Some observations from yesterday’s 2-0 win over Leicester.
Thomas Partey scored his 2nd ever Arsenal goal, from a corner, at the near post, with a header. He’s actually scored both of his Arsenal goals this season and both have been from a corner, both have been from the near post, and both have been headers. Both were also scored at home and he also hit the crossbar in both games. Technically, his first goal (against Villa if you don’t remember) was scored with an “other body part” – according to Opta. That seems harsh to me, he was trying to head it, it just happened to hit his back.
Anyway, it’s been good to see Partey finally playing well this season. He’d criticized himself earlier in the season but from my view I always thought that his problems were down to (lack of) fitness. He spent so many years at Athletico Madrid where they run players into the ground in training that I figured he came to us kind of broken. Look at some of the other players who have made the transfer from AM to the PL – Saul Niguez for example – and very rarely do they seem to be able to cope, or they pick up injuries right away. Maybe I’m wrong about that but there’s no doubt that in his first year at the club, Partey was injured twice.
Another thing which seems to have benefitted him is that Arteta has made him our single pivot. For the longest time, Arsenal played with two men in the deep lying role. But in the last few months, Arteta has moved Granit Xhaka further up field and allowed Partey to operate on his own. That could be because he’s finally fit, it could be because Beniamino Blanco and Gabriel are there to help cover, it could be because we have Øde up top, it could be the high pressure we are more often applying these days, or it could just be that Arteta decided we could play higher up the pitch. But whatever the reasons – s because it could be all of the above – I’m here for it. Now, we just need a MFer who is more adept at playing higher up the pitch and we will be quite the force to be reckoned with.
It’s hard to pick who I like more: Ødegaard, Smith Rowe, or Saka. Oh yeah, also Aaron Ramsdale! He made a great little save off Leicester’s only good chance of the game and all around I like him as a player. He’s got a big personality and he’s also good at football. Two things I love to see.
But back to the first three dudes. Really love to see Øde popping up in tight spaces and finding teammates with a deft one-touch pass. Saka is amazing as well, he’s our main outlet at the moment, players look to him for an early out ball and he’s so good at turning his defender or getting past his man, plus he’s a goal threat, that he’s a useful outlet as well. Smith Rowe has been out for a few weeks with COVID but I really think he’s our best left-sided forward. His speed and ability to pick out a pass are crucial. Plus, he scores goals! But I think it might be a few more weeks before he’s back fully fit. Anyway, it’s a good problem to have: this thing where we have four or five players we all really like!
We won a penalty! VAR did its job and spotted Soyuncu’s very slight handball, called the referee to go have a look, he did, and he awarded us a penalty. I’m not sure why but I was convinced we weren’t going to get the pen. I think it’s because I feel like we rarely get those kind of marginal calls and also because in the old days they would have said that the handball wasn’t “intentional.” But these days if you have your arm out away from your body and the ball touches your hand, it should be a pen. That’s why so many defenders wrap their arms behind their bodies when they are defending.
Kasper more like SCHMUCKel, am I right? I guess he complained to the referee that Lacazette did a stutter in his run up? Lol. He never stopped his forward progress so it wasn’t an illegal pen. What a weirdo. I suggest he eat more turmeric and start working on his set play defense, because they are terrible on set pieces!
I’ve been pretty public that I didn’t like the way that Arsenal handled the Auba situation. I thought it was petty of us to mention that he “didn’t get a COVID” test when he returned from that trip to see his mom because it was one of those things that turned some folks against him. COVID responsibility is a big moral issue and a lot of people saw that as tantamount to him committing some sort of crime. But the good news is that that’s all done, Auba is happy and scoring goals in Spain, and Arsenal have won 9 of the 12 matches we played without him. I know that it’s not sustainable and that it was probably a bit of bad business to pay him to score goals in Spain but sometimes you have to pay to get a divorce. And let’s face it, both parties are better off now.
And finally, the pundits on Peacock/USA/NBC actually called Arsenal’s football “sparkling football” yesterday and for large sections of the match, they were right! There were a few minutes when Leicester took control of the game but overall we played exceptionally well, controlled the match, and even made some passes which made me go “ooh.” This is the kind of football I’ve been dying to see from Arteta for the last two years!
That said, I’m keeping my expectations firmly in check. Arsenal have the toughest run-in of any team fighting for top four, Spurs have the easiest. We have to finish this month with a home game against Liverpool and an away game to newly revamped Aston Villa. Liverpool have the most sumptuous three headed goal threat in the League and Villa are flying high with Coutinho. Those two games are going to be a real test. Then we also have the small fact that Arsenal need to play Man U, West Ham, Spurs and Chelsea. I know that Chelsea are being rocked by the Abramovich sanctions but they are still a great team managed by a great coach. And while I know it’s fun to mock Man U and Spurs, our style of football (playing high up the pitch) suits them both to a T because they prefer to counter-attack and they have the speed to make that work. The run-in is going to be a real test and will tell us what we need to know about whether this team has the quality to make top four. Personally, I think we finish 5th this season.
Anyway, that’s your lot for today. Please keep the arguments civil in the comments section and maybe I’ll write something tomorrow.
Would have been ok with 5th a few months ago, not so sure now. Think 3rd should actually be the target.
Overall, happy the turgid football is over, happy for the boys, hope we go for 28 points minimum from our remaining matches.
That should technically guarantee Champions league football and St Totteringhams day.
Up the arse.
I like it when the football is sparkling.
Tim, when do you sleep?
When I’m dead.
You should see my daily to-do list. I get more done before 0700 than most people get done all day.
Ha!
The best two bits of career advice I received – get up earlier and work harder than the next guy; and make the day’s difficult decisions and calls early in the day.
First thing in the morning, if I put down on paper all the things I know I’m not going to get done that day? I’ll nail that list every time.
Can’t believe I’m saying this, but Saka is “only” my third favourite player in this squad. I always felt there was something special about Odegaard. I’ve been hearing about him since his younger days, having spoilt for choice and picking Madrid as his eventual destination back in like 2015 or something? He’s currently my favourite by a pretty large margin, and Ramsdale is my second favourite now, especially after watching his passion, and hearing about his story back at AFC Wimbledon.
I was never Arteta out, but I did think that he was lucky to escape the sack halfway through last season, though I felt that he’s been alright this season (I never really put much thought into our first 3 games since we basically had half our first team gone those games). I’ve gotten really excited to watch games again these past few weeks, and I can’t wait for more!
I’m glad Auba is doing well in Barca, I’ll always be happy with how he contributed to the team and I won’t hold it against him for his last few months with us. He never stopped huffing and puffing for the team, but it just never worked out for him. It’s not often that all parties come out benefitting from a transfer, but I’m glad that it worked out well for Barca, Auba, and us.
Anyway, I do agree that our run-in is the most difficult, and holding 4th place with 3 games in hand is deceptive due to the difficulty of those games in hand. I’d be more than happy with a draw against Liverpool, but I really hope we beat Harry Kane FC and Utd badly.
Sorry for being long-winded and a little stream-of-thought-y, I guess I just want to say that I’m quite excited about our current team.
This was far from long-winded!
Man Utd are a disaster, Ronaldo can’t save them every week. They were garbage against Spurs.
Spurs are up down, up down.
I think we end Liverpool’s title bid this Wednesday with at least a draw. Villa will be tough, but we should get a point. And I figure we’re going to smoke United at home, maybe get something out of the game against Chelsea (they barely beat Newcastle and should have lost actually) and maybe we lose to Spuds at their place, but by then they may have collapsed.
I’m highly optimistic about our finishing fourth.
And I’m highly optimistic about Everton going down. Not that I wish ill on any other team or supporters, nothing against Everton, but DCL is not staying with a Championship team and the lure of a CL playing Arsenal will be strong. And with Watford going down, Joao Pedro will be for sale. There’s our two new strikers (I’d love to keep Lacazette though).
Bright future ahead. Keep the faith.
I am anxious for us to find a way to get Emile back into the side. In addition to the qualities Tim mentions, he has an uncanny knack of finding space that allows him to receive a pass and turn, rather than always making a sterile pass backwards. Providing another dangerous outlet takes the pressure off Saka and gives him more space to work with also. I love what Martinelli has done with his run in the side, he can score some cracking goals, but it’s not as if the goal threat would drop off with Smith-Rowe on the left. Maybe try Martinelli in the middle and give Lacazette a rest? The way we’re playing now I can’t see taking Odegaard out, he’s just too good.
SO happy we’re playing the sparkly stuff again! Fourth place would be a bonus.
Isn’t the option to swap ESR for Xhaka, since Xhaka is playing further up the pitch lately? We are playing a 4-3-3, with Odegaard tucked in on the right bridging Saka and our RB (Cedric). Xhaka has pushed up on the left, but he’s not as attack minded as ESR would be.
I don’t think this is a set-up for the bigger teams, but against those teams we can put the sword to, why not?
Martinelli has done nothing to deserve being taken out. He pins the RB on the other teams back because they know how direct he can be, while simultaneously back tracking and pressing hard. He lacks a bit of finish right now, but it will come in time.
Good point. The potential for Smith-Rowe playing off Odegaard and vice versa is mouth-watering. I like your suggestion to give it a trial against a less-dangerous team. ManUre, maybe? 😉
Not sure if Smith Rowe is robust enough to play CM but I’d be ok if we tried it.
Overall, I’m not actually that impressed with Martinelli. He’s got a LONG way to go to be a nailed on starter in my opinion.
While I think we do have a pretty good shot at 4th, particularly if everyone stays healthy, I won’t be too upset if we end up 5th or 6th.
The improvement in form has been massive. A big part of that has been getting a solid lineup playing together consistently. The whole first half of the season was musical chairs between injuries, cards and other factors. Having the same lineup for a good stretch makes a significant difference for the quick passing game.
And it’s good to see Auba doing well. I wish we hadn’t incurred as much of a loss financially, but it does seem to have been the right move for both the player and the team.
Thanks for this Tim. I’m also in the “I don’t know who’s my favorite” quandary. There is so much joy in this team. Wish I could see one of these games in person. The crowd seems to be so connected to the team. I imagine Wednesday will be raucous. It’s fun to be an Arsenal fan now. Like one of the tenets of Romantic poetry – it’s the becoming, not the being. Seeing a team on the rise, and all of the potential is soooo exciting. Maybe the most exciting team in football right now. Amazon is weeping with joy about the material we’re giving them.
“…it’s the becoming, not the being”
Love it.
An Iranian friend fond of Rumi would often say “it’s the journey, not the destination”. Not sure that Rumi said that, though.
That was Romy, from Romy and Michelle’s high school reunion.
Thanks for the post Tim!
I’m feeling a bit restrained about some of this top 4 optimism.
I love it when things are going well, but it’s almost guaranteed that we’re going to hit a sticky patch between now and the end of the season – with a small squad, young players, with our history of red cards / errors and with the opposition we have coming up.
All it takes is a suspension in defence, or an injury to Odegaard or Partey and we’re going to be struggling. And I wouldn’t put it past some of the teams we’re going to be playing against to do something cynical to either or both of them.
But like SLC_ says, while we’ve been fortunate at times in this run of wins, it’s great to see what this team can do when injuries and refereeing decisions aren’t killing our momentum.
I like the idea of ESR in for Xhaka, but I think we are going to bring in someone else for that position in the summer. And Xhaka’s playing well in his current role so I can see him getting an extension even if we do. We really need to start building the squad depth if we’re going to push on next season, and I like something like Xhaka / ESR / Ruiz as a set of options.
Liverpool potentially a telling test of how far the club have come.
I’m more optimistic about 4th than you — who do you have for 4th if you have Ars for 5th, I wonder (maybe you’re taking the field?).
That said, as fun as it is to be favourites for 4th, we’re leagues off the top of the table, both in terms of points and actual results against the top 3. I still have PTSD from how Liverpool ran rampant over Ars last time — not sure I can remember a supposedly decent side wilting under the high press quite so dramatically.
Liverpool have the ability and discipline to expose our least press resistant players (Xhaka, Gabriel) and to cut off outlets to Partey and/or Odegaard. This would be a heck of game to put ESR in for Xhaka — a real act of courage that would be.
Well, I’m just managing my expectations. That’s all!
I think realistically, we are very likely to win the top four trophy but I don’t want to allow myself that indulgence because I don’t want to get hurt again!
fivethirtyeight.com pegged Arsenal at 70% chance of making it to UCL (i am guessing combined prob of finishing in top 4).
Agree on Auba. Win win.
Two things Im glad didnt happen.
One, he didnt sit out his money and his contract
Two, he didnt fall on his face in Barca, as a surprising number of gooners hoped he would, to prove the point of their position. Best outcome for all parties.
I’ve raved about Saka long before this season, so Im going to give the plaudits to Odegaard. What an intelligent footballer. He prompts, he shows for the ball, he moves, he gives and goes, he drops deep to support Partey, he supports the attack. He’s the beating heart of the team, and nobody knits the back and front better.
I’m also going to hail up Ben White for an outstanding defensive display yesterday. And I’ll say it again… Ramsdale is the best England qualified goalkeeper in the country, and if he’s not starting for England in international qualifiers or in Qatar (barring injury), I’ll be surprised
The virtue of playing a game a week is that the team is now looking fresh, energetic and up for up it every single game. And they’re playing some beautiful ball. Top 4 should be well within its capabilities.
odegaard looks good. he’s been the missing ingredient of arteta since the pandemic began (and arsenal excluded ozil). when he signed this summer, i (along with claude) applauded the signing, particularly at £30 million. likewise, i predicted he would peak before the end of the season (around april). ladies and gentlemen, the real martin odegaard has stood up.
now, i’m about to go watch patrick vieira’s crystal palace, a team many pundits predicted in preseason would be relegated, give man city some serious work.
Ode’s weight of pass is drool worthy. Seldom overhit, seldom underhit. His short passing game, reading runs, is next level. He and Saka must be twins. Have to be.
Like Tim, I do like seeing him and Emile on the field together.
Deal of the summer. We mugged Madrid. Modric is still a terrific footballer, mind (ask PSG), but we got his probable successor on the cheap. I dont do valuations, but he’s a 60m player, easy.
I don’t really do valuations either. At least not since we have the tanks parked on our lawn. But just before I read your last paragraph, I wondered if we would sell if we got a 65m offer……
arsenal absolutely mugged real madrid for odegaard. these “big teams” do some of the dumbest transfer business in the world…except for fc bayern; the bavarian giants have other problems but i digress. £30 million was an absolute steal.
big credit to arteta for sticking with him when it would have been easy to drop him. just a month ago, we (or maybe it was just me) were complaining about how sloppy he was with the ball. players typically need about 15-18 months to really adapt to the premier league and begin expressing themselves; that’s some poor algorithm i made up based on how long it took pires to begin to shine for arsenal so i grant all players that time. well, it’s been about 15 months for odegaard. once again, big credit to arteta. likewise, i agree with claude for highlighting his mobility; a big argument i made for emile when he came into the team. movement without the ball is so difficult to contend with.
And they in fact did.
Just what we need, then… a motivated Liverpool. Yikes.
Would pull to within 1 point of City with 10 games left, if they beat us. The most talented forward line and full back pair in the league will come at us hard. We need to believe. Would be happy with a point.
You owe Pep one, Mikel! 🙂
There was a sublime # 8 in the all-conquering Guardiola Barca era. I’m going to think of Martin Ødegaard as our future Iniesta. If he stays with the Arsenal, stays healthy, keeps improving, in 2-3 years? Absolutely
that’s why it’s so important for arsenal to qualify for the champions league. arsenal have young talents that deserve to be performing on the champions league stage. if they can’t get that at arsenal, the likelihood of champions league teams coming for players like odegaard and saka is very real.
man city are rumored to be bringing in erling haaland from dortmund. if that happens, he may want to play with his countryman. apparently, they are very good friends. we’ll see.
btw, city missed having a #9 like haaland yesterday. i’m certainly not looking past crystal palace. vieira’s done an amazing job with that group of players.
The Arsenal pressing mystery.
In terms of pressing, we are rock bottom of the league for successful pressures (winning possession), and second from bottom (above City) for attempted pressures. When you filter for pressures in the attacking third however, City are 5th and we are not too far behind in 9th. So far so good, we only pressure in the attacking third.
But we are also 4th from bottom when sorting for the total number of pressures against us, and rock bottom of the table for the number of times teams win possession from their pressure.
So we cough up the ball the fewest number of times under pressure, which is great, but we also face a low number of pressures anyway.
By contrast, City are third from bottom of the table in terms of successful pressures against them; but they are second in the table of number of overall number of pressures. Teams press City A LOT, but they rarely get the ball off them.
Teams also press Liverpool and Chelsea a lot more than they press us – and they have more success at winning the ball than they do with City.
When you see how much joy Liverpool got against us last time out with the high press, and some scary moments we’ve had at the back under pressure, I find it surprising that we’re not getting pressed more. I don’t really get it. Teams seem to sit off us, or else maybe we are very successfully occupying spaces where they can’t apply pressure?
Whatever, it seems to be a big feature of Arteta-ball.
Why are teams pressing City but not us?
Are we going to have to go through a period where teams start to put the screws on us more and more, and we will have to find a way to cope and adapt?
Or are we just somehow magically avoiding pressure? Is it a feature of our game?
And while I’m posting instead of working, just taking a moment to appreciate that the attack has improved. Because we all said last season that the defence looked better but the attack sucked ass and Arteta absolutely had to improve it – and by and large he has.
We’re still not scoring enough goals consistently but I have faith that our threat will continue to develop, especially if we find the right CF going forward, and if Gabi develops on the right path.
Can’t wait for Liverpool tomorrow, the atmosphere is going to be amazing.
“They stop him in the street, including one woman who stroked his face because she wanted to “touch the miracle”. – from the article:
https://theathletic.com/3163269/2022/03/15/muamba-reunited-with-doctors-who-saved-him-nobody-could-believe-it-when-you-woke-up-you-were-gone-for-78-minutes/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983