Arsenal v Forest: Not Just a Win but maybe also the Dawn of a New Era

TotalArsenal

Arsenal 3 – 0 Nottingham Forest: the perfect post-interlull game to gear the team up for the tougher tests to come this and next month. Yet, this game gave me also a deeper feeling, one of the dawn of a new era full of glorious, winning football.

A home game after an interlull period is always welcome. The manager has so little time to prepare for these restarts that not having to travel is a real bonus. Forest changed manager during the interlull for some reason. Nuno is clearly a very capable and fine human being, but he keeps agreeing to work for big, fat egos who just don’t value him. I am hoping that Forest will pay a very big price for this and that the Portuguese will find a club that values him much more than the sorry Spuds and the Forest owner did.

Eight observations:

  1. The most obvious observations is of course the strength in depth Arsenal possess now. No Saliba? bring in Mosquera. No Rice? Merino replaces him seamlessly. No Bukayo? Bring in Madueke. Odegaard injured during the game? Well, young Ethan slots in just fine. This is just amazing, and I think Mikel has tried to put the pressure on Slot and Liverpool by stating they have the better squad. But he Spaniard has all the necessary tools in his shiny shed, and then some.
  2. Control. Really successful teams are able to control matches, and the sort of control Arsenal had at home v Leeds and Forest is reminiscent of the first eight years of Arsene’s reign. Early days of course, and Arsenal will play better teams than these two, but it was great to see how much control the team had in all areas of the pitch. Control is based on balance, quality, confidence and cohesion, and I think that Zubimendi is the one who holds it all together for Arsenal. He connects defence with midfield, and midfield with attack with such composure and panache, and I am truly jealous of those who currently are able to see him play live in a stadium.
  3. The wings gave us balance: Madueke has that typical ability to penetrate of Bukayo on the right wing; Eze has a Pires-like calm and calculated approach, and then also that unexpected burst or touch of genius to effect a game on the left wing. Together they helped us spread the game and make us much less predictable, and, it must be said, Merino and Ode/Nwaneri gave our midfield a better balance from an attacking point of view than we have had for a while.
  4. It was great to see that Arsenal now have men in the box when a cross goes in from the left or right. Madueke put in a number of fine crosses and the likes of Eze, Merino and of course Gyokeres were there to pounce. It will take a bit of time before this will really pay diffident, but I am so glad to see us play a more direct and aggressive style of play this season. Having Gyokeres as our CF, and a bevy of quality wingers for Mikel to pick from, makes all the difference.
  5. But what’s also important is that the whole team is responsible for creating and scoring goals, and I don’t think it is a coincidence that two weeks ago it was Timber who scored a brace and this weekend it is Zubimendi who does so. If goals can come from everywhere then the opposition will have a much bigger task to prepare for our game and keep our attacking threat to a minimum. We know all about Arsenal’s ability to score from a set-piece, and two of our goals came from just that, but if we can also surprise opponents with shots and unexpected headed goals then Arsenal are in a much better position than last season.
  6. There were some great moments of beauty in yesterday’s game: Zubi’s fabulous rocket from outside the box; Eze’s razor sharp cross for Viktor to pounce; the glide of Ethan and his crisp passing; Mosquera’s composure and ability to find a free man, another fingertip save by our stopper, Trossard’s clever scoop into the box etc, etc. But for me the most beautiful ball of the game was by our Italian full back. Calafiori’s ball over the top was inch-perfect, and just what was needed to decide the game. These sort of balls appear to be hard to play by defenders, but the Italian produced a peach of a pass. Some may say the defender should have judged the ball better but I think he was simply beaten by the delivery. Eze then had time to pick his pass, which he did brilliantly, and Viktor said thank you very much.
  7. I was also pleased that the team never sat back and allowed our opponent a sniff of a way back into the game, and that’s despite all the attacking quality Forest possess. This was often lacking last season, and let’s hope it’s behind us now. Three clean sheets in four is a very encouraging start to the season indeed.
  8. My final observation is related to the first one: strength in depth means a deeper striving towards excellence. With at least two great players in each position, these duos are likely to push each other to higher levels. They learn from each other and of course there is an element of competition too. Nobody is an automatic starter if all are fit: leaving Rice, Martinelli and White on the bench is a good indicator of this. They are likely to play on Tuesday and will then be extra motivated to perform well. To have this luxury situation of two great players in all 11 positions, and some extra quality on top of this, is just bliss.

By TotalArsenal.

55 thoughts on “Arsenal v Forest: Not Just a Win but maybe also the Dawn of a New Era”

  • Nice analysis.The last time I can recall a domolar depth in all honesty was the Invincibles.When we could call upon Parlour,wiltord,Kanu,Edu ,Reyes.And apologies for any other star I’ve left out.But that was depth with class.Now we have it back .Took time but hopefully worth the wait.

  • That’s a good call, Pete. I think back then we had 16-18 quality players, and that was enough then: less games, less intensity, less injuries. Now we have 22-25 quality players which is awesome.

  • Thanks, T; – very thorough as always …
    (1) We could (I’m not sayin’ we will, but we could) have, and I don’t think anyone would say Mick has lost his marbles (I’m ruling Ødegaard out …)
    (Tuesday in San Mames):
    Kepa
    White-Mosquera-Hincapié-LewisSkelly
    Rice-Merino
    Martinelli-Nwaneri-Trossard
    Gyökeres
    … 8 changes
    (next Sunday against Cheaty):
    Raya
    Timber-Saliba-Gabriel-Calafiori
    Zubimendi- Rice
    Madueke-Merino-Eze
    Gyökeres
    … 8 changes again
    That’s just mind-boggling – such a squad, with the 5-change-rule on top of it all, is to MA what being given a state-of-the-art studio as well as the very best session musicians was to 1966 Brian Wilson (R.I.P., Brian). We’ll be treated to the football equivalent of “Good Vibrations/Pet Sounds” this season, guys – mark my word!
    (2) 2 home games, Won 2 For 8 Against 0 … Of course, it was “only“ Leeds, and Forest – but were it not for the out-of-this-world FK at Anfield, we’d boast 4 clean sheets in 4 games, with barely any opportunities conceded. That’ll take us very far … Budapest (P.!!) here we come!
    (4) I’m surprised Gyö’s headers’ record at Sporting was so poor. I’ve been trying to watch him closely, and I get the impression he’s always well-positioned in anticipation of the crosses, immovable once in position. Fearless he sure is, so I’d bet quite a few bucks he’ll improve his stats significantly this season …
    (5) (6) Cala scored our first of the season too. Some player he is indeed, our legionary – and he’s still only 23; in today’s market £30m will soon go down as of the club’s best bargains.
    (final observation) Mine would be about the beaming smile across Zubi’s face. You can feel the genuine kid’s joy the lad has at playing football; such things are contagious, I’m pretty sure the whole team’s already infected and that, too, will take us very far – even if God only knows how, of course …
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g3oX7R5yHc !!!!!

  • Fine comment, Legall.

    Your team selections make sense and i agree it’s unlikely that Arteta will go that far. But he will make a few of your changes as to keep as many as possible happy.

  • Great observation about Zubis beaming smile. He seems very happy indeed and someone to inspire the rest of the team. Also an embodiment of our values and Arteta’s strategy on the pitch.

  • Key for me is the balance in midfield, and the awkward question to ask is Declan still an automatic starter. We appear to have more balance with Merino, Zubi in the midfield base…

  • Thanks Total. Thorough and forensic, as always. Points 1 & 2 squad depth and the level of control are rightfully widely recognized and celebrated. Point 3 the balance in the team, less so, and you do well to acknowledge this. Opposing teams will be stretched and stressed by the awareness that we have highly skilled wingers operating on both flanks. They no longer will have the option of swamp defending Bukuyu when he is back in town. Eze and Noni are so exciting to watch, they certainly make the early hours of the Southern Hemisphere mornings a more salubrious time to be awake.

    Interesting, Positive Pete, your use of the word, “Domolar”, not one I’ve come across in my 65 journeys around the sun. Great stuff, mate.

    LG, you do have a habit of warming my heart. I saw the BB’s in ’78 at Western Springs. All three of the Wilson boys were on stage, tho’ Brian was a bit disengaged. But when they kicked into GV my teenage soul soared.

    Song for Kev: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9_d-sFhmRM

  • Stu, agreed re Eze and Madueke. These guys are just so keen and positive, and they give the team such additional weapons.

    How did the Kerikeri ladies team get on this weekend? Any Arsenal fans among the team?

  • I think Ethan has earned his spurs, (if that expression is allowed on this blog) Total. Eze or Leo could play that role as well.

    A closely fought 2-1 win keeps Kerikeri Women top of the Northland League with three to go. We had two wonderful headed goals disallowed and they struck the bar with a penalty in the dying minutes. A heart in mouth moment.

    I do encourage them, Total, with the regular exhortation that following Arsenal is next to godliness.

  • You are spot on with your observations, TA. We are well stocked this term and will be spoilt for choice if we have even 90% fit. It is not a situation those of the Arsenal persuasion are familiar with, in recent times. Long may that continue.

    Arteta has managed to make this window all about building a team where replacements, whether in-game, or for injuries, don’t result in a drop off in quality. That’s a luxury few top EPL teams can boast. What this does is keep every player performing at optimum levels and those who choose to sulk will be easily identifiable for another round of “cleansing”. Hopefully, everyone joins in the fun as we head towards some great results.

  • As we enter the “2/3 games a week” stage, and injuries or fatigue start to set in, the sense in our new recruitment outlook/strategy will become more obvious.
    As for Gyokeres, the team is still adjusting to his style and preferences so, it will take just a little time and the team shall be purring with him at the top.
    We will need to integrate Norgaard as soon as possible so as not to overwork Zubimendi and Rice. Frankly, I was not reckoning with Merino this season but man has raised his game, knowing his place was at most risk. Maybe, seeing his old club mate in Zubi has helped.

    Odegaard’s direct replacement, for me, is Nwaneri. He is different but is learning well and can be a bit more direct, as the team is looking to be, more of the time. Depending on the opposition, Eze and Merino may be deployed from time to time. Arteta has to keep everyone happy, as games come thick and fast.

  • Stu, I am sure “Positive Pete” meant to type ‘similar’. I just checked my keyboard and realised that’s what happened. Typing in the dark, Or without your glasses, Or with extra thick fingers (mobile phone) can do that to you. Lol. 😄

  • Eris, you might have made a good detective, mate. The word does have a meaning but it was a stretch to make sense of it in PP’s comment.

  • I see, nobody wants to answer the midfield base question. It is a hard one. Rice is a great player but where exactly do we play him, and in which system?

  • What a promise this season holds! All of the excellence we have on and off the field and we still have Saka, Kai, Jesus and Odegaard to look forward to seeing again, once they return from injury. As well, Dowman and Nwaneri are such potential stars, we are truly blessed. We still need to be careful with the continuous injury tradition we seem to be subject to every season and I am sure the officiating could become an issue as the season progresses. Watching Eze and Madueke play was reassuring and revealing. They will fill their portfolios with a plethora of assists and quite a few goals as well. We were Liverpool’s equals and were unlucky not to get at least a point, against the best team in the league so far.

  • I think the Anfield midfield will be the way to go for quite some time, T.
    Tonight my guess is we’ll start very strong
    Raya
    Timber-Mosquera-Gabriel-Calafiori
    Zubimendi-Rice
    Madueke-Merino-Eze
    Gyökeres
    … and unless this game turns into a very poor night at the office, the only change sunday willl be Saliba for Mosquera (I think it’d be sensible to give Bill a few more days to get rid once and for good of this ankle problem – all the more so since now we all know Mosquera is Mr. Totally Reliable)
    I think this Zubi-Declan at the base and MM more upfront setup will not be short-lived; I’d bet it’ll go on even when Martin is fit again
    Very excited at the thought of CL football being back on track
    COYG

  • That is possible, Legall, but will it work? To me it looks like a compromise, and it was interesting that Mikel brought on Ethan, who is much more of a nr10, and not Rice (with Merino moving in the Odegaard position). The ability to move through the lines that Martin and Ethan possess is not really Merino’s forte, or Declan’s, although they both can beat a man by a burst forward.

    I think the risk of this is that we become to static or regimented and our attack too isolated. Against the big teams, especially away, I think you are right on the money with that lineup, but I think, and hope, we will see a typical nr10 in most of our games this season.

  • Merino has earned his place to start in Bilbao. Tho he’s a Pamplona boy, he’ll want to impress his former fans in the Basque country. May his hot scoring run continue. See you in the early hours, boys.

  • Our best midfield trio remains Zubimendi, Rice and Odegaard; the alterations we have seen are in the spirit of rotation, or owing to injuries Odegaard and Rice have endured. The midfield roles (6, 8 & 10) are specialist roles and while Arsenal players are intelligent enough to adapt, the ideal thing is to retain the best 3 while changes are made mid-game to address changing scenarios, whether we are chasing the game or defending a lead.

    For me, Merino’s ability to adapt will see him rotate between the Rice (8) replacement and Odegaard (10) support roles. He is in a rich vein of scoring form at the moment and is making it hard for the manager to drop him but soon, we will need to be more pragmatic and less emotional.

  • Yes Eris, you would say so, yet the combo of Rice, Zubi and Odegaard doesn’t seem to work. Or more specifically, the combo of Rice and Zubimendi. Early days of course, and I hope a balance will be found, but for now Zubi-Merino looks the better set up, especially with a proper nr10 in front of them.

    The critical question is what is Declans best position and is he better than Merino?

  • Hey TA,

    Great post, as always.

    The team is getting more balanced, but there are still something that is missing. We need more clinicality in the front. Eze, Martinelli and Noni are losing far too many balls when they meet no nonsense defenders.

    We need someone with a poacher’s mentality, winning balls from the front and facing no nonsense defenders like a cat waiting to attack a mouse.

    If we have that, we will beat every team in the world.

    Cheers,
    JK

  • TA:…are we simply giving Rice a starting berth because of his price tag?

    Of course, NOT! Declan Rice is simply a better No. 8 than Merino, so if we need to play with a specialist 8 in front of, or by the side of a specialist No. 6, Rice fits the bill, especially when we expect a hard game.
    It must be said that he is currently not in full form yet, hence he gets rested/dropped at the start of the season. He will start to fly again and become undroppable. You’ll see.

  • Not sure you nailed it there, Eris. Do we expect goals and assists from a nr8? If so, Merino has the edge. As a defence-shield for our back four, Rice is ace, but Zubimendi does this well too, and so it looks like Declan is struggling to find his right role in the games we have played. Check out the Pool and MU game.

    But we both hope he will find his way soon.

  • “simply” a better No. 8″ … I don’t know, Eris; we’re just blessed with 2 extraordinary players in the same position now.
    Our assessments of Mikel may be biased sometimes, just because he’s a late bloomer, but during the latest international break he was the best player in the best team in the world – at the moment – so I don’t think it’s that simple to be better than him, mate.
    Now they have very different characteristics, Declan puts unmatched (unmatchable?) physical pressure on our opponents’ midfield. On a good day he’s relentless, you get the impression he’s got three lungs in his chest and 2 oxygen cylinders in his back, his runs spread the chaos we often have difficulty creating otherwise; and last but not least his set pieces, his CKs in particular have bailed us out so many times since he became a Gooner I don’t want to know what our seasons would have looked like without him.
    Not as obviously maybe, but Mikel is a running machine too, but his main qualities lie elsewhere – his reading of the game, his positioning, his talent at picking the right spot in the box at exactly the right time and at … scoring, not to mention his otherwordly technical skills, which all Spanish top-level players are gifted with.
    Look, I wouldn’t want to be in MA’s shoes once all of our players are fit, there’s sleepless nights ahead for him – and not because of that N°8 position only.
    Robert Redford has passed … I loved his “Sydney Pollack” movies, and of course some of the ones he directed (“Milagro”, “A River Runs Through It” – I studied the book with some of my classes, the father’s lesson “writing is editing” in particular). He’s linked to one dear family memory of mine. My older cousin has been an avid piano player since he was a teenager, and he picked a “music” option when he sat his baccalauréat, back in the early 70s. He had a “free” theme to play and he chose The Sting’s the Entertainer – I’ll never forget the beaming smile on his face when he came to our place right after his “performance” (my mum was his godmother) to boast of the 20/20 he just got …
    RIP, Bob

  • Ben? Injured? Again?
    Not so long ago, you’d have thought he’d been carved out of vibranium …
    COYG

  • TA & LeGall, you both make great points on the issue of an ideal midfield. I hope Arteta is able to figure out what combo works best for what game.

    I had to go check Merino’s stats for the last game vs Forest and was surprised to find he ran, by far, the most of any player on that pitch (12km+). I am in awe because I didn’t see that coming; pace hasn’t been his strong suite so to have him shown as doing some hard running shows me having his old teammate in his Arsenal team may be bringing out the best in him. Long may it last.

    Overall, we all want the best for our team and like I did say, Merino is in good form now and deserves his starts.

  • Good morning, gentlemen. That is tough news to wake up to, The passing of RR. Raindrops are falling …

  • Arsenal Team News
    Starting XI: Raya, Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Madueke, Eze, Gyokeres.

    Subs: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Lewis-Skelly, Saliba, Hincapie, Norgaard, Dowman, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Trossard.

    Athletic Club Team News
    Starting XI: Unai Simon, Adama, Paredes, Vivian, Gorosabel, Jauregizar, Vesga, Navarro, O. Sancet, Williams, Berenguer.

    Subs: M. Santos, Padilla, Guruzeta, Areso, I.Lekue, Galarreta, Yuri, Unai G, Maroan, Nico Serrano, Rego, Jon

  • Gyokeres, learning not to contest headers when big Gab is interested. Lol.
    Good thing he is better.

  • My thought exactly when I saw him pop up in front of Gab, Eris.
    Declan will have to be taken off, otherwise we’ll end up 10v11, for Nørgaard or Nwaneri will tell us what exactly MA expects from this game.
    Gyö’s best half in the “red- turned-blue-and-white” imo, Jurrien my GunnerotM so far. We were having a very good spell, actually, but the clash of big heads cut it short …
    San Mames is a formidable venue, it was never going to be easy; 1-0 to the Arsenal ‘d be just fine.
    COYG

  • Half time, it’s still goalless. Not been an easy game to navigate for Arteta’s lads, it must be said. What a difference a few weeks into the season can make.
    Not too long ago, we beat this same side 3-0 in pre-season.

    So far, we have kept them at bay and that’s what is important as I don’t think too many teams will come here to ride roughshod over this Ernesto Valverde tutored side.

  • Nice tactical substitution by Mikel. An Ozelesque flick by Leo for our speedster to remind his critics of his worth.

  • Great subs by Mikel, and just what Martinelli and Trossard needed. A professional win reminiscent of the top teams in these heated arenas. Another clean sheet, just amazing!

    Really proud of Rice to play so well without getting a second yellow.

  • What a mature performance, “reminiscent of the top teams …” is exactly right T.
    Marti and Leandro will put up a fight; Ebz ‘d better gear up quick.
    Yet another clean sheet to celebrate … here’s how the opponents’ forwards are going to see our back-five after Haaland is annihilated, come sunday:

  • Unbelievable level of schadenfreude against The Arsenal, from The Guardian’s Ronay, yesterday … Buckle up, lads – you’re not ready for that kind of venom:

    “Haaland can deliver early body blow to Arsenal. Striker is in the sort of goal form to strike fear into Arsenal’s defence.
    There was an ominous note for Arsenal before Sunday’s unavoidably massive early season meeting at the Emirates. Defeat by City at home could leave Arsenal six points behind the champions before the early season fumblings have ironed themselves out. You can’t win the title in September. But you can do quite a lot to stop Arsenal from winning it.
    The last meeting of these teams in February was a statement-style Arsenal result that ended up meaning very little. Arsenal went out of the Carabao Cup three days later. The next home game was the 1-0 defeat by West Ham that killed the league season. After the City game they dropped 18 points in their next 12 games and were 10 off the top at the end.
    Haaland now has the opportunity to open another chapter in a game that actually does count for something. He has produced outstanding all-round games against the same opponents, most notably in the 3-1 win in February 2023. For Arsenal he presents a note of danger in a game that already feels like an eliminator for the right to chase Liverpool through the autumn.“

    Past, present, future. There’s an all-encompassing “experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from the first- or second-hand learning of the troubles, failures, pain, suffering, or humiliation of another“ in there. It’s Pharisaic porn, really; after all what turns Barney on is none of my business of course, but when you get to read such rubbish you feel (out of empathy for the sorry bloke) like tellin’ him “Barney, my lad, get a hotel room, video yourself up vomiting your anti-Arsenal poison – and the effects it produces on you – in order to post it on whatever dark web there is, but just leave us out of it, won’t you?“.
    Of course, all libel strategies come with some kind of distortion of history – like, say, the number of sure starters unavailable through injuries when we put this Cheaty side to the sword last season, or knocked the (tiny, Barney?) Real Madrid out of the CL after that win, in the absence of these same players, and eventually finished second, after playing the end of the season with ButlerOyedeji-Gower-HenryFrancis-Rosiak et al on the bench, a tremendous achievement which any bloke paid to write about football in such an outlet as The Guardian should have spent time analyzing …
    As for tomorrow, a lover of football might have spent time considering the likely possibility that Haaland might draw a blank, whatever MA’s pick will be among:
    Timber-White/Saliba-Mosquera/Gabriel-Hincapié/Calafiori-LewisSkelly
    (my guess is Timber-Mosquera-Gabriel-Calafiori btw, I don’t think he’ll take Cristhian out …)
    What I do know is if I were in Mikel’s shoes, I’d have tapered the walls of Colney with copies of the article, for our back-four to be wound up to cut-Haaland-throat level …
    COYG

  • Your pen is mightier than his blunt club, LG. A masterful take down of a fella grown too big for his boots.
    I’d bring big Will back if he’s fit, tho’ Cristhian has done a superb job in his absence (what a signing), Will knows Haaland’s game. And a little bit of Kapa o pango is right up our Bondy boy’s sleeve.

  • Shame it isn’t a Black Ferns v France final, LG, but the Poms and Canucks deserved their wins.

  • LG, we have kept Haaland quiet before; I fully expect us to do the same this time around by cutting off his supply source. The game will be tricky but we should get the win in the end, in my view.

    Had Saliba had a few minutes on Tuesday, it would signal that he would start on Sunday. So, unless he is super match fit, Mosquera starts tomorrow and Saliba starts midweek to get his fitness back.

    COYG!!

  • Arteta likes to play Martinelli against City. I won’t be surprised to see him start on the left, with Eze in place of Odegaard, if the latter remains unfit. Ethan won’t be too happy, in that case, but it is what it is and there will be many more games for him to strut his stuff.

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