Willock the star as Arsenal take care of Thursday night business

 

Arsenal 4 Molde 1
Europa League Matchday Three
Thursday 5th November 2020  8pm

After playing Manchester United in their previous game, Arsenal faced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's old team Molde. A dank November Thursday evening, instead of playing to the traditional half empty stands that such fixtures normally produce, a 4-1 victory was played out in front of the now familiar completely empty stands, except for players, club staff and a limited amount of media representation. 

Molde certainly approached matters in a more adventurous manner than last weeks’ visitors Dundalk, and provided plenty of genuine threat on Bernd Leno’s goal over the 90 minutes. Selection-wise, only Willian and Bernd Leno were retained from the starting eleven at Old Trafford. It was a minor surprise that Leno did not step down for Alex Runarsson, who played against Dundalk. Maybe Arteta was not keen on the back-up keeper's passing? One imagines that were Reiss Nelson fit, Willian would have been on the bench.

Elneny’s selection against Manchester United proved that it is possible to get into the Premier League eleven with a decent Thursday night performance, however there seemed a lacklustre feel about a lot of Arsenal’s early play. Molde’s pressing made the second stringers feel a little uncomfortable, and that pressure led to the visitors going ahead after Leno took the choice to punt the ball forward. His attempt to find Eddie Nketiah was ultimately returned with interest as his back four, set up to receive a short pass, were caught out of position. A nice strike from outside the box might have been saved by Leno were he more prepared, but at least it was early enough in the game not to cause undue panic. Arsenal definitely stepped their level up as a consequence, rising out of the malaise that they had started the match with. 

They were harshly denied an equaliser due to an offside, and with no VAR in the group stage, it felt like old time injustice. Had we been watching in the flesh and not on TV though, I doubt there would have been too much discontent. Joe Willock was so close to Eddie Nketiah at the moment of conversion, you can see why the linesman thought he might have got a touch. No matter, moments later, in first half injury time, good play by Xhaka and Nketiah forced an own goal, doubtless lessening the severity of Arteta's half-time team talk.

The second half was more like it, with greater space as Molde tired, and plenty of chances – in fairness at both ends. However, Arsenal created the majority of the danger, Joe Willock having a great game – involved in three of the four Arsenal goals and a good few of the moves that weren’t converted, including a bad miss by Kolasinac. 

The second Arsenal goal – another own goal, was created by a Willock cross, but the third was all about the intelligence of sub Bukayo Saka, who picked out Pepe from wide with a wonderfully weighted simple pass for the Ivorian to convert. Willock got himself on the scoresheet for the fourth as a Molde defender rejoined the play from the goal-line with the rest of his team playing an offside line. 

Job done, nine points out of nine and a near certainty to finish top of the group when the matches resume after the international break. Arsenal have a Premier League home game against Villa on Sunday, before the players depart. To continue the recovery from that run of three League defeats in four fixtures, a win is key and will set the team up nicely for the return to action at Leeds on November 22nd. One suspects a very similar starting eleven to last weekend, although Pepe might get the nod ahead of Willian. Joe Willock has a job to force his way into the team and in fairness, well as he has played, as long as Arteta is playing three at the back in the Premier League, it is difficult to see how he can be accommodated, unless Arteta will use him as a wide forward. 

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