It's Definitely Not A Fair Cop!

A Comedy of Errors at Emirates Stadium on Sunday; only this time, for a change, despite their well-known capacity for shooting themselves in the foot, Arsenal didn't come out on the wrong side of it all!

I'll get on to the Celebration Police nonsense later on, but to be frank I'd rather analyse the actual football than get caught up in other peoples' pathetic attempts to undermine Arsenal at every given opportunity. And so I'll begin with my thoughts on the tactical battle that shaped the game.

I have to say from the outset that this was comfortably Arsenal's best performance of the season so far. Whilst I - amongst others - was more than a little unsure about the selection of Havertz in attack prior to kick-off, I have to give props firstly to Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff for formulating plans to negate Liverpool's strengths, and secondly to the players for not only carrying them out so precisely, but for playing with such commitment and passion throughout. 

Against many sides who sit back and wait for Arsenal to take the bull by the horns, the pattern of games tends to be predictable and, at times, quite pedestrian and boring. But there was no danger of that against a team that were obviously going to turn up and try to play. And whilst Liverpool had key players either out or not completely fit (as, of course, did Arsenal), they certainly had more than enough about them to hurt any opponent. But Arsenal pretty much negated any threat throughout the entire game, showing the football world that they realised how important this contest was.

It's worth noting at this point, by the way - although you may be aware that I'm not always a big fan of statistics - that Liverpool conceded their highest ever recorded xG in this game. And that between them Liverpool and City had a combined xG of less than 1 over two full games at Emirates Stadium this season. Arsenal have a hell of a defence.

Make no mistake, Arsenal are a very good football team. They have gifted players all over the pitch, and are generally well-coached. And whilst it's sometimes difficult to warm to the constant 'umbrella passing' forced upon them by the negativity of many so-called 'inferior' opponents, this game was the real deal; and it gave Mikel Arteta the chance to show his worth as a tactician.

The loss of Jesus to injury was something of a surprise, and it meant resorting to a similar line-up to the one that had dominated Liverpool for the first half of the FA Cup tie only a month prior, but had failed to take a multitude of highly presentable chances in the first half and who had then succumbed to an own goal and a late breakaway winner in what was admittedly a much more equal second half. The concern was, I guess, not that Arsenal wouldn't create chances. More that they wouldn't be capable of putting them away. 

Whilst there will be those who always want to criticise Kai Havertz, in this game he did a fine job; engaging the centre-halves when he could, dropping into cover to make life difficult, and generally putting himself about. He did miss a very presentable chance, as we know, and sometimes looks a bit too languid, but I'll still give him at least 7 out of 10 for this particular performance.

And it was Arsenal's shape that helped them dominate. Havertz played as more of a 'false 9' than a traditional centre forward, and assisted by Odegaard helped form the front pair of a box that was completed by Jorginho and Rice behind. This pressing box gave whoever was on the ball for Liverpool little or no time to play the mid- to long-range passes that characterise this Klopp side. They are the most 'long ball' of the three title contenders, and whilst MacAllister occasionally had some space to drive into - often to be fronted up by Rice - there was little of what makes Liverpool so dangerous. 

Interestingly, one would perhaps have expected Rice to be the further forward of the 'double pivot' selected by Arteta, but it was more often than not Jorginho - a big game player if there has ever been one, and who had his best ever game in an Arsenal shirt - who pressed on; thus giving him a more decisive passing role and leaving Rice, with his extra physical capabilities, to mop up behind if required. We often see Odegaard leading the press, but it felt on Sunday that it was Jorginho who was doing all the vocal prompting. And, either side, Saka and Martinelli kept the full backs on their toes.

Jorginho and Rice; the Dynamic Duo

Jorginho is an interesting player in this Arsenal squad. More often than not, his 'particular set of skills' are not necessarily required on days when Arteta can afford to play a more progressive midfield. And had Partey been fit I'm pretty sure that he'd have been more likely to start in this one. But on days like this his experience is invaluable. Chelsea fans weren't that sorry to see him go - how they must long for him now! Because on this day he was imperious.

We can see from these photographs - lifted from 'The Breakdown' on arsenal.com - how the pressing box stifled Liverpool. 

And how the brilliant move that led to Arsenal's opening goal was put together. A series of one-touch passes, a cut infield from Zinchenko, and suddently Odegaard was able to split the Liverpool defence (in the first of a series of horrendous errors from a usually thoroughly reliable individual, where on earth, one must ask, was Van Dijk?) with a through ball to Havertz. As he went through, I can remember thinking: 'He's got too much time to think about this. He won't score.' But fortunately Saka was Johnny-on-the-spot to tuck away the rebound and put Arsenal into a thoroughly deserved lead. A super goal, on the whole.

And it was frankly all Arsenal for almost the rest of the first half. Until... well, we've all seen it. I'm going to apportion most of the blame for it to the otherwise mainly immaculate Saliba, although others were keen to blame David Raya. But if in doubt, get rid!  

And the worst thing about it was the immediate change of mood inside the ground. It was like a gigantic balloon had been pricked, and levels of both noise and expectation dipped dramatically. How, we were all thinking, can Liverpool have been so completely outplayed but be going in level?

A half-time change, with the apparently injured Zinchenko replaced by Jacob Kivior (a defender with completely diffferent qualities to the Ukrainian). And for the first 5 minutes of the second half it was all Liverpool. Everything felt like it had been turned on its head. But they failed to score - they had three shots, including their only one on target, in this period - and Arsenal soon began to reassert. Things were at least back on an even keel. Until...

And if Liverpool's equaliser was a bit of a farce, Martinelli's goal to retake the lead for Arsenal was hysterically funny. If you're not a Liverpool supporter, that is. Again, you've seen it, of course. And with grateful thanks, Martinelli tucked the ball into the totally unguarded net. How we laughed!!!

And from then on Arsenal were in control. Although it was slightly surprising to see Martinelli, who had sprinted himself to a standstill, replaced after 70 minutes when he'd been absolutely key to Arsenal's dominance. He must have been exhausted, to be fair.

For all of Liverpool's huffing and puffing, they created practically nothing. And whilst the belated introduction of Nunez gave them extra power and physicality, it was nothing that Arsenal couldn't handle. For all that, Gabriel was probably fortunate not to receive a second yellow card following a tangle with Nunez on halfway; this not long after Konate had seen a second yellow and then red for two clear offences on Havertz. Liverpool felt hard done by on the officiating front, but so did we - especially at half-time, when we'd sensed that Anthony Taylor had given Arsenal nothing all half. The incompetence at least levelled itself out on this occasion.

The game ended as a contest with a futher 'semi-assist' from Virgil Van Dijk. He was slow to come across to meet Trossard, who had tricked and skipped his way clear of Elliott and Diaz before bearing down on Allison's goal. And his half-hearted attempt to block the Belgian's shot only served to deflect the ball away from the keeper's hands. 

Interesting to see two centre halves of such quality as he and Saliba make the types of mistakes as they did on this day. It's not arrogance, I'm sure. Although on each occasion there was an element of over-confidence. They'll both learn from this, I'm sure - although Van Dijk is nearing the end of the type of illustrious career that we can only hope Saliba ends up having.

And now I have to address the Celebration Police. For whom I have no time. Because pundits have no right - no right whatsoever! - to criticise so called 'over-celebration'. And they love to pick on Mikel Arteta and Arsenal above all others.

And here's why. This was a massive game. Arsenal absolutely had to win it, or they'd have been out of the running for the title. That they did so in the manner in which they did was totally worthy of big celebrations. It's not as if Jurgen Klopp doesn't behave in a similar way - all that orchestrated triple fist pump stuff at the end of every home win for starters. Guardiola does it too. And we cannot forget the antics of the so-called Special One, can we? Yes, Arteta has won just a single FA Cup in his fledgling career. So perhaps having won more titles gives one the supposed 'right' to behave like that. But the guy lives, loves and breathes Arsenal, his job is on the line if he doesn't deliver, and what is football if it's not about moments?

Same for the players. Let them enjoy the moment. And - especially - let them come together with the supporters in the ground and rejoice. We fans go to escape the humdrum; to have a bit of a break from the harsh realities of life. We deserve moments like this. North London Forever. Voulez Vous. Move On Up. Whatever it takes. 

I'm with Ian Wright on this. Not the likes of Neville, Sutton and Carragher - along with Commissioner Keys. They can all f*ck off! 'They're celebrating like they've won the league' is the usual line. Well, just you wait until we do! And even if we don't, why shouldn't we take our enjoyment where we can? Killjoys...

OK - we're now just two points behind Liverpool, and very close to the bloated, unchecked City juggernaut too. Anything can happen between now and the end of the season. But for me it's absolutely key for Arsenal to take maximum points before the return game with City in a few weeks. Starting with taking revenge over West Ham for defeat just a few weeks ago. We're back in form, and they've fallen out of it, and are suffering without Pacqueta. This is the first of a number of winnable games on the horizon.

So COYG!

January Reset Means Narrative Change

A lot has been going on since Arsenal went into Christmas top of the table. Both on and off the pitch. And I’m sure that we’d all agree that the Dubai break could not have come at a better time.

Not that we need reminding, but… a slightly unlucky defeat to West Ham, in a match that Arsenal dominated but couldn’t find the net, perhaps raised a few questions.  But the manner of the follow-up defeat at Fulham rung a number of alarm bells as the team looked tactically deficient against a side that, on paper, they ought to have seen off comfortably. Fulham had Arsenal exactly where they wanted them, exploiting the space out wide left by Arsenal’s inverted full backs to scythe them apart, and constantly channelling Arsenal’s forwards down blind alleys. Arsenal got exactly what they deserved from that game.

Against Liverpool in the FA Cup, it was an entirely different story. Starting with Havertz up front for a change, Arsenal carved Liverpool apart for the entire first half. A half-time score line of 6-1 would have been an entirely fair reflection of the way the half went; a missed header from close in by Havertz, in particular, may haunt me for the rest of my days if I dwell on how the home team squandered chance after chance. The German should actually have pocketed a first half hat-trick. But they went in scoreless. 

Adjustments by Klopp at half time made the second half more even, although the 0-2 final score was not a fair reflection of the way the game went. But that added up to three defeats in a row and - as we soon began to read - recriminations left, right and centre. The Arteta Out brigade, forever awaiting their opportunity to put the boot in, were suddenly all over our timelines. Ludicrous, frankly.

Of course, the stats made for painful reading at that juncture. Just three goals scored from Arsenal’s previous 80 shots. And 6 goals conceded from the previous 10 shots on target faced. But they are only stats; a small sample and not, surely, an underlying trend? To be fair, Arteta may possibly kill for a 20 goal a season number 9!!!

Thus leading to all the inevitable questions about the Transfer Window. Toney? Ohsimen? A flying winger? Central midfield or defensive cover? Or, as it’s beginning to look increasingly clear, nobody… In the current climate, and as both Everton and Forest have discovered, FFP is going to be a big factor in this Window. 

For me, a centre forward would definitely be helpful. Perhaps a bargain buy on the back of Newcastle’s FFP woes? Or an out-of-the-blue signing to match that or Reyes or Arshavin. But, at the end of the day, the club must stay within the guidelines.

The week or so in sunny Dubai really helped, as Arsenal came back reinvigorated against a Palace side that didn’t have the luxury of a break, and who are currently in pretty awful form. And the bare facts revealed a 5-0 hammering. Although…

Arsenal moved the ball around much more quickly than in previous games; sacrificing Arteta’s much-vaunted ‘control’ for more pace and verticality. Yet it took two well-worked set pieces to break the deadlock (more excellent work from Nicolas Jover); but nothing, by half time, on the ‘open play’ front. And the three goals that put a gloss on the performance were all breakaway goals. The first, a swift move following a Palace corner, was a beauty (props to David Raya, and Gabby Jesus, of course). 

And the final two nails in the Palace coffin were driven home with Henry-like precision by a reinvigorated Gabriel Martinelli.

So what can we read into that. Only that stats remain stats. Bigger tests loom on the horizon. And, if Declan Rice’s apparent hamstring pull requires a break of a few extra days, then let him miss the Forest game in order to be ready for Liverpool - an absolute Must Win - at the weekend. With Partey not quite back, we may have to rely on Jorginho in Nottingham, but that’s fine. Arsenal ought to be able to cope with Forest, for all that our record there is poor, and we saw on Gameday One how dangerous they can be on the counter attack. 

I’m hoping that we can soon see my ‘dream’ midfield of Partey, Rice and Odegaard; a midfield to match anything in World football, in my opinion. Tell me I’m wrong! Another month, maybe?

So it’s a big week. Liverpool is Massive. Most eggs need to go into that basket. And we don’t have to wait long to find out if reinforcements are on the horizon. With Salah out, it’s an opportunity. Not that Klopp doesn’t have plenty of alternatives available to replace him: Jota on the bench, anyone?…

Talking of Klopp, it was a surprise to read of his announcement last week. He’s elite, and there aren’t that many elite Managers out there to replace him. Personally, I’d definitely recommend Stevie Gerrard. Or Frank Lampard… And at the same time I choose to laugh at links between Mikel Arteta and Barcelona.

Ok - Forest away, then Liverpool. There is little or no room for error now. Bring it on. 

COYG!

It’s Like Déjà Vu All Over Again

As Arsène Wenger used to say about his later teams, confidence is a fragile thing. It takes a long time to build it up, but just a moment to shatter it. And something has happened over the past week to change the narrative on Arsenal FC.

Successive defeats is something this club hasn’t been used to for well over a year now. But it can happen to the best of sides; even the mighty Manchester City suffered the same fate just weeks ago. However, this feels different. Against West Ham, Arsenal at least dominated possession and could deem themselves ‘unlucky’ not to have converted any of their many chances into goals. At Craven Cottage the performance was… well; craven. An early goal was not a sign of things to come, and it soon became clear that Fulham had the upper hand tactically.

And this is a problem. Because it seems to me that Arteta and Arsenal have been rumbled. Now, it’s ok to be predictable if you’re so good that it doesn’t matter, but Arsenal’s weaknesses are beginning to be exploited by supposed ‘inferior’ teams. Let’s go through those: 

The single pivot - good as he is. The lack of genuine full backs - leading to overlaps - and the fact that those at right and left back are often left exposed because the wingers are asked to play high and wide, and therefore cannot get back in time to cover. The lack of a genuine focal point up front. And a shortage of goal threats. 

Opposing managers are ensuring that they they can lure Arsenal on to them, ferry them down dead ends and into crowded spaces, and then exploit the spaces in behind as moves break down. But when Arsenal have been at their best it’s been because they’ve done their work quickly and efficiently, and for much of this year it’s all been a little bit ponderous.

Now I’m certainly not knocking Declan Rice in all this. And I’m starting to see the worth of Kai Havertz (on a good day, anyway). But it turns out that the loss of Granit Xhaka has had a massive effect on the team. In addition, Arsenal have really missed Thomas Partey; an immense midfield presence, but one who is so often injured that he cannot be relied on. 

And on top of this… there have been flashes where we’ve seen why Arteta wanted David Raya. But, as they say: if it ain’t broke… Aaron Ramsdale had been critical to not just the way Arsenal played last season, but his personality had rubbed off on the side. In attempting to exercise more ‘control’ over proceedings, Arteta has sacrificed a lot of the spontaneity that made Arsenal such a great team to watch last season. 

And so to Fulham away; and I’ll  start with the changes to the starting line-up: Kivior - another centre back - in for the injured Zinchenko. Havertz back in for Trossard. And Eddie getting a start in place of Jesus. 

In the case of the first change, Arteta was stymied by a lack of options, but neither Kivior nor the returning Tomiyasu can play the inverted full back role like Zinchenko can. And none of them can defend like a full back needs to do. Havertz is talented, for sure, but feels to me like a ‘luxury’ player at times. His work isn’t always obvious to the eye, and he sometimes disappears from games almost entirely. As for Eddie; I felt sorry for him, he’s the closest to a target man that the team has, but there was no change in plan in order to exploit those skills and he was either making runs that were being ignored during ponderous build-ups, or being sent down dead ends by the Fulham defenders.

At the back, Arsenal were continually exploited on the break. Rice was often left exposed and to cover too much ground as the Arsenal defence was stretched in ‘transition’. And you know you’re in trouble when Antonee Robinson looks good!

There wasn’t enough bite in midfield, for all that Odegaard puffed and panted, and the wingers were often stranded upfield when moves broke down. It wasn’t a pretty sight.

Despite the early goal - which was something of a false dawn (Martinelli hitting the by-line and getting in a shot that broke to his opposite winger) - it was clear that there was something missing. Something that has been lost in the previous game. None of that vim and verve that has characterised recent Arsenal teams was present. 

It was no surprise when Fulham equalised. Nor was the manner of it a surprise. A swift break, full use of the width of the field, and Jimenez arriving on Kivior’s blind side for a well-taken finish. To be frank, from then on all Arsenal did was huff and puff, and whilst there was an element of good fortune and pinball about Fulham’s second - another conceded at a set piece - it also felt not only inevitable but also that Arsenal were never going to turn things around from that point.

This Fulham fan has achieved legendary status on the back of that second goal, by the way:

At this point I’m going to bring up something that is really starting to bug me about our Manager. And that’s his unwillingness to give Emile Smith Rowe a fair crack of the whip. Here’s a guy who at his best can carry the ball into enclosed spaces at speed and cause damage, and yet he got just 15 minutes on Thursday, and none in this game. I don’t understand this. At least give him a shot! Because nothing else is working currently.

So what now? As Arteta said in his interview: ‘Worst performance of the season’. And who is going to disagree with that? And as Declan Rice said in his interview, the team needs to ‘reset’. But how?

From what we are hearing, Ivan Toney is going nowhere this month. Alternatives to him are going to be very difficult to locate without being forced to pay a premium that FFP will not allow the club to do. Injured players like Timber and Partey still seem too far away to be able to help in the short term. So a lot of work needs to be done in order for the team to regain its momentum. From perhaps looking title favourites a week ago, Arsenal are suddenly only third favourites at best, and in need of a change of direction.

There’s lots of #ArtetaOut nonsense on social media. Perhaps a natural reaction to the past couple of games. But that’s not going to happen, obviously. Nonetheless, the Manager has got a lot of thinking to do. In a way, it’s fortunate that the team has just two matches in the next three weeks. But, unfortunately, one is that massive FA Cup tie against Liverpool next week. There’ll be no Salah, at least, but that’s pretty much as tough as you can get. And with a lack of confidence in the side, I’m not looking forward to it.

It’s time for some Transfer Window magic. And so, I continue to maintain; COYG!

Ponderous. Predictable. Painful. Pointless.

If there was ever a game that demonstrated the current inadequacies in the Arsenal first team set-up, it was this defeat to an extremely well-organised West Ham side. Yes, the visitors rode their luck; but the statistics - extraordinary as they are - don’t tell the whole story.

74% possession for Arsenal. 30 shots (of which just 8 on target, however). An incredible 77 touches in the opponents’ penalty area (a PL record for a team that failed to score). And… xG 2.6 (from all those attempts), and goals scored Zero. Which indicates just how superior to West Ham Arsenal were - on paper at least - but…

This was a very difficult game to watch as an Arsenal supporter. For all the possession, so much of it was pointless. Passing from side to side, with little or no pace or aggression. Predictable patterns. Being forced time and again into areas where West Ham wanted them. And for pretty much the entire 90+ minutes failing to show the pace, desire and aggression required to beat a team that was perfectly happy - whilst the score remained 0-0 and especially 1-0 in their favour - to soak up the pressure (such as it was).

Yes, West Ham rode their luck. And from their point of view why the hell not? Despite being down to their third and fourth choice centre backs, they managed to hold off Arsenal for the entire game. There were times when a breakthrough was close, and there were one or two penalty shouts too, but ultimately Arsenal didn’t have the guile or good fortune to put the ball in the net.

So where did it go wrong? Well, we've seen this game many times before; opposition sitting back and hoping to hit on the break. And for the most part Arsenal do make the breakthrough. But this time there was none, yet Arsenal continued to do the same thing again and again. The very definition of madness!

There didn't seem to be any real Plan B, and so they went on looking to knock on the door in the same way. And the same way again. And again. If there's a stat that encompasses all the others I reeled off above, it's that no Arsenal player has more than 5 Premier League goals this season. No team is going to win the league with those sort of stats, and whilst I don't want to reel off a list of names here, what Arsenal would be able to do with anyone half as good as a Shearer, Van Nistelrooy, Drogba, Cole, Van Persie, Aguero or Kane in the team?

On top of all that, there was a sense of injustice. For West Ham's opener - caused, by the way, by some chaotic penalty area defending - the ball looked as if it may well have gone out of play before Bowen pulled it back. But, as with the Newcastle game a few weeks ago, the ball was on the opposite side of the pitch to where the linesman was, and there was 'no clear angle' to alter the on pitch call. I'll leave you to decide what the still photograph indicates, seeing as there no point debating or complaining about the lack of a camera to do the job properly. Yet lightning has struck twice, and it could only happen to Arsenal.

For West Ham's second, former Arsenal reserve (for goodness' sake!) Constatinos Mavropanos rose virtually unchallenged to send a bullet header into the net via the underside of the bar. Another goal this season conceded directly from a corner. Embarrassing.

The pattern of play was laboured. Most of the side looked jaded - nobody hit 7/10 for me (Odegaard perhaps the closest). Arteta seemed unable to influence matters as he made predictable substitutions. The final one - ESR - came 15 minutes before the end and - for me - 15 minutes too late. At 0-2, give the boy a chance, Mikel! Did they miss the suspended Havertz? Perhaps. But Trossard is not a like-for-like replacement and perhaps ESR could have started?

Of course, if one of those early chances goes in, then it's a different game. But none did, and so the players - and crowd - became more and more frustrated as time passed. Yet, as far as the players were concerned, there was little discernable difference in the methodology. As I said to my daughter at around about the hour mark: 'They could play until Monday afternoon and they still won't score'.

Even Declan Rice looked flustered. Some of that masy have been due to him coming up against his old team-mates, but even he was off the boil. I'm sure that he wouldn't have appreciated hearing boos from the ungrateful West Ham fans - what an obnoxious bunch they are, by the way - but you know; sticks and stones and all that. His last-minute concession of a penalty wouldn't have helped his mood, but Raya saved Benrahma's shot well. Otherwise... 0-3; that would have been a humiliation.

Goodness knows if he'll do it, but for me Arteta needs to shake the team up for Sunday's trip to Fulham. Bench Martinelli and start Trossard out there. Havertz back in. Find room for ESR. Start Eddie, even. Arsenal have become too predictable against sides who lack ambition, and the team isn't quite good enough to compensate for that. We're still maybe 3-4 players away from an ideal starting XI. Let's see what business can be conjured up between now and January 31st.

I'm annoyed, But I'm ATID, So COYG!

That Was Anfield!

Talk about nerve-wracking! But whatever emotions we went through during a breathless and fraught 90+ minutes, the end result will do very nicely, thank you very much.

Arsenal have had real problems at Anfield recently - draws, let alone victories, have been few and far between - and I think that we’re all aware how tough a place this can be when Liverpool and their fans are fired up. And Klopp had made sure that they were.

No personnel changes from the win over Brighton - the key alternatives are out long-term injured - and so it was clear to us all from the outset that Liverpool’s right hand side, and Arsenal’s left, was going to be the key battle ground. Liverpool’s two biggest attacking threats operate down that side, as we know, and so there was trepidation in the ranks at the thought of the amount of work that Zinchenko was going to have to get through. We’d have hoped that Martinelli would occupy TAA, and push him back; but Mo Salah is something else. A world class footballer; of that there is no question..

I'm not going to run through the actions too much; I'll merely give observations on the key elements I took out of the game. And we may as well start with Zinchenko. We've been here before with the Ukrainian, but this game summed his good and his bad perfectly. The way that Arteta has developed him to 'invert' - move into midfield to create an overload - is key to how Arsenal play. But in the same way as people complain that a goalkeeper's first job is to save goals, not distribute the ball better than his predecessor (the Raya/Ramsdale debate can be far more starkly illustrated by Manchester United's switch from brilliant shot-stopper De Gea to the technically gifted Onana - who has nonetheless managed to concede over 40 goals already this season in all competitions!), we have to take the rough with the smooth. Zinchenko's presence in the side makes a huge difference to how well Arsenal attack, but it also affects how the team defends. He isn't always in position to do the dirty work, and therefore relies on Gabriel or Rice to bail him out. And when he's up against the likes of Salah; well...

And so we saw his willingness to take risks in possession both aid and hinder his team. Some of his one-touch work, and general close control, helped spring the team forward, but he of course also lost the ball in dangerous positions on several occasions - especially early in on the second half when Arsenal found themselves under severe pressure. And we have to expect this. Although he certainly didn’t cover himself in glory for Liverpool’s (admittedly brilliant) equaliser. 

But that’s no reason for some fans to be spouting nonsense like: ‘He’s cr*p. A liability . Get rid!’ In games like this, Timber or Tomiyasu would be more likely starters because whilst they cannot contribute as much going forward, they are more reliable defensively. What Zinchenko gives to the team compensates for what his defensive inadequacies take away. I personally find the way Arteta uses him fascinating. Yin and Yang.

Also on the minus side in this game, I was disappointed in Martinelli’s performance. We’d been hoping that he’d occupy TAA, but the latter had little difficulty dealing with him most off the time, and had plenty of time to aid his own team going forward with some trademark sublime long passing. Martinelli himself made a number of promising forays into the Liverpool final third and penalty area, but so often the final ball lacks the required finesse. Where Saka on the other side delivers with goals and assists, there is a lack of end product on the left. Certainly Trossard, when he replaced the Brazilian, made more of an impact on the game in just 20 minutes. I’m not losing faith in Martinelli, but I’m sure that he’s as aware as we are that he needs to do better.

Similarly, this wasn’t Jesus’s best game. I’m all for a focal point, and sometimes Jesus gets too carried away with the harrying and work rate to remember what his primary function is. Eddie Nketiah, when he replaced Jesus late on, gave more focus to the Arsenal attack.

And now onto the standout performances. Those of the defensive triumvirate of Saliba, Gabriel and Rice. Gabriel got the crucial early goal with a neat run and header from Odegaard’s well-flighted free kick. He was, I feel, partly at fault for the equaliser; failing to get out quickly enough to the danger of Salah cutting back inside Zinchenko. But he was otherwise the perfect foil for the magnificent Saliba.

Comparisons could easily be drawn between VVD and his heir apparent. For me it was the younger man who showed the better temperament. Both had excellent games (credit to Konate too, by the way), but whilst VVD looked rushed and slightly flustered at times, Saliba was in the main imperious; not just with his defending, but his passing and link-up play. VVD is 32 now, of course; 10 years older than Saliba. And it makes one wonder quite how much better a player Saliba may become as he reaches his peak years. Of course, he needs to win trophies in order to gain Legend status.

Ahead of Saliba and Gabriel, Declan Rice was once more magnificent. If there’s such a thing as a £105m bargain, it is he. Solid, reliable, dynamic… and omnipresent - his capacity to sniff out and snuff out danger is uncanny. His fitness is key to his side’s success this season and going forward. Worth remembering that he himself is just 24 years old.

That moment when we all had our hearts in our mouths; the Liverpool 5 on 2 breakaway following a crazy collision between Zinchenko and Odegaard following an Arsenal corner. I’m sure that we all thought that this was it; the moment that the game went away from us. And, for sure, TAA should have scored. But we have to give credit to Rice for doing the absolute maximum to make things as hard as possible for Liverpool. Not engaging Salah. Managing to run backwards for 60 yards at almost the same pace that the Egyptian was running forwards. And having the clarity of thought to prevent him from getting properly onto his left foot. So the pass, when it comes, is with the right foot, and bobbles - wham; onto the bar and away. Kudos, Dec.

Next, the pitch. And whilst this is perhaps a subject only for conversation amongst Arsenal fans, there is a point to be made here. Because Arsenal players were slipping on the surface quite a lot. I’d suggest that Liverpool, due to their more direct style, had asked the groundsman to over-water the playing surface. And it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that they were wearing different footwear to Arsenal. 

It’s worth reflecting that some of the key moments in the game were caused by Arsenal players slipping. The Odegaard handball penalty shout - to be honest, I’d have been annoyed not to have been given a penalty had that happened at the other end of the field, but… - there are angles and slow motions that show the Norwegian losing his footing (along with Salah grabbing on to his other arm) in the split second before his left arm goes down to the ball.

The Tsimikas tumble into Klopp that led to his injury. What caused this, if you look closely at the slow motion, is Saka’s right foot slipping on the surface and forcing his momentum out of control.

And the second Saka incident late on, when once again his standing foot slips as he makes the challenge that sends Gravenberch into orbit.

I guess, however, that we’ll never know about the watering instructions.

A side note here about substitutions. If anything, Klopp’s changes on the hour adversely affected Liverpool’s performance. It was, in hindsight. a mistake to move Salah - who’d been tormenting Zinchenko all night - into the centre and into the clutches of Gabriel and especially Saliba. At a time in the early part of the second half where Liverpool had all the momentum, this really slowed them down, allowed Arsenal back into the game, and by the end the away team were perhaps more likely to sneak the win than the home team.

A great game, a hard earned point, and Arsenal are top at Christmas (for the second year running). 

Of course, they need to keep up the momentum - and even push on harder now if they can. West Ham at home next - and they are not to be taken lightly as they have several players in scintillating form. Then Fulham away, and another game against Liverpool - this time in the FA Cup.

There’ll need to be at least one change on Thursday, whilst King Kai serves a one match ban. But surely Arteta will look to rotate in any case in the two London derbies.

Of course, that takes us well into January and into the next Transfer Window. I wonder what Arteta, Edu and Garlick have up their sleeves; if anything.

Meantime… COY(Top Of The League)G!

Hey! Seagulls! Leave Our Chips Alone!

Once more, apologies for the lateness of this post. I’m still recuperating from an operation, and I’ve not really been up to doing everyday tasks up till today, when I’ve finally started to feel much better.

Anyway, I particular enjoyed coming up with the title of this piece; an homage to Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall”. Seagulls are, of course, seaside vermin who love nothing more than swooping on the food of unsuspecting holidaymakers. And Brighton, for three successive seasons, have come and plundered all three points from visits to Emirates Stadium.

But that particular rot was well and truly stopped on Sunday, as a determined Arsenal side absolutely dominated a team who, you must be aware, have the highest percentage possession stats in the entire Premier League. Higher even than Manchester City; so that’s pretty impressive.

The plan was beautifully put together, and beautifully executed. The homework was worthy of an A+. Arsenal’s front 5 pressed Brighton high from the off, secure in the knowledge that they had the security of Declan Rice and their two magnificent centre backs behind them. They achieved turnover after turnover as they kept Brighton in a vice-like grip; the only thing missing was goals as Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli and Jesus all squandered first half opportunities to put Arsenal ahead. Not just ahead, but out of sight; and any frustration was down to the half time score not reflecting Arsenal’s superiority as the teams went in at 0-0.

Just a small point on refereeing here. Octogenarian James Milner was having all sorts of trouble trying to deal with Bukayo Saka, who ran past him on several occasions in the first half - including onto, if I may digress, a wonderful ‘outside of the foot’ through ball from birthday boy Odegaard that led to Martinelli’s chance - and finally resorted to what I guess old-fashioned fans would call a ‘reducer’; no interest in the ball - just the man. 

It was by no means his first foul. But referee Robinson chose not to book him. Two minutes later White pulled back Mitoma - a clear foul but his first foul of the game. Yellow card. And on the back of a foul by Mitoma, which was worthy of a booking, the crowd had to ‘persuade’ the referee to show the card; but he compensated for that with a booking for Mikel Arteta; just because he’s Mikel Arteta!  Grrrrr… they HAVE got it in for us, you know.

On to the second half, and for all of Arsenal’s continuing dominance in open play the opening goal came from a well-worked corner routine. Brighton’s defenders were pinned in the 6-yard box and Gabriel Jesus, holding his by now customary far post position, had a simple nod in as the ball broke off the head of a defender. Well worked, and a well-deserved lead.

It was natural that at some point we’d see something of Brighton as an attacking force, and they did come more into the game as Arsenal somewhat naturally eased off, and the possession percentage started to edge back towards parity. And it was still just 1-0, so there was a concern that Arsenal - still making chances themselves - might pay the price at some point. And with under 10 minutes to go it was ‘hearts in mouths’ time and the clock ticked on, and as we hoped that Arsenal would not - in an all too familiar scenario - be made to pay for their profligacy, as the visitors carved their only meaningful chance of the game. Down their left, White was outpaced and Saliba a step slow covering, and Gross was in on goal; but turned it wide... Phew!

And just a couple of minutes later an excellent team goal as Odegaard’s reverse ball freed Nketiah, he spotted Havertz moving through on Dunk’s blind side and slid the ball in for the German to tidily notch his fourth goal in 7 games. Waka waka, and that was that.

And so Arsenal are back on top, as Liverpool fell 7 goals short of their victory score of last season over Manchester United. That, combined with City’s late concession the previous day, made it a fine weekend results-wise for Arsenal. 

Roberto De Zerbi was particularly complimentary about an Arsenal side who had stopped his team from scoring for the first time in 32 PL matches. And I have a sense that he’s right. If fatigue doesn’t bite, Arsenal can go all the way now.

Additionally, Liverpool looked poor - sluggish even - in their 0-0 draw. And they additionally had a midweek quarter final to play in between that and Saturday’s ‘showdown’ at Anfield - which was good news and hopefully will add to any mid-season tiredness. However, they couldn’t have wished for an easier and more confidence-inducing game than against an inept and pitiful West Ham United. After the game, however, Klopp was starting to look to gee their supporters up for Saturday; he must be worried.

As he should be. As the saying goes: ‘You’re only as good as your last Premier League outing’. And so with Arsenal continuing to dominate opponents - including in unfortunate defeat at both Newcastle and Villa - they know that they’re in for quite the battle. We’ve a terrible recent record there. Let’s change that on Saturday. COYG!

Three Fixtures - The Many Faces Of Arsenal

Premier League matches have been coming thick and fast for Arsenal over the past week or so. As that all coincided with a hospital stay for Yours Truly, I'm a bit behind with my analysis. So what I thought I'd do is a bit of a 'compare and contrast' of the three matches in question; just to see if there are any worthwhile trends. Let's take a look:

So a 2-1 win at home to Wolves. A last gasp 4-3 win at Luton. And then defeat at Villa Park. All different, but with enough similarities, patterns and strokes of good or bad luck to consider. And then, of course, there's refereeing and VAR...

Here are a few points to consider:

• Why were the Luton and Villa fans booing every touch of the ball from Bukayo Saka? Makes no sense to me; he's one of the national side's best players. From a tactical viewpoint I'd say that whilst Starboy is yet to hit the consistent heights of some of last season his quick thinking, skill and strength have been making a real difference to the output of the team. Both he and Martinelli are purposed with driving infield from very wide, but Saka's output is stronger than that of Martinelli on the other wing at the moment. In such a structured formation as Arteta likes to play (the fluidity is infield, not wide), and with Jesus about, I'm not sure that Martinelli gets the chance to cause as much chaos as he'd like. Meanwhile, Saka's stats remain strong, and he surely has to be in your FPL team

• The return of Martin Odegaard has been extremely helpful. His link up play with Saka and whoever is at right back (such a shame to see Tomiyasu injured again) is key to the way the team functions. But look at the fine margins. He scores against Wolves from close to the penalty spot. Against Villa, he has one saved and pulls another wide from very similar positions. Margins

• Havertz and Trossard. Neither guaranteed a starting spot, but both capable of leaving a real mark on matches. I think that we're now starting to see what Arteta wanted to get out of the German, and that's three goals in 4 games. Waka waka. Trossard is also capable of doing damage at any given time; he gives a different look to the left wing when - as is happening more and more frequently - he replaces Martinelli late on in matches

• Gabriel Jesus. Yes, he doesn't score enough goals - even Richarlison appears to be outscoring him! - but I know who I'd rather have in my side. He helps create chaos in opposing defences, knits the attack together, and manoeuvres defenders around with his constant movement. A few more goals would be really helpful, however

• Late goals: Arsenal go right to the end. Once more, vital points were gained at the very death at Kenilworth Road. Arsenal are inevitable

 

And now a few negatives:

• The goalkeeping debate rumbles on. Just when we thought that Ramsdale's display against Brentford had put the matter to bed, Raya came up with a dreadful performance at Luton. Clearly at fault for two of their three goals. There's very little between the two of them as far as shot saving and claiming crosses are concerned (although other teams are seeing a genuine weakness from Raya from crosses and dead ball situations). However, Raya's distribution is definitely superior. Of course, the first job of a goalkeeper is to prevent goals! Arteta has made this mess, and he'll have to stick to his guns now. Until he can't any longer; and we certainly hope that it doesn't come to that

• Zinchenko; the Yin and the Yang. Such a cultured footballer. Comfortable on the ball, and essentially a midfielder playing at the back. Which means that, like Granit Xhaka before him, his mistakes can be easily punished. Against Wolves, he gave the ball away leading to their goal, and made the last 10 minutes of the game far less comfortable than they should have been. I wonder if Arteta is going to start phasing him out once Jurrien Timber returns? But in the meantime, with Tomiyasu out, he's going to start a lot of games, and we're going to have these thoughts of jeopardy every time he looks to dribble out from the back

• Ben White has not been at his best recently. Maybe he needs that run of games that was interrupted by the return of Tomiyasu. But he's been partly to blame for a couple of goals recently; not getting tight enough to his man

• PGMOL, the Premier League and the FA. It's becoming clearer and clearer to me that there's a a bias against Arsenal. Every game and weekend that passes throws up further evidence. Arteta's ban - booked for celebrating a 97th minute winner with his team in the tiny gap between dugout and side line on Tuesday. The behaviour of both Erling Haaland and his Manager:

Which of these deserves a yellow card, and which does not?

VAR failing to award a penalty for Douglas Luiz's mistimed kick out at Jesus on Saturday evening (Crystal Palace got a very similar one via VAR that morning). Havertz's goal being chalked off by an unsighted referee - worth mentioning that Mr Gillet is a self-confessed Liverpool fan btw - when the ball hit the defender's arm before it completely inadvertently hit Havertz's hand

That is a foul anywhere else on the pitch!

And the Law is an ass!

At the very least, Arsenal are not getting the rub of the green. However I'm genuinely coming to the conclusion that it's something more than that. We'll have to do it on our own, because we're getting no help from outside forces. Least of all the referees. Other clubs are, of course... look at Liverpool's luck on Saturday, for example. Or at Romero escaping a red card on Sunday.

And finally - and this is probably not significant, but you never know... Arsenal were unlucky not to leave Villa Park with at least a point. Whereas Manchester City - admittedly without Rodri - were completely outplayed there just three days prior. Whether this means anything, I do not know. But it just might, going forward...

Anyway, time for a load of rotation on Tuesday in Eindhoven. Followed by one of our bogey fixtures; Brighton at home. A change of fortune on that one is definitely required.

COYG!