Arsenal dealt summarily with a much weakened (not that they’re that good at full strength) Norwich team in a Boxing Day romp at Carrow Road. 5-0 felt about right, but it could have been more; the visitors were in cruise control virtually throughout.
I’m not going to dwell too much on the match itself, because I want to take a bit of time discussing exactly where I think the team is at the moment. But here's a rapid recap of the key moments:
1 Team news, and with Tomiyasu missing due to Covid (not to the injury that we were concerned with), it was time for Cedric Chambers Maitland-Niles to step in... no; sorry, all the possible right back alternatives also had Covid, so Ben White slid over to full back and Rob Holding made his first Premier League start since August. Elsewhere, there was still no starting spot for ESR, and Auba remains persona non grata. Lokonga, an earlier Covid victim, returned to the bench alongside midweek heroes Nketiah and (Ooh) Charlie Patino
2. 6 minutes - goal for Saka - a cross shot into the far corner. Nicely done, but reserve goalkeeper Gunn could possibly have done better. To be fair, it was a sumptuous move, after Norwich had ceded possession cheaply (they did this all day, frankly). Arsenal were already on top even by this point, but from here there was no looking back
3. 31-38 mins - a bit of midfield argy-bargy; none of which involved Xhaka (main Arsenal protagonists Lacazette and White). It might have kick-started Norwich, but it didn't. The extraordinary thing was that the only player booked in either of the two melees was Xhaka, who was actually completely innocent. However, as the commentator said: 'If in doubt, book Xhaka'
4. On 44 minutes, Norwich gave the ball away cheaply yet again, and this time Odegaard's sumptuous pass freed Tierney, who burst into the box and fired a cross shot into the far corner. If I appear to be on repeat, then blame Norwich City please. Half time 2-0, and cruise control for Arsenal
5. Martinelli's shot took a deflection, causing the ball to loop over the goalkeeper and into the net. He was a few inches offside in the build-up, unfortunately
6. 67 minutes and 3-0. Norwich gave the ball away cheaply, then allowed Saka to cut onto his left foot for a curled cross shot into the far corner. Sorry...
7. 75 minutes, and Elneny replaced Partey (why, at 3-0, it couldn't have been Lokonga or even Patino I just don't know). And a few moments later it was Pepe for Saka and then ESR for Martinelli on 82
8. Moments later, a decisive moment involving ESR, as his pass found Lacazette in the box, and the Frenchman was upended clumsily for a penalty; which Laca himself dispatched for Arsenal's first successful penalty in 4 attempts
So that's the action. But the salient points, from my perspective, are as follows (as I vary my bullet points from numbers to little black dots - how the other half lives, eh!):
- Since Arteta dropped Auba and stripped him of the captaincy, Arsenal have won 4 successive Premier League matches (plus the midweek party against Sunderland), scoring 14 goals and conceding just one (it's 19-2 if you include the Carabao Cup). Coincidence? - I have no idea to be honest, but there doesn't seem to be much need to change a winning formula
- What Auba's replacement, Gabriel Martinelli, has brought to the team is what we'd have hoped to have been seeing from Auba. Firstly, goals... but also an element of aggression and willingness to hound opposition players and put them into positions in which they'd rather not find themselves. He's made himself undroppable at the moment
- Arsenal's young forwards, as a collective, are doing supremely well. And can only get better. Along with Martinelli, Bukayo Saka is a nightmare for defenders - especially with the ball at his feet - Martin Odegaard's stats are currently at peak Ozil levels, and he's keeping ESR off the team sheet; but that's not keeping the latter off of the score sheet. So there's no place for Auba, and nor for Pepe. Coming up behind these kids are Nketiah (hat-trick in midweek but off in the summer I'm sure) and the likes of (Ooh) Charlie Patino (goal on debut in midweek). Some of these kids fall by the wayside - Nketiah will be one of those and it looks like AMN will be off to sunnier climes imminently - but the future looks incredibly bright
- Knitting all these kids together, despite not playing particularly well, is Alexandre Lacazette. His influence on the youngsters appears more psychological than physical, but it's working (whatever it is). There are many ways to upgrade on Laca, but there doesn't appear to be an immediate rush
- Granit Xhaka, eh... somehow, he makes a real difference to the side. Partey seems more comfortable with the Swiss lunatic alongside him, and whatever he does seems to oil the wheels. I can't make sense of it
- And defensively Arsenal remain pretty solid. There have been lapses, but they've mostly been down to moments of individual brilliance - viz Liverpool, Demarai Gray, bloody Cristiano Ronaldo... Of course, next up (now that the Wolves game is off) are Manchester City - an acid test of all that
- So, despite finding themselves now comfortably ensconced in fourth place (games in hand notwithstanding),, how good are this Arsenal team really? Do we judge them on easily beating poor sides - there are many in this Premier League, and Norwich appear to be easily the worst of them)? Do we dare suggest that they caught T*ttenham, Leicester, Aston Villa and West Ham on bad days? Do we look at the successive defeats at Old Trafford and Everton, and at the failings that caused them, and judge them on that? Again, I just don't know. But they're an evolving 'project' and at the end of the day the proof of the pudding is in the eating; the Premier League table. There will be lapses, but let's just roll with it, eh?
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