After last week’s disappointment, a ‘statement’ win over one of our rivals was just the ticket. Alright; it wasn’t quite ‘statement’, but three points are three points, and that’s the most important thing.
The beauty of it, of course, was the way the match unravelled for United - from the moment that VAR chalked off Garnacho’s ‘goal’ (I called offside as he went through, but didn’t realise that it was THAT close!) with just two minutes of normal time remaining, until the end of the 56th(!) minute of the second half was the reason we go to matches - and the reason we should never, EVER leave early without very good reason.
Gary Neville gets on my nerves, obviously, but he made a very astute observation in commentary. With the extended injury time that gets played these days, it’s almost like there’s an extra half of football to come once you hit 90 minutes.
These days, Arsenal are getting pretty good at going right until the end, and for a second week in a row I must give credit to the Manager for his choices of substitutions (although to be fair I have to admit that I was moaning to everyone within earshot that they took him far too long to execute). Still, all’s well that ends well; maybe I was right, but he definitely was!
Let’s wind back, though. We had all the pre-match drama surrounding Partey’s injury - thanks, Ghanaian FA! - but if anything it would have given clarity to MA on how to set up. It made perfect sense to revert to last year’s back 4, with Zinchenko fit enough to take his place (note; Arsenal’s fourth different starting left back in as many matches!). Rice at 6, and Havertz kept his place even though Vieira must be starting to press him hard for that spot.
Look; it must be hard for Havertz. Coming from a nightmare scenario at Chelsea that would have knocked the confidence of every single player who played for them last season. Having to learn a complex new role. Trying to set up brand new links and alliances while having complete unfamiliarity with what’s going on behind him. It’s easy to criticise, but we must give him time.
Admittedly, his complete mis-kick when presented with an early opportunity wouldn’t have helped get people off his back.
And he was denied a big moment when the penalty awarded when he was brought down was chalked off (for me that’s a sure fire penalty, by the way. I’m convinced that the decision doesn’t get overturned at Old Trafford, and it does not fit into the ‘clear and obvious error’ bracket).
Plus all the moaning that it was his misplaced pass in the final third let to United’s goal is really, really harsh. There was still plenty for United to do, and Ben White hardly covered himself in glory in trying to deal with Rashford.
We are in no position to question Arteta’s talent ID work. We must give Havertz time. We gave time to the likes of Bergkamp and Henry, did we not? On Sunday, Saka missed two presentable opportunities to score, yet nobody’s moaning about him.
The game was interesting from a tactical point of view, in that United saw an incredible amount of the ball throughout the first half, but did absolutely nothing with it. The goal; from a typical breakaway. Apart from that; a couple of hundred sideways passes in their own half as Arteta refused to allow them to play over a high press. Arsenal were comfortably the better side, and the first goal came as a shock.
Fortunately, United rested on their laurels for under a minute as Arsenal tore into United from the restart, and Odegaard swept the ball home emphatically from Martinelli’s pass. Parity was the very least that Arsenal deserved.
It was strange to listen to Ten Haag’s press conference post-game, when he suggested that United had played well and to a plan, and were robbed by the officials. Hundreds of sideways passes within 30 yards of your own goal isn’t much of a plan, they were relying merely on turnovers and transitions, and he was simply wrong regarding the officiating. They dodged a bullet with the penalty over-rule, for starters.
United did improve for the introduction of Hojlund, but Arsenal had the right set of centre halves on the field to deal with him. Gabriel Maghaeles was the perfect man to put up against him. By contrast, United’s central defence was in utter disarray by the end of the game. A pre-match injury to Varane meant that Lindelof was drafted in, but they lost both he and the irritating Martinez (both were also booked, by the way) to injury, meaning that they ended up with Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans in there. You can’t hold out against the likes of Arsenal with those two in central defence.
But before the highly charged ending to the game came the biggest moment of the game, with Garnacho’s goal being chalked off. As I say, I called offside immediately, but as it turned out it was merely a whisker, and as a result of some brilliant split-second thinking by Big Gabby to lean his body in precisely the right way to catch the youngster offside. But what a relief - and from then on if there was going to be a winner it was only going to be Arsenal.
Time ticked on. Vieira, Nelson and Jesus arrived to add impetus and no little free styling to Arsenal’s attacks. The board went up - 8 minutes. And thus Gary Neville’s self-fulfilling nightmare started.
Minute 96. Corner hit by Saka all the way to the far post, and Declan Rice cast the first brick of his legacy with a deflected shot that beat Onana at his near post. In scenes reminiscent of last season’s Bournemouth comeback, the stadium exploded with noise. Cries of fouls for an obstruction by Big Gabby on Evans merely revealed that it was actually the United player who’d committed an offence.
In their desperate attempts to equalise, United left themselves wide open at the back. Arsenal turned the tables on them with a swift breakaway - by now in the 101st minute. Vieira’s first time ball released Jesus, and what followed was a thing of beauty as he possibly ended Dalot’s career with a sensational drag back, and then wrong-footed Onana as he slid the ball home. Pandemonium ensued as the three points were cemented.
Another chapter in the stadium’s history written. Three important points tucked away. The team continues to make progress. But there remains a small minority of Arsenal fans who cannot be pleased. Every fan group I’m in has one or two. Nothing is ever good enough. It’s so difficult to refrain from engaging with these people!
And so we move on. An early Interlull, with no less than 16 players away with their countries. Everton away on their return - where Arsenal must not repeat last year’s disaster. And after that it’s Tottenham at home.
Now, Spurs fans are getting a little too uppity for my liking. Some of them seem to think that they can actually challenge for the Premier League. Now this is obviously nonsense, and the sooner we knock these ludicrous ambitions on the head, the better. On the other side of the coin, however, is the thought that Harry Kane had been holding them back!!!
Anyway, time for a break, and to pray for 16 players to come back for and raring to go. COYG!
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