By Tony Attwood
And so after five games of the season Arsenal have won three, drawn two and lost none, scoring six goals and conceding one. We might conclude the defence is ok, but the attack needs to recover last season’s form. Last season after five games (excluding the Community Shield), we also had four wins and a draw, and had scored nine. So a slight drop in attacking success.
But on the other hand by the five game marker Arsenal had conceded four, so it would seem the defence is tightening up.
Last season in the Champipms Leagie Arsenal played five games away from home, and won just one of them (2-1 at Sevilla). One was draw (away to PSV) and three were defeats. The goal difference for those five away games was four goals scored and six goals conceded. True, none of the games were goalless draws, but in the last two Arsenal scored nothing.
So within that context a goalless draw wasn’t too bad, and maybe should have been expected, although I had hoped for a win. But the goalkeeping is what will live in the memory – and that is important. For although it is clear that the players already had massive faith in the the keeper behind them, Raya’s performance last night will have given them an extra boost.
PSG who we play in the next game, beat Girona 1-0; (Girona being one of the subsidiary clubs of Manchester City). Girona are currently 11th in the Spanish League after five matches. PSG are of course top of their league having won all four games – which is how it always is given that they are the French equivalent of a City Group club.
So not a perfect start for Arsenal, but ok – particularly since the opposition only had one shot on target Also we might be grateful that there were no yellow cards – nasty things which have a habit in Europe of quickly totting up.
And thus day one of this rather bizarre adventure is over with five clubs in the Champions League league table winning their games and three of the matches being drawn. I suspect you will be able to guess how many teams lost. In the top-scoring game Bayern Munich beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-2.
And so we now look forward to the next game which is against, well I guess you know. The team with a defence that has let in three times as many goals as Arsenal have this season.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
But there is always the big news in the papers from Arsenal, so in case you have missed, it the headline reads, “England icon cheated on wife with Arsenal receptionist who he then married and cheated on”. It’s in the Star of course.
Meanwhile the attacks on Arsenal players return in earnest, with Partey and Gabriel Jesus coming in for all-out assaults, so it is life as usual. And we really are into the negatives now with the story that Odegaard will be out for the rest of the year. But I hasten to add that is a story – and stories don’t have to be true. Especially those from a source with an Twitter name but not much else identification.
As for the positives, Raheem Stirling’s appearance was one I would take, along with Raya of course, and indeed Havertz playing ina different way; all were positives. And the thought that maybe Kevin De Bruyne will miss the weekend’s match, which to a small degree lessens the disappointment of not winning last night.
And there there is the thought that Mancheser City drew 0-0 as well. Their manager said “I am really satisfied with how we played,” but then he does say all sorts of things so there’s no telling what he actually thought.
According to reports Inter had something like ten shots, which doesn’t sound like the ManC defence doing its stuff. Maybe the players are pondering who they will be transferred to when the 115 points deduction is announced. (Just one for each wrong doing sees modest, however).
I noticed during the game, Atalanta tried to take a quick free kick and one of our players slid in and blocked the ball about one yard away from where the kick was taken……..so, “by the laws of the game” it had to be a definite booking. The UEFA accredited ref was obviously useless and didn’t show a yellow card!
In my eyes it should have been a booking…..as opposed to the ludicrously biased PGMO behaviour in the Rice incident, of which we’ve seen several similar incidents since, all of which resulted in no yellow card.
“By the laws of the game”……..bullshit!
Mikey
“Atalanta tried to take a quick free kick and one of our players slid in and blocked the ball about one yard away from where the kick was taken……..so, “by the laws of the game” it had to be a definite booking. The UEFA accredited ref was obviously useless and didn’t show a yellow card!”
Good spot. I saw it too.
But the referee made the correct call. He did exactly what I have been saying Kavanagh should of done, and ordered a retake from the correct position. You cannot be accused of stopping a quick free kick when it has to be retaken anyway.
To be sure I have just found and re watched the incident. It is running in front of me as I write this, so this is exact:
1: Time: 24 Minutes 35 Seconds
2: Foul by Saliba on Retegui.
3: The incident occurred on the centre circle about half a yard into the Arsenal half.
4: The referee waited to see how play developed to see if there was an advantage to Atalanta. As the challenge by Saliba continued, play and the ball, moved about 7 or 8 yards towards the touchline away from where the foul occurred.
5: Retegui, who still pretty much had possession of the ball but without any advantage, stopped the ball where it was and attempted to take a quick free kick.
6: Timber blocked the taking of the free kick.
7: The referee immediately blew his whistle and indicated to Retegui that the ball was in the wrong place and ensured the restart was RETAKEN from the CORRECT position.
Not a word from him or any other Atalanta player. The camera went straight to their manager. Not a word. Not a word from the commentators.
Why?
Because everybody knows that is EXACTLY WHAT SHOULD OF HAPPENED, as it should of in the Rice incident.
This doesn’t surprise me with this referee. He is brilliant. Not perfect, I’ve seen him make mistakes, in my eyes anyway, but I’ve never seen him be anything other than fair.
That was the PERFECT way to deal with that incident, and everybody knew it.
Tony
“We might conclude the defence is ok, but the attack needs to recover last season’s form.”
Sorry to repeat but this is pretty much what I said to Chris in the last article:
Apparently in winning the Golden Glove last season his save percentage was 64% (or thereabouts).It currently stands at 92% (or thereabouts) for this season.
He is without doubt a fantastic goalkeeper.
It is proof yet again, as you suggest Chris, that it is probably best to leave who to sign and who not to sign in the hands of Arteta and Edu.
As for last night.
Another brilliant defensive display from front to back. The penalty and follow up header were their only 2 efforts on target from 7 in all.
But there is definitely something missing in our offensive play. Nothing to do with Odegaard because despite 4 solid PL matches we haven’t been anything special going forward all season.
I’m certainly not going to start moaning about individuals, and I’m no coach so what it is collectively I have no idea, but something hasn’t clicked yet.
Lets hope it does soon.
As for Man city v Inter Milan
Personally I thought it was a high class match. Inter looked very good to me. Away to them is going to be extremely difficult.
Whilst swanning around the internet thingy I found this headline in the Mail:
‘Fans praise referee in Arsenal’s goalless Champions League draw with Atalanta for penalising Ben White for a RARE infringement… and claim ‘this should become common practice’:
Reddit users have reacted in delight to the decision and called for more refeere’s to call out such gamesmanship.
One was pessimistic as to whether any officials would follow Turpin’s lead, saying: ‘For how precise they are with so many things, it always bewilders me how players are allowed to do this multiple times a game.
‘Love that he called it, hate that it won’t happen again this year.’
Absolutely hilarious and just another reason for the Mail to have another little dig at Arsenal.
Apart from the fact it had already happened in the match as I pointed out above, isn’t it funny how nobody, including the righteous Daily Mail, thought Veltmans attempt to steal a few yards against Arsenal was “gamesmanship” that should of been ‘called out”. Oh no, when it suits it’s completely ignored.
This comment particularly made me laugh:
“One was pessimistic as to whether any officials would follow Turpin’s lead, saying: ‘For how precise they are with so many things, it always bewilders me how players are allowed to do this multiple times a game.”
Well, 2 things.
a) This was a proper referee. A foreign referee. Not a Pigmob muppet. You know the sort. Knows the rules. Applies the rules. That sort of thing.
b) This was an Arsenal player being penalised. So of course it was gamesmanship that has to be stopped, as opposed to ‘being clever’, which is what we are told it is when Kane a Vardy and their ilk dive around like swans ‘winning’ penalties!
But really, is the referee picking up White for trying to steal a few yards worth an entire article?
It’s Arsenal so of course it is.
The Mail wont mention how good the referee was for telling Retgui to retake the free kick from the correct spot, and so not needing to book Timber. Rest assured they wont have an article on that incident because it might just open a whole new bag of worms.
I thought it was a good game. Maybe its how Arsenal will play against City this weekend as Odegaard will be out for a few weeks.
Nitram funny thing is that at in the early stages of the match Atalanta won a throw in 5 meters out of their goal line, so near their corner flag. When the Atalanta player finally released the ball he was already meters past the penalty area without it being called back. I think he stole at least 20 meters that time. So when he called back White I was a bit surprised why he took out that moment as it only was maybe half the distance he took compared to the Atalanta player earlier in the match.
Whilst I had some doubt about the penalty, I agree that the ref seemed competent and fair. However, I would expect nothing lees from Trossard’s older brother.
Walter
I didn’t notice that but of course I don’t doubt for one second that it happened, because it happens in every single match. Some times you get away with it, sometimes not.
By way of an explanation I think that by and large the referee calls it back if he feels the player ‘has gained a significant advantage that put the opposition under more pressure than would of been the case had it been taken from the correct place’.
For example:
A quick throw with just a FIVE yard gain that caught the opponent out may be called back, where as a throw taken when the opposition are ‘set’ may be ignored, even with say as much as a TEN yard gain.
The bigger point of course is that despite this ‘nicking’ or at least attempting to nick a few yards happens in every single match, that The Mail thought White being pulled back for it warranted an entire article.
The Mail article, which is complete and utter nonsense, is simply an excuse to have yet another little dig at Arsenal.
You only have to read the comments to see it had the exact affect they wanted:
-About time he was pulled up.
-King of the dark arts.
-Typical Arsenal.
Because of course only White and Arsenal have ever done it.
@ Nitram
Thanks for pointing that out to me. I had overlooked the position issue. You’re quite correct in that it was a good call by the ref…..unlike Kavanagh!
Mikey
It is easily done by mere mortals like you and I, but this is their job!!!
The thing that really frustrates me, is that last week the easiest decision to make was also the correct decision to make. A re take. Simple. As demonstrated by Turpin.
No fuss from anyone on either side. Trying to take a free kick from the wrong place whilst the ball is moving is such an obvious contravention of the rules nobody would of said a word.
Unforetuneately, despite Kavanaghs protestations that he didn’t want to send Rice off’, the reality is he couldn’t get his card out quick enough.
From there on in, every man and his dog has been bending over backwards to defend the indefensible.
If it wasn’t so serious (it arguably cost us 2 points, the amount we lost the title by last year) it would be laughable.
PS: I think part of what fed into this was the fact that if they didn’t caution Rice then Veltman would of had to of been sent off.