Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Video
An outstanding second half end from Leandro Trossard was sufficient to finish Arsenal’s six yr await a win at Goodison Park – with the Gunners deserved winners over a reasonably terrible trying Everton.
The large information earlier than kick-off was the truth that David Raya was chosen over Aaron Ramsdale. The England worldwide had executed nothing to lose his place, however afterwards Mikel Arteta was at pains to insist he views goalkeeper like some other place. Extra on that anon. Eddie Nketiah stored his place up entrance, whereas Fabio Vieira began for the primary time this season rather than Kai Havertz.
Whereas the main focus of debate was very a lot on the keeper, I feel the Vieira choice was an attention-grabbing one. In his pre-match press convention on Friday, the supervisor performed down the concept that Everton had been nearly physicality, however there’s at all times going to be a component of studs and elbows if you face a Sean Dyche aspect. Arsenal’s plan was to fight that by having the ball, and we did it rather well.
We ended with 74% possession, finishing 595 passes to Everton’s 158. At a floor the place a second can get the gang going, we by no means allow them to have it. It was managed, if just a little sterile at occasions, but it surely felt designed to grind them down. In the end, that’s what you need to do with a staff who sit deep and keep organised, as Everton did defensively.
It seemed like we’d gone forward within the first half when the ball broke to Fabio Vieira, who performed a stunning go to Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian’s end was excellent, however a VAR test revealed it was offside. There’s not a lot to debate, the principles are the principles, and by the letter of the regulation the ball coming off Beto was not deemed deliberate, and the strains dominated Nketiah offside earlier than he touched it again for Vieira. Sadly, Martinelli picked up a hamstring pressure in that passage of play, and had to get replaced by Trossard.
That change value us some first-half momentum from an attacking perspective, however once more we managed it effectively. Everton obtained a drop ball when somebody tried to kick Saka’s foot off, however these items are actually so routine I ponder why I even trouble to say them. Saka could be the primary corpse sentenced to life in jail after his personal homicide, with the precise killer handed a flower basket and a Ikea voucher.
Gabriel obtained booked early within the second half when a participant bumped into him, Eddie had half a sight of purpose but it surely was a type of video games the place it didn’t actually click on for him. Gabriel Jesus got here on, and never lengthy after we went forward. We took a brief nook, it got here again to Saka who laid the ball again for Trossard, and his first time effort along with his left foot cracked in very satisfyingly off the put up to make it 1-0. The method and execution of that end was completely high class.
I’m kind of loath to say it, however I feel I have to. Gary Neville occurring about how lengthy it took to take the nook was bizarre. It was 0-0, why on earth would we be time-wasting?! And it then turned the just about full focus of the post-match dialogue. It’s nearly as if Howard Webb has had a phrase with Neville and the broadcasters to hammer residence the PGMOL give attention to this facet of officiating, maybe in mild of the feedback made by Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom this weekend. To not point out Neville doubling down on his nonsense concerning the offside from the Man Utd recreation by casting doubt on the ‘strains’ for the offside forward of Martinelli’s disallowed purpose. He’s an more and more unusual and oddly strident little man.
Anyway, this at all times felt prefer it was going to be a good recreation by way of scoreline, however this time we had been on the appropriate aspect of it. Martin Odegaard and Fabio Vieira threatened to get us a second, whereas Everton principally supplied no risk within the last third. They lumped it into the field a couple of occasions from free kicks, however that was it. It wasn’t a lot industrial, as pre-industrial revolution soccer. Dyche 100% makes use of a mangle to wring out his garments after he washes them in picket tub.
It wasn’t our most scintillating efficiency by any means, and it felt at occasions like we had been a bit too conscious of our report there, however the vital half was taking all three factors and we did that efficiently. Afterwards, Arteta stated:
I feel we performed an unimaginable recreation. We stored them actually, actually quiet. We created many, many probabilities. Most likely the primary purpose as effectively ought to be allowed. We dominated the sport and we’re extraordinarily completely satisfied to go away with a win, with a clear sheet and with feeling.
Maybe over-egging the pudding just a little bit, however he’s completely proper about how quiet we stored them. Goodison can get noisy, raucous at occasions, but it surely was quiet yesterday and whereas a few of that’s due to how poor they’re, lots of it was all the way down to the best way we stifled what little high quality that they had. Then, as you’d count on, Arteta was requested concerning the determination to choose Raya over Ramsdale, and his feedback had been very attention-grabbing. He stated:
The identical rationale that Fabio performed right here or that Eddie performed forward of Gabriel Jesus. I haven’t had a single query on why Gabriel hasn’t began – he has gained extra trophies together with me in that dressing room however they don’t [ask why]. It’s one thing that traditionally is completed like this however I can not have two gamers on this place and never play them. David has large qualities like Aaron has and Karl has, however we’ve to make use of them and it’s like this.
I’m a extremely younger supervisor, I’ve solely had three and a half years within the job and I’ve few regrets. It was on two events, that after 60 minutes and at 85 minutes in two video games on this interval I may have modified the keeper in that second, and I didn’t do it. I didn’t have the braveness to do it, however I’m able to take a winger or a striker and put a central defender on the again to make a again 5 and maintain that consequence. We drew these video games and I used to be so sad.
Somebody goes to do it, and it’ll be unusual and also you’ll ask why, however inform me why not? If in case you have all of the qualities in one other goalkeeper to do one thing, or if one thing is occurring and also you wish to change the momentum, then do it. It’s a remorse that I’ve and now my feeling is to get everyone engaged within the staff that they must play, whatever the competitors – that is my message.
If we take him at his phrase, we could possibly be a supervisor who’s about to reinvent the goalkeeping place. He has two glorious gamers at his disposal, and from what he’s saying he’s ready to alter issues round primarily based on who he thinks is finest suited to the sport we’re making ready for. The truth is, he may even be prepared to make a change throughout a recreation.
Time will inform although. There’s a symmetry to Raya changing Ramsdale after a global break as a result of that’s when Ramsdale changed Bernd Leno. That was a altering of the guard, relatively than any form of time-share association, and we’ll have to only wait and see how this performs out. My intestine feeling is that regardless of what Arteta says, you at all times are inclined to have a primary alternative goalkeeper, however perhaps the very fact he has two superb goalkeepers means rotation is the secret this season. Let’s see.
It’s one thing we’ll focus on in additional element within the Arsecast Further a bit afterward this morning, so please do be part of us for that. All in all, a passable day on the workplace, the great begin to the season continues with out us hitting full stride, however there’s a giant week forward with the return of the Champions League after which the North London derby.
Deliver it on.
