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Match report – Player ratings – Video
While you get up on a Monday morning and Ian Wright is joyful and Alan Shearer is unhappy, you’ll be able to start your week with a smile.
I feel Arsenal deserved to take three factors yesterday in opposition to Newcastle, however as we’ve usually mentioned, nice margins could be the distinction at this stage. Had Jacob Murphy’s early shot crept contained in the submit, reasonably than clattering off it, I ponder how we’d have reacted to conceding yet one more early purpose. Had the ball not skimmed Jakub Kiwior’s thigh earlier than hitting his hand, they might have had a penalty with lower than 10 minutes on the clock.
But it surely did hit the submit, it did hit the thigh, and just some minutes later we had been 1-0 forward. We obtained on prime of some early sloppiness in possession to work the ball into their half, Jorginho fed Martin Odegaard who fizzed a shot contained in the close to submit from a very good 30 yards. Whether or not you suppose Nick Pope ought to have carried out higher is barely paying homage to how we conceded our first in opposition to Man Metropolis, as a result of the Newcastle goalkeeper saved them within the recreation within the first half.
Each Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli had glorious possibilities which I feel they need to have carried out higher with within the last second. Pope did properly sufficient, however the finishes weren’t as convincing as we’ve seen from these two all through this season. On the different finish, Aaron Ramsdale saved very properly from Joe Willock as the 2 England keepers had a save-off. Odegaard created an opportunity for Martinelli which he didn’t take (though it wasn’t the Norwegian’s best cross), and proper earlier than the break the captain had simply the keeper to beat however Pope made an impressive save. I feel the goalkeeper deserves loads of credit score for that one, whereas the opposite two possibilities I discussed had been extra on the gamers who missed, if that is sensible.
The sport was very bodily and the referee let quite a bit go. How Newcastle obtained by way of the primary half and not using a card is past me. Guimares’ snide rake down Saka’s Achilles was most likely the worst, however Fabian Schar taking out two Arsenal gamers in a single go, and the ref simply taking part in on was arduous to know. When Xhaka, a kind of gamers who had been taken out, went down in direction of the tip of the half, Callum Wilson took exception, and it sparked some feisty scenes. Kieran Trippier was dropping his rag with Gabriel Jesus, and the Brazilian’s expertise to then demand the ball so the precise again would give him a clatter and win us a free kick to ease the stress was glorious.
I’m not a fan of Eddie Howe’s choir boy picture, as if butter wouldn’t soften in his mouth. It’s as much as the referees to handle the sport, Newcastle are sturdy and bodily, however take a look at fake arduous man Wilson, all mouth and no trousers, falling over like a buttercup within the wind within the second half when anybody went close to him. As for Howe complaining about time-wasting, he has a goldfish reminiscence contemplating how Newcastle performed at our place earlier within the season. One man’s time-wasting is one other’s recreation administration. Arsenal did it completely yesterday.
Ramsdale was the hero early within the second half, making a superb save from Schar who had a free header from shut vary. This got here moments after Isak hit the submit with a header. Superb margins once more. A purpose early within the second half may need modified the momentum, however inches matter.
Xhaka made an unimaginable restoration run and sort out to disclaim Willock once more, and Arteta introduced on Kieran Tierney for Oleksandr Zinchenko who was good in our build-up, however whose defensive kind is unquestionably a fear. Joelinton left a shoulder on Xhaka’s face as we defended a set-piece, earlier than Schar – clearly wound up – very intentionally left one on Jesus. It was near being a crimson for me, however there wasn’t even a yellow card.
He knew what he was doing, and he obtained fortunate. Which made it all of the extra amusing once we went down the left hand facet, Martinelli pulled a cross again, and Schar didn’t know what he was doing as he diverted the ball into his personal internet. Karma, child. Generally you get precisely what you deserve, and that’s all he merited. Clearly there’s the opposite facet of it, as I discussed the referee has to use the foundations correctly, however on a day when he doesn’t, it was good that the universe performed its half.
Newcastle made modifications, we made modifications, and regardless of a busy last jiffy, they didn’t actually threaten past some set-pieces which we handled properly. A late one when Ramsdale got here and simply plucked the ball out of the air cemented the type of efficiency he put in; I loved Ben White celebrating a late sort out like he’d scored a purpose; and the again 4 that completed the sport appeared stable to me.
Forward of them, Jorginho had a superb recreation in midfield. It was attention-grabbing to listen to Mikel Arteta speak about it afterwards, selecting the technical high quality over the better physicality that Thomas Partey brings to midfield:
There have been query marks as a result of it was going to be actually bodily however you wish to go physicality in opposition to physicality, we’d haven’t any probability to win the sport, so we needed to attempt for one thing completely different. I feel he understood the sport very well, he’s a very clever participant, he offers loads of safety to the workforce. He dominated the sport in lots of moments.
It was a reasonably courageous resolution, Partey’s current kind however, and it paid off. I believed Jorginho used each little bit of his capability on the ball in addition to his expertise to take care of the 100mph Newcastle strategy which was, after all, coupled with the type of relentless fouling that may be arduous to dwell when a referee doesn’t do something about it.
A phrase too for Martin Odegaard who has had the captain’s bit between his tooth this week. Two objectives in opposition to Chelsea in midweek, and one other essential one right here. Past the purpose although, he was completely sensible when it comes to setting the tone for the type of efficiency we wanted to have an opportunity of taking all three factors. A basic of the main by instance style, however with a side-dish of technical excellence that was so necessary.
I wrote before this game how I felt that Mikel Arteta was very intentionally taking part in down any speak of revenge due to what occurred at St James’ Park final season. So it was fairly one thing to listen to the post-game evaluation through which that was introduced up as a key issue. First, Ramsdale went on Sky to reveal exactly when that little bit of motivation was dropped:
It wasn’t talked about up till the assembly earlier than we left the lodge. The supervisor confirmed us a clip of the documentary final yr, confirmed us all our faces, employees included, displaying how damage we had been feeling, all of our reactions. We had that burning want as quickly as we left the lodge that it wasn’t going to be the identical at this time.
In his pre-game press convention, Arteta mentioned – with a straight face – that he had by no means seen the documentary! Humorous how he managed to seek out simply precisely the precise clip. And in his post-game press convention, he referenced final yr’s recreation, and mentioned:
“We needed to really feel it, it wasn’t sufficient simply speaking about, we needed to really feel it, we needed to see it, we needed to recognise our faces. Not solely the gamers however what it meant for the employees as properly. That’s soccer, you’ll be able to win, lose however that feeling was past one thing that we didn’t do sufficient on the day. We needed to put that proper at this time.
“I used to be trying on the video … you don’t should be a genius to see how painful it was. The phrase was ache. After which want for revenge. That they had that at this time of their bellies, for certain.”
It’s been one of many tales of this season, away day revenge. Crystal Palace on the opening day, responding to the 3-0 defeat there final season. Brentford away, after that horrible evening on the primary day. White Hart Lane. Now Newcastle. It’s an imperfect science, however there’s quite a bit to be mentioned for ache as a motivator, and I feel the supervisor and his employees deserve loads of credit score for harnessing that the way in which they’ve this season.
I don’t learn about you, however after I attempt to image an upcoming fixture in my thoughts’s eye, it was simple to see how this one might have gone one other manner. Our job was to verify it didn’t, and whereas we would have had somewhat luck alongside the way in which, there have been different days this season when that went the way in which of the opposition. For probably the most half although, this was the type of efficiency that may be a constructing block. We handled every part they threw at us, with the ball and with out, and stood as much as it with out dropping our composure. That was necessary.
So, to the three factors leaving us only a level behind prime spot. All we will do is win our video games, and this week appeared fairly tough on paper. To come back out of it with 6 factors is spectacular, and possibly it’ll be too little, too late however we reminded Man Metropolis we’re nonetheless right here, so let’s see how that little little bit of stress would possibly influence them. It’s unlikely, however you by no means know, and so they have a few massive Champions League video games to take care of too.
All in all, a very good day for us. Now we regroup, work arduous, and put together for Brighton on Sunday.
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James and I’ll have an Arsecast Additional for you this morning, so hold 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, depart your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
We should always have the podcast for you round lunchtime sooner or later. Till then.
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