Arsenal transfers: who is next and then what?
By Tony Attwood
In case you missed it all or you want to see it again, the highlights are here
And so we have a start to relish (but also – see below a note of caution if we win the third game).
For now, it is two games two wins and no goals conceded. In fact of the clubs that have played the two games Arsenal are the only one in the Premier League to have not conceded a goal. OK maybe winning both 3-0 would have been better but two opening games, two wins and none conceded. When did Arsenal last do that?
Yes, we won the first two league games last season, but conceded a goal to Forest. As you’ll recall we came second. Arsenal won the first two in 2022, but conceded two to Leicester City (we won 4-2), and yes came second.
In 2022 Arsenal lost the first three games and didn’t score a goal conceding nine and were bottom of the league.. There were vast numbers of calls for Arteta to be removed at once – but it’s funny, I can’t seem to find the apologies from those writers. Arsenal came 5th.
In 2020 Arsenal won the first two league games conceding one goal … and finished eighth in the league – a good reminder that we shouldn’t get carried away, except that I quite like getting carried away, so I’ll go back a bit further.
In 2019 Arsenal won the first two matches and conceded one goal and came eighth But in 2018 Arsenal lost the first two matches and came 5th.
From which I think we can take it that winning the first two games does not actually tell us very much.
But for what it is worth the best opening that springs to mind was 2009 when we won the first two league games scoring 10 and conceding two (1-6 against Everton, 4-1 against Portsmouth).
In fact, the only times Arsenal have won their first two games in the top division without conceding a goal was in 1924/25 and 1971/72. And since I like little details here we are…
In 1924/25 – yes exactly 100 years ago, Arsenal actually won the first three league games without conceding (0-2 against Forest, 1-0 against Manchester City and 2-0 against Liverpool.)
In 1971/72 it was Arsenal 2 Chelsea 0, Huddersfield 0 Arsenal 1. Arsenal finished fifth.
But we need a spot of caution here because despite that glorious start to 1924/25 Arsenal then nose dived and the final table read
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GAv | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 69 | 28 | 2.464 | 58 |
| 2 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 58 | 34 | 1.706 | 56 |
| 19 | Burnley | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 46 | 75 | 0.613 | 34 |
| 20 | Arsenal | 42 | 14 | 5 | 23 | 46 | 58 | 0.793 | 33 |
| 21 | Preston North End | 42 | 10 | 6 | 26 | 37 | 74 | 0.500 | 26 |
| 22 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 29 | 65 | 0.446 | 24 |
.Fortunately, only two went down!
Anyway back to now and of course the media know nothing of Arsenal’s history so have missed the link with 100 years ago. Instead they are critical of the travelling support (who went berserk according to the Guardian) and there is a lot of focus on Arteta admitting “his side was fortunate”.
There is also a sense that Arsenal were lucky as the Telegraph said, David Raya’s wonder save helps Arsenal to statement win over Aston Villa
Yahoo Sports was a bit more measured (Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya says his incredible save against Aston Villa on Saturday was not the best of his career) and there is a word or two for Fulham with Arsenal old boys hand hosts lift off as Smith Rowe and Iwobi strike
But whatever there is to come of all the teams that have played two games as of Sunday morning only one has a clean sheet throughout.
Elsewhere the Mail leaves all this alone and with Mikel Merino ‘completes Arsenal medical’ as Real Sociedad midfielder edges closer to finalising £33m move – while Fabio Vieira is set to rejoin Porto on loan, Although they do find themselves a bit confused with DANNY MURPHY: No striker, no problem as Mikel Arteta
Yes we do have strikers. Sometimes then even score. But perhaps they didn’t notice.
And most certainly as far as I can see, no one else noticed what happened 100 years ago. Ah well. That’s journalism for you.
It is funny, Arsenal got themselves an excellent keeper, world class, and now he does his thing and Arsenal are supposed to be lucky ?!?
Raya did was he was hires and what he is being paid for. That’s all.
The Arsenal recruitment was spot on when all around people just criticised it.
And yes, Arsenl, Arteta are visibly ruthless…. can we be upset at that ?
Arsenal can’t afford losses. 5 last year were at least 1 too many. So all is ok so far
Enjoying my Sunday….
Arsenal v Chaelsea on 14 August 1971 was 3-0 . First Home match as Double Winneras
Chris
I know. Typical double standards when it comes to Arsenal.
The following are the stats from lasts years match at the Em’s that ended in the reverse score.
Arsenal 0 – 2 Aston Villa
SHOTS
Arsenal 18
Villa 11
ON TARGET
Arsenal 4
Villa 2
TOUCHES IN OPOSITION BOX
Arsenal 47
Villa 12
We dominated the match but failed to take our chances, but for some reason that didn’t make Villa lucky. Quite the opposite in fact:
“Aston Villa produced an outstanding performance to stun Arsenal at Emirates Stadium and leave Manchester City in pole position in the Premier League title race.”
And that despite:
“Arsenal were kept out in the first half when Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a stunning save from Leandro Trossard”
So it’s not luck when Martinez pulls off a stunning save?
Despite Arsenal having 47 touches in the Villa box compared to 12 for Villa in ours. Villa having far less shots. Half the amount OT.
Not lucky when it’s Villa then?
As for yesterday, yes Watkins missed a sitter, but I still think it was a possible foul in the build up. Okay, 50/50 but isn’t it funny how it was completely dismissed out of hand. And anyway Odegaard missed a sitter as well.
And yes Raya made a great save, as did Martinez last season.
But other than that it was a pretty even game that we edged. None of that makes us lucky.
As a foot note.
I had a look at a Villa blog and to be honest they are okay about it. They thought they played well against a very good side and if they had taken their chances things could of been different, which is fair enough.
A few suggest they lost to the potential champions so no shame in that. Others not so impressed thinking it’s still Man City’s to lose. But to be honest no suggestion from them we were lucky, they were cheated or blaming the ref. The sort of thing you often get.
In fact a few also mentioned the similarities between the 2 matches.
It’s just the media being their usual selves.
Peter,
I was standing on the North Bank for the 1971 3-0 victory over Chelsea. I remember George Graham scoring after a trademark slick one-two passing sequence. I was also present at the 1-0 victory at Huddersfield, although I missed the kick-off because the friend who gave me a lift had not bothered to put enough petrol in his car, so that we had had to push it about half a mile to a filling station on our way to the game. Ray Kennedy score the only goal.