Kevin Whitcher's Arsenal Blog

Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 1   Premier League   Saturday 19th March 2022 12.30pm     Arsenal’s record at Villa Park has been woeful since the Midlands club’s return to the top flight in the summer of 2019, with two defeats, both under Mikel Arteta’s watch. The Gunners were nowhere near Champions League qualification in either of those seasons, but yesterday lunchtime’s kick off had far more at stake for the visiting team, because it was important to re-establish momentum and boost their chances of a top four place after the midweek defeat to Liverpool. It was easy to see that gulf in quality between Arsenal’s opponents. Villa may have Liverpool connections in the form of Gerrard and McAllister issuing instructions, and Coutinho and even Danny Ings on the playing staff, but it was chalk and cheese in terms of the levels of performance required to win the game. It almost felt like there are three levels in the top half of the Premier League now – title contenders, 4 th place contenders, and

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2   Premier League   Wednesday 16th March 2022 8.15pm     Gooners came in hope rather than expectation on a wet Wednesday evening in north London, and witnessed the reality that in the rebuild of the club’s playing squad, their opponents on the night are several seasons ahead. Managerial talents like those now in charge at England’s top two clubs were available at a time when the Arsenal board, rather than looking forward, took an ‘In Arsene We Trust’ policy, not quite having the football knowhow to realize they were overseeing ‘In Arsene We Rust’, with little desire to see anything beyond the balance sheet. The club was no longer contending for the big trophies, but Champions League money was rolling in, regardless of habitual elimination the moment a decent side came up in the draw. Two successive seasons of failure to qualify for the UEFA’s financial pig’s trough finally forced long overdue change, by which time Klopp and Guardiola were settled in the Premier Lea

Arsenal 2 Leicester 0   Premier League   Sunday 13th March 2022 4.30pm     It was a game of three acts yesterday afternoon at the Emirates. Act I – 30 minutes of Arsenal dominance Act II – 15 minutes of Leicester dominance Act III – 45 minutes of Arsenal dominance. On the balance of play, and chances created, the end result was a fair reflection of the game, and if anything, Arsenal could have scored more. However, Leicester, even without the injured Jamie Vardy, did force another excellent save from Aaron Ramsdale, and a critical second half interception from Kieran Tierney when an away goal looked almost inevitable.   This could be my memory playing tricks, but I think when Burnley visited, they won the toss and decided that Arsenal should attack the North Bank in the first half. Leicester did the same yesterday, although unlike Sean Dyche’s side, were unable to profit from what is presumably some kind of psychological tactic to shake their hosts out of their normal way of doing thin

Watford 2 Arsenal 3   Premier League   Sunday 6th March 2022 2pm     To put this game into context, Watford are in the relegation zone, and had lost their previous seven home league matches. Given that, if Arsenal are serious about returning to the Champions League in a season that they have plenty of time to prepare for games, this really was a fixture they had to take maximum points from.   They were the dominant team over the 90 minutes, but only really in terms of possession and enjoying a two goal lead for much of the second half. Watford had plenty of chances in what was a very open game – too open in the last 30 minutes. This might have worked for Arsenal in giving them the opportunity to score more, but I’d have preferred them to have contained Watford more instead.   Ultimately it doesn’t matter if matches are one by one goal or more, as long as they are won, and Arsenal have picked up 12 points from their last four outings, by a one goal margin each time. That’ll do. Nonethel