Morning all.
After Chelsea and West Ham secured home wins over Newcastle and Aston Villa respectively, all eyes were on Arsenal v Leicester City.
Brendan Rodgers team didn’t really get going until we’d gone 1-0 up thanks to super corner from Gabriel Martinelli and a perfect header from Thomas Partey. Admittedly, he was was given plenty of freedom by the City defence, but even so, it was the perfect header. A lick of paint prevented Partey scoring a second.
Leicester slowly but surely grew into the game and had a couple of opportunities to level the score, but similar to when the two sides met earlier in the season, they came up against some strong defending and a keeper in fine form. Ramsdale’s save from Barnes was excellent.
After the break, Arsenal stepped things up again and in all honesty, should have made more of the chances created. At times, our passing was exceptional but when it came to pulling the trigger, either a defender’s legs were in the way, or Schmeichel. Or, a hand, which is exactly what Soyuncu used to try and stop Partey’s header which was directed towards the Leicester City goal. Anthony Taylor clearly didn’t see the incident but VAR did, and after several minutes of viewing, advised Taylor to use the pitch side monitor. Decision overturned and up stepped Alex Lacazette to blast the ball into the roof of the net.
2-0, game over and another three points to Arsenal.
Arsenal’s performance was good overall I thought. Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey are fast becoming the players I thought we were signing. Not only has Partey improved as far as his own game goes but he’s showing leadership too by organising players around him. Odegaard has everything Mesut Ozil had but with the right attitude and a gritty side of the game in his locker.
At times I thought we overplayed, were too fancy, trying to score the perfect goal but that shows confidence perhaps, belief in each other to achieve that. A better end product and this team can be the best it’s been in a long time.
Leicester’s plan was clear. Attack down our right hand side because Cedric was seen as the weak link. He did alright though, at times, more than alright.
I find it amusing to hear the pundits comment on how poor Leicester were but much of that, certainly in the first twenty odd minutes, was down to Arsenal being too good on and off the ball. Leicester had a decent spell before halftime but even so, Arsenal dealt with their threat calmly and with confidence.
Saying that, there were moments when we were a bit too calm, or rather, casual, playing out from the back and if we do that on Wednesday, Liverpool will be all over us.
Credit where it’s due, Mikel Arteta is working wonders with this group of players. A year ago, Arsenal were all over the place on the pitch but now there’s calmness, movement on and off the ball which makes the quick, sometimes intricate passing, look easy. The players might execute the football, but it’s Arteta who’s behind it. It’s him who coaches them, gives them the belief in what they can do and since the Man City game, a game we did so well in despite losing, the level of Arsenal’s football has in my opinion, gone up a level. With ESR back and Takehiro Tomiyasu to return, we should only get better. With summer signings, I hope we as a club can finally close the gap between ourselves and the likes of Man City and Liverpool next season.
Anyway, another good day for Arsenal as the women thrashed Brighton yesterday evening to keep their chance of winning the WSL very much alive.
See you in the comments.
Morning rico, nice read. We certainly had a good team performance. Odergaard is a delight to watch and Partey is getting better and better. I like that we are not now relying on just one or two players, but they can take it in turn to shine. That’s how it should be, and a special mention for Ramsdale with another cracking save. My main worry is an injury to Lacazette where we just don’t have a replacement.
Morning Andrew, all. Thanks.
Ditto re Lacazette, his work rate is incredible. A proper captain who leads by example
Morning Rico. There can’t be an Arsenal fan out there who didn’t ask themselves some serious questions earlier in the season after the horror shows against Man U and Everton away. Even as recently as Burnley at home it did still look a bit grim. Frustration and the anxieties in the stands moving into the players like an invisible force seemed like a yoke this team would never shake off.
Perhaps the Auba leaving thing was the catalyst or it could have started when Ozil was bundled out. Who knows? But something good has evolved at Arsenal and we can all see that surely.
Wrighty said last night on MOTD that Mikel had stopped all the noise from within the club perhaps because we aren’t such a big, easily targeted bone to be picked over by the press anymore. So, they can all saddle up up their morality horses of indignation over Chelsea and Newcastle and our club can operate in a more low-key way and hopefully edge toward a return the the financial rewards of European football because, to me, that’s really all that it offers.
5 wins on the trot. Great form leading into a testing set of fixtures.
Odegaard is really starting to fizz. His movement reminds me a bit of Modric, busy and always looking for an opening.
@Adam ‘Frustration and the anxieties in the stands moving into the players like an invisible force seemed like a yoke this team would never shake off.’
I haven’t picked up any angst from the crowd this season. It’s all been positive. This may be due to a younger demographic in the stands because of covid?
The negativity towards Arsenal has come from elements of the online community. The usual suspects in the form of a number of blogs and some parts of the media. These people haven’t got over Wenger leaving the Club and probably never will. Arsenal is bigger than one manager, it’s time to move on and enjoy the progress like the fans in the Stadium.
rico, proper Captain, workrate .. yes and a player that’s is out of contract soon is the amazing thing. Some players are still true professionals. And he never once openly complained when he was a bit part players and Auba kept him out.
Morning Adam. I know I wondered where the heck this team was going under Arteta not that long ago. I think the difference is because of Aubameyang leaving. It only takes one misery guts to ruin the mood and within the dressing room, perhaps he was it.
I admire Arteta for clearing the squad out, the board to for supporting him.
Chelsea and Newcastle Utd should hang their heads in shame. Ghastly clubs from top to bottom.
Spot on Andrew. I’ve a feeling he might stay on beyond the summer. He seems so happy in his role within the club/team.
And great penalty. It showed his previous three being bottom right. I was nervous, but Laca wasn’t. Kane style, top corner.
Morning Pete. I gave up my season ticket a few seasons ago so I only have friend’s reports to go by so you might be right. I was told that the Burnley game was pretty dour but, if you have found different then that’s great.
As for the online stuff. I don’t do anything like Social Media but I can only think of one truly negative downer. The one who is constantly and rather unpleasantly preaching against Arteta and who thought we should sign Ryan Fraser. Most of the others, many who do attend, seem rather like me. Hopeful but wary. Last time I went to a game was the last one before the pandemic, against West Ham. One nil to us and a really awful atmosphere was enough for me at the time but I’ll go again before the end of the season and check it out as things seem to be looking up.
Maybe also, that’s the first bit of VAR averaging out for us. If that was against, we would have complained that after ref not seeing, VAR searched for minutes trying to find an angle showing fingertips! Which it did but VAR was originally set up for immediate obvious errors.
Imo, much of the problem with football fans is that one can’t be critical without another thinking there’s an agenda behind it, either against the owner, manager or player. Whereas logic suggests we can only comment on the here and now and not the future because we don’t know what that’ll bring.
The here and now looks good to me as far as Arsenal go and the future looks positive too.
Morning Optimists and Rico 😄, nice balanced post I must say and only a few but some interesting comments.
Andrew I did notice Lacazette limping in the first half just after we cleared a corner and thought ‘merde, just before the Scousers, typical’ but fortunately he ran it off. Yeah I agree, Laca is key to what we do and he’s making himself increasingly so and so integral that a new contract is becoming more of an issue. His future is a big big decision, but Arsenal have to be realistic because can we afford to give him the kind of contract he probably wants and can he keep up these levels of performance over its length. We’ve been here before…
Morning Kev. If being quiet on here means it’s because Arsenal are winning, long may it remain quiet. I thought my post was very positive for me. 😆
I can see Lacazette signing on for another year.
Morning Rico and All Just watch replay as I fell asleep 10 minutes before kick off.
We looked pretty good last night, hopefully we can play like that against Liverpool and who knows we could pinch the 3 points. Nice to see Ramsdale keep another clean sheet.
Hi Andrew. Hope you and your wife are over the Covid now. Must say that it looked like a clear handball to me from the start. Brendan’s notion that the arm was in an entirely natural position was odd. I thought that the player had his arm extended toward the ball which caught his hand. Hardly natural from what I could see.
Rico, I thought that your post was an amazing piece of objective enthusiasm, after reading it I went out into the garden and shouted ‘Up the Arsenal’ – my cats ran for their lives. 😁
Hi Adam, near end I hope, little bit of itchy coughing left.
I agree on replay it looked a penalty, and was, but shocked after a three minute delay it went our way. And not too many Arsenal players or ref saw it. I just think, that’s the type of decision that usually goes against us, the type Luiz would have got a stretching fingertip too! I’m just so cynical how decisions even with VAR have gone against us, it’s a surprise.
Andrew. If you are wondering about VAR then you’re not alone. Watching the direct elbow to the head and the penalty shout I saw last night from the Chelsea v Newcastle sordid funfest I’d say that there’s probably something not quite right there. 😃
Good morning Rico a bright and breezy post this morning, just like Norfolk.
Seriously though, I did think you were very fair with your comments, so much so that I can’t find anything to disagree with. 😉
I really enjoyed watching some of the neat passing play but I would prefer it if the players saved the tricky little moves for when we have a four goal lead not when it’s two nil with fifteen minutes + to go.
Morning Geoff, at least you didn’t fall asleep because of it. Lol
😂 Kev.
Morning Cicero, are you sure? Lol
The playing out from the back needs a bit more zest too it I think. Especially on Wednesday.
Rico I’m a bit concerned about clearances from the back, too often they go straight to the opposition, I’d rather see them go into row z.. at least it would give us a bit of time to reform the defence.
@Adam hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere.
I don’t think Arteta is home and hosed by any stretch, but the team he has assembled is starting to look the real deal.
Not sure which blog you’re talking about, but there are plenty of weird ones to choose from and some of the comments are truly bizarre.
One of the most twisted was a guy that used to post on LeGrove and ACLF as his wife and get friendly with others in the comments. Odd…
Palace coming draw with city well done Viera
I miss ACLF
I do Kev. Yogi was the best Arsenal blog writers out the in my opinion.
I know what you mean Cicero.
New post up.