Arsenal finally got themselves their first points of the season at home to Norwich, lifting themselves off the foot of the table.
The Gunners started the match brightly, although you could feel that our players were lacking in some confidence.
Our first chance came to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but goalkeeper Tim Krul just got enough on the ball to deny his effort, while the Canaries continued to play attacking football.
Despite our opponents playing open, we struggled to carve out that many clearcut chances, but when Kieran Tierney dispossessed Norwich inside our half and spotted a huge gap upfield, his long ball was perfect for Auba to run in behind the defence and claim it, but just as you are expecting him to do his trademark ‘cut to the right and place it into the far corner’, he snatches at a long-distance effort…
We went into the break knowing we should really have been ahead, but also knowing we were going to get more opportunities in the remainder of the 90.
Our main outlet in the second-half was all coming through Pepe down the right, but even he seems to be lacking some sharpness as he struggles to find that final ball or pass which would open it up for his team-mates.
Just after the hourmark Arteta opted to make the double-change, with Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey coming off the bench, and it wasn’t long after that we finally saw the deadlock broken.
Nicolas Pepe received the ball down the far right, and he manages to work his way to the edge of the box before his effort strikes the far post, and he and Krul pounce on the bouncing ball before it somehow manages to work itself to Auba inside the six-yard box to poke home into an empty goal.
Pepe had another of big chances where he should probably have done better with by not actually shooting himself, but the result ended up being the right one finally, and we are finally back to winning ways in the division.
Patrick