Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Video
A troublesome week bought fairly a bit higher as Arsenal accomplished the double over Spurs this season, closed the hole on Liverpool, and beat Spurs to make Spurs unhappy. The twats.
Mikel Arteta handed a uncommon begin to Raheem Sterling, and he ought to have put us forward early on however bizarrely stopped his run after wonderful work from Myles Lewis-Skelly put him by on purpose. I don’t actually know what he was considering. We dominated the opening levels, with some photographs, some corners, and a few strain on their new keeper who bought away with one when Kai Havertz labored actually exhausting to shut him down.
In what felt like typical style although, our incapability to show the dominance right into a purpose got here again to chew us once they went forward within the twenty fifth minute. Son’s shot from the sting of the field deflected off William Saliba and in, but it surely had been a disorganised 60 seconds or so. Pape Sarr was allowed on a regular basis and area on this planet to hold the ball into our half to win a nook which led to the purpose, and we didn’t do sufficient defensively in both part of play.
After the the FA cup exit and the semi-final first leg defeat, you couldn’t assist however fear a bit. How would we reply? Might we reply? Leando Trossard despatched Porro to the outlets with a flip which left the full-back in a heap, weirdly the ref stopped play – maybe to offer him an opportunity to kind his innards out after being twisted so wildly inside-out by the Belgian. However then a crunching sort out from MLS ultimately led to a nook, Rice delivered, Gabriel was there on the again submit to move residence – though formally it has gone down as a Dominic Solanka personal purpose (harsh on him and Gabriel for my part).
Just some minutes later, Partey gained the ball in midfield with sort out, Martin Odegaard fed Trossard on the left, and his fizzing shot bounced simply in entrance of Kinsky and into the again of the web. It’s a kind of you’d count on the keeper to save lots of, however I believe we have now to credit score the Belgian for having a go from a place too few Arsenal gamers would pull the set off from. On his mistaken foot too. Generally you get rewarded for making an attempt one thing a bit tougher, as an alternative of all the time searching for the right opening, and that was very a lot the case with this purpose.
So, slightly than going into the break with a half-time postmortem on the playing cards, we’d put ourselves right into a strong place. They made attacking adjustments on the break, and to some extent it work. They went from 35% possession within the first 45, to 55% within the second, however in fact we had one thing to carry onto.
There have been moments after we might have scored once more. A few headers from Havertz, Sterling with one other likelihood he dallied over earlier than being changed by Gabriel Martinelli, Rice cracking a shot off the keeper who knew nothing about it, an Odegaard likelihood late on, and simply small issues we might have achieved a bit higher to trigger them extra issues within the attacking third. By 75 minutes although, Mikel Arteta had determined to grind this one out. Kieran Tierney got here on for Trossard to play forward of Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel and Saliba had been monsters on the again, and we cycled by a couple of adjustments as we bought in direction of the tip of the 90 minutes.
The one second of actual hazard got here proper on the demise when Porro hit the skin of the submit with a shot however at that time they’d introduced on Richarlison who appeared extra considering beginning a ruck than scoring a purpose. Which, I suppose, is the story of his Tottenham profession – he’s had much more success with one than the opposite. I don’t assume they preserve stats for xR although, and this preening cock(erel) was about as a lot use as an ashtray on a motorcycle.
I genuinely cherished him making an attempt to push Lewis-Skelly off the pitch and the 18 12 months previous simply laughing at him, earlier than taking a yellow card and gesturing the group as he made his approach again to the Arsenal bench. I don’t essentially assume this was a coming of age efficiency from him, however I don’t assume we’ve thought or frightened an excessive amount of about his emergence – and that’s solely to his credit score. When crew line-ups are introduced, there’s all the time some on-line response/drama, but it surely says a lot that no one bats en eyelid after we choose an 18 12 months previous – who has performed most of his youth profession as a midfielder – at left-back for a North London derby of this significance.
He was excellent final evening. Mikel Arteta referred to as him ‘phenomenal’, and his post-game interview with Ian Wright summed up his character and mentality. When Wrighty requested him if he was frightened in any respect about dealing with up towards established senior gamers like Kulusevski and Johnson, he mentioned:
“By no means. By no means afraid of nobody. I need to go towards one of the best. I need to be one of the best. It’s a must to go towards one of the best to be one of the best.”
Are you not entertained? Simply so spectacular, from a participant who’s barely into double figures when it comes to senior appearances. He performs with none worry in any respect, which isn’t atypical for a younger participant once they make their breakthrough, however in a season which has thrown up so many difficulties and challenges, his emergence has been one of many actually optimistic tales of this marketing campaign.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta summed up the evening, saying:
I’m very pleased with the crew, I believe we had been sensational. I believe it was take a look at to see after two massive performances and never getting rewarded in two totally different competitions. It’s a must to play the largest recreation of the season for our folks in these circumstances, and it’s a take a look at of perspective. You already know what we’re manufactured from, the braveness that we have now, how a lot we actually care solely a couple of end result or the efficiency and the way a lot we are able to do when it comes to what’s required within the recreation to be higher than the opposition.
I believe we performed from the minute one to harm them with or with out the ball. I believe we totally should win the sport. I believe we made lots of people very blissful, however particularly very proud to see a crew that behaves within the method that they’ve performed to it once more.
Was it excellent? Are there issues we are able to nonetheless do higher? In fact, however within the context of this week and this particular fixture, the one factor that actually issues is that we took all three factors – significantly after Liverpool had been held to a draw on Tuesday evening. We’re nonetheless in there scrapping away, and hopefully this end result and efficiency may also help heal the connection between the crew and the followers which had turn out to be a bit strained in current occasions. It was a reminder that even on this imperfect type, it is a crew succesful and keen to combat for the title.
As for what else this month may convey after the Gabriel Jesus information, Arteta was requested on TNT Sports activities afterwards if the membership was trying to convey somebody on this month. He mentioned:
Sure for certain as a result of we misplaced two gamers, massive gamers. Bukayo might be out for as much as three months, in order that’s a very long time and Gabi that’s going to be out for an extended, very long time. We’re going to strive for certain. I imply we’re actively wanting. I believe we have now misplaced two very, essential gamers, we have now 14 gamers within the squad and we play each three days, so we’ll strive however let’s see what we are able to get.
The derby win eases the strain however there’s one other massive recreation in a few days time when Aston Villa come to city. Within the meantime although, we are able to relaxation up some weary legs, take inventory, and hopefully behind the scenes we are able to increase a squad which – whenever you have a look at the Premier League desk – continues to be very a lot within the working. What a lift signing may convey. Fingers crossed.
Proper, that’s it – we’ll have a post-game Arsecast for you somewhat afterward, so standby for that. For now, I’ll depart it there.
Have one!
