Mikel Arteta, what have you ever finished to this Arsenal group? 20 odd years in the past followers of the membership the world over have been in agony over the model of soccer Jose Mourinho delivered to Chelsea.
How dare he park the bus? How dare he not assault? How dare his Chelsea facet convey the darkish arts into English soccer.
You could nicely argue that Arsenal have extra pizzazz to them than Mourinho’s Blues however their efficiency in opposition to Manchester Metropolis on Sunday afternoon was filled with loads of darkish arts.
Not way back this Gunners group had a smooth underbelly. They have been too straightforward to tough up and push apart. They’re something however that now.
Arsenal got here to the Etihad wanting to place their stamp on the sport and so they duly did that by way of Riccardo Calafiori’s screamer and Gabriel‘s aggressive header.
Nevertheless, their plans unravelled right away when Leandro Trossard acquired a second yellow card and was despatched off for ‘delaying the restart’ having belted the ball away after displaying Bernardo Silva to the bottom. Not once more Arsenal followers have been considering.
Simply weeks on from Declan Rice’s controversial purple for one thing comparable, they have been on the tip of extra doubtful officiating.
Sure, this was extra of a purple than Rice’s incident in opposition to Brighton however Jeremy Doku simply moments earlier had gone unpunished for kicking the ball away. Anyway, let’s not get slowed down by the officiating.
As Metropolis and Arsenal battled it out to a 2-2 draw, it was a Herculean effort from a group containing simply ten gamers within the second half.
Arteta’s facet stood agency, they stood resolute however sadly couldn’t maintain on within the dying embers as John Stones bundled the ball residence. And breathe. What a contest that was.
Nonetheless, these in purple and white should be praised for his or her efforts, notably Gabriel.
Gabriel’s efficiency in numbers
Just a few years in the past the Brazilian was famous as a defender who had a mistake in him. True sufficient. He was rash and able to a second of chaos however he has eradicated that from his recreation and now seems like one of many foremost defenders on the continent. In brief, he’s among the many very elite this recreation has to supply.
Alongside William Saliba, they’re on their approach to happening within the historical past books as probably the greatest defensive partnerships we have seen in Premier League historical past. They need to, after all, win the title first to go down as such.
Gabriel, nonetheless, deserves reward proper at this very second. So typically the bridesmaid to that man Saliba, he has entered his season with nearly one thing to show. He has a bruising header of the ball and has proven as such in back-to-back away video games.
|
Gabriel vs Man Metropolis |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes performed |
90 |
|
Touches |
34 |
|
Correct passes |
17/21 (81%) |
|
Clearances |
5 |
|
Blocked photographs |
3 |
|
Tackles |
2 |
|
Final man tackles |
1 |
|
Floor duels gained |
2/4 |
|
Aerial duels gained |
2/4 |
|
Stats by way of Sofascore. |
|
He scored the winner in opposition to Spurs and really almost scored the winner in opposition to Metropolis, brushing Kyle Walker apart and powering a header into the web from Bukayo Saka’s nook.
Sure, he might have conceded twice and his positioning may have been higher for Erling Haaland’s inevitable purpose however he was a titan within the second half, making 5 clearances and successful 4 duels.
Calafiori, the scorer of the equaliser wasn’t unhealthy both. Making his first begin for the Londoners, he scored an excellent first-half purpose and left the sport having accomplished 94% of his passes, the perfect determine of any Arsenal starter.
That stated, one other of the backline deserves equal reward, Jurrien Timber.
Timber’s efficiency in numbers
The Dutchman cruelly missed most of final season having sustained a horrific ACL damage on the opening match of the 2023/24 marketing campaign.
So, to coin an outdated cliche, he was like a brand new signing when returning to full health in pre-season. How good has he been too? Fielded at left-back within the opening few weeks of 2024/25, he deputised at right-back on Sunday rather than Ben White who did ultimately come on within the second half.
It might seem as if White now has a battle on his arms to win again that place as Timber was elegant.
Remarkably, he failed to finish a single move throughout the entire match however he stood agency in defence and proved to be a helpful asset down the right-hand facet too.
As Soccer.London’s Kaya Kaynak put it, handing the defender an 8/10 score, he ‘saved Doku quiet for the overwhelming majority of the primary half and when Savinho switched to his facet within the second interval, the Brazilian obtained no pleasure’.
Jeremy Doku and Savinho are notably tough wingers to cope with however Timber made it look straightforward, solely being dribbled previous as soon as, making three tackles and successful 4 of his seven floor duels in response to Sofascore.
He has been sensible in an inverted left-back position in latest weeks however he might nicely have simply discovered a house for himself on the correct facet of defence. He merely has to maintain his place for the subsequent league recreation.
