Boxing Day Knockout in East Anglia

Norwich City 0 Arsenal 5 
Premier League 
Sunday 26th December 2021 3pm   

A very enjoyable Arsenal performance on the road brought Christmas cheer to the traveling Gooners and those able to find a stream to catch the action from Carrow Road. When the Gunners last played Norwich there it was early December 2019. Unai Emery had just been given his cards, with Freddie Ljungberg in charge of the team for the first game of his caretaker spell. It was a disappointing (given Norwich’s low position in the table at the time) 2-2 draw. It is interesting to note that only two of the players in Freddie’s starting eleven began yesterday’s fixture.

In the two years since, we’ve enjoyed an FA Cup final win behind closed doors, although also plenty of frustration as Mikel Arteta has effectively been learning on the job. Perhaps, with retrospect, it may turn out that his most significant decision was to freeze Aubameyang out of the first team picture. Now that the player will be away on African Cup of Nations duty for most of January, he certainly won’t be pulling on an Arsenal shirt again anytime soon, and you imagine that if Arteta has his way, the player might not even be at the club after the January transfer window. It feels like his face doesn’t fit, and the performances of Gabriel Martinelli in the position that the former club captain played the majority of his games suggest he wouldn’t be missed. Since his signing a new deal early last season, the goals have dried up. It was ironic to remember that Auba had missed a penalty in that 2-2 draw against the Canaries two years ago. That became a bit of a habit in the end.

So we move on, and reflecting on the defeat at Anfield in November, I wrote - Before 2021 is over (the) team face Newcastle, Manchester United, Everton, Southampton, West Ham, Leeds, Norwich and Wolves. It’s fair to say these matches will shape the rest of the season. Arsenal must bounce back and try and take at least 15 points from these matches, or they will drift back to mid-table and the optimism of the run that ended at Anfield will quickly evaporate.

 

That they achieved 15 points with the now postponed Wolves game still to play is a credit to the way the team have responded. The defeats at Old Trafford and Everton provided good lessons, and it is significant that since then, with Aubameyang dropped, Arsenal have gained maximum points in four league games as well as progressing to the semi-finals of the League Cup. It was a shame that Covid has stalled momentum, as you really fancied the chances of a win against Wolves tomorrow, but at least it gives the players a break ahead of facing Manchester City. Were Arteta’s team able to avoid defeat in that New Year’s Day match, it would be a real marker of progress. 

Yes, we have seen more than one false dawn with the current manager, but the hope is that with the younger players now dominating the team, and some of those on high wages with – seemingly – less drive about them having departed the club (or contention for a starting spot), this might be the real thing. If you compare the competitiveness of Martinelli to win the ball back with that of Aubameyang, you can see a marked difference. The latter did try, but his intensity was lesser than the younger Brazilian – not so much hunger to do the dirty work.

I’d assumed that Tomiyasu was absent yesterday due to injury, although it turned out that he had tested positive for Covid. In a sense that has to be preferable to injury, although he will be missed if he is unable to return in time for the New Year’s Day game. Ben White moved to right back, a position he has played before, with Rob Holding lining up next to Gabriel. Matches against Sunderland and Norwich have eased him back into match fitness. He generally did well, aside from a pass that almost got the team into trouble when Lacazette was almost dispossessed. As for Covid and the club’s right back options, you begin to wonder if there is a new variant targeting players in that position. 

So with Holding the only change from the excellent win against Leeds, the team started the match where they left off at Elland Road and we didn’t have to wait long for the opener. Saka was able to get the ball onto his left foot for a shot after nice build up play from his three attacking teammates and slotted the ball low past the Norwich keeper. His strike to make it 3-0 at the three quarter mark of the match was not dissimilar. 

For the remainder of the first half, Arsenal dominated – Odegaard often pulling the strings - and enjoyed a number of dangerous attacks, before Tierney doubled the lead with a low shot that went in off the post just before the interval. A little before that, things got a bit spicy with Norwich players trying to unsettle the visitors with some ‘in the face’ reactions to aggression shown by the likes of Xhaka and White. 

It was encouraging to see Arsenal’s team spirit in terms of the players being willing to step in and stand up for each other – we haven’t seen that enough for my money. They were not going to be bullied as a unit, and this is significant, a reminder of better times and big characters.

The second half should have seen the award of an Arsenal penalty for handball as I understand the rules, but they seem to change every summer, which doesn’t help fans. Martinelli was a constant danger and there is no debate that a run in the team has shown us the ability many always believed was there. Lacazette may not have scored in open play, but generally his contribution was intelligent and made space for his teammates to attack. I can live with his lack of goals if they are coming from elsewhere, although it was good to see him convert a penalty to make it 4-0, after the series of missed spot-kicks lately – the previous one down to him.

By that time, Emile Smith Rowe was on the pitch and it was his pass to Lacazette that drew the foul on the captain for the penalty award. ESR has become a bit of a super sub, exploiting tiring defenders and scoring goals, as well as getting a bit of a break in terms of playing minutes when he does not start – no bad thing at his age. It would be good if Saka could also have some rest, and rotation between ESR, Martinelli and Saka is now an option for the manager. Even Odegaard could be included in that given ESR can play the number 10 role as well. Arsenal’s only real issue at looking ahead is what to do about the centre forward position. Currently, Lacazette does look worth an extension, but is likely to seek a more lucrative deal elsewhere. I think we can pretty much forget Aubameyang, going on Arteta’s history with players that fall foul of him.

Smith Rowe’s late goal improved the goal difference and I reflected that this is what top sides do – annihilate weak teams, home or away. The combination of Arsenal’s hunger, quick clean passing and use of space was too much for a team that does not really have the quality of players for the task they are asked to perform. It would have been a grim festive watch for the home fans, who I am sure have already accepted they will be playing Championship matches once again come August.

In the post match interview for Match of the Day, Kieran Tierney talked about  “good team chemistry”. That can take you a long way and the most important aspect of this is the ability to recover from reversals, and avoid a collective psychological slump. This is something that Arsenal have historically suffered from, even in the glory days under Arsene Wenger. They have bounced back well from the recent run of three defeats in four games, and they face stiff challenges in the early weeks of 2022, with matches at Anfield, White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge. 

Still, for now, things look healthy. The team are collecting points against opposition they should indeed be beating if they are to return to the status of Champions League qualifiers. The African players are now out of the picture for January, although only the absence of Thomas Partey really changes Arteta’s plans in this respect. Lokonga will presumably partner Xhaka on Saturday. Let’s hope for a competitive display and if you offered me a point now, I’d take it. 

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