Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response
Thanks David Raya. Not only for making an unimaginable double save from Atalanta’s second half penalty, however for saving us from a few days of navel-gazing and introspection forward of Sunday’s journey to Man Metropolis. There’s sufficient to think about already, doing it with the sting of defeat would have made it much more troublesome.
It’s very laborious to know what to say about final night time, as a result of so little really occurred. Mikel Arteta introduced Declan Rice again into midfield on the expense of Jorginho, whereas Gabriel Jesus got here in for Leandro Trossard up entrance. Our greatest/solely likelihood of the primary half got here from a free kick simply exterior the field. Bukayo Saka went low, the keeper made an excellent save to cease the preliminary effort, then blocked Thomas Partey’s follow-up.
And … that was kinda it. The remainder of the half was primarily two groups cancelling one another out. No query Atalanta made it very troublesome for us, they’re a troublesome workforce to play towards, however on the similar time we didn’t do sufficient to trigger them issues. Nor did they notably bother us on the again. We couldn’t get the ball by means of the traces, the forwards had scant service in areas the place they may trigger the opposition issues, and on the uncommon event we had a sight of objective, we fluffed our traces.
Gabriel Martinelli shot over for us, Charles De Ketelaere shot over for them after a pleasant passage of play, however by half-time it was presumably the least attention-grabbing recreation of soccer Arsenal have been concerned in for a while. There have been shades of final season’s away recreation towards Porto, however the place they made it laborious for us by means of relentless short-man syndrome cynicism, Atalanta’s man to man system was the problem we confronted.
Early within the second half, the house aspect have been awarded a penalty when Ederson bought past Partey too simply (this recurring theme continues to vex me), and the Arsenal midfielder clipped his heel as he went into the field. There was a prolonged VAR verify, I assume to make sure the offence which began exterior the realm carried on into it, however I don’t assume we will have any complaints in regards to the resolution. If it occurred up the opposite finish, I’d 100% need that as a penalty for us.
Leaving apart the truth that no man with a haircut like Mateo Retegui’s ought to be permitted to attain towards The Arsenal, it was a superb alternative for Atalanta. Nonetheless, David Raya was the hero once more, diving to his proper cease the preliminary spot kick, earlier than scrambling again as much as paw away the headed rebound simply earlier than it crossed the road. Sure, I feel Retegui’s header may have been higher, however full props to the Arsenal keeper for producing yet one more distinctive second.
I do know we’re just a few video games in, however if you happen to have been selecting a participant of the season to this point, he’d be proper on the high of my checklist. In virtually each one of many video games we’ve performed he’s been referred to as on to make an vital save and has executed so with aplomb. Additionally, the new-found means to cease penalties may be very helpful. Earlier than he got here to the membership, throughout the Championship and Premier League, Raya had confronted 20 penalties and solely saved one. To date he has one within the league, now one within the Champions League, and a pair in final season’s shoot-out with Porto. It’s a pleasant string so as to add to his bow at a comparatively late stage in his profession.
Atalanta modified a few issues, Arteta threw on Jorginho and Trossard for the underwhelming duo of Partey and Jesus, and I suppose it was mildly attention-grabbing that the Belgian operated as sort of deep-lying playmaker. It didn’t make a lot distinction although. Riccardo Calafiori got here on and regarded very snug, whereas Raheem Sterling created an excellent likelihood for Martinelli however as has been the case too typically of late, his composure in entrance of objective was nowhere to be discovered and he blasted over. That felt just like the sort of likelihood that will 100% win the sport on an evening like that, and he so badly wants one to go in at this level.
So, it ended all sq.. Afterwards, Mikel Arteta mentioned:
I feel we began the sport very well within the first 20, 25 minutes. I feel we performed with the ball in the appropriate areas, with a variety of intention and have been efficient, however with out creating too many clear-cut possibilities. After that, we misplaced management of the sport as a result of we have been very inconsistent with the ball, giving a variety of easy balls away – and towards a workforce which might be man-to-man, it prices you moments to transition as a result of the second you lose your man, there’s a area and you’re in equal numbers within the backline or overloaded.
Did we miss Martin Odegaard? It’s laborious to flee that conclusion. In a decent recreation, the participant who can provide you that second of creativity, of precision, that may be the distinction. However that is our lot proper now, and we’re going to must cope with out him and discover methods to make possibilities with out him too.
As you’d anticipated, the supervisor was effusive about Raya, saying:
We gave a penalty away and I witnessed two of the perfect saves I’ve in all probability ever seen in my profession to save lots of us from that second. This season he has began exceptionally – the save he made towards Villa, right now he saved us within the recreation. That’s the fact. You want that out of your keeper at this degree. I’m actually blissful he’s within the type he’s in in the mean time.
Let’s hope he continues in the identical vein, as a result of he may probably be quite a bit busier on Sunday. General, a recreation to neglect actually. A degree away from house isn’t the tip of the world in Europe, however with this new format, who is aware of if that can get up by the point we get to the eighth recreation. Anyway, we’ve greater fish to fry this weekend, and an enormous problem towards the Man Metropolis.
We’ll have a post-game Arsecast for you somewhat later this morning too, so stand by for that.
