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.
The well informed journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported AFC have been trying to sign strikers in the last 24/48 hours
https://tbrfootball.com/fabrizio-romano-reveals-what-hes-heard-about-arsenal-signing-a-new-striker-in-the-last-48-hours/
Great news!
Postecoglou has the backing of the Spuds board 😂
There is a football manager called Arteta / who some think should do better / It’s the nature of the game / to find someone to blame / but who in the game would be better
I just love limericks 😉
👏👏👏
Spurs fans whinging is hilarious,funny enough I quite like Ange,I doubt he will be at Spurs next year,he should be relieved.
We created the best chances and should have had the game won long before they hit the post near the end. It was deja vu all over again in that respect,I don’t remember Raya making many saves.
I know what Kev is saying about Sterling,I think we are all waiting for him to come good.
Keep up the pressure on the scousers,the media don’t like it.
Excellent one on Arteta.
Fantastic atmosphere in the stadium last night especially when our goals went in. Should give us some momentum going into the Villa game.
However, we need to keep our feet on the ground. We absolutely battered the Spuds but still only won 2–1. Rice says we should have scored 10!
We’re desperately short up top. Unlike some of the other posts here, I don’t think we’re going to get a tune out of Sterling.
I don’t think it’s a confidence thing. He’s only 30 but he’s simply not the player he was in his pomp. Nothing like! I thought at times he was almost a passenger in the second half before he was hooked.
That leaves Gabi, Kai and Leo as our only senior forwards. Nwaneri should be back soon, which is good news but we simply have to get someone in this window who can hit the ground running and be able to put the ball in the net once in a while.
Great Arteta limerick from Cicero!
It’s always extremely enjoyable coming on HH and reading the comments on here following a NLD win, the big problem I suspect we probably have getting a forward in the door is going to be how greedy the players’ agent is?
Cicero,
The Prem had two North London teams,
One red/white that fullfilled fans dreams,
The other in white was a pitiful sight,
“Watch the gap”… the red army screams
They’re catching on, 😉
Anthony, one has to hope..
Good time to repost this video 😂
https://youtu.be/q7wCfttJVnQ?si=JqB-tYR6aLv5ZM89
There was an Arsenal striker called Wrighty / whose scoring ability was mighty / when it came to a chance / he saw in a glance / that he could put it away quite brightly.
That’s my lot for today!
Just monkeying about! 😁
Ha ha…
Ha ha Cicero. Brilliant.
There’s always a case for the dancing chimps just as this lot always cheer me up http://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=365434415196612,
It’s a day of relaxation a double over them always gives a nice feeling . Then tomorrow the run down to Villa begins and the tension racks up again .
Emery always seems to have something to prove as does Martinez neither of whom left on the best of terms.
We owe Villa for last season…
Good evening Rico and all
A really enjoyable read Rico.
I have noticed something….a stat…….I know “it’s not a trophy”, so don’t don’t hit me hard please😅
However, the following quite a stat to show far we’ve come from being drubbed regularly, especially away at City and Liverpool.
We all carry those scars from those games in which we ended up with arms folded, with our face not masking how we felt on one of the said visits to any of those grounds.
I’m human, I celebrate nights like last night, I despair when we don’t get results and cry into my wine about why we always lose big time against those.
Not anymore…..630 days since we lost to City, 864 days since we lost to United, 1036 days since we lost to Liverpool, 1040 days since we lost to Tottenham, 1242 days since we lost to Chelsea
And finally….After yesterday’s game, the grumbles of Spurs fan on social media is proudly sponsored by ARSENAL.
Cicero, those Limericks are awesome. Great ones mate. they really bring a smile to those who read them
Evening Devil, thanks. I’ve just seen that statistic on social media. It’s positive of course but I’m surprised Newcastle aren’t considered as one of the top 6..
It seems that it wont open but you can look it up on disco goats staying alive.
The link opened for me..
Chris Kavanagh has been appointed as the referee for Saturday’s home match against Aston Villa.
VAR: John Brooks.
Kavanagh 😬
Kavanagh ? Is it deliberate ?
Don’t know why people are picking on Ben White , unless I am wrong, his had more good games than bad ones since joining us.
New post up.