Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Video
The brand new season started yesterday with a well-recognized trying staff choice, acquainted goalscorers, and on the premise of what we noticed within the second half final season, a welcomingly acquainted outcome.
I feel what stood out for me is that there are some gamers within the staff who aren’t at 100%, whether or not that’s due to a truncated pre-season, or a protracted summer time, it’s arduous to inform precisely, however I checked out Declan Rice and William Saliba as two guys whose performances had been actually not fairly on the stage we’ve come to count on from them. Gabriel Martinelli was full of life once more, however nonetheless lacking that finish product, that go or shot that opens issues up for him once more.
What luck for us then that we have now a few gamers in Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka whose affect is such that even when issues round them aren’t good, they’ll nonetheless produce. Can we speak about Saka for only a second? It’s barely a month since he performed within the closing of Euro 2024, and I feel you can see – like some others – he’s making his manner again to full health and sharpness. And but, what a contribution.
His cross for Havertz’s opener was simply excellent, and it obtained the end it deserved from the German. A thumping header because the keeper got here and located himself in no-man’s land. That gave us a lead I feel we deserved within the first half, and it in all probability ought to have been extra. There have been probabilities that I feel a sharper staff makes extra of, however that is simply the primary day and there’s clearly nonetheless work to be accomplished.
I believed we would have had a primary half penalty too, a careless problem on Saka actually knocked him off stability as he in the reduction of contained in the defender, however there was nothing doing there. A few of that rustiness was evident within the massive first half likelihood Wolves had, shedding the ball in midfield and Jorgen Strand Larsen getting the unsuitable facet of Saliba to energy a header at purpose. Fortunately David Raya was there to make a improbable save, shifting again as he was going the opposite solution to stick a hand out to cease it.
Within the second half, Wolves had been lots higher, and made life tough for us on prime of us making life tough for ourselves. Saliba made an uncharacteristically careless go throughout his field which introduced Wolves an ideal alternative to equalise, once more Raya saved however the effort on purpose was unconvincing. If there may be an ‘excuse’ for Saliba, it’s that he too went deep into Euro 2024, and he’s all the time been the type of man who takes a sport or two to rise up to hurry.
There aren’t any excuses for Thomas Partey coughing up possession the best way he did. He had a full summer time to organize, and whereas I understood his lack of type on the finish of final season having been out for therefore lengthy, I’m unwilling to provide him the good thing about the doubt now. I feel this place is one thing of an issue for us now, his legs are heavy, he can’t get away from opposition gamers any extra (they usually can actually get away from him), and Arteta has some severe pondering to do right here. My suspicion is that the arrival of Mikel Merino (left of out of the Actual Sociedad squad for his or her sport at this time), will see Rice play extra usually because the 6 with the Spanish worldwide additional forward within the midfield.
I’ll admit I used to be a bit frightened about Saka because the half went on. I appeared on the bench, and whereas Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard are good choices, I needed we had one thing else to name on. With all due respect to Eddie and Reiss, a signing would make an enormous distinction to this squad. Within the meantime although, we’ll simply must make do with the extraordinary output, consistency and high quality of Saka (what a chore!). Selecting up a go from Havertz, he minimize contained in the defenders to drill a shot past the keeper on the close to publish, and that was all the time going to make the sport secure.
The end was excellent, however his means to step up and get us a purpose we actually wanted, on a day once I assume he was not 100% to start with and positively flagging earlier than he cracked off that shot, is unbelievable. A purpose and an help to kick off the brand new season, his numbers could possibly be off the charts this yr.
What else? Properly, I feel Wolves ought to have been all the way down to 10 males. Yerson Mosquera’s chokehold/slam on Kai Havertz was solely deliberate and the very definition of violent conduct. I actually don’t perceive how the officers checked out that and determined it wasn’t. I assume they’ve set a really excessive threshold for the season forward. Additionally, whereas Jesus was being annoying when Wolves had been attempting to take a free kick, Mosquera grabbing his arse was very bizarre and I don’t blame our man for reacting the best way he did. After all Jesus was the one who obtained a yellow card, whereas the Wolves man stayed out of the guide. I assume for all of the pre-season chat about officiating and new guidelines and so on, not a lot adjustments by way of their ineptitude in key moments.
Raya needed to make one other save late on, Gabriel celebrated Arsenal profitable a purpose kick with some typical gusto, and it was good to see Jurrien Timber make his official return after sustaining that harm on the opening day of final season. Afterwards, Mikel Arteta mentioned:
We generated lots – we in all probability ought to have scored two or three, and the sport would have been a bit totally different. Within the second half, there have been moments the place we turned a bit sloppy and never managed, particularly with some giveaways, which in opposition to this staff is especially tough.
It was the primary sport – there’s all the time uncertainty round how we’re going to answer that in opposition to a very tough opponent. We scored two, clear sheet, win, job accomplished.
Clear sheet, three factors, simply what the physician ordered to kick off the brand new season, however clearly there may be room for enchancment too. It’s not unusual, particularly after a match summer time, to take a little bit of time to search out fluency and rhythm, however the fixture checklist is such that we have now to attempt to rise up to hurry as shortly as potential. So, I count on a busy week on the coaching floor as we put together for our journey to Aston Villa subsequent weekend, however with that first hurdle efficiently cleared, we are able to do it in a constructive way of thinking and hopefully we might be higher once more subsequent Saturday.
Proper, that’s it for this morning. Take pleasure in your Sunday, and be part of us tomorrow for the primary Arsecast Further of the brand new season.
