LE GROVE
Arteta was pretty blunt about what happened against Newcastle – revenge. We paid them back for the pain they caused us last season when they ended our Champions League hopes with an OUTSTANDING performance for the ages.
There were a few tests I had in my mind heading into that game. Could Kiwior perform against one of the beastliest teams in the league? Could Jorginho deal with the athleticism of their strong midfield? Could Arsenal do it away at one of the most intimidating grounds in the league?
We landed answers to all three of those questions and they were resoundingly positive. We saw in 8k definition what Jorginho is all about. He was the MoTM, he controlled the temp of the game, he leaned into his experience for the dark arts and he didn’t make a mistake all game. Thomas Partey’s form crashed and the question Arteta might be asking himself now is why he didn’t address that earlier with the Italian conductor.
Kiwior did a really good job, he’s great on the ball, strong, has really solid speed. He looked top class considering how long he’s been here and how soiled his rep was after only a handful of games. Matt Kandela said on the podcast he should be pushing for a first-team spot next season and I’d agree. Again, the question Arteta will be asking himself: Why didn’t I do this earlier? If you can do it against Newcastle, there’s no need for talk of him taking a loan next season. That’s a big problem solved. You know how we know he did a good job? No one is talking about Saliba.
Could we handle the moment? Yes we could. The team has developed. The only bogey team we have left in the league now is Manchester City. Arsenal went pound for pound with a very well coached team and they exited with a deserving 3 points and plaudits from around the league. It was a professional delivery of a good match plan. It was the sort of bread-and-butter win that big teams get when they’re competing at the top of the league. There were so many great performances worthy of talking about.
Martin Odegaard raising the level of the team again and making sure that no one is talking about his abilities in big games. He’s done it against Chelsea and Newcastle now. He has 15 goals. The leadership he showed to pull the team out of some tough spots was a joy to watch. He has the third best record away from home for goals and assists this season. He is one of the best-attacking midfielders in the world – there are trophies in this boy’s future.
Gabriel Martinelli is so incredibly exciting to watch. Every week it seems like he adds a little extra to his game. He has the flair of Alexis Sanchez, the directness of Nik Anelka, and he’s a joy to watch like Ian Wright. The footwork to win the own goal was dazzling. He is an absolute nightmare for defenders, the way he controls his pace by turning his afterburners on and off intermittently is so clever… and the delivery is delicious.
We should also give props the Mikel Arteta for managing the game well. He made a really big decision to take Zinchenko off for Tierney. The Ukranian is in a bit of a rut as a player and Newcastle ripped him apart, literally forcing him into tripping on his shadow at one point. Everyone has bad games, so no problem there, but what I like is Arteta was happy to take off one of his favorites for a player he hasn’t really trusted this season.
So where are we league-wise? Right back on the tails of Manchester City – looking at their fixture list DREAMING of dropped points. It’s a long shot, but this winning streak is ridiculous; something has to break. European football is back in the mixer, they have games against teams playing for things, we really should see something break. All we can do right now is focus on our own games and pray to the footballing gods something goes wrong for them. Madrid away this Tuesday, then to Everton – could Sean Dyche spring a deep block for the history books? Who knows. But he does owe us…
We’re back on the hopium for the next few weeks. Our title bid didn’t splutter to a sad end. We could still get 90 points this season. Momentum is now with us heading into next season. It’s a good time to be an Arsenal fan.
