Gronnemark. And one immediately thinks that he'll be there teaching the players how to throw the ball even further than before. But that's not the only aspect of throw-in play. For Arsenal's second goal, an atypical quick throw-in from White saw Saka released on the touchline - crucially, ahead of his shadow, Cuccurella. Saka cut back inside instead of crossing - much to the annoyance of the excellently-placed Gyokeres - but he then found the overlapping White, and the full back's cross evaded Sanchez for Big Vik to slot home from three yards. A goal that the Swede badly needed. Although, to give him his due, he looked better than he has recently in this game, and also got the assist for Zubimendi's delightful third goal (set up by a quality through ball from Merino to Gyokeres, and a decent lay off to Zubi, who still had plenty to do but delivered with aplomb - and with his left foot)..

The point I'm making is that this was something we've hardly ever seen from an Arsenal side recently. And particularly from White, who often takes an absolute age to throw the ball back into play. Nice work all round, lads.

As for Robert Sanchez... for me, he is a weak link for Chelsea. He ought to have cut out White's cross, so was very much to blame for that goal. And if Rosenior wants to stick with playing out from the back in the way we watched his side do yesterday I don't see how Sanchez can survive much longer. in goal He looks nervous, and continues to make poor decisions with the ball at his feet. Arsenal exerted pressure on the Chelsea keeper and back line all evening, and made things very uncomfortable for them.

In truth, Arsenal dominated most of the game, and were comfortably the better side. Which makes the concession of two goals all the more annoying. Both were very preventable; although I must grudgingly give credit to Garnacho for the quality of his finishing. Chelsea finished the game with three wingers on the pitch - Garnacho, Neto and the very exciting Estevao - and they were the most threatening Chelsea performers throughout. But a one goal lead going into the second leg should hopefully be enough, with The Emirates being the fortress it has been thus far this season. It's looking odds on an Arsenal / Manchester City final.

Another two away games follow for Arsenal. In two further competitions. It's out-of-form Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening, and then Inter Milan at the San Siro in midweek. 4 competitions, and 4 away games, in a two week spell. Another block of fixtures that I'd like to see the team put behind themselves successfully. With a record so far this season of P32, W26, D3, L2, one would like to think that the momentum can be maintained. But nothing gets decided in January.

One game at a time. COYG!