Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Video
Arsenal moved 4 factors away from Man Metropolis (3 of Liverpool) on the prime of the desk after demolishing a hapless Chelsea 5-0 final evening – our greatest ever win in opposition to them.
Mikel Arteta made a few modifications to his facet, beginning Takehiro Tomiyasu at left-back, and handing a shock begin to Thomas Partey in midfield. It didn’t take lengthy for these to take impact, good build-up play noticed Declan Rice drive on and play the ball outdoors him for Leandro Trossard. The Belgian took a contact and completely drilled a shot between the keeper and the close to put up, a type of the place it all the time seems to be dangerous for the goalkeeper as a result of he ought to have it coated, however the energy and precision with which he hit the shot meant it was much more an excellent end than a nasty mistake.
1-0 up after 5 minutes, we should always have been taking part in in opposition to ten males after 9. Nicolas Jackson’s problem on Tomiyasu was excessive, late and noticed the Arsenal man’s ankle twist badly beneath the contact. VAR for the evening, Peter Bankes, checked it and cleared it, and for the second sport working, the opposition bought away with a transparent purple card offence. I wish to test Peter’s bankes account, tbh.
The very fact we received 5-0 means I can go off on this a bit with out accusations of creating excuses or anything, however for all of the discuss of PGMOL, officers, and VAR, one of many fundamentals of their job is to make sure the protection of gamers. By permitting that problem to go unpunished they completely failed in that a part of their remit, and once more you may’t assist however wonder if there was a behind-closed-doors remit concerning the threshold for bodily contact. Even so, this was a horrible problem, and Jackson ought to have been despatched off. I sit up for the bloke from ESPN protecting for his or her incompetence once more, and telling us how Tomiyasu’s shin truly assaulted Jackson’s studs.
I feel it’s truthful to say Arsenal ought to have scored extra targets on this sport, and within the first half particularly. Kai Havertz selected to cross when he ought to have had a shot, then had a shot when he in all probability ought to have handed. A Trossard shot hit the goalkeeper who knew nothing about it (it wasn’t a terrific save as TV would have had you consider), Rice curled a shot not too far over, and we have been very a lot on prime.
It might even be truthful to say that Chelsea did have some moments of hazard in that first half, the place some tempo within the closing third helped create a few conditions in our field that I’d somewhat not have seen. Nevertheless, we’re right here to benefit from the truth we beat Chelsea 5-0, and I’m positive Mikel Arteta will analyse these moments together with his gamers, so let’s not dwell on them.
The second half was, in a phrase, enjoyable. 14 of our 27 pictures on the evening got here after the break, and 4 of them went in. First, Ben White hooked residence after a nook through which he’d handled Marc Cucurella with absolutely the disdain he deserves, throwing him to 1 facet such as you’d chuck a bag of garbage into an open bin – and the Spaniard’s little tantrum after the ball went in was fairly hilarious. Like a toddler within the grocery store whose mum received’t let him have a lolly, he jumped up and down in sheer frustration. I laughed. Lots.
As for the third, discuss of a potential foul within the build-up felt a little bit of a stretch to me. If VAR isn’t going to ship somebody off for a possible leg-breaker, it may possibly’t rule out a objective for a 50-50 (okay, possibly a 70-30) approach again within the transfer. Plus, it will have denied us the brilliance of that Martin Odegaard cross who noticed the intelligent run of Havertz. The German drove on with the ball, holding off Cucurella like he was a toddler in a grocery store, earlier than ending to make it 3-0. Did he try this factor gamers do the place they don’t rejoice in opposition to their former membership? No he didn’t, he celebrated with gusto, and I very a lot loved it.
Within the chilly mild of day, I feel it’s solely proper that we take a second to giggle at Jackson making the most of some lax Arsenal defending to … put the ball vast from 3 yards out. Fairly unimaginable. Once more, one thing for Arteta to analyse within the coming days, however for us this morning, it’s one thing to relish. All of the objective to intention at, and he did that. Maybe if Chelsea signed some footballers, somewhat than lads who’re simply fairly quick, it’d work out higher for them. Don’t inform them this although.
Kai made it 4-0 with good toes of their field, and a end that went in off the put up, earlier than Ben White made it 5-0 only a few minutes later. He was arrange by a scrumptious Odegaard cross, and whereas some will suppose he was attempting to information the ball to the again put up for another person to use the end, in reality he knew that’s what the goalkeeper would expect, so simply made the choice to stay it within the prime nook … *cough*.
Arteta rang the modifications with Martinelli, Jesus, Jorginho and Zinchenko changing Havertz, Trossard, Partey and Tomiyasu. Chelsea’s 1/4 billion pound midfield ran round like Steve, the lad who used to play on your Sunday league facet however retired as a result of he was 47 and his knees have been gone, partially because of the truth he’s carrying 4 stone an excessive amount of due to his dangerous food plan and predilection for midweek pints, however who did you a favour one morning while you rang him up on the final minute since you have been brief.
A Chelsea child held up a pathetic signal, Rice hit the put up (however was offside), Vieira smashed one into the side-netting, Martinelli missed a late probability – and the fact is it may have been so many extra, however let’s grudgingly settle for {that a} 5-0 win over Chelsea isn’t dangerous, I suppose. I additionally loved Ben White’s reserving for bodying Cucurella off the ball, he’s simply an excessive amount of enjoyable this man.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta mentioned:
A giant efficiency, collectively and individually I assumed we have been actually good in opposition to a extremely good workforce that was in nice kind, and so they have been going to ask us lots of questions, and we responded rather well. From the beginning of the sport I feel we have been actually decided, actually flowing, taking part in with lots of braveness and making issues occur. Yeah, actually pleased with the outcome, it’s a giant day for our supporters as nicely so actually pleased with that.
If I could be critical for only a second, any win final evening would have been ok – at this level of the season it’s all concerning the factors. Nevertheless, to do what we did to a workforce like Chelsea provides one thing further, above and past the enhance to our objective distinction. We demolished them, swatted them away like an irritating fly, and have been ruthless in entrance of objective. When you think about the sport now we have arising this weekend, it was nice preparation, and I’m positive any heavy legs will really feel quite a bit lighter due to final evening, how we performed, and the ultimate outcome.
Lastly, only a phrase for man of the match Martin Odegaard who was simply sensational final evening. The vary of passing, the workrate, the flexibility to affect the sport from excessive up the pitch and from a lot deeper, and the way in which he too dug deep into his reserves to utterly overshadow anybody in blue who got here close to him was excellent. Not only a captain’s efficiency, however that of the most effective gamers within the Premier League. A participant who who joined us for £30m – one of many biggest bargains in soccer historical past. If anybody tries to let you know Odegaard isn’t what you suppose he’s (or what you already know he’s since you watch and perceive soccer), don’t give them the time of day.
Proper, I’m gonna go away it there for now – however we can have a podcast for you this morning, so there’s extra to take pleasure in in a short time, simply in a unique format.
Till then.
