The Arsenal played Newcastle Utd yesterday evening in what was the first of five Premier League play-off/shoot-out fixtures left this season. It was not an exciting jamboree of expansive football but more an exercise in the team playing their game whilst the Emirates faithful were probably as close to a mental health issue, as was I watching at home.
Prior to the game I was hoping to see Arsenal score an early goal followed by a more confident Arsenal team adding a couple more goals, but that’s not what transpired.
Looking at an Arsenal bench which included Dowman, Jesus, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Trossard and Saka it seemed clear to me that Arteta had goals in mind.
Despite spending most of the week playing down the goals scored column it seemed clear to me that if the opportunity was there, Arteta didn’t want us to leave any goals on the pitch, whilst still leaning into our strength, our defence.
The opening 5 minutes gave us a foretaste of what to expect with the Arsenal players looking nervy and giving away soft possession whilst a Newcastle team on the back of a terrible run found some form, no doubt encouraged by the general anxiety on the terraces and on the field.
Arsenal had three early corners, all played short, the first two didn’t come to anything but the third around the 9th minute saw Madueke knock it smartly to Havertz who then laid it back to Eze who thumped a curling shot past the helpless Pope. That should have released some of the steam from the pressure cooker, but it really didn’t.
The next 20 minutes saw Arsenal’s stop-start football create very little as Newcastle recovered their poise, but as disjointed as some of the Arsenal football was they did create some promising phases, but that habit of overplaying your hand saw those phases fail to develop into shots on target. That of course saw the anxiety return to the crowd and that vicious cycle continued to impact the team. Raya had to make a top save from a swerving Tonali shot as Newcastle probed for opportunities whilst Arsenal continued to look for the perfect goal. Then Kai Havertz went down.
Andy Townsend the co-commentator opined that it could be a thigh or a groin injury given the attention the physio was giving to that area and on 34 Kai departed straight down the tunnel and probably out of the next four games and on came Gyokeres. Without the technical security that Kai gives our attack it took a while for the team to adapt and the rest of the half played out without any real threat on Pope’s goal.
Half-Time 1-0
The second half began with Newcastle on the front foot and Arsenal looking iffy but fortunately the Gunners defence kept the Magpies at arms length. Then Eze went down (ffs). Ebbs didn’t look too uncomfortable so I’m guessing it was a precautionary substitution, anyway on came Martinelli on 53.
The next 25 minutes could be best summed up as tense, with the major talking point being Gyokeres being fouled by Pope. In my opinion, it was a red card because if a defender fouls a player who could be clear on goal, it’s a straight red card even though he has to beat the goalkeeper. So if the goalkeeper makes that foul and only has one defender behind him who isn’t favourite to get the ball then what is the difference? We’ve seen Sam Barrott before and he is a referee who tends to shy away from the difficult decisions.
On 80 minutes Newcastle’s German centre forward set up Wissa for a certain equaliser, especially as Wissa had already scored on his previous two visits to the Emirates so I waited for the net to bulge. Fortunately Wissa seems to have left his shooting boots in West London as he wastefully blasted his shot over the bar, phew!
Arteta acted after that as on came Myles for a clearly fatigued Zubimendi and the disappointing Madueke exited as the hero returned. Saka immediately added some urgency and threat to our attack and almost scored immediately before delivering a number of testing corners. Martinelli from a Rice corner almost executed a textbook overhead shot which Pope caught.
Newcastle came back and a dangerous Harvey Barnes cross found the lanky Dan Burn but Raya held his header. Shortly after, a Saka dribble then set up Odegaard whose low drive was saved. Saka was making a difference and his influence on the mood of the crowd was noticeable, the stadium was, if not rocking, at least optimistic again. We played out 7 minutes of added time and banked 3 points. 4 more heart stoppers to go!
Myles looked very good in midfield and we might need him there as Declan and Zubi are running on empty. Hincapie had a great game at left back, in fact in general the defence was, as Pep would say, so so secure.
We March On…
Morning Kev, all.
That must have been hard going to write after an awfully negative Arsenal performance. Still, we got the job done thanks to well worked set-piece and a stunning Eze strike. Cant believe Pope wasn’t sent off, nor can I believe Gyokeres didn’t get his pass right..
Cheers Rico and morning to you, I’m not sure the performance was really all that negative as we did try to make things happen, it’s just that nothing is coming off, we get into really promising positions then either lose possession or try some flicks that don’t come off whilst we’re all screaming for them to take the shot, Odegaard for all his good work is one of the worst at taking that extra touch instead of not delivering an early pass and as for Makueke, does anyone ever expect him to create any danger when he looks set to do so, because I don’t. That why I like Eze, he doesn’t faff about, he takes the shot.
On the positive side I thought that Saka looked fresh and lively so there’s hope that he can make a difference and if Trossard can only return and rediscover his best form then there’s every chance we can score a few more goals.
Thanks again, Kev …
The thrill is gone, isn’t it? The final results are all that matter now. We have to live with our games being well-drilled 14th of July’s military parades at best, and forget all about expecting 2024 Paris Olympics’ opening ceremonies. The boys have been on their last legs for quite some time, they’re not gonna get any better on that front between now and the end of May, all we can hope for is 7 hard-fought, lucky, undeserved, etc. wins.
Now I keep thinkin’ there were positives yesterday … Raya is one of the mots feline GKs I’ve ever see, Hincapié’s “grinta“ is on a par – at least – with former Arsenal greatest LBs (Nigel W., Ashley C., …), Myles’s cameo in midfield showed everyone, at long last, what he can bring (could have brought!!!) us (and we weren’t even treated to one of his trademark runs through the opponents’ midfield, of the kind that tear them apart and opens up the final 3rd for our forwards). Lastly I thought Bukayo looked much better than I, for one, expected him to – Achilles problems just don’t vanish into thin air and I feared he might have been rushed back in, tbh …
The main issue about this squad has been its technical level imo … As soon as one of Merino-Ødegaard-Saka-Eze-Havertz-Zubimendi is out or running on empty (Zubi!!), it goes down a notch, two means we start struggling, 3 or more we become an average team on that front. Which is why one of the parts I agree 100% with in your report is the “ffs“ after you mentioned Kai’s and Ebz’s latest “niggle“.
Noni is an unfathomable mystery to me: how can such a player have made it to the highest level in professional football … as a forward? If developed properly, patiently, he might have become an outstanding LB/LWB, thanks to his physical qualities, but upfront … He makes me think a lot of a French player of the 1970s, Jacques Zimako, who just like him was exceptionally gifted, but on the other hand just never had a clue about what he intended to with this d****d ball, eventually, so that he ended up … dispossessing himself most of the time, after performing the most spectacular series of dribbles. This kind of players make up for very likeable personalities, but watching them I can’t help reminiscing the “Forrest Gump“ scene when Hanks runs out of the stadium after scoring the touchdown … As for Gyö, the through ball he failed to deliver to Bukayo made me collapse in despair; he just can’t use his left foot – certainly not on first touch anyway -, which beggars belief, really.
Anyway, on to Madrid now. I think I know them well since I’ve watched a lot of their games through the years, because I’ve been a fan of Griezmann’s all of his career. This season, and contrary to what the prejudice against Simeone’s teams are, their main strength is their Simeone (the son) – Alvarez – Griezmann – Lookman frontline, while Sorloth may be the most reliable CF backup around.
Raya’s performance will be of the essence; as for our back-4, they’ll have to be at their very best too. I wish – as Rico suggested here several times – Mick picked a 3-man-midfield (Myles-Declan- … Nørgaard!!) behind our skipper and 2 among Jesus-Gyö-Trossard-Marti (I’d rather Bukayo was cocooned a lil’ more). I don’t think we’ll crumble/surrender actually. Believe it or not, guys, but I’m looking forward to the game. If we stand our ground, who knows? the three of Bukayo, Ebz, and even Merino might be back the following week. Budapest wouldn’t look like an impossible dream then, would it?
COYG
Madueke seems to have inherited the Gervinho/Pepe gene of creating opportunities only to then lose all composure, he is the classic enigma of a footballer.
By negative Kev, I mean the constant need to play a backwards pass. How many times did a player go forward, look up and then pass back? Also, why are we so reluctant to shoot on sight..
I guess as frustrating as that is Rico it’s all about control and reducing the opportunities to the opposition to counter attack, it’s makes for a unappealing afternoon of football but other that a couple of lax defensive actions based around Zubimendi losing a couple of duels in the opening minutes, the Tonali shot and the Wissa chance we pretty much negated any threat from Newcastle.
I do like the German lad who plays up front for Newcastle, I think he’d look good in our set up?
I see that Adrian Durham, the Talksport ‘anchor’ (a play on words) thinks that the Man City charges should be dropped. Only on Talksport eh? Only from that stations ‘anchor’ eh?
G’day Kev, Rico. We definitely saw the same game Kev.
I always worry when Rice advances and Zubimendi drops back to defend as there is always the likelihood that he will lose concentration and with it the ball.
I still want to know why Eze was smiling and laughing before he came off injured.
Man of the Match for me Piero Hincapie. He occupied the left flank singlehandedly for most of the game.
I know this may sound crazy Cicero but I thought we looked better when Myles replaced Zubimendi, apparently Arsenal are looking seriously at some Brazillian m/f who plays in Serie A.
Ederson I think?
Yep….Ederson Lourenco who plays for Atalanta. Good player.
I still think that MLS should be given the chance to stake his claim in midfield.
Some of our recent games have been incredibly difficult to write about, mainly because not much is happening, so thanks for the edit Rico because it didn’t read that great originally, but I find as I’m sitting and suffering through periods of the game and then discover after say 20 minutes that I haven’t made any notes, mainly because nothing notable has happened or I’m too wound up.
That was pretty much how the 2nd 45 evolved yesterday and I hate it because I want to enjoy this run-in, but it is bloody difficult to do so at times.
I worry about Fulham because their manager loves to stick it to us, he did it at Watford and he’s done it several times with Fulham so it’s going to be another 90 minutes of angst…
Kev, during the game there were instances when Eze and/or Hincapie cut inside and the other forwards were static….they did not attack the box. In one instant Eze cut inside from the left and other four forwards did not attack the space and the box. They were just static.
In another instant Odegaard had the ball and he played the safest pass centrally whilst he had Gyokeres on the left unmarked and with a clear run to goal. Vic was obviously frustrated.
A treat for us all Women’s Champions League Lyon v Arsenal 1st leg live on B B C 2 from 3pm, kick off 3.30.
Well done to Kev for a write up after that,whether negative or just poor I don’t know,that was rubbish to watch.
We have to be positive though,clean sheet,one of our toughest league games done,the return of Saka was the best thing for me.
Madueke is just a joke at this point,I’ve seen a few compare him to Nicolas Pepe,he caon only dream of Pepes goal return – 1 in 5. I think it was Potter who said he is a modern Glenn Helder,I agree with that.
Atletico will be a real test in both games. The Fulham game in between looks a banana skin,as Kev said Silva has got the better of Arsenal a few times,with different teams. Also they have several ex Arsenal players,are going for Europe so will be super motivated.
I’m not even bothered if Spurs go down(I would still laugh)
Thanks mate, yeah I’m kinda watching Luton as well, they’re just outside the playoffs with an outside chance if results go their way.
Trouble is Kev, I think it puts us under more pressure by playing in our own half and bar the odd occasion, Raya ends up hoofing it long anyway.
It’s what we do Rico, let’s hope the ends justify it?
Hoofing it long to a lone striker up against a back four averaging over 6 foot 4″ was never the way to go, I reckon that’s why we were taking short corners.
Even if we got a knock down we were so deep that no=one would have got on it .Maybe the plan was to pick upon the second ball in midfield as the ball came back.
Little point in going on about how poor and boring it was , the main objective was 3 points , goals would have been nice but since our set pieces have gone and taken Owen Goals with them . we really don’t look like getting too many of them .
We have just got to keep getting the points and hope that City slip up.
Lg, Madueke reminds me of Gervinho. 😜
He’s not that good
Morning Cicero, I think Eve’s default is to smile. Apparently he’s fine..
Eve should re Eze, my edit option has gone. 😂
I’ve never had one!
I now know how you felt 😜
Good afternoon Rico and all
your write up is more interesting than the actual game we saw yesterday Kv. I enjoyed reading it more.
Yes it was a bit of a drab game but not all of it was negative as you rightly pointed out when answering to Rico.
Noni is still a yoyo. One moment on fire, then drab for quite some time. So until he decides which version he wants to perform at we should call him MadHelGerPep. Quite a mouthful I know.
Atm I am left scratching my head. You all might ask why. But here goes……we win 1-0 against NUFC and reporters, journalists, pundits claim we are just surviving. Man City win 1-0 against Burnley,a team already relegated. A team that’s conceded more goals than anyone in this league. A team playing for nothing. Playing against no one. And what do they say???? Yep you guessed, “This is what champions do. Grinding results when it matters.” Mind boggling no????
SAME scoreline. SAME three points. SAME game of football. But if it’s Arsenal doing it against a Newcastle side still fighting to climb up the table we’re surviving. If it’s City doing it against the worst team in the league they’re “champions. You genuinely cannot make this up.
We can only wait and see how they flip the narrative when we win the league and/or the champions league.
I always want Arsenal to win, every game if possible. But most of all I would love to rub their poop covered faces in our wins.
Ok mate, I’m sure I read a few weeks ago that Cicero is going to take on the job next season. 😉
Seems that Havertz and Eze’s injuries were precautionary rather than long term. We play Atletico and then again in the weekend.
Afternoon Devil. I’m glad we won etc but didn’t City totally boss their game against Burnley and have 30 odd shots on goal?
At the end of the day what mattered was three points but we need goals and lots of them. Plus, we were the home team.
Good result for the women, could have been much better though. Just couldn’t bury their chances. Familiar? Lol
Finally got it, but I had to go to the previous thread and refresh the page.
115 count FC will be playing against 74 count FC in the FA cup final this year.
Two most corrupt clubs meeting each other.
City vs Chelsea.
Who do you want to lose? I cant say I want one of them to win.
Olivia Smith took a right battering, rotational fouling most of which the ref punished with only a free kick. Yet she had the last laugh scoring the winning goal.
Two – one going into the away leg next week. 🔔🔔
Thanks Kevski. Interesting your take on the yellow card for Pope. At the time I accepted it because of the covering defender, but your argument for red is a sound one.
I, too fell on the floor in despair when Gyo couldn’t find Bukuyu. Kai’s fitness has moved to near the top of my prayer list. And how I long to see Mikel M back and doing his circle dance around the corner flag.
I’m interested in watching Alvarez against us, even if, as I hope, he has a stinker. I think he barely touched the ball when we put them to the sword back in October. If I remember MLS started in that game.
What is strange for me, is that we are nearly seven years into Project Arteta – (I’ve lost track of what phase we’re in), and Arsenal still don’t have a proper footballing identity.
During his two years as Pep’s assistant, City NEVER played an ugly fine margins, underdog style of football, so it is odd that Arteta adopts this style for Arsenal.
Even against lesser sides the football is ultra-cautious, and I’m struggling to comprehend why Arsenal have to resort to this.
The question is, what exactly did Mikel learn from Pep?
I struggle to understand that too BBD. We always seem to play like we’d rather not concede than kill teams off. Don’t get me wrong, I love it that we’re defensively strong, especially after all the years of having a shocking defence and dodgy keepers but I wish we could be more imaginative in attack.
I would add though, I think Arteta is trying to emulate City’s style in many ways but it’s really not working. Not this year anyway.
Morning all.
The defensive solidity is really good, Rico, and Hincapie has been a great addition.
With the depth and quality of players at his disposal, Arsenal shouldn’t feel inferior against anyone.
The only reason you acquire an inferior complex is if you doubt the ability of the players you’ve spent on buying them, which again makes no sense.
I think it’s a mental block Bb, I really do. As soon as the year turns, things go a bit belly up. It used to be October/ November if memory serves me right.
*Should read – The only reason you acquire an inferior complex is if you doubt the ability of players you’ve spent fortunes on buying, which makes no sense either.
Ethan Nwaneri was an unused substitute for Marseille yesterday. What a waste.
Huge waste Limey, meanwhile we have to watch the headless chicken. Still, his corners aren’t bad. 😂
😜 Snap Rico
Hi Limey
I wonder if Arteta looks at Madueke and thinks he’s been a genuine upgrade on Nwaneri.
BBD and Rico,I’ve heard a few people say Madueke was a little better against Newcastle,I didn’t see it.
It has the feel of a late era Wenger signing,Arteta just seems to stubbornly keep playing him to prove a point.
What a shame. A spell was put on the lad’s season.
First when it was put upon him that Madueke would be ahead of him in the pecking order – such nonsense that it even feels weird to have to write such a thing.
Then in Marseille, Beye, the new guy who took over from De Zerbi, has proven to be an incompetent f**k if ever there was one. He used to be the most full-of-himself “pundit on Canal“, and as all full-of-themselves, incompetent ignoramuses, he’s a coward, weak with the “strong“ (the overpaid vets – Pavard, Höjbjerg, Auba, etc. …) who make the team look like an overloaded freight train, and “strong“ with the “weak“ – our boy, who doesn’t speak the language, has been thrown headfirst into the loony bin that OM has become since they lost in Bruges in the CL, under De Zerbi, and doesn’t (can’t) have a clue about Beye’s clueless “tactics“ and (absence of) training “methods“… which, actually, proves how smart a lad he is.
Now it looks as though Ethan has gone into some kind of “resistance“, displaying some sort of “I just don’t give a farting f**k“/“See if I care“ attitude – and I admire him all the more for it …
I will say this, it’s an embarassment to the whole ethics of the competition that one club can casually drop £100m in January, to revive their season, something the 19 other clubs weren’t able to do.
It makes a mockery of the PL being ‘competitive’.
Agreed there Bb, 115 charges against them yet still they keep calm and carry on…
New post up by the way.