Frustrations

On the football front, I'm not a particularly happy bunny this morning. For a number of reasons, mostly tinged with disappointment at not winning the Leicester game. It took me a while to get to sleep after the game, and I've had the same thoughts in my head this morning. So let's get to them:

Firstly, let's dwell on the good parts of the game. The excellent move that led to the goal, and the myriad of chances created in a first half that ended 1-0 but could/should have ended 3-0 or even 4-0. Another solid performance - punctuated by one or two more than decent saves - from the commanding Martinez in goal. The continued all-round excellence of Kieran Tierney, and a much better showing from Hector Bellerin. The high class passing of Dani Ceballos, the continual improvement in the all-round game of Bukayo Saka, and the excellent movement of Lacazette and Aubameyang up top. All this shows the incremental improvements that Arteta and his coaching team are making to the team, both in performance and general mentality.

The goal was a thing of beauty. A clever touch to dumbfound Ndidi and exquisite through ball from Ceballos, picking out Saka's intelligent run. The look up, and the little shimmy that put Jonny Evans on his knees, and the inch-perfect cross (with his wrong foot) that was duly despatched by the predatory Aubameyang. Gorgeous. And, if I can just mention, if that had been David Luiz who'd ended up on the floor and not Evans we wouldn't have heard the last of it. But Evans was apparently merely 'unfortunate' to have lost his footing.

I'm building up to what made me angry, so in this section I'll cover the disappointments. Firstly, the missed chances at a time when Arsenal were dominating; two for Lacazette, including one in particular from an inch-perfect Bellerin cross from which he should have done much better than head the ball directly at Schmeichel. The short corner - an almost carbon copy of the one from which Brighton scored a couple of weeks ago - that led to the Ndidi chance and from which they should have learned. Arteta not reacting quickly enough to Rodgers' formation change, which piled pressure on a midfield duo who are far more comfortable with the ball than without it and which led to continual concerns about how the group of shaky central defenders behind them would cope with the pressure.

And now on to what made me angry. Firstly, whilst Nketiah's challenge on Justin was reckless and deserved a red card - although 'he's not that sort of player' - there was quite a bit of Leicester tackling that could have been fairly described as 'robust' at the very least. The commentators even alluded to it: 'This is the sort of night when players can claim that it was the conditions that caused them to slide in so hard on their opponent; whatever was the actual intent.' Somewhat dismissive, and there were some real crunching tackles around for which Leicester went totally unpunished. Lest we especially forget the absolute zinger of a challenge by Evans from behind on Lacazette in the first half that went completely unpunished and which was minimum a yellow card. Nketiah was unfortunate, but the Law is the Law and his studs were raised; despite no lasting damage whatsoever to Justin. That's it.

And then there was this:

Now Jamie Vardy is someone who I've always regarded as a 'snide' player (credits to Alan Davies's The Tuesday Club for the theme). Of those currently in the Premier League, you can put him alongside his team-mate Maddison, Jorginho, Matic, Fernandinho, Salah (Captain), Heung-Min Son (especially - with his innocent 'Who? Me?' face ), Alli, Lamela, Moura and Dier (so many of them!) at Spurs, Shane Long, Troy Deeney, Richarlison, and now of course Neal Maupay. From the Arsenal squad, I'd put Guendouzi in there tbh. With Mourinho as manager, it goes without saying. The sort of player who you just know is itching to try something right on the limits of the Law at every opportunity he gets. If you can think of any more, do let me know.

And so Vardy goes down in a tangle with Mustafi, has a quick, sly look at where Mustafi is - watch the video - and lets his studs swing into the German's face. And not a word from the commentators, nor any sign that the VAR is taking a look. But yes, he did that on purpose. That's what he does.

I know I'm going to be accused of sour grapes, but a player's character needs to be taken into consideration. So he shouldn't have been on the pitch to score the equaliser; a goal that took VAR almost three minutes to award - with spurious use of lines on the pitch etc. so it may actually have been offside - yes, I'm angry about that.

But most of all the anger is born out of frustration at the bad luck; the little things that didn't go Arsenal's way. But nonetheless this was a difficult opponent so I still regard the performance, if not the result, as a further move in the right direction.

So now on to Tottenham on Sunday. They, of course, scraped a 1-0 win with a fortunate own goal the previous evening, over a dreadful Everton side, in what was possibly the worst Premier League game I have ever seen. They appear to be lacking both form and confidence at the moment - the second attribute unlikely, let's face it, to be drummed back into them by their manager - so now's not a bad time to face them. The good news about Dier's suspension is that there is now more chance of Davinson Sanchez playing in central defence. Davinson Sanchez is the nearest thing an opponent can get to a one-goal start in a game, so I think that he should definitely be on the team sheet.

Anyway, fingers crossed for Sunday and I'll be back with my thoughts (on Arsenal's comprehensive victory) on Monday.

Thanks for reading.

Boom Saka-Laca!

Others will have used the phrase or this image, I’m sure, as I’m sure that we’ve been waiting to do this since Saka broke into the team... but Boom Saka-Laca! 

Which sums up the extremely satisfying performance and result at what is a very difficult place to go. Because make no mistake, Wolves are a difficult side to beat. They concede very few goals - especially at home - and whilst they'd only faced clubs in the relegation zone since the restart they'd continued in their stingy ways; they hadn't let in a Premier League goal for 405 minutes of playing time before kick-off. That was the magnitude of the task facing an Arsenal team who hadn't beaten a side placed above them in the table in an away game since September 2015, when an Alexis Sanchez hat-trick inspired them to victory over eventual champions Leicester City. 

However this Arsenal side are suddently showing a resilience that has frankly been lacking for years. It would appear that whatever Arteta has been drilling into them is finally starting to have an effect. Taking the Manchester City result as not unexpected and the Brighton game as an anomaly, perhaps we are finally seeing a move away from the team being seen as a soft touch who can easily be got at. We are seeing resilience from even the likes of Mustafi and (dare I say it) David Luiz, and that's 4 wins on the bounce.

Before I cover the game, I'd like to address the players who remain missing from the squad. Firstly, whilst I love watching Mesut Ozil play it feels to me that the vast majority of Arsenal fans - as well as the club heirarchy - are now done with him. If it were up to me, I'd be looking to ship him out on loan next season - a number of Turkish clubs are apparently interested - and even if it means paying a chunk of his wages that will at least free up funds that can be used in summer transfer dealings.

And it cannot go unnoticed that the new-found discipline of the side can be traced back to the dropping of Guendouzi. Whilst he is a young player of immense promise, he remains undisciplined and apparently slow on the uptake, and with the return to the squad of Torreira - and the emergence of Joe Willock and the versatile Maitland-Niles as backup to the current midfield pairing, along with the mooted summer arrival of Partey - perhaps it's time to cash in and let him move on for what would be a decent profit.

As I wrote earlier this week, each successive match will serve to crystallise Arteta's thoughts about how he wants to start to reshape the squad over the summer. I think that this match will have backed up his thinking.

So to the game, and first a note on team selection. Soares for Bellerin was inevitable, as the latter will continue to need to be eased back into the side and Cedric's retun to match fitness will help Arteta manage that. Whilst I remain to be convinced that Bellerin's career will continue on an upward curve after his ACL injury, I am personally still prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt, and his return can now be better managed.

I am somewhat mystified as to how Holding does not get into the current back three; I'd certainly have him in the side over Kolasinac. Perhaps the hulking presence of Adama Traore in the Wolves side had something to do with that. But it was also telling that even when Tierney was withdrawn Arteta preferred to bring on Maitland-Niles than shift Kolosinac out to wing-back. Perhaps for reasons of mobility? Either way AMN did well, but it does seem harsh on Holding who has barely put a foot wrong since the restart.

The only other change of note was the return of Saka for the indisposed Pepe (his wife having just given birth, so we can excuse him), and the young man initially struggled to come to terms with a role on the right hand side of the front line. But, as we now know, he got to grips with it as the game wore on.

The first half was pretty even, with Traore consistently the main threat, and it took a while for Arsenal's midfielders to start to find the forward line with consistency. However, Wolves were kept at arm's length quite comfortably for most of the time; although the threat of Traore was never to be underestimated. He wouldn't look out of place as an NFL running-back, such is his physique, and he has blistering pace.

There were one or two other first half moments of concern, not least when Tierney was left exposed with two attackers with Kolasinac nowhere to be seen, and one or two other sniffs at goal; but sniffs were all they were and it was Arsenal who created the best opportunites of the half - for Auba and Nketiah - before Saka finished off a nice move with a crisp volley for his first Premier League goal. It's been quite a week for the young man, with the goal adding to the delight of the contract signing.

Wolves drove on in the second half, and it was only quick thinking from the decisive and almost immaculate Martinez - who came rushing from his line to deny Traore the time to pick his spot after he had once again exposed Kolsinac's lack of pace and positional ability - that prevented an equaliser. However, Arsenal managed the game well, with some sensible substitutions thrown in. It was two of those, Willock and Lacazette, who combined for the decisive second goal - Laca's first away goal in a very long time, and very well-taken it was too. And there was still time for Willock to scuff an opportunity laid on a plate by the unselfish Aubameyang to make it three.

I am increasingly impressed with Arteta, by the way. He is getting the players to gel, and also not letting the excitement of successive wins carry the players away. He continues to shape the performances, and keep them grounded; including Saka who he pointed out still has a lot to learn. He has learnt at the feet of two masters of their profession, of course, and hopefully a glittering managerial career awaits him too?

So another well-organised and disciplined perfomance from Arsenal, and things are looking more promising. Other results dictate that Champions League qualification will be something of a miracle from here, but suddenly the next few games look a little less daunting. And Spurs are now trailing in our wake. Whisper it, but roll on St Totteringham's Day...

So Leicester at The Emirates is next, followed by the afore-mentioned Spurs at 'the best stadium in the country' - no trophies are awarded for that, of course. But one game at a time, please.

I'll be back on Wednesday. I can't wait for the next game! In the meantime so yourselves a favour and stay out of the pubs, please.

It's Good News Week!

It has been a decent few days for Arsenal, culminating in a comfortable 4-0 win over a doomed Norwich City. There are a few things to take from the game, but for me the most important piece of news of the week was Bukayo Saka's new contract. 

This young lad is Arsenal's most exciting Academy product since Jack Wilshere. He is robust, strong, skilful and capable of playing in multiple positions; and it is a measure of his importance to Mikel Arteta that he was rested from the Norwich game in order to keep him fresh for the tougher tasks to follow over the next couple of weeks. Alongside the likes of Martinelli, Nelson, Nketiah and Willock, Arsenal look to have the nucleus of a promising, evolving side that can hopefully start to propel them back towards where they were a mere generation ago. Chuck Kieran Tierney into that mix, along with the imminent arrival of William Saliba, and things just might be looking up. What it does need is the right blend of experience (and good role models) around them.

Of course, it's easy to be optimistic on the back of three successive victories, but then all one has to do is look back at the Brighton defeat to see how easy it is to become derailed. And the approaching fixtures are going to really test Arsenal. Wolves are extremely difficult to beat, and whilst Leicester's season has gone to pot they are still clinging on to third place in the table. Follow those two up with Tottenham and Liverpool, and cap it with an unbelievably difficult FA Cup semi-final, and things might not look quite so rosy after all.

So to the Norwich game. And once more an Arsenal forward took advantage of an error by a  goalkeeper with the ball at his feet, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 'mugged' Tim Krul and slotted into an empty net for his 50th Premier League goal. He has achieved that faster than even Thierry Henry (although to be fair he scored in his first Premier League game and it took Thierry 9 games to get off the mark), and later on took advantage of yet another defensive error to clinically score his second, and Arsenal's third.  He is now just one goal away from scoring 20+ goals in 5 successive seasons, for Dortmund and Arsenal - quite a record. 

This is a nice graphic:

Norwich barely posed a threat, apart from a couple of long-range efforts and a brisk start to the second half, to which Arteta responded by shoring up the numbers in midfield. Otherwise, it was plain sailing and we saw Granit Xhaka's first goal of the season, rounding off a nice move, and then the introduction of Cedric Soares who got off the mark with a long range effort of his own (cruel on Krul) after just 4 minutes on the pitch. Easy, but there again Norwich are really not very good.

Just to cover the relegation battle quickly: Norwich are all but mathematically gone, but as to who is going to join them it's difficult to say. Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Watford are all in woeful form, and West Ham's somewhat surprising - and of course amusing - victory over Chelsea has made a huge difference to their hopes of staying up. Of the 'two out of three' candidates, Watford look to have the easiest set of fixtures, but it's imperative for them that they beat Norwich next week.

Back to more important matters: I believe that what the Arsenal transfer team have to do in the summer is becoming clearer now, and today I feel like I'm in a position to do my own Keep/Sell list. For all that the dressing room has some bad eggs in it and is apparently divided into cliques, I'm sure that Arteta will be looking to do something drastic about that over the summer. Key, of course, is Aubameyang. If he wants to stay and lead the Arteta project and perhaps become an Arsenal legend himself, then we'll all be delighted - although on the other hand there'll be no shortage of suitors if he wants to head off to a Champions League club. Yesterday he was non-commital in his post-game interview, and we can but hope that he stays. London has plenty of attractions for him; the expensive cars and designer clothes, and luxury Hampstead apartment.

As for other key players, I feel that whilst a number of this group are welcome to go there is the nucleus of a competitive squad already at the club. Of those not yet mentioned, Pepe was given the day off for similar reasons to Saka; he will surely only be better next season. Dani Ceballos looked decent for the second successive game, but whether he has the consistency for this league I'm really not sure. 

And now a special word for Granit Xhaka. His rehabilitation has been almost miraculous. From looking like he was on his way out of the club after the Crystal Palace match in November to where he is now reflects well not just on him, but also on Mikel Arteta. The latter has devised a formation that suits Xhaka, and he is thriving in it, helping oil the Arsenal machine as he rotates deep left to find the room to play those raking long balls that are his trademark. His response to his new coach and new responsibilities has been a pleasure to witness, and he remains a leader in the dressing room.

So here's my Keep/Sell list (in squad number order) with bullet point reasoning:

Leno            Number one keeper - KEEP

Bellerin       Still recovering from ACL injury - KEEP

Tierney        Absolutely KEEP

Elneny         On loan - SELL

Sokratis       Slipped down the pecking order now - SELL   

Mkhitaryan  On loan - get wages off the payroll and SELL

Ceballos       Jury out - depending on other midfield targets, on balance LET GO

Lacazette      On the wane - SELL

Ozil              Do anything possible to get him out of the club - SELL

Torreira       Wants to leave, apparently. Depending on suitable replacement - SELL

Aubameyang KEEP under any circumstances

Maitland-Niles Squad backup - KEEP

Holding       KEEP

Soares         KEEP (just signed long term contract)

Pepe            KEEP

Mustafi        Has improved under Arteta - KEEP(!)

Chambers    Long-term injured – no choice but to KEEP

Mari            KEEP (just signed long term contract)

Luiz            KEEP (one year option now taken up...)

Nelson         KEEP

Martinez      KEEP

Willock        KEEP

Guendouzi   Difficult - on balance, if Arsenal can get a decent fee, then SELL

Nketiah        KEEP

Kolasinac     On balance - SELL

Macey          Third choice keeper - KEEP?

Xhaka          KEEP!

Martinelli    KEEP

Saka            KEEP

Smith Rowe KEEP

Mavropanos Too far down the pecking order now - SELL

Saliba          Quite obviously KEEP

Rumours abound that Thomas Partey is on his way from Athletico Madrid, and he'd be an excellent addition in the key defensive midfield role that Arsenal haven't dealt with properly since Gilberto Silva left. Additionally, the clubs that may go down have some fine young players who I can see doing well at Arsenal. Jack Grealish for one, and Norwich have three or 4 exciting young players who I'd like to see targetted. Arsenal's midfield needs shoring up, no matter how you look at it.

And so to Molineux. A difficult place to go, and a far different challenge to recent ones. I'd take a draw, and a win would be most encouraging (not to say surprising). In order to have any hope of a Champions League spot, Arsenal will need a minimum of 9 points from these next 4 games, and then to finish with two more wins. Highly unlikely, although Europa League is looking more promising now. We're above Spurs now (for 24 hours) so we shall see.

Wem-ber-ley! Wem-ber-ley!

And so the FA Cup's most successful team reached its 30th semi final; joint with Mancheester United, who are also through. United also hold the joint record for most number of Final appearances with 20, but Arsenal's 2-1 win over Chelsea in 2017 puts them one FA Cup ahead, with 13 against United's 12.

Both teams will be underdogs in their semi final ties, with United drawn against Chelsea and Arsenal getting the 'plum' draw, Manchester City. Arsenal fans are already drawing comparisons - mostly in hope rather than expectation - with 2017, when a late Monreal semi final winner saw them through 2-1 against City, and Aaron Ramsey's late winner gave them victory over Chelsea in the Final for Arsene Wenger's last trophy as Arsenal Manager.

But enough of statstics - let's look at the action from the win at Bramall Lane:

Mikel Arteta rotated his squad - only he knows why - with 5 changes to the starting XI. However there was no place in the squad for Matteo Guendouzi (internal discipline) or Mesut Ozil (alleged slight back injury). Rob Holding was rested - replaced by David Luiz, along with Hector Bellerin (Maitland-Niles coming in) and Kolasinac also got a start. Dani Ceballos and Eddie Nketiah were given the day off, along with top scorer and talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Willock and Lacazette started. Sheffield United were at full strength.

We obviously do worry about the quality of this Arsenal squad, but even with these changes the team were good enough to mostly keep Sheffield United well at bay. The hosts looked dangerous at set pieces, but at hardly any other time, and Arsenal generally dominated possession. Unfortunately, they didn't often look comfortable in possession, with a lot of passing (quite a bit of it under pressure) between keeper and back line and very little going forwards. The players are clearly still lacking in confidence, but hopefully each win will help build that. Although it's worth pointing out that after their next Premier League game, at home to Norwich, they have something of a nightmare run of games - Wolves, Leicester, Tottenham, Liverpool and then the semi final, before ending with rather easier opposition in the shape of Aston Villa and Watford, both of whom have come back from the break in truly terrible form.

Arsenal took the lead half way through the first half with a Nicolas Pepe penalty, after Lacazette had been tackled/fouled from behind by Basham (apt name) on the edge of the area. He dispatched the kick with consummate ease. Prior to that, Sheffield had a goal disallowed for offside (from a corner) - and had another chalked off in the second half after a free kick. But, as I say, apart from set pieces Sheffield didn't have too much to offer, and Granit Xhaka's sensible positioning had a lot to do with that.

From half time, however, the lack of confidence within the Arsenal ranks showed, as they backed off to allow Sheffield a little too much of the ball, and we were waiting for the inevitable. Which duly arrived in the 87th minute when a smashed clearance from Kolasinac (from a long throw; I think we're starting to see a theme) cannoned back off Holding - on for Luiz, who was off with an ankle injury - into the path of McGoldrick. The latter is hardly prolific, but he could hardly miss.

And so the spectre of extra time loomed. At which we would surely have finally seen Aubameyang, who had spent a lot of the second half warming up vigorously; Arteta ignored him for the most part, much to the former's chagrin. But fortunately, following further Sheffield pressure which featured a decent save from Martinez from Sharp's low shot, a quick breakaway led by Saka and Neketiah led to an oportunity for Pepe which rebounded into the path of Dani Ceballos, who finished well from a tight angle.

And so Arsenal were through. Much tougher tests than a Sheffield United side - who haven't come back in the same form as they were in before - now await, and it remains to be seen how Arsenal are going to cope with that. Norwich should be straighforward, but it's going to really warm up after that.

I'm still to be convinced that Arteta knows his best side, and he appears to be continuing to experiment with his line-up. I feel that the most we can hope for over the next few weeks is to come through the league games fairly unscathed - I'd envisage a maximum of 15 points out of the 24 available, which might lead to a Europa League spot but will leave Arsenal well short of a Champions League place) and to avoid a semi final thrashing. I am being realistic here - it's impossible to be optimistic at the moment. And then we'll see what business is done between seasons.

In the meantime we have seen some contracts renewed in the interim, with offers being made to Mari and Cedric (not sure where he'll fit in) and Luiz surprisingly being retained for his option year - but apparently at considerably lower wages than he is currently being paid. However, it's squad churn that is required, and a stronger general mentality. Plus I'm sure we'd all be most grateful for Saka to 'sign da ting'. And of course Aubameyang's continuing presence must be in the lap of the gods.

Norwich in two days - see you after that. Stay safe.

Thankful For Small Mercies

This was a day inevitably dominated by Liverpool finally winning the title - and many congratulations to them; they're a very fine side from front to back, and well-deserving of the trophy (yet despite Arsenal concerns all the way into January they are not Invincible) - Small Mercy Number One.

However Arsenal fans were more concerned about what might befall them at a ground where they have often struggled over the years. Fortunately, Southampton are a) not very good and b) were in a very generous mood - Small Mercy Number Two.

There was as much happening off the pitch as on it, and I'll cover that a bit later on, but a quick recap of the game would probably read:

• Both teams created early chances. Arsenal's were considerably better than Southampton's and Nketiah had already had the ball in the net (disallowed for Saka straying offside before his assist) and Aubameyang had missed a very good opportunity cutting in from the left - I'll come back to that too - before Nketiah took advantage of goalkeeper McCarthy's howler to give Arsenal the lead
• From then on Arsenal sat back and looked to hit Southampton on the break. A dangerous 'tactic' that was almost punished on two or three occasions; and frankly there was no need for it as Arsenal had looked the better side prior to the opening goal. Inviting pressure can lead to problems, and I'm afraid that as Arsenal fans we were all waiting for the really not-very-funny punchline
• And so we had the best part of an hour of attack vs defence - and with Holding in excellent form and with an interesting 3-5-2 formation in use (with Tierney tucked in alongside the centre-backs and Saka pushing forward as wing-back) Arsenal did often look dangerous on the break. Aubameyang again wreaked havoc (when given the opportunity, anyway) from his starting point wide on the left flank. Somewhere in there, Ings created a good chance for Armstrong, Redmond shot into the side-netting and Martinez (solid throughout) saved well from Long
• And finally the punchline, featuring a slightly unfortunate red card for Stephens as he tried to deal with a stray pass from midfield, and the subsequent free kick leading to substitute Willock's first Premier League goal

So a very forgettable game ended in a routine 2-0 win. If there is such a thing as a routine win for Arsenal these days - this was incredibly just their third away victory this season and culminated in a return to the top half of the table. Oh how we celebrated...

And so to matters around and off the pitch:

• I'd give high marks for their performance to Martinez, Holding, Saka and Nketiah. Mustafi and Tierney were both solid enough (let's hope that the latter's late departure was merely down to a minor muscle issue and nothing worse), but I'm still to be convinced that Bellerin will ever get back to his previous form - he has lost a deal of pace, and his positional sense was again lacking
• In midfield, Xhaka returned and gave some much-needed structure to the side. Ceballos, I'm afraid, can go. He has not adapted to the Premier League and again looked slow. What Real Madrid are going to do with him next season I cannot imagine
• And of course Guendouzi was dropped - for 'squad management' reasons was Arteta's line, but it was quite clearly disciplinary following his reported taunting of Brighton players in the previous game. Perhaps that's the final straw at Arsenal for the young man; he's clearly talented, but needs coaching in his in-match thought processes, and more importantly needs to grow up quickly as he does not appear to have learnt from previous misdemeanours
• Further forward Saka was once again influential - amazing for an 18-year-old, and he is Arsenal's brightest teen prospect since Jack Wilshere (he is today's Small Mercy Number Three, but I wish he'd put pen to paper!). Nketiah did a good job, and of course opportunistically scored his 5th goal in his last 7 games - an excellent return - as he was preferred to Lacazette (surely on his way in the summer)
• What Nketiah's inclusion means is that Aubameyang, the side's main source of goals, was once again carted out onto the left hand side. And look, he created some good chances and was unlucky not to score himself, but one does get the feeling that he is wasted (and frustrated) out there. Would Ian Wright have been happy with such treatment? - I don't think so. Should he also leave then that would make Arteta's rebuilding job (with the need to replace a 30-goal a season man) all the tougher
• And finally, whither Arsenal's top wage-earner, Mesut Ozil? The answer is below. I'm  not sure that he moved from his seat for the entire game, and it is clear there once more that that are issues between him and his Coach. Such a wasted talent - I would love to see Ozil at 10, pulling the strings for Aubameyang at number 9!                                                                                                   
  

Arsenal now move on to their FA Cup quarter final tie at Bramall Lane on Sunday. Sheffield United suddenly look strangely vulnerable compared to how they looked prior to the enforced break, but whether Arsenal can take advantage is another matter. Gone - at least for the moment - are the days of expectation. Instead it's merely hope, but a win is a win - that's the most important Small Mercy.

Sh*tshow By The Sea

Whatever the opposite of 'superlative' is, I'm running out of the right words to use to describe how the 2019-20 season has gone for Arsenal.

The latest instalment saw another abject display, against what journalists and ex-professionals might call an 'honest and hard-working' Brighton side ('honest' is not a word that I'd use) that led to late and ignominious defeat. And I pick out the word honest for two reasons.

Firstly, the continual fouling performed by Bissouma in midfield for which referee Atkinson - now very close to Mike Dean at the bottom of my list of favourite referees - allowed him to get away with merely a late telling-off (and let's not lose sight of the forearm block he performed on Saka in the second half). 

And secondly the late, unncessary challenge by Maupay on Leno that led to the latter's quite obviously serious knee ligament injury. This reminded me very much of the challenge perpetrated by Arnautovic (the Poundland Ibrahimovic) on Debuchy all those years ago, which ruined the full back's Arsenal career before it had started. If you challenge a player who has both feet off the ground, then you risk perpetrating a serious injury; it's not rocket science. That Maupay should score the winner in injury time merely added insult to injury.

However... this must not detract from a number of serious issues that very much came to the surface during the game:

• Defeat to Manchester City can easily be put down to coming up against a highly technical and well-drilled side of better players, but it now very much looks like our analysis of that game was wrong. Arsenal were really poor in that game, and against vastly inferior opposition looked little better. The cracks that were papered over after the City game were blown wide open against Brighton
• The reaction to Leno's injury was tepid. Arsenal sides with bigger characters would have responded entirely differently. Remember Old Trafford 2003? This lot simply lack the fight and team spirit to respond correctly
• There is something seriously lacking in the Arsenal midfield, and wholesale improvements must be made in the close season. Ceballos looked slow not just of feet but also of thought; whilst Guendouzi, nominally the 'defensive' midfielder, went though the entire game without making a single tackle (cue comparisons to Bissouma). That Saka, playing in his third different position in two games, should have outshone them is really poor
• There is also clearly something clearly lacking in the dressing-room itself. I said this about Emery, but it bears repeating about Arteta; he cannot seem to motivate these players. So, in fairness to Emery who additionally had a language barrier to overcome, it's quite clear what the common denominator is - the players themselves. At this level, they're supposed to be self-starters, but as a group they do not show this at all. The body language of many of them is poor, and the defence once more looked all over the place and desperate for an Adams/Campbell type to knock them literally into shape
• If I want to criticise Arteta, it will be on his substitutions. We haven't seen Martinelli at all, and I'd love to know why. As for not bringing on Ozil, there's not much to say that hasn't been said before
• The season is clearly a write-off at this point, and we should be grateful to already have the mythical 40 points on the board. Unfortunately, lack of European football is not going to help as far as the transfer market is concerned, but in order to protect his investment Kroenke must act. For me, this is also Sanllehi's last chance or he's gone

So what of this squad? Many fans are already doing a Keep or Bin exercise on them, and for me if it were at all practical I'd get shot of 75% of them. Although that's too much churn. But there is clearly something very wrong in the dressing-room if even a man like Arteta (who has been schooled in Management by two of the Greats) cannot get into their heads.

Either way, personnel need to change in a wholesale manner; and very soon. It is clear to me that the current talented cohort of youngsters need a number of seasoned and highly motivated professionals to help bring out the best in them. But this current Arsenal squad possesses very few of those.

And so to Southampton away; a match of which I have little or no expectation or hope. This fixture is a bogey for Arsenal in any case, although it should be one of the more winnable of the remaining games. Lest we forget that we still have Liverpool, Spurs, Leicester and Wolves to come, along with the FA Cup tie against Sheffield United. I can literally barely watch any more.

Anyway, I'm a glutton for punishment so I'll be back in a few days. Stay safe and keep alert.

We're back - with a Thud!

Premier League football is back! And for all that has changed in the world over the past three months or so, some things never do change; Arsenal are still the Arsenal we knew and 'loved' before, and David Luiz is still the same David Luiz.

So after a hiatus of 100 days, commencing the day that Mikel Arteta fell ill and tested positive for COVID-19, the manager made his first return visit to the Etihad; and with a team selection full of surprises.

I'm not going to dwell too much on what's been going on in the world in the interim, as it dominates our every waking minute, but here's a summary of what has been in particular touching the hearts and minds of Arsenal fans in that time:

• When can fans come back to the grounds?
• Will Aubameyang stay (based on last night, why would he)? And what news on a contract for Saka?
• How much will the Board support the Head Coach in the transfer window?
• How much is Arteta prepared to put his faith in the very talented current cohort of youngsters?
• How much has the extra time Arteta had with the players on the training ground made a difference?
• What the hell is going on with Mesut Ozil?
• #BLM (and #FPP)

And so to the match. And once more team selection was a great surprise to all. No Luiz, Pepe or Lacazette in the side. A start for Mari alongside Mustafi. Saka on the right wing and Willock at 10 - and Ozil nowhere to be seen.

There are rumours that Arteta called the entire first team squad to an important Zoom meeting a week ago, and that two players had said that they couldn't make it... what else they could have been doing I just can't imagine!?! I'm not going to speculate on who those two were - I'll leave that to your imagination. Whether that had an impact on team selection is pure conjecture, but I have my suspicions...

I'm also advised (unofficially) that the squad is not at all united. It's splintered along stars/youngsters lines, several players want to leave for numerous reasons - including not having been able to settle in London - and for all the talk of unity things are rather less rosy in the camp than is being portrayed. But I'd imagine that things will be a lot clearer by the time next season commences, and we may see a lot of 'churn'.

I'd been reading on social media that Arsenal fans were optimistic going into this run in, and specifically into the City game: 'It's a good time to play them.' ' I'm hearing that we're fitter than them.' 'They'll be more interested in the Champions League.' 'Arteta has had extra time with them on the training pitch, and that's going to help.' 'Arteta knows City well, so he'll know how to counteract them.' 'We can make a real run for the Champions League places. Especially with City's impending ban opening up 5th place.'

This was all, I was sure, a load of over-optimistic claptrap... and when I read Arsenal fans predictions of victory at the Etihad I had to chip in in order to sound notes of caution. I was in the minority, but I wasn't afraid to throw in a good dose of realism to the conversation.

'Be realistic', I posted. 'Do you genuinely believe that we can go there and win? They're miles ahead of us - much better players and with an acknowledged style of play.' And I wasn't the least surprised to be - along with a few other 'grounded' supporters - proved correct.

Early on, Arsenal held their own, and even created the odd half-chance or two. There was a plan, and it looked promising for a short while. But the early injury to Xhaka disrupted the side - Ceballos brings something else to the party - and Mari's calf/ankle problem in the 24th minute proved to be the turning point.

In truth, by midway through the first half the tide was already beginning to turn, as City began to pin Arsenal back. Much as I suspected would happen... And it was only a matter of time before the breakthrough occurred. That it should be as a result of a mistake by an Arsenal centre-back can of course be no surprise to us, with Luiz having come on to replace Mari and partner Mustafi. As it was, Luiz's half-hearted attempt to clear a De Bruyne through ball led to the ball skipping up off his thigh and into the path of Sterling, who hammered the ball past Leno from close range. The goalkeeper had made three decent saves in the previous 5 minutes, but he had no chance with Sterling's effort. The annoying thing was that this was in first half stoppage time - of course a psychologically difficult time to concede.

Early in the second half, as City expanded further on their dominance with even Ederson playing defence-splitting long balls from his own area, Luiz was caught out again. Mahrez got on his wrong side and instead of merely shadowing him into the area as best he could, Luiz put his hand on the Algerian's shoulder and dragged him back. Penalty (the 4th conceded by Luiz this season and remarkably similar to his attempt to haul Salah back at Anfield in August), inevitable red card, and ball buried in the back of the net by De Bruyne.

(Luiz's contract is up in 12 days. He is banned for three matches, and that takes him past the option date. He has cost the club a fortune. For all the current centre-back injuries and woes, I'd tell him that it's time up now. He can go.)

At this point, thankfully, City declared. The match was over as a contest and they treated the remaining 40 minutes as a fitness/training session. Thank goodness for that! But there was still time - after Ederson had collided sickeningly with young left back Garcia to force the latter off on a stretcher (and thus, with both sides down to 10 men and thus perhaps giving Arsenal a slim chance of getting back into the game - I never really believed it possible to be honest) - for future England star Phil Foden to score the third after a stunning interchange between Sterling and substitute Aguero had cut Arsenal apart.

Thus the scoreline better represented the way the game had gone. And illustrated the gulf between the sides. City march on, and Arsenal's heirachy have an awful lot of work to do.

Afterwards, there were cryptic references from both Arteta and Luiz (brave enough to come out and do an interview) to what's going on behind the scenes. We're unlikely to ever find out the truth, but it's clear that a new broom needs to be taken to the Arsenal squad and that the road back is long.

I hold out little hope for the rest of the season. We need to start again. For me, the priority must be to tie Saka down and give more kids a run in the side. Auba is surely off to greener pastures - I know that I would be.

I'll be back on Sunday with a post-Brighton post. In the meantime, stay safe; it's all we Arsenal fans have got.