Arsenal v Bees 8 Observations: El Gato, El Hombre Total, the Mustangs and the Dancer

TotalArsenal

Arsenal 2 – 0 Brentford

Eight Observations

  1. Clean sheet oh how we missed you. Thank you for your return.
  2. Raya El Gato. What a sensational claw in the sky that was.
  3. Benny White saved our lives; it’s all right. Lovely cross to feed Bionic Man.
  4. Merino: goal and assist and so much more. El Hombre Total.
  5. Nothing will get big Gab back sooner than Hincapie’s monstrous emergence. There is a bit of Keown in him.
  6. The roaming mustangs Rice, Calafiori and Odegaard drove the Bees mental.
  7. There is a new kind of hoover for sale: a silky Zubimendi. You’ll hardly hear it and it will leave nothing on the carpet.
  8. Madueke you dancer!

By TotalArsenal

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24 thoughts on “Arsenal v Bees 8 Observations: El Gato, El Hombre Total, the Mustangs and the Dancer”

  • Fine points and expectedly, the obvious observations.
    Mikel Merino has surprised a few with how much he is looking undroppable now. I thought he should be the MOTM, but it took a brilliant performance by Ben White to take the gong off him from the sponsors. A goal and an assist will usually get you that prize.

    That Raya save was pure reflex and just shows the agility of the man. Leno couldn’t handle a similar ball for City’s Haaland for his first goal; and that shot was from further out. Impressive!

    Martinelli has to get back to speed quickly. He was probably the least productive forward we had on the night.

    Villa will be tough, and it is a 12:30 kick-off on a Saturday. Hardly time to recover.

  • Well, that was the longest and most convoluted World Cup draw in history. We Kiwis are reasonably pleased with the outcome, especially with the locations for our matches. You planning to get to any, Eris?

    Ben may get a spell on the pitch now with all our injuries, must be tough having a squad mate who is presently the best right back in world football.

    The other World Cup is a tough draw for us, LG. We will have to beat Australia, South Africa and France to reach the final.

  • For us it’s either you or the Boks in the semis, ie one of our 2 worst nightmares … but making it to this round doesn’t look like an Everest to climb.
    On the other hand Deschamps’s bunch picked what may be the toughest group (Senegal, Norway and probably Bolivia) … with the Oranje’s (Japan, Tunisia and Sweden imo, Poland maybe)! Now only 16 teams out of 48 won’t make it to the ko stage, so I don’t think our gaffer will lose to much sleep over that possibility …
    I was happy for Ben too, Eris … The only way for him to be a regular starter again would be for Jürrien to shift to the left. He’d do very well there of course (as he did wednesday in CD), particularly against left-footed RW-RWB – but with Cala, Piero and Myles in store, there’s very little chance it’ll happen.
    If only for him – and for us who like him a lot – let’s hope we’ll have successful runs in domestic cups; I think what he earned wednesday is a sure start in those games.

  • Lot’s of memories from this fixture over the years. Ted Drakes 7 goals (a bit before my time), Rocky’s lob, Big Dave Seaman’s two penalty saves, Wrighty’s run and finish, Pires bamboozle and lob, Reyes save from Ollies header…
    A battle royal in prospect. They play a high line, so I see Gaby starting…
    Reyes
    White Timber Hincapie Calafiore
    MO8 Zubi Declan
    Saka Merino Gaby

  • Lately, Jorgi’s strike bouncing off Emi’s back into his own net was hilarious too …
    Your XI is very likely to start indeed, Stu. Eze slottin’ in, either for Øde or for Marti, my only question mark.
    COYG
    (goalless draw, not even the shadow of an injury, that’d be fine with me – can’t get over the insanity of the schedule)

  • Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash. Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Onana, Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers, Watkins

    Subs: Bizot, Lindelof, Digne, Garcia, Bogarde, Hemmings, Buendia, Malen, Sancho

    Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber return for Arsenal at Villa Park.

    The trio were rested for the 2-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday and replace Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, who drop to the bench, while Cristhian Mosquera is out for up to six weeks with an ankle injury.

    Mikel Arteta also names 16-year-old defender Marli Salmon among the substitutes.

    Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Timber, Hincapie, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Eze, Merino

    Subs: Arrizabalaga, Salmon, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Norgaard, Trossard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly.

  • 4-5-1 ’til they die; they’re the most negative team I’ve seen this season … they look like any Italian team of the 1960s, and just like them they’re good on the break. Why give them opportunities to catch us on it I don’t get, we’re so runnin’ on empty I wish we’d had, just for once, a (much) more conservative approach (the games you can’t win make sure … and all, that).
    We have fresh legs on the bench (Myles-Nørgaard-Gyö-Ethan-Marti) – time for these lads to step up big time. Rogers is a 2-bit-punk; I hope his ankles will feel the brunt of one of our tackles sooner than later …
    COYG

  • Leandro you beauty
    Gyö looks refreshed, focused, physically and mentally unimpeded
    He’ll score the winner, you read it first
    COYG

  • So proud of these boys. Couldn’t have played much better and deserved more. This season has two parts given the fixtures, and whatever happens we are at least two points ahead of nr2.

  • I couldn’t see the game, nor follow it as I was at an event which dragged on into the late evening. So, to say I was disappointed to know we lost is an understatement.

    Of course, I knew Villa park was always going to be a tough place to go to, I just felt we would muster something from our reserve to keep our unbeaten run going. It was not to be. I would like to watch the game and form my own views; the media would be all doom and gloom by now, with rival fans already out with the memes and having a victory dance o r opus dropping points.

    Nice to know we scare them so much, they actually show relief when we drop points. We were never to go through the rest of the season unbeaten, and neither will our other rivals. The lads should put this behind them and move on to the next game.

  • Stuart, with Nigeria failing to qualify for the World Cup, you can understand if I don’t make plans to see some of the games. Let’s see how I am feeling and what’s convenient, as the summer comes around.

    TA, just a little tip: when posting team sheets for our games, start with our team, even if we are the away side. I have been kicking myself, wondering if we won’t have fared differently if I had seen the game. Now, I can blame the order of your post… 🤨😂😂

  • Eris, it could be because I didn’t watch the game live, rather than midnight I watched it from 5am. So between you, Total and I we kiboshed the boys. We live and learn, mate. And, LG called a Gyo goal, so he carries some responsibility, too. And I won’t even start on Kev and PB’s quietness and how that affects the team…

  • In an ideal world, my “Gyö” post would have turned a self-fulfilling prophecy.
    But the PL is a cruel, unforgiving one. Right now (probably because he’s the kind of player who can deliver only if 100% fit) Vik appears to be as lost in it as he would be after being dropped in the heart of a jungle without a compass …
    Well, let’s move on. Being top of the league at this point in such a punishing schedule is admirable, but City are breathing down our neck now. Realistically, we won’t be able to hold them off in the prolonged absence of Bill, BigGab, and … Kai (can’t wait to have him back) – and every time Declan is involved (almost all of the time, this lad is just phenomenal), I fear The Curse, just like Sauron drawn to The Ring, might be turning its gaze on him …
    As for Villa, the return game is so close it’ll look like the 2nd leg of a cup tie; let’s turn it into the proper demolishment they deserve.
    COYG

  • Ah! So, enough blame to go round for this defeat. Let’s learn from it and ensure we go the rest of the season unbeaten.. 😜

    I quite like the way you’re thinking, LG. The reverse fixture is so close and a very nice win will go a long way to relieve our fans. But, yeah, we need some of the lads back, especially our first choice CBs. We could also benefit from a return to form of returning injured.

  • We need to recover quickly, compose ourselves and look to win our next few fixtures in December, which are:

    Club Brugge on Wed (10th) – Away

    Wolves on Saturday (13th) – Home.

    Everton on Saturday (20th) – Away

    Palace on Tuesday (23rd) – Home in the CUP

    Brighton on Saturday (27th) Home

    Villa on Tuesday (30th) Home

    Surely, with some better fitness record, we should be able to navigate these to stay top, no?

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