Kevin Whitcher's Arsenal Blog

Arsenal 0 Manchester United 0 Premier League Saturday 30th January 2021 5.30pm It was the kind of game that showed how fine margins in football can be. It could as easily have been a 1-0 win to Arsenal as a 1-0 defeat, and you can bet that many of the reactions would have been disproportionate in either the case. From ‘we can win the League now’ to ‘sack Arteta’. In reality, it was an evenly contested, open game between two sides who were both sloppy and creative in turns, enjoying some very presentable chances to score, and came agonizingly close enough times to make a very open game a far more entertaining spectacle than the result suggests. And we have seen some instantly forgettable matches between the two sides down the years, alongside the memorable epics. Mikel Arteta is seeking genuine squad depth in his attempts to improve Arsenal, and he was tested on Saturday evening with the absences of Tierney, Saka and Aubameyang. I’ll take a guess and say the Arsenal captain landed in th...

Southampton 1 Arsenal 3 Premier League Tuesday 26th January 2021 8.15pm Three days after the miserable cup exit at St Mary’s, Arsenal returned to the scene of their disgrace in miserable weather, but with a performance that re-ignited belief in what Mikel Arteta is trying to do, and moving up to the lofty heights of 8th place in the table, with a 3-1 victory. There were five changes from the team that started on Saturday, as Luiz, Partey, Saka, Smith Rowe and Lacazette replaced Gabriel, Elneny, Martinelli, Willian and Nketiah. Things didn’t start well as Lacazette failed to convert a one-on-one with the keeper and Southampton took the lead from a corner kick. Pepe simply didn't pay any attention to the player he was marking, allowing Armstrong to fire the ball past Bernd Leno in the third minute. No matter, things got seriously better after that, as Arsenal’s front players worked hard to press Southampton deep, forcing them to play it long. Five minutes after his aberration, Pepe r...

Southampton 1 Arsenal 0 FA Cup 4th  Round Saturday 23rd  January 2021 12.15pm Southampton fielded a strong team that looked like they cared about progressing into the last 16 of the FA Cup a little more than Mikel Arteta, who mixed things up to give gametime to some second stringers. Away against a team above them in the league, one that they have struggled to beat in recent encounters, it indicated Arteta’s priorities. Tuesday evening’s Premier League visit to the same opposition is more important.   Consequently, the mix and match side that took on the Saints produced an impotent, disjointed performance. We’ve actually seen the first eleven play like this a good number of times this season, and one has to ask what is actually happening on the training ground to produce such unwatchable fare. Some of the players simply aren’t of the required standard, and there’s little point hoping that either Eddie Nketiah or Pepe will come good, or that Willian will ever consistently ...

Arsenal 2 Newcastle 0  (aet)  FA Cup 3rd Round Saturday 9th January 2021 – 5.30pm    Arsenal 0 Crystal Palace 0   Premier League    Thursday 14th January 2021 - 8pm    Arsenal 3 Newcastle 0   Premier League    Monday 18th January 2021 - 8pm    So, firstly thanks to those that have emailed to express concern that I have come down with the virus, due to the lack of activity on the blog. I am healthy and well, but as I will explain very busy on the work front. Most people know that I have passed on the baton of Gooner editor to Layth Yousif, but less are aware that my new gig is holistic therapy. I do a lot of work on the connection between emotions and physical illness, although I am spending two weeks in South Africa to work with a fellow therapist exchanging ideas and developing programs for a home use microcurrent frequency device called a Healy . It was launched in the summer of 2017, but i...

  West Bromwich Albion 0 Arsenal 4    Premier League    Saturday 2nd January 2021 - 8pm    Arsenal have been surrounding themselves, quality-wise, with clubs of less lofty ambitions lately, in terms of their position in the league table. This was symbolized by the shirts sponsors of the two clubs that faced each other in wintry conditions at the Hawthons yesterday, with the visitors sporting ‘Fly Emirates’ across their chests – not that anyone is flying much anywhere these days. Sam Allardyce’s men were sponsored by Ideal Boilers. I am not certain how much the latter had to do with the undersoil heating at the Baggies’ stadium, but whoever did install it can be pleased with the results of their work last night, as the game was able to go ahead and complete, in spite of more snow falling during the 90 minutes. There were many good performances in Arsenal’s side over the course of a standout performance, the quality of which we haven't seen for a lo...