Just When You Think It Can't Get Any Worse...

There's only one place to start, isn't there? The red card for MLS, and the fallout therefrom. We're all venting about it, I'm sure; and here's my take (it's a bit of a rant tbh).

Firstly, it's a cynical and somewhat desperate challenge. Which he probably didn't have to make. But it simply doesn't reach the threshold for 'serious foul play', as classed by PGMOL themselves. Their definition is: 'a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent, or uses excessive force or brutality'. The other question may have been whether it denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity, but as the foul was committed 75 yards from the Arsenal goal that's somewhat far-fetched to say the least.

At the time, our friend Michael Oliver must have felt that it reached one of those thresholds. Otherwise the card would have been yellow - as it deserved to be. But the reaction to the decision - from the players and coaching staff, from the crowd, from those watching on television including in the Sky studio and from journalists alike - was almost unanimously one of disbelief. Yes, it was made out of (perhaps misplaced) desperation, and yes, it was extremely cynical; but that doesn't make it a red card offence (although whether it should remains a question for another day).

But now we get to the second layer of madness. The VAR, Darren England, upheld the decision despite having access to around a dozen angles. This makes no sense to me. Yes, the VAR's remit is to interfere only in the case of a 'clear and obvious error', and perhaps he felt that the red card was justified (although he'd be in a very small percentage minority). But there was every justification for sending Oliver to the screen for another look. Yet no - none of that; merely a 'check complete'.

And you really have to ask yourself why, seeing as this was in fact a 'clear and obvious error', Oliver was not invited to review the incident. 

Pat Nevin, on Radio 5 Live, described the current standards of officiating in England (and I couldn't have stated it better myself) as 'a bar so low that even a limbo dancing snake couldn't get under it'. However, that's no reason to send the referee death threats; that's going just a teeny weeny bit far.

And here's where the conspiracy theories start.

• Was England, bearing in mind his position in the PGMOL hierarchy compared to Oliver, afraid to recommend that he go to the screen? And, if so, what does this say about how PGMOL is run?

• Did England actually agree with Oliver? In which case, they're in a gigantic minority

• Is there, in fact, some sort of vendetta or conspiracy against Arsenal? By PGMOL, and by Oliver in particular? As I - amongst others - have been suggesting for years now. And it's this final point that I want to look at a bit more closely (I'll mark those incidents when Oliver was referee or VAR with an asterisk - * -as I go along)

Also, why was a far worse challenge by Joao Gomes penalised by a mere yellow card (second yellow, and therefore sent off)? In the same match! Thus meaning that real violent conduct is rewarded by a one-match ban, but MLS gets a three match holiday. Oliver can't even show consistency over the course of a single match!

This is the latest in a series of 'never to be repeated' events/injustices suffered by Arsenal this season. The Rice sending-off. The Trossard sending-off*. Even the Saliba sending off (compared to an almost identical incident involving a Chelsea defender that very same weekend). And now this. Plus as regards the first two on this list, there have been other occasional yellow cards given for 'delaying a restart', but none given as a second yellow.

But this isn't the only 'never to be repeated' event from which Arsenal have suffered over the years. Martinelli sent off for two minor infringements within 5 seconds of each other*. David Luiz sent off when the opposing forward's heel made accidental contact with his knee. Two sendings off for Granit Xhaka; one against Manchester City when he made no contact with the attacker, and another against Liverpool when he had no idea that the attacker was behind him as he attempted to clear a ball dropping over his shoulder*. A failure to send off Matteo Kovacic for a studs up tackle from behind on Martin Odegaard last season* - because, according to PGMOL supremo Howard Webb (meet the new boss; same as the old boss), he 'didn't want to ruin the spectacle of a big game'. But had no compunction with sending Trossard off for a (debatable) technical offence a season later - violent conduct is apparently OK, though. Here are a few unhappy picture memories...

Oliver has also sent off Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Fabio Vieira, and Francis Coquelin in decisions where a yellow may well have sufficed. A total of 8 Arsenal players sent off by Oliver over the years; more than any other club. And precisely 8 more than the number of Manchester City players he has sent off. 

This graphic says it all, really: More red cards than any other side given to Arsenal players. Also more yellow cards btw. More penalties per game awarded too. Contrast that to his treatment of Manchester City, where everything is at the low end, (zero sendings off) and then recall his relationship with Qatar (invited to referee matches in the UAE, and being paid £20,000 a match to do so).

I've been suggesting that there's a conspiracy for more than a short while now; because there are plenty of other incidents I could cite (off the top of my head, we've had Tomiyasu sent off for delaying the taking of a throw in, then a slight tug on an opponent’s jersey 60 yards from goal; Tomiyasu getting a boot in the head from Everton defender Godfrey; no award of a penalty when he was dragged to the ground by Harry Maguire (that's a remarkable number of controversial moments for a player who's so rarely fit, I must add). A goal awarded to Brentford because the VAR 'forgot' to draw the lines. The Newcastle goal that could have been ruled out for the ball being off the field, the goal scorer being offside, but most importantly for a blatant foul by Joelinton on Gabriel. I could go on by citing a penalty area assault by McCarthur of Palace on Saka, or mention the 'winning' goal against Liverpool in injury time earlier this season, which wasn't awarded as referee Taylor had already blown up for a non-existent foul by Kivior... but as you may be asleep already... nonetheless, here are some more cheerful photographs.

And look; I know that every club can do this. Wolves certainly can! But it's weighed far too heavily against Arsenal for it to be mere incompetence. And as for VAR itself; I have no idea why that runs so smoothly in European competition, and in international tournaments. It's either the quality of the VARs, the number of 'we know better than you' tweaks added by PGMOL, or a combination of both. The reason Arsenal are getting this all the time goes back to that Newcastle goal, and Arteta's (justifiable) post-match response.

I realise that I'm p*ssing into the wind here, but it does help to get it off my chest. If you're still reading this, it's because you agree with me. Although it wouldn't surprise me if many have given up by now...

Anyhoo... further fallout from the match was as follows.

• An already thin and depleted squad once more asked to play with 10 men for an entire half. Using up valuable energy. Havertz was visibly exhausted by the end of the game

• What a goal by Califiori! A delightful finish, and a very important one leading to a vital three points

• Back to Havertz, who missed three more than presentable headed chances. One, in particular, he will be very disappointed with. I know that it's more difficult to score with one's head than one's feet, but these were all close range headers. Havertz is essentially the only fit senior 'centre forward' Arsenal have at the moment - and it's debatable whether he should be classed as a striker tbh - but the fact that he's expected to do so much running, and is suffering for it, is as good a reason to draft somebody in as the need to find a more clinical finisher. And he's not the only player suffering physically. We saw nothing on Saturday to suggest that reinforcements are not desperately required

• And on the subject of reinforcements; I'm not sure that Mateus Cunha did much to enhance his reputation in this game. £70-80m? I'll pass, thanks

As I type, there is no news on what's going on behind the scenes regarding MLS's red card. Apart from hearing - completely unsurprisingly - that PGMOL have doubled down over it. Let's hope that the FA panel will see it differently.

We now move on to another big week. Girona away in  the Champions League; and as Arsenal have, according to OPTA, a less than one percent chance of not qualifying in the top 8 places I'd chuck some fringe players in for that one. Girona themselves have nothing to play for. Followed by a massive game at THOF on Sunday.Manchester City - an absolute Must Win. We'd better not see Michael Oliver officiating that one...

Just before I go... Tottenham lost again... and do you know what; I think that 'it' is actually on. They're in a relegation battle, St Totteringham's Day is going to be super early this year, and it's really entertaining to see it.

Let's hope for good news on MLS. COYG!

Arteta Breaks Mirror, Walks Under Ladder, Runs Over Black Cat

I can offer no other explanation as the bad luck keeps rolling in. But I shall try...

It's apparently not enough to have lost one's captain for a couple of months. This current injury crisis is almost as bad as it can get in an already thin squad. Currently Arsenal are without Saka (long term), White (long term), Calafiori, Tomiyasu (long term), Nwaneri, Jesus (extremely long term); and now Saliba (hopefully just a couple of weeks), too. Half of them starters at the very least. The rest useful off the bench. Coupled with all the 'bad luck' inflicted by VAR decisions this season, it's actually quite remarkable that Arsenal are in second spot, clinging on to Liverpool's coat tails, at the top of the table.

Pinning this down to a single factor is impossible. But what it does do is restrict the ability of Arteta to rest and rotate his players, and thus leads to further stresses and strains. Put that alongside the drop in goal/assist production compared to last year from Odegaard, Martinelli, Trossard and Havertz - plus the total disaster that the signing of Sterling has been - and it's difficult to see how Arsenal can possibly keep pace. But they are somehow managing to do so; not falling further behind, in any case, and keeping their own pursuers at arm's length at the same time.

Look, all teams get injuries. Liverpool themselves lost half their team at some stages in 2020-21, when their final points tally fell from an unprecedented 99 the season before to just 69. Manchester City have been without Rodri all season, and De Bruyne for half of that time; and fell of a cliff for two entire months. Just look at the state of Tottenham's squad (and try to do that without sniggering, if you can).

The fact is that the days are long gone when a club could use just 13 or 14 players in an entire season, as Arsenal did in winning the double in 1970-71. The game is considerably faster, players are far more athletic and therefore putting extra strains on their muscles, tendons and ligaments; and most important of all the top teams are playing twice a week, every week (and if their club sides are not, the players are flying off all round the world with their countries). It's a non-stop merry-go-round, and something has to give at some point. Talk of a players strike isn't as daft as it sounds.

The Manager has himself admitted that the squad was 'thin' before the season started. The issue was not the players with whom he chose to dispense - the quality needed an upgrade - but the failure to replace with sufficient numbers. Compare Arsenal's bench with Liverpool's and it's chalk and cheese. Chelsea have a hell of a lot more depth. Newcastle and Aston Villa too. City certainly. And the games are coming thick and fast. And each fresh injury racks up the pressure even further on the aching limbs of Arsenal's first team squad.

It's a testament, nonetheless, to the quality of the players that Arteta does have available to him that a playing eleven shorn of all those listed missing above still managed to dominate a side as useful as Aston Villa for a good deal of this game. Arsenal were, once more, unlucky not to walk away with all three points. With a few of the above players available, there would have been little doubt as to the destination of the points; plus judging by the manner of the goal concessions I think that it's safe to say that had Saliba been playing, neither goal would have been conceded.

Let's have a look at how the game went, with attention first placed on how Arteta decided to deal with the loss of Big Willy. I'm always of the opinion that one should look to keep as many players in their best position as possible, but Mikel chose to shift Timber to centre half, and then Partey to right back; two men moved when if he'd have selected Kivior he'd have had to move just one, and leave Partey where he is most effective. This season's results show that Partey at right back is a mere stop gap, that doesn't really work. Just one win in the now 7 matches that he has started there. 

What were the alternatives, one may ask, with White out? There were two others. I can see why he would choose not to go with Kivior, as Ollie Watkins could well have been too hot for him to handle. The Pole isn't quite of the grade needed to be an Arsenal defender, unfortunately; plus we know that Arteta favours playing one right-footed and one left-footed centre back at all times and Kivior plus Gabriel is - literally - two left feet! The other was to drop Rice back in there, as Dec was a centre-half in his very young days. Not a terrible idea as a stop gap; and especially as it would have meant keeping Timber and Partey in their best positions. But he did what he did; and it came back to bite him as both goals can be attributed to Partey to a greater or lesser extent.

However, there were plusses in this performance. Especially going forward. Trossard has been off the boil for a few weeks now and has been rotated in and out of the side as a result, but in this game he looked to be coming back to his best. Two assists; plus he did everything but score himself on no less than four occasions. Martinelli had Matsen on toast in the first half - so much that Emery was forced to take him off at half time. Plus his goal came as a result of poaching off the right, as every winger should look to do when the ball is on the other side of the field (it was of course good to see Martinez fluffing the save and conceding as a result). Havertz's goal was a proper centre forward's goal, and his link up play was excellent in this game - for all that I'd prefer him not to wander outside the width of the penalty area as often as he does, as the team needs a focal point to play off in my humble opinion.

Rice had another solid 8/10 game. And MLS was superb yet again; showing his customary strength, as well as vision and ability to make decisive runs and passes. With the national side short of left backs at the moment, he will surely be in the next England squad at his current rate of progress.

Nonetheless, despite a two goal lead - and I cannot recall an Arteta side giving one up before - Arsenal failed to see the game out. Because of two moments of defensive indecision. For the first Villa goal, Partey was too slow out to Digne, and Merino fractionally too slow to react to the run of the irritating Tielemans. The second goal saw Partey step out when he needed to step back in with Watkins. The finish was excellent.

Which brings me on to the need for reinforcement. A player like Watkins would transform this Arsenal side. Quick, strong and with a definite eye for goal, he worked Timber and Gabriel really hard throughout. He's obviously unobtainable in January, but would be on my list of additions who could help elevate Arsenal to the level that they are currently unable to quite reach. Yes, they need depth as well as quality, but a new centre forward looks absolutely key at this stage. Havertz simply doesn't have it in him to be a 20 goal a season striker, but has many excellent other qualities (although I sometimes wonder about his body language). And a focal point to the Arsenal attack would be extremely useful.

We know that Arteta wanted Sesko in the summer; despite him not currently being the finished article. Personally, I'd prefer Gyokeres. There is some talk of Ohsimen (currently, bizarrely, on loan from Napoli at Galatasaray). Which ever way things fall, Arsenal must surely find a way to do some business in the next week or so; if they do not, it would be a sign that the hierarchy are giving up the ghost on this season so as not to upset the summer's plans. And that, for me, would be a mistake. Liverpool are not out of sight, Arsenal also remain one of the favourites for the Champions League, and a shot in the arm that a top class centre forward would bring could be exactly what the squad need. If they could bring that forward to this window, and then pick up the two players (a central midfielder - Zubimendi, apparently - and wing cover for Saka) they need in the summer then the squad would be pretty much complete. Despite the need for extra depth. We shall see.

As for the denouement of the Villa game... there was a moment of massive controversy as Merino's shot - almost certainly not goal-bound - hit Havertz and was deflected into the net. Handball? For me, probably inconclusive. From where the referee and one camera were situated, it didn't look like it. From the reverse angle, the ball perhaps grazed Havertz's hand; but the major and critical deflection was off of his torso. By the Law as it's written, if the ball touched his hand or arm on the way in then the goal must be disallowed. However, what is certain is that if a defender had had such a miniscule contact with the ball, with his arms and hands at his side, a penalty would NOT have been awarded. Therefore in conclusion a) the Law is an ass and b) VAR was once again extremely quick to rule against Arsenal; no suggestion of sending the referee - who had awarded the goal after all - to the screen. Just an instruction to disallow it. But there's no conspiracy...

Arsenal  were at that stage bombarding the Villa goal, but couldn't quite get it done. Two frustratingly dropped points, but I for one am not giving up. But please, Arsenal, sign attacking reinforcements. Please don't write the season off by not doing so.

On to the Champions League now, when victory over a Dinamo Zagreb side who are on the verge of elimination, and who haven't played a competitive game in a month due to their winter break, will almost certainly see Arsenal guaranteed a top 8 spot with a game to spare. Let's get behind the lads one more time. COYG!

Finally, before I go, I'd like to return to something I mentioned in my last piece; that of the yellow balloons that appeared at the Tottenham game, which were to highlight the plight of British/Israeli hostage Emily Damari, who was kidnapped by terrorists on October 7th 2023. The wonderful news is that she was literally the first name on the list of hostages to be freed as a result of the ceasefire agreement, and is now safe at home in Israel. Welcome home, Emily - may you be the first of ALL 93 to be allowed home. People have been campaigning all over the world for the return of the hostages since the day they were taken - the day of the massacre - and I'd like to think that those yellow balloons helped just a tiny bit.

And In Conclusion...

Ah, well; you're going to have to wait until somewhere near the end of this post for my conclusions on this week's action...

I actually rarely post following cup matches, and I've held off this week. So I'll now delve into all three of  the Newcastle, United and Tottenham games - more generally with the first two, as there were similarities, but prior to that the win over The Auld Enemy. Let's crack on, then, shall we? And we'll start with the game that is freshest in the memory.

Before I start... if any of you were wondering about the yellow balloons that appeared around the ground after 7 minutes, this was a demonstration to highlight the plight of Emily Damari, a Spurs fan who has been held hostage in Gaza since October 7th 2023. Jewish groups from both clubs got together to do this, and I commend the collaboration as well as the sentiment.

A narrow and nerve-wracking victory over  an injury-affected Tottenham was well enough deserved, with similar domination  of the ball to the two previous two games- especially in the first half - and yet despite Tottenham approaching this game (like they do every game) differently to most opposition (caveat, Big Ange plumped for an extra central midfielder in a surprising show of pragmatism) - the usual concerns gripped Arsenal fans throughout. For the home team, Raheem Sterling looked to have done enough at the weekend to get a start on the right hand side (as it turns out he didn't really justify his selection), whilst MLS kept his place in the XI and Thomas Partey retuned to anchor the midfield. Gabriel Martinelli only made the bench.

Roared on by the crowd, to whom this particular game obviously means so much, Arsenal bombarded their opponents early on, and made sufficient chances to probably be two or three goals up when Son scored with Spurs' first or maybe second shot. Yet again; and additionally via a deflection that took the ball right into the very corner of the net. I, for one, immediately thought 'Here we go again!' But this particular opposition are not resilient, so based on the balance of play there was plenty of cause for hope.

The equaliser came from a corner that ought to have been a goal kick. 

Delicious... and when Rice's delivery reached the far post who was there to make contact? If you didn't know - although you do, of course - you would have guessed Big Gabi. And you'd be correct. Despite failing to get his header on target, he did succeed in heading it into the body of Solanke, who kindly defected the ball in at the near post. Cue anger from all connected with The Dark Side, and delirium from everyone else. Cheer Up Postecoglou...

The go-ahead goal was a triumph for the pressing game. Partey robbed a lethargic Bissouma and found Odegaard, who immediately threaded a pass into the path of the onrushing Trossard in the inside left channel. An early shot - with his 'wrong' foot, from the edge of the penalty area was enough to beat their brand new goalkeeper, Kinsky. Who should have saved it comfortably, but allowed it to bounce over his outstretched glove. Spursy all round, and 2-1. The poor chap had already been tested with the ball at his feet; Havertz rushing in to block one intended clearance - and he was barracked for the rest of the game. Serves him right for signing for them!

But despite equalising and then taking the lead in that 4-minute spell, Arsenal failed to put the match to bed, and we therefore couldn't relax until the final whistle. We could and should have been out of sight long before the end.

Second half, and Big Ange reverted to type, withdrawing both the disappointing Bissouma and Pape Saar in favour of Johnson and that famous dart player, James Maddison; thus leaving Bergvall to take on the entirety of Arsenal's midfield. To be fair, the youngster did a fine job; kudos to him. And Spurs went back to what they know; springing on the opposition at pace whenever they could. But not creating much at all.

There were some stand-out performances in red. Partey back doing what he does best. Declan Rice had a typical barn-storming performance. Timber chucked in another 8/10. Big Gabi did what Big Gabi does, and all the emotion of a NLD feeds into his psyche and turns him into a demon. But for me - and I'm putting this into context because of his age - MLS was my Man of the Match. The fact that, with all that choice at left back, Arteta chooses to go with him tells a story. He exhibits calmness and strength alongside his undoubted ability, and looks to have a really bright future ahead of him. I particularly enjoyed what he did when he was substituted late on (having been booked by the idiot Hooper for being pushed!) as he stoked up the crowd as he left the field of play. And when, having remembered Son's 'shush' celebration when he scored, he did his own when Arsenal took the lead. He's one of our own.

Three points in the bag, and with Chelsea, City and especially Liverpool all dropping points that's, at last, some good news to report. But I'd better deal with the twin cup disasters now.

I've compared the key statistics in these two games. On the face of it, Arsenal have been very unfortunate. But it's not as simple as that. Against Newcastle, Arsenal had 70% possession, an xG of 3.09 against Newcastle's 1.22, and 23 shots to seven for the away side. Which all points to a one-sided game of football. Against Manchester United, the stats read possession again 70%/30%, xG 3.25/0.48, and 26 shots (including Odegaard's missed penalty) to United's 7. Same again; yet Arsenal find themselves 2-0 down to Newcastle with the away leg to follow next month, and out of the FA Cup on penalties. How can this be, one may ask.

Well, it's not rocket science (not one of my favourite sayings tbh): of those 49 shots, a mere 10 were on target. In both games, the opposition allowed Arsenal to have the ball - in areas that suited them - and were far more clinical (4 shots on target from 7 each) when they did get their chance. So for all the possession, and for all the 'control' Arsenal had, they were distinctly lacking where it really mattered. Imagine Isak up front for The Gunners...

Literal 'sitters' missed in both games (Havertz the worst but by no means the only culprit). And for all the chances created, there was a distinct lack of quality to the play. Passing the ball from side to side, with the opposition allowing them to do so, doesn't bring success. Penetration - either around the outside, over the top, or by means of intelligent movement amongst the massed ranks of defenders - was what was required; but we saw little of that in the 210+ minutes of football. It's too formulaic, sometimes get a little boring, and when there's little or no end result the crowd gets restless. 

But... 49 shots should be more than enough to win a couple of football matches, and therein lies the frustration. It's not for the want of the players trying. It's down to a lack of critical quality. If there are two areas of the pitch where Arsenal definitely need reinforcements - and right now! - it's in the wing positions and - especially - right at the pointy end of the pitch where, for all his other qualities, Havertz will never ever be a clinical finisher and needs help. It's frankly unfair on the German to ask him - nay expect him - to pick up all the slack.

The truth is that without Bukayo Saka Arsenal look half the team than with him available. One can pretty much rely on Starboy to cause havoc and create chances. Without him, the burden has fallen almost entirely on Martin Odegaard, who Arteta has been forced to 'over play' since he came back a) from injury and b) from having a new born in his home. It's worth pointing out that notwithstanding these facts, MO created no less than 14 chances over those two matches; as many as the rest of the team put together!  

It has been mighty unfortunate that whilst Arteta looks to find a formation that can work in the continued absence of Saka (and it could be another 8 weeks before we see him on the pitch again), that between them Havertz, Trossard and Martinelli have hit barren gpal scoring spells; which in turn has hit confidence. With Jesus now out until possibly the New Year with an ACL rupture, Ethan Nwaneri also out injured, and Raheem Sterling a mere shadow of the player he used to be, it's been a very testing time. 

Thomas Partey has been the most creative of the 6s/8s playing behind the front line, but he's been regularly shunted out to right back in the continued absence of Ben White (back fairly soon, we are led to believe), and that has weakened the midfield severely. Rice is not quite back to the magnificence we saw from him last season - although we see plenty of flashes of it - and Merino has been essentially disappointing so far (I am prepared to give him time, as the EPL is a vastly different proposition than La Liga), and this has all led to a drop in the quality of chances created. Plus to add to that the finishing has been, to be perfectly frank, woeful.

Contrast that to the goals that the opposition are scoring against Arsenal. Worldie after worldie. Emerson's free kick, Raul Jimenez's goal out of nothing for Fulham, Neto's goal from distance at Stamford Bridge, Mbuemo's from a similar position to Jimenez, Bruno Fernandes' superb finish last week, even Son's deflected effort to give Spurs a totally undeserved lead.. All individually worth under 0.1 xG. Unlucky Arsenal? Hmmm... possibly. But if you don't put your own chances away you're asking for trouble. 

Here's what I think. Jose Mourinho used to say that his teams were never more dangerous than the moment that the opposition lost the ball to them. That 'transition' is key. And that his teams could be as dangerous without the ball as with it! Contrast that to Arteta's insistence on control, and on recognisable and repeatable patterns. All of which leads to predictability, and more often than not leads to opponents being prepared to sit deep and leave no space where Arsenal need it. And then, when the ball is lost...

Contrast the way Arsenal (and Manchester City to pretty much as great an extent) play compared to league leaders Liverpool. Liverpool are happy to let their opposition have the ball, which leads to more open games of football. And also means that opponents don't defend so deeply and so rigidly. Liverpool are prepared to lose the ball; to let the opposition have it so that they can take advantage when possession is turned over. 

Arteta is only in his 6th year of management, so I think that we should all be prepared to accept that he is still growing into the role. For me, the sooner he realises that attempting total control over a game doesn't necessarily work, the sooner we will get to see more goals, more open and exciting football, and as a result some trophies. He should realise that he can rely on his extremely competent defenders to deal with the opposition; opposition who, by dint of seeing more of the ball, will not be breaking at pace when Arsenal cough up possession. The need for control inhibits his players from expressing themselves fully; and I for one would like to see the leash loosened on the team.

But for all that, the key take away is that Arsenal are - for all their domination of the ball - pretty toothless when it comes to taking chances. I've/we've been saying for years that Arsenal need a centre-forward - and to be fair the first move last summer was for Sesko - but the squad is bereft of reliable goal scorers, and those who were banging them in for fun last season have singularly failed to emulate that so far in this one. You can defend Arteta and say that he couldn't have foreseen a drop off in goals from literally everybody (except Big Gabi!); but it is clear that he has failed to mitigate for that.

Look, one can look at the statistics and see that Arsenal have scored more goals this season than at this stage last season. And we can remember the cricket scores put up against poor sides at the end of last season. But - and I've said this before - the 5-0 and 6-0 wins serve to merely pad out the statistics, and it's the games where Arsenal failed to score, or scored just once, that have cost them dearly. And there have been plenty of those this season.

No goals at Bournemouth (when down to 10 men; don't get me started about sendings-off here!), Newcastle (for the second successive season)  and at home to Everton. One point out of 9. A single goal both at home and away to Brighton (another sending off in the home game...) leading to two draws. Further 1-1 draws at Chelsea and Fulham. 1-0 was in fact enough away to Spurs, and at home to Ipswich. 11 points out of a possible 27, where one extra goal in each game would have doubled the points total from those fixtures. The lack of a goalscorer is painful; compare and contrast to Isak, to Haaland, to Salah, and even to Chris Wood! And now, with Jesus out as well as Saka, it would be completely negligent not to act. With Liverpool starting to look less reliable now, and City trailing many points behind, Arsenal will surely never have a better chance to win the title this season. 

Arteta and Josh Kroenke must act now. And I've said this before, and I'll say it again, Gyokeres would be my man. Because we aren't getting Isak. Sesko might actually be attainable this month with his club as good as eliminated from the Champions League; but I for one am not sold on him. Vlahovic - again, not for me. This is a problem for Arteta and his colleagues, and they MUST act.

Right. It's Villa next. 70+ hours since the end of the NLD, and with a small squad from which to choose it can't be easy. Yes 'it's back on', as they say, but by all accounts Villa could have beaten Everton far more comfortably than they did in the week, and will be a tough nut to crack. There's the Emery factor, and the Emi Martinez factor to consider too (make sure you're ready to boo all evening...). Arsenal somehow just have to keep winning, and see where it gets them. I genuinely believe that for all the negativity we're seen and read about this week on social media etc., that Arsenal can do it. The team don't need these negative vibes. If we're supporters, we must support.

So COYG!

PGMOL’s New Year's Resolution

Here we go again, then; starting the New Year with more referee/VAR controversy involving Arsenal. But I'm not actually going to start with Brighton vs Arsenal, because there was plenty of controversy elsewhere. Although not at Anfield, where in my opinion De Ligt’s raised arm was a stone bonk penalty (although I do feel that following the David Coote thing there will be an ‘unconscious bias’ towards Liverpool this season - if there wasn’t one already…).

So let's just stick to The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where there were a number of controversial incidents:

• Should the Newcastle equaliser have been disallowed for handball by Joelinton in the buildup. Quite possibly; arm down by his side but his intervention led directly to the goal
• Should Burn have received a second yellow card for intentional handball? Or gone minutes later for another in a series of fouls? Probably
• Should Newcastle have been awarded a penalty when Kulusevski impeded Gordon, leading (it appeared) to breaking the latter's nose? Well, in the context of the penalty awarded to Brighton, definitely!

What is it with VAR in England? In the Champions League, there's little or no controversy at all. Surely it's down to the personnel involved? And the ‘we know best’ PGMOL tweaks. 

And now on to the Arsenal game. And with the squad still suffering from illness there was no Havertz in the squad at all; and neither Odegaard nor Martinelli were deemed fit/well enough to start. With Timber suspended - some of the bookings that led to that were totally petty - Arteta was once more forced to move Partey to right back, with Jorginho coming in to anchor the midfield, and Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard (the home crowd booed his every touch) also returning. Ethan Nwaneri retained his starting spot. The bench consisted of Odegaard, Martinelli, a goalkeeper, two under 19s... and four left backs! Due to some fixture anomalies, this was the first time in 9 matches that Arsenal had left London and, amazingly, they've now got 5 successive home matches to add to that statistical madness.

Now, Brighton are a decent side. They hadn't actually won since late November, but most of the games had been drawn. They are possession-heavy, press well, and are extremely well organised. Arsenal or City Lite, one might say. And there was plenty of evidence of that during the game. However, Arsenal took the lead as early as the 16th minute when Nwaneri ran onto Merino's nicely clipped pass into acres of space from the right 8 position, cut in and hit a low shot underneath Verbruggen, who frankly should have done a lot better.

At that point Arsenal were in control, keeping a blunt-looking Brighton at arm's length with comfort. But they also weren't creating much; something hardly surprising given the loss of so many creative players. And any trouble they found themselves in was frankly self-inflicted, with Jorginho looking rusty and off the pace as Brighton targeted him in possession. The enforced loss of Partey in midfield was notable. 

Up the other end, I can see the frustration that opposing supporters feel as Arsenal look to make an 'occasion' of every set piece. They're looking to create trepidation in the opposition ranks, but for me they've taken it a little too far. The home supporters booed at almost every throw in, and at every corner and free kick. It's up to referees to stamp down on that, and surely at some point Arteta and Jover will learn their lesson. Timber's 5 bookings included three for time-wasting, and Nwaneri received one as he stood for an eternity over a corner. This was the 9th time that an Arsenal player had been booked for time-wasting this season - yes, there's definitely an element of targeting the Gunners, but there's no smoke without fire.

At one corner, there was a coming together of Jesus, Merino and Partey as they all went for the same ball; leaving the first two on the floor. Perhaps it was that incident that took the eye of both referee and VAR, as a half-second beforehand Gabriel had been hauled to the ground by an arm around the neck from the combative O'Riley as he looked to find space. The sort of challenge that gets penalised in rugby and even American football (I think it's called a 'horse' collar in the latter sport), let alone in a sport in which free kicks are given for minimal contact. In the context of what transpired later, that's quite a talking-point.

Arsenal ended the first half on top, but I sat thinking that a one-goal lead against a team so good on the ball was tenuous to say the least. Yes, they looked blunt up top, but it only takes a moment; as time proved.

Nwaneri was replaced by Martinelli at half-time. At the time, we suspected it was down to the typically fussy piece of officiating from Anthony Taylor (who I once thought was a good referee - what was I thinking?), but as it turns out he was injured. Handy, that, with Arsenal playing again on Tuesday. That gives Arsenal cause for concern regarding Saka (out), Sterling (out), Nwaneri (almost certainly out), Odegaard (unwell), Martinelli (unwell), and Havertz (really very unwell). It never rains... Brighton made two changes, looking to become more aggressive in transition and to stretch Arsenal; which is exactly what they did. Yet still without creating anything big.

And the next chance fell to Arsenal. Perhaps inevitably from a set-piece, as Rice's clever low delivery was side-footed well wide by Merino. A difficult chance, but a chance nonetheless. 

And then, on the hour, disaster struck as yet another unprecedented opportunity knocked for a referee to give a decision against Arsenal. Following some pinball in the Arsenal area, the ball appeared above Joao Pedro and William Saliba. The former got his head to the ball fractionally before the latter, who nonetheless got something on it before a clash of heads. Taylor, seizing his chance, awarded a penalty - for something completely accidental and, from my understanding of the Law, incorrect. He'd made contact with the ball before Pedro's head. Ergo not a deliberate foul, and therefore not a penalty. 

Now, it's entirely possible that the VAR may have deemed Taylor to have made a mistake. Maybe a proper review of the challenge would suggest to Mr England in the booth that Taylor take a second look. Yet a VAR system that sometimes leave fans standing around for up to 4 minutes as they check a possible offside (what happened to semi-automatic offsides, by the way?) took all of THREE SECONDS to ratify the decision. Indefensible, and further sign of a conspiracy against Arsenal. 

How many times this season have we seen Arsenal players punished for actions that were never penalised again for any other club? Rice's second yellow in the previous fixture against Brighton, for side-footing the ball a yard. 

Trossard's second yellow at Manchester City, given for kicking the ball away 0.7 of a second after the whistle had blown (Michael Oliver; who last year had been defended by Howard Webb for not sending off Kovacic against Arsenal as he 'didn't want to unduly influence the game'). 

Saliba's sending off at Bournemouth; an incident remarkably similar to one later the very same day in which a Chelsea defender was merely booked for an almost identical, but arguably worse challenge. 

The 9 bookings for time-wasting. And we shouldn’t forget Taylor’s scratching off of Arsenal’s late ‘winning’ goal against Liverpool earlier this season for a non-foul by Kivior in the build-up. 

And now this; I've never seen it given before, and I doubt that I will again (actually, it's remarkably similar to the penalty Arsenal got at West Ham when Fabianski inadvertently landed a fist on Gabriel at a corner - I felt sorry for the keeper at the time as it was unintentional). But if it’s going to go one of two ways, it’s going to go AGAINST Arsenal. 

Joao Pedro, who loves a dive and had hit the floor (sneaking a sly look at the referee, you may spot if you watch it again) as if there was a sniper on the stadium roof, miraculously recovered to take the spot kick, sending Raya the wrong way. 

And from then on Arsenal could barely rouse themselves to take the game back to the home side; despite the introduction of (a clearly unfit) Odegaard. Brighton looked far more likely to pinch a winner, but are pretty toothless, for all their attractive football. Chances went begging; and thankfully the second goal didn't come. One move saw Arsenal in a real mess as the irritating Veltman lifted the ball over Merino and set Minteh away; only for the latter's cross to travel agonisingly across the goal with Arsenal outnumbered 5-4 in the move. In fact, Arsenal could have sealed the win if Thomas Partey had directed his header - from yet another Rice free kick - on target instead of three yards over the bar late on. And here's how I see it; without the intervention of Anthony Taylor and his mate Darren England, Arsenal win this match 1-0. The draw, however, changes the narrative around Arsenal's title challenge, with Liverpool streaking off into the distance - the only side showing real consistency.

This is all very disappointing; with an added pinch - yet again - of injustice. Arsenal must lick their wounds and go again on Tuesday (a massive 73 hours between matches as opposed to 72 for Brighton) in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final with in-form Newcastle. It's a case of  'if you're fit; you're in'. Just how many left backs can Arteta shoehorn into the side?

Still, at least we're at home. Let's get behind them. And with Manchester United holding Liverpool - in a terrific game of football, I’m sure you’ll agree - maybe it’s back on again?…

COYG!

Nwaneri's First PL Start Just One Of Several Positives From Brentford Victory

In the circumstances, the New Year's Day win at Brentford can be regarded as extremely satisfactory indeed. Their ground is often a tricky place to go - who can forget those muppets Neville and Carragher cavorting with the Brentford fans a few years ago? - but since then Arsenal have managed to negotiate things satisfactorily. As was the case on Wednesday.

Bukayo Saka is going to be out for quite a while, as we know, and Mikel Arteta is going to need to experiment/mix and match with how he deals with it for a few games yet. This time, with Havertz ill and out of the squad, he made the big decision to start Ethan Nwaneri out on the right wing. Big shoes to fill for the exciting yet raw youngster, but he has the closest attributes to Saka within the squad; left-footed, highly skilful, low centre of gravity, and super-confident in his ability. This meant Martinelli back on the left, and Jesus the only fit centre-forward standing so he picked himself. Elsewhere, Declan Rice's minutes are being managed, so Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino took their places alongside Odegaard in midfield. Further back, Riccardo Califiori - another whose minutes need to be managed - came back in for MLS. Brentford, lest I neglect to mention it, were decimated by injuries, especially in defence, but still had the dangerous duo of Mbuemo and Wissa up top.

As anticipated, Brentford immediately settled into a low block as the game kicked off, and Arsenal had 80+% possession from the get-go. But in the 13th minute, at the first opportunity offered (a misplaced pass in midfield by Odegaard), Brentford broke and - from their very first shot - took the lead. Now, can we apportion blame for this? Well, firstly there was the misplaced pass. Then the run of Mbuemo which had Califiori at sixes and sevens. A cut inside, and with Raya (and Gabriel) expecting a far post effort, the Cameroonian passed the ball into the net at the near post.

And here's something that really annoys me; the number of times that the opposition score from their very first effort on goal. Couple that with the number of goals that Arsenal concede from low xG positions; far more than is normal and - as the x in xG indicates - should be expected. There is no doubt that Raya is an excellent goalkeeper, and is a magician in possession (most of the time), but he does have a couple of weaknesses. Firstly, he is encouraged to take up aggressive positions on the field - at one point on Wednesday, with his team-mates camped around the Brentford penalty area, he dealt with a hacked clearance from inside the Brentford half! And secondly he's not quite tall enough - certainly compared to others. I see opposing players wrong-footing him, or curling the ball into the far corner of the net past his outstretched fingers; taking advantage of those weaknesses. Not that I'm complaining; the pros outweigh the cons considerably.

Down a goal early on, Arsenal continued to press and dominate. Brentford sat as deep as I've seen any side against Arsenal this season, but were up against a team prepared to do things a little differently to what we'd seen in recent match-ups with Everton and Ipswich. There was more ingenuity and variety in the play, as full backs were taken on on the outside, and balls were lobbed over the lines and into the box. Nwaneri did a decent impersonation of Saka, beating his man and crossing with both feet as well as linking up with Odegaard and Partey, and Partey himself simply ran the game from the edge of the penalty area. There were patches when Brentford saw plenty of the ball, but the danger felt low-key for most of the time.

Brentford continued to allow Arsenal into their penalty area, and the game resembled a game of pinball as much as a football match at times. There were close-range chances for Partey, Nwaneri and others before a critical passage of play that saw fortunes change dramatically in the space of a single minute. A shot from Lewis-Potter squirmed through Raya's hands - at the time, it was starting to feel like the pressure was getting to the goalkeeper on his return to his former home ground - but he got back to claw the ball back from the brink of crossing the goal line. Less than a minute later, it was 1-1. Arsenal broke - Nwaneri played a clever part in the move - and were soon back camped on the Brentford 18-yard line. More pinball, with the home side simply unable to clear their lines, and Partey's shot was parried out by Flekken into the path of Gabriel Jesus who, having reacted more quickly than his markers, was in position to stoop to head back over the keeper's head. Full marks for perseverance, and for Jesus's anticipation. He appears back to his sharp, mercurial best, and Arteta knows that he must tap into that - because if we can draw anything from researching his career this purple patch won't last too long. 

1-1 at half-time, but plenty of optimism abounded in the away end. And Arsenal came out and carried on as before. Early pressure led to two swift successive corners (just as dangerous despite neither of their normal corner takers being on the field; Martinelli and Nwaneri taking over and doing really well with their deliveries), and from the mass confusion engendered by Flekken, who failed to punch clear, and Jesus's snap shot, Johnny-on-the-spot Merino lashed the ball into the net from close range.

Moments later Nwaneri's cross was again not dealt with, and Gabriel Martinelli volleyed home past the unsighted goalkeeper. 

At which point, with fully half an hour left, Arsenal declared. They kept Brentford at arm's length for the rest of the game - and I for one didn't mind that the final third of the game was quite boring. The points had been secured, and the only moments of note came from some magnificent long-range distribution from Raya that almost led to what would have been spectacular breakaway goals.

Positives and negatives from the game? Well, tv gave the Player of the Match award to Gabriel Jesus, who did have a fine game. And there was an awful lot of positivity to draw from the performance of young Nwaneri. But for me Thomas Partey stood out. He was everywhere, not only snuffing out danger when Brentford looked to break, but with his positioning and distribution. Always on the front foot. A top, top performance from the Ghanaian (despite the home supporters booing his every touch). William Saliba was back to his best also; so cool and decisive under pressure, and a delight to see his cruising around the pitch. The only negative? - a booking for Jurrien Timber that means a one-game ban. That, with Ben White still out, will surely see Partey at right back at the Amex Stadium on Saturday evening.

Arsenal are about to enter a ludicrous period of three games a week for the next 6 weeks or so, so Arteta will need to continue to shuffle his pack. With the Transfer Window open, and Saka out for a while, the big question is do Arsenal look to dip into the pot? I've honestly no idea, but the Manager has put on record that the squad is 'thin'. However, I'm not sure that doing something major now, which may affect the plans for the summer, is that good an idea. But with 9 points to make up, perhaps a little refresh wouldn't go amiss.

All Arsenal can do is keep winning, and hope that Liverpool come back to them. With Chelsea dropping points consistently, the Gunners are surely the only dangers to Liverpool now. But Brighton are tricky opponents; they're not in brilliant form at the moment, but they are capable of beating anyone on their day. Arsenal nonetheless need to take some form of revenge - particularly on the full back Veltman - for Rice's ludicrous sending-off against them earlier this season.

COYG!