Morning all.
Let’s get this little tidbit out the way. It comes from David Ornstein via Daily Cannon.
Matteo Guendouzi, I think it looks like his time at Arsenal is coming to an end. Arsenal are offering him in exchange for players they might like to come in, in swap deals. If they as a club think they can bring in money, significant money, or a big swap deal, then clearly that’s something they’ve thought through. As things stand, I think there’s a good chance he’ll be leaving.
Well, Mikel Arteta took his Arsenal squad to the West Midlands without Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi. Ozil will be difficult to shift, we know that but not Guendouzi I’m sure. The longer he’s left out in the cold, the more clear it becomes that he’s simply not a guy Mikel Arteta wants around The Arsenal.
Eddie Nketiah was preferred to Alexandre Lacazette and Cedric Soares was given the nod ahead of Hector Bellerin which wasn’t overly surprising. Cedric seems a bit more robust to me, physical, which is what we needed against a strong Wolves team. Kolasinac as well as Tierney was clearly a plan to stop Traore and the fact that the Wolves man soon switched sides, suggested it was working. Not that he found much joy down our right side either.
Nuno Espirito Santo said after the game that his team didn’t play well. I think Mikel Arteta’s tactics together with a squad of players who are learning and improving as they go along, didn’t allow them to play. But there were errors made by individuals, moments when bad passes were made which handed possession to the home team but this team/squad Mikel Arteta has at his disposal, isn’t perfect. Far from it. Which makes performances like yesterday’s even better. The lack of quality in certain areas was replaced by effort, determination and grit. And ‘hoof it anywhere, just away from me’ mentality. Lol
Wolverhampton Wanderers are a strong side with pace up front. They’re disciplined in defence and hate conceding goals. Seldom do they concede them either and certainly not since the restart.
No sooner had the game kicked off, Jimenez fired a ball forward into the path of Adama Traore – out came Emi Martinez Martinez in a flash to bravely take control of the ball. An early warning yes but also a sign that Martinez was in the mood. Again.
After that, it seemed that neither side wanted to make the first half theirs. More to the point, Arsenal didn’t want to make a mistake. They didn’t, at least not one which proved costly. In fact it was Arsenal who went closest, firstly with Aubameyang and then Nketiah whose shot was tipped onto the post. Close, but not close enough. Just before halftime, we shocked the home team by taking the lead. The cross from Tierney might have taken a fortuitous deflection but the finish by Saka was as sweet as a nut. What a perfect way to celebrate his new contract.
As expected, Wolves came out after the break looking a little more threatening and we were struggling to get hold of the ball let alone keep it. No sooner we’d cleared it, back it came but in all honesty, we dealt with anything Wolves tried with relative ease. A boot, head, chest – whatever was needed, was used to stop Wolves. The limited real chances they had, they squandered.
So much has been made of our defensive frailties in recent years, but much of the analysis of this Arsenal squad fails to take into consideration the improvements made since Mikel Arteta has taken over. Not only was this the first time we have won two consecutive away league games without conceding a goal since October 2015, but it was also our 10th clean sheets in 21 since the Spaniard took the reigns. Wolves may have put us under pressure at the start of the second half, but only with two real sights of goal – the first saw David Luiz make a fine block to deny Diego Jota, the second saw Emi Martinez rush Adama Traore into lifting his chip over the bar. “I’m very pleased,” Arteta said afterwards. “They’re playing in a little bit different positions from what they are used to and it’s a formation that we haven’t used much or trained much, but the effort and attention and everything they are trying to do, that’s when it brings the focus and then the results.” – Rob Kelly. Arsenal.com
Mikel Arteta’s first change came when AMN replaced Tierney. Next it was Willock and Bellerin to replace Saka and Cedric before Lacazette and Torreira came on as both Nketiah and Ceballos work had been done. All five substitutes played their part too. Willock set up our second goal with a nice ball through the legs of the Wolves man into the path of Lacazette. Our Frenchman took one touch to shimmy by Coady before rifling the ball into the back of the net. A very different goal to the one Saka scored but equally as impressive.
Arsenal then played it clever. A booking here and there came our way but they were worth it. Nothing nasty, just cynical. Just clever. Just what most other teams usually do to us.
I am going to mention the younger players because I thought they all did their job really well. Saka of course for his goal, Nketiah for his hard work up front, putting pressure on their defence, Willock, had he not slightly scuffed his shot, would have scored, his ball into Lacazette was perfect and finally, AMN. I thought he was superb. He was onto anything or anybody near to him. The best I’ve seen him play for a while.
That’s four matches unbeaten now but this one is most definitely the best, although probably not the best to watch if that makes sense. Whether it be the cynical side of our play, the cat and mouse first half, the bravery of Martinez, the two goals, the determined defending, the changes made in both personnel and timing.
It was our day, Mikel Arteta and his players made sure of that.
See you in the comments guys.
You described the game beautifully, & I was smiling all the way through reading your report. YES YES YES we are getting there , we have begun our long road back
Morning Rico and all. Last night’s game was extraordinary I think. At last we played a whole 90 minutes and when Wolves stepped it up, we didn’t wilt. Quite why they dropped Traore deeper I couldn’t fathom but I was glad they did. The whole team was just that, a team. They played with intelligence and serious concentration and I only hope that it will continue. Because, when you see Mustafi leaping about a metre above everyone else to powerfully head the ball forward toward the making of the second goal and you see Laca doing exactly what you had understandably forgotten he could do (that first touch was incredibly beautiful, as was the finish), then you know and hope that things are changing.
Mikel’s set-up, in-game management and substitutions were excellent and completely understandable. I liked Cedric’s first game and I especially liked Hector’s response to seeing his competition. He looked shaper and quicker to me.
Its been bubbling under the surface but I hope it’s a real turning point and that we take on board this new pragmatism and mix it with the flair and determination that I can see is going to be central to Mikel’s ethos in moving the club forward. Great stuff.
Thanks Rico, but why not the……………..”Boom Saka Laca” headline?…………….missed a chance, maybe you are waiting for Xhaka to score aswell! 😆
Lets remember that there is bound to be some blips along the way and the usual numbskulls( not on here) will be baying for Marvelous Mikels blood if we lose the next game.
He has a philosophy and style which will take time to install and work, we know he needs the players to be “on the boat” and players to buy and replace to fit, it wont come quick just as me and my fellow professor of tactics and know everything Scott have said when we first interviewed Mikel with the permission of Saint David of Ornstein. 😆
Just had a butchers and I have over 100 cutting taking shape from all the shrubs I have taken!………….Multi talented is I! hahaha
Good morning Rico, Sohara.
It’s been noticeable over the last three games that there is a new togetherness throughout the squad and that is showing up especially in defence.
I don’t know if we are playing a back three a back five, or any numerical formation but whatever it is we are certainly more organised and, crucially, more effective. Xhaka and Ceballos have formed a formidable mid-field partnership and with the introduction of a rejuvenated Maitland-Niles to back them up there is an aspect of solidity in front of the centre backs.
The introduction of Saka, Nketiah and Pepe have made our attack less predictable and there is less farting around in our own half and we are moving towards a more direct style.
When asked by a reporter if he thought we were on an upward path Scott, Arteta used his favourite response “No worries mate, she’ll be right”. 👍
Great read rico, it’s so nice you have positives to report on. It’s been the most surprising year of our and everyone’s lifetime. Too strange if it was a fiction movie to believe, if we had been told on NYE.
Bur Arsenal are also bending what’s possible. On the tour of USA, I remember Mustafi being booed and was never going to come back at Arsenal.
Xhaka was another goner. Luiz was sunk only a few weeks ago and we all thought he wouldn’t get another contract. I really like him, but lost patience after his sending off and fact he said contract talk had ruined his game. That was it for him.
Our MOTM in our last game before lockdown, and MOTM since gets a serious injury, and yet no one has missed him because of the brilliant form of his underaged deputy. He’s absence has hardly been mentioned.
All these played starring roles yesterday alongside the more expected stars.
Hard to believe some of this 🙂
It is ‘crystal clear’ drunk people will not socially distance, a police chief in England has said!………..obviously needed a sleuth to work that out!………….. like whenever has an inebriated person been in control of their body parts and brain!……………dont get me onto how they can keep it in their pants or keep the legs shut cliches! 😆
Softly , softly , catchee monkey .
Leicester next no complacency please and no over expectations . We could have a bad one just as easily as we have had a couple of good ones however it’s work in progress and seemingly going the right way.
LC , the secret of drinking is knowing and acknowledging when the bell for last orders rings in your own mind.
The thing I REALLY like about Arteta is that he is improving all the players we already have. This is surely the sign of a GREAT coach. One it will help our team now, & if we do have to sell any of them they will be worth more than they were. It just feels like we are at last becoming a ‘TEAM’ . The other thing I want to mention is Martinez WOW hasn’t he been great , in fact I think he is as good as Leno & in some ways his build gives him an advantage. I hope he gets enough playing time when Leno is back to keep him at the club, as I am sure a lot of teams would want him as No1
Potter, for an alcoholic that`s the equivalent of a man trying to understand the mind of a woman!
😆
Morning all, everything in the garden is coming up roses, morning Rico, think about it? Just a week ago we was fretting over Saka and if he was going to sign, Aubameyang was being linked to everyone and we was wondering how much we could get for him, a place in europe seemed like a pipe dream or a vape dream, beating Wolves was, well, almost impossible to imagine and now here we are.
Saka signed, Martinelli signed, Aubameyang closing in on a new deal, Norwich thrashed and the Wolves shown to be toothless.
Mustafi, Luiz, Kolasinac, Ceballos, Soares, Lacazette, Xhaka, Tierney, Bellerin, Willock, Maitland Niles, all of them with question marks hanging over them, all of them had fans doubting their abilities, but thanks to the intelligent, thoughtful, thorough and focused coaching of Mikel and his staff they’re all looking more than capable of delivering a nice end to this most troublesome of seasons…
Very good point Sohara about Martinez, he looks as if he’s been playing for Arsenal for years – I know he has but I mean the 1st team. He seems to have this connection with his defenders, his body language the way he glances at team mates and gives them the ‘it’s all under control’ look. His confidence it seems spreads a confidence among his team mates. I never felt like that with Ospina in goal and certainly not Cech in his final couple of years.
Morning Adam, Kev, Cicero – bugger it, morning all 😂
Adam, I too liked Cedric’s first performance, especially the ever so subtle bump into one of their players in the box. Not enough for a foul, but enough to put him off his stride.
It is Andrew, whoever the man of the match you are referring to was, I’ve forgotten him. Lol
You’re spot on re the players you list, I too was all for them leaving and throw Lacazette in there too, but yesterday told me to stop guessing and leave it to the bloke who trains them. Lol
You make a good point about Martinez Sohara. How can he be dropped after his performances to date? Strong in the air, brave, and his distribution is very good too. We have two really good keepers, keeping both happy will be tough.
Kev, 10.46. Spot on. The two biggest surprises for me have been Mustafi and AMN. I really hope we don’t sell the latter because whatever has gone on between him and Arteta has seriously woke him up.
Honestly, I thought he was an excellent sub to bring on.
Morning all.
Cicero, you’re a closet Aussie and you should be proud hahahaha
I’m sure we are on the right path forward.
I’m also sure Mikel is the right man to guide as back to the top but still, we have a long way to go, and we will have some trip ups along the way.
Keep the faith no matter what, is all I would ask of my fellow Gooners.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lgM6M-ZcMng
I don’t think anyone of sane mind thinks we’ve cracked it Scott. There’ll be ups and downs for a while yet I’m sure.
Rico, you know as well as I do we have fans of all kinds 🙂
I mean, a week or two back, we had some calling for Arteta out.
Ah but not here Scott.. 😆
Rico, MOTM in the 1-0 win against Hammers was Leno. We just not missed him due to Martinez’s form and growing confidence. My earlier comment, under-rated, not underaged,lol. I hate not being able to correct posts 🙂
Wouldn’t call them fans Scott, maybe so-called followers. Anyone who remembers Arteta in an Arsenal shirt and has any intelligence would at least give him a season and main window to see how he pans out, even if he was their last choice to be manager.
Good Afternoon to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Le Coq – Following on to your “Boom Saka Laca” headline, maybe Arteta’s new mantra should be “I Want to Take You Higher” (apologies to Sly and the Family Stone).
The team are pulling together and acting and playing together as a team should. A few errant passes and tackles, but we certainly can’t fault their work ethic.
Wolves seemed to gain the upper hand at the beginning of the second half, but the team soon regained their composure. Nice to see a couple of our players doing a Thierry Henri. Holding the ball by the opposition’s corner flag and running down the clock when the game is in the bag and further frustrating the opposition. Not as adeptly as the master, but it brought back some fond memories.
Ceballos will be surely missed. He’s the one to carry the ball forward from half way line or link the players. Not as good as Rosicky or Cazorla, or score as many as Ramsey, but the closest we have. And he looks like he’s popular and fits in very well.
Ah yes Andrew, I remember now.
Just jotting something down abut Ceballos for tomorrow…
Afternoon Cg. Yep, I liked seeing that too from AMN and Auba. I did chuckle though when Auba nutmegged himself before the ball went out for a goal kick.
Nice to see them celebrating. But we were told an elbow bump would be all that we would see. And no spitting. Think both these have been forgotten along the way?
True Rico,
We bring class to the table 🙂
Andrew,
There will always be Wenger fans who struggle to accept anyone else might be good enough.
There will also always be those who will blame the manager no matter what else is going wrong.
In time, I’d like to think Arteta proves himself and everyone gets behind him.
If that happens, the rest will take care of itself imo.
Scott – The one thing I like about Arteta is that he is he doesn’t hesitate to make the hard decisions. This is evident by his handling of Guendouzi and Ozil.
Where is Pepe? Injured?
Saka cannot play on the right side. It is very weak. He did not get along with Soares and probably not with Bellerin. It tends to move towards the center and the right side is very exposed.
We still have more yellow cards. Although majoritarian, the referees’ criteria are not the same for Arsenal and the opponent.
Nice read, Rico 👍
That was a fantastic result…. watched it again on MOTD last night and this morning 😄
#TheArtetaEffect….
CG, agreed.
He has it in him to make the right call, no matter what.
Good result for us between Burnley and Sheff Utd
Sue,
I’m watching it now 🙂 🙂
Arteta indeed lol
Nah a long way to go, but so far, so good.
😉 Enjoy, Scott 👍 So far, so very good!! Sweet as 😉
I’m watching Newcastle v West Ham… not quite the same, but it’s footy 😆
Sue, me and Scott were the original founders of the Mikel stalking………sorry…………..Appreciation Society, we both know he needs time and patience from the less knowledgeable and informed fans!
😆
Jm, his wife went into labour so missed the game to be with her.
Hahaha Le Coq… you stalking?!! Never 😂😂
Sheffield Utd and Burnley draw Sue?
They did, Rico, 1 all…
Good Sue.
What’s happened to Gary Neville? Has he gone into hiding? Every bloody game I watch, it’s Jamie Carragher commentating…..arghhh I can’t stand it!!
And I can’t stand the way Carragher says Kolasinac…. he says Kolasinic 😡
Speaking of my boyfriend… I know he’s not the greatest defender… but I’ve enjoyed seeing him in a back 3.. I thought once Tierney came in, we’d hardly see him… so really nice to see them both in the line up!
Your boyfriend, Sue!…………………..go easy on him otherwise he will end up Kolasinackered!………
😆
😆😆 hilarious!!
Villa, you let me down!! I reckon they’ll go along with Bournemouth and Norwich
I’m hoping Bournemouth stay up..
Che Adams 😳 wow!!
How the fcuk did MC not score in that game?
How good were Southampton?! City’s 3rd successive away defeat!! They’ve lost more than we have now! Makes our win there even more sweeter!! 😉
I really love listening to Micah Richards… 👍
Just see the Saints goal. Wow indeed.
Saw the second half, Southampton certainly defended well..
Was a hell of a game, Rico… obviously not as good as yesterday though 😉
LC, yes, we were indeed making early calls for Arteta.
I’m not going the early crow as there is a long way to go before we can say he’s the manager we believed he’d be, but I do think he’s on the right track and that’s good for us all.
New post up now
From The Athletic
For many, this match was destined to be defined by how Arsenal coped with the menacing threat of Adama Traore. Within seconds of kick-off, Emi Martinez showed Arsenal were not intimidated, dashing off his line to fly at the feet of the in-form forward.
It was decisive from Martinez, and it was brave. Perhaps that should be no surprise — in his first week with the club, the then teenage keeper collided with Nicklas Bendtner with such force he almost knocked the Dane unconscious. The Argentine relishes those moments of physicality. He initially set out to become an outfield player, before deciding to don the goalkeeper’s gloves. “I like to dive,” he has explained. “I like to get hurt.”
The problem with choosing a career as a goalkeeper, of course, is the competition for just one place in the starting XI. Martinez has had to play a waiting game since leaving his homeland for England a full decade ago. In 10 years as an Arsenal player, the Wolves match marked just his 10th Premier League appearance.
It was also, however, a third consecutive clean sheet in the competition — his sixth in his eighth Premier League start. This first prolonged run in the team is proving what Arsenal’s goalkeeping coaches have maintained for some time: that Martinez’s problem has not been ability, merely opportunity.
When Bernd Leno was stretchered off in the defeat at Brighton, it felt as though Arsenal’s season might just as well have ended back in March. His injury was the latest in a succession of problems that beset Mikel Arteta’s team in the first few days of the restart. However, Arsenal — thanks in no small part to Martinez’s reassuring presence in goal — have steadied the ship. This win at Wolves was a landmark victory: Arsenal’s first away from home against a team above them in the league since 2015.
Martinez’s early intervention set the tone for a spirited Arsenal display. Arteta deserves considerable credit. This was not a stylish victory, but one built on shape and structure. For so long, Arsenal have lacked those fundamentals. For Arteta to introduce them into a team playing with a back three of Shkodran Mustafi, David Luiz and Sead Kolasinac is testament to his coaching ability.
The manager will be grateful to Martinez, who is finally making good on the potential Arsenal recognised during a four-day trial in 2010. The now 27-year-old is a popular figure at the training ground — a translator and “big brother” figure to Gabriel Martinelli, and the source of healthy banter on the goalkeepers’ WhatsApp group with Leno and Matt Macey. He has been at Arsenal so long, there was a danger he might simply blend into the background.
It has been a nomadic ten years, encompassing a number of loan spells — including one at Molineux. For Martinez to return to a ground where he struggled to establish himself as a Championship No 1, looking every inch a Premier League goalkeeper will have meant something.
It was Martinez’s last loan spell – six months with Reading last year – that transformed him. Sensing time was running out, he dedicated himself utterly to self-improvement, staying in a hotel away from his family so he could focus on a highly personalised training routine. It’s a level of commitment he carried into this season, and one that shows a steely focus behind his cheerful persona. Martinez, after all, has a promise to keep.
Martinez’s success is for his father — his biggest fan, and his biggest inspiration. “I came from a poor background,” Martinez explains. “My dad couldn’t afford to buy me gloves when I was younger and sometimes we wouldn’t have any meat because he didn’t have enough money to buy dinner.” When he set out on his professional career, Martinez swore to his father he would be a success.
This is a journey they have undertaken together. “Even when I don’t play, he’ll watch every single game until the final minute just to see if I come on or not,” Martinez said last year. “I want to show him that it’s all been worth it, that he can be proud of my journey.”
For Martinez, that means being more than an able deputy. “My commitment will always be to be No 1 for Arsenal — and for the national team,” he has said. “I said to my dad that I’m gonna do it, and I won’t stop until I’m the No 1 for Argentina.”
It’s a bold statement, but one he makes with the same calmness he shows between the posts. He’s making a very positive impression, be it with his hands or his feet. During lockdown, Arteta spoke with his goalkeepers about wanting them to be more involved in the team’s build-up, and Martinez is arguably the best passer among Arsenal’s current crop. “I believe in my talent, I believe in my work … I don’t know if I’m going to be the No 1 in two months or 10 years, but I will be.”
For now, Martinez will simply be enjoying every moment of an opportunity he’s waited more than a decade for. There’s an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to, and the small matter of a first north London derby at Tottenham’s new stadium. Martinez understands the significance of a derby game better than most: as a teenager he was on the books of Independiente and attended the Avellaneda derby against rivals Racing Club. It is a match in which, in Martinez’s own words, “the stadium shakes”.
Whatever stage Arsenal find themselves on, Martinez betrays no nerves. He looks like a man taking the chance he has waited for his entire career. Arsenal’s second choice is making every second count.
What a great piece, thanks for post that Rico…