4-nil
2 goals for Viktor Gyokeres
8 goals in 3 Champions League games
ZERO goals conceded
Top of the Premier League
25 goals in 12 this season
Just 3 goals conceded

Are you not entertained?

The banter boys were out in force yesterday afternoon, predicting that Arsenal v Atletico Madrid game would be the “most boring in Champions League history”, with both Mikel Arteta and Diego Simeone parking the bus and neither intent on playing attacking football.

I really do not understand the concept of Arteta’s Arsenal being this boring, defensive team that parks the bus in every game. The facts are there for all to see.

We play with the highest defensive line in the league, whilst we face, on average, the deepest defensive lines in the league.
At 58.6%, we rank 4th for average possession, and whilst also being the league leaders in touches in the opponents’ box.

Being the best side defensively in the league does not mean that you play defensive football. It just means you are well organised without the ball and have players who are disciplined and obsessed by keeping a clean sheet.

Arsenal are the only team in world football who could be criticised for limiting their opponents to one shot on target in 3 games whilst scoring 7 goals.

Many of those who criticise Mikel Arteta for playing boring, boring football are the same who, when the debate is had, put George Graham ahead of Arsene Wenger.

It was George Graham’s team that led us to sing “1-nil to The Arsenal” proudly, whilst under Wenger, we sarcastically chanted “Boring, Boring Arsenal” after the Frenchman bought a new more attacking style of football to Highbury.

So why do the same people idolise Graham for his style of play, but criticise Arteta? It is almost like they have an agenda to push.

It is also easy to forget that we have won just two games 1-nil this season. Man U and Fulham away. And they were both games we drew last season. So lets get rid of this myth that all we do is win games 1-nil.

And is there even a problem with winning a game 1-nil? No.

Last season, we were let down by too many draws – 14. Meanwhile, Liverpool had 9. That 10-point difference is what separated the teams at the end of the season.

In 2024/25, 9 of the games we drew, we led in. We also lost from a losing position once. That is 21 points lost from winning positions. Meanwhile, of Liverpool’s 9 draws, they conceded first on 7 occasions. So whilst we were drawing games from winning positions, Liverpool were drawing (and often winning) games from losing positions. That was the key story of last season.

So why are we now complaining that we are no longer drawing from winning positions? I would take 1-nil to The Arsenal all day long over going 1-nil up and drawing 1-1. And we win the league this year by turning those draws from winning positions last season into wins. Even if it is by a single goal.

Am I entertained? Yes. And if you are not loving us being top of the league, and with a 100% record for wins and clean sheets in the Champions League, then maybe football is not for you.

As I have said elsewhere, those who “demand” more exciting football would also moan had we scored 3-4 more goals this season, conceded 7-8 more, and were currently sitting 4th or 5th. They have their more exciting football, but at what cost?

I was delighted to see Viktor Gyokeres on the score sheet again last night. We said the goals would come in yesterday’s blog, and like London buses, two came in quick succession. The brace takes him to 5 for the season.

It was also a superb finish for Gabriel Martinelli.

Many, including myself, would not have been upset if the Brazilian left us in the summer. Although I always stated the bid would have to be huge and the replacement would have to be World Class.

As it transpired, no huge bid came in, and no World Class left winger came onto the market. I still maintain that replacing Martinelli is a bit of a headache, and there are only a handful of left wingers who would be an upgrade – many of whom are unobtainable.

I think Eberechi Eze offers us something different on the left wing and could well make that position his own. We would then have the raw speed, energy and directness of Martinelli and the more cute, dropping inside to tight spaces of Eze.

With 4 goals this season, he is well on the way to reaching double figures across all competitions, which needs to be his minimum standard.

Enjoy Wednesday.

Keenos

In the era of “instant results” we currently live in, both Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres have come in from some criticism from certain quarters for a perceived slow start to their Arsenal careers.

Whether this criticism is just due to them being impatient (imagine the criticism Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Robert Pires would have received in the current era), are attention seeking, or are simply negative nancies who want to find something to complain about despite us being top of the league, these people need to wind their necks in.

However, I am not saying either man is immune from criticism, nor should they not be criticised. However, there is a huge jump from constructive criticism and analysis of their game, and those who simply message “not good enough or “waste of money”.

For Eze, I feel that he is trying too hard right now. And it is a common trait for players who go from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a bit pond.

Following the departure of Michael Olise, Eze was Crystal Palace’s only top attacker. Literally everything went through him. He saw a lot of the ball. Would play every minute. And if Eze played well, Palace played well.

At Arsenal, things are very different.

We have an array of attacking talent. From Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, to Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri and the front men Gyokeres and Kai Havertz. Our more defensive players in Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and even Ricardo Califiori and Jurrien Timber are also more comfortable on the ball than anyone Palace had bar Eze.

Not only does that mean Eze is not necessarily the first name on the team sheet, it also means that when he does play, his team mates are not looking up and with first thought being “where is Eze, we need to get him the ball”.

The result is when Eze does get the ball, he tends to feel like he needs to do more with it. And rather than keeping it easy, he continually tries to make something happen, tries to impress. When actually a lot of the time the easy ball is the better option.

Also at Palace, as their sole decent attacker, Eze could try something magical every time he got the ball and escape criticism when it did not come off. Attempt something special 10 times across two games, and if it comes off once, you’re a hero. At Arsenal, the standards are higher.

You can not try and make something happen every time you get the ball at a club like Arsenal. It is about trying to make something happen at the right time, not every time. And Eze needs to adjust to that. He needs to begin playing it easier. Realise that when he receives the ball on the half way line, the key is about retaining position and not trying to beat 2 or 3 players in the hope of creating something.

It will take time for Eze to adjust.

Going from a counterattacking team where everything went through him to playing for a possession-based team where he sees less than the ball. He will need to become better at deciding what to do with the ball when he receives it. But he has the ability to do that.

For me, I still see Eze’s main position on that wide left. I see a lot of Robert Pires in him. The way that he can start on that left but look to continually come inside. And with the way we are setting up right now with Declan Rice a little deeper and Calafiori bombing on, Eze will have the space to dictate play from the left sided attacking quadrant.

Eze has already shown his worth to us. He was brought in as a utility attacker who can cover all 4 positions behind the striker. And it is that reason he will also go to the World Cup for England. The fact that Odegaard has suffered a few injuries this season and Eze has slotted in nicely shows he has the ceiling to become what is needed to play for a team like Arsenal.

Eze just needs to take a breath, relax a little, and play a little easier. Then his talent will shine through.

Keenos