Europa League the exciting place to be

This week Arsenal begin their Europa League campaign, and it is actually quite exciting.

Since being in the Europa League, Arsenal have used it to give the 2nd string a run out. For the majority of the 2 seasons, that has been mainly players who many described as “deadwood” alongside a couple of youngsters. This season it is different, it is more exciting.

The Europa League (and League Cup) will be used for the rehabilitation of Kieran Tierney, Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding.

All 3 are set to return from long term injuries and will take a while to be ready for 1^st team action. Instead of dropping down to the U23s for a few games, they have an opportunity to play senior football every mid-week for a month or so due to the Europa League and League Cup.

The next international break begins on October 11th. Between now and then Arsenal play 3 mid-week games on the spin – 2 in the Europa League and once in the League Cup.

I would expect Tierney, Bellerin and Holding play some part in all 3 fixtures.

After the international break, a decision will be made as to whether all 3 are ready for the 1st team. I would expect Tierney and Bellerin to step up, but Holding will have a battle on his hands to start ahead of David Luiz and Sokratis.

Alongside Holding will be Calum Chambers, who will perhaps feel disgruntled about having lost his place following a good performance on the opening day of the season against Newcastle. The mid-week games will be important as he continues to push for the 1st team – or aims to remind people of his talent with an eye on away.

Expect Chambers to play every game as part of Arsenal’s mid-week squad.

Joe Willock will be another who will be a mainstay of the mid week squad.

The English youngster performed well in pre-season and deservedly started the 1st couple of games of the season. But with players returning from injury he found himself not required against Tottenham.

Having just signed a new 4-year-deal, he could get up to another 9 starts under his belt before Christmas. A decision will then be made whether to loan him out for the 2nd half of the season.

Alongside Willock will be either Lucas Torreira or Matteo Guendouzi, depending on who has not played at the weekend.

I would be excited if it was Guendouzi, and Arsenal went through their mid-week campaign with the pair of 20-year-old midfielders, but I imagine it will be Torreira as Guendouzi has now pushed his way into the first team.

Emile Smith Rowe was unlucky last season.

He looked head and shoulders above the other Arsenal teenagers, but injury and a badly timed loan deal as seen him full behind others. His rehabilitation will continue as he becomes the main creative force in the mid-week team.

The Europa League will be the time to shine for Riess Nelson.

Nelson is clearly too good for the U23, but struggled in when thrust into the 1st team at the beginning of the season. He was fantastic coming off the bench for Hoffenheim, but now needs to prove that he is good enough to be a regular starter.

He will be looking at how Jadon Sancho has developed playing week in week out and realise he needs to be playing regular football. But to play regular football, he needs to take the chances when he does play. The mid-week squad will be key for him.

On the left we will see Bukayo Saka.

Saka is the man pushing Nelson. The next in line from the youngster. It will be an opportunity to prove himself as being better than his older team mate.

If Saka outperforms Nelson in the midweek team, I can see a situation where Nelson is sold next summer and Saka promoted.

Up top will be Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli, who will be leading the line with Eddie Nketiah now on loan at Leeds.

Taking into account how poor a few of the senior players were against Watford on Sunday, performing well in the mid week squad could be a great opportunity for the likes of Chambers, Holding, Torreira, Willock and Nelson to push for a 1st team start.

An exciting line up:

Martinez

Bellerin Chambers Holding Tierney

Torreira Willock

Nelson SmithRowe Saka

Martinelli

Keenos

Arsenal were poor on Sunday. That is not up for debate.

We were also masters of our own downfall, our errors rather than Watford’s good play leading to their 2 goals. That is also not up for debate.

But what should also not be a debate is Watford’s first goal. It should not have counted.

The new goal kick rule has led to players taking huge risks in the penalty area. We saw both Arsenal and Manchester City succumb to this over the weekend.

The new rule now dictates that the ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves. Previously it had to leave the penalty area before being deemed in play.

Opponents must be outside the penalty area until the ball is in play…If an opponent who is in the penalty area when the goal kick is taken, or enters the penalty area before the ball is in play, touches or challenges for the ball before it is in play, the goal kick is retaken.

The rule is clear and obvious. The goal kick should have been retaken.

Now I do not expect VAR to rule on every goal kick, but when it is a goal, surely VAR should be looking at every offence?

It is not an excuse the Tom Cleverley’s foot was a foots width inside the area. It is actually an offence for it to be on the line. It should be outside the box. Even a toenail inside is an offence.

If you think I am being “picky” then lets imagine other scenarios.

Imagine the ball went a foots width out of play before a goal was scored…VAR would rule the ball had gone out of play and the goal disallowed.

Imagine the player was a foots width offside before a goal was scored…VAR would rule the ball had gone out of play and the goal disallowed.

Imagine the ball was a foots width behind the goal…Goal line technology would rule it a goal.

On Sunday Chris Woakes took a wicket for England against Australia. He had nothing behind the line. Regardless of it being a marginal decision, the wicket was disallowed.

Cast your mind back to 2007 and the Rugby World Cup Final.

Mark Cueto scored a try, but his toe brushed the line. It was marginally, and still debated to this day. but the rules are clear. The player in possession of the ball only needs part of his body to touch the line for it to be an offence and the ball deemed out of play.

In tennis the use hawk eye. A brilliant system which shows whether the ball was in or out. If the ball is out, it is out. No debating. No argument. On with the next point.

The crux of the matter is in the lead up to Watford’s goal, Cleverley committed an offence which should have led to play being restarted with a goal kick.

It does not matter how minor the offence was, or how marginal.

In other sports it is either black or white. You have either committed an offence or have not committed an offence.

Football seems obsessed with ignoring clear and obvious offences in an attempt to support the on-field referee.

The Premier League (or FA?) dictated that VAR should on interfere if it is a “clear and obvious error”. Cleverely is in the box. It is clear and obvious.

Until the football authorities  stop with their arrogant support of referees, VAR will continue to be controversial. Will continue to be disliked.

In rugby, you often hear the referee ask “is there any reason why I should not give the try”. In cricket, they check everything from the no-ball, if it hit the bat and hawkeye for an LBW. In football it should be similar. If you are going to use VAR, it should check everything in the lead up to a goal.

It is not the fault of VAR that the decision was wrong, but the fault of those who are analysing it.

Arsenal were awful and did not deserve 3 points. But if the authorities do not want to use video replays properly, they should not use them at all.

Keenos