Youngsters deliver the goods against bottom of the table Newcastle

Arsenal 2 Newcastle United 0 
Premier League 
Saturday 27th November 2021  12.30pm   

Arsenal managed to climb to the lofty heights of fifth place with the good run that ended at Anfield last weekend. That game served as a reminder that this is still very much a work in progress, but one thing that is indisputable is that Arteta’s team has to be winning matches against poor opposition if they are to return to the status of contenders. Ideally, this season, that means squeezing into fourth place and generating the extra funds that the Champions League provides. So the idea that anything but three points at home to the bottom placed side in the division was simply unthinkable. 

Eddie Howe has a huge job on his hands, and as it stands, a very poor pool of players to work with. The real triumph of the years of underinvestment under Mike Ashleigh is the club remaining in the top flight. The money is certainly there to buy better now, when the opportunity arises, but the next six months are about ensuring St James’s Park is hosting Premier League fixtures next season, and Howe certainly has the time to ensure that happens, if he can get more out of his players. They made a fist of it in the first half of yesterday’s lunchtime kick-off, although they partly have Aubameyang to thank for that, as a striker of his reputation should not be hitting the post as he did after Smith Rowe’s header was parried. 

Auba is having a dodgy patch – he should have had at least three goals in the last three matches – but with 18 months left on his deal, it can only be hoped this is a blip. It’s not the first time he has hit a fallow spell and last season’s one exposed how reliant the team were on his goals. Fortunately, there are signs that is starting to change now, not least due to the growing contributions of ESR and Saka. However, even after yesterday, 15 games in 12 games is a stat that demonstrates how important the defence has been so far this season. Mind you, Spurs currently sit on 11 goals in 12, although of course, that led to a change of manager.

In terms of the Gunners’ attacking input, the full backs are both contributing significantly as well. Nuno Tavares is keeping Tierney on the bench, and could even start in an attacking position on the left side, such is his ability on the ball, if Arteta wanted to field both men. He proved a real box of tricks yesterday, playing a key part in the build up to the opening goal after the second half was ten minutes old. Saka finished it coolly from wide and although Newcastle had certainly threatened on occasion, the lead was a fair reflection of the balance of play. 

In the first half, Partey and Odegaard didn’t contribute too much aside from a decent free-kick from the latter that was tipped over. The Norwegian did better after the interval. It was interesting to see that all six of last summer’s signings (Odegaard being one of those) were in the starting eleven, four of those in the five defensive positions – if we include the goalkeeper. Aubameyang aside, this was very much Mikel Arteta’s team, given Gabriel and Partey were signed under his watch, and the two Academy players promoted to first team regulars since his arrival in December 2019. 

Gabriel Martinelli was signed at the start of Unai Emery’s second season, and has yet to become a first team regular, but the quality of his finish for the second goal provided an argument as to why he might be worth consideration. Aubameyang is off to the African Cup of Nations in January (alongside Partey and the lesser-utilized Elneny) so he may get a look-in then. Tomiyasu chipped the ball over the Newcastle backline and the Brazilian met it with a deft volley to chip the keeper. 

There were penalty shouts at both ends, but referee Stuart Atwell seemed to let a lot of things go, and things evened themselves out. Mind you, if he had been less acceptant of the physical side of the game, the visitors could have been one up before Saka’s goal. The ‘challenge’ on Martinelli near the end of the game looked brutal when I saw it on television later. I shouldn’t finish without paying credit to Aaron Ramsdale for another incredible tip onto the bar in the first half. Also to mention that – over the next few weeks, it would seem prudent to rest Saka and Smith Rowe on occasion, although never both in the same game. Have whoever is given a rest on the bench as an insurance policy, but let's be wary of overplaying these two. We await news of Saka’s injury, and it can only be hoped it is nothing serious. 

So a game that Arsenal had to be patient to win, but all the same, had to be won. After Liverpool, this was the first of eight fixtures to get back into the groove before facing Manchester City. Unfortunately, the new manager bounce syndrome may make the visit to Old Trafford harder than it might have been, were OGS still at the helm, but that couldn’t last. Still, the arrival of a new man in the dugout does not seemed to have helped Newcastle so much. On Monday week, Arsenal travel to Everton, so a difficult couple of fixtures, but also an opportunity to demonstrate that the 4-0 defeat was a one-off and that there is some resilience now in the team. If you offered me three points from the next two games, I would accept that, and even two would be ok, given these two grounds are never easy places to get results. 

The encouraging thing – demonstrated by the starting eleven yesterday – is that Arteta’s desire to improve the team, by upgrading the personnel, is being given every chance, even if the central midfield still doesn’t feel quite right. It was interesting that Odegaard was played instead of Lacazette yesterday as the link man behind the main striker – not certain if that was a response to the Liverpool defeat. But the balance does not feel quite right. Partey has proved underwhelming and Lokonga seemed to have greater influence yesterday. But in other positions, things are looking better where the new faces are being given a run in the team. 

We hope it works out. The matches in the remainder of 2021 will certainly give us a better idea of whether that is likely to happen. Without European football, this is such an opportunity for Arsenal to re-establish their reputation. We used to scoff at fourth place because of the feeling that fourth place should be regarded as a success, like winning a trophy. Financially, it certainly outweighs a domestic cup by a country mile, but I was asked an interesting question in the pub after the game yesterday. Would I prefer Arsenal to win both domestic trophies and finish fifth, or take fourth place and no trophies? I opted for the former. Call me old fashioned, but I kind of like to see my team winning things.

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