Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Arsenal are again on prime of the Premier League after a rare win at Villa Park yesterday.
The primary half – Bukayo Saka’s improbable objective aside – was, let’s face it, a bag of shite. We conceded early, and whereas you must give credit score to Ollie Watkins for an excellent end, to lose the ball excessive up the pitch and see it behind our internet a couple of seconds later tells you one thing went unsuitable.
Not as unsuitable because the second objective which, I think, will probably be beneath severe overview within the supervisor’s video classes this week. From again to entrance Villa performed by way of us like a sizzling knife by way of butter. Not a single Arsenal participant gained a duel, and we all know how upset Mikel Arteta will get when that occurs. We haven’t conceded like that in a very long time, to be honest, but it surely was an disagreeable reminder of instances previous.
It was clear that there was a little bit of a midweek hangover, knowledgeable as properly by the Brentford and Everton outcomes. That funk we discovered ourselves in acquired quite a bit funkier. Then once more, it was a toss up which to be extra indignant about: the efficiency, or the actual fact Bukayo Saka acquired booted across the pitch with impunity. That he ended up with a yellow card on a day when his boot was actually studded off his ankle by a nasty problem, is absurd.
Half-time got here, 2-1 Villa. We had been gradual, unadventurous, passive, horseshoe-y. All of the belongings you don’t need us to be, and I’ll be sincere and admit I wasn’t certain we had it in us to show the sport round. However, phrases will need to have been stated on the break. The Arsenal gamers have been despatched out early having obtained some selection directions from the supervisor, and we have been higher.
Saka had an early shot. Eddie hit the highest of the bar with a header. Saka acquired some therapy for his ankle. And simply after the hour mark we have been stage. Villa utterly ignored Oleksandr Zinchenko which, having seen a few of his taking pictures these days, I kinda perceive, however the left again picked up the ball exterior the field and drilled his first Arsenal objective into the underside nook to make it 2-2. He had pissed off me within the first half, this was a really well timed contribution.
Unai Emery began to get nervous. He took Coutinho off. Eddie then missed an ideal probability after a superb Odegaard go, clipping it too excessive past Emi Martinez and the crossbar. Emery made one other couple of subs. He wished recent legs for what he knew was coming. When you find yourself Unai Emery, you need to simply recognise the sample of a sport that appeared prefer it was going your manner earlier than the stress begins to mount in the other way.
Gabriel Martinelli changed Leandro Trossard. Martinez, who had been taking an age at each objective kick, took longer and longer.
“One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand … ⏩⏩⏩ twenty-seven one thousand”, and so forth and so forth. The ref by no means stated a phrase. There is no such thing as a six-second rule anymore. He’d maintain it, maintain it, maintain it, then boot it. We’d deal, go up that finish, and it will occur once more.
Then got here a rare final twenty minutes or so. Eddie robbed Konsa and performed a go into the trail of Odegaard. The Arsenal captain, on a day like this, with an opportunity to place us forward and actually tilt the sport in our favour. This magic left foot whose affect was throughout that second half in virtually the whole lot good we did. He couldn’t miss.
He did.
“Madre Mia!”, exclaimed the Spanish commentator.
How? Holy cow. Absolutely not. That felt just like the defining second. The large probability to go on and win the sport. Arteta made two subs. Emery made two extra subs, skittling his beginning XI with two extra lads who may run round a bit. Gabriel made a superb sort out in our field. An excellent take and run from Leon Bailey noticed him drive into the field, forcing an excellent save from Ramsdale who pushed the ball onto the bar earlier than we acquired it clear.
Gabriel then headed over from an Odegaard free kick. Time ticked on. Martinez wasted as a lot of it as humanly potential. Finally the ref needed to do one thing. Certain, it’s a bit like seeing one in every of your kids kick a gap within the wall for an hour earlier than you inform them to cease, but it surely was one thing. The previous Arsenal keeper took his yellow card, then simply saved on losing time.
We had a nook, Villa broke and Ramsdale needed to make one other save. Fabio Vieira was the final defender. Arsenal have been pushing and pushing, but additionally a bit uncovered. Villa had the ball, we gained it again, Martinelli performed a go into the trail of Jorginho who was arriving on the sting of the D. The Italian worldwide hit it first time. If the precision was barely off, the management on the shot was immaculate. It smacked the bar … then got here down and smacked the again of Martinez’s head and into the again of the online.
3-2! Time-waste that, pal. Wonderful scenes. There’s nothing fairly like seeing a participant concerned in utterly comprehensible shithousery find yourself with shit in their very own home. Everywhere in the home. Bricks of poo. It goes down as an personal objective, which feels proper within the circumstances, however honest play to Jorginho – and the way a lot did he like it?
It wasn’t over although. The 6 minutes of added time, which may have been double that, meant Villa had an opportunity to seize an equaliser. There’s nothing fairly just like the concern a nook within the depths of harm time brings if you end up holding onto a lead. Arteta’s face at that second:
Martinez went up for it. We cleared it, the ball fell to Vieira who performed an ideal go into the trail of Martinelli who made it 4-2 with the Villa keeper nowhere in sight. I don’t suppose I’ve ever seen a participant have fun an help earlier than the go he’s performed to the goalscorer has even reached his ft – and in tandem with Martinelli celebrating earlier than he’d even put the ball within the internet, it was superb. Soccer, bloody hell, and all that.
Arteta’s face 41 seconds later.
On the last whistle, Unai Emery – in his cow pat brown gillet – stalked off down the road to the dressing room whereas the Arsenal gamers and followers celebrated. What a ridiculous sport that is. I’ve been across the block a couple of instances however the way in which you will be transported from despair to thrill by 11 males kicking a soccer continues to be a surprise.
Afterwards, Arteta stated:
I believe we confirmed a variety of resilience, character and high quality. The context of the sport was troublesome, with the efficiency that we had towards Metropolis and getting nothing out of it. Then having to return right here lower than 72 hours later and discovering ourselves 1-0 down after 5 minutes.
At half-time we stated we needed to increase the person stage, we needed to look one another within the face and we needed to do far more if we wished to return out and win this sport. We altered one or two issues after which we produced a really sturdy efficiency and possibly ought to have gained it sooner than we did.
Within the context of our season, and the previous few weeks, this actually is a large win. Not solely did it give us three factors we badly wanted, it’s the type of win that may present an actual shot within the arm to a workforce that – if not fairly within the doldrums – has been lacking one thing over the previous few weeks. I agree with Arteta that they confirmed character and high quality, the second half was far, much better than the primary, and once you’re a title race generally you must discover a approach to win in extraordinary circumstances and we did simply that.
It gained’t make the whole lot good, it’s nonetheless cheap to fret just a little about sure people, however on the morning after such an unbelievable win, it feels churlish to delve into that in any element at the moment. We have now all week, on the weblog and in podcasts, to debate different points of it.
For now, simply go about your Sunday imagining the texture of that ball thudding off the again of Martinez’s head and into the objective. What a satisfying sound it will need to have made. Take pleasure in the truth that Metropolis dropped factors to Nottingham Forest. What felt like a very unhealthy week for us has ended up being a reasonably first rate one ultimately.
Now, I’m off to make some breakfast, I would have fun the bacon earlier than I even put it beneath the grill.
Have an excellent one people, and don’t overlook to affix James and I for a Goodly Morning tomorrow.
