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Arsenal 1 – 1 Southampton

Theon’s Return to The Iron Islands

Just when I thought the football gods and goddesses couldn’t be any more brutal to us Gooners, guess who returned to the Emirates? Theo Walcott. Just in time for the holidays. The same gent who started his career at Southampton before moving to North London where he scored more than 100 goals over 12 seasons for us. Walcott only scored two goals during the 2019/20 season, so it’s hard to argue with ownership’s decision to move on from him in 2018. But in a cruel twist of fate, Walcott–who had only one goal this season entering today’s match–managed to score the opening goal today with a clinical chip over Leno.

Better (Part III)

Once again, Saka deserves credit for getting forward and making something happen. His dribble drive into the box, which started the move that led to Auba’s goal, would have made fans at the Rucker Summer League proud. And while Auba’s goal unfortunately did not open the offensive floodgates for us today, he must feel like a huge weight has been taken off his back, so hopefully Auba and the team will be a little less tight offensively going into our next match against fifth place Everton on Saturday.

Worser

That’s no typo. It’s a term that my young daughters use from time to time, and I found myself thinking of it at least a couple of times during today’s match. First, when Elneny and Gabriel got tangled up, which allowed Che Adams to regain possession and release Walcott for his goal, I was absolutely shocked to discover that Luiz was nowhere on the pitch. Second, when Gabriel was sent off for his second yellow, it meant that we’d have to play our second match in a row and our third in five a man down. When your team is struggling to score, your teammates simply cannot get themselves dismissed. People are (rightfully) asking questions about whether or not Arteta has lost the locker room, but I’m starting to wonder if the boys have lost all faith/trust in each other. Unfortunately things may be worser for us than they appear.

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Arsenal 1 – 2 Wolves

His Darke Materials

As NBC match commentator Ian Darke pointed out during today’s match, Wolves had not beaten the Gunners away from home since 1979, our average of nine shots on goal per match is our worst in the last 22 years, and a loss today would ensure our lowest point total through the first 10 matches of a season in the Premier League era.

Charlie Brown, Lucy, and a Football

I foolishly believed our early season defensive results would at least somewhat offset our offensive struggles, but if our loss to Leicester (who played without Jamie Vardy for nearly two-thirds of the match) wasn’t bad enough, today we somehow managed to concede twice in the first half to a Wolves side that had only scored two goals in an entire match just two other times all season. Even more damning, they did so today without their leading scorer. How much longer will Gooners and ownership give Arteta to turn things around?

Silver-ish Linings

This is a tough one. Sideshow Bob actually looked pretty good playing with a concussion through the end of the first half? We scored a goal from open play in the league for the first time since October 4th? Willian picked up an assist for the first time since Week One of the league season? We actually took more shots today than we averaged coming into today’s match? Perhaps Partey, Elneny, and Pépé will be available next week?

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Manchester United 0 – 1 Arsenal

Pre-game Jitters

Our well-publicized impotency against the Top Six in recent years. Our poor away record last season. A resurgent United who in the Champions League won at star-studded PSG less than two weeks ago and then put five past a very good Leipzig side on Wednesday. And to make matters worse, the notorious Mike Dean as lead referee. Needless to say, I wasn’t confident going into this match.

Same As The Old Boss?

In another pre-match storyline, much was made of Arteta’s record through his first 26 league matches as manager and its similarities to that of Unai Emery who was sacked after 26 league matches in charge. However, one of the most striking differences between the two is that the Gunners conceded only 28 goals under Arteta vs. 37 under Emery. And today, that defensive difference was on full display as our defense kept us in the match with one tackle (we had 20 vs. 10 for United) and clearance (23 for us, 12 for them) after another until we deservedly took the lead in the 69th minute and then allowed us to hold on to that lead through full time.

Men of the Match

In fairness to Emery, when he was our manager he did not have the talents of Gabriel and Partey at his disposal. And while Gabriel came close to receiving a second yellow–especially with the red card-happy Dean roaming the pitch–, the Brazilian never lost his fight throughout the match and continues to bring some much needed toughness to our back line. Partey was excellent breaking up play with numerous tackles and interceptions that helped keep United from sustaining any offensive momentum. But in fairness to Arteta, Emery never got much out of Mohamed Elneny. In fact, the Egyptian was sent out on loan to Besiktas for most of Emery’s tenure at the Emirates. But under Arteta, Elneny has started in three of our four league wins this season. While he was always unlikely to score with the rocket of a shot he unleashed in the 65th minute, he had played so well beforehand that he certainly earned the right to have a go. And his gegenpressing in the 91st minute (yes, in extra time!)–almost single-handedly pushing United back when they desperately needed to get forward–brought a huge smile to my face and hopefully made Gooners everywhere proud.

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Arsenal 0 – 1 Leicester City

The Facts on the Ground

Leicester had not beaten the Gunners away in the league since 1973 (i.e., before I was born). The Foxes failed to score in each of their two previous league matches (against “perennial title-chasers” West Ham and Aston Villa). And to put the proverbial cherry on top, reigning Prem golden boot winner and incessant Gunner troll (with 10 goals in 11 matches v. the Arsenal) Jamie Vardy was not fit enough to start.

Things Fall Apart

If Laca’s fourth minute-header is allowed, then does a less-than-healthy Vardy even make his second half cameo (check that, 11 goals in 12 matches v. the Arsenal)? Perhaps Auba shouldn’t have taken those downers during the match? In all fairness, Bellerin could have (justifiably) been sent off for what would have been his second yellow. And if I’m honest, Leicester could have easily bagged a second before full-time.

Islington, We Have a Problem

While our well-publicized woes of recent seasons have been largely defensive in nature, and there remains plenty of work to be done at the back (when Mustafi is your first option to replace an injured Luiz), allowing seven goals in six matches this season does not especially worry me–particularly in light of the recent addition of Partey (who should provide some welcome support in the midfield) and the fact that this season we have already played two of the highest scoring sides in the league (i.e., Liverpool and Man City). Unfortunately we have only scored eight goals in the league this season, and despite taking 11 shots in the first half of this match–which shockingly is an improvement over the 11 shots taken in our entire Europa league match vs. Vienna–, we never really looked like scoring other than when a drug-addled Auba found Bellerin (of all people) with a near-perfect cross in the 68th minute. Should Arteta have kept Auba playing out wide on the left for the entire match rather than experimenting with him on the right as he did for much of the match? Should he have played Auba centrally from the off and left Laca on the bench? Should Saka have played in the midfield instead of Xhaka to offer more creativity through the middle of the park? Well, no rest for the weary – We’ll soon see if our manager has an answer or two when we visit United on the 1st.

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Manchester City 1 – 0 Arsenal

Don’t Believe The Hype

The Master v. The Apprentice. Arsenal off to our best league start in years. City off to their worst start in years. The debut of Thomas Partey. With so many storylines, it’s a damn shame that the actual match was nowhere near the pre-match hype. As passive of an offensive showing as it was, who would believe that we actually got 11 shots off today?

Sunday Morning Quarterback

With Ceballos–one of our most creative players–sitting deep in front of our backline for most of the match, it’s no wonder that we failed to get Auba–our greatest goalscoring threat–more than a few touches in the final third. Thank God for Saka, who–despite being the youngest player on the pitch–seemed to be the only Gunner who understood that you can’t win if you don’t shoot. It’s underwhelming attacking performances like this that make one wonder – Should Arteta set his personal feelings towards Ozil aside and give the nothing-if-not-creative German a chance to earn his £350,000 per week wages? But alas, our manager chose to bring on Laca and Nketiah, as if finishing was the issue rather than a lack of real chances. Perhaps Partey–who had two assists for Ghana during the week–should have debuted sooner in an attempt to unlock a City defense that before today had not collected its first clean sheet of the season?

Reality Check

After our loss to Liverpool in Week 3, this was our second major test of this league season. And while the season remains young, Gooners should view losing (hell, I would have gladly taken a draw) to a City sans Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Aymeric Laporte, and Benjamin Mendy as a missed opportunity and a sign that in spite of our positive start to the season, our boys remain very much a work-in-process. Let’s hope for a more enjoyable watch against Leicester next week.

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Liverpool 3 – 1 Arsenal

I Would Have Gotten Away With It . . .

Admit it, in the third minute of the match, you too thought (hoped?) Sadio Mane would be sent off for illegal use of hands to the face of Kieran Tierney. Mane and Liverpool’s chances of winning all three points would have been the latest casualties of the all-unforgiving VAR. But alas, VAR did not intervene, Mane was awarded (rewarded with?) a yellow, and the sphincters of Liverpool supporters everywhere unclenched in unison.

Go ahead – Admit it. After Mane’s rocket of a shot from point blank range in the box landed directly in the welcome arms of Bernd Leno and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s more speculative shot from distance deflected off a cringing Hector Bellerin and into the woodwork, you too began to think (hope?) that perhaps this was not Liverpool’s day.

And then the unthinkable happened. After a brilliant move against the run of play, Alexandre Lacazette scuffed a shot past the diving Alisson. 1-0 to the Arsenal. Tactical genius of the week Mikel Arteta had his counter-attacking mojo working once again.

. . . If It Weren’t For Those Meddling Kids

But less than three minutes later, Liverpool finally found the back of the net. And as they say, the rest is history. Strangely enough, today’s final stats were eerily similar those in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over the then newly-crowned champions in July. However, this time around Liverpool were not playing fresh off the hangover (both literally and figuratively) of winning the league, when in July’s match both Alisson and Virgil Van Djik made David Luiz-esque errors that the Gunners clinically pounced on that day. While I did not expect us to win today’s match, I also did not expect such a passive effort (e.g., we had just over half as many tackles today vs. in July’s league match). That said, the fact that we were still in the match until the 88th minute–when Liverpool newcomer Diogo Jota tacked on a goal after a poor clearance from Luiz–at least in part says something about the renewed spirit of Arsenal under Arteta.

More Questions Than Answers

Why did Gabriel not feature today? Honestly, I watched nearly the entire match in fear that at some point Luiz would take down at least one of Liverpool’s front three. How many times can you allow one of the best sides in the world to have that much possession and expect to win? A couple of incisive balls today from substitute Dani Ceballos exposed the cracks in Liverpool’s backline, so perhaps a bit more of an attacking edge was warranted (e.g., even newly-promoted Leeds put three past the champions in Week One of this season). How do we get Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang more touches in the final third? One can’t help but wonder what if the chances that Lacazette fluffed today had instead fallen to the more clinical Auba. Do we really have to be so dogmatic about playing out from the back? We dodged more than a few bullets today in Liverpool’s final third (e.g., when Rob Holding had his pocket picked by Mane on the edge of the box). How will our boys respond with winless Sheffield United up next in the league? The Blades will be desperate to pick up their first points of the year, and with City, undefeated Leiceister, and United to follow (gee thanks, Prem scheduling gods), we can’t afford to drop points against lesser competition if we hope to return to the Champions League next season.