Morning all.
I felt a tad disappointed when the squad was announced yesterday morning as I’d hoped to see more academy players on the bench than just
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji but Mikel Arteta opted for players with experience over what position they played.
I think we all expected the front three to be as it was with Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri all starting. The back five and midfield was as expected too. To say that front three didn’t work well would be an understatement. Nwaneri was excellent though but he just didn’t have the support in the box. Twice he hit the woodwork.
Ndidi had Leicester’s best opportunity just before halftime but thankfully, his header went wide.
After the break, Ethan Nwaneri was just a whisker away from giving us the lead. He’d moved the ball from slightly right to centre before curling a left footed shot just a millimetre or so too high.
Around the 70 minute mark, Mikel Arteta replaced Raheem Sterling with Mikel Merino. Leandro Trossard moved left with the Spaniard in the middle. Finally, a target man. A player who very nearly gave us the lead within minutes of coming on but couldn’t get a touch on Jurrien Timber’s cross. As we went in search of three points, only some smart defensive work from Myles Lewis-Skelly prevented us from going a goal down. Up the other end, the woodwork prevented us from going ahead. Nwaneri struck it well with his right foot, or should I say his wrong foot, and their keeper was beaten, but it wasn’t to be his day as far as scoring goes.
But it was his ball into the box which was perfect yet again only this time, there was a big guy waiting. Mikel Merino was that guy and he made no mistake with his header. A lovely goal all round.
Mind you, so was Mikel Merino and Arsenal’s second.
This time it was Leandro Trossard who supplied the cross from the left after Riccardo Calafiori not only won his challenge in midfield, but managed to squeeze a pass out to the Belgian.
Mikel Merino:
It’s amazing. It’s just an unbelievable feeling. The supporters are showing me so much love. I’m really thankful for that. I can only answer by working hard, trying to give them all the love back. and hopefully in the future I can make them proud.
I’m ready to do the job that the coach and the rest of my team is relying on me to do. Hopefully it will end up with two goals like this every time!
As said earlier, the game itself wasn’t the best yet it had moments of magic within it. Watching Ethan Nwaneri work his magical feet, his two strikes, both of which on another day might have gone in. Three if one counts the curling effort which went just over. The moment when Myles Lewis-Skelly’s last ditch defending prevented us from going behind. I mention these two players again because they’re still very young in footballing years yet already key pieces within Mikel Arteta’s jigsaw.
The decision to bring on Mikel Merino was an excellent one. I’m pretty sure if one was to look hard enough, the words lucky and Arteta will be written in the same sentence but I prefer to see the move as being inspired. Trying something different. We needed a presence in the box and Merino was that man. It worked, or as I wrote yesterday, Boomshakalaka!
Whether Mikel Arteta sticks with his namesake next Saturday for home match against West Ham, who knows but I’m not sure he can afford to risk starting Raheem Sterling again. His loan move to Arsenal simply hasn’t worked. He’s out of form and looks out of confidence too. It’s a shame for him as much as it is the team but with so many players missing through injury, those who are fit cannot afford to carry passengers.
Now it’s Liverpool’s turn to feel a little bit of pressure. They’ve been in the news this week for negative reasons with Slot and his assistant waiting to find out what penalty they’ll be given for ranting at Michael Oliver at full time against Everton. Wolves might be lurking at the bottom of the table but they are more than capable of spring a surprise. I hope they do.
Catch up in the comments.
