Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
It wasn’t spectacular but as home games go, that was a routine as it gets. The team not giving up any chances on target the whole game and as we go into the international break, conceding just three so far including fixtures like Old Trafford, Anfield and St James Park along with City at home.
The settled back four so far in the league is giving the team a platform to go and play. A special mention for Timber again from the game, another solid 8 out of 10 performance, he just doesn’t put a foot wrong and also played an instrumental part in one of the goals.
Another player who impressed from the backline for me in this game was Calafiori, playing the inverted full back role, popping up on the right hand side at times, he floated into positions where West Ham just couldn’t track him. The overload into midfield at times, meant Arsenal getting out of West Hams press and moving the ball up the pitch time and time again. Gabriel and Saliba quietly going about their business here, Arsenal were in such control, there was no need for any last gasp tackles or action on the day from the two of them.
The team sheet was an exciting prospect, Rice deepest in midfield combined with two attacking midfielders in front of him in Odegaard and Eze.
The wings covered by Saka and Trossard with Gyokeres through the middle. The game settling quite quickly from probably West Hams only real threat in the game in the first minute, forcing a corner, which Fullrkug headed over.
From that point, it was Arsenal dominating the ball, inviting the press and playing out from the wings. Saka being given the ball as much as possible against Diouf on the right.
An early Timber chance saved low well from Areola, clever play at the edge of the box, Odegaard slipping the fullback in. Not long after Eze with a chance he will not want to see again, Odegaard again seemingly picking up from where left off against Olympiacos in the week, threading a ball through to Saka,who then fired low across the box, just behind Gyokeres sliding in. The ball bobbling around, perfectly for Eze six yards out but firing over, one of those that was harder to miss the target than score.
Arsenal thought they took the lead midway through the half, Rice demonstrating his skills from a deeper position, playing a curling ball in behind like a quarter back role, Saka running in behind, flicking of Dioufs head bouncing perfectly for Bukayo running on, side footing to the bottom left corner but the flag was up.
Another Premier League home and the third in a row where Odegaard unfortunately forced off due to injury in the first half. This time an attempt tackling Summerville forcing a clash of knees, initially going down but forced off five minutes later.
The strength of the bench highlighted as Zubimendi came on, Rice pushed further forward to accompany Eze. I felt as soon as this sub took place, Arsenal stranglehold on control and pace stepped up in even further. Odegaard had played well and it makes me even more excited the prospect of how Mikel can shape the side to include the three usual players centrally and possibly Eze on the left, that will have to wait for another day.
Zubimendi, just adds a calm, he is so press resistant, the reason, he can play with both feet, the way we started to use both wings when he came on, there was even more zip and purpose. The control he has, orchestrating all the movement and the ball, he conducts the patterns of play. It was his pass with purpose which led to the opener, a clever slid ball between West Ham defenders, just right of the box, for Eze to latch on firing a shot low, Areola stopping it as it bounced to a similar position to Eze’s earlier chance, no mistake here as Rice rifled it into the back of the net. A muted celebration as he ran past the West Ham fans behind the goal. 1-0 to the Arsenal and it had been coming.
Just before halftime it was nearly two, some great intricate play between Saka and Timber, again another slide rule pass behind West Ham defenders on the right, Timber latching on, Summerville making a last ditch challenge with the ball finding it’s way to Calafiori as a West Ham player cleared to the edge, the Italian firing a low shot goal wards crashing off the bottom of the right post, followed by the back of Areola to keep the score at 1-0 at the break.
The second half started in the same vein, Arsenal dominating the ball. An early chance forged out from the change of Rice further advanced up the pitch, Trossard clipping a floating ball behind the West Ham backline, Rice striding with power firing a low cross across the box, Gyokeres nearly getting there on the stretch just couldn’t make contact.
Midway through the half the second goal of the afternoon, created again from Zubimendi from deep, again here floating a ball for Timber running on cleverly using his body to shield the ball as he controlled the ball on the turn, Diouf clumsily colliding with the Arsenal man on the edge as it carried on into the box. Saka putting the ball down on the spot, firing past Areola for 2-0, game over.
A few half chances for Merino towards the end after coming on but nothing clear cut for the team. Overall Gyokeres again ran the lines, gave his all for the team, opening space up for others but doing everything but score on the day. Just like Olympiacos in the week, where again I thought he played well and was instrumental in the first goal, showing power, pace and strength in the first goal that night for Martinelli’s opener.
Perhaps the international break comes at a good time for him, a change of scene and maybe a goal here or there for Sweden, ready for him to come back to hit the ground running again for the gunners.
The sour note on the day, the injuries to Odegaard and Rice, with the latter, looking like he was holding his back and we await to see how much he features for England in their two games this week coming. Odegaard must surely be unlikely and a doubt to travel with Norway now as we await the news of the injury, hopefully it’s just bruising of the bone and nothing more sinister to add to the injury list.
Speaking of that list, it shows the work done by Berta in the summer and the coaching team to navigate this tricky start to the season with some really tough fixtures out of the way as the Arsenal sit of top of the league as we now enter the second international break of the season. To factor in this side is currently not featuring Havertz, Madueke, White, Hincapie and Jesus is such an exciting prospect for the fans. If we can rotate adequately and navigate the competitions well, we can hope this squad is fit, fresh and firing over the Christmas period, then well into the latter half the season.
So a routine win, in control, defensively solid and I tell you, give me thirty one more of those this season and I will be more than happy. That’s enough for this week, speak to you when we’re back in another London derby away at Fulham in two weeks time.
The View From Block 107 