Category Archives: Arsenal

MATCH REPORT: Arsenal 5 – 0 Wolves

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Arsenal (3) 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers (0) 0

Premier League

Emirates Stadium, Drayton Park, London N5 1BU

Sunday, 28th May 2023. Kick-off time: 4.30pm

(4-3-3) Aaron Ramsdale; Thomas Partey, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhães, Jakob Kiwior; Martin Ødegaard (c), (Jorge Luiz Frello Filho) Jorginho, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard.

Substitutes: Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith-Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Rob Holding, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Matt Turner, Mauro Gomes Bandeira, Reuell Walters.

Scorers: Granit Xhaka (11 mins, 14 mins), Bukayo Saka (27 mins), Gabriel Jesus (58 mins), Jakob Kiwior (78 mins)

Arsenal Possession Percentage: 51%

Referee: Andre Marriner

Assistant Referees: Simon Long, Scott Ledger

Fourth Official: James Linington

VAR Team at Stockley Park: VAR Tony Harrington; AVAR Stuart Burt

Attendance: 60,095

As we already know, today’s match is a “dead rubber”, to use a popular sporting parlance. All we can do this afternoon is to end the season with a win against the West Midlanders, and finish this campaign with our heads held high, and look towards a summer of pure speculation and hope that the club are able to sign some more top players in order to try to bring silverware back to the Emirates next season. This afternoon the medical team are reviewing the fitness of Reiss Nelson, (who missed the defeat at Nottingham Forest through illness), along with Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard. However, it is believed that Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Mohamed Elneny remain sidelined through injury.

The visitors started the better of the two sides today, and within five minutes they had the first chance of the day when a long-range Matheus Nunes right-footed shot from a difficult angle was thankfully blocked, but minutes later, we took the lead when a Gabriel Jesus cross was met by Granit Xhaka, who headed the ball into the back of the net from close range. Three minutes later, he scored our second goal, when his left-footed shot from the centre of the box ended up in the bottom left-hand corner of the net. We were certainly fired up by two early goals, as Martin Ødegaard then set up Leandro Trossard, whose strong shot was blocked by a Wolves defender. Play was stopped for a short while because of an injury to Gabriel Jesus, but he did not appear to be too badly hurt as he carried on playing. The match appeared to settle down, with both teams giving away silly free-kicks due to late tackles. However, we were fortunate not to concede a goal when a Nathan Collins right-footed shot from the left-hand side of the six-yard box went wide following a free-kick from the visitors. This effort appeared to wake us up a bit, as almost immediately at the other end, Leandro Trossard slotted the ball to Bukayo Saka, whose left-footed shot from the right-hand side of the box ended up in the the bottom left-hand corner of the net for our third goal, and all before the thirty minute mark as well. Bukayo Saka almost grabbed our fourth goal a couple of minutes later when Martin Ødegaard nicely set him up to score, but his right-footed shot was saved awkwardly by the Wolves goalkeeper, José Sá. The visitors’ defence looks all over the place, as a huge chance appeared for Granit Xhaka to grab his hat-trick but he stuck it wide of the Wolves goal from close range. Four minutes from the break, club captain Martin Ødegaard had a superb left-footed shot from outside the Wolves penalty area, which was blocked whilst travelling towards the goal. Although referee Andre Marriner played three minutes’ injury time, nothing of any note happened and we easily went into half time with a comfortable three goal lead in our top pocket.

The last forty-five minutes of the 2022-23 season started reasonably slowly, but almost immediately, play was stopped due to an injury to Bukayo Saka, who continued after getting some treatment from the medical team. The visitors started to come at us, and our defenders managed to block two good chances to score from Adama Traoré and Nélson Semedo but it mattered not, as a few minutes later, we grabbed our fourth goal of the day when Leandro Trossard crossed the ball for Gabriel Jesus to head the ball neatly into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. To say we are comforable is an understatement; however, on the hour, Reiss Nelson replaced Bukayo Saka because of an injury, and a couple of minutes after he entered the field of play, Martin Ødegaard set up Reiss Nelson with a gold-plated chance to score, but unfortunately his shot went wide of the goal. Shortly after a Leandro Trossard shot which was acrobatically saved by José Sá, a double substitution was made when Emile Smith-Rowe and Fábio Vieira replaced Martin Ødegaard and two-goal Granit Xhaka with fifteen minutes of the match remaining. Shortly afterwards, following a corner, Emile Smith-Rowe placed the ball into the Wolves penalty area for Jakub Kiwior to hit a right footed shot from the centre of the penalty area to the centre of the goal for our fifth goal of the day, and his debut goal for Arsenal as well. With ten minutes of the match remaining, another double substitution happened when Kieran Tierney and Eddie Nketiah replaced Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard for the remainder of the match, and despite the score, we carried on trying to grab more goals. An Eddie Nketiah shot went narrowly close of the goal, and then Reiss Nelson passed the ball to Jorginho, but sadly his shot went high and wide to the right of the Wolves goal. The match started to slow down, and after five minutes injury time, referee Andre Marriner brought our season to an end.

Our title challenge may well have collapsed in recent weeks, but we looked back to our very best in this victory and were helped to this by a very lacklustre Wolverhampton Wanderers side. Although we are completely assured of second place, Arsenal ended the campaign on eighty-four points, which is our highest points tally since the Invincibles stormed to the title with ninety points back in 2003-04. Also we only finished five points behind Manchester City, and who knows what may have happened if we had won those drawn matches against Southampton, Liverpool and West Ham United? Still, we are back in the Champions League for the firsst time since 2016-17, and finishing second to Manchester City is no disgrace; who knows what may happen next year?

Remember everyone, keep the faith. Stick with the winners. Have a great summer, everyone! Victoria Concordia Crescit.

Steve

Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon

Arsenal set for last dance in a season that was not mean to happen!

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It was always unlikely that Arsenal would end up winning the Premier League this season, even when we appeared to be a long way clear.

Of course, we were never that far in front because of City having games in hand and a home match to play against Arsenal. In fact, one of the most annoying things for supporters of a certain other club, and the baiters on Talk Sport, is that apart from the odd armchair fan none of us ever gave it the bigg’un about how we were going to win the league.

I only ever heard it sung once, and that was at Fulham during an imperious first-half display that saw us sweep them aside. With hindsight, the second-half that day should have resonated with us all far more than it did at the time as the way we stopped playing and invited pressure would become an important feature.

There was only one point in the entire season when I started to think we were actually going to win it, that Arsenal would be Champions by the end of this coming Sunday afternoon.

It was when we went 2-0 up at Anfield and the players were tearing them to shreds, just like they’d done to Fulham.

Arsenal were so good and were destroying a side that had recently stuck 7 (seven) past Manchester United in the same ground. I genuinely allowed myself, for the first time in 19 years, to think my team were going to win the Premier League.

I fear that the players had exactly the same thought, at exactly the same time, and they froze at the prospect. Just when it mattered, our inexperienced, and unfancied, contenders seemed to know they’d became favourites and perhaps couldn’t handle it.

In the last minute of the game they might still have rescued the win but poor decision making and a poor pass saw us fail to capitalise on a 3 v 2 situation. That is the same thing should happen in an identical fashion 7 days later at West Ham, and throw in a missed penalty to the same failure to exploit a 3 v 2, and the evidence is probably there for us all.

It was further compounded with the failure to beat bottom of the table Southampton at home at the end of the week. That period of three games when it really mattered are allowed Manchester City to close the gap prior to their game against us.

None of this is to say that these players have anything to be ashamed of.

They were trying to stop a financial behemoth, which has not had to play the same “game” as everyone else and, yes, I’m being careful with my words.

Arsenal’s young team has gone toe-to-toe with possibly the strongest squad ever assembled in English football and pushed them almost all the way. Sadly our players have reserved their two worst performances of the season for our most recent fixtures against Brighton and Forest.

For most of the previous 35 games, they’ve done us proud and never once looked like they weren’t trying. Every single one of them has played their hearts out pretty much all the way through.

Injuries at the wrong time have really cost us, especially Saliba of course, but also perhaps unnoticed those to Tomiyasu and Elneny at a time when others needed resting or to shore things up.

My only real criticism of Arteta this season beyond a lot of the substitutions he makes is the fact Zinchenko stayed in the side until he was injured, with most of our problems coming from that side of the defence fairly consistently when we’ve struggled – the treatment of Tierney (and Smith Rowe) has been baffling to me.

The real shame for these boys is that they end the season without a trophy. Nobody remembers runners-up, however unlikely they might have been to contend back in August when literally nobody picked Arsenal as a challenger to Manchester City.

If ever 2nd place was an achievement then perhaps this season was it. And what a ride they’ve given us with so many memorable moments:

Beating Spurs comfortably home and away, winning at home to Liverpool, the 2nd half at home to West Ham on Boxing Day, the last minute win (while absolutely battering) Manchester United, a New Year spanking of Brighton away, the aforementioned stuffing of Fulham, two wins over Chelsea, a great win at St James’ Park to put Howe in his place, the emergence of William Saliba, Ben White being outstanding, Gabriel looking a great centre-half, Ramsdale making some of the most memorable saves in years, Granit Xhaka’s redemption, Martinelli and Saka coming of age, Odegaard looking like our best player since Alexis (possibly since Bergkamp), Eddie proving almost all his doubters wrong, the last minute win at Villa, and not forgetting Reiss Nelson. 

How could you ever forget Reiss Nelson? That lad has proved himself this season and I hope to God we get him a new contract, an ideal understudy and challenger to Saka and Martinelli.

The sensational winning goal he scored against Bournemouth, whether he stays or goes, will never be forgotten by any of us privileged enough to have been there. What a moment. What an atmosphere. What a noise. What a celebration.

For that moment alone Arsenal deserved to win something this season, but alas it was not to be. If I take nothing else from this season, I’ll always have Reiss Nelson’s goal at home to Bournemouth and a moment in time that will live forever.

The challenge for Arteta and Edu now is to try and recruit players who make us stronger, while not upsetting the spirit of this squad. No mean task that. And it will cost us a lot of money, while shipping some dead wood that still belongs to us. 

Next season will come around before we know it. But before that the players have one more game to play and I hope that everyone in the stadium on Sunday (I’ll be one of them) gives them the ovation they deserve for everything they’ve done for us this year. And we’ll never forget Reiss Nelson.

Dover Marksman

Nelson new deal signifies Smith Rowe’s exit

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I have previously made my opinion on Reiss Nelson clear.

Nelson is not good enough for Arsenal, and his 10 seconds of greatness against Bournemouth does not change that.

I think it is clear that Mikel Arteta also does not fancy him – Nelson has played just 5% of the available this season, highlighting that the Spaniard does not think he is adequete cover or competition for Bukayo Saka.

Nelson has started just 1 Premier League game this season, showing that Arteta does not think Nelson is an option on the right when he wants to give Saka a rest.

Yesterday the news broke that Nelson had agreed a new 4-year deal with Arsenal, following in the footsteps of Saka’s new deal.

Whilst I do not think Nelson is good enough for The Arsenal, that does not mean I do not understand the reasoning for his new deal.

Arsenal have other positions to financially prioritise

We are in the market for at least one new central midfielder – Declan Rice seems to be the top target.

That signing alone will take up a huge chunk of our transfer budget – I expect us to spend £100-150m depending on sales.

On top of the Rice deal, we need a new central defender or full back.

It is a central defender if we choose to continue with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu at right back. It is a new full back if the team want White to be Saliba’s cover and Tomiyasu to also cover Olexsandr Zinchenko.

I expect that player to be signed for in the region of £15-20m.

Rice and the new defensive option will take us above the £100million mark. There is talk that we are also chasing a 2nd central midfielder (Caicedo, Mount, Zubimendi the names mentioned). That will be the £150m+ spent. We would not have much left in the tank to buy someone who is good enough to compete with Saka.

How about a new striker?

Nelson remaining shows the club might have decided to go down the “new striker” route, rather than sign a winger that can play upfront.

Say we do stretch that transfer budget through generating some exceptional sales, the decision might have been made that another striker is what is coming in.

We might be targetting someone like Dusan Valhovic, or Ivan Toney. And as a sacrifice we will not buy a new winger.

If that happens, we still have plenty of options outwide – Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Nelson.

Trossard has proved himself to be a very good signing. His versatility means that he will probably be the 2nd choice on both flanks. A new striker would allow us to utilise Jesus outwide.

So if a new striker comes in, Nelson becomes the 5th choice winger. And would only really play if 3 out of the 5 men ahead of him are out.

This summer, we could ivnest in a 1st/2nd choice striker, or a 4th choice winger. We have spoken about the need to improve the squad by buying players who would be part of a 18 man first team. Moving away from having “1st XI / 2nd XI”. A new striker would certainly follow the philosophy. A 4th choice winger would not.

Emile Smith Rowe exit

A new deal confirms what we have been told, that Emile Smith Rowe will leave this summer.

If Smith Rowe was part of Arteta’s plans, there would be no need to keep Nelson. ESR would play that back-up winger role.

Now a debate can be had over who we should be keeping? Nelson or Smith Rowe.

Smith Rowe is the better player. He is more versatile, can play on both flanks and inside. But he also raises the most funds.

If we are talking about Smith Rowe and Nelson being 5th choice winger, then you sell the one that generates the most money.

Nelson’s contract was set to expire in a month. The most Arsenal would get is £6-8 million compensation if he joined an English team. I would expect Smith Rowe to go for between £20-30m.

£20-30m is a huge sum for a fringe player who has played just 226 minutes this season and is 5th choice. It is money that can be reinvested in the top end of the squad.

Smith Rowe has already arguably been replaced by Trossard. The Belgium is the superior player and, importantly, does not have Smith Rowe’s history of injuries.

A few years ago we made the mistake of not cashing in on Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

In 2020, we closed the door on a £20m move to Wolves for Maitland-Niles. He has played just 748 minutes of Premier League football for Arsenal since we turned down that bid.

That £20m could have been invested elsewhere over the last 3 years. And likewise, turning down £30m+ for Smith Rowe would be a bad decision considering how little game time he will see if we improve the top end of the squad.

So what makes sense is Smith Rowe is moved on. We pocket £30m which gets reinvested. And Nelson takes the role of a 5th choice winger. For a year at least.

Nelson will still leave

If Nelson is only 5th choice winger, and we buy a top striker this summer, he will see very little game time. That means he will probably push to depart next summer.

The new deal will mean that we would get a half decent fee in a years time. And then that money can be reinvested.

A new winger next year

Finally, Nelson staying does not mean a new winger will not join Arsenal. It just means it will probably happen next year.

If we do the business we want to do this year – say Rice, Caicedo, Toney and Sluto – then next summer is when we will go for another top winger.

We should not do a Chelsea. Bring in loads of players in a single season, put them all on long contracts and pray it works. You are basically morgaging your future.

We need to get the squad in a position that Manchester United were in the last 90s / early 00s. The position that Manchester City are in now.

You want to only be making one or two big signings a season. But those two big signings dramatically improve your squad.

Next summer is when we recruit a top level winger. Someone better than Trossard that pushes the Belgium down a level in the pecking order. And as a result pushes Nelson out.

Make small, consistent improvements to your squad is how you stay at the top. It is when clubs make big changes they suffer.

My position on Nelson has not changed. I do not think he is good enough for Arsenal.

But if his new deal results in us spending £150m+ on Rice, Caicedo, Sluto and another top striker, then I am happy. Over to you Edu…

PS: I have seen some comment “why is this deal getting done before William Saliba’s. That should have been a priority”. Learn how business works. Just because one deal happens before another, it does not mean it was prioritised. It just means it was agreed earlier.

Football is not linear. You do not work on one deal at the time, and then only work on the next deal once the first one has been completed. Edu and his team will be in multiple discussions with multiple players over new deals. They all just get completed at a different pace.

And it is the same for transfers. Some just take longer than others to get over the line. Just because the first signing of the season might be an unknown, might not be Declan Rice, it does not mean that we prioritised that deal. It just means that deal happened quicker.

Keenos