Morning all.
This one was a must win match but not just because of the title race but because it was red v white. The chance to do the double over our North London rivals. Who knows, we might get an opportunity to make it three in a season should we beat Newcastle in the League Cup and Totts defeat Liverpool. Unlikely though I know.
Mikel Arteta has made it clear since he took over from Unai Emery that the fans are extremely important, their support crucial, so it was no surprise to hear him asking for maximum noise from The Emirates faithful for this match in his pre match press conference. The fans didn’t let him or the players down. They don’t these days…
For the first 20 odd minutes, we were all over Totts like a bad rash but once again, couldn’t make the pressure count. Then, totally against the run of play, we went a goal down when a Son shot took a wicked deflection which David Raya couldn’t get to.
Just before the break, we levelled the scoreline from a corner. It was Gabriel once again causing the problems. Declan Rice delivered the cross, our big Brazilian headed home via a touch from Solanke. Four minutes later, we went 2-1 up. Thomas Partey won the ball on the halfway line, passed it to Martin Odegaard who in turn played it out to Leandro Trossard. The Belgian, left Porro on his backside, literally before firing his shot past Kinsky. Dreadful keeping, yes, but who cares.
2-1 to The Arsenal and that’s how it stayed.
The margin of victory should have been greater. Much greater but I’ve bored myself by writing about missed opportunities so often. The match itself was pretty one sided with Totts having just two shots on target, one of which Son scored from and yes, they came close towards the end when Porro hit the outside of the post but if that’s deemed close, Arsenal came close on about ten other occasions. Close doesn’t secure points.
Raheem Sterling couldn’t do what I’d imagine we all wanted him to and that’s impose himself on the game. Kai Havertz continued his struggles in front of goal too, as did Arsenal in general.
I thought Myles Lewis-Skelly was excellent last night. It’s hard to believe he’s just 18 years old as he’s already very composed on the ball, he defends really well and he’s ‘street wise’. It was his first North London Derby yet played as if it were his fiftieth!
I absolutely loved his reaction when Richarlison tried to usher him off the pitch. A laugh at the Totts players expense, a booking and a gentle stroll back to the Arsenal dugout. It brought back memories of Theo Walcott taunting the Totts fans as he left the pitch on a stretcher a few years ago.
Mikel Arteta:
He was phenomenal again today. He is a real personality and has a real attitude about him, you need it to play against Kulusevski and Johnson. The way he handled the situation and occasion was top.
Myles Lewis-Skelly:
I’m feeling every emotion possible; I’m on cloud nine!” he expressed post-match. I was a kid watching the derbies and know how much it means to the fans, it’s everything. To experience it today, I can’t stop smiling. This game means more. I prepare the same, but it’s the feeling going into the game with the fans. You’ve got to give it everything and more.
Gabriel was excellent too and not just because of our goal. He’s such a big character in the team and defends every ball as if his life depends on it. He might not have been born in North London but it’s always pretty clear to see that he understands what a NLD means to the Arsenal fans.
Declan Rice showed signs of being back to his best, as did Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard with the latter proving that it’s always worth taking a shot when the goal is in sight and with only the keeper to beat. I love seeing our players taking shots on sight but when there’s ten players back defending, finding a gap is tough. Sometimes impossible.
Talking of gaps, the one between us and Liverpool is closing whilst the one between us and Totts continues to grow bigger and bigger.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, an iffy decision by a ref actually benefiting Arsenal? Well I’ll be blowed! 😉
VAR can’t be blamed in this incidence, once the ball crossed the touchline the “phase of play” ended and the video assistant can not intervene as the result was a corner and not one of the incidents in which they can get involved. Those are goal / no goal, penalty /no penalty, direct red card and mistaken identity.
So yah boo sucks to the moaning minnies at the wrong end of Seven Sisters Road. 😉
Morning Cicero, makes a change eh. Perhaps it’s our turn to get a few decisions go our way.
How good was Gabriel? Just brilliant.
Havertz didn’t score but he put a lot of pressure on their keeper and scared the life out of him reckon. He was a bag of nerves. 😜
Morning Rico, you boring? Nah mate, never.
Great post capturing the emotion of a game we simply had to win given the last few days. We might be iffy in the cups but in the league we’re still getting the results.
Given our program of games it was astonishing to see the energy our team found from somewhere. Leo rediscovering his form is just what we need at this stage of the season now if Kai could only find the net a few times then we’d be back in business.
Sterling put in a half decent performance but we need a lot more at this stage of the campaign. You have to take into consideration that he’s still very much in catch up mode given his lack of minutes on the pitch but as much as I want to see him do well, not least to piss of the Chavs, I’m not sure it’s in there anymore? Even so I’d start him against Villa and see if he can give some more because we need goals and I’m not sure that we’re getting them from elsewhere.
A lot of fans, not on here, seemed to dismiss Ben White following his injury, you know the king is dead long live the king. Timber was the brand new favourite and to be fair he’s put in some good performances – but I think we miss Ben White.
Martin Odegaard badly needs a goal, he currently couldn’t hit a cow’s posterior with a banjo and it’s hurting us because he’s a player who should be getting double figures and he’s no closer to scoring than Sterling as it stands.
It’s not quite happened yet but when it all clicks this team is going to hammer someone 6-0 or more.
I like Havertz, he may be suffering goal doubt but he is intent on doing all he can to help his teammates. His continual, and intense, pressing of the Spurs ‘keeper takes a lot of energy and, as you say, he reduced the poor guy to a bundle of nerves.
Morning Kev, thanks.
I too think we miss White, Tomiyasu too because both are top players. White gives us something extra on the right too. Sterling lacs confidence in his own ability but as you say, he’s catching up having not played much throughout the first half of the season.
I think the occasion raised our energy levels, the fans too..
I think they’re all working hard for the team but just not getting the kind of break they need in front of goal. That has to change some day very soon…
I seem to remember the PGMOL saying that when Newcastle scored the infamous goal when the ball was out that the linesman could not see from his position because of the obstructions to his view and that goal line technology only works between the posts .
The debate is whether the ball for the corner was out before it hit Trossard. By the same yardstick it;s impossible for VAR to interfere and the linesman would not be able to see and therefor the on the pitch decision should stand .
Effectively the argument is moot , the ref gave a corner and Tottenham did not defend it well . Their fault ! End of subject.
Years ago the Clock end and North Bank would have been screaming dodgy Keeper at Kinsky , the atmosphere got to him and so did the Arsenal forwards .
As you said the gap is closing If Moyes can change things enough to get the points in the game in hand but if we can get closer we still have to play them at theirs and that could be pivotal .
The controversy over our first goal makes it all the more enjoyable and it upset our critics in the media so a win win for me…
Yeah Rico, Tomiyasu has been been such a big miss, when he’s injured you kinda think ‘enough is enough, we’ve gotta move him on’ then he gets fit and plays and you see how good he is and think ‘give him another chance’…
I guess all we can hope for is a Partey style renaissance from him because a season long fit Tomi is a game changer.
Sorry about this off subject comment Rico, but I just couldn’t resist.
There was once a leader called Kier / who said the the future is clear / but six months in office / he looks like a novice / and his end feels surprisingly near. 😉
Afternoon Rico.
What a feeling eh?
Everything building nicely for the weekend when I take my grandson to play football, there are one or two Totters to gloat over.
MLS, what a player. Plenty has been mentioned regarding their injuries but as was mentioned, Ben is a BIG miss, Timber is good but Ben’s overlapping runs are being missed and of course Saka, just two of our injured players and both so very important.
I don’t particularly like Sterling, never have but he did show glimpses of improvement last night and while he wears our colours I’ll support his efforts. On a different note, a link was shared recently explaining the reason Edu left? The gist being Arteta was getting too powerful. When Edu had the power, we naturally accumulated a Brazilian influence through the team, the pendulum is now swinging to a Spanish influence with Merino joining Raya and soon to be Zubamendi and possibly Santi Cazola (non playing capacity). No problem for me on that.
Spot on Potter.
I love the controversy too Kev, makes the win even sweeter. I too hope the medics can get to the bottom of Tomiyasu’s troubles, if they can, there’s plenty to come from him.
😂 Cicero.
Afternoon Berg, no idea how much truth was in the Edu story but the timing of his departure was certainly strange, the speed of it too.