The noughties called and want their football style back.
At half-time, I commented that Brentford reminded me of a mid-to-late 00’s Blackburn Rovers under Sam Allardyce.
Playing on a narrow pitch, they set up with a back 5 that rarely left the edge of their own box, and spent much of the game deep within it.
Infront of the defence was another back of 5 who rarely ventured that far away from those men behind him. And when they did it was just in 2 or 3 men breaks.
Brentford showed little ambition in trying to score from open play, instead trying to break the game down to set pieces. corners, free kicks and throw-ins, that is their threat, it is their style!
Like Blackburn under Fat Sam, even free kicks within their area saw the centre backs go up and the goalkeeper try and launch the ball forward into the box.
In games like Saturday, you need the luck of the run of the ball, and it just did not roll Arsenal’s way. Leandro Trossard a toe nail offside (he was offside, the line is taken from the ball due to the absence of a second defensive player), the keeper taking the ball off Kai Havertz head at the last second, a couple of passes not quite accurate enough, not quite quick enough.
There is a reason why Brentford only lost twice last season – a 3-0 thrashing to Arsenal and a tight 1-0 defeat to Liverpool. They play not to concede and are happy with a 0-0 draw at home.
This season their only home defeat before Saturday was an odd 3-1 defeat to Everton.
To get away from the worst ground in the Premier League with all 3-points is a fantastic result, regardless of how turgid the game was.
When we bought Kai Havertz, I blogged about his ability to find space in a crowded box, that he could become the key to unlock defences that sit with 5 players who sit deep.
Mikel Arteta has also spoken recently about Havertz maybe being an Eddie Jones-style finisher, and that is the role he played when he came on.
Re-watching those last 10 minutes of normal play, Havertz was always always on the move in the box, trying to drift into space, keeping his eye on the player on the ball. And in the 89th minute he did what he does – finding the space at the far post to knock it in. It was the sort of goal that he made his name on whilst with Leverkusen.
A little mention about the goalkeeper.
Aaron Ramsdale was jittery. Some will say this is due to nervousness due to the way Arteta has treated him. But he has always been that sort of goalkeeper who seems a bit frantic.
Saturday was certainly not the first game he had passed the ball straight to his opponent, and it will not be his last.
I defended David Raya for doing similar, and I will also defend Ramsdale.
Managers like Arteta, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola ask their goalkeepers to take risks at the back, to wait until the last minute to make the pass in the hope it breaks the press. The tactic will lead to the odd paniky, miss-placed pass.
In the early game, Liverpool’s Alisson – who we all agree is one of the calmest goalkeepers and best passers of the ball in world football – had plenty of misshaps with the ball at his feet. It happens. It is the risk and reward.
1-nil took us to top of the league after 13 games. Not bad for a team that is worse than last year…
UTA!
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 