… Arsenal can do better.
My big take away from Arsenal’s win over Chelsea on Sunday is that it doesn’t make much difference to this group what type of game is presented to them. They work out how to deal with the problem, adapt, and almost always come out on top.
Whether it’s a ‘low block’, attempting something over-physical, looking to dominate possession or - as Chelsea looked to do - a counter-attacking plan, Arsenal invariably have the answer. And the home side managed to do that despite Chelsea taking that shock early lead.
There’s no point in me regurgitating information or analysis that you will have already heard or read about the game, so I’m going to look for some slightly different angles to those put forward by others as I analyse it. Little things that might make a difference as the season goes on.
For those who missed my latest On The Whistle, by the way, please click here - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/r1k4AdtN7dA. You'll find them on the marksyspeaks YouTube channel after every home game. But, for now, let’s crack on:
1. Evidence of the need for an extra right-sided defender was right in our faces on Sunday. Arsenal have been hurt in the recent past by ‘cluster’ injuries, so when one adds the minor injury to Mosquera to the longer term issues being suffered by Saliba and Timber, it shows that the summer signing of Konsa was really important. I for one wouldn’t have liked to see Hincapie pressed into playing as an emergency right back, or maybe Rice or Zubimendi repurposed there and forced to try to deal with Morgan Rogers. Not only would that have meant a mis-match, but could have unbalanced the entire side. Well done to the hierarchy for getting Konsa in - and yes, I’m sure that they overpaid; but the alternative wasn’t worth considering. As far as his performance was concerned, it was as if Konsa has been at Arsenal for the past 5 years - https://x.com/i/status/2096658429528219911
2. It’s remarkable to me that MLS continues to keep both Zubimendi and Bruno out of the starting XI - although I’d suggest that judging from the latter’s non-appearance from even the bench on Sunday he probably wasn’t fit enough t play a part in any case. Nonetheless, this is remarkable from a 19-year-old that the manager only saw fit to select in a moment of desperation as recently as April (shades of what he did with ESR in December 2020). Whether the teenager is going to manage to hang on to his spot as the season progresses is open to doubt, as the competition is so strong. But Arteta doesn't need to overplay any of these guys, so they should all hopefully remain pretty fresh throughout. What seems pretty clear to me, however, is that MLS is going to find himself back in the England squad next week
3. I am particularly delighted to see Martin Odegaard return to his very best form this season, as I have remained a steadfast supporter of what he offers the team when others had been declaring him 'finished'. The skipper sets a lot of the tone of the team, and is absolutely key to how Arteta wants them to play. If he can maintain fitness levels and arrive fresh at the back end of the season, he can be the difference in the latter stages of the Champions League. What was very noticeable to me when Arteta finally withdrew him late on in Sunday's game was that his replacement, Mikel Merino, was not capable of covering the ground like the Norwegian does - gaps started to appear in midfield where previously there were none. Arteta needs to look after a number of key players - and ought to be able to do that with a squad of the size and quality that he has assembled - but Odegaard is possbily the most important of all.
I should mention, by the way, the remarkable similarity between his goal in this game and the one he scored in the Community Shield. Watch this for proof - https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2097007219380539580?s=20 - and presumably opponents might get wise to this at some point. But these were two sublime goals, frankly
4. One or two people may have questioned David Raya's inability to prevent Rogers' shot going in (I am not one of them), but he once more put in a gigantic performance in goal, and he continues to add further strings to his bow on almost a weekly basis. He is already a top-class shot stopper (that injury-time tip over from Estevao's effort shows that clearly), and commands his penalty area remarkably well - especially considering that he is no physical giant in goalkeeping terms - when meeting crosses and dead balls; thus installing high levels of confidence in his defenders, of course.
But the addition of a remarkable ability to hit long balls out of his hands pretty much exactly where he needs to is changing the way that Arsenal counter attack; and changing the way that opponents need to defend against Arsenal. On numerous occasions on Sunday he set Havertz and latterly Gyokeres free with 60-70 yards balls. And these were no aimless punts. What will he and Ignaki Cana come up with next?
5. This was another high class performance from Kai Havertz. Yes, he was nowhere near his best on Monday at Villa Park, but this was chalk to that cheese. He occupied Chelsea's defenders over the full width of the pitch, his clever flicks and switches of play had the opposition at 6s and 7s, he atoned for a failure to shoot when let in by Tzolis's square ball a few moments earlier with a precision near post shot (which, to double the joy, ought to have been saved by pantomime villain Emi Martinez, who was relentlessly and deservedly booed throughout), and his sublime dummy to let Odegaard in for the decisive second goal was beautiful to behold. He is clearly - and rightly - Arteta's first choice up top at the moment, and if he stays fit could be in for a stellar season. The fact that he always seems to get a goal against his former club must really rankle with their supporters - especially those who were actually delighted to see him leave Stamford Bridge at the time - and I'd hope to see him continue to rub the doubters noses in whatever they don't want their noses to be rubbed in
6. Chelsea supporters - know your place! The pathetic addition of blow up plastic Champions League trophies on Sunday was an embarrassment, and hopefully their supporters are now beginning to accept Arsanal's long-term superiority. I was in the ground the past time that they beat Arsenal - August 2021, when Thomas Tuchel outwitted a rather less experienced Mikel Arteta by overloading Chelsea's right hand side; they tore Arsenal apart that day. Since then, Arsenal have remained undefeated against Chelsea, and that's long time for another so called Big Six club to fail to beat Arsenal. We had an awful lot less of the 'Champions of Europe - you'll never sing that' nonsense. Especially because we soon will - and they know it! And a lot of the social media stuff I've come across both before and since actually acknowledges Arsenal's current superiority. Good - stay down where you belong, if you don't mind!
7. I have to say, by the way, that a re-watch was far more comfortable than being in the ground was. Especially with the game resembling something like a game of basketball for much of the last 15 minutes. My heart rate hit 118bpm at one point... but those watching on television tell me that they were considerably less concerned. I really do need to relax!
That'll do, I think. 9 points from 9 - difficult to argue with that! And attention now turns to the Champions League, with Arsenal on their way to Naples for their season opener on Wednesday. The draw could have been a little kinder, I guess, but Arsenal have avoided both PSG and Barcelona, and can look forward to a match-up with Bayern in Germany (I'm going to try to snaffle a ticket for that, I think), and a repeat of the Real Madrid match-up from a couple of seasons ago that is most memorable for Declan Rice's free kick double. This is the first of a sequence of no less than 4 successive away matches in three different competitions, before the interminable Interlull that will follow. So Arsenal aren't back at Emirates Stadium until October 10th!
But long may the excellent form and result continue. I don't see why they should not.
COYG!
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