Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
I very not often begin with a line from the day prior to this’s weblog, however I believe at this time is a little bit of an exception, so:
I’ve to say, as troublesome because the Rice/Odegaard factor is, I’d be extra apprehensive if we had related issues on the again. The solidity and continuity of the again 4/5 will probably be examined at this time, however we all know what they’re able to.
Yesterday’s 1-0 North London derby win was constructed on the defensive platform we’ve constructed over the past variety of years, and whereas I believe the again 4 and the goalkeeper are clearly the mainstays, what stood out to me most yesterday was how arduous your entire workforce labored from a defensive standpoint.
Not everybody was flawless, however that previous cliche of defending from the entrance sprang to thoughts once I noticed Kai Havertz closing down excessive up the pitch to cease them from getting the ball ahead. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli ran themselves ragged in each instructions, Leandro Trossard buzzed round interchanging with Havertz, and even the 2 veteran midfielders – each of whom I believe struggled at instances – did their bit to shore up the centre of the pitch.
We all know how Spurs prefer to play by way of the center. They stored making an attempt. They stored hitting a brick wall. It was type of like an anti-Pavlovian response. They stored doing it and it didn’t work, however they didn’t study something from it. It was, in as a lot as something will be throughout the tense 90 minutes+ of a derby, fairly humorous.
Early on David Raya needed to be alert a few instances, and William Saliba picked up a fifteenth minute reserving for ‘delaying the restart’ after he received the ball. The truth that this rule solely appears to use to Arsenal gamers is doing my head in, but when it’s a truth of life for us and no one else, we’re going to must adapt – no matter how nonsensical it’s to see us decide up yellows and reds whereas no one else does.
We had the perfect probability of the primary half when Trossard despatched Martinelli by way of. If he’d acquired his head up, he might need seen the chance was there to play in Saka on the again publish, however he didn’t and went for aim. I don’t essentially blame him fro making an attempt to attain however the end lacked conviction, which is a little bit of a operating theme for him in the intervening time. His final aim got here in March, he’s badly in want of one thing to unblock the expertise we all know he has.
The second a part of the primary half was punctuated with a collection of yellow playing cards, extra for them than for us, however Jurrien Timber’s was the one within the highlight. To be sincere, I don’t even suppose it’s a reserving, he didn’t contact Porro who writhed round on the bottom but required no therapy for one thing which evidently was so critical. Pure playacting. He’d get his ultimately, and the dialogue on TV about how he was fortunate to not be despatched off was absurd. I additionally beloved the afters, not simply Timber himself, however look how shortly Bukayo Saka was in there to take care of his mate. Good.
Their greatest moments got here from our carelessness. Jorginho misplaced it they usually countered; Partey’s sloppy touches round our field offered them with alternatives that have been snuffed out by our defenders; Trossard acquired caught on the ball outdoors our field. I wasn’t in any respect shocked to listen to the supervisor references these elements of our play afterwards, saying:
I don’t suppose we’ve completed, particularly with the ball, the easy issues proper in any respect.
He was spot on. That felt just like the factor which may value us excess of what the opposition have been doing with the ball themselves. Which was, as I’ve identified, not a lot in any respect past making an attempt to drive down the cul de sac of damaged goals which our self-discipline and organisation snuffed out time and time once more.
The opposite query was: how have been we going to harm them? The reply got here halfway by way of the second half. On 62’18 Gabriel made a vastly essential block after a free Partey contact offered an opportunity in our field to Brennan Johnson. Arsenal countered and received a nook. Porro took a breather, exhausted from no matter. Chump. Saka took it, and on 63’42 the ball was at the back of the web, courtesy of a thumping header from the Brazilian.
Once more, the absurdity of the TV dialogue a few doable foul on Romero was stark. It was simply terrible, terrible defending from the Argentine. He knew the place Gabriel was your entire time, however nonetheless discovered himself the flawed facet of the Arsenal man, permitting him all of the area and time he wanted to move dwelling from a superb Saka supply. By the best way, in 4 Premier League video games this season, it’s 1 aim and 4 assists for him. He has made a aim contribution in every sport, and it’s type of flying beneath the radar as a result of the expectation ranges he’s constructing are so excessive.
As for Gabriel, it felt just like the aim gave him power. If he was Popeye, scoring in opposition to Spurs is his spinach, and it powered up the remainder of his efficiency. If there’s a greater man to have in your workforce whereas the opposition are slinging in hopeful crosses then I don’t know who it’s. He received all the pieces, together with one other one the place one other poor Partey contact meant he needed to be so exact within the problem or it could have been a penalty.
I additionally simply need to point out the sense of calm that comes with David Raya in aim. In these excessive stakes video games, similar to he did at Villa Park, his dealing with and resolution making helped ease stress. The best way he kills time have to be infuriating for the opposition followers, however I like the best way he buys us these few seconds so we are able to get into form and organised once more.
As now know, Spurs had nothing a lot to supply from an attacking perspective, and what they did have was shut down by a defensive effort that was simply excellent. All of the speak pre-game was how Arsenal would address Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, and you could possibly see that we missed them in sure phases of play, however maybe the extra pertinent query was how would Spurs address an Arsenal workforce whose defensive solidity and self-discipline is so good from entrance to again. And the reply was, they couldn’t. Arsenal have been with out Odegaard; Spurs had James Maddison ambling round fascinated with tips on how to be the primary man at a Sunday roast. Anybody who wished us to signal him forward of the Norwegian, please do your penance.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta was requested about his pre-game preparations, as a result of not solely did we lose Odegaard to harm, we went into this one with out Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The bench was vastly inexperienced. He stated:
I didn’t take pleasure in it as a result of I didn’t sleep a lot. I checked out Spurs for 4 or 5 days. I had an excellent clear plan, tips on how to do it. I ready all the pieces, the session, the assembly, and so on, after which one information, we lose a participant. One other information, we lose one other participant. One other information, we lose a participant. So I needed to fully change it. I preferred the plan for the gamers that we had accessible, so it was an incredible problem.
And on the trouble his facet put in:
Folks which might be tougher, they’ve thick pores and skin, they love the sport they usually love profitable. With a view to love the sport and win, it’s important to do quite a lot of issues – typically individuals name them ugly. It’s an enormous week developing and that’s going to provide us quite a lot of power and perception.
Had we not come by way of this, there would have been questions on how we have been unable to stay with out Rice and Odegaard. It wasn’t simply an enormous win as a result of it was the derby, it wasn’t simply an enormous win as a result of that made it three in a row at their place, it was an enormous win as a result of we confirmed that there’s adequate depth and high quality to do it with out some actually essential gamers. Wins like this instill that little bit further when it comes to perception. We’ll fortunately welcome these gamers again, after all, however doing it with out them was so essential.
Now we take inventory forward of a visit to Italy within the Champions League, after which Man Metropolis subsequent weekend when that defensive high quality will probably be examined once more. For now although, it’s a day to bask, to benefit from the outcome and the three factors. And to chortle at Tottenham. As a result of that’s what it’s important to do. No exceptions. It’s obligatory.
Proper, let’s go away it there. We may have an Arsecast Additional for you a bit later. Maintain a watch out for the decision for questions on Threads @gunnerblog and @arseblog with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or in case you’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, go away your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Pod ought to be out mid-morning. For now, have one.
