What a match, what a performance, when everyone kept asking questions about when this Arsenal team would slip up, they do it again. This time, with a 3-2 victory over an in-form United team at the Emirates, bring some revenge from the defeat they handed us at OT in September. This match had everything, lead switches, world class goals, shit goals, last minute goals, it 100% felt like an old-school United/Arsenal match that we haven’t been able to see in years when both teams were dominating the league. I’ll go into the details from this match, but Eddie’s last minute tap in to give us the victory kept us 5 points clear of City with a game in hand and served as a platform to improve upon during this busy February-March stretch when the Europa League games come in.
THOUGHTS ON THE MATCH:
- Not the best match from the starting XI but they showed heart when it mattered most: The hallmark of this Arsenal team all season was the blistering and relentless pace we set from the start, especially at home and it seemed that way for the first 5 minutes but United were able to weather the storm much better than other teams. Thomas, Ben White and Martinelli all in my opinion were not at their best. Both CBs did fine given the enormity of the match, Ødegaard and Saka played well, Eddie was incredible and Zinchenko just continues to impress me. We won’t always be at our best, but all that matters is that we get the 3 points when it does happen and that’s what happened today. This Arsenal team though, they are built different. They took the lead through a Rashford goal and hit us back to 2-2 with a shit clusterfuck of a goal and every single time, we responded just like we have for the most of this season, which is why we are where we are.
- Our best players didn’t show up today but the rest of the squad was able to pick up the slack: Thomas Partey, the one who I have relied upon all season and in my opinion, our most important player, came up a bit short this game, gave the ball cheaply a few times, and Rashford did him in to take the lead at 1-0. Ben White’s touch was off from the start, which is quite unfair from the high standard he set for himself this season which is part of the reason Tomiyasu replaced him at halftime. Martinelli’s limitations have become quite clear more and more as this team excels. I think its quite clear he is the weak link in our starting XI now and why we went so hard for Mudryk this window. Not entirely his fault, just think he has become too one-dimensional. Ramsdale with a complete howler for their second goal. BUT for all those mistakes and dud performances, Saka, Eddie, Zinchenko, Ø, Trossard all stepped up for the lads which cements our position in the league table and why this Arsenal is so different from past teams.
- I have no words for Saka anymore: There have been many players that have improved and caught the league’s eyes this season such as Ø and Martinelli but the one constant, one shining light from the past shit seasons, has been Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s own Bukayo Saka. Just an insanely world-class goal when we needed it most. This boy keeps impressing me week in and week out. Our starboy.
4. Eddie Nketiah, I was wrong about you: I admittedly wasn’t the biggest fan of the new contract we gave Eddie this offseason, not because I thought he was bad, but because I didn’t think he was good enough. He played well to carry us a bit at the end of last season, but we sputtered at the end when he struggled, not his fault, but the truth was he wasn’t good enough to start for us. BUT he is good enough to play for Arsenal and he’s played his ass off for us since Gabi Jesus went down with an injury with 6 goals in 6 games in all competitions. Can’t ask for more than that from our backup striker, he will never be the reason we use the league, but he could just be one of the very reasons why we win it. This man just scored a 90th minute winner against United at the Emirates for first place Arsenal. Happy for him cause he has more than deserved his contract and has played like it and shut me up. Good for him
5. Trossard was good when he came on: Trossard didn’t disappoint at all with his Arsenal debut. Who knows if he will break into our starting XI with Martinelli struggling a bit but Leandro Trossard was an example of a productive debut. Whenever we needed an outlet to catch United off the break, he was there. When we needed a goal at the end, Leandro played his part by hitting Zinchenko out wide before making that cross into Ødegaard which subsequently found Nketiah.
6. Play a rotated XI vs Man City in the FA CUP: We got City in the FA Cup on Friday and we should play as few starters as possible. I want to see Turner-Tomiyasu-Saliba-Kiwior-Tierney-Elneny-Lokonga-ESR-Vieira-Trossard-Nketiah. If we win, amazing. If we lose, but play well, I’ll take that. I don’t want to give City any chance at our starters and put us down mentally if for whatever reason we get smacked. Play our reserves, give them a go at City, I do think most of them will prove many wrong, and we will see what happens.
PLAYER RATING:
RAMSDALE – 6/10: Massive howler on their second goal but made a few good saves
WHITE – 4/10: I thought he was poor from the start, his touch was off. Rashford had his way with him a bit, got subbed out at halftime.
SALIBA – 7/10: Solid all game, didn’t have much threat with Weghorst who is useless.
GABRIEL – 8/10: Imperious and Imposing all game, love that guy
ZINCHENKO – 8.5/10: I still can’t believe we have signed this guy. Just a masterful technician
THOMAS PARTEY – 6.5/10: Poor for his world-class standard. Got done by Rashford badly on their first goal. But as he grew into the match, so did we in the second half.
XHAKA – 7/10: Typical 2022/2023 Xhaka game
ØDEGAARD – 7/10: Didn’t have a goal or assist to his name in this match but we felt his influence all game long. And had a sick snake pass which I have never seen before:
SAKA – 9/10: Starboy showed up when we needed him most. Had Luke Shaw on strings all match long. Scored a world-class goal, did Rashford’s celebration, such a cold-blooded killer
MARTINELLI- 6/10: Off the pace a bit, seems a bit too one-dimensional at times. Needs to pick it up a bit when things are tougher.
NKETIAH – 9/10: So proud of this guy, proving me and everybody else wrong. MOTM for me with Saka and Zinchenko close behind.
TOMIYASU – 7/10: Shaky at the start of the second half, but shut Rashford out, It’s nice to have him and Tierney as options off the bench.
TROSSARD – 7/10: Contributed to the game-winning goal and was doing croquetas in their box lmaoooo
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