Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response
Thanks David Raya. Not only for making an unbelievable double save from Atalanta’s second half penalty, however for saving us from a few days of navel-gazing and introspection forward of Sunday’s journey to Man Metropolis. There’s sufficient to think about already, doing it with the sting of defeat would have made it much more troublesome.
It’s very arduous to know what to say about final evening, as a result of so little truly occurred. Mikel Arteta introduced Declan Rice again into midfield on the expense of Jorginho, whereas Gabriel Jesus got here in for Leandro Trossard up entrance. Our greatest/solely likelihood of the primary half got here from a free kick simply exterior the field. Bukayo Saka went low, the keeper made save to cease the preliminary effort, then blocked Thomas Partey’s follow-up.
And … that was kinda it. The remainder of the half was primarily two groups cancelling one another out. No query Atalanta made it very troublesome for us, they’re a tricky group to play towards, however on the similar time we didn’t do sufficient to trigger them issues. Nor did they notably hassle us on the again. We couldn’t get the ball via the traces, the forwards had scant service in areas the place they could trigger the opposition issues, and on the uncommon event we had a sight of objective, we fluffed our traces.
Gabriel Martinelli shot over for us, Charles De Ketelaere shot over for them after a pleasant passage of play, however by half-time it was presumably the least fascinating recreation of soccer Arsenal have been concerned in for a while. There have been shades of final season’s away recreation towards Porto, however the place they made it arduous for us via relentless short-man syndrome cynicism, Atalanta’s man to man system was the issue we confronted.
Early within the second half, the house aspect had been awarded a penalty when Ederson obtained past Partey too simply (this recurring theme continues to vex me), and the Arsenal midfielder clipped his heel as he went into the field. There was a prolonged VAR verify, I assume to make sure the offence which began exterior the realm carried on into it, however I don’t suppose we will have any complaints concerning the resolution. If it occurred up the opposite finish, I’d 100% need that as a penalty for us.
Leaving apart the truth that no man with a haircut like Mateo Retegui’s needs to be permitted to attain towards The Arsenal, it was an excellent alternative for Atalanta. Nonetheless, David Raya was the hero once more, diving to his proper cease the preliminary spot kick, earlier than scrambling again as much as paw away the headed rebound simply earlier than it crossed the road. Sure, I feel Retegui’s header may have been higher, however full props to the Arsenal keeper for producing one more distinctive second.
I do know we’re only some video games in, however in case you had been selecting a participant of the season thus far, he’d be proper on the prime of my record. In virtually each one of many video games we’ve performed he’s been known as on to make an essential save and has finished so with aplomb. Additionally, the new-found capability to cease penalties may be very helpful. Earlier than he got here to the membership, throughout the Championship and Premier League, Raya had confronted 20 penalties and solely saved one. To this point he has one within the league, now one within the Champions League, and a pair in final season’s shoot-out with Porto. It’s a pleasant string so as to add to his bow at a comparatively late stage in his profession.
Atalanta modified a few issues, Arteta threw on Jorginho and Trossard for the underwhelming duo of Partey and Jesus, and I suppose it was mildly fascinating that the Belgian operated as form of deep-lying playmaker. It didn’t make a lot distinction although. Riccardo Calafiori got here on and regarded very comfy, whereas Raheem Sterling created likelihood for Martinelli however as has been the case too usually of late, his composure in entrance of objective was nowhere to be discovered and he blasted over. That felt just like the form of likelihood that may 100% win the sport on an evening like that, and he so badly wants one to go in at this level.
So, it ended all sq.. Afterwards, Mikel Arteta stated:
I feel we began the sport rather well within the first 20, 25 minutes. I feel we performed with the ball in the proper areas, with quite a lot of intention and had been efficient, however with out creating too many clear-cut probabilities. After that, we misplaced management of the sport as a result of we had been very inconsistent with the ball, giving quite a lot of easy balls away – and towards a group which are man-to-man, it prices you moments to transition as a result of the second you lose your man, there’s a area and you might be in equal numbers within the backline or overloaded.
Did we miss Martin Odegaard? It’s arduous to flee that conclusion. In a good recreation, the participant who may give you that second of creativity, of precision, that may be the distinction. However that is our lot proper now, and we’re going to must cope with out him and discover methods to make probabilities with out him too.
As you’d anticipated, the supervisor was effusive about Raya, saying:
We gave a penalty away and I witnessed two of the very best saves I’ve most likely ever seen in my profession to avoid wasting us from that second. This season he has began exceptionally – the save he made towards Villa, at present he saved us within the recreation. That’s the fact. You want that out of your keeper at this degree. I’m actually glad he’s within the kind he’s in for the time being.
Let’s hope he continues in the identical vein, as a result of he may doubtlessly be so much busier on Sunday. General, a recreation to neglect actually. A degree away from residence is rarely the tip of the world in Europe, however with this new format, who is aware of if that can arise by the point we get to the eighth recreation. Anyway, we’ve got larger fish to fry this weekend, and an enormous problem towards the Man Metropolis.
We’ll have a post-game Arsecast for you a little bit later this morning too, so stand by for that.
