Kevin Whitcher's Arsenal Blog

Arsenal 3 Dundalk 0 Europa League Matchday Two Thursday 29th  October 2020  8pm The great shame about this Europa League group game was that Dundalk’s fans were not able to make the trip to witness their team play at the Emirates. They don’t get too many chances for this kind of experience. Granted, Gooners would have enjoyed trips to Vienna and Ireland themselves, but they’ve had plenty of opportunity to see their team in some amazing venues over the years.   Europa League and Champions League matches on the continent are going on with fans in the stands, appropriately distanced from one another. And here’s the thing – the virus does not spread so easily in the open air. So we have fiascos like Norwich fans gathering at Carrow Road on a home matchday to watch the game being played on the pitch outside on screens in hospitality areas… where the spread of COVID-19 is far more likely. Madness.   My own view on the virus is that the vulnerable are protected and supporte...

Arsenal 0 Leicester 1 Premier League Sunday 25th  October 2020  7.15pm £14.99 or not (for those that elected to watch this game on a stream), this made for painful viewing. Arsenal created just enough chances to have won this match, but their players lacked the clinical abilities of Jamie Vardy (Aubameyang has lost form a bit of his edge since ‘signing da ting’, and Lacazette has never convinced as the main striker). How different it might have been. Had Arsene Wenger persuaded the Leicester number 9 to make the move to the Emirates in 2016, Lacazette would probably not have been signed two years later. Instead, Vardy has become the modern day version of Didier Drogba where Arsenal are concerned. A goal from him almost inevitable, whilst exposing defensive issues. No question that Arsenal dominated the first half, even if Maddison’s early attempt to chip an out of his goal Leno was a little too close for comfort. They were a little unfortunate with the offside early on when La...

Rapid Vienna 1 Arsenal 2 Europa League Matchday One Thursday 22nd October 2020  6.55pm (Local time) What was this? Fans? In the stadium? Making actual noise? Will it ever catch on, I wonder? 3,000 were allowed in – definitely on one side of the pitch, but from shots of the stand where the dugouts were, I got the impression there were some there too. So… time for England to join the party and start to re-integrate actual physical supporters in the stadium. Temperature checks, social bubbles, face masks, distancing etc. For Europa League it would be easy to select the chosen few. Just take the last six home group matches in this competition and everyone who attended all of those games can come for the first ‘test’ fixture. That would get the crowd down to about 3,000 by my reckoning.   Anyway, it was classic group stage fare. A mix and match team from Arteta, although a strong bench as insurance, which proved a necessity in the end, with the luxury of five subs allowed (unl...

  Manchester City 1 Arsenal 0 Premier League Saturday 17th October 2020  5.30pm Although the defeat at the Etihad was disappointing (and when aren’t defeats disappointing?), a bit or perspective is required which can be found when looking at the Premier League table. Arsenal have played five matches, two at home and three away. They have lost what are on paper the two most difficult fixtures in the 38 game calendar – away to the teams that finished first and second in the league the previous season. Anything from these two visits would have been a bonus, and Arsenal were not disgraced in either game. What they demonstrated was that the gap still exists between the sides that are genuine title contenders and the Gunners, but that Mikel Arteta has made progress with the organization of his team. Not so long ago, Arsenal regularly collapsed in these type of fixtures, sometimes to a humiliating degree.   Granted, some players underperformed, but the depth of options avai...

Arsenal 2 Sheffield United 1 Premier League Sunday 4th October 2020  2pm We’ve seen a lot of matches like yesterday afternoon’s at the Emirates over the years, although usually with a crowd present. On that point, it is interesting that there do seem to be more away wins since the behind closed doors matches came in during the lockdown. It can only point to the influence of the crowd on both players and officials. Whilst discussing spectators, and the reality that currently mascot Gunnersaurus does not have a raison d’etre, does anyone actually believe the mascot will not return once crowds are allowed back? There is a separate debate to be had over whether those not being required to work should remain on the payroll, but I refuse to believe the retirement is permanent, at least for the mascot itself. Whether or not Jerry Quy, the employee behind the costume finds alternative work and decides against wearing it again himself only time will tell, and it is of course sad that a...

Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0 (Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties) Carabao Cup 4th  Round Thursday 1st October 2020  7.45pm I think it’s fair to say that Arsenal have enjoyed a slice of fortune in their progress to this season’s League Cup quarter finals, at least on the pitch (Leicester’s slapdash defending was the reason for the win in the previous round), even if the draw has not been so kind (a phenomenon that continued with the selection of Manchester City as their last eight opponents when the competition continues in December). This was symbolized with the winning shoot-out penalty taken by Joe Willock, which squirmed under Adrian in the Liverpool goal. Still, even if it was progress from the lottery of sudden death, we’ll take it. Jurgen Klopp has an element of disdain for domestic cup competitions these days, with eyes on bigger prizes, but he nevertheless fielded a stronger side than he normally would in the League Cup, with some big names to try and assist the less regular s...