Morning all.
Feeling happy on this cold autumn morning? Me too. 45 minutes of absolute Arsenal domination blew Lens away last night. As a number of Lens players tried to kick lumps out of Bukayo Saka, Arsenal hit them where it hurts. 5-0 at half-time and it was game over after what was possibly the best Arsenal performance so far in the Champions League. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard with the goals. It feels wrong to single out any one of the goals as being better but Martinelli’s was stunning while Odegaard’s was a rocket.
The second half was all about controlling the game and preserving the scoreline. Not that it stopped Arsenal from adding one more. Jorginho from the spot late in the game. Lens did hit the post but that was about as good as it got from them.
Mikel Arteta:
I didn’t even dream like this, but we had the chance to qualify today and become top of the group and we’ve done it in a really convincing way against a really good side and I think the team right from the beginning showed a lot of aggression and determination to go for the game, everything happened in the right way especially in the first 30 minutes and that was really helpful to win the game.
When one looks at the other English clubs and their journey so far in this competition it makes Arsenal’s achievement even better. Not only are we into the knockout stage but we go through as group winners with one game to spare. City have done the same but both Manchester and Newcastle Utd’s fate is yet to be decided. Utd have to beat Bayern Munich in their last fixture to have a chance of going through but even that wouldn’t be enough if there’s a winner in the other game between Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen. Meanwhile, Newcastle have to beat AC Milan and hope that Dortmund beat PSG.
Mikel Arteta now has the luxury of rotating his squad as much as he likes in our final match in Holland and bearing in mind how many fixtures we have this month, is good news. I hope there will be a few under 23 players on the bench for that game, perhaps one/two in the starting eleven. PSV are looking favourites to join us in the next round but will want something from the game to be sure. Lens can still overtake them I think but only if they beat Sevilla comprehensively and we don’t lose against PSV. That’s for them to worry about though and not Arsenal. Mikel Arteta will do what he thinks is best for his players I’m sure.
Going back to last night though, it was pleasing to see Havertz find the back of the net again. A month ago, he’d have probably scuffed his chance but now, he’s starting to look more composed. As said before, he might just turn out to be our tall and commanding front man. The Martinelli goal was created by himself and we need to see more of that although it’s not as easy to create the space against PL teams. As for Odegaard, he needed that and again, we need to see more from him but let’s give credit to the provider of the cross too. Takehiro Tomiyasu, who I thought was brilliant last night. Arsenal were brilliant last night…
Catch up later..
Morning Rico
Well you can’t ask for more than that performance last night. Clinical finishing; solid defence; complete control. A very polished, professional performance. Through to the knock out stages with a game in hand.
Only negative was the frostbitten toes.
More of the same on Saturday please.
morning all!
Good score
Good morning Rico and all.
Still buzzing from last night’s fantastic display. Did I notice a bit of speeding up of the back five? Not so much dilly dallying between defenders and several long balls played by Raya which caused panic among the Lens defence.
Is that a result of Arteta wanting to be less predictable? Whatever, I’d like to see a bit more of it.
Its just started snowing here and winter doesn’t start until midnight tonight.
Did Raya have a good game. unfortunitly to get the premier league and other compations, cost too much in OZ as each one has a seperate contract.
Panic over, it’s stopped snowing, the sun is out and all the snow has melted. 😉
He didn’t have a lot to do Geoff, but whatever came his way he dealt with very well.
Thanks for the post Rico, when was the last time you could write one based around a 6-0 win?
Arsenal’s record win in europe is 7-0 (or is it 7-1?) anyway it was away to Standard Liege.
No English club has led 5-0 at half-time in the Champions League before (not sure if that stat included the European Cup?)
Arsenal’s record win in this competition is I believe the 6-0 (or was it 6-1?) demolition of Austria Vienna back in the days of George Graham, so that would have been 1991/92.
I wonder what Freddie thought of the performance?
Some of the challenges from the Lens players bordered on ABH even if the referee didn’t give them – I thought he was far too lenient. They liked to ‘leave something on their opponent’ so to speak, but we dealt with it in a mature fashion even if I did notice Havertz giving someone an arm in the mush after another ankle tap. Just like the old days. But too risky to expose our teenage pair waiting on the bench, I do hope that Arteta includes them in Eindhoven.
December is going to be hectic, if we come out of it as we go into it then I’ll be delighted.
Morning Pete, Cicero, all.
I know ‘some’ might say it was only Lens but having lost to them previously, I say rubbish. They’re a good team with a number of really good players and we battered them.
Never I think Kev. Honestly I thought we were super. Good to see Arteta make the most of it too by making early changes.
Loved the ref/VAR decision on the penalty, Newcastle fans probably didn’t though… what goes around eh……
I bet Freddie loved that performance because just like many Arsenal fans I’m sure, he knows we should be scoring more goals. Last night we did.
Afternoon rico, all. Fantastic performance, I wonder if that Tomi clearance that fell to Martinelli was aimed or a fortunate result from a big boot upfield. If it was meant, it would be one of the great passes! Havertz seemed to have much improved confidence, lovely to see, and the whole team just clicked. It’s been coming for a while, last night was the night.
Afternoon Andrew, I’m going with the planned pass. Much kinder 😄
If you’re right and everything has finally clicked then a) great and b) we’ve done really well whilst not playing well. A bit like City last season.
Not saying it will click for the next match 🙂 But we finally (exception of Partey) have a near full team out at last.
Got to prove we can be better against the low block, and counter attack.
If we get at least a draw at Villa, then I think we can be optomistic we are on track.
I thought I was pushing it.. lol
Partey back will be huge, ESR too I think and then we have Timber although I’ve no idea if he’ll be back this season. Doubt it though.
Hopefully we’ve had more than our fair share of injuries and post new year, we stay relatively injury free..
More of the same Saturday , Frostbite Pete ?
Watched it at my son’s house and slid home on the iced up surface water at least it was only 10 miles . Our roads on the broads have been flooded for two weeks now , when the temperature drops after sun down things get a bit naughty.
Still the match was all good fun . 5 before half time , I can’t remember the last time and although it’s understandable to take your foot of the pedal I still have never seen an eight . not from Arsenal anyway.
Sometimes it works to your advantage and sometimes not . I wonder if had we been only 3 up whether our two youngsters might have got 10 minutes .
Lens were aggressive to start with and as the goals went in so did their frustration and the aggression got worse.. Keeping them off was probably the right decision.
Wolves will not be easy , they have been on the wrong end of VAR as much as we have . Perhaps Arteta and O’Neil could go on the box and wave their Webb apologies for the cameras should be fun.
I would imagine that both managers would want to end the match without any contentious decision affecting the result but somehow I have a nagging thought that in the words of our esteemed government we may be going to see a bit of levelling up .
Funny you should write that as I’ve just been scribbling bits for Saturday and have included how dire var has been for Wolves.
The problem Var has is that every week there is a least one contentious episode that exposes the flaws in the system and the media just love it. The best thing the authorities could do is to tone down controversy, reduce the number of interventions and make their minds up a damn site more quickly. As the winter sets in fans are not going to take kindly to standing around in the freezing cold while the Stockley Park irregulars go about their deliberations.
Aren’t they considering giving VAR more decisions to make on review? The moaning about it will only increase if they keep making mistakes.
True Rico on both fronts. Only less, or better still none at all, Var interventions will settle the disputes.
I’m a big fan of technology in sport Cicero and I still think it would work if human error was removed. However, too many rules in the game are subjective so imo, that’s half the problem.
There are obvious faults in the way Var was initially set up, the problem is nobody is prepared to do anything to rectify the situation other than tinker around the edges. There is a trial in MLS of semi automated offside detection, perhaps the use of Artificial Intelligence is the way to go.
The whole subject is too complicated for late night discussion. I’m off to bed. Goodnight one and all. 😴
Good morning all. The Athletic are reporting that Arsenal are in talks with Tomiyasu over a new deal, his present contract runs until 2025.
He must be pushing Ben White for the right back starting place, and has been showing really good form since his return from injury. At twenty-five he is entering his peak years as a professional footballer. A new long term contract will warn off clubs, Bayern Munich for one, who are showing interest in signing him.
Morning Cicero, all.
I read that too, what a difference a run of fitness can do for a player. I hope Tomiyasu signs on and I think he will. He’s a very good player in any of the back four positions.
New post up.