Liverpool deservedly losing at Selhurst Park, despite all of Arnie Slot’s rantings at the 4th official and of course ignored by the press, opened the door for Arsenal to close the gap and the Gunners confidently strode through that door increasing the pressure on a clearly rattled Slot. Liverpool’s huge outlay on attacking talent this summer has suddenly heaped a lot of pressure onto the Dutchmans shoulders as last season his success was built on the work done and the players left behind by Klopp. This season he will be judged on the work he does with the players he clearly wanted and the club provided for him.
The irony of Liverpool‘s first defeat of the season was that it came from a goal in added on time which was not lost on me.
So Arsenal arrived on Tyneside at a stadium where they had lost their last three games but with a clear plan in front of them which was to close the gap on the league leaders and have them looking over their shoulders for the first time in over a year.
With that in mind, Arteta rang in the changes from the team he fielded at Port Vale. Saliba was rested whilst Zubimendi and Rice returned to the starting eleven with notably Eze in the centre of midfield. The handbrake was off, not that I ever thought that it was on in the first place but hey you’ve gotta let Sky & co play their games.
The atmosphere was raucous with the Geordie fans creating the kind of noise that would make many opposing players disappear but this Arsenal team are made of stronger stuff and we matched them in an end to end opening 10 minutes during which a great run and cross by Jurien Timber presented Eze with a wonderful chance to open the scoring. Eze could have put a bit more pace on his shot but to be fair, it would have beaten most goalkeepers. Pope between the Newcastle sticks decided to have a top performance and pushed Eze’s shot around the post. Gyorkeres almost got a shot off which was blocked and Saka did likewise as Arsenal increased the pressure.
Arsenal were flowing and coping with the physical Barcodes, but eventually the home team bounced back and exerted some pressure on Raya’s goal but that led to an Arsenal breakaway and the most contentious incident in the game when Saka combined with Gyokeres to put him free on goal. Pope came out and took Gyokeres down, penalty, clear as day and Gillette gave it. But Darren England on VAR intervened claiming that Pope got a touch on the ball before he tripped Gyokeres. I’m sure you’ve seen it but I’m not sure that Pope did touch the ball because Gyokeres knocked it past him before he was clattered. Anyway it was overturned and that set the tone of the game.
Following that, Gyokeres headed a chance back towards Calafiori who headed wide, then moments later, Gyokeres found Saka who then found Rice who set up Trossard. Mr Reliable bore down on Pope’s goal and his shot flew past the goalkeepers grasping right hand but thudded onto the post and away to safety. The faces of the Arsenal players seemed to say ‘I hope it’s not going to be one of those days’.
Eze then had two excellent chances, one created by a combination of Timber and Saka and the next from a Calafiori long throw nodded on by Gyokeres, both times his shot was blocked. On another day he would have had a hat-trick.
On 35 minutes Newcastle struck when a short corner was recycled and chipped into the box and for the only time our defence faltered, Gabriel misjudged the flight and the BFB (Big Flipping Barcode) scored with a crisp header – the German, well I think he’s going to be a good signing for them. Arsenal continued to push but it was a devastating blow after dominating the Geordies on their own patch. HT 1-0 to the home team..
Ok, I’ve gotta confess, I didn’t take many more notes after that as I was pretty cheesed off but I’ll do my best. Saliba came on at half time for Mosquera who had shown signs of wilting under the pressure. From the restart Newcastle almost scored again but it was cleared and their last man was offside in any case I think – not that we could have had any confidence in the officials to pick it up, they’d missed so much.
Around 59 minutes and after constant Arsenal pressure Pope again saved as Timber stole into the box and looked to have equalised with his head after some wonderful build up play. On 70 minutes Arteta changed Saka for Martinelli, Saka had run himself to a standstill, he was amazing. Calafiori – on a yellow card – was replaced by Merino. On 82 minutes Arteta sent on Odegaard for Zubimendi who had not stopped running and working and our captain brought a freshness to our attack.
Two minutes later Arsenal got what they richly deserved following our 11th corner of the game. Rice took it short to the excellent Eze who switched it to Trossard who returned it to Rice who chipped a Ryder Cup cross onto the head of Mikel Merino who deftly diverted it into the corner of the net with Pope this time helpless. Instead of celebrating the team resolutely returned to the halfway line for the restart.
The pressure was incessant and when the 4th official put up the board with 8 minutes on it the Gunners redoubled their efforts. Pope was beginning to crack and he miscued a drop kick straight out into Eze in midfield who quickly switched it out to Rice who clipped in another tantaliser which Newcastle could only clear for our 12th corner.
Odegaard then sent in an absolute beauty of a cross and although he was surrounded by the giants of the Newcastle defence, the King of Brazil showed he wanted it more and rose to head home the winner.
On balance nobody, not even the rotund Richard Keys could deny that Arsenal deserved the win, in fact Eddie Howe conceded afterwords that we were the better side. It’s still early in the season but results like this can engender a feeling of belief, of togetherness and a confidence in your ability to see it through.
By Kev.
Morning all.
Thanks Kev, for today’s post and the last few days.
I thought we were excellent yesterday, the first half especially. The penalty overturn was a joke and would not have happened to any team other than us. Gillett made the decision and should have stuck to it. Clear and obvious it was not.
Gyokeres must feel like the footballing world is against him. He’s doing everything but score right now. He’s certainly a target for the opposition too.
Morning Rico and all,
Very nice write up Rico, I was going to watch the match but fell asleep and when I finally woke up the match was over, as I said yesterday, glad to see pools luck run out and us finally get some luck
Sorry should say nice write up Kev
Good morning Kev, Henry V said ” Once more unto the breach”. Excellent summing up. Watch out Rico he’s after your crown. 😉
Morning Geoff, I’m surprised you fell asleep, it was an exciting game. Lol
Ha ha Cicero, he can have it.. lol
Morning Rico n Geoff, glad to help Rico, hope you’re feeling a lot better today. I couldn’t fault any of our players for their efforts yesterday, I loved their desire to keep going until the end, despite the knock backs.
There was a relentlessness about the way the boys kept going whilst the new squad strength has without doubt given Arteta the many options he’s probably been missing in previous seasons.
I can see a hunger in this group that I’ve not seen before, if Arteta can get them over the line this season then this squad, with very few changes, could have an amazing next 5 years.
Cheers Geoff.
Thanks Cicero, nah mate, it’s nice to do occasionally but it’s too much pressure to get it in before the deadline, 😁
Morning Kev, getting there thanks, just a post virus cough…
Like you I thought as a group of players, they showed real character. Mentally and physically strong against a bully boy team.
Is any else having trouble seeing some comments as it says 8 comments but I can only see 3
Yesterday was a baptism of fire for Mosquera. I shouldn’t think he had previously played in front of such a raucous and rowdy fifty thousand home fans. Maybe that was a reason he fluffed his lines a couple of times. A very sensible decision by Arteta to take him off. But the squad strength allowed him to bring on a player of Saliba’s quality.
That strength in depth also allowed the replacement of Saka, Calafiori, Zubimendi and Trossard without reducing the overall quality and attacking intent.
Refresh the page Geoff.
Gotta go, battery going flat. Back later.
Plug it in then.
Good summation Kev of a very hard fought 3 points .
Before the penalty incident my son remarked that we are better than this lot but after the penalty incident for about 60 minutes Howe’s men turned it into an old fashioned game based on an Allardyce blueprint . He bought on defender after defender put a line of 10 in front of Pope and desperately tried to cling on to his ill gotten gain.
We spent time with our usual patient build up but for once Odegaard’s appearance added a spark and it came good in the end .
However as I said yesterday , something is extremely fishy at the PGMOL . In a game with such importance , with us breathing down Liverpool’s neck they appoint not only Gillett a self confessed Liverpool supporter but they also gave Darren England the VAR spot .
From their own website he is described as a childhood Liverpool fan .
To paraphrase Shakespeare ” Something is rotten in the state of Lancaster Gate “
Good afternoon Lady and Sirs
Glad you’re better Rico. Yesterday’s result must have been a good tonic for your recovery as well.
A good post Kev. Your post sounds like a one of the best when an army is in trenches during the war. You’d make a brilliant down to earth motivational captain.
I think that while the team has been formed for the past few months and a couple of years, yesterday it was born as a team. The result will gooooo a loooooong way in the development if its monstrous attitude. It was not just a step or three points forward. It was a giant leap of faith and belief imo. To overcome a 0-1 deficit at such a difficult ground, to overcome the inefficiency of the refereeing team, to overcome the noise at the stadium meant that yesterday contrived to a more ‘us against them’ mentality…….the GG mentality.
Yesterday was a statement win. As Kev pointed out, not even RK could say anything else other than we deserved the win.
One thing which I read was that once again it was because of two set pieces. Wrong!! the first one was not through the set piece. After the corner was taken, between the corner kick and the goal there were 5 passes and six touches of the ball. That is not a set piece. It was open play. The 2nd one was a set piece…..corner cross, headed touch, goal. That is typical set piece. But the first one was not from a set piece although the ball was put in play through a corner. If our keeper plays a goal kick, it reaches the centre circle, Gyokeres knocks it down to Saka who bears down on goal and scores that is a set piece then with their way of judging play. That’s three touches Raya-Gyokeres-Saka. Yesterday’s first had 5 passes and 6 touches so its not a set piece.
While 2-1 gives us three points it does not tell the whole story. We were miles better and on a better day we could have come away with a 4-5 goal cushion. Not many teams will go there and win unless the barcodes roll over and let them walk over them. Liverpool and City still have to go there if I’m not mistaken. We went there and won.
I am pissed off only with two things….we conceded a goal (for me that is an insult) and the fact that we scored only two when yesterday we could have had scored more.
Any other time, Mosquera would clear that ball with his other foot. Despite conceding the corner, stopping the jolly green giant in the air was never going to be easy.
Upon seeing the lineup I wondered why did Arteta pick Trossard instead of Martinelli.
But then upon reflection I figured out that Arteta knows much more than us that Saka, Eze, Gyökeres & Martinelli are all vertical while Trossard, being reliable, would be hard to track when he drops from the wing into the middle. The way Arteta used him saw Calafiori keeping wide so he could come inside to overload Newcastle’s midfield.
I think it’s shocking that two officials with a connection to Liverpool, regardless of how loose that connection might be, can be involved in our game. For Gillett I think it’s for the 5/6th time already this season.
I think Howe tried to emulate Guardiola tactics with his defensive approach but we were just too good…
Afternoon Devil, thanks.
You have to look at how good Pope was in the first half, he kept us out. We can be super critical of our shooting but as Kev suggested, another day, a different opponent and one or two of our first half chances might have gone in.
How is it that so many of our new signings breakdown so soon after arriving?
Presumably after identifying a prospective candidate, we look at his injury record as well as his all-round health and wellbeing. If those criteria are satisfactory the player undergoes a medical examination, only after which is a contract offered.
Despite the above we have seen Juren Timber get a bad injury minutes into his first competitive game which kept him off the pitch for a season at least.
Calafiori broke down very soon after signing and has suffered injures too often for comfort.
Havertz the same. Merino too and let’s not forget Norgaard and Hincapie. Lastly after a few games Madueke copped a serious knee injury and will be out for weeks if not months.
Is something wrong with our method of due diligence? Are the players being truthful about hidden injuries they are carrying?
Are we expecting too much too soon when it comes to introducing new players to the rigours of our training programme?
There’s a problem somewhere.
I just found this on FB……..
I think Saliba head collision vs. Joao Pedro last season is one of the most atrocious penalties you’ll ever see given. Saliba even got a second yellow and walked.
I had never seen such, and frankly, you’ll never see it again.
Howard Webb had a Ref Watch session a Monday after that and gave all his dubious reason to legitimize the decision.
Remember saliba also touched the ball first before the fall through
Webb said to Micheal Owen ‘That touch doesn’t negate the awarding of the penalty”
He continues and say “The ball touched saliba but he didn’t play it so it is a foul”
For context: This mirrors what happened today re Pope on Gyokeres but the Penalty was overturned. You have to wonder whether they have certain rules set up for specific teams.
Arsenal shouldn’t let the Gillett penalty overturn die because we won.
Some questions:
How does Webb explain the decision when he said the above about Saliba?
How can a referee be barred from officiating the team he supports… but not their direct rivals? Gillett supports Liverpool and its well known
How does ANY official end up on 66% of our opening 6 games. He has been involved in 4 of our 6 games?
It’s certainly something I don’t understand either, unless other clubs simply don’t train as much or as hard as we do and their bodies have a shock.
There’s the problem though, the pgmol make it up as they go along and if Arsenal as a club complain, it’ll only get worse imo.
Strangely today it’s saying he supports Barnsley . Wonder what changed
I’d be happy to see the use overseas referees, perhaps we could send some of ours out on loan to some unfortunate country where football is not the national game. Australia perhaps? 😉