Match report – Player ratings – Arteta reaction – Video
A tough week received fairly a bit higher as Arsenal accomplished the double over Spurs this season, closed the hole on Liverpool, and beat Spurs to make Spurs unhappy. The twats.
Mikel Arteta handed a uncommon begin to Raheem Sterling, and he ought to have put us forward early on however bizarrely stopped his run after fantastic work from Myles Lewis-Skelly put him by on objective. I don’t actually know what he was considering. We dominated the opening levels, with some pictures, some corners, and a few stress on their new keeper who received away with one when Kai Havertz labored actually laborious to shut him down.
In what felt like typical vogue although, our lack of ability to show the dominance right into a objective got here again to chew us once they went forward within the twenty fifth minute. Son’s shot from the sting of the field deflected off William Saliba and in, but it surely had been a disorganised 60 seconds or so. Pape Sarr was allowed on a regular basis and house on the earth to hold the ball into our half to win a nook which led to the objective, and we didn’t do sufficient defensively in both section of play.
After the the FA cup exit and the semi-final first leg defeat, you couldn’t assist however fear a bit. How would we reply? Might we reply? Leando Trossard despatched Porro to the outlets with a flip which left the full-back in a heap, weirdly the ref stopped play – maybe to provide him an opportunity to type his innards out after being twisted so wildly inside-out by the Belgian. However then a crunching sort out from MLS ultimately led to a nook, Rice delivered, Gabriel was there on the again put up to move residence – though formally it has gone down as a Dominic Solanka personal objective (harsh on him and Gabriel in my view).
Only a few minutes later, Partey received the ball in midfield with a very good sort out, Martin Odegaard fed Trossard on the left, and his fizzing shot bounced simply in entrance of Kinsky and into the again of the online. It’s a type of you’d anticipate the keeper to avoid wasting, however I feel we now have to credit score the Belgian for having a go from a place too few Arsenal gamers would pull the set off from. On his flawed foot too. Typically you get rewarded for making an attempt one thing a bit tougher, as an alternative of all the time in search of the right opening, and that was very a lot the case with this objective.
So, moderately than going into the break with a half-time postmortem on the playing cards, we’d put ourselves right into a strong place. They made attacking modifications on the break, and to some extent it work. They went from 35% possession within the first 45, to 55% within the second, however in fact we had one thing to carry onto.
There have been moments once we might have scored once more. A few headers from Havertz, Sterling with one other probability he dallied over earlier than being changed by Gabriel Martinelli, Rice cracking a shot off the keeper who knew nothing about it, an Odegaard probability late on, and simply small issues we might have executed a bit higher to trigger them extra issues within the attacking third. By 75 minutes although, Mikel Arteta had determined to grind this one out. Kieran Tierney got here on for Trossard to play forward of Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel and Saliba had been monsters on the again, and we cycled by a couple of modifications as we received in direction of the tip of the 90 minutes.
The one second of actual hazard got here proper on the dying when Porro hit the skin of the put up with a shot however at that time they’d introduced on Richarlison who appeared extra all for beginning a ruck than scoring a objective. Which, I suppose, is the story of his Tottenham profession – he’s had much more success with one than the opposite. I don’t suppose they maintain stats for xR although, and this preening cock(erel) was about as a lot use as an ashtray on a motorcycle.
I genuinely beloved him making an attempt to push Lewis-Skelly off the pitch and the 18 12 months previous simply laughing at him, earlier than taking a yellow card and gesturing the gang as he made his means again to the Arsenal bench. I don’t essentially suppose this was a coming of age efficiency from him, however I don’t suppose we’ve thought or nervous an excessive amount of about his emergence – and that’s totally to his credit score. When crew line-ups are introduced, there’s all the time some on-line response/drama, but it surely says a lot that no one bats en eyelid once we choose an 18 12 months previous – who has performed most of his youth profession as a midfielder – at left-back for a North London derby of this significance.
He was excellent final night time. Mikel Arteta called him ‘phenomenal’, and his post-game interview with Ian Wright summed up his persona and mentality. When Wrighty requested him if he was nervous in any respect about going through up towards established senior gamers like Kulusevski and Johnson, he stated:
“By no means. By no means afraid of nobody. I wish to go towards the perfect. I wish to be the perfect. You need to go towards the perfect to be the perfect.”
Are you not entertained? Simply so spectacular, from a participant who’s barely into double figures when it comes to senior appearances. He performs with none worry in any way, which isn’t atypical for a younger participant once they make their breakthrough, however in a season which has thrown up so many difficulties and challenges, his emergence has been one of many actually constructive tales of this marketing campaign.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta summed up the night time, saying:
I’m very pleased with the crew, I feel we had been sensational. I feel it was a very good take a look at to see after two massive performances and never getting rewarded in two totally different competitions. You need to play the most important recreation of the season for our individuals in these circumstances, and it’s a take a look at of angle. You already know what we’re manufactured from, the braveness that we now have, how a lot we actually care solely a couple of consequence or the efficiency and the way a lot we will do when it comes to what’s required within the recreation to be higher than the opposition.
I feel we performed from the minute one to harm them with or with out the ball. I feel we absolutely need to win the sport. I feel we made lots of people very completely happy, however particularly very proud to see a crew that behaves within the method that they’ve performed to it once more.
Was it excellent? Are there issues we will nonetheless do higher? After all, however within the context of this week and this particular fixture, the one factor that actually issues is that we took all three factors – significantly after Liverpool had been held to a draw on Tuesday night time. We’re nonetheless in there scrapping away, and hopefully this consequence and efficiency will help heal the connection between the crew and the followers which had turn into a bit strained in current occasions. It was a reminder that even on this imperfect type, it is a crew succesful and keen to battle for the title.
As for what else this month would possibly convey after the Gabriel Jesus information, Arteta was requested on TNT Sports activities afterwards if the membership was seeking to convey somebody on this month. He stated:
Sure for certain as a result of we misplaced two gamers, massive gamers. Bukayo may very well be out for as much as three months, in order that’s a very long time and Gabi that’s going to be out for an extended, very long time. We’re going to strive for certain. I imply we’re actively wanting. I feel we now have misplaced two very, crucial gamers, we now have 14 gamers within the squad and we play each three days, so we are going to strive however let’s see what we will get.
The derby win eases the stress however there’s one other massive recreation in a few days time when Aston Villa come to city. Within the meantime although, we will relaxation up some weary legs, take inventory, and hopefully behind the scenes we will increase a squad which – whenever you take a look at the Premier League desk – continues to be very a lot within the operating. What a lift a very good signing would possibly convey. Fingers crossed.
Proper, that’s it – we’ll have a post-game Arsecast for you a bit afterward, so standby for that. For now, I’ll go away it there.
Have a very good one!
