Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Video
Arsenal moved into second place within the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Ipswich, courtesy of a primary half Kai Havertz aim.
It’s honest to say that the end result was good, however the recreation itself was not a basic. With a entrance three of Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, and with Havertz and Martin Odegaard behind them, Mikel Arteta picked what I believed was the proper crew for a house recreation towards a struggling aspect. Get attacking gamers on the pitch, and hopefully the targets will comply with.
What we acquired was outright domination within the first half. By the half hour mark, we had been a aim to the nice, and had ‘loved’ 88% possession, which is sort of unparalleled in Premier League phrases. It was turning that domination into possibilities that was the difficulty. There was a Jurrien Timber effort that he made for himself, and Rice fired one not far over, however other than the aim that was it.
Let’s not downplay the aim by the best way. Trossard did effectively to beat his man on the skin and put in a left footed cross, however the way it discovered its method to Havertz with so many Ipswich defenders in there, I’m not fairly positive. The German was there although, like a very good poacher, and his first time end nestled into the again of the online for 1-0. A few minutes later Jesus had the ball behind the online however the flag went up for offside, and that was about it for the primary 45 minutes.
I believe we had been a bit higher within the second half, however not considerably. With solely Ethan Nwaneri as a nominal attacking possibility on the bench, there wasn’t a lot scope for change. Martinelli and Jesus had been quiet, Odegaard got here to life briefly with an excellent run into the field however couldn’t discover the end, and the very best likelihood of the second interval fell to Gabriel who inexplicably headed large from shut vary after we’d received a nook. By his personal very excessive requirements, that was a nasty miss.
Mikel Merino got here on for Jesus and noticed a shot saved, however Ipswich had been hanging on and as we acquired into the ultimate 10 minutes, I feared the sucker-punch. The basic state of affairs the place a crew that has achieved nothing all recreation – partly due to how effectively Arsenal managed it – finds a aim from nothing. When the lead is so precarious, even one second of high quality or one mistake is sufficient to drop extra factors, one thing we completely couldn’t afford to do.
I don’t suppose it’s fallacious to say Ipswich by no means appeared like scoring, however that’s solely true till it isn’t. At this degree, when you may’t add a little bit of daylight to the scoreline, it’s all the time going to be a fear. It was a boring 1-0 win, however I favor my boredom at 2-0 or 3-0 (admittedly extra targets make it much less boring although).
Operating by way of the core of this efficiency was the thought: ‘Is that is what it’s going to be like with out Bukayo Saka?!’. Which is comprehensible. That mentioned, we’ve seen this type of recreation play out loads of instances with him on the pitch. Assume Everton just some weeks in the past, however the lack of firepower on the bench was apparent, as was our lack of ability to vary issues in-game – and given the additional unhealthy information about Saka (extra on that anon), it ought to offer everybody on the membership even vaguely related to recruitment pause for thought.
Let’s end with a few positives although. First, three factors are three factors, nonetheless you come by them. We discovered a method to win this one, and after a 4-0 defeat of their final recreation, you may see there was a concerted effort from Ipswich to not get battered once more. Nonetheless, I believe the stability between them defending effectively and Arsenal missing attacking menace was skewed much more in direction of the latter than the previous.
Secondly, I completely loved the efficiency and continued emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back. Finishing 58/59 passes, typically working in midfield too, his bravery on the ball stood out. As was his willingness to combine it with the opposition. When Liam Delap acquired zero from battling William Saliba, he tried his luck with MLS and got here out second finest, and I cherished the best way the 18 12 months previous took umbrage with Kalvin Phillips and simply left a bit on him after a tussle with Gabriel. This younger man has acquired it, and it’s actually thrilling to see him develop into this crew.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta was clearly happy with the win, however his reply when James requested him if he thought this was a extra full efficiency than the 5-1 win over Crystal Palace was actually instructive:
By way of how effectively we management the place, 10 instances, as a result of we conceded 14 or 15 pictures towards Palace. And it’s nothing that we usually do. So total, I believe this one was a lot better. However, it’s concerning the targets as effectively, and the great thing about it, and entertaining folks, and that one in all probability was higher for them.
I believe everyone knows this about him now. He desires to offer the opposition nothing. He’s the sort of man who would go dwelling after a 5-1 win and stew over the 1 reasonably than totally benefit from the 5. As all of us marvel what we’d do within the January window to switch Saka, there’s a part of me that wouldn’t be in any respect stunned if the reply was one other defender simply to verify we concede even much less. I’m solely half-joking right here, by the best way.
I believe if Gabriel scores that header, we’d be carrying a bit much less anxiousness into this morning’s evaluation, however IFs are very large in soccer, and one other method to exert management over soccer matches is to attain targets. You completely get rid of threat whenever you’re 2-0 or 3-0 up and defending in addition to we did. I do suppose we have to give the Arsenal crew credit score for the way defensively strong it’s. Ipswich supervisor Kieran McKenna mentioned afterwards that his crew was dealing with the ‘a few of the finest defenders on the earth’, and I don’t suppose he’s fallacious, however final evening it was exhausting to not suppose the defensive management got here at the price of some attacking menace.
Anyway, this recreation is finished, let’s by no means consider it once more and simply take the three factors. The main post-game information was the truth that Bukayo Saka has had surgical procedure on his hamstring tear, which is clearly actually unhealthy information. Any sort of operation is a final resort, and it now means we’re going to be with out him for the longest potential time frame when a participant picks up an issue like this.
It’s terrible information for him, so in the beginning let’s hope he has a speedy and full restoration, however now it’s about what Arsenal do to react. Regardless of the hole to Liverpool, I don’t rule Arsenal out of the title race because it stands. Nonetheless, when you can by no means say by no means in soccer, I don’t suppose I’d be alone to counsel it could be an nearly not possible job until we did one thing in January to bolster the squad.
I learn final week that our mindset for this window was going to be ‘reactive’ – effectively, right here’s a giant downside we’ve got to react to. I don’t imagine we are able to get by way of the subsequent three months with out Saka, and with the attacking gamers we’ve got, and rating sufficient targets to maintain us in that race. The information on Raheem Sterling is outwardly slightly higher than anticipated, however nor do I believe we are able to count on a lot from a participant with simply 146 minutes of Premier League soccer this season and who has by no means appeared sharp sufficient or harmful sufficient for a aspect hoping to win the most important home prize of the season.
Let’s take a look at this as a scenario that goes past Saka too. There’s all the time been room for enchancment within the attacking third. Trossard just isn’t getting any youthful, Jesus has been barren till the final two video games, and Martinelli’s inconsistency has been a difficulty for almost two seasons now. It’s not nearly changing Saka for 3 months, it’s about augmenting the squad with a participant who can enhance us over the medium/long term. Who that’s, and who is likely to be out there in January is a good query, however Arsenal want to maneuver heaven and earth to attempt to discover him when the window opens.
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Proper, let’s depart it there. We’re gonna have an Arsecast Further for you in a short while too. We’ve put out the decision for questions on BlueSky @gunnerblog.bsky.social and @arseblog.com with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or for those who’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, depart your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Pod must be out round midday. For now, have a very good one.
