Match report – Participant rankings – By the numbers – Video
Is there something fairly like a final minute winner? Perhaps a final minute winner towards an enormous rival who seem like they’re going to mainly nick some extent in a sport once they have been dominated by 25 photographs to six, and wherein the opposition goalkeeper acted like a proper gimp late within the sport.
Eddie Nketiah put an arm out throughout David de Gea who went down pretending to be actually harm. In some methods, I perceive it, as a result of by the 86th minute Arsenal’s stress and momentum was relentless and he wished to sluggish that in any method he might. Nonetheless, he appeared like an fool, and when Eddie caught a foot out to poke residence the winner, I couldn’t assist however do not forget that second as I celebrated the objective.
The primary half was fairly even all informed. United began with some intent – the intent was to cheat a penalty, as Bruno Fernandes, together with his evil chinchilla face, threw himself into Aaron Ramsdale. Nothing doing. The irony, in case you can name it that, is once they performed some soccer they harm us. Marcus Rashford greater than made essentially the most of a Thomas Partey move which he intercepted, nutmegging the midfielder then blasting a shot into the underside nook. There’s at all times an inquest if you concede, however generally you simply have to offer the opposition credit score for a extremely good objective, and this was a extremely good objective from a participant in nice type.
Going behind isn’t one thing we do quite a lot of, particularly within the massive video games, so it was a check of character to see how we’d reply. Inside seven minutes we have been degree. Good stress helped us win a nook, from there we recycled the ball, Granit Xhaka overlapped and Eddie was there with sharp motion to move residence from shut vary. I believe the defending was poor, however credit score to the striker for sniffing out the possibility, and to Xhaka for an ideal help.
The yellow card for Mikel Arteta within the first half is simply value mentioning due to his interview after the sport when he was requested if he might be taught from the incident. He stated, “You may at all times get higher in life, innit!”, haha.
Arteta when requested about his yellow card : “You may at all times get higher in life innit” 😭 pic.twitter.com/ujQvN3achP
— HM (@Arsenal_DB10) January 22, 2023
A half-time change noticed Takehiro Tomiyasu exchange Ben White who appeared a bit of off the tempo yesterday. No criticism, simply an remark. After 18 sensible Premier League performances this season he can have an off day, however what a pleasure it’s to have the ability to carry on a participant of that high quality to switch him. It took Tomi a couple of minutes to get into the sport, however when he did the specter of Rashford was mainly fully nullified.
We went forward by way of Bukayo Saka who tormented United down their left all sport. His objective felt a bit like a response to Rashford’s. Not in a foul method, only a ‘Okay, you are able to do that, let me present you what I can do’, kinda method. Stepping inside Cristian Eriksen in midfield he made area for a shot and curled it with actual energy into the underside nook. What do you name a shot like that? An influence-curler? I don’t know, I simply know Saka is an unbelievable participant, whose expertise and flexibility terrifies defences to the purpose the place they merely again off as a result of they don’t know what he’s going to do, or the place he’s going to do it. That it took so lengthy for United to precise pay him actual consideration was fairly stunning to me.
Their equaliser was a contact lucky. I believe Ramsdale will remorse making an attempt to catch it reasonably than punch it, he discovered his path to the ball impeded by Tomiyasu and it fell for Martinez who looped a header residence. To be truthful to the Arsenal keeper, he had made a genuinely excellent save simply a few minutes earlier than, however he’ll really feel he ought to have completed higher.
Talking of Martinez, I watched him intently yesterday, particularly in gentle of the truth that when he selected Man Utd we introduced Zinchenko in as a substitute. It’s a bit mad to assume, given how unbelievable the Ukrainian was, we thought Martinez might carry something like that to the group. Perhaps he might have in time, however I actually doubt it. Zinchenko was simply wonderful. The Arsecast Further explainer from final week about him being just like the queen in chess was much more related. No participant had extra touches, and for all his craft on the ball, I like how aggressive his defending was, particularly within the air.
After that, Arsenal simply turned up the warmth to try to win the sport. 12 of our 26 photographs got here in that interval, and as you possibly can see from the graph beneath, the attacking momentum was properly and really with us. Saka hit the put up after once more twisting a defender who knew what he wished to do however might solely simply cease him; de Gea made a wonderful save shut vary save from Nketiah; and we had corners which United on the again foot. The xG ultimately was 3.2 for Arsenal to United’s paltry 0.36.
There have been shades of the Newcastle sport. Arsenal on prime, however simply lacking one thing additional. Yesterday, we have been in a position to carry on new signing Leandro Trossard who received concerned right away. You may see he’s received the technical degree to fit into this aspect, and he was concerned within the winner. His ball to Zinchenko was completely timed to beat the offside line, the ball again in was met by Odegaard and a defender, it span for Eddie who caught his foot out to make it 3-2 and to win the sport.
It’s six objectives in six video games for Eddie since he got here into the aspect, and to bag two towards United in a sport of this significance is so nice for him. Past that although, he’s getting higher each week. I believed he had good video games towards Newcastle and within the derby regardless of not scoring, and yesterday was in all probability his greatest ever efficiency in an Arsenal shirt. Not solely did he rating these objectives, his all spherical play was glorious. He ran the United centre-halves all day lengthy, held it up properly, and the mixture of these components together with his penalty field instincts was the distinction between one level and three yesterday. I do know that when his new contract was issued, some eyebrows have been raised, and I’ll admit I used to be apprehensive concerning the drop-off between him and Gabriel Jesus. Credit score to the supervisor although, he at all times spoke about how Eddie – who at all times backed himself too, btw – might ship, we’re seeing that proper now, and it’s nice.
On a day when Zinchenko was sensible once more, Odegaard majestic at instances (that flip-flop move that just about created a objective for Xhaka was out of this world), to have the 2 Hale Finish graduates be decisive made this all of the extra candy. Soccer is a mad trade, and so usually the correlation between how a lot cash you spend and the way profitable you might be is clear. Right here although, we had two gamers – who value a whopping zero kilos and 0 pence within the switch market – deciding the result of a large fixture which might have actual implications on the title race. The Arsenal Academy needs to be proud, and it’s another excuse why for any younger participant, Arsenal should really feel just like the membership to be at proper now. Until you have been politically strong-armed into going some place else, who wouldn’t wish to be part of?
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta stated:
It doesn’t get significantly better than that. It was an exquisite second, a extremely particular one as a result of we have been pushing and pushing and pushing and the objective wasn’t coming, however it got here on the finish after which VAR made it much more troublesome, however it was simply electrical, it was actually emotional, actually passionate and I liked it.
I spoke to some individuals after the sport who have been there, and so they all talked about the ambiance within the stadium. I used to be there for the derby earlier within the season, so I’ve some sense of it, however each week I believe it’s going to get increasingly more intense. We’ve simply reached the midway level of the season, it’s Arsenal’s greatest ever begin to a league season, and we nonetheless have a protracted method to go. There’s little question the assist and the connection between this group and the followers has been an actual issue this season although. Lengthy could that proceed.
So, to sum up: a dramatic 3-2 residence win towards Man United in a season the place we’re chasing the title? Don’t thoughts if I do. Don’t thoughts one bit.
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Proper, let’s go away it there for now. James and I are recording the Arsecast Further for you afterward this morning. Maintain a watch out for the decision for questions on Twitter @gunnerblog and @arseblog on Twitter with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or in case you’re on Arseblog Member on Patreon, go away your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
We should always have the podcast for you round lunchtime. Till then.