PGMOL strike again - And Ethan Excels

Arsenal 2 Liverpool 2. Firstly, I must state that from my seat in Block 17 this was an absolutely superb game of football. The best I've seen for quite a while, with two top sides battling it out. But...

...I should also add that - biased as I may be - I felt that Arsenal deserved to win (despite everything that went against them during the game), but that it's really difficult to witness the fortunes of the team I love being constantly hampered - week after week -  by playing against not only the 11 opposition players, but  also against officials who seem hell bent on perverting the course of Justice.

I'll get to my views on the officiating in a moment, but I need to say that whilst I hate suggesting that there is something funny going on, there surely is. To follow up the THREE red cards already given to Arsenal players this season with a man who is allegedly the very best referee that England has to offer performing as he did... well...

And to the team news for a start. Such a relief to hear that both Jurrien Timber and - particularly - Bukayo Saka were fit enough to take their places in the starting line-up. And which point the rest of the side picked itself, with Thomas Partey asked to cover at right back as Ben White moved across to replace the suspended Saliba. Quite how long the two of them might last, we couldn't be sure, but there was something of a sense that they'd been rushed back for this game.

In the first few minutes, Liverpool made things difficult for the home side, who couldn't get past the first line of the press. But in the 9th minute Ben White found a little bit of time and decided to go long; isolating Robertson with Saka. A foot race, which Starboy won easily, a chop back and and quick turn to finish Robertson off, and with the next touch the ball was in the back of the net. Three touches and Boom! I recall my thoughts as the ball headed over the top towards Saka. 'Go on B', I said under my breath as I sensed a big opportunity. And a second later we were on our feet. Never in doubt...

Not long after, Havertz tussled with/was assaulted by Van Dijk. I'll cover this below when I rant about the officiating, but having seen the replay I simply have no idea why the referee took no action.

Soon, Liverpool were level. Arsenal had had an earlier warning when Van Dijk flicked on a TAA free kick at the near post, and this time some clever movement from Diaz gave him the space to beat Havertz to the ball at the near post, and Van Dijk bundled the ball in from close range. Annoying; and more worryingly that this was the second week in a row that the set piece masters had been beaten at their own game. Perhaps Mr Jover needs to pay some attention to defending at set pieces over the next week or so?

However, the equaliser appeared to kick Arsenal into a gear that we frankly hadn't seen from them all season. It was as if a switch had finally been turned on, as up until half time they played their best football for months. And Liverpool responded by some Dark Arts of their own - against Dark Arts FC (I'm taking the mickey here; any suggestion of Arsenal being Dark Arts masters is shallow punditry). Diaz kicked the ball away; ignored by the referee. MacAllister spent a minute rolling around on the floor whilst Arsenal played on, and then miraculously got to his feet and started running. Liverpool challenges all around the pitch, intended to slow Arsenal down, went unpunished. 

Merino nearly scored from a beautifully weighted Rice free kick. Martinelli - who had TAA on toast all afternoon, but who couldn't deal with Konate at all - fired in a cross that neither Havertz nor Saka could quite reach. Saka curled a shot wide. And then Martinelli went down under a double challenge from TAA and Konate. It looked like at least one of the defenders had caught him - Konate went right through him - but Taylor gave nothing. Stonewall penalty, if you ask me; see my rant below... To be fair, that could all have been rendered moot had Havertz, to whom the ball broke, not knocked the ball over the bar instead of hitting the target.

MacAllister was finally booked for yet another assault on Starboy; it's the only way anyone can stop him. Martinelli shot over from a decent opportunity following a piece of skill from Merino reminiscent of Dennis Bergkamp's statue on the concourse (the great man was in attendance, by the way; greeted by rapturous applause by the faithful). Havertz failed to react to a cross that Van Dijk failed to clear, and the Dutchman cleared another away. Then it was Nunez's turn to assault Starboy. It was frantic - and Arsenal needed to take advantage of their superiority.

Which they finally did. Partey was fouled 30 yards out on the right, and yet another sublime Rice delivery was headed home powerfully by Merino. It looked tight for offside, and it took almost 5 minutes for the VAR to finally give in - despite concerted attempts to rule the goal out, I'm sure - and the goal was awarded. Still, we got to celebrate twice, I guess. And so the first half ended with Arsenal firmly on top; although we expected a reaction from Liverpool in the second half.

Early in the second half, things started to go wrong. Gabriel was pushed in the back by Nunez as they chased down a long ball, and the King of Brazil went down holding his knee. He struggled back on, but could not continue, and the makeshift look of the Arsenal defence became even more rickety as he was replaced by Kivior. 

No Saliba or Gabriel for the first time in the Premier League for over a year. A central midfielder at right back. The right centre half playing in a position he had barely played for two years. The fourth choice left centre back now on. And a half-fit Timber soldiering on at left back. Against a front line of Diaz, Nunez and Salah. Trepidation in the stands... and the team started to ease back too; what we have, we hold...

But Liverpool were now on top. And the nonsense punditry later on  about time-wasting and feigning injury was pure drivel. There's a fine line between Game Management and time-wasting; and it would appear that it's only Arsenal who ever cross it...

And so Raya was booked as early as the 66th minute. Taylor couldn't wait to do it. Soon after, Timber went down with what was hopefully only cramp (remember, he has barely trained for two weeks) and finally had to leave the field. To my eyes, he'd done a marvellous job at keeping Salah quiet, but it was now the turn of teenager Miles Lewis-Skelly. Partey, White, Kivior, MLS - could they possibly hold on? And was the choice of MLS over Zinchenko the right one? We'll never know, I guess, but I do have bad memories of the Salah/Zinchenko match-up from previous encounters. At that point Liverpool's triple substitution was already having an effect on the other side of the pitch.

And the answer was No. MLS fed Martinelli, who  naively ran into the man mountain Konate for the umpteenth time. In the blink of an eye, TAA sent a missile over the retreating left hand side of Arsenal's defence (both of whom who had been caught slightly ahead of safety by the speed of the pass). Nunez beat MLS t the ball, and Salah criss-crossed with him in front of the struggling Kivior to crack home the equaliser. To be frank, a superb goal, but could Arsenal (particularly Martinelli) have done better?

85 minutes gone, and finally the ineffective Martinelli (who'd spent the second half running down blind alleys when he wasn't supporting Timber) and the exhausted Saka were replaced by Jesus and - at last! - Ethan Nwaneri. The latter had little time to impose himself, but Jesus had two difficult half-chances (the guy was desperate for a goal!). 

Yet the excitement wasn't over. And nor was the influence of Anthony Taylor. A bouncing ball was won cleanly by Kivior as he jumped over the top of a static Szoboszlai. The ball broke to Havertz, whose shoulder deflected the ball over Konate and, as he prepared to lob Kelleher, Taylor blew his whistle. Literally. At the very second that he realised that Arsenal might score. Forget the instruction to allow these moments to play out; he blew the play dead, long before the ball hit the back of the net. No chance of it going to VAR... and people want to know why Arsenal supporters think that there's something dodgy going on. 

And as if that wasn't enough he failed to give an obvious corner in the final minute of extra time.

Before I complete my rant, a few thoughts on how the players performed:

• Partey - sensational at right back. Dealt with Diaz really well. Man of the Match. He is having a remarkable season
• White - super reliable as usual
• Gabriel - noticeable by his absence when he went off. Say no more
• Kivior - not up to the level, unfortunately. Found out at a crucial moment
• Timber - a beast! Dealt with Salah superbly. He can do it all; and bearing in mind his lack of fitness that was an immense performance
• MLS - he's young. He is therefore forgiven for any transgressions
• Rice - his best game of the season so far
• Merino - apart from one horrible moment in the first half, extremely solid
• Trossard - decent
• Havertz - everywhere as usual. Really needs to brush up his finishing!
• Saka - excellent first half. Faded as the game went on due to lack of fitness
• Martinelli - must improve his decision-making and final ball. His growth is stagnating, and if it wasn't for his defensive work he'd find himself out of the team
• Nwaneri - not on long enough to rate, tbh
• Jesus - did enough in the short time he was on to suggest that he's on his way back

And now for more of the promised rant about Anthony Taylor - and PGMOL:

I have a mate who was a Sunday League referee for the best part of 30 years, and who advised me just after the game ended yesterday that 'overall, Anthony Taylor had a good game and there was nothing in the slightest bit controversial'. I should add at this point that he is also a Liverpool supporter... 

But personally, I - and those around me - thought that Taylor had a shocker. 

There was the Van Dijk assault on Havertz.   https://x.com/Mo_Arsenal9/status/1850831280125993083 (apologies for the Arabic commentary)

Constant fouling by MacAllister and particularly Diaz (who also showed petulance and threw the ball into the ground at one point, and at another point kicked the ball away a good 10 yards from the scene of a free kick). Nunez? - all elbows; pushed Gabriel in the back early in the second half, leading to the latter's knee injury. Salah had one nastily-timed push in Timber's back while he was in the air. Little or nothing given.

The penalty incident. https://x.com/EminentGooner/status/1850627194524983749 

Blowing up for a foul after almost every Arsenal tackle in the second half - a guy behind me shouted out: 'That's it. Keep giving them everything... until they equalise!' 

And then the icing on the cake of blowing up in the 90th minute when he could see that Arsenal were about to score the wining goal. https://x.com/EGTVEgal/status/1850643031479013399

This guy and Michael Oliver (architect of an even bigger farce than any of the above earlier in the day at West Ham) are supposed to be the best we've got in England. So what the hell is going on? 

Yes, I know that it's ludicrous to suggest that there's an anti-Arsenal agenda - and I'm sure that every club can do the same (with the exception of Manchester City, of course) - but these first 9 games have taken things to a new level of... well, let's call it incompetence, shall we? In the circumstances, it's remarkable that Arsenal are so close to the top of the table, and these were the first points they've dropped this season whilst keeping 11 men on the pitch.

Anyway, we move on. To yet another Week From Hell, but preceded by a trip to Preston. At which Ethan Nwaneri announced himself (again) with a sublime goal; all in a performance in which Arsenal completely outclassed their Championship opposition. Into the quarter finals, and with City going out - although it's always a shame to see Tottenham fans happy, this may be an opportunity for Arsenal to win their first League Cup since 1993.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqp1ojx1DQU

The Week From Hell starts at Newcastle on Saturday morning. And we owe them one after last year's biggest slice of injustice. 

They're not in fantastic form, but it's a difficult place to go. Depending on players' fitness, I'd be tempted to give young Nwaneri a start. Give Martinelli the day off, move Trossard out to the left wing, and play the boy at right 8. Which would also give Havertz the opportunity to play more centrally than he has been able to do in the continuing absence of Odegaard.

Anyway, we'll see. COYG!

Trossard’s Trying Week - And Time To Show Some ‘Smarts’

It has been a difficult week for Arsenal on several fronts. A chastening defeat at Bournemouth. A struggle to get over the line against Shakhtar. Wracked by injuries; and additionally by a key suspension. Luckily, we’ve got an easy game coming up!

Liverpool preview to follow lower down the page. But I first want to discuss the latest two results/performances. Then the raft of injuries - which is in complete contrast to last season’s plain sailing. The individual errors that continue to both plague and cost the team. Arteta’s conservative team selections. And then finally whether Arsenal are being refereed differently to other teams.

Bournemouth away. Not a venue where Arsenal have traditionally suffered. But with no Odegaard, no Saka and no Timber the team looked out of kilter from the very start. The midfield that Arteta selected was - how can I express it - ‘functional’ - Partey, Rice, Merino does lack flair, but it was clear that the Manager wanted solidity. 

I was disappointed not to see Ethan Nwaneri given the opportunity to start a game. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough; but it does seem that Arteta - hopefully not repeating the type of mistakes of 2020 that led to a run of 7 successive defeats (a sequence that very nearly cost him his job) until he finally had no choice but to pitch ESR into the side - prefers to select his teams in a hierarchical manner. More experienced players first… and I don’t like that.

The first of Trossard’s two major errors of the week occurred when he attempted an ambitious, but ultimately dangerous, first time lofted cross field pass from the wing to Saliba. The pass lacked any form of control and the normally unflappable defender, caught on the wrong side of Evanilson (who was technically standing in an offside position; although not, obviously, if he received the ball from an opponent - I do understand the Laws!), panicked and brought him down. Two individual errors in the space of three seconds;... and the yellow card came out. Which was perhaps understandable - after all, the incident took place fully 45 yards from goal, the forward wouldn’t have found it easy to get the bouncing ball under control, and Ben White was technically on the cover; although a fair distance away.

I instinctively felt that we’d got away with it when the yellow card appeared, as it could easily have been red, but what transpired over the next couple of minutes angered me greatly. Jared Gillett, the (Liverpool supporting) VAR, decided that the incident needed further consideration. Of course he did; Arsenal play Liverpool next. And, despite the brandishing of the yellow card not being a ‘clear and obvious error’, decided to re-referee the incident. And we all know what that means. Yellow upgraded to Red. And with this image popping up on our television screens just beforehand... again, I reiterate, I'm not one for conspiracy theories…

The frustration of that decision was not only felt during the game itself, but also the next day when in a virtually identical incident Tosin of Chelsea was given a yellow card for a carbon copy foul (probably a worse one, in fact), in almost exactly the same place on the field.

The Arsenal fans started a new song at that point; showing a macabre sense of humour: '10 men again Ole Ole'. And Arteta reacted to the loss of Saliba by bringing on Kivior - the last fit centre half - for the largely ineffective Sterling (now there’s a guy struggling to find his feet in the side), and things stabilised for a while until a minute’s play that formed a microcosm of the game, and of how a side can get punished. First Martinelli, released by Merino and through on goal, failed to make the most of his opportunity and shot directly at Kepa the keeper. From there, Bournemouth made their way up field and won a corner from which Christie lashed home a half volley that I defy him to manage to do ever again. Nice routine - one that Nicolas Jover would be proud of - but distinctly unsatisfactory and frustrating from an Arsenal point of view.

At which point I sensed that it was going to be a long evening. And so it proved as Arsenal - lacking in creative quality - struggled to produce a worthwhile opportunity. The game was crying out for the introduction of Nwaneri, and perhaps on reflection dropping Rice back into central defence to allow that to happen may have been a viable alternative (thank you, Captain Hindsight). 

Arsenal created little from then on as the 10 men were largely pinned back (not Man City style, but difficult). And then followed a further individual error, as Kivior’s under hit back pass under pressure from Evanilson led to Raya giving away a penalty. 2-0, and 'that was all she wrote'. Too late to bring on Nwaneri then, Mikel… and, irrespective of the rights and wrongs of the Saliba incident, Arsenal got all that they deserved from the match.Nothing.

So that was that. A first defeat of the season, followed by the usual media - and fan - pile on. Arsenal’s first defeat since February, and the reaction was ridiculous. The thing is this; it’s so rare for Arsenal to lose a game that it becomes big news. If you’re a supporter of Man United or Tottenham, it happens almost every other week. But an Arsenal defeat is News. And no; it’s not terminal from a ‘title-winning chances’ point of view. But you wouldn’t know it from the press they got.

On Tuesday, Arsenal had the opportunity to change the mood with the visit of Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. Not the most challenging of opposition in Champions League terms, so perhaps an opportunity for Arteta to finally start Nwaneri. 

But not a bit of it. Same midfield as before; and that lack of creativity was quite evident as they struggled to a 1-0 win. Gabriel Martinelli was the difference-maker; he had the Shakhtar right back on toast in the first half, and it was his shot that - amusingly - deflected off the post and then the keeper’s backside for the only goal of the game. 

And as the game wore on and the opposition were quite clearly seen not to be the pushovers we’d hoped, things got rather tense. Especially when Trossard heaped further pressure on his team-mates with his limp effort from the penalty spot following a VAR-awarded penalty. Finished off his week, did that. It's not been a good week for the Belgian, and he perhaps needs to start on the bench for a game or two now, but he has plenty of credit in the Bank. Although, if he'd have allowed Havertz to take it, the German may have set a new record for scoring in successive matches at the stadium…

Arsenal held on, though, but at a further cost; Riccardo Califiori limping off with a knee injury to further exacerbate the defensive crisis. And to dismay my wife, I must add!

Goodness knows what the Manager is going to do with the meagre defensive resources that remain. No Saliba; very likely no Califiori; doubts over Timber; Zinchenko half fit; no Tomiyasu (injured following a comeback that lasted a full 6 minutes). What a mess. And with Odegaard definitely still out, and Saka’s fitness a matter of guesswork, squad depth (such as it is) is going to be sorely tested against an almost full-strength Liverpool. For those of a certain age, you can almost hear Captain Edmund Blackadder pronounce that: 'This is a crisis. A large crisis. In fact, if you've got a moment, it's a twelve-storey crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour porterage and an enormous sign on the roof saying This Is A Large Crisis'

Before I get to the Liverpool game, I’m going to have another go at examining how Arsenal are being refereed this season. And it’s been harsh, to say the least. The standards against which Arsenal ‘transgressions’ are being judged do seem to be at a considerably higher bar than other clubs are getting away with. The Rice red card; letter of the Law, but harsh. Trossard’s exactly the same. Both costly in terms of dropped points. Other clubs being seen to be treated more leniently. Same issue for Saliba; on balance probably a Red; but once the Yellow had been shown… and we saw the contrast to the Chelsea one the very next day. 7 points gone… and that’s a lot in the context of the oppositions' pace at the top of the table. As regards the next match; one defeat is careless, but two would be a disaster.

And so to Liverpool. Who knows who may or may not be fit, but if it’s all bad news I can see Arsenal lining up as follows:

Raya, Partey, White, Gabriel, Kivior, Jorginho (surely needed this week), Rice, Merino, Jesus, Havertz, Martinelli. 

And that’s not going to strike fear into the opposition. Partey up against Diaz. And - worse - Kivior versus Mo Salah. Close your eyes… If the Manager wanted to be brave, he could chuck in Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly. But if Bournemouth and Shakhtar weren't deemed the right games to do that, what are the chances of that in this one?

It hardly feels right to be typing that I’ll take a draw now. Because we really have to beat them. I just can’t see how - unless Arteta has a pleasant surprise or two for us on the injury front. Come on, Bukayo!

Let’s wait. And hope. And if you’re going to the game make plenty of noise! COYG!

Just before I go, I'd like to wish Arsene Wenger a very happy birthday for earlier this week. No matter the rights and wrongs of how long he stayed at the helm of the club, he gave me some of my most enjoyable moments as an Arsenal supporter. Who can deny that? Bonne anniversaire, Chef.

Back soon...

The Cavalry Ride To Arteta’s Rescue

To rotate or not to rotate? That is the question? Although if there ever was going to be an opportunity to do so, then Southampton at home ought to have been it. And so Arteta twisted instead of sticking (one cannot expect him to select essentially the same XI 55+ times in a season); but I sensed pre-game that perhaps he had overdone it with three personnel changes, plus one positional.

And so it proved to be. Despite collecting full backs as if he’s expecting a world shortage, injuries forced the manager to drop Thomas Partey in to right back with both White and Timber unfit, Tomiyasu barely back training, and young Josh Nichols deemed not ready for the Premier League despite a promising runout against Bolton. Califiori was the natural choice at left back; he'd looked somewhat uncomfortable and unfamiliar at right back in the latter stages of the PSG game - to my eyes, anyway - and so Kivior stayed on the bench.

Whether Arteta needed to play Rice and Jorginho as a ‘double pivot’ is open to debate - it would have been nice to see Nwaneri get a Premier League start - but it was further forward, with Jesus and Sterling coming in to the side in place of Trossard and Martinelli, where Arsenal struggled for cohesion. Saka always plays, of course…

It has been interesting to see how Arteta has compensated for the loss of Martin Odegaard by asking Havertz to play more on the right (he's everywhere; popping up wherever he needs to be to be honest), and I've been fascinated to see him often appear on Starboy's outside on occasion as 'B' picks up the ball and drives inside. The downside, of course, is the loss of the German's presence in the penalty area on those occasions, but Trossard and Martinelli have been making up for that.

But with Jesus and Sterling in there instead, the balance on the left hand side changed on Saturday. And took some getting used to, as Arsenal essentially lacked cohesion. I thought that Sterling did ok, without looking anything like the player he used to be, and we have to hope that after the mauling his confidence took at the Cobham Madhouse he can regain some of that form. He's an entirely different player to Martinelli, and Arteta will surely have a plan to play to his strengths as the season goes on. Jesus, for the most part, looked like a man who has forgotten how to play. He hasn't been the same player since he picked up a knee injury at the last World Cup, and as a result has struggled for fitness and then form; and now he's fit it's clear that he has lost his place to Havertz - Arsenal's undisputed Number 9. 

As Arsenal's style of play has become more and more structured (and yes; there’s loads of fluidity within that!), it has felt to me that there isn't a place in the side for somebody like Jesus, who lacks positional discipline. Sure, opponents don't know where he may pop up next; but I suspect that often his team-mates don't either! 

Arsenal started the game very quickly, as one would expect, and despite the personnel changes looked likely to overwhelm Southampton. But, frustratingly, and much like the previous week, the breakthrough goal did not come. And as the half wore on it felt that players and fans alike both felt that it was only a matter of time before it did, but there were few clear cut chances despite Arsenal's control. There wasn't a huge amount for the returning Aaron Ramsdale to do as last ditch blocks and interceptions meant that the ball wasn't getting through to goal, and the crowd was quiet. Both Jesus and Sterling had chances, but Arsenal looked disjointed, despite retaining control. 

There was a moment when Arsenal won the ball back after a rare Southampton foray into the penalty area when Sterling, had he been more alert, could have created separation from his marker and given Raya a chance to find him in acres of space, but he could not, or would not, put on the afterburners in the way that I suspect that Martinelli would have done. As for Jesus, he really needs a goal or some sort of goal involvement. He looks a little bit lost, and devoid of confidence. There were one or two flashes, to be fair, but he didn't do enough in the hour or so he spent on the field.

Southampton's attack is quite powder puff, frankly, and the busy Cameron Archer (relegated with Sheffield United last season) looked their main threat - along with young right winger Dibling. Indeed, Dibling caused Califiori one or two problems as the game wore on; the Italian looks tremendous going forward, but does appear to lack a little pace when forced back towards his own goal - an upgrade on Zinchenko in many ways, but with similar defensive issues. It does feel strange to me that despite accumulating defenders as if they're going out of fashion, so many of them (Saliba and Gabriel being the exceptions) are 'hybrids' - not a traditional full back in sight. Still, we have to assume that Arteta knows what he's doing.

It was Archer who, completely against the run of play, gave Southampton the lead 10 minutes into the second half. Sterling lost the ball in the Southampton half, and one ball over the top and one twisting run later the ball was nestling in the far corner of Raya's net. That certainly wasn't in the script!

But it was almost as if a switch went off for Arsenal at that point. The level of intensity rose, and they were level within three minutes. Saka intercepted in the Southampton half and played an instant pass to Havertz - who had immediately got on the run - one touch to set the ball, and a clinical finish from 17 yards, off the far post, gave Ramsdale no chance whatsoever.

At that point, Arteta had already been planning changes. In the aftermath of the equaliser, three took place. Martinelli, Trossard and Merino on for Sterling, Jesus and Jorginho (I had already called these exact changes; although I was once again disappointed not to see Nwaneri out there). At that point the intensity went up several notches - it really shouldn't be like that - as Martinelli and Trossard began to put the Saints defence under extra pressure. And from then it was only a matter of time before Arsenal took the lead.

And so it came to pass that Arsenal quickly went ahead; with a goal we've seen before. Saka driving in from the right, defenders lured into crowded areas in front of goal, and Martinelli totally unmarked at the back post to volley Starboy's inch perfect cross home past a bewildered Ramsdale. Glorious. There was a VAR check - and Merino was marginally offside but not deemed to be interfering with play - and following a three minute check the goal was finally awarded. Double celebrations... the second set tinged with relief!

Arsenal pressed for more, but Southampton - and in particular young Dibling, who looks to have a bright future - showed a bit more on the break. The youngster's shot had Raya at full stretch, and from the resulting corner Raya flapped, and the ball cannoned off a Saints player onto the crossbar. Nervy times, and the game not feeling quite settled; until Trossard broke forward, then lost the ball in the penalty area. Sugawara looked to clear the ball, but hadn't noticed Saka coming in from the right and a neat side foot right foot finish made the points safe at 3-1.

Saka's 49th Premier League goal, and his stats over the last two home games have been spectacular. 7 shots and 8 chances created versus Leicester, and 7 plus 7 in this one. Two assists and a goal in this game - thus justifying my decision to captain him in Fantasy Premier League! Additionally, by the way, his assist for Havertz meant that this was the seventh successive home game in which the German had scored. £60 million down the drain? I don't think so! Waka waka! And finally on the statisitics front; this was Arsenal's 400th Premier League home win. only Manchester United (almost entirely down to Sir Alex Ferguson) have more.

And so that was that. But Arsenal are by no means at their best yet this season. Especially at home. It's interesting to see how much more switched on defensively they are away from home, and the concern for Arteta and all of us is that there may come a time when instead of conceding early in the second half, they concede late on and simply don't have time to put things right. These past two weeks they've had plenty of time, and they're done what needed to be done, but they must tighten up. The cavalry came to the rescue; but another time they might not have time to do so.

One big issue for Arteta is how to handle his squad. As I've said, there were perhaps too many line-up changes in this one, but he has to be able to handle his 'alternates', and to expect them to contribute a bit more than they did here. Arsenal don't have the depth that Manchester City have, which increases the pressure. 

Talking of Manchester City, it's going to take some time to understand the implications of the Associsated Party Transactions ruling just made. And despite them claiming some sort of victory, I reckon that it's a pyrrhic one. Whilst the Premier League have lost out regarding some details, I believe that on the whole its more of a win for the PL than for City. And this, of course, is just a small part of what City are having to fight. With 30 charges relating to 'failure to cooperate', they do appear to be in quite a bit of trouble. But I'd rather win the league this year irrespective of points deductions, please...

Just a quick mention of Tottenham here. Banter Club extrordinaire. Comedy value 10/10. Nobody has blown more two goal leads than Tottenham Hotspur in the history of the Premier League. That's 10 times now - three more than any other club. The very definition of Spursy. Special thanks to ex-Gunner Danny Welbeck for sticking the final knife in. Long may the Spursiness continue; everywhere they go.

And so to another Interlull. How I hate them. So now we'll be checking how Ghana are getting on, and what time Brazil are playing. Ridiculous. Still, I guess that these two weeks are going to take Odegaard two weeks closer to fitness, and we may be getting close to seeing the Rice, Merino, Odegaard midfield that we've been craving.

Here's to an uneventful fortnight. COYG!

 

Trossard Again Ole Ole!

A curate’s egg of a match. Full of crazy statistics and ‘sliding doors’ moments, but ultimately revolving around the physical and mental effort that Arsenal put in (or failed to at times) at various stages. In the end, the score line makes it look like a comfortable win for Arsenal, but for a lot of the second half it was anything but. And for that…for me; blame the players for switching off at half time, thinking that they could coast through the rest of the game. 

Arsenal were on top for pretty much the entire first half, and deservedly went in two goals ahead. But, for all that, there were moments of concern. Jamie Vardy, bane of our lives for several years in the not too distant past, is still quick and tricky enough to cause even the best of defenders problems, and managed to upset even the almost unrufflable Saliba on occasion. 

If you go back to how the move for Arsenal’s first goal started, Saliba clearly held Vardy back in order for Calafiori to win the ball and start the move. Fortunately, it is clear that the VAR check didn’t go back that far. Vardy was even booked for complaining about it. 

In truth, the first half was pretty much all Arsenal, and the scoreboard was given a more realistic feel in first half injury time when Trossard turned in Martinelli’s cross to make it 2-0. This followed the earlier finish from Martinelli, from Timber’s low cross, which will hopefully help to kick-start the young Brazilian’s season. It all pointed to a pretty routine home win - easy, even - but Arsenal came out for the second half apparently believing that - and playing like - the match was as good as over; whereas Leicester had certainly not given up.

Within 5 minutes of the second half starting, Arsenal had given up half of their advantage, and also had two men booked. Vardy’s sharp movement finally got Saliba a yellow card in the very first minute of the half, and Arsenal conceded from the resulting free kick as Justin’s header was inadvertently deflected by Havertz, wrong-footing David Raya and giving him little chance. It didn’t feel quite as rosy at that point, and the home team were finding it difficult to break out of their half-time lethargy. For me, there were flashbacks to occasions when Arsenal sides of the past 20 years or so had blown opportunities to take advantage of rivals’ slip ups; due to their collective mental weakness.

Indeed at 2-2 - Justin’s second goal a finish of great quality and one I doubt he'd ever hit as cleanly again - it all felt a little rocky. The Leicester fans were making a lot of noise, and the Arsenal crowd were shocked into silence. As, for a while, were the team. 

But for the last 20 minutes, as Arsenal became more and more frantic in their search for a winner, the game was back to being one-way as they pummelled Leicester again and again, with only goalkeeper Hermansen preventing the raising of a cricket score. The lethargy of the previous 20 minutes or so was replaced by an onslaught, with the keeper saving the away side again and again. Saves from Havertz and Trossard, in particular, were exceptional. 

Raheem Sterling replaced Martinelli, with his neat footwork causing the Leicester defence a different set of problems, but the introduction of Ethan Nwaneri on the other side of the pitch was far more notable. With his very first involvement, he beat three men and forced Hermansen into a full-length save. I’ve been telling people to watch out for the boy for a few weeks now - that Match Of The Day should devote a section to him at the end of their coverage of the game would suggest that we’re all on the right track with him. I wouldn’t start him in midweek, but Saturday looks like an ideal opportunity to let him loose on another promoted team in Southampton.

At the other end of the field Calafiori was fortunate not to be the third Arsenal player sent off this season as, having been carded earlier, he tripped Buonanotte. The referee instead chose to book the Leicester player for waving an imaginary card at him! I must admit that nobody around me noticed much of that at the time; but having seen it back on the television the Italian can count himself very fortunate indeed!

As the game moved into injury time, things were looking bleak as the spectre of points dropped to a considerably inferior team grew. But, finally, a corner routine paid off. Leicester had been presenting a different problem to Arsenal from corners compared to the previous two weeks, and so Jover had been instead looking to free a man up beyond the far post with many of the routines. And it finally paid off as Saka’s delivery eluded all but Leandro Trossard in that very spot. His side foot volley back into an incredibly crowded six yard box led to the unfortunate Ndidi deflecting the ball past Hermansen off the inside of a thigh. Cue massive relief all round.

Kai Havertz put the icing on the cake very late on - the linesman’s flag being overruled by the VAR - and so in the end the points were comfortably secured. But despite Arsenal having by far the better of the game statistically - 75% possession, 656 passes, 36 shots (in the top 10 of all Premier League matches), 17 on target in total, 63 clearances by Leicester players and 17 corners to 0 - there was a good portion of the game when the home side’s physical and mental effort could be questioned. And if I were Arteta that’s just what I would be doing. You simply can’t let up. And that’s precisely why - despite those extraordinary statistics, the teams were level going into extra time.

Anyway, hopefully that’s a lesson learned, and we have two more home games this week. First the enticing thought of PSG (regrettably Mbappe-less, of course) and then Southampton (with Aaron Ramsdale in goal) on Saturday. With Manchester City still trying to work out how to replace the injured Rodri, Arsenal must continue to take advantage. 

COYG!

The Great Siege Of Manchester

2-2 doesn't tell the whole story, does it? So much to discuss. So much to unpack. So much to be proud of. So much to be angry about. So let's just crack on. 

The whole world was watching, so I won't go into too much detail about the game; except in the context of the points I have to make. And I don't really know where to start! But let's have a go:

Firstly, City had to step up to top gear to get anything from Arsenal. Which they don't often need to do. They started very quickly, and it's difficult to do anything but admire Haaland's goal; scored so early, and so brilliantly, especially as Arsenal hadn't at that point quite got to grips with the way Pep had set his team out. The goal had everything to do with how Pep's tactics exploited the space between Arsenal's centre backs and full backs by using the full width of the pitch, thus allowing the twin Number 10s to get closer to Arsenal's defence than was comfortable. For the goal, the movement of Gundogan and Savinho (plus the latter's exquisite pass) freed Haaland in acres of space. After that, the timing of the run, the first touch and the finish were quite magnificent. Neither Saliba nor Raya had any chance.

But Haaland, for all his undoubted footballing prowess, is a nasty piece of work. When things got tight towards the end he had no compunction with throwing his weight around - illegally - as well as resorting to taunts and abuse. There was the ball-throwing incident in the aftermath of the equaliser. The shoulder charge on Gabriel. A 'Who the f*ck are you?' to Miles Lewis-Skelly. And the supposed 'banter' with Arteta and Arsenal players at the end of the game. 'Stay humble, eh', he had the audacity to tell the opposing manager... Classless.     

Talking of throwing one's weight around, I should now mention my complete lack of sympathy for Rodri. In the first few seconds, he deliberately blocked off Havertz; and then did his best to get the German into trouble. Later on, his attempt to block Partey off at a corner, trying to win a penalty off of it, in fact - led to a self-inflicted injury - possibly even an ACL tear. Here is yet another world-class City player, used to bullying the opposition, rotational fouling and generally getting his own way at all times, who received his comeuppance. Karma. As my much-missed dad was wont to say: 'I hope it's nothing trivial.' 

City will certainly miss Rodri while he's out injured; 8 months should cover it, please... City simply never lose when Rodri is in the team. Let's see how they cope.

It was Rodri who questioned Arsenal's 'ambition' in an interview last season. In the aftermath of this match, John Stones and - especially - Bernardo Silva did the same. They are rattled; and it's only the mutual respect between Pep and Mikel that stops this from bubbling over into something very unpleasant. The return game, in February, will be a doozy!

And so to Arsenal's two goals, which turned the match on its head. 

There's lots to pick out with the equaliser. 

1. Where the initial foul occurred, compared to where the free kick was taken from. No biggie, frankly.

2. The fact that following the whistle for the foul Bernardo Silva carried the ball 15 yards away - was that a yellow card offence? 

3. Michael Oliver calling the captain's together to try to calm the game down, and then allegedly allowing Arsenal to restart before Walker was back in position (red herring; he WAS back in position). 

4. Gabriel Martinelli - was his assist the lighting of the blue touch paper for his season? 

And 5. What a finish from Riccardo Califiori! Reminiscent of Saliba's sublime effort against Bournemouth in its execution, but with the stakes so much higher here. What a way to announce yourself onto the scene!

And to see the City players whinge, and Pep lash out at his own chair - magical...

For the go-ahead goal... well, we shouldn't be surprised any more, should we? City had had a warning just a few moments before, and despite changing the marker on Gabriel it was so well-worked that it was frankly inevitable. Stick it on a loop; clever blocking-off in the 6-yard area; runs from back to front; Saka's delivery on a sixpence; and Gabriel thumping the ball into the roof of the net. Rinse and repeat. The only difference between this week and last was the colour of the shirts.

And then... and haven't we been here before? Haven't Arsenal - and only Arsenal - been here before. Of all the incidences of kicking the ball away so far this season, which team have been most severely punished; by, say, the awarding of second yellow cards?  

Trossard had already been booked for a shirt pull; and quite rightly. He then barged into Bernardo Silva, and as the ball ran loose - and Oliver's whistle blew - booted the ball into the path of Gabriel Martinelli, who was in tons of space. All within a second of the whistle sounding; and reminiscent once more of Robin Van Persie's sending off in Barcelona all those years ago. As with Declan Rice against Brighton, by the letter of the Law it's a bookable offence (whether it ought to be is another matter entirely), and thus by the letter of the Law he had to go. But...

We had the earlier incident with Bernardo Silva that I referenced above. And another involving Doku. No action taken. And I should mention an incident the previous week involving Dominik Szloboszlai of Liverpool, who did something remarkably similar, but more blatantly, and was not punished for it. The referee that day? Michael Oliver. 

This is the same Michael Oliver who decided not to send Matteo Kovacic off at The Emirates last season for two vicious tackles from behind (on Rice and Odegaard) because - and I quote Howard Webb here - 'Michael doesn't like to have a negative impact in a big game'. With it being an Arsenal player, he couldn't get the cards out quick enough!

Regular readers of this blog will know that I don't go in for conspiracy theories... I'd really prefer to regard all referees as suffering from various stages of incompetence. But here are a few facts about Michael Oliver and his relationship with Abu Dhabi.

1. He was paid £20,000 in 2023 to go out to the UAE to referee a match in a tournament sponsored by The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company - owned by the owner of Manchester City. Accompanied, by the way, by both of yesterday's linesmen.

2. Subsequently, he failed to punish Kovacic (as mentioned above). He also failed to penalise Jeremy Doku for a chest high assault on Liverpool's Alexis MacAllister towards the end of last season, that would have meant a late - and in my eyes stone bonk certain - penalty to Liverpool. He also failed to award Chelsea a penalty for a pretty clear handball by Jack Grealish in last year's FA Cup semi final.

3. It's probably mere coincidence, but the Manchester City Director of Football is Ferran Soriano. I am pretty sure that he was Director of Football at Barcelona - who of course were found guilty of bribing referees - when RVP got his marching orders. Pure coincidence, of course...

As I say, no conspiracy theory. But even if there's no skullduggery going on - and the game would be finished if it were - there's surely some unconscious bias affecting the man's judgement? I'll leave it at that. And I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

What it did mean, of course, was that the second half was virtually unwatchable as a spectacle. The biggest game in the biggest competition on world football ruined by the decision to send Trossard off. As Mikel Arteta described it: Michael Oliver's decision 'forces you to play a game that nobody wanted to watch'. Nailed it. Nobody wants to watch 50 minutes of attack vs defence.

And it was, inevitably, a siege. It's difficult enough to play against that lot with 11 vs 11, let alone a man down. Arsenal had very little choice but to go ultra-defensive and try to hold on to their lead. Perhaps they could have attempted to have an outlet, but it's difficult when the opposition are suffocating you. Ben White, despite nursing an injury, replaced Saka and Arsenal went 5-4-0, which soon became 6-3-0. And they hung on, And hung on. City could do very little more than take pot shots from outside the penalty area, as space was at such a premium. David Raya made save after save. Saliba and Gabriel organised and organised. Thomas Partey, contrary to all expectations as he played his third game in a week, was magnificent in his shielding work. Arsenal tried delaying tactics; everything they knew.  

And it almost paid off. It was only in the 8th minute of 7 added that City finally equalised. Arsenal legs had finally gone, as they reached the last throes of the third of three intense away games in a week (City had had three home matches, and a day more to prepare for this match). A short corner had defenders on heels, City worked it around for the umpteenth time, and following some pinball the ball reached an unmarked John Stones 10 yards out. 2-2... cue home delirium, and Haaland's disgraceful behaviour. Who's celebrating a draw now, Rodri?

So near, and yet so far. An Arsenal win would have been seismic for the Premier League. And yet... I am sure that we're all supremely proud of the effort put in by the players. And what this illustrates yet again is that the gap is continuing to close. The reason that City are trash-talking is that they are extremely concerned. Arsenal are becoming elite; they just need the trophies to show for it. We cannot doubt their 'cojones', nor their quality. 

If only we could get through a game, or a series of games, without any controversy. Arsenal have the 11 points I predicted were the minimum they needed after this stretch of games. But it could so easily have been 15. And for a little while now it does get easier. We're right in this, I suspect that we'll stay right in it, and there's still the matter of  the 115 charges... 

This is Arsenal's year. I can feel it. COYG!

Angel Gabriel

Bragging rights remain ‘as you were’, and Arsenal stay in touch with Manchester City prior to next Sunday's massive encounter at The Etihad, as the away team - badly depleted in midfield due to injury and (ludicrous) suspension - comfortably saw off a disappointing Tottenham side at The New Toilet Bowl.

Interestingly, the feeling I was getting pre-game from Spurs fans of my acquaintance on social media was that despite Arsenal's perceived midfield weaknesses, and it perhaps being their best chance to win a NLD in a few years now, that they still didn't expect to do so. Whilst from what I've seen and heard from all but the biggest cry-babies in our fanbase about the squad being too small, the transfer window having been mismanaged and Edu Out, the sensible amongst us merely looked beyond what Arsenal didn't have available to what they did have, and tried to work out how Arteta would solve the conundrum without throwing their toys out of the window.

I listened to a few podcasts prior to the game, and read what others were suggesting on X etc, but as it turned out I managed to predict the starting XI exactly. I was fortunate enough to spend last week in New York (a break sensibly organised to coincide with the Interlull), and my wife and I had a very pleasant Thursday lunch in the company of Matt Kandela - @mattkandela on X -  from the excellent The Arsenal Opinion podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@TheArsenalOpinion - where we discussed all things Arsenal; and the chat went on so long that we were comfortably the last people out of the restaurant! 

Matt will vouch that I got the XI spot on; when I gave the following reasoning: Arteta doesn't like to put square pegs in round holes, so  he'd make as few positional changes as he could get away with. So he'd go with a 'double pivot' - necessitated by the qualities of the two midfield veterans who were available - and that he'd play Saka and Havertz in their best positions and use Martinelli's pace in order to try to exploit Tottenham's high line. Which would leave Trossard to play in the hole behind Havertz (although they would interchange). As for Ethan Nwaneri; his time will come - and perhaps would have come if this had been the likes of Leicester or Southampton at home - but there was no way that Arteta was going to start him in a game of this enormity if he hadn't made an appearance when the team were 2-0 up to Wolves or Aston Villa earlier in the season. Jesus and Sterling to come off the bench as and when needed. There you go...

It was no surprise to see Tottenham start strongly, and for the first 15 minutes or so Arsenal did struggle to get a grip on the game as they were somewhat penned back - as they were at other times during the game; Declan Rice was badly missed, with Partey and the rusty Jorginho struggling to make up the ground early on. At the same time, the returning Solanke did manage to give Saliba one or two early moments of concern before he faded in the second half (the latter booked - as only Arsenal players are these days on the basis of 'letter of the Law' - for delaying a restart after pulling back on the centre forward's shirt). But Arsenal were far more penetrative, even with the limited possession they were afforded, and soon began to get to grips with what Spurs were trying to do.

True, Raya made a couple of decent early saves - the type of save you'd expect him to make, frankly - and was dominant on crosses (are you watching Vicario?) throughout. And the wind began to fall out of Spurs' sails as early as the 15th minute. Some may argue that it was 'attack vs defence', but for me it was a team desperate to score - but not sure how to - against a team who were utterly confident in their ability to defend. 

With the double pivot doing a more than adequate job - for all that Spurs picked on Jorginho whenever he was in possession - the back 4 looked as solid as ever. Difficult to single any of them out, with Timber contributing as well down the left as White did on the right, and with Saliba and Gabriel finally pocketing Solanke. I tell you what it reminded me of; a boxer egging his opponent onto him and force him to use up loads of physical and mental energy; only to strike back when the moment was right. Something Mohammed Ali was rather good at.

At the other end Martinelli seems to have started to re-find some of his mojo - although he clearly has some way to go - and he certainly had the measure of Porro. His decision-making nonetheless appears to display a lack of conviction; none more so when he skinned the full back in the 19th minute and shot tamely almost straight at Vicario when a quick glance up would have indicated that Bukayo Saka was extremely well placed on the other side of the penalty area. The Brazilian needs to make a telling contribution - a goal or an assist - and then hopefully the gloves will come off. In the meantime, there is plenty of competition for the left-wing spot.

Alongside Martinelli, Havertz did a really good job; working hard, popping up wherever needed and occupying Romero and Van De Ven. And Saka, whilst never reaching the heights of which we know he is capable, was highly effective; as much in defence as attack, as he was conspicuous on a number of occasions in covering the lung-bursting forward runs of Udogie.

Of course, no NLD is likely to pass without a 'handbag' like flare-up. And so it came to pass in the 34th minute that Porro screamed in apparent pain - thereby getting Timber booked for what barely looked like even a foul - and causing one of those pathetic melees that leave you hoping that the officials don't do anything stupid. A dozen players involved, and Porro back on his feet within a couple of minutes. It really was nothing, but Vicario joined Timber in the book. And as the half wore on he was joined by 4 further Spurs players, as Arsenal's quality on the ball started to come through.

But 0-0 at half time; perfectly satisfactory. and the second half started in a similar vein to the first - Spurs creating a few half-chances, but Arsenal perhaps looking the more likely with their superior quality. As the game wore on, Spurs looked increasingly like they had shot their bolt, with Arsenal able to deal with whatever fairly powder puff efforts the likes of Son, Johnson and Kulusevski threw their way. In the number 10 position, Maddison was pretty invisible as the Arsenal press smothered him.

And then, finally, the decisive moment of the match. Porro blocked a Saka effort for a corner, and from the resulting dead ball - one of those inswingers that we know that Vicario loves so much - the ball found the back of the net. Saliba and (inevitably) White pinned two defenders in front of Vicario, who was both unwilling and unable to collect, big Gabby easily escaped the attentions of a day-dreaming Romero... and a thumping header from no more than 5 yards out almost burst the onion bag. Luvvly jubbly.

From then on, it was 'what we have; we hold'. Arsenal held Tottenham at arms' length from then on, with none of Big Ange's substitutions making any difference whatsoever. Especially bringing Timo Werner on; the guy's a total waste of space. Jesus and Raheem Sterling relieved Trossard and Martinelli  with 10 minutes left; purely cosmetic, frankly, and neither covered himself in glory - Sterling needs to learn when to pass, and Jesus needs to learn how to tackle! Late on, Bukayo Saka went down - either exhausted, or perhaps with a calf issue - and we finally saw the prodigy Nwaneri for a few minutes. Tall and strong-looking for his age, neat on the ball and with an eye for a pass - the boy has a future all right.

And so the game petered out. Spurs dominated possession, but rarely did anything decisive with it. Arsenal may be accused of being 'boring', but it was job done, and defensively they perhaps look even stronger than they did last season - in 4 matches, they have conceded just a single goal, and that was when down to 10 men and due to an individual error. All that, however, will be put to the test next Sunday, when they come up against the cheat code that is Erling Haaland (although it's worth remembering that he wasn't given a sniff in two matches last season).

As for Tottenham; they frankly look miles away. They were comfortably held off by an Arsenal side missing its entire first choice midfield; unacceptable from a supporter's point of view. Big Ange is going to get found out, and who knows if he'll last the season. He picked the wrong side for this game, and seems not to have anything other than a Plan A. That's not going to wash against the massively coached Premier League opposition he's going to come up against again and again. They're good enough to finish in the top half of the table, of course, but they don't appear to be making progress, Good-oh!

Before that, on Thursday, Arsenal commence their Champions League challenge at Atalanta (mid-table in Serie A, and with a squad that looks like it hasn't gelled yet). Arsenal will need to look out for Ademola Lookman, and will also come up against a number of players who didn't quite cut the mustard in the Premier League (including our old friend - and Mesut Ozil's minder - Saed Kolasinac). Arteta may be able to get away with a few personnel changes - depending on fitness issues - and less than 72 hours after that it's Manchester City away. Massive.

COYG!

The Referee's A ******

Lots to get through. Not just Saturday’s game and the fallout therefrom, but the closing of the Transfer Window and what it now means for squad depth. Plus the Champions League draw. It’s been a hectic few days.

But I must start with the football itself; and a match about which almost all the discussion surrounded the red card dished out to Declan Rice. Which was frankly ludicrous.

I have a friend - an ex Sunday League referee - who always sends me through the refereeing team details for each Arsenal PL game as soon as they are announced. Last week, when he sent 'Referee C Kavanagh, VAR A Madley', I responded with an immediate FFS! I've got bad memories of Mr Kavanagh in general; and that's certainly not going to change for a long time after Saturday!

Look, we've all seen the video of the incident. And we've all seen the context, and what Mr Kavanagh had let go in the first half. Saka getting clothes-lined, Veltman hauling Trossard to the ground. Tackles that left just a little too much behind on Odegaard (not sure he ever recovered), and on Saka again and again (as usual). Not a booking in sight - but I'm certainly not complaining about the yellow card Rice got (as for the supposed foul given against Rice that kicked off the sending-off incident... if anything it should have been awarded the other way!)

And Joao Pedro kicking the ball away in the first half. Not 6 inches away, but fully 30 yards downfield, in order to prevent a quick Arsenal re-start. Behaviour - exaggerated as that one may have been, for all it went unpunished - that we see in every PL game. Every. Single. One.

Kavanagh's decision to dismiss Rice for flicking the ball a few inches (don't give me that 'He'd given him no choice' nonsense - where's the consistency?) ranks alongside David Luiz's red card for having the audacity to allow his knee to be caught by a forward's ankle, and Gabriel Martinelli's two yellow cards in 5 seconds, as a deliberate singling out of an Arsenal player for egregious, cruel and unnecessary punishment. All alongside the appalling treatment meted out to Bukayo Saka every single week! Lest we also forget the violence inflicted by Veltman on Rice as he feigned to take the free kick. What Arsenal have done to deserve all this, I do not know. But since Arteta has arrived Arsenal have somehow managed to accumulate 17 red cards, with the closest PL side having received 13. WTF?

The level of uproar that the sending-off has caused in pubs, on social media and in the press/on tv has been ridiculous. As I mentioned above, entertaining anybody who says: 'He gave him no choice' is something I'm not prepared to do. Letter of the Law? The Law, as Mr Bumble quite rightly pointed out in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, is an ass. And our good friend Mr Kavanagh merely displayed his inherent anti-Arsenal bias, inconsistency and incompetence by applying it at that moment. That action displayed a total lack of common-sense, and turned the game on its head.

Now people may argue that every supporter can compile a list of injustices supposedly meted out to his team. But I bet you Manchester City supporters can't. I cannot recall a single moment of similar controversy that can mark them down as victims of injustice. And this is a team that has the expert rotational fouler Rodri at its heart, and Tom Daley impersonator Jack Grealish on the left wing.

And the consequences don't stop at the final whistle of Arsenal vs Brighton. Rice misses the North London Derby; a tricky game at any time. And with Merino out injured Arteta's ingenuity is going to be thoroughly tested.

It is worth re-stating that the sending off completely changed the course of the game. Brighton are a decent side, but Arsenal were well on top of them at the time of the incident. The flow of the game flipped on its head immediately afterwards, and the equaliser was conceded before Arteta had time to react.

It's worth looking at this goal in more detail. Firstly, it was disappointing to see a straight 'vertical' ball pierce the Arsenal defence so easily. One can also point fingers at Gabriel; could he have been a little stronger in the challenge? Well, he was risking the award of a penalty, of course. Raya parried the ball out forward instead of sideways, but it was a point blank save and difficult to react to. However...

Thomas Partey was physically unable to keep up with the run into the box from Joao Pedro, thus leaving the attacker with a simple tap-in. He literally stopped shadowing him as the pair reached the 18-yard line. So, for all that he had a mostly decent game on Saturday, at a key moment he let the team down. He's not the player he was. On the ball, he's still got it. But off the ball he can be a liability. When I - and others - say the 'his legs have gone', this is incontrovertible proof. And we were already saying it towards the end of last season.

This has great bearing on the formation and personnel that Arteta chooses to go with in the NLD. Neither Partey nor Jorginho (who we've not seen on the pitch at all so far this season) have the legs to deal with the vibrancy of the Spurs attack. With wingers who stay ultra-wide, full backs who cut in to the inside right/left positions, and the ferret-like Maddison patrolling the spaces that defensive midfielders occupy, this presents a real challenge. What Arteta chooses to do will be critical, and the absence of Rice leaves a gigantic hole. Spurs' tactics are the very thing that could easily cause Arsenal to lose control.

But what Arteta managed to do after the Brighton goal was, in my opinion, an excellent solution. He allowed the Brighton centre-backs to have the ball, and produced tactics that blocked off pretty much everything that Brighton's more skilful players tried to do. That's some defensive powerhouse that he had out there. And with Raya claiming any crosses that weren't headed away, there was no way through. Plus Arsenal still managed to look really dangerous on the break; the positions that Havertz, Saka and substitute Martinelli took up really hurt Brighton. For all the away team's second half possession, Arsenal looked more likely to snatch a winner - and probably ought to have done.

I should mention that I found the Arsenal goal really interesting. Havertz's reaction to Saka winning possession off of Dunk was instant, as he took off for goal at pace. A beautifully timed run and pass - I and everyone around me in my block were already on our feet as we saw Havertz's movement - and Kai found himself through on the goalkeeper. And here's the thing; a year ago there's no way that Havertz scores that goal - and nor do we even expect him to. But he's a different player now, and I don't think that anybody in the crowd even entertained the possibility of him missing. Look, he'll never be prolific - and Arsenal could really do with a prolific striker - but he'll get his fair share of goals this season. Unfortunately, Haalands don't grow on trees.

Let's move on to the Transfer window, and the state of the Arsenal squad. Those players that have gone were all fringe players. Ramsdale has been usurped, and none of ESR, Nketiah, Vieira and Nelson saw much playing time at all in the second half of last season. 

It's sad to see them go, of course. We all took Ramsdale to our hearts, and we shouldn't dismiss the role he had in bringing Arsenal up towards where they are now. He's been unfortunate, and Southampton are probably below the level he deserves to be playing at. ESR looks like he will flourish at Fulham if he can stay fit; a fine player, but perhaps not quite at the level that Arteta is now looking for. Nelson has joined him on loan and will certainly get more playing time there than he did at Arsenal.

Eddie is a Gooner through and through, but it was the right decision for all parties for him to move on to Crystal Palace, who are more his level and also vastly improved. Again, I wish him well - in all but two games of the season. And it's clear that Arteta no longer regards Fabio Vieira as the answer; he'd rather give those minutes to Ethan Nwaneri. I can't say that I disagree.

As for incomings; this is more interesting. Neto is a solid second choice goalkeeper - in his 30s, happy to play second fiddle but capable when called upon; and apparently having had a lifelong desire to wear an Arsenal shirt.

Calafiori looks like a beast of a player. Arteta is spoilt for choice with him and the LANS Timber now available. Perhaps one of them can be the solution to the NLD midfield problem.

It's very unfortunate that Merino is injured. We'll just have to wait for him, but he does look like the perfect fit for the Left 8 role, and thus allowing Rice to move back to Number 6.

Up front, the arrival on loan of Raheem Sterling is, for me, the most interesting move of the entire Window. Granted, he's not the player he was, but he's played at the highest level, was England's best player in the previous international tournament, has worked with Arteta before, and like Havertz should not be judged on his recent output at the Stamford Bridge Sanitorium, He could be a vital cog in the Arsenal wheel this season, and based on what we're hearing about the deal Edu struck with Chelsea could actually be a bargain!

Nonetheless, I do wish that Arsenal had managed to purchase an out and out centre forward. Let's face it, Arteta and Edu know that we need one - after all, their very first move in the Window was to try to buy Benjamin Sesko. This is something that cannot be kicked down the road for too much longer, but for the moment Arsenal will have to rely on everybody chipping in. Despite the 91 PL goals last season, there were a number of big matches in which they failed to score. This must not be repeated if they want to go one place better.

And finally, the Champions League draw; in its new format. Very interesting, actually, and a format that should hold most teams' attention throughout. Unless a team wins its first 6 matches, it will need to be looking over its shoulder.

Arsenal's draw is not terrible. A trip to Milan (where Arsenal have history) is the most difficult tie. An Mbappe-less PSG at home is fine, and there are no long trips abroad. I wouldn't have minded Barcelona or Real Madrid at home - for the spectacle - and am delighted to have avoided bl**dy Bayern Munich! City have their usual easy passage, but Liverpool are going to have their work cut out, and Villa are likely to struggle. 

But it's two more matches; that could be a problem. And immediately throws up a difficult week on the players' return from the Interlull. As if Spurs away followed by City away wasn't difficult enough, they have to go to Atalanta in Italy in between. Grrrr...

Anyway, we move on. Spurs away at the end of the first of these pointless, annoying international breaks. COYG!