Arsenal have managed to avoid a shock defeat at the hands of West Ham by claiming victory at the Emirates this evening.
The Gunners started brightly, but maybe not as strong as they had done in other games this term. While we had looked to have taken the initial lead, it was ruled out for offside, and it looked like VAR would overturn the decision, only for a slight touch to have made the decision correct.
We were punished from the penalty shot around the half-hour mark, when William Saliba was punished for a foul on Jarrod Bowen, and Said Benrahma duly delivered from the spot.
We came out after the break with more luck however, with Odegaard piercing our rivals defence to find Bukayo Saka, who calmly took his time to pass it into the net beyond a cemented Fabianski.
Almost right away we added our second, when Gabriel Martinelli fired in from a tight angle on the counter-attack, and the Emirates erupted in cheers. It has been a long six weeks waiting to hear the roars of this crowd I tell you…
We continued to pursue the next goal as we went in search of the goal which would seal the victory, and it came for exactly the player we would want to find goalscoring form. Eddie Nketiah seals the win with a sublime turn and finish with just 20 minutes remaining on the clock, to send us right on course for the perfect return to action.
Patrick
Absolute masterclass by Odegaard. Ran more than anybody, made a ton of turnovers, kept everything moving and dragged us kicking and screaming to victory. White was also superb – a real class act. Delighted that Eddie scored. Never stopped running and I saw a big improvement in his movement and positional play. Really solid team performance – you won’t find a fitter, better drilled or technically superior team in this division.
Couldn’t agree more. Spot on assessment.
Yes, Odegaard was top of the class, but so many good performances.
And Nketiah, wow, we weren’t missing Jesus one bit in this game.
Told you that Nketiah must’ve had learned from Lacazette, Aubameyang and Jesus. He isn’t as tricky as Jesus nor does he possess Martinelli’s dribbling skills, but he’s quiet skilled as a CF
Moyes has several excellent players that I’d like Arsenal to sign, such as Rice, Bowen and Benrahma, but Arteta’s tactic was simply better. I think all Gunners played almost flawlessly, aside from Saliba’s mistake
Odegaard was my MOTM, because of his two assists, diagonal passes and work rate. He was a bit unlucky though, otherwise he would’ve scored twice
Rice stands out but at an insane price tag due to his hg stays not that I would be put off. If he wants come great but I suspect it would be City who won’t pay that fee or Chelsea because those his roots. United just get in conversation so the very many journalists that support them can keep the illusion going they are the biggest team in England, never mind the world. Benrahma I appreciate but no don’t think he steps us up a level. Bowen maybe but is on a long term contract so overpriced no matter what.
Yeah, unfortunately they still have long-term contracts at West Ham
I think that Arteta can improve almost any player that is willing to train hard and learn. I watched a Ukrainian Zinchenko interview and he said a) we train much harder than City b) unlike Guardiola, Arteta LISTENS to his players and often integrates their ideas and c) it’s much more fun and like one big family here than at City.
We can’t have a bottomless squad. We are not a hugely rich club and not only are English players overpriced, we also tend to overrate them. Rice is a good player but Arteta can find as good a player elsewhere at a cheaper price and improve them, because he knows how to spot and nurture talent. Hence if he wants to pay big money for Mudryk, I trust his judgement that there is a transferable, high ceiling talent there.
Great to hear about Arteta’s discussions with his players. He had surely learned a lot from Moyes, Wenger and Guardiola
I know Rice’s price tag will be too high for us. Hopefully Lokonga can play as good as Rice in the future
As for Mudryk, I was surprised by Romano’s reports. If Mudryk comes, I believe Nelson will be released in the summer and Smith-Rowe could be trained to compete with Xhaka for the central midfield role
Yeah a mistake which happened because he was trying to cover for both Tierney and Gabriel who were up field leaving Saliba with no choice but to make a tactical faul which happened to be on our own box
GAI, Whatever did he need learn from Auba? It certainly wasnt how to be lazy and be uninterested in earning his money during two whole seasons!!
And from Laca too? Surely not how to scream like a big girl when he was hacked down but uninjured, just as Laca did so often when fans were not there during Covid and his girly screams could be heard loudly onTV.
IMO he has zilch to learn from that way overhyped pair but much still to learn from the admirable JESUS.
Though I’d rather have Eddie all day long, then that thankfully gone gruesome twosome, who so failed to be legends, except to naive and hype driven fools among Gooners!
Jesus and Nketiah are both team players and the proof lies in how our many goals are now spread around the team. Unlike Auba, whom I grew to loathe, for his rampant selfishness and total lack of working flat out for the team, while still in our shirt. Not a single lazy player exists now under MA, the first Arsenal manager I have been truthfully able to say this about since the latter part of Bertie Mee’s time back in the 1970s!
A key part of our present success is the consistently dedicated work rate of the entire team; which is not given sufficient value by far too many of us.
Even George Graham, when playing(in MEE’S FIRST FEW YEARS) was an idle beggar, as we oldies well remember!
On ODEGAARD, I AGREE ENTIRELY. What a fine example to all players he is!
Benny Blanco was my man of the match, excellent tonight.
From the Bronx!, Best right back in the league by a mile.
For a while, I thought you were talking about another player! It’s out own Ben White!
MOTM: Martin Ødegaard
A new star is born: Eddie Nketiah
Excellent performance by all players on the pitch.
So happy for the players comeback in the second half.
Well done, Arteta.
Dominated game but once again the response shined through. Kept playing even when behind. Same as when Liverpool or Spurs equalised, mentality. Can’t help but be proud to be a fan right now against all expectations.
Spot on Angus. Last season we panicked after conceding. This season we simply up it a level but do so in such a controlled way. We fans often lose our confidence but this team don’t – incredibly mature for such an inexperienced group, and they have an amazing self belief. In the Arteta Sky interview Arteta said he is not afraid of losing as it can happen even when you dominate – as long as we play well and DESERVE to win. I think he’s instilled that and it allows them to play without fear, because these guys never seem to panic.
Good game Gunners
Unto the next one
Martinelli is our clutch player, every goal he scores is decisive. All are either opening goal or winning goal. Even the leicester one was decisive as it immediately restored our 2 goal cushion.
It was bold of Arteta to claim that we could win the CL within 3 years and his 3 years were up on Boxing Day
To have masterminded the transformation from the rabble that he inherited to what we are currently witnessing is phenomenal.
Money has been and had to be spent by the club. Liverpool are in the market and City and Utd have spent fortunes. Look at Newcastle chipping away. What we were unable to do before was to get any transfer fees due to the pile of pony that wore the Arsenal shirt. I wonder what the value of the squad is now?
How many players that started this game were purchased by Arteta, MO, White, Partey?
So to say he inherited rabble is a bit weird, would you not say? The rest came from previous managers.
Sorry and AR
In the rabble section I include Sokratis, Ozil, Mustafi, and Guendouzi all of them imo only, were the rabble. And why is it weird to say it was weird? Only Guendouzi had any re sale value and that wasn’t much and home grown Willock who didn’t look at all as though he could cut it at Arsenal. Pepe – not his player and Willian who was an Arteta man but an obvious error. Others disappeared relatively quietly and cheaply off the wage bill and were never Arsenal material.
Ramsdale was bought under Arteta and Saka and Martinelli were raw but hugely talented youngsters who have been coached to the standard they are now.
Cedric and Mari were stop gaps and were loanees until Sanhelli awarded them long contracts courtesy of his dealings with certain agents.
Of course you mention started rather than coming off the bench. Add Zinchenko and then there is the injured Jesus who would have walked into the team if fit. I suggest you look at the bench who also included purchases made by Arteta and Edu. I hope I have given you an insight to my thinking even if you disagree
If Arteta wins the league I will agree the transformation was phenomenal, lets not forget before he took over we were 5th and he took us to two 8th place finishes.
He also spent hundreds of millions on players and inherited exceptional talent from the previous regiment.
All I know is he can’t afford to not to be challenging for the title after the investment and current standards being set.
I can see he has played a vital role in our current position along with Edu and the academy producing really good talents.
@Scavenger
Could you enlighten me on the exceptional talent please? Saka and Martinelli I have mentioned who were not the finished article and Smith Rowe has not been fit enough to be classed as exceptional in my book.
I agree that millions have been spent and my point was that we didn’t have anybody worth selling to help improve the finances. Who were the other exceptionally talented players?
The whole thrust of my original post was that we do now have players who would be wanted and command a decent transfer fee.
I’m thinking – naturally of Saka and Martinelli. Odegaard must be worth more than we paid. White has proven to be worth his transfer fee at least. Saliba can still improve.
@Scavenger
That’s some fake news you about how Arteta found us in 5th and got us down to 8th and 8th.
Because if we were in 5th place in december 2019 when he took over then I don’t know why Emery was sacked that early in the season when he was in 5th place and challenging for Top 4.
It makes zero sense.
Fake News my friend..
😊
Gabriel (the centre back) was signed under arteta as well – people were looking at him as a potential weak link earlier in the season (a little unfairly/prematurely imo) but he really started to step it up again just before the world cup, and continued that good form yesterday.
If he keeps his mistakes down he will become very good,that is his only flaw ATM.
But massive improvement from just before WC.
Sue Though I am usually careful not to accuse our employees of personal dishonesty without proof, I WILL categorically accuse SANLLEHI of dishonest financial dealings.
The evidence is quite decisive and clear. He made personal profit by shady dealings involving our dross while he was here. He was ousted virtually overnight and that does not happen, UNLESS….!
IT IS WIDELY KNOWN IN THE GAME ITSELF THAT HE WAS DISHONEST. But a conspiracy of silence has evolved to protect the reputation of KSE as not being completely out of touch with what was going on “before their very eyes”, so to speak, , even though they were several thousand miles away in body while it happened.
No rational and honest person in SANLLEHI’S ROLE WOULD HAVE EVER SANCTIONED THE PURCHASE OF SUCH AS SOKRATIS, the Greek wrestler and ensured he stayed around all those dismal years.
Getting Sanllehi out of our club was the very first step in the quickly emerging rebuilding of our once great team ; a team left to drift under the far too comfortable later years of WENGER.
I do NOT accuse the admirable AW OF PERSONAL DISHONESTY; OF COURSE NOT.
BUT I do accuse him of becoming far too comfortable in charge of a declining team, so much so that, despite his glory years, he was RIGHTLY forced out by fan led action.
I believe we were in 9th place when Emery was sacked. I think the 5th place was the previous year’s finish, missing 4th by 1 point.
Emery put all his eggs in the Europa basket and botched his PL lineups down the stretch, a big factor in finishing 5th IMHO.
100%.
It’s difficult to pick and point it out, isn’t it? What’s makes these young Gunner team so much different than the rest of the league? Tactically, technically, positionally, teamwork, desire or fitness? We were great against West Ham but that performance against Chelsea was the best Arsenal had played probably in 15 years. The team’s ability to squeeze the life out of the opponents and then bully them physically and technically was breathtaking. Imagine if Arteta was in the position to buy any players in the world and add him into this F1 super engine of a team. You, as a fan, just don’t care who comes but we are blessed to hear the engine roar and fire towards glory. Amazing. Arteta should retire at Arsenal.
We will always miss the presence of Jesus in this team, but hopefully he will inspire the team by his humble
and polite manners off the field. The same goes for our
Mohamed Elneny, a great example of a professional..