Morning.
I’d say it was around 2pm yesterday afternoon when I stopped feeling kind of overwhelmed by the Real Madrid game. Beyond the obvious of the result and the performance itself, it just felt like there was so much going on. Writing the blog, making the intro to the podcast, recording with James, then delving into all of the ‘stuff’.
You know what I mean by stuff. Post-game interviews; Declan Rice with Thierry Henry on CBS Sports; more replays of the goals; different international commentaries, watch the goals again; the realisation I’d said to people after Arsenal Women beat Real Madrid 3-0 at the Emirates a couple of weeks ago ‘Imagine if the men could do that!’ – and they did; reverse angles of the goals; William Saliba’s wobbly-armed celebration … stuff. Good, good stuff.
Then it calms down, and you start to think about what lies ahead. In the very short term, Mikel Arteta has to deal with a potential Champions League hangover this weekend when we face Brentford, but after that it’s all eyes on the Bernebeu. As I said in the Arsecast Extra, I think if we’d been on the receiving end of a 3-0 defeat, it would be widely accepted that was the tie well and truly over and Real Madrid were as good as through. I don’t think that’s the case for us.
Despite how good our performance was, and how emphatic the lead we take going into that second leg, there’s still work to do. I’m far more inclined to give Arsenal credit for an excellent display than put it down to the opposition being poor, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think they can play better than they did. So, there’s plenty for the manager and his staff to think about between now and then.
Speaking of his staff, Simon Collings reports in the Evening Standard that Arteta’s coaching staff have all signed new contracts. That means Albert Stuivenberg, Carlos Cuesta, Inaki Cana, Nicolas Jover and Miguel Molina will be alongside him for the duration of his own deal, nor does it preclude any additions along the way.
There’s also a piece from James in The Athletic (£) about how Arteta said of Gabriel’s injury that we have ‘lost probably our best defender for four months’. I don’t know if this is something anyone else has noticed, but I find Arteta’s concept of time puzzling. He’ll talk about injuries and players being absent, and put time-frames on them that feel almost arbitrary. When my daughter was very young, she might say ‘Remember that thing we did last week …’, and it was actually months before, if not the previous year. He’s like that!
In one press conference he’ll talk about Saka being out for three months then in another four months; Martin Odegaard’s early-season injury seemed to range in duration every time he asked about it; and after the Fulham game he literally said ‘Jesus [has been out], almost the whole season. Ben White hasn’t participated at all this season.’
Just to be clear, Jesus made 27 appearances in all competitions until he was injured in January, while White played 12 games before his knee surgery in November. Which is to say, when Mikel Arteta talks about how long a player is going to be out, I’m taking that with just a little pinch of salt. Either way, Gabriel’s target is going to be the start of next season, so I don’t think it changes much.
What else? Well, I think we’ve found ourselves a free kick taker in the shape of Declan Rice. To be fair, this is a discussion we’ve had on the podcast for quite a while now whenever we’ve been asked a question about scoring more often from direct free kicks – and given the quality of deliveries from corners, it always seemed natural that he could produce something from central areas. I think going forward we’re looking at Rice and Bukayo Saka as the two men to take that responsibility.
What stands out for me is the fact they can both hit the ball with the kind of power you need for these free kicks to be effective. Some players just have that. Odegaard takes a decent corner from the right hand side, but Saka’s are just better. The same applies to free kicks, and I’m curious if – going forward – we might just be a bit more inclined to have a go at goal from positions where previously we might look to clip a ball in towards the big men at the back post. At the very least, a little more variety gives the opposition something to think about in terms of how they set up defensively.
Finally for today, on our side of the Champions League draw PSG beat Aston Villa 3-1 last night in France. How damaging could that late concession be for Unai Emery’s side? I have to say, if we get through I would much rather avoid another English side in the semi-final. Which isn’t to say I think PSG would be easier, just personal preference for a European competition. I know we beat them earlier this season, but they are a different, more dangerous side now. However, in terms of the ‘glamour’ of that potential fixture at this stage of the Champions League, London v Paris just has that little bit extra. Let’s see how it all plays out.
Right, I’m gonna leave it there for this morning. Have a good one folks, Arsecast Extra below just in case you haven’t had a chance to listen.
