Match report – Player ratings – Arteta reaction – Video
Arsenal’s strong and unbeaten begin to the season continued with a 4-0 win over Bournemouth on the Vitality Stadium yesterday.
Regardless of pre-match considerations over accidents, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka all began, and it was the latter who put us forward within the seventeenth minute. Eddie Nketiah drove via the opposition midfield effectively, Saka discovered Martin Odegaard whose cross to the again put up was headed off the wordwork by Gabriel Jesus. Saka was there to nod residence the rebound to make it 1-0.
Not lengthy earlier than the break, we had a penalty when Nketiah was taken down within the field after a pleasant go from Zinchenko – it seemed as if Saka was going to take it, as a substitute he handed the ball to his captain who despatched Neto the unsuitable means as he rolled the ball contained in the put up for 2-0. The house aspect provided little, partially due to how organised and disciplined we have been, but in addition they have been simply very poor. At occasions, you may type of see what Andoni Iraola is attempting to do, however until it’s executed to perfection, it fits a workforce like Arsenal.
After all, a supervisor can do as a lot work as he likes on the coaching floor, however he can’t legislate for gamers making daft tackles. How Ryan Christie had the nerve to complain when he slid in on Odegaard I’ll by no means know. It was a stonewall penalty, and I used to be questioning whether or not the captain would step up once more or let Saka have a go this time. He appeared to seek the advice of with Gabriel Jesus, after which handed the ball to Kai Havertz.
Everybody understands the German has struggled to make an influence from an attacking perspective, and he badly wanted a aim, one thing to ease a few of that burden. With that got here some real strain although. What if he missed? A possible 3-0 stays 2-0, after which it may be 2-1 in the event that they seize a aim after which the sport modifications and what if one thing else occurs on the again and so they get one other one and it’s all of your fault and so on and so on. So, whereas a penalty towards Bournemouth at 2-0 isn’t fairly like the ultimate one in a world cup last or something, it was a giant second for him.
And he delivered, tucking the spot kick away very effectively. He did rating one within the Neighborhood Protect too, and each penalties he’s put away have been executed so with a conviction that’s maybe lacking from different elements of his play. You possibly can see how a lot it meant to him, and to his teammates. I believe dialogue of gamers is par for the course in soccer, however the truth senior gamers trusted him with it says one thing too.
Declan Rice was satisfied for him, and talking afterwards, Mikel Arteta said:
I’m actually glad for the win however even happier to be a part of one thing, a part of a workforce that exhibits the human qualities that they’ve proven at the moment, with out me telling them completely nothing to indicate that and that empathy in direction of a participant that has some query marks to resolve externally, they gained me much more at the moment, they’ve executed in a extremely pure means, I’m delighted they’ve made that call, I’m so grateful to our supporters the way in which they sang his title, have made him really feel in the way in which he has felt at the moment and if there’s an individual in a dressing room that deserve that, it’s Kai Havertz. So glad for him.
Instantly after the aim, the away followers – who have been in unimaginable voice all day yesterday – started singing a Kai Havertz song and didn’t cease for ages. Hopefully the aim, the response, the assist, all of it helps – as a result of for me it boils all the way down to this: if Kai Havertz does effectively, then it will increase Arsenal’s possibilities of doing effectively. There’s nonetheless loads to do, however this felt very very similar to a step in the proper path – and past that, only a actually beautiful second for him and this group of gamers.
That was actually that when it comes to the outcome. There was nothing from the house aspect, and Arteta made modifications, with Reiss Nelson and Takehiro Tomiyasu approaching. Fabio Vieira then changed Saka who took a kick when blocking a shot and seemed in some discomfort. Maybe it’s a change that would have been made earlier with the outcome roughly within the bag, however hopefully he’s okay.
Emile Smith Rowe got here on and seemed encouragingly harmful, forcing Neto into two superb saves within the last levels, earlier than Ben White put the icing on the cake with a fourth aim – heading residence from an Odegaard free kick. All in all, a effectively deserved win, and one other clear sheet on the street. We’ve but to concede a aim away from residence this season, one thing Arteta touched on afterwards:
It’s an enormous one, to win video games on this league, maintaining clear sheets for us goes to be essential and away from residence might be even greater and the problem is now can we take that into the Emirates as effectively and be constant.
With Man Metropolis subsequent up, that might be an excellent time to begin the same form of run at residence. Their defeat to Wolves yesterday was clearly very welcome, honest play to The Korean Man for placing the nail of their coffin, Guardiola’s disrespect got here again to chew him there. United misplaced as effectively, which is all the time enjoyable, however the large story from yesterday is more shambolic officiating and an evidence that doesn’t sound in any respect convincing to me.
I’ll most likely discuss it a bit extra on tomorrow’s weblog, however since Howard Webb took cost, requirements have dropped. Unimaginable actually, think about being worse than Mike Riley. One more meaningless apology will do nothing for Liverpool, and it led to a jammy winner for that lot, so it’s notably annoying. Anyway, little doubt there’ll be loads extra to return on that.
For now, we will calm down a bit after a great win, and tomorrow we stay up for Champions League motion on Tuesday.
Have an incredible Sunday of us.
