Manchester United (0) 0 Arsenal (0) 1

Premier League

Old Trafford, Sir Matt Busby Way, Stretford, Manchester M16 0RA

Sunday, 1st November 2020. Kick-off time: 4.30pm

(3-4-2-1) Bernd Leno; Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Gabriel Magalhães; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka; Willian Borges da Silva, Alexandre Lacazette; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Substitutes: Dani Ceballos, Alex Rúnarsson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Nicolas Pépé, Shkodran Mustafi, Eddie Nketiah, Granit Xhaka.

Scorers: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (69 mins)

Yellow Cards: Rob Holding, Gabriel, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Arsenal Possession Percentage: 47%

Referee: Mike Dean

Assistant Referees: Ian Hussin, Dan Robathan

Fourth Official: Anthony Taylor

VAR Team at Stockley Park: VAR Peter Bankes; AVAR Neil Davies

Attendance: A maximum of 300 attendees due to UK government coronavirus restrictions

David Luiz is still out of contention for inclusion today because of an injured thigh, and as expected, a stronger team starts at Old Trafford than against Dundalk last Thursday. As we have have lost six of our past nine Premier League away matches, it is imperative that we win today’s match. By the way, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has played in five Premiership matches without a goal, which is his worst run of bad luck since November 2014 when he was playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, so it is vitally important for him (and us) to get on the scoring sheet today as well. And remember that there is certainly no time like the present, especially when the present is Old Trafford on a cold November Sunday afternoon. Let’s go!

A bit of a dull start really, with both teams testing each other’s defences, and picking up passes that were inadvertently going astray, but nevertheless having said that, there were signs that this was going to change. We started to push the home side back into their own area, and when Hector Bellerin put a low cross into the United box from the left for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the thirteenth minute, (in which he was depserately unlucky not to score), the omens started to look good for us. Our tackles were crisp but fair, and the passing was fast and accurate. Rob Holding was pointlessly booked for a make-or-break tackle on Paul Pogba, along with Gabriel a few minutes later; as the match was quickening in pace, so the tackles started to arrive both late and fast from both teams. Again, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was unlucky not to connect fron a Willian pass, and as the match wore on, it became obvious that a goal was needed to break the scrappy deadlock. Willian was unlucky not to score when he played a superb one-two with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang; his shot merely scuffed the top of the United bar. Additionally, young Bukayo Saka had a free header in the United penalty area, courtesy of Hector Bellerin, and as the first half ebbed away, Arsenal could look back on forty-five minutes of cursed luck and missed chances.

Manchester United put us under pressure at the beginning of the second half, and having weathered that particular storm, we broke out and were unlucky not to open the scoring when Alexandre Lacazette picked the ball up from a mistake by United midfielder Fred and quickly passed it to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose side-footed shot narrowly went by the post, with goalkeeper David de Gea becoming an interested bystander. Thomas Partey fired in a quick shot from around twenty yards which was saved easily by the goalie, and as the match settled down, we became confident in our movements both on and off the ball. Mohamed Elneny blasted the ball over the bar when by rights, he should have comfortably hit the target, and when Hector Bellerin was brought down by Paul Pogba just inside the United penalty area, Mike Dean had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made no mistake, and there was no doubt that with sixty-nine minutes of the game gone, we deserved the lead here at Old Trafford today. Alexandre Lacazette was replaced by Eddie Nketiah with fourteen minutes of the match remaining, and we looked strong and confident. However, there was a heartstopping moment when Donny van de Beek placed a cross in to the near post and Mohamed Elneny diverted it into the face of Bernd Leno and on to the post and away and into the blue! Shortly afterwards, Willian was substituted for Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and as our defence was being put under further pressure, Mikel Arteta thankfully recognised the danger and a couple of minutes later, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was replaced by Shkodran Mustafi in order to hold everything together; and hold it together they did, to not only take three deserved points here, but to taste victory at Old Trafford for the first time since 2006.

A superb win, and one well deserved too. Everything about Arsenal was perfect, from the team selection, to the tactics, to the substitutions. Every man played their part, and because of this, we get a “big six” away win at last. The three-at-the-back defence system worked extremely well, Thomas Partey was dominant in midfield, and the strikers never stopped either trying nor running. A real tonic for the troops, and hey, at Old Trafford too! Well done chaps.

Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as this season is going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Our next match: Molde FK at the Emirates on Thursday, 5th November at 8.00pm (Europa League). 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.

Afternoon all.

Later than usual today. Blame the skinful I had last night.

Got a last session in before we head into Tier 3 lockdown.

After a solid win against Dundalk, we prepare for Man U tomorrow.

Mikel Arteta is under pressure for the first time following a tough start to the season.

Whilst defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City were expected, the loss at home to Leicester City was extremely disappointing.

We ran out of steam against Leicester. Good for the first 60 minutes, goal disallowed, missed a big chance and then conceded to their first shot n target.

Arteta responded by rotating his entire team (bar Granit Xhaka) against the Irish side, giving everyone almost everyone expected to play against Man U a break.

Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson played well on Thursday, but it would be a surprise if either start tomorrow.

With David Luiz and Rob Holding our, expect Shkodran Mustafi to partner Gabriel at the back.

I expect us to go 433 rather than 343.

In other news, it was announced yesterday that Huss Fahmy, Arsenal’s director of football operations has left the club in the latest high-profile departure as part of the club’s restructuring.

This continues Arsenal’s slimming down of senior staff, narrowing the decision makers.

Arsenal are expected to hire a replacement but Fahmy’s successor will have a less-encompassing position and therefore would not occupy a place on the executive team.

Stay dry, stay warm, stay safe.

Up the Arsenal.

Keenos

Arsenal (2) 3 Dundalk (0) 0

UEFA Europa League, Group B, Matchday 2 of 6

Emirates Stadium, Drayton Park, London N5 1BU

Thursday, 29th October 2020. Kick-off time: 8.00pm

(3-4-3) Alex Rúnarsson; Cédric Soares, Shkodran Mustafi, Sead Kolašinac; Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka; Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Nicolas Pépé.

Substitutes: Bernd Leno, Hector Bellerin, Kieran Tierney, Gabriel Magalhães, Bukayo Saka, Dani Ceballos, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian Borges da Silva, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Thomas Partey, Folarin Balogun, Karl Hein.

Scorers: Eddie Nketiah (42 mins), Joe Willock (44 mins), Nicolas Pépé (46 mins)

Arsenal Possession Percentage: 62%

Referee: Filip Glova (Slovakia)

Assistant Referees: Peter Bednar (Slovakia), František Ferenc (Slovakia))

Fourth Official: Michal Ocenaš (Slovakia)

Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas (Scotland)

Attendance: A maximum of 300 attendees due to UK government coronavirus restructions

For tonight’s match, the second of six in Group B of the Europa League, we are of course without David Luiz, who has a thigh injury, but it is good to see Alex Rúnarsson, Cédric Soares, Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson getting a start tonight, as much is it is to see young reserves Folarin Balogun and Karl Hein on the substitute’s bench. Let’s go!

A fairly comfortable and confident start for us here at the Emirates tonight, and as expected, Dundalk were cramming their defence with players in order to try and stop us from breaking through. However, their game plan became apparent when Patrick McEleney collected the ball in the middle of our half, advanced quickly with no opposition, and took a chance with a low shot from about twenty yards that Alex Runarsson comfortably pushed behind for a Dundalk corner which was easily dealt with by our defence. Arsenal were continually applying pressure in all areas of the pitch, slowly breaking Dundalk down with good passing and clever movements both on and off the ball. Nicolas Pépé was unlucky not to score after a superb cross from the left by Sead Kolašinac, and a minute or so later, Reiss Nelson’s long range low shot brushed the post after some good midfield work. Dundalk caught us once or twice with clever breakout movements, but in every case, Alex Rúnarsson was on hand to address the danger comfortably. Despite even more pressure on Dundalk’s defenders, we were still unable to break through, and Arsenal were starting to make very hard work for themselves out there tonight. Joe Willock had an excellent shot from just outside the Dundalk penalty area, which was easily saved by the goalkeeper, and then incredibly, a Nicolas Pépé shot bounced between the Dundalk defenders, before Eddie Nketiah managed to get a foot to the ball and look forlornly on, as it bobbled by the post. At last, three minutes before the break, a corner saw the visitors’ goalkeeper, Gary Rogers, make a horrendous mistake in trying to punch the ball and completely missing it, only for young Eddie Nketiah to be on hand to stab the ball into the net to give us the lead. Just two minutes later, a Nicolas Pepe shot bounced off a defender into the path of Joe Willock, who coolly scored our second goal of the night with a confident right-footed shot to take us into the break in the affirmative situation.

Within a minute of the restart, Nicolas Pépé scored our third goal of the night with a beautiful shot into the top corner of the visitors’ net after some quick thinking on the edge of the box. And he used his right foot as well; wonders will never cease! The best goal of the night, no doubt about that. This precipitated a period of absolute doninance for us; we stroked the ball between our players confidently and looked for space behind the Dundalk defence in order to attempt to score yet more goals. On the hour, Shkodran Mustafi and Nicolas Pépé were replaced by Willian and Dani Ceballos, possibly with Mikel Arteta having one eye on the Manchester United match at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. A few minutes later, Joe Willock was desperately unlucky not to score when he tried to walk the ball into the visitors’s net, and was subsequently tackled for his trouble when just feet away from the goal. Both Eddie Nketiah and Ainsley Maitland-Niles had two great chances between them, both of which should have been goals, and with eighteen minutes of the match remaining, Kieran Tierney replaced Granit Xhaka to give some tired legs a rest at the back. More interestingly, Eddie Nketiah was substituted for young Folarin Balogun, who eagerly ran on for his debut; good to see Mikel Arteta giving young players their chance to shine on matches such as these. On the eighty-second minute, Ainsley Maitland-Niles pulled the ball back to Kieran Tierney on the edge of the box, but his shot went high and wide of the mark; then Reiss Nelson’s snap shot went just wide of the far post. We were desperately trying to get a fourth killer goal, but the harder we tried, the further it looked less possible as Dundalk just merely shut up shop, which basically is exactly what happened until the referee blew the final whistle after three minutes’ injury time.

Overall, it was a good win for us. Agreed, there were times, particularly in the first half, when we were getting frustrated because we were unable to break the visitors down, but as soon as we scored, the whole mood of the match changed. Full marks to Dundalk however, they had a game plan, and they truly stuck to it; and they never committed a single foul on any of our players over the course of the match, which is highly commendable. As for us, we have a hundred percent record in this competition; our next match is FC Molde in this stadium next Thursday night, same time, same place.

Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as this season is going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Our next match: Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, 1st November at 4.30pm (Premier League). 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.

Added a printed face cover / snood….https://t.co/vlaHeBWIC8 pic.twitter.com/DZXND3iwdm

— 🎗 ///SHE WORE/// 🎗 (@SheWore) August 12, 2020