Far be it from me to labour a point, but...
When I proclaimed publicly - on The Arsenal Opinion podcast (listen here 7:30 mins in for proof - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/tuesday-debrief-legal-wars-getting-spursy/id498781996?i=1000672317140) - at the beginning of October that Arsenal were missing Martin Odegaard far more than people realised, many were disagreeing. Results were going ok, and people were daring to suggest that his goal/assist stats - lagging well behind Bukayo Saka's - meant that Arsenal didn't actually need him. I think that I can safely say that I nailed it, and those people have been shown to have been very, very wrong!
As we know, Arsenal soon started to struggle without the skipper in the side. Arteta had to change the formation - specifically how he used Havertz - and that upset the attacking balance of the team. Additionally, opponents could concentrate more on stopping Saka; by far the biggest threat in a team stripped of the Norwegian.
We saw a big change in the dynamic in the pre-Interlull game against Chelsea - Odegaard’s first game back, of course. A fluidity had automatically returned to the side, even if he himself looked a little rusty at times; and Arsenal deserved on balance to win that game. On Saturday, with Odegaard since having had a full fortnight to get up to speed, we could see the difference he makes. Chalk and cheese.
All of a sudden, the movement and fluidity that have made this Arsenal group so good was back. Judicious pressing. Nimble footwork, Vision. Passes that had the crowd on their feet (reminiscent of Bergkamp; of Fabregas; of Ozil). An increased urgency going forward. Shape. And more freedom for Starboy now that the opposition had somebody else to think about. Exactly what was required. Keep Odegaard fit and it's back on, baby!
Arteta, unusually, made numerous changes to the side. With Ben White unavailable - and likely to be for several months now - it was fortunate that Riccardo Califiori was fit enough to come back into the XI, and Jurrien Timber was switched to right back. Declan Rice's toe injury saw Jorginho drafted in for his first PL start of the season alongside Mikel Merino; meaning that Thomas Partey was also benched. Up front, Gabriel Jesus was preferred to Kai Havertz, and Leandro Trossard to Gabriel Martinelli. Pretty wholesale alterations compared to last time, and quite surprising knowing Arteta's general conservatism as regards personnel changes. Whether the Manager is looking one game at a time, or if he had the Champions League trip to Lisbon on his mind, I don't know. I guess we'll find out when we see the team on Tuesday evening.
Forest were disappointing, in truth. They'd been hyped up variously as high-flying conquerors of Liverpool at Anfield. As difficult to score against. As electric on the break. Yet Arsenal barely allowed them a sniff; and we should give the home team credit for that. From very early on it was mostly one-way traffic, with the rapid Elanga (not sure why Manchester United let him go) on the right hand side the only real threat. And, frankly, Arsenal dominated throughout; from pretty much the first minute the result was in no doubt.
Timber had the ball in the net - following up a Merino header from an Odegaard free kick, but the Spaniard had strayed a few inches offside. Why it took almost three minutes for VAR to sort that out - to a crescendo of boos - I'm really not sure. Where are the semi-automated offsides that we were promised months ago?
It took until just the 15th minute for Arsenal to take the lead; Odegaard instrumental in creating space for Saka with a no look return pass inside the penalty area (greeted by 50,000 gasps of delight), but there was still plenty for Starboy to do. Which he did with aplomb; waltzing past several Forest defenders before firing a shot against the grain and into the top of the net. Gorgeous.
Further intricate interplay saw Jesus almost double the lead, with dual man mountains Murillo and Milenkovic unable to cope with the movement of the Arsenal attackers who were swarming all over them. Saka himself had two more opportunities - one smartly saved by Sels; as did Trossard whose shot was also beaten out by his international team-mate. One wonders what Edu - soon to become a Forest Director - was making of it all. 1-0 at half time, and very relaxed in the crowd.
Partey replaced Jorginho (who had been booked in the first half; one of three Arsenal players booked by referee Hooper from 4 fouls committed; including Saka for having the temerity to have his boot headed by a Forest defender - but there's no agenda...), and soon found himself on the score sheet. Set free in acres of space (vacated by Odegaard who dragged a defender with him deep into the penalty area) by Saka, the Ghanaian side stepped the referee before firing in a trademark curler into the far corner. Beautiful.
Arsenal's domination in what was Arteta's 250th match in charge of the side meant that the crowd had an easy time - I spent a good 10 minutes discussing property deals with Sam the estate agent on my left - and also meant that the Manager could make some changes; Nwaneri for Odegaard being the most significant. And the 17-year-old almost scored at the end of one mazy dribble - a dropped shoulder leaving two defenders floundering - before he turned in Raheem Sterling's return pass for his first PL goal; the first of what I can safely pronounce will be many PL goals for Arsenal. I've been telling my non Arsenal-supporting friends for months now to remember the name. He's going to be a superstar.
And that was that. 3-0. As comfortable a 90 minutes as one could wish for. And then back home to catch what I could of Manchester City vs Tottenham; a contest in which I'd like the Premier League to award zero points to either side, if I had my way. And what a shocker!
Whoever could have seen that result coming? A Spurs side who had contrived to lose at home to Ipswich in its previous game taking advantage of all of City's current frailties to thrash them 4-0; the home side's fifth defeat in a row. Unprecedented; and whilst I never, ever want to see Tottenham win a game of football at least it gave us all the opportunity to have a good laugh at what's going on at City. I'm taking nothing away from a Tottenham side who took advantage of the mental and physical frailties of that City line-up, and took their chances clinically; but they met City at a perfect time.
But what is going on at City? Look, football success is cyclical; even for clubs with seemingly unlimited wealth and the best coach of all time. And a combination of factors have all combined to build a stifling amount of pressure on the club.
The injury to Rodri (a player all opposing supporters covet and hate in equal measure) has been absolutely pivotal to the way the team plays. Kovacic has been an almost adequate replacement, but he's out too, and there's nobody else in the squad who can do anything close to the job required in their combined absence. The charade of a new contract for Pep - for charade it is; just a bit of happy-clappy PR in my opinion - is fooling nobody.
And then there's the 115 charges of financial impropriety, of which the investigations are currently coming to a boil. The first shot - that regarding Associated Party Transactions - has wounded City (remember their nonsense PR about 'victory'?) and the weight of the rest of the charges - a third of which are for failing to cooperate with the investigators - a sure sign of guilt in anybody's book, surely?) - are bearing down heavily on the club as a whole. Those who took fancy odds between 33/1 at 16/1 about City being relegated may be in clover by May, and it's now looking like if the Premier League does become a two-horse race, it'll be Liverpool and Arsenal; not City and Arsenal. Couldn't happen to a nicer set of arrogant, boorish supporters if you ask me... and it's given young Haaland that chance to ‘stay humble, eh'...
Anyway, Arsenal move on to a Champions League game at Sporting Lisbon, who recently smashed Manchester City 4-1 but in the interim have lost their Manager, Amorim, who has committed professional suicide by going to Manchester United. Nonetheless, a tough ask for Arsenal, who could do with a win in order to make sure they end up in the top 8 positions of the revamped League. After that, it's West Ham away; and I'm shaking my head at their result last night. Whoever could have seen them winning at Newcastle? - not me, for sure. But West Ham are very beatable, and that's what Arsenal must do on Saturday evening.
COYG!
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