The month of October is nearly over, and it has been a busy one for me. I had little time to write posts but was still able to watch all the games and witness the establishment of Arsenal’s backbone...
The month of October is nearly over, and it has been a busy one for me. I had little time to write posts but was still able to watch all the games and witness the establishment of Arsenal’s backbone for the season – and maybe many more seasons to come. This backbone is the most wonderful thing to witness for us Arsenal supporters.
I am a huge believer in OGAAT but also realise that a team has to brace and spare itself sometimes. It was obvious that we did this when we played Lens in the CL: a big, big game v Man City was up next and the boys were holding back a bit. Many second balls fell to Lens players and this happened simply because they wanted it more. Still Arsenal started well in that game and scored the first goal, but when there was a bit of adversary the team did not seem to lift itself as it so often is able to do. Ultimately, the players knew (deep down) that they could afford to lose that game, but the one up next v Guardiola’s Oilers was simply a game we had to get a result. One Game at a Time is a great and necessary principle, but sometimes a manager and a team just have plan for the much more important game.
I think something similar happened v the Chavs. They were winning the battles in midfield too often and we seemed to lack our usual intensity. We then had a bit of adversity – the penalty caused by Tequila’s handball – and had to dig really, really deep to still get a result. The reason for starting so calculated rather than full-blooded might well have been our game v Sevilla that was up next. With playing Sevilla away and then home again, it was really important to get a result in Spain first. Would we lose that game, progress in the CL would have been much under threat: it simply was a must not lose, ideally go and win, game. Our boys played with much more intensity in that game compared to the one at Stamford Bridge, and once again it all made sense: choose your battles, resources and tactics carefully. The season is long, and to win the war not every battle has to be won. Our manager and players are more mature now.
To be on equal points with Citeh at the end of October, after playing the likes of Man City, Man U, Chelsea, Spuds already, is a great achievement. The team is still gelling and learning to live without Granit on the left – who, btw, is doing very well with Leverkusen in the Bundesliga – and embedding Havertz and Rice. Up-front and in attacking midfield we still lack the automatisms of last season: too much is expected of Ode in the middle and Saka on the right. Teams know what to expect from us and we have to work much harder to find the openings and move the game from left to right, and right to left, whilst also carrying a threat through the middle. It will come and ESR may well be the answer to the vacuum left by Xhaka.
The left is so important and not only do we miss Xhaka, we also miss Jurrien Timber, who was impressive on this wing from the start but sadly got badly injured. Zinchenko is clearly struggling in the Left-Back-Come-Extra-Midfielder role for which he lacks physicality and passing ability. Luckily, we have Tomiyasu who is so solid and enthusiastic and becoming a cult-hero at THoF.
The other good thing is that Martinelli is starting to regain his top-form, but for this to continue we need Gabriel Jesus to stay fit and play regularly with his fellow countryman.
Ultimately, it all needs to be gelled together on the left by an attacking midfielder, and I hope that Kay or Emile will fill the gap as soon as possible.
The really, really good thing, though, is that Declan Rice has given us such a thickening of our backbone since joining us, and this more than compensates for our current little struggle on the left side.
I have always believed that Rice would be a replacement for Thomas Partey rather than Granit, and I think this is obvious now. Rice offers something that is so rare to find all in one player: drive, tacit knowledge of the game Mikel wants us to play, a great engine, a nose for where the danger is, extra drive when others are starting to tire, leadership, hunger, and a great, great love for playing football and leave it all on the pitch. This intrinsic, passionate motivation to give his all combined with his footballing qualities and intelligence, is making a real difference this season.
Declan, but also Raya, Gabriel, Saliba, Odegaard, Saka, White and Tomiyasu (and a few others) simply through their continuous development, are giving Arsenal a very impressive backbone. It will take something to break this team and beat it, and this is what will make us title contenders again this season.
By TotalArsenal.
Something quite different:
I know some of you have been following my daughter’s band No Windows’ journey, and I have some great news. No Windows won the coveted award of ‘The Sound of Young Scotland 2023’ last Thursday.
