Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Arsenal moved 9 factors forward of Man Metropolis, maybe simply briefly, after a 3-0 win over Sunderland yesterday.
Mikel Arteta introduced Riccardo Calafiori again into the staff at left-back, Kai Havertz began in midfield, and Gabriel Jesus obtained the nod up entrance. There was good early likelihood when Havertz headed a Leandro Trossard cross huge, and a little bit of a scare in our field when David Raya got here to assert, fumbled it, and Brian Brobbey’s effort was cleared away by the German.
Sunderland obtained males behind the ball when out of possession, however they didn’t come to park the bus. They got here to play a bit too, they usually made it actually robust for us. Declan Rice curled an effort simply huge across the half hour mark with the keeper overwhelmed all finally ends up, and Brobbey went into the guide for a foul on Martin Zubimendi which regarded prefer it may need had the potential to be worse. Each gamers went for the ball, Zubi obtained there first and the Sunderland man’s studs made contact with the shin, however I believe what saved him (and Zubimendi) was that it was only a ‘glancing’ blow. It actually was nothing just like the crimson card Christian Romero obtained earlier within the day.
Simply two minutes later although, the Spanish worldwide fired us forward. Trossard drew the eye of two defenders, laid it again to Zubimendi outdoors the field, and his low, sliced effort hit the underside of 1 submit earlier than ricocheting into the facet netting on the far facet. It’s one other wonderful end from the summer time signing, who now has 6 objectives in all competitions, and has introduced vital added menace from a place final season that supplied little or no of that. His rendition of the Mikel Merino nook flag celebration was a pleasant second too, a nod to his teammate who seems to be set to overlook the remainder of the season via damage.
It may need been extra on the break if Havertz’s run and shot had curled in slightly than simply huge, and it regarded as if Jesus would possibly add to the lead too, however he was referred to as offside when he ran via on objective. A little bit of a fortunate escape for Sunderland there, as there was a reasonably apparent foul which might have resulted in a penalty and a crimson card.
The guests weren’t content material to simply sit again and supply nothing, like some groups who’ve come to our place of late. Early within the second half Raya needed to make an excellent save and there was some hesitation earlier than Gabriel cleared; we would have liked Gabriel once more to make an excellent sort out within the field; Zubimendi learn hazard in our space once more and obtained throughout to clear; and it was clear they weren’t going to simply lie down.
We wanted to alter one thing, so Arteta introduced on Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres for Noni Madueke and Jesus who had struggled to make any actual impression, and inside a couple of minutes that had paid dividends. Trossard, who I believed was wonderful in each halves yesterday, stored tormenting them on the left, finally discovering an excellent move to Havertz who laid it again to Gyokeres. The Swede took a contact, appeared to slide a bit, however nonetheless discovered a approach to crack a strong shot past the keeper regardless of him getting a contact on it.
That settled us a bit as effectively, the one objective lead is all the time a bit precarious. Eberechi Eze got here on for a optimistic cameo and nearly scored together with his left foot after Rice discovered him simply contained in the field. Largely although, we simply managed the final 10-Quarter-hour with intervals of possession, reminding me of when Arteta spoke about wanting his staff to handle optimistic scorelines with ‘300,000’ passes.
The third objective got here when substitute Christian Norgaard cleared a hopeful Sunderland punt in direction of our penalty space, Martinelli raced on it, and past the defender, drove into the field and squared for Gyokeres to faucet dwelling his second to make it 3-0. He did his trademark celebration whereas mendacity on the bottom, whereas Martinelli stood above him doing his weirdly endearing Pan’s Labyrinth model.
Can we additionally simply point out the surprising problem on Gyokeres as he was about to attain? For me it’s far, far worse than Brobbey’s within the first half. That was, at the very least, an try and go for the ball and he was only a fraction gradual as compared with Zubimendi. This was a man leaping via the air with no intent of enjoying the ball, and the Arsenal striker is fortunate he seems to be made of sturdy stuff as a result of that would have ended badly. I do know he scored, however that doesn’t mitigate how unhealthy that problem was and that defender is fortunate to not have been despatched off, for my part.
So, very like the Havertz objective in midweek, this added a pleasant cherry on high of what was a extremely skilled show from the Gunners. Sunderland made it robust, we coped with that, scored three objectives, stored one other clear sheet, and put the strain on Metropolis forward of their sport in opposition to the Mugsmashers as we speak. Afterwards, Mikel Arteta mentioned:
Very comfortable clearly with the win, with large components of the efficiency, with the clear sheet as effectively, as a result of it’s a extremely robust opponent. They’re actually good at what they do, actually good at breaking play, enjoying to the final line, breaking your press, holding the ball, and it’s very tough to get sequences with menace and momentum consecutively.
And I appreciated his reply when requested what the 9 level hole means:
Nothing, we nonetheless need to win so many video games to realize what we wish. So, there’s no give attention to that, that’s one thing else. We’ve achieved our job now, we’ve had what we’ve to do, so I assess that, attempt to enhance it and prepare for Brentford.
I actually assume that’s the one manner to take a look at it from the attitude of supervisor and gamers. Clearly it’s a pleasant place to be in, however for those who begin serious about something aside from successful the following sport, there’s an opportunity you lose focus. If we all know something about this supervisor, it’s that he is not going to enable something like that till, fingers crossed, we recover from the road.
I additionally thought he was fairly fascinating on Gyokeres, when requested about how he’s coped with the highs and lows of his debut season in crimson and white:
Yeah, with Viktor, while you take a look at him, it’s very obscure his emotion as a result of he seems to be straight at you and also you don’t actually know! However he doesn’t appear too affected by whether or not there are actually highs or lows and that’s what we’d like, the steadiness. He’s very demanding of himself, he’s consistently making an attempt to enhance and that’s actually, actually good.
He now has 6 objectives and a couple of assists in his final 8 video games, by a ways the very best run of kind he’s loved since he joined. Possibly it’s a pleasant purple patch that you may say was overdue; possibly he’s growing higher understandings of his teammates and vice-versa; possibly it’s responding to the competitors that Jesus and Havertz have introduced in latest weeks; however no matter it’s, I hope he continues on this vein, as a result of he had a big effect off the bench yesterday, and if that continues to construct his confidence, then finally the staff advantages.
All in all, a strong day’s work, and we will look to Anfield this afternoon and hope Liverpool can do us a favour. After that, there’s a midweek schedule which sees us play final, so we’ve time to arrange but in addition, maybe, take care of that hole being nearer than it’s now. So it goes in a Premier League title race.
Proper, that’s it for this morning. Have a fantastic Sunday people, again right here tomorrow with extra and an Arsecast Further. Till then.
