Afternoon all.

A game of two halves it seemed but thanks to goals from Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka, we finished off with three points which is what matters most. The first half was good, the second, not so much but we’ll get better I’m sure.

Thomas Partey, instrumental in everything which had been good about Arsenal’s football last season was moved to right back. In my opinion, a bonkers decision and one which was unnecessary. When he’s fit and firing, he’s one of the best in the game but not as a right back. I thought the days of moving players around just so another could be accommodated were over.

I don’t understand why Gabriel didn’t start with Ben White and Jurrien Timber either side of he and William Saliba. I know many of us want to see more rotation from Mikel Arteta this season but game one?

This summer was about adding squad depth so that Arteta could turn to his bench and see real options. Not just a player making up the numbers or someone he clearly does have much faith in but proper options. Those options yesterday were Jorginho, Trossard, ESR, Tomiyasu, Gabriel, Nelson, Kiwior and Vieira. He used three, one of which was forced because of the injury to Timber yet when things got tricky in the second half, would an experienced and street wise Jorginho not have helped steady the ship? Gabriel replaced Martinelli on 86 minutes, Trossard replaced Nketiah on 72. The only positive change, or perhaps proactive is a better word, I think was Trossard coming on, in fact I don’t understand why he’s not starting games because he’s been so good for Arsenal.

Just because a new signing has cost £60 odd million or £100 odd million, it doesn’t mean their place in the starting eleven is guaranteed surely? I bet Ramsdale is glad Raya wasn’t signed in time for yesterday’s game as he too might have found himself benched.

I know it’s easy to be critical after a game just as it’s easy to sit behind a keyboard and made one suggestion after another but it we didn’t, there’d be little to talk about. Yes, we won the game but I think we, or rather Arteta and the players are more than capable of winning in a better way. When we’re on top of an opposition as we were yesterday, as a team, we have to be putting the game and result out of reach. Nottingham Forest we’re given an opening and in my opinion, had they scored a second goal, Arteta and his players would have only themselves to blame.

But, it was game one and as said, we ended up with all three points. Players should get sharper over the next few weeks and we’ll start taking more of the scoring opportunities we create as well as tightening up in other areas of the pitch. Hopefully we’ll move the ball around a bit quicker too because dawdling on the ball will only slow our game down and/or allow the opposition time to regroup.

Crystal Palace next at Selhurst Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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