Well, we finally won at Goodison Park. Despite how dire the Toffees have been these last few seasons, this has been a tricky fixture. Even though martinelli’s early strike was disallowed via an overly pedantic but technically accurate application of the offside rule, we inally got past Dyche’s parked bus, the rusting one without tyres that’s sitting on cinderblocks and hosts all sorts of voles, mice, and shrews. Trossard’s strike came from a well-worked sequence and earned him our MOTM but with just 37% of the vote—easily one of the narrowest polls we’ve ever had. Truth be told, it was a solid all-around effort, and I feel like we’ve been a bit harsh on Nketiah. Enough throat-clearing. Enjoy the results of the poll!
I’ll take the 3 points, but the fact that a bench option and our deepest-lying midfielder were battling it out for MOTM, against a bang average/bus parking side, speaks volumes about our tactical shortcomings…Sean Dyche was clearly the deserved MOTM
Didn’t get the chance to participate in the MOTM survey– however, as much as Leo Trossard is deserving, I’ll buck the consensus and go with Declan Rice. And why…
As a habit, I watch every game (at least) twice– on the same day if possible. Like to see it again without the emotional aspects weighing on what I think I saw. Yesterday, our guys refused to allow Everton out of their half. Base minimum Arteta desires from his team defensively. Achieve that, build from there, score and win.
Arsenal’s field tilt this season:
vs Everton 83.8%
vs United 81.2%
vs Fulham 90.4%
vs Palace 50.4% (Tomi RC)
vs Forrest 82.8%
Dominance. That match was an almost perfect example of what Mikel wants every match. Granted, a second (or more) goal(s) makes the result more comfortable– but to be honest, he has to be very pleased with the execution of his tactics.
Everton may have been an easy mark for the style Arteta wanted to impose. But for the sake of imprinting ‘muscle memory’ on how-to onto his side– it was a near-perfect exercise. Rock solid as a lesson, a manner of Arteta instilling maturity into this team.
Might have appeared droll to many.
I was impressed watching the second time through.
no matter how hard you try, you simply can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
Indeed, watching a second time free from the emotional rollercoaster offers valuable perspective. On one hand, Everton invited all of that pressure and conceded possession, but ours was a far cry from the sterile, horseshoe-based days of yesteryear when we pass the ball around the edge of the area without any intent or incisiveness. Had Martinelli’s goal stood, Everton would have been forced to at least try to get up the pitch, leading to a much more-open affair. As it stands, we got the result we deserved against a stubborn, stingey opponent while also dropping the Goodison Park monkey off our backs.
I liked this game. There were no swaschbuckling gung ho, back and forth. But control and us winning at were we normaly lose. Whats there not to like?
True, I would have preferred something more scintillating, but there’s not a lot you can do when your opponent keeps nine men behind the ball and dares you to get through. We showed patience, determination, and belief, three qualities essential in turning a young squad into true contenders. Last year, we rode the elements of surprise and disbelief until self-doubt crept in. A result like this one shows that the lads are starting to learn how to grind out a result.