Scratch The Surface…

Plenty to admire, but one or two concerns from a hard-earned victory over Fulham at the weekend.

Let’s take the concerns first: and we’ll start with the loss of Zinchenko and Partey from the starting line-up. 

In the previous three matches we’d seen a real dynamism in the Arsenal midfield, with Partey a key outlet for the central defenders and the main cog in a wheel around which the likes of Xhaka, Odegaard and (ostensible left-back) Zinchenko revolved. Added to that, the unpredictability of Zinchenko’s positioning - allied to his high technical level - had caused problems for every opposition so far faced.

However their replacements, Tierney and Elneny respectively, meant something of a reversion to what we’d ‘suffered’ last season. 

Tierney is an extremely solid left back - a better defender, I’d say, than the Ukrainian - but much more one-dimensional as an attacking threat. And Elneny, for all his qualities, is a limited player and a big drop in quality from Partey. 

With Tierney in the side, Fulham had far less variety of movement to worry about down Arsenal’s (usually dominant) left hand side. The Egyptian did a solid enough job - his statistics show that. However, the attacking side of that role - the ability to turn in any direction, and to manipulate and progress the ball from deep that Partey does so well - was severely inhibited; and it also inhibited Xhaka’s role somewhat. Transition from defence to attack was inevitably slower as a result, meaning that the opposition had more time to regroup. 

And so Arsenal were much less dynamic and unpredictable. Which was why, for me, they struggled to create any real pressure or big chances - despite dominating possession - right up to when Nketiah made his entrance at 0-1. For all the possession statistics, there really had been little to show for it throughout the whole first half and right up to the moment when Fulham took the lead.

And this is what I mean by the title of this piece. Yes, there is a considerable uplift in quality in the squad from last season to this; but take out two key pieces and there’s a major issue. Admittedly, the injuries came late in the preparation and gave Arteta little time to make changes to his plans, but this was a sign that long-term injuries in one or two key areas at the same time could have a massive effect on Arsenal’s season; despite all the good work done so far this summer. Look how even Liverpool have suffered early on so far with their central defensive and midfield shortages combined. I’m also wondering, by the way, about the choice of Elneny over Lokonga in the DM role… 

So, as we enter the final few days of the transfer window, I’d personally be more invested in the purchase of another central midfielder than the wide player that everyone’s talking about. I genuinely feel that Arsenal have enough alternatives for the latter position already. Especially in the light of the news about Elneny today; surely Arteta will now need to shift his transfer focus from the wings to the engine room.

As for who this midfielder should be; well, there are doubts about the work-rate and stamina of Tielemans - for all his qualities, he’s not a deep-lying midfielder - and no high-class DM is going to be happy to sit on the bench and merely watch Thomas Partey at work (Arsenal must be secure, I guess, in the knowledge that the Ghanaian’s personal difficulties are not going to keep him out of the side in the near future). Let’s see… and, at the end of the day, what do I know? - I just hope that I don’t end up revisiting this concern come next Spring.

On the plus side, an excellent fight back in the face of (admittedly self-inflicted) adversity meant a continuation of the team’s 100% start to the season. The response to going one down, from both manager and players, was excellent; the addition of Eddie to the attack gave Fulham a new set of problems with which they were ultimately unable to cope, and while he’s going to find it difficult to force himself into the starting XI it’s clear that he’s a much better player than he was a year ago, and will continue to benefit from watching Gabriel Jesus at work.

Other plus points included the response of, and support for, Gabriel after his mistake - all three goals that Arsenal have conceded this season were very preventable - and some very important saves from Ramsdale late on. Good to see the latter, bearing in mind the mess he made of Leicester's second a couple of weeks ago. On top of that, despite the comedy value of catching pantomime villain Mitrovic full in the face with one clearance, there just might be a distribution disaster waiting to happen there.

Just a point on Mitrovic here. Vastly improved from the previous Premier League model of a couple of years ago, and he will give plenty of teams trouble. Capitalised on Gabriel's poor control for Fulham's goal. But the comedy collapses to the floor at the slightest contact do need to be addressed. There was an amusing interaction with the crowd at one point, but what really annoyed me was when he went down clutching his ankle with a few minutes to go and the score at 1-1, realised he was not going to get the game stopped, and within 30 seconds was up and sprinting after Saliba and Gabriel. For me, that sort of behaviour deserves a yellow card.

The real plus for me was the sudden change in intensity the moment that Nketiah replaced Tierney. I'm not having a go at Tierney here - not at all - but it did look like he was the player who had to be sacrificed at that point. And the addition of Eddie to the firing line caused Fulham all sorts of issues. For all that the equaliser was as a result of a massive deflection, and the winner was as a result of a goalmouth scramble, there was a sense that only time could prevent Arsenal from taking the win at that point.

Of the other players, I thought that Ben White had a fine game. I'd like to see a bit more of him on the overlap at times, but he's growing into the right back role, and Tomiyasu looks like he's going to have to wait to regain his place. Saliba followed up his 76/76 passing performance at Bournemouth with 'a mere' 91/96 this time; really not too shabby at all and especially bearing in mind that it's more difficult to find Elneny than it is Partey. Bukayo Saka continues to grow into the season after a slow start, and really should have had a goal after going one on one with Leno. The two Gabriels up front were a little off of their best, but never stopped working - Jesus was specifically targeted for some rough treatment by Fulham and got little help from the referee. 

But man of the match yet again was Martin Odegaard. Once more, he oiled the wheels up front and could be seen recycling the ball again and again. His (vital) goal may have been little fortunate, but the shimmy and ball shift he made in order to create the opportunity for a shot were exquisite. A £30m bargain, if you ask me.

And so to Aston Villa on Wednesday. Of the two matches this week, this looks by far the easier, so perhaps it's time for some rotation - especially in the likely continued absence of Zinchenko and Partey (and now Elneny too). Sunday, at Old Trafford against a surprisingly resurgent Manchester United, looks like being the first major test of the season. Let's hope we go into that one still at least two points clear at the top.

Elsewhere, good to see the Celebration Police back in force - criticising Arsenal, but ignoring similar shenanigans elsewhere. I hope that it really irritates people (especailly second-rate pundits) - long may that continue. Liverpool's thrashing of Bournemouth and Scott Parker's subsequent comments to the media mean that we won't be seeing his now famous 'lucky' cardigan for a while, while at one time it looked like we were going to get a real boost with Citeh two goals down at one point. Chelsea and Tottenham continue to bore their opponents into submission, regrettably. Early days. Early days...

COYG!

Tequila!

A stroll in the sun. Consolidation of the raised performance levels in 22/23. An absolute worldy from our ‘new’ centre half. And a new song; a song that’s going to irritate the hell out of opposition supporters. What’s not to like?

https://twitter.com/SpySportsPl/status/1561046699518353409?s=20&t=FuyWDC9LV45yHAR3hCzo5g

Of course, some would argue that they haven't 'played anyone' yet, but Arsenal can only beat what's put in front of them, and winning at Selhurst Park was no walk in the park - literal or otherwise. And whilst Leicester are on the decline, and Bournemouth are clearly in for a relegation battle, both were despatched with ease. 

But what did we learn that was new from this game? 

Firstly, we saw a lot more of Arsenal's right hand side in this one. A better showing from Bukayo Saka, considerable threat from Ben White as a marauding right back, and a two-goal contribution from Martin Odegaard the fruits of that. Extra threat for opponents to think about. And with Tomiyasu getting a decent stint on the field late in the game, a pleasant dilemna for Arteta.

Secondly, further consolidation of Granit Xhaka's new role as a box-to-box midfielder (as Arsene Wenger proclaimed him to be when he signed him, in fact). He will, of course, have considerably bigger defensive tests later in the season, but he was Arsenal's most advanced player at times - aided and abetted by Zinchenko's positioning - and this is something else for opposing mangers to ponder.

A really solid performance from Thomas Partey cannot have gone un-noticed. Always there to clean up, and to receive the ball. Again, he'll come under much more pressure when the quality of opponent rises, but we know that he's capable of rising to that.

And William Saliba. Not only such a classy finish for his goal that I first thought that it must have been Jesus, but a 100% passing success rate (76/76). And he dealt pretty well with the dangerous Kiefer Moore - one recovery run after White got in a tangle was remarkable. We've got an absolute gem of a player here.

The Arsenal fans also deserve a mention. Phenomenal. Non-stop singing, and whoever came up with the new song for Saliba is in fact a genius! Kudos.

There's really not much else to add. A fast start and two early goals made the result inevitable from very early on, and this can only be classed as a very professional showing. With bigger tests to come; but time to gel further before they appear. 

I'd like to see a little bit of rotation from Arteta, however. In order to ensure that those that come into the side do not come in 'cold'. There's loads of interchangeability with little drop off in class, and I think that Arteta should exploit that in order to get meaningful minutes into as many players as possible. 

Anyway, top of the table as I type, and with Fulham and Aston Villa at home to follow in the next 10 days. This may go on for a while yet. Time for a celebratory glass of tequila, I think. COYG!

Arsenal Roast Leicester In The Heat

An attacking display full of promise and intent, spearheaded by Gabriel Jesus, aided and abetted by Gabriel Martinelli and featuring an atypical show of attacking intent from Granit Xhaka that may give an insight into the future, all culminated in an ultimately comfortable 4-2 win over Leicester City on Saturday.

There were many positives on the attacking side of the ball, but there is clearly some work to be done on defensive shape and organisation. But this was a display full of promise and intrigue for the future. All taking place in a white hot Emirates Stadium and in front of a rapturous crowd. In 33 degrees, I must add; quite the hottest temperature that I’ve been in attendance for. In the words of legendary weather person Paola Fisch - Scorchio!

Taking points for me:

Gabriel Jesus

Arteta has let him off the leash. He’s the main man at Arsenal, instead of being something of a bit-part player at Manchester City. And as a result I think that we will see the player that Pep may have hoped to get, but in whom he never quite had sufficient confidence, nor gave sufficient opportunity to, in that squad packed with superstars. 

Big fish/smaller pond; and Arsenal look sure to reap the benefits of this. An all-action display with two goals - the first a thing of beauty - and two assists bodes very well for the future. With a little bit of good fortune he may have netted three, four, or even five goals in the game.

I don't know who he 'calls' every time he scores a goal, but he'd better have unlimited minutes on his mobile contract!

Granit Xhaka 

I’ve never seen the guy pop up so often in the opponent’s penalty area! Arsenal’s new-found fluidity on their left as a result of the acquisition of Zinchenko and the coming of age of Martinelli has given him extra freedom. He scored one, hit the post and generally made a massive nuisance of himself. A fascinating development. 

Zinchenko

Not content with playing the left-back role, he had licence to pop up in all sorts of surprising places - secure in the knowledge that Xhaka or Partey would fill in for him if necessary. 

There’ll be some games when the added defensive qualities - negated somewhat by less assurance on the ball - of Kieran Tierney may be viewed with more importance. But he adds an extra dimension to Arsenal’s attacking play. Even if I reserve some concerns about his defending; he was certainly bypassed a little too easily in the build-up to Leicester’s second

Gabriel Martinelli

He’s like a hornet! He must be a nightmare to come up against, with his speed, new-found strength and customary directness. Always busy. Always buzzing around. 

There was one moment when he made a complete fool of £80m-rated Wesley Fofana. He took his goal superbly, and is currently un-droppable on the left hand side

Arsenal’s right hand side, upon which they relied so much let season, isn’t seeing too much of the ball at the moment. Odegaard continues to oil the wheels centrally, but it could be said that Bukayo Saka has been a bit quiet in the first two games. I wouldn’t worry, though; when he gets up to full speed opponents won’t know who to defend against first!

Defensively, there are issues. Some of Aaron Ramsdale’s kicking was once again sublime yesterday - one beautifully weighted ball down the middle to Jesus split the Leicester defence apart. But some was less good. I suppose it’s a function of the risk/reward ratio of what he’s been asked to do.

As I mentioned, Leicester’s second goal was preventable. Zinchenko was by-passed, Gabriel perhaps a little slow to react, and Ramsdale won’t want to watch his attempt to keep the ball out too often again for sure.

As for William Saliba, this was another performance full of promise, but also littered with the sort of mistakes that one might expect a 21-year-old centre half to make. He was unfortunate with the own goal, but should have played safe and headed wide of goal - his header ended up wrong-footing Ramsdale. And there was one moment in the first half when Vardy outwitted him and would have been clean through on goal had he received a better pass. But Saliba looks completely unflustered on the ball, and his recovery speed is awesome. He will surely learn from any mistakes, and quickly. I continue to get Van Dijk vibes from him. 

What was remarkable was the reaction of the crowd to his own goal; a short pause to take stock, and then a massive outpouring of love and support for the young man.  

Elsewhere, Vardy (and his lovely wife) received dog’s abuse - particularly after the penalty incident. And I particularly enjoyed the North Bank’s serenading of (possibly) Emirates-bound Youri Tielemans.

On the whole, this was a thoroughly enjoyable display, full of future promise. We can only hope that it continues, and it’s good to see that every game up to the first Interlull looks winnable. Whilst talk of challenging for the title is highly premature, every point is going to be vital.

On other matters now, quickly, before I sign off. Firstly, I think that we should all take a small moment to have a damn good laugh at the current state of Manchester United. Arsenal had plenty of excuses for defeat at Brentford last August. Not so for United, who are in a bigger mess than anyone could have imagined.much to amusement of everyone else, of course.

And a quick word on the Chelsea/Tottenham game. Is it only me that sees Spurs getting the benefit of every contentious decision? For me, they were extremely lucky to escape with a point, and both of their goals should have been chalked off - one for offside and the other due to an outrageous assault by Romero on Cuccurella. I’m sure that it’ll all even out in the end… except that Tottenham seem to be this year’s Establishment Darlings; and I’ve no idea why.

Anyway, let’s go back to the most important matter in hand. Three points from the Vitality Stadium next Saturday evening, please, lads.

North London Forever. COYG!

Then I Saw His Face!

Phew! And breathe…

Over the summer, one can almost forget what it’s like to watch an Arsenal away game. Until it comes flooding back. The nerves; the tension…

For the second successive season, Arsenal had been set up for possible early failure by the fixtures computer and Sky, with a trip to the scene of one of their worst performances and results of last season; memories of a chastening 3-0 defeat in the Spring were all too fresh in the mind. 

But this time it felt different. Transfer business was done early for once, preseason had gone well, and squad depth looks vastly improved. So this was an entirely different team compared to last season’s wounded warriors.

There were Premier League debuts in the baby pink for Zinchenko and Jesus, and - at last - a first competitive start in England for William Saliba. With one or two players still short of match fitness, the team picked itself, frankly.

I’m not going to be boring you with minute-by-minute minutiae this season - you’re all watching the games. I’ll be talking about what I regard as the key talking points. And I’ll start with Gabriel Jesus:

Here’s what Arsenal have been missing for a few seasons now - a moving target up top. We’d seen a little of it with Nketiah towards the end of last season, but Jesus is clearly a step or two up; and his presence - plus a summer’s recuperation for the squad - gave the whole team a different energy. He was unlucky not to have a goal - and an assist - and it’s clear that his team-mates are relishing his presence.

Secondly, William Saliba:

This was the first time I’d seen a full 90 minutes of him in an Arsenal shirt. The sample size is obviously small - despite the plaudits (and full caps) he got in France last year - but what a start! He’s a commanding presence, and his game management looked superb. He topped many of the vital defensive statistics, but most crucially helped Ben White out on multiple occasions as the latter suffered at times playing out of position against the tricky Zaha. A really promising debut, a Man of the Match performance, and a sense that this young man could be another Adams, Terry, Ferdinand or Van Dijk. Yes, he looked that good. So let’s hope that this song catches on:

Thirdly, game management. And of course - despite what ultimately ended up a comfortable win - there were those moments that remind you about how difficult it can be to watch Arsenal, and quite how far they have to go to match the likes of Citeh and Liverpool. I spent quite a lot of the second half calling for Rob Holding, and thought that Arteta took a little too long to make changes; especially with the new 5-substitute rule in operation. 

Concerns: firstly - and I can understand why they’re being told to do it - one touch passing. Once or twice, deep in their own half, Arsenal got themselves into trouble. Perhaps a little more judicial use of the one-touch stuff may be advisable? 

Secondly - Ramsdale’s kicking. He made some very important saves, but - and perhaps because the mistakes came at a time when Arsenal were dominant - there was a touch of over-confidence in his kicking game. Again, better to be safe than sorry. He very much redeemed himself, of course, with two critical saves.

And finally - and I’m being picky here - Martin Odegaard was not at his best; twice looking to pass when he had decent opportunities to shoot. As I say, I’m being picky; and he at least got himself into position, so it’s the decision-making I’m questioning. But this does make me even more curious about Fabio Vieira.

And now a quick shout out to Nicolas Jover. Who?, I hear you ask? Well, he’s Arsenal’s set piece coach. He did an excellent job last season, and the routine that led to the opening goal was something I’d not seen before. Keep ‘em coming, Nico.

Of course, we also saw the first appearance of the ITWGX Index. Eze dives - play waved on. 20 seconds later a similar action involving Xhaka, and out comes the yellow card. Another piece of simulation by Eze later; again no card… I wish that referees would, for once, officiate the match situation, and not the player. Plus ça change. and there were a couple of incidents in other matches in this first round of fixtures where players weren’t punished for rash challenges; one dangerous sliding tackle by a Tottenham player (Romero? - can't find the clip), plus this Scott McTominay over the top effort that went unpunished. 

Incidents that had me thinking: ‘If that was Granit Xhaka…’

Not much else to say. Except to say that the green shoots of progress are clearly sprouting. Selhurst Park on a Friday night is an extremely difficult place to go, but this group managed it well. Three points in the bag from one of the most difficult away tests in the division is a great start. So we move on to a series of winnable matches in a positive frame of mind.

I can’t wait to get back to my seat next Saturday afternoon. North London Forever! 

And with that, here’s a message from Arsenal fan Martin Kemp, of Spandau Ballet:

https://twitter.com/realmartinkemp/status/1555867530501275652?s=11&t=eiwWAuIsyJxmhCzXUqAvNw

Be Excited

In the words of Josh Kroenke: 'I would say, be excited'. And we ought to be. Because it really feels like Arsenal are back on the right path now.

Now, disappointment and anger meant that I couldn't bring myself to post right at the end of last season, so before I launch into optimism here's a quick summary of that - dictated to me by my old nemesis Captain Hindsight:

Arteta and Edu took a calculated risk by not reinforcing the squad last January. We were concerned at the time that losing Auba would leave us light up top, and so it came to pass. However, we were more hurt by the subsequent losses to long-term injury of Tierney and Partey. The squad was very light on numbers at that point, with little room for rotation, and by the end of the season those left standing were running on empty.

Without wanting to depress you by reminding you: successive losses to Palace (thrashed), Brighton (unlucky) and Southampton (flat), were followed - incredibly - by successive victories over Chelsea (amusingly), United and West Ham that coincided with the belated introduction of Nketiah to the starting XI. And then, from pole position, the pressure told. Abject capitulation at Tottenham, followed by an even worse performance at Newcastle, and that was that. The margins were fine, but the gamble ultimately failed.

On the one hand, 8th to 5th was clearly progression. However, 4th was within touching distance. And worst of all, what hurt most was that it was Tottenham who took 4th spot. And how we've suffered on a personal level over the summer as a result of that.

Anyway, that's done, and we have certainly moved on now. Arteta/Edu were looking not just for bodies, but the right bodies. So in January it was Vlahovic or nobody; and so nobody it was. 

But it's an entirely different matter now. And I cannot recall the last time I was looking forward to the beginning of a season as much as this. Perhaps the day we signed Alexis Sanchez? A while ago, certainly. 

For me, Gabriel Jesus is the PERFECT new central striker for Arsenal. We've already seen how he's relishing being the 'main man' at Arsenal instead of being a bit part player at Manchester City. His movement makes him the perfect foil for the likes of Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard, and he'll improve those three - and the whole team.

Additional signings so far have included Zinchenko - another supposed City 'cast-off'. Nonsense. And who cares? The guy can do several jobs at Arsenal - indeed, when Tierney's fit he's going to give Arteta a headache when you consider that Xhaka always starts when available. We're yet to see Fabio Vieira (woah oh) in an Arsenal shirt, but if what I've read about him is true we've every reason to be excited.

But perhaps the most significant addition to the squad may yet turn out to be William Saliba - the very personification of LANS ('like a new signing', for those who aren't very good with acronyms). He's looked big, strong, fast and utterly unflappable in pre-season. And with both Tierney and Tomiyasu still not match-fit, we've no reason to have the sort of concerns that we had this time last year.

And there may be more signings to come. Arsenal remain a major draw - Champions League or no Champions League. Edu is proving that, and for a second summer in a row he and Arteta are receiving the full support of the owners. Perhaps we can start changing our minds about the Kroenkes now; I sense that now they've tasted further success in the US - the LA Rams and Colorado Avalanche have won recent titles on the back of investment, so perhaps Stan can finally see the correlation?

I'd feel more comfortable with another central midfielder - for reasons I'll touch on in a moment - and with an extra centre forward. Let's tackle those in reverse order:

Jesus and Nketiah, and up to 70 games to be played. Possible World Cup in between for the Brazilian. Even counting Martinelli as the nominal third striker, that doesn't feel like enough. What of possible injuries? What of possible suspensions? How will the new 5-substitute rule change things? I'd feel comfortable with another option; somebody who offer something different. A Giroud-type figure who can hold the ball up and lay it off, perhaps? What do you think?

And then there's the sub judice midfield elephant in the room. There's one key position in the side for which we have no genuine like-for-like cover, and that's at the base of midfield. We have a player in there who's finally been beginning to show why Arsenal bought him, but there's no guarantee - for other than footballing reasons - that'll he'll be in the side in a few months' time. And whilst it's well nigh impossible to replace somebody with his qualities, we have to ask whether the midfield players we do have are capable of offsetting the loss of those qualities without upsetting the applecart elsewhere in midfield. So another one in, please. Rumour has it that Tielemans is pretty much a done deal, and it's merely a question of pressing the button. He'd do fine, so what are Arsenal waiting for? Sales, I guess; not for the transfer fees, which would be relatively paltry, but in order to free up wages. Get something done, please, Edu.

And so we move on to Palace; the scene of one of Arsenal's worst displays of last season. Of course, Arsenal will have a vastly-changed line-up for this one, and Palace will be severely weakened by the loss of their Chelsea loanee from last season. But for all that they're big and strong, have Zaha in their side, will look to bully Arsenal, and will have the backing of one of the most impressive sets of home supporters in the country. This has a similar ring to it as Brentford did last season (thanks, Sky), and Arteta must mitigate against them gaining any momentum. I'm considerably more confident about this game than I was when the fixtures came out, but it's nonetheless a concern. I wouldn't be surprised by any result, but I'm hoping that Arsenal can put down a marker immediately.

And so to prospects for the new season: Manchester City have signed Haaland and Alvarez (and will thus change the way they play slightly), but have lost Sterling as well as the two we've signed. I wouldn't call that strengthening. Liverpool have lost Mr Elbows, but signed Nunez. Again, not necessarily strengthened. But those two sides are well ahead of the pack, and it would be an enormous ask to expect Arsenal to breach that gap this season.

Elsewhere, Chelsea appear in disarray. Their transfer policy appears to be to wait and see who everyone else is scouting, and then look to gazump them. All the more amusing to see Barcelona raining continually on their parade. I don't think that they're ready, and they don't appear to have improved their squad. Manchester United remain a mess. New manager, but essentially the same players. Ten Haag has a lot of work to do, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them outside the Top 6 by the end of this season if they don't take drastic action somewhere.

Newcastle? Another season or two, I reckon, before they get to join the Big Boys Club. The aim this year will surely be Europa League, and they haven't seriously strengthened over the summer.

As for Tottenham, who I've saved till last: they've done some decent business. Perisic is past his best, but is a fine player. Bissouma is certainly an upgrade on what they had in central midfield, and Richarlison is the perfect foil for Kane and Son - they'll be diving across the full width of the pitch now... However, I feel they still lack creativity in central midfield. Remains to be seen how much that will hinder them, but they have a top manager. It's worth pointing out at this point, by the way, that this week we reached the tipping point that means that their last title win is now closer to the 19th century than the 21st - a tremendous statistic!

And so to predictions: a decent run in all three Cups - I'd be looking to win the Europa League, and - if I'm realistic - third place at best. Plus Jesus for the Golden Boot. Third or fourth would be progress, and acceptable, but fifth or sixth will only be acceptable if they win the Europa League. It's Champions League or bust, baby!

North London Forever!