An easy win to paper over more cracks!
So that was more like it but so it should be, anything less would again have raised some serious questions.
Getting away with a 3-0 win in the Europa League with two wins out of two and coming away with maximum points is just what we needed. But you expect nothing less against a team that, if I am honest, I had never heard of until the draw was made.
Clearly they’re a good side otherwise they wouldn’t have got into the Europa League group stages but again it was a game on paper we should not have had any issues with and despite it taking 42 minutes for Arsenal to break the deadlock it was a well-deserved yet expected win.
Arteta went with a mix of players with some key absentees of course, but a 3-0 win has yet again papered over the cracks temporarily as we now look ahead to a small trip to old Trafford.
It was a better performance from the off from a slightly changed Arsenal side, with intensity and willingness to get forward and score goals clear to see but Dundalk stood firm and defended well, at that point you began to think where would the goals come from, and would Arteta need his key strikers to come on in the second half, but 42 minutes in and goals from Nketiah and Willock took us into a 2-0 lead at half time.
Coming out into the second half we pretty much picked up where we left off and within one minute of the restart Pepe with a sublime strike that we know he is capable of made it 3-0. A number of chances came after that, but the game ended at 3-0 to the delight of Dundalk for not conceding any more than that.
An injury free game and a clean sheet where Arteta’s key players didn’t even get a thought of coming on, is just what we needed. Add to that a debut for our new keeper Runarsson, who despite not being tested really, at least got a run around.
And all in it was a well-deserved rest for the normal first teamers and surely this will put us in good stead ahead of our upcoming games. Here’s hoping hey Gooners?
Shenel Osman
The headline and sub-headline (“… paper over more cracks”) bear little resemblance to the author’s words. Sub-editor having a boring day?
I think what is important to remember is that most of the players that played had hardly any competitive football this season, are not all first team regulars and some we’re playing out of position ( 2nd half ) due to injuries.
Yes, on paper we should have won by more, but when you consider all the factors involved and how Dundalk set out, it was never going to be that straight forward.
All in all it was a good result for the young lads