Arsenal.comMorning all.
No Gabriel, Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, no proper left back. For Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior, it was a rare start for both. Hats off to them too because both did more than ok.
Manchester United came for a point in my opinion but left with nothing. Meanwhile, up In Newcastle, Liverpool were dropping two points after a 3-3 draw.
The first half was pretty drab with a defensive and compact Utd hard to break down. Even so, Gabriel Martinelli had the ball in the back of the net but his celebration was cut short by a raised offside flag. Thomas Partey had the best chance of the half from a Declan Rice corner but he totally messed up his header. The look on his face showed how disappointed he was. Up the other end, Mount hit a shot wide, much to the relief of the Arsenal fans.
The second half was quite different to the first. Another set-piece, another Declan Rice corner which despite Fernandes and Hojlund defending at the the near post, Jurrien Timber snuck between the two, got the slightest but crucial touch to glance his header into the back of the net.
With around 70 minutes of the game gone, Utd had a free kick in a dangerous area. de Ligt thought he’d scored, I thought he’d scored but David Raya made an outstanding full stretch save to keep the ball out. Absolutely brilliant from the Spaniard.
Five minutes later, we doubled our lead. Another corner, this time from Bukayo Saka towards the far post. Thomas Partey’s headed hit the back of William Saliba with the ball ending up in the back of the net. Who cares how they go in eh….
Before the end, Kai Havertz had a great opportunity to make it 3-0, as did Mikel Merino but in the end, 2-0 was enough to send Utd back home with nothing.
Post match, Mikel Arteta said:
It’s a very special night against an opponent with a lot of history. I think the team was excellent, the energy in the stadium was amazing, so I’m very happy to celebrate that day with a massive victory for us. A fourth win in a row in a really convincing way, scoring two goals and not conceding a goal with a lot of players that haven’t played that much, but showed me again and the team that they are ready when needed.
He’s referring to Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior of course and why not because considering neither have played an awful lot of football for Arsenal this season, they proved their worth. To beat a Utd team with a “new manager” lift is a cracking result. Made even sweeter by the news of Newcastle scoring an equaliser in the dying moments of their game.
The nine point lead at the top is now seven.
Next up for Arsenal is a short journey across London to Craven Cottage on Sunday.
Catch up later…
Good morning Rico, your headlines are works of editorial art. Beaten at the posts. Priceless!
I was concerned, yesterday, at the loss of Gabriel’s goal threat at corners but no need to worry his French oppo took up the challenge and bummed his way to the second goal. As you say Rico, it doesn’t matter how they go in. 😉
A special word for Jakub Kiwior, despite lack of game time he came in for the injured Gabriel and slotted seamlessly into the back line alongside Saliba and played really well. There has been talk of him going out or loan or even permanently, his showing last night should put the kibosh on that idea, he’s too valuable to the squad.
Morning Cicero, thank you. I must say, I liked today’s. 😂
A bit of a rushed one this morning as Thursdays are busy for me but what a great result for us and Newcastle..
Agree re Kiwior, really big game from him..
He gets a lot of stick I know but I like him..
For all the rave notices for United’s new head coach, it must have been disheartening for his team to see the look on his face when he realised that Arsenal’s second goal effectively tied up the points. Squatting on the touchline with rain, or was it tears, running down his face he looked absolutely devastated.
I smiled seeing him look so dejected..
Morning Rico, I noticed that Dmitar Berbatov has likened Arsenal’s corner routines to the Stoke of Tony Pulis, as if anyone really cares what he thinks, but you can sense the beginnings of a narrative leading to the PGMOL trying to ‘stamp’ it out as Arsenal narrow the gap to the media darlings.
It works for Arsenal based around the metronomic deliveries of Rice and Saka and it’s a weapon that circumvents the low block and the scourge of defenders blocking holding and grappling.
Odd how those questioning Arsenal’s tactics have said nothing about the amount of fouling committed by defenders at corners?
You know when Arsenal have got it right, when nobody’s are suddenly being quoted on our style of play.
Well suck it up…
Morning Kev, when people are moaning about Arsenal, it’s good.
For years the pundits/media have been saying how poor we’ve been on set pieces yet now, they’re moaning. Chumps.
How good was that save from Raya? Brilliant.
Good Morning all.
Not the game or line up I expected from either team but regardless there is always an edge to a game against United but it wasn’t a spectacle .
The need for an out and out striker is so evident ,Havertz has nuisance value .Why we loaned Sterling at his wages was a huge mistake .Jesus,Trossard ,Zinchenko and Tierney and Tomiyaso need to go,not good enough for a team wanting to win a title and Calafiori needs to learn to run back and defend ,good going forward.
Nwaneri is a natural talent and needs more game time imo.
Raya made an incredible save and needs credit .Merino,early days for me and hope to see Martinelli back to his best .Finally how much is Saka worth as the club are trying to tie him down to a longer deal ?
I know Timber (as rico can testify) and he is a very intelligent and polite young man which is a rarity these days and read it as you like but his stay at Arsenal is a stepping stone to a move to a bigger European club..
Not every game can be a spectacle though Kelsey. Utd set up to close us down and stifle our attack. We won so no complaints from me.
Aren’t Chelsea paying the major part of Sterling’s wages Kelsey? If by some chance he eventually makes a significant contribution on the pitch, perhaps signing him will not look such a daft idea.
Good Morning Rico and all
The headline is equal to the match report…..brilliant.
Had we scored 4 or 5 no one would have complained. The fact that we won all headers from the corners is not surprising considering the height we have in the team. at the 2nd part of the Wenger era we where not physical, we didn’t attack or defend set pieces very well , we where too light weight and weak. Arteta was a player during this time and I am not surprised that it’s the first thing he fixed when he became the manager! Now he’s asked about it and also judged about it. As was said yesterday’s comments by Kev….the FA will surely try to find a way to deal with Arsenal’s superiority in corners or free kicks. Arteta’s answer on set pieces: I think we want to be very dangerous and very effective from every angle and every phase of play. The team really has that belief that from every angle we have the mentality to threaten the opponent and try to score.
How many teams scored against us from set pieces??? and because they were very strong and we were not? Now that Arteta’s fixed it we are referred to as the new Stoke city.
Cicero,
Sterling is on massive wages and I understood the unbelievable wages Arsenal pay Sterling revealed as huge deal Gunners secured comes to light. Arsenal are paying just 30 per cent (£97,500) out of Raheem Sterling’s £325,000 weekly wages for the period of his season-long loan from Chelsea, according to talkSPORT.Still too much.
As I said, if he comes good, he could turn out to be a bargain.
As I said earlier any win against Man U is a good win, especially when it comes with aclean sheet.
As for Sterling, at least it’s only for one year, How much did we pay for Tierney and all he has done is keep the medical staff busy since he arrived. also it gives our youger players another year to built there body strength and get a bit more fitter,
Sterling is fine as a squad player imo, actually, after Christmas I think we’ll see more of him if we’re still in the domestic cups.
Not every player can be as good as those they step in for, not when FFP has its restrictions.
Morning Devil, thanks.
I don’t get the critics on our set pieces. A goal is a goal regardless of how it’s scored.
As long as we’re scoring within the rules, there’s nothing the officials can do about them.
That’s my thoughts too Geoff. Sterling is just a stop gap. As Kev pointed out the other day, Marquinhos returns at the end of the year too although where his future lies is anyone’s guess.
Our corner set piece goals are giving full backs nightmares. If a fullback doesn’t prevent a cross it could mean a goal conceded, if in doing so he gives away a corner the outcome could be just as bad. In last night’s game the United fullback, Malacia didn’t know whether to stick or twist, when confronting Saka and got subbed off at half-time as a result.
Coaches will be just as conflicted as their players. Smashing isn’t it? 😉
Great win and the clean sheet is a bonus,I agree United came for a 0-0,to be fair they did a good job in the first half. Wow they were poor going forward,it’s to the credit of Raya to make such a great save which must have been one of the few times he was called on.
I watched brief highlights of the Newcastle – Liverpool game,it looked like Liverpool had the best chances,might just have been the way it was edited.
I hate to say it but Chelsea look very good. The difficult games keep coming,Fulham away won’t be easy.
I’m sure that there are many clubs across Europe and the UK greedily eyeing certain players in our squad, that’s a kind of backhanded compliment to the job Arteta and his coaching staff are doing and the job our recruitment dept have done.
Keeping the coaching staff together is the key but I’m also minded of the Alexis Sanchez transfer to Man United, the grass isn’t always greener and if players are intelligent enough and don’t allow themselves to be led by the nose by their agent then I expect to see most of our best players stay.
I’m also quite sure that there are many really good players who would simply love to play for Arsenal and play for Arteta, so if players want to leave then don’t stress about it too much.
Kev, I honestly can’t see any of the first team squad wanting to leave in January. The one player who seemed likely to go is Kiwior, but in recent games he has come into the team and seamlessly fitted in. Arteta has been forced by circumstances to rotate more than he perhaps would like but the players coming in have proved that Arteta can trust them so are more likely to get minutes, and that’s what, so called, fringe players want. With all four competitions still to fight in I’m confident that most will be content to stay and take their chances when they arrive.
However, if a player wants to leave it’s better to let him go than force him to stay and inevitably sour the togetherness of the squad.
I agree Cicero, I mean look at the Saliba saga, really look at it, all the noise is coming from Madrid where they use their media outlets as a tool to try and unsettle ‘a target’ – it didn’t work with Vieira…
I don’t know about you but I’ve never had any indication from watching Big Bills committed performances that he’s in any way unhappy or unsettled at Arsenal and if Bill is in contact with his old mate Kylian then he’d be hearing how miserable his old mate is in Spain, he’d also get some interesting info from his captain!
As for anyone else, well, what will be will be, most players are easily replaceable.
Arsenal are prepared to accept offers for Fabio Vieria, currently on loan at Porto. It seems his time as a Gunner is coming to an end.
Morning all.
New post up.