From The Sublime To The……

Former Prime Minister Harold Wilson once pronounced that: ‘A week is a long time in politics.’ Well, in professional sport it’s exactly the opposite! In the space of just three games, Arsenal have gone from imperious Premier League leaders and favourites to reach the Champions League semi finals, to a group of players bereft of confidence and fraught with misgivings. Fans are calling for wholesale changes, and people all over the country are back to calling our team ‘bottlers’. It's OK to be disappointed, but... rein it in, guys!

It’s all thoroughly annoying and frustrating but I - along with so many others - will try to examine what’s gone wrong below. Because there's so little margin for error. So without further ado…

From the moment that Bukayo Saka's penalty was dispatched into the side netting of the Brighton net, it was all over as a contest. Truthfully, Arsenal had already looked by far the likeliest winners by then, as they dominated a side who had been unbeaten at home since August; scarcely giving them a sniff of goal. And the one time they did, David Raya was very much up to it. Another sign of Arsenal's dominance over much of the Premier League. By the end, 3-0 did not flatter them in the slightest, and Liverpool's slip-up at Old Trafford the next day meant that suddenly Arsenal were back on top of the table with their fate in their own hands.

And so attention turned to Bayern Munich, and our old friend Harry Kane. Now, I have no idea if we'd been lulled into a false sense of security by Bayern's poor domestic form - since they lost to Leverkusen in February they'd basically given up the domestic ghost - but they have a huge amount of Champions League pedigree, and one of the best forward lines in world football. Yet could Arsenal have done more?

They took the lead with a superb finish from Saka, who bent a shot into Neuer's far corner with consummate ease, and Arsenal were well on top at that stage. 

But the margins are small at this level, and Bayern have dangerous players. And so it proved that, due to two pieces of inaccuracy from Arsenal and some sublime play from Leroy Sane, Arsenal were suddenly behind.

For the first, Raya's rash rush out of goal unbalanced the defensive unit, and despite one or two chances to clear Bayern took full advantage as old boy Serge Gnabry ran into the penalty area and finished clinically. For the second Kivior - a surprise choice at left back in my opinion, was undone by the quick feet and electric pace of Sane. Again, the entire defensive unit was unbalanced by some scintillating play and Sane was brought down at the third attempt. Penalty; and there was of course no doubt whatsoever about whether Kane was going to score.

Arteta switched the team around on several occasions in the second half in the search for an equaliser, and got his reward as Leandro Trossard swept the ball home following a typical Jesus run. In truth, the goal was all about the Brazilian. 2-2 is better than 1-2, but there’s plenty for Arsenal to do in Bavaria. 

We can be a little more dispassionate about Harry Kane these days, now that he is longer at our arch-enemies. And there is no doubt that he is a fine, fine player. All that's missing from his career is a trophy; but he has spent most of it at Tottenham, so that was somewhat inevitable. They say that 'You can take the boy out of Tottenham' etc..., but in truth he deserves more than a Golden Boot or two (if you haven’t seen what the top scorer in the Bundesliga gets, Google it!).  Unfortunately for Kane, he arrived at Bayern at a time when they're in a state of flux, and Leverkusen have had a miracle season.

But for all his ability there's still something dark about his antics. In one of several controversial moments during the game, he seemed to firstly check precisely where Gabriel was… before elbowing him in the throat. Nasty; and VAR should have paid closer attention, in my opinion. He got a yellow card, but for me that was a Wenger 'dark yellow' at the very least. Very unpleasant.

I'm going to gloss over the Bayern call for a penalty following Gabriel's alleged 'handball'. It was nothing. He wasn't seeking an advantage and the referee quite rightly used his discretion. In the last minute of the match, however, there were massive shouts for a penalty for a foul by Neuer on Saka. On balance, for me, that's a penalty - but I can see why it wasn't given. Questions of whether the referee was 'balancing things out' are a bit daft, but this whole 'initiating contact' thing does bother me. I referee a Walking Football game on Tuesday evenings, and initiating contact is my biggest bug bear (apart from all the running!). I hate seeing it! Of course, it matters not that I personally tend to favour the defender in such instances. This, however, is the Champions League! Saka looked for the contact (which he is permitted to do), Neuer didn't get a touch on the ball, and so it really should have been a penalty.

And so, having got out of jail, so to speak, on Tuesday, it was back to domestic action on Sunday with a visit from Don Unai’s high-flying Aston Villa. They had laid down and surrendered at The Etihad a few weeks ago, and we might have expected some rotation with them also in the middle of a European tie. Yet Emery went full strength against Arsenal - of course he did!

It was a great opportunity for Arsenal to go go back to the top of the table following City’s inevitable and emphatic win over Luton, and frankly put Liverpool - who had somehow contrived to lose to Crystal Palace earlier in the afternoon - out of the race. And so the crowd felt optimistic; domestic form was top-notch, after all. 

The first half was pretty exciting for a 0-0 score line, for all that there were a few moments of jeopardy prior to half time; but Arsenal should have been ahead. But that could not have prepared us for what was to follow.

Villa absolutely blew Arsenal away in the second half, and were well worthy of their 2-0 win. There can be no excuses from Arsenal. Yes, we might have disagreed slightly with team selection - as on Tuesday - but it unfortunately felt like another of those ‘hitting the wall’ moments, and Arteta has a lot to do to get the squad back in the correct frame of mind.

There was no room for error. Yet error there was. And I’ve been giving it some thought; haven’t we all? Arteta is still a young manager, learning on the job at one of the biggest jobs in world football. He hasn’t come up through the ranks or ‘done his apprenticeship’; yes, he’s seen Pep at work, but the decision-making was never his until he got the Arsenal job. 

And he’s made mistakes. There have been ‘watershed’ moments on the way. The decisions to dispense with Aubameyang and his cronies were wise. The injury to Willian that forced him into that fortuitous selection of Emile Smith Rowe against Chelsea worked out extremely well. Replacing the injured Saliba with Rob Holding and not Kivior last season; not so well. And in  these last two games, Captain Hindsight has told me that the manager got both selections wrong; and at a crucial time. 

And the way that this season in general has been managed? Well, if it turns out that the wall has been hit again - and it remains an if - then I would suggest that it has been a lack of rotation that has caused the problem. I accept that Liverpool and - especially - City have bigger squads than Arsenal. But perhaps Arteta doesn’t fully trust enough of his squad outside of the first 14/15 names? Clearly, long-term injuries to Partey and Timber, and to a lesser extent Tomiyasu, haven’t helped, but I for one would have wanted to see a bit more of ESR and Vieira, for example. 

.Whether the lack of a 20+ goal a season striker will finally bring Arsenal down, I’m not really sure. They remain the league’s top scorers. But for all the money spent I still suspect that Arteta feels that he’s still being obliged to fit square pegs into round holes. And may also be thinking that perhaps he needs to dispense with one or two of the more established players. We shall see.…

Look; it’s not all over. The fat lady hasn’t even started clearing her throat. But Arsenal can ill afford a single slip from now on. 

Do I still believe? Yes; just about. COYG!

Getting It Done

Arsenal continue to fly under most people’s radar in their two-pronged trophy attack. Quietly and efficiently, they are going about their work and getting the results they need. Porto; job done. City away; job done. Luton; job done. 

There’s been nothing spectacular about it - not, anyway, since the successive 5-1, 2-1, 3-1, 6-0, 5-0, 4-1, 6-0, 2-1 sequence of Premier League wins since the turn of the year that transformed the goal difference situation, that is...

They’re not getting much credit for being top of the table and for reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, but they’re currently right in the mix for both trophies. In fact, most pundits are expecting them to finish third in the Premier League, and to fail to reach the Champions League Final. And, if that's the case, that does not mean that progress has not been made this season. There has. They're a better side, and have more squad depth, than last season. And they are moving in the right direction, and at a rate that we couldn't have anticipated when Mikel Arteta took over the reins.

Now, I’m not saying with any sense of anything but a gently growing sense of hope that they might win either or both trophies. And I’m not sure whether to be disappointed that our team are still not being taken as seriously as they should be, or pleased that they’re evading the media spotlight. Under the radar, and out of the spotlight, is probably better than having pressure heaped upon them. 

After all, there's the whole Klopp's Last Stand scenario. And the City Always Come Good At This Time Of Year scenario. In Europe, there's the approaching spectre of Harry Kane. But one step at a time. Do the business. Move on. 10 (up to 13) matches to go. The next one is the most important.

Let's look back at the different ways that Arsenal have gone about their business. Against Porto, they 'scraped through’ on penalties; all the subtleties of the tie, and the trickiness of the opposition, were apparently irrelevant. What they did in fact do was stay compact and work away until they got their reward. None of this 'gung ho' nonsense. Goals conceded; zero. And they held their nerve in the shoot-out (flowers for David Raya, of course).

After that nonsensical and interminable international break, the performance in a 0-0 draw at The Etihad was apparently a sign that Manchester City remain a far better side than Arsenal (look; they’re very good indeed, and whilst Arsenal couldn’t really impose themselves on the match, they held City off reasonably comfortably, in hindsight). I was there, by the way, thanks to a very kind gesture from my cousin, and whilst it made for a very long day, accompanied by a great deal of tension in the ground itself, it was worth every minute of the 14-hour round trip, and the two hours of increased blood pressure. 

 

But Arsenal can't win. Instead of getting praise for being the first team in 58 matches to prevent City from scoring at home, they get accused of 'parking the bus'. Look, I suppose they did; but they had little choice - they were hemmed in for long periods. But a) the bus was parked beautifully - City had a single effort on target - and b) arguably had more and better chances than City. I'd have taken a draw beforehand. I'm sure we all would have. But, once more - goals conceded; zero. Erling Who?

Yet they left with a tinge of regret about not managing to leave with all three points, and that's progress. They've taken 4 points from both Liverpool and City this season; that's remarkable. However, if the 5 points dropped against Fulham end up costing them the title that will be extremely disappointing.

Two entirely different types of performance in those two games. And a third different type against Luton. In a game that everyone expected them to win comfortably, Arteta took the opportunity to rotate. The squad players took their chances, which can only be good. Just Jurrien Timber to come back now and the squad will be as healthy as it can possibly be in April. 

I was particularly pleased to see ESR performing so well. He helped set up the first goal by robbing Mpenzu (superb assist by Havertz and finish by Odegaard, by the way), and having ghosted into space took the assist for the second and decisive goal. He got tired in the second half, but showed that he can be relied upon if called upon going forward. As did Thomas Partey. The team then held Luton at arm's length for the second half to take the three points. Goals conceded, by the way; zero.

There's been some moaning about a flat atmosphere at the Luton game. I'd say this; firstly, it's Easter; loads of regulars are away. Secondly, it was Luton; once a lead was secured there was no need to get excited - we'll save that for the likes of Chelsea. And finally, the tube was f*cked; no wonder so many left early. Nothing to be read into it, frankly.

Anyway... Job done. Job done. Job done. In different ways, but done nonetheless. We move on to Brighton on Saturday evening; the first of several tricky-looking away games. But by all current metrics Arsenal are the best team in the Premier League at the moment. Most goals scored. Fewest goals conceded. Highest Xg. Lowest Xg against. I could go on... so whilst the likes of Brighton are tricky fixtures, don't you think that they might be a little bit worried about having to play The Arsenal?

Three points, please. And a nice lead to take to Germany after Tuesday evening, please. Move on up.

COYG!

Top Of The League, You Say?...

Well, I think we’ll take that, frankly. Top of the league with 10 games to go. The two results in which we were interested could not have gone any better. Lots of story lines, of course, but the bare facts speak for themselves and leave the top of the table looking very crowded indeed. But if Carlsberg did weekends...

Nonetheless, Arsenal are in charge of their own destiny now (Arsenal appear to have the hardest of the three sets of matches on paper; but, for what it's worth, I have all three sides winning 8 and drawing 2 of their final 10 matches. And you know what that means...).

Here's my view on Saturday's talking points:

Firstly, Brentford turned out to be an excellent dress rehearsal for Porto. With a defence wracked by injuries - and a further injury early on in the game - Brentford came to stay well-organised, to spoil, to shithouse, and to look to hit Arsenal on the break. They ought to be embarrassed by some of the histrionics they performed - the match lasted 105 minutes, but the ball was only in play for 49 of them - as they collapsed writhing on the floor on some sort of rotational basis almost from the first whistle. I've never seen so much cramp suffered by so many players over such a short period! From Zanka after 5 minutes, to Maupay after 103, it wasn't football. 

Perfectly understandable, of course. A flowing game would not have suited them, and it's a legitimate tactic to look to break up play as must as possible when outclassed. And they almost got a point out of it; although would have been more than they deserved on the balance of play. The twin threats of Toney and Wissa were/are quite a handful - especially when defending 2 vs 2 as Arsenal were for much of the game.

In that context, I found their response to Kai Havertz's alleged dive somewhat unpalatable. Sure, he made the most of whatever contact there was. But a second yellow? Really? And especially bearing in mind the two penalties that Arsenal could/should have been awarded for tugs on Trossard and Gabriel (amidst penalty area scenes that would be outlawed at times in a game of rugby!). 

And I for one don't appreciate the narrative created on the back of it. I was shocked to see the BBC's treatment of the Havertz incident on MOTD. Blown out of all proportion. There's a constant lack of willingness to praise Arsenal, and a desire to do them down - and if they can't find anything then they'll make something up. How nice it would be for the team to actually be given the credit it deserves!

Secondly, I want to talk about Aaron Ramsdale. Now, we all love the man. And he was on a hiding to nothing in this game. Yes, he made a mistake, and a bad one; I originally thought that Gabriel had given him a bit of a 'hospital pass', but he had time to clear the ball. He simply took too long to sort his feet out. Excellent work from Wissa, and very unfortunate for Ramsdale.

Yet he redeemed himself fully in the second half. Two excellent - one world class, in fact - saves prevented Arsenal from falling behind. The save from Toney's brilliant, improvised long-distance effort was magnificent. 

And the other, from Collins' header after the latter had escaped Kivior on a second ball from a set piece (something the coaching staff need to look at there, I think) was pretty fine too. It was wonderful to see the team spirit and camaraderie in the squad, supporting the keeper through his eventful evening.

This may well be the final time we see Ramsdale in an Arsenal shirt. And whilst it's now clear that Arteta did make the correct decision in upgrading, we must not lose sight of the job the guy has done for this team. By dint of number of memorable performances and saves last season, and of sheer force of personality, he helped turn Arsenal around. I wish him good fortune wherever he goes (until he comes up against Arsenal, of course).

The goalkeeping decision is something that we can now see that Arteta has got right. Signing Havertz. Signing Jorginho. Reverting to Trossard last season when the number one target drifted out of reach. Deciding to remove the likes of Aubameyang, Ozil, Mustafi and others from the squad. We doubted Arteta time and time again. Which only goes to show what we know about football. Mikel knows... And on a slight tangent, I wonder how Chelsea fans feel when they see Jorginho and Havertz - players they'd written off - performing so well in a red shirt. No more scavenging in 'Chelsea's bins' for the likes of David Luiz and Willian; these are two further strokes of Arteta genius.

Next, it's clear that this group of players is still developing, and can only get better. They're equipped for different roles in different scenarios. Look at the different roles that White, Rice and Havertz play for starters. Versatility and the ability to adjust in the heat of battle is crucial. White's two assists, and the fact that Arsenal scored two headed goals against a defence of some size/stature (all three of their goals against this opposition have come from headers, actually) show that they will do whatever it takes, however it takes to achieve it.

With the draw we craved the result of the titanic Liverpool/City clash on Sunday, the road is clear to concentrate on Porto this evening. If Martinelli remains unfit, I'd be very tempted to start Jesus. And with Partey and Zinchenko now on their way back, things might get very hot indeed for the Portuguese outfit.

Arsenal - and we fans of course - need to bring the fire. So they don't know what's hit them. Put pressure on their players, and on the referee, and progress to the quarter finals is within reach. After that, it's time for those international friendlies that we've all been missing so much... 

Followed by the big one on March 31st! Let's keep pushing. Players, coaching staff, and supporters alike. Let's get behind this group and help push them over the line. 

Exciting times. North London Forever. COYG!

Statistics, Eh?!?

Arsenal's dismantling of Sheffield United on Monday evening meant a whole new set of statistical records were set; not just during the match, but reflecting the team's incredible run over the past 7 matches. If titles were won on paper, Arsenal would have this one wrapped up on all known indicators. 

My favourite stats from the night were:

• William Saliba completed 167 passes (in itself an incredible number for a centre back) during the match. That's more than the entire Sheffield United team, who completed just 142 between them. Those 167 passes comfortably eclipsed the Arsenal record of 154, previously held by Santi Cazorla

• Kai Havertz's goal was the 150,000th in English top flight football history. And Ben White's left-footed pile-driver was Arsenal's 10,000th competitive goal

• The 11-0 aggregate over two matches against Sheffield United equalled Arsenal's previous Premier League record, which was achieved against Everton in 2004/5 and then against a hapless Derby County in 2007/8. And is one short of Manchester City's 12-0 record, achieved against Watford. As an aside, I have happy memories of Arsenal facing Everton on or around the final game of the season (remember 'It's Tony Adams, put through by Steve Bould. Would you believe it?!? That sums it all up!'). I recall a 7-0, a 4-3 and a 5-1. Not an omen, but our final game of the season is... home to Everton...

• The result was Arsenal's third consecutive 5+ goal away win. Which is as remarkable as is the fact that it was also United's third consecutive 5+ goal defeat! They are doomed

• Arsenal were three goals up in 15 minutes, and 5 in 39. No wonder the home sections were half empty by half time

• Waka waka. Kai Havertz scored -and assisted - again. Oh we of little faith! As it turns out, Mikel knows...

I could go on. But - and I'll, as I usually do, preface this by pointing out that Sheffield United are terrible - this was no flash in the pan. Since their mini-break in Dubai, and with the bizarre exception of the defeat in Portugal, Arsenal have been blowing far better sides than this lot away. Newcastle are no mugs, yet they didn't have a sniff. Nobody goes to the London Stadium and hits 6. Liverpool supporters will be the first to admit that they were well beaten.

This side currently has something of the feel of The Invincibles. Now, they've clearly got a hell of a way to go to emulate that side (I'm not sure that it's even possible these days if the great Manchester City haven't achieved it), but just to see them in the tunnel prior to the game would have sent shivers up Sheffield spines. A steely look, and a little nod - both reminiscent of the magnificent Vieira-led team of 2003/4 - were enough to put the opposition away before the match had even started. And it was all over as contest in no time, as we all saw.

A goals record of 31-3 over the past 7 games is amazing. And the underlying stats reinforce the results. xG is 19, so they're over-performing that by miles (I wrote only a few weeks ago that Arsenal were under-performing against xG, and just wait until that changes - I am a prophet!)

More importantly, xGA (expected goals against) over the 7 games is 1.97 - so they're underperforming that by actually having let three goals in - but the nearest team to the Gunners, Manchester City's, comparative xGA is close to 7! Liverpool's is 10. Newcastle's is over 20! And it's this that could make the difference by the end of the season.

No team wins a title with a poor defence. Statistically, Arsenal's is the best in the division. Fewest shots on target conceded. Fewest goals conceded. Lowest xGA. And that bodes well. Provided that... the centre halves stay fit, and that Arteta can be allowed some rotation. Zinchenko, Tomiyasu and even Timber should be making it back to fitness in turn as the season builds to a climax, which will all help. Not that young Kivior isn't doing a remarkable job at left back at the moment.

As for those who'd been clamouring for a striker... eat your words! Goals are being shared all over the pitch. The team looks settled, and is playing with great belief, confidence and verve. Arteta seems to have the mix just right at the moment. But there's a long way to go yet.

Because... all of these stats are on paper. The title will - I'm pretty sure - be decided on grass, and moments may be vital. Trends are one thing, but it only takes a mometary lapse for things to go awry. As Thierry Henry pointed out on Sky Sports on Monday evening, whilst Arsenal's defensive stats are enviable, they maybe do have a weakness. Much like Manchester City, they have a propensity to concede to the first shot on target (although recently those have been few and far between). And the weakness is this, for both sides: they are intent on dominating possession, and on pushing up and strangling the opposition. But if the press is beaten, they can find themselves wide open to a swift break. Yin and yang; I'd risk it. After all, Saliba has fantastic recovery pace, but before that's needed they've got to get past Rice and Gabriel. All of which is going to make the game at The Etihad fascinating.

Arsenal are playing the most scintillating football in Europe at the moment, but that will count for nothing if they get knocked out of their stride. I'm not too worried about an injury-ravaged Brentford, who they ought to shrug aside. But they need to carry the performance through to Porto on Tuesday. Failure to qualify for the last 8 of the Champions League would be sure to hit their confidence (qualification will lead to fixture congestion, but that's the price of success). Tuesday will be an entirely different type of game - Porto will try every trick in the book - but there's a good chance that they may find themselves getting blown away at a fired-up Emirates Stadium.

After Porto, there's another of those hideous interlulls... and then Manchester City away! We'll know more about the size of the task in hand by the time City have finished their clash with Liverpool, but we'll know everything about it by the evening of March 31st. 

Meantime, let's see the momentum spill over into each game, take each one as it comes, and we shall see. This feels different to last season, when injuries were already starting to deplete the squad. What Monday's scoreline did was mean a full half for Fabio Vieira, and half an hour from Gabriel Jesus, as well as the lesser-spotted Thomas Partey (who looked rusty, but still showed flashes of what makes him such an important piece in the jigsaw). An entirely different scenario to last season.

Nonetheless, the task is enormous. Arsenal are still only in third place, with two behemoths ahead of them; players and managers who have been there, and done it. And whilst I feel that Liverpool's 'luck' may run out (there's a similar feel to what they're doing to what Arsenal did in the first par tof last season; and despite injuries their recent fixtures haven't been taxing in any case) at any minute, I'd rather not contemplate dealing with City until I have to. 

Arsenal remain the third youngest squad in the Premier League, so there's surely plenty to come from them over the next few years. But they currently look ready to step up, and this does feel like a great opportunity. 10 more matches. That's all. It has to be Full Steam Ahead. 

COYG!

Saturday Night Is Party Night!

Arsenal, if anything, took their domestic form up yet another notch with a totally dominant victory over Newcastle United on Saturday night. Mikel Arteta had requested it loud, and following a 20-day gap since the previous home league game we were certainly up for it from long before the first whistle. The light show, the flags and North London Forever set the scene as Arsenal tore into Newcastle from kick-off.

Revenge was, of course, in the air. This wasn't just about putting right Wednesday's wrongs, but about putting straight the feelings of injustice from the reverse fixture; you remember, of course, a goal that could/should have been disallowed for any of three reasons being allowed to stand! Martin Odegaard touched on this post-match, but it was clear that Arsenal were going to have an extra edge against a club against whom there is extra recent antipathy. The very sight of the baby-faced (don't let that fool you!) Eddie Howe and his demon sidekick Tindall are enough to set me off, I can tell you!

And then, of course, there's Bruno Guimaraes. An unpleasant presence in Newcastle's midfield; always up for a snidey or over-the-top challenge. Should have taken an early bath on the reverse fixture following an assault on Jorginho. And, by the way, he attempted a 'reducer' on the same player early on during Saturday's game; what a scumbag!

And here's a thing; it's well-known that Arsenal were interested in him before he signed for Newcastle, but I've put 2 and 2 together after listening (back) to Edu's pre-game interview on TNT Sport, when he referenced that it's as much about the character of the individual as his ability when it comes to signing players to add to this particular group. Because Bruno, by the way that he conducts himself, doesn't strike me as somebody who would fit in with the current group; in the same way as the likes of Moises Caicedo may well have fallen by the wayside too (by the way, didn't the club dodge some bullets when they were unable - for whatever reason - to sign Caicedo or Mudryk, judging on their pitiful showings in the Carabao Cup Final!).

I for one was concerned about the mental scars from Wednesday - as well as the physical effects compared to Newcastle, who'd had all week to rest and prepare for this match - but Arsenal came flying out of the blocks from the first whistle, and pushed Newcastle back throughout a high intensity initial half hour where it was clear that Newcastle had no response whatsoever. In the first half hour, over 50% of the game had been played in Newcastle's final third; let alone half!

Arsenal were simply irresistible. With Odegaard, Havertz and Rice leading the press and blocking the out balls, the unpredictable movement of Saka and Martinelli, the high starting points of both full backs, and Jorginho oiling the wheels, Newcastle were reeling. That the first goal should have come from a corner, however, can be no surprise on current form. Gabriel's powerful flick from Saka's flat delivery had the away side at 6s and 7s - one almost felt sorry for poor Karius in the Newcastle goal; what a venue to play your first PL game for 6 years! - and at some point the ball/pinball crossed the goal line for an own goal.

Some of the combination play being put together was sublime. Odegaard and Saka have a wonderful mutual understanding, the movement all over the pitch was superb, and once Jorginho's clever vertical passing is added to the mix I defy any side to cope. Chances were being created at will, and the second goal was a work of art. Jorginho's lobbed ball the meet Martinelli's clever and somewhat unexpected and unusual run into the right-hand channel, an intelligent pull back into the 6-yard box, and Kai Havertz, showing great anticipation, was there to pass the ball into the almost unguarded net. Beautiful.

 

Newcastle were all over the shop. Whatever plans they'd had, Arsenal had blown them out of the water. They looked jittery in possession, and lost it continually; even arguing amongst themselves. Only when Arsenal eased up a little - taking a breather - before half time did they manage to get any sort of foothold in the game. But they went in at the break without having had a single shot on Raya's goal.

Early in the second half we saw the other side of Kai Havertz, and following a sweeping move that started with David Raya and ended with a really clever reverse pass from Martinelli, the German contrived to drag the ball wide from 15 yards with only Karius to beat. I had been up in an act of premature celebration; I'd have been embarrassed, but I was hardly alone. Despite all the goals that are raining in, I still feel that Arsenal need to be even more clinical.

Whilst Jorginho rightly took the Man of the Match plaudits, I have to spare a few words for Starboy. His form has gone up a few more notches over the past few weeks, terrorising full backs and showing not only great strength and skill, but unpredictability. Add to that his phenomenal recent scoring form and we have a player in the form of his young life. Goodness knows how much more there may be to come from him, but I don't want to hear any more of this 'He's not World Class' nonsense. I keep casting my mind forward to the summer, by the way, and can't wait to see what an England side that includes Saka, Rice, Bellingham, TAA, Foden and Harry Kane might achieve at the Euros.

And it was Saka who single-handedly put the result beyond doubt, when at the end of an incisive move he first tormented Livramento before finding some extra space and curling the ball into the far corner of Karius's net. Glorious. 

And this photograph sums his relationship with the club and the fans up perfectly.

Moments later, another corner. And this time it was Kivior on the end of Rice's near post delivery to bury the ball, via a deflection, in the back of the net for 4-0. Well-deserved, from a young man who has really grown into an unfamiliar left back role from rocky beginnings. True, Arteta has simplified what he wants from the Pole compared to what he expects of Zinchenko; but he's done a superb job over the past few weeks.

Some sloppy and perhaps slightly tired defending allowed former Arsenal player Joe Willock to claw a consolation goal back late on. But there was still time for an ESR shot to be cleared off the line by substitute - and I'll give him his full name here - Big Dan Burn At The Back. 4-1 will do very nicely, and we maintain the pressure on our rivals. In fact, with the fixtures falling as they do it's likely that by the time that Liverpool and City face off against each other in a couple of weeks, Arsenal will be above them. Nothing less than their scintillating form deserves, as more Premier League records fall to the mighty Arsenal. 12. More. Games.

A quick word about the Carabao Cup before I go. And whilst it was VVD who, by force of his presence and personality won the cup for Liverpool, I have to say that I completely agree with Gary Neville's assessment of Chelsea. Faced in extra time by a Liverpool side with 4 teenagers and a 20-year-old, their over-priced and over-rated bunch of misfits disappeared further and further into their shells; unable to impose themselves. They're an absolute joke of a club at the moment; badly run, badly coached and with little apparent pride or motivation. An absolute laughing stock. Long may it continue.

As for Liverpool; well done - you've won the Carabao Cup; now get down the tunnel! Or, in Klopp's final season, keep going in the cups until late on, maybe win another one, but fade out of title contention please. With the number of injuries they currently have, that's a highly likely scenario.

And so to Monday evening, when no scenario that I can think of lends itself to anything but a thumping win for Arsenal at bottom of the table Sheffield United. COYG!

Bump In The Road

When I wrote in my last blog post that I anticipated that there would be setbacks before the end of the season, I wasn’t expecting one to arrive this quickly. But if you wanted to see an illustration of the difference between a Premier League game and a European one, this was it. Chalk and cheese.

Whereas Arsenal are one of the very best teams in England, and are generally able to bully inferior English opposition much of the time, this game seemed to be played to a different set of rules. Cagey. Tactical. The sort of encounter that sets your teeth on edge in frustration.

Not that I’m knocking how Porto set up and played. They have every right to play how they want, and by the end of the match, the end justified the means. Horrendous watch though it may have been. And amongst all the clever blocking off of Arsenal’s attacking lines, and exploitation of wide areas that enabled them to relieve pressure and hit Arsenal on the break, came all the European trickery and gamesmanship that so differentiates the EPL from the UCL. 

Diving at every piece of contact. Staying down longer than necessary. Loads of arm-waving and anguished facial expressions. And they soon realised that they were being officiated by a referee who was prepared to fall for all that nonsense; there’s no way that the likes of Taylor, Oliver or Atwell would have bought that nonsense. In total, the ball was only in play for 50 minutes of the 90, and 36 fouls were committed (or blown for, I should say). Ref, they saw you coming!

Nowhere was this better illustrated than at set pieces. Wary of Arsenal’s burgeoning reputation, Porto sought to disrupt on the very edge of the Law. And got away with it; even, at times, impeding each other in their desperation to disrupt Arsenal! Here, for example, do not focus on the goalkeeper, but instead look at what's being done to Kivior.

Although, as I say that, I can recall two missed far post headers that could easily have changed the course of the game, and a volleyed opportunity for Trossard that would have been a contender for Goal of the Season! 

Nonetheless, the sight of bodies littering the goalmouth at corners was reminiscent of a battlefield at times! Yet, when all is said and done, the statistics show that despite dominating the ball Arsenal failed to have a single shot on target - and could/should have conceded more than the one they did.

So where did it go wrong for Arsenal? I'd mainly put it down to a form of naivete. The strting XI featured a sole player with any Champions League knock-out phase experience; Kai Havertz with 16 appearances. None of the other 10 had played a single game of this magnitude in Europe (and yes, I am including Declan Rice's Europa Conference League Final). By contrast, Pepe alone had 47 appearances before last night, and has won the trophy three times!

Arsenal sought to impose themselves from the start, but Porto played to a different rhythm; cutting off the passing lanes, and disrupting as much as they could. This is what playing in this sort of tie is like, and we were soon reminded quite how tough it can be. From the moment that Rice was booked for an over-exuberant challenge in the third minute, I could sense that Arsenal weren't going to be allowed to roll all over this lot.

For all of their dominance of the ball, Arsenal did little constructive with it, and looked most dangerous at the afore-mentioned set pieces. Martinelli and Saka were kept surprisingly quiet, Odegaard couldn't find the decisive passes he's becoming known for and dropped deeper and deeper, Trossard struggled to find space, and Havertz looked timid. Behind them, Saliba had an uncharacteristically nervous time of it, and made several unusual errors. Rice, however - and especially bearing in mind the early booking - was diligent in his work, and has yet another 8/10 game.

But something was missing. And I'll tell you what I think; a lack of experience - both on the coaching side and on the field - prevented Arsenal from dealing with what was an entirely alien challenge compared to what they've faced recently. It feels easier to play against the likes of Liverpool than a team like Porto, and the loss of the missing Zinchenko and - particularly - Jesus was keenly felt. Jorginho's presence may also have been useful.

It was all so very frustrating, but there was - of course - no need to force matters. It's a two-leg affair, with the second leg at home. Under normal circumstances - and barring mishaps - the task ought not be/have been beyond Arsenal. With the crowd behind them in the second leg, it's likely to be an entirely different game at The Emirates. Which made the last minute concession of a goal doubly or triply frustrating.

And the goal illustrated that naivete about what's needed at this level. Arsenal had several chances to clear the ball from Porto's final attack, but failed once, twice, and finally a third time as Martinelli's highly optimistic raking cross-field pass towards Saka (had it reached him, to be fair, Porto were outnumbered), was intercepted by Borges, who swiftly located Galeno. The striker dropped his shoulder and cut inside Rice (who was slow to close him down) before hitting an unstoppable curling shot into the very far corner of Raya's net. 

I'm not having it from critics of the goalkeeper, who claim that he was out of position.  Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say that it was unsavable; I'm not sure that it mattered where Raya was positioned, as the ball curved from well outside the frame of the goal into the corner of the net. It was, frankly, the least that Galeno deserved, having come so close to giving Porto a first half lead when he hit a post and then failed to bury the rebound that landed at his feet.

So where are we now with this? Well, Arsenal contrived to lose 2-1 in Lens in the group stages, yet won the return game 6-0. Could history repeat itself? It would be nice to think so, but I'm certainly not expecting a rout. What I am expecting is a white hot atmosphere, and Arsenal to offer up a different and more effective challenge to Porto. They'll be content to sit back and suffocate Arsenal - it's probably their best hope, and they now have something to cling to. I'm not as confident as I was, but I still think we'll do it.

Meantime, it s quick turnaround to Newcastle on Saturday. Minds, as well as legs, will be fatigued. Arteta will need to make changes, so let's hope that we get some injured players back. We owe Newcastle, but what went on yesterday will inspire some ideas in Eddie Howe. Lest we forget that he, his obnoxious assistant Tindall and the team itself are master shithousers at the best of times. Expect more of the same, and a struggle; unless Arsenal get an early goal. 

Let's make sure we get behind the boys on Saturday night. COYG!!!

A Bunch Of Fives; And Porto Preview

Arsenal continued their rich vein of form over the weekend with a comprehensive thrashing of hapless Burnley. 

In truth, there probably wasn’t much to worry about pre-game. Burnley are 19th, and have a horrendous home record. But there’s always something historical in the ‘this could be a tricky game’ theory when it comes to Arsenal. Our hearts maybe had us worried, even though our heads thought otherwise. But on the back of Liverpool’s win earlier on the day - it’s easier to play first, in my opinion, and put the pressure on the opposition - there was never a moment's doubt as Arsenal continued as they had left off against West Ham.

No changes to the starting XI, with the only injured player recovered enough to make the bench being ESR. And no real need to change the line-up, I guess. Arsenal are better than Burnley, and brim full of confidence. And it went to plan. More of the same, please!

Burnley tried to press from kick-off, but that was already wearing off after just 4 minutes as first Rice, then Martinelli, carried the ball long distances before the latter’s cross found its way to Martin Odegaard. One touch to control the ball, and a second to half-volley it home from the edge of the area. End of contest, frankly; and whilst it look a little while for Arsenal's domination to turn into further goals there was a total inevitability about where the points where going.

A penalty late in the first half after Trossard was brought down meant a further goal for Bukayo Saka (Trafford got close to saving it, actually), and Starboy put the game to bed early in the second half with a sublime feint and hammered right foot finish. 

Trossard finally got his reward when he slammed a left-fotoed shot into the far corner, and Havertz wrapped it all up late on (waka waka) with some quick thinking and footwork before applying the coup de grace.  By which time Arteta had rested several key players - including, much to my annoyance, both Saka and Trossard; thus costing me potential further Fantasy points. And so Arsenal march on.

A few quick points before I move on:

1,    Arsenal are brim full of confidence and new-found belief since they returned from Dubai. The break has done them a world of good; and that's what a holiday - albeit a working one - is all about. There seem to be closer connections all over the pitch, and it's up to both players and Management to keep up this mood - especially when they hit an obstacle or two (as they are sure to do) on the elongated run-in

2.    There's been loads of talk in the media about whether Bukayo Saka is 'world class'. Apparently, Phil Foden is, but Saka is not. Yet... All nonsense; except for one thing: Foden has played in a title- (indeed, treble-) winning side, but Saka has not. Yet... And in the same way that the likes of Pep and Klopp are given a free pass to 'over-celebrate' but Arteta is not, that's where we are in this debate. Winning something is what changes the perception. 

The fact that Saka's goal/assist stats are better than Cristian Ronaldo's at this stage of their careers - and, remember, Starboy started out as a full back! - probably counts for nought:

But he deserves to be in that conversation. I personally believe that Saka is one of the Top 10 players in the world, but my opinion of course counts for little. He'll become more universally recognised as such when Arsenal finally have a big trophy to show for their undoubted quality. It's within touching distance, and let's hope that Arsenal get there this season in order to put all this nonsense to bed

3.    It's funny, but I get the sense that despite a glut of goals Arsenal are being profligate in front of goal. Despite doubling their xG on Saturday, I believe that 5 goals under-played their superiority. Don't get me wrong; successive 6-0 and 5-0 away wins will do very nicely. But it's when it comes to bigger and better opposition, and finer margins, the type of chance that is still being missed needs to be put away. I'm never satisfied, am I?

And so on to Porto, and the return of the Champions League. Followed swiftly by tough opposition in the form of Newcastle United just 72 hours later. A proper test for the team and squad, with a big warning sign hanging over it. It's been one game a week for a while now. Two games in the space of three days brings an entirely different challenge; and especially with the squad remaining depleted and the possibilities for rotation similarly affected. ESR is back, and Partey and Vieira are close, but the absence of Jesus, Zinchenko and Tomiyasu (and the continued absence of Timber) means that the squad isn't fully equipped for an enlarged workload. 

It's perhaps a 'blessing' that Arsenal are fighting on just two (massive) fronts, whilst City and Liverpool have bigger workloads. But we can't worry about the opposition; Arsenal need to take care of their own business!

There were certainly more difficult potential last 16 opponents than Porto. Winning the group at least prevented Arsenal from having to go down the late Wenger era old dead end - suffered season after season - of finishing second and inevitably drawing peak Bayern or peak Barcelona in the last 16. I personally still bear some of the scars of those maulings! And Porto are eminently beatable. They're a distant third in the Portuguese league at the moment and not in the best of form. Their best known players are the Portuguese national goalkeeper, Costa, and the veteran thug of a centre back, Pepe, who hits the ripe old age of 41 between the first and second legs of this tie. 

Under normal circumstances, Arsenal should have too much for Porto. And the ideal scenario is a swift three goal lead and the ability to rest players for Saturday. I'm probably dreaming... but Arsenal are in scintillating form, so it's not out of the question. Hopefully we'll see a Partey cameo, because a fit and available Thomas Partey will be 'LANS' going into the run in. 

Saturday - Newcastle at home. At the ludicrous time of 8pm. Good of the Premier League and the television companies to think of the travelling supporter, methinks... Still, I personally haven't got far to travel. Newcastle are definitely missing Joelinton and Wilson, and probably Isak too. They're out of form - and we owe them, big time!, after their travesty of a winning goal earlier this season. And I'll think we'll give them precisely what they deserve. 

Liverpool play this evening, and City play before Arsenal too; we're last on next week as well, so the pressure will remain on, and there's no room for error. The week after, it's Liverpool vs City; and it's after that when we'll know the scale of the task ahead. But in the meantime we can - quite rightly - dream. COYG!