match report – player ratings – arteta reaction – Video
As Martin Odegaard prepared to take what felt like our 200th corner of the day, on the 7th minute of the extra six minutes, I realized he had held his breath. When Reiss Nelson fired the ball home in dramatic fashion, I breathed again. Believe. I’m not sure. I mean, I must have, but who knows?
If you watch the live blog, you’ll see a faint microcosm of what was going on inside my brain. Even hours later, I was wandering around the house not quite knowing what to think or feel, other than a deep understanding that I was very, very happy. Who doesn’t love a last minute winner? Only bad people don’t. But even bad people must like them, because what’s not to like? Unless you’re from Bournemouth or Aston Villa, but this isn’t about them, is it? Not here.
This title challenge. Ho.Ly.Sheeeeeeeeeiiiiiiit. I can not stand it. I am 51 years old. I have seen almost everything before. But I can’t stand it either. I am a soccer fan. I’m desperate to see my team win the league again. Everything feels so sharp. Every moment, every emotion, every thing amplified and elevated to the nth degree. We were playing at 10 yesterday, but we needed a little bit more, that little push over the edge, so we moved on to 11.
In Premier Sports yesterday they gave predictions before the game. I’m not saying I blame Second Captains’ Eoin McDevitt, as well as Kenny Cunningham and Damien Delaney, but they were all saying ‘Oh, 5-1, easy win for Arsenal’, or ‘4-0, Bournemouth are going to take a beating. ‘. , and then Bournemouth scored in 9 seconds. cheers guys
To be fair, it was an adventurous shooting routine, especially since a couple of his players were in our half before he touched the ball, but we were in bad shape. Defensively he’s not on. Thomas Partey should have done better in following up on Billing’s run, but he snuffed, the ball twisted and he spiked to make it 1-0. If a goal like that, as fast as that, doesn’t tell you that you’re in for a crazy afternoon, then you’re not paying attention.
We responded well, with just 85% possession in the first half and 13 goal attempts. Bournemouth blocked 7 of them, they sat deep, defended well and we couldn’t find our way. Should we have had a handball penalty? It’s one of those where I was desperate to get it, but if it had happened on the other end, I think I would have been a bit annoyed. However, the one where Tomiyasu was kicked, that seemed clear.
It’s also worth remembering that Aaron Ramsdale kept it 1-0 with a brilliant save after Bournemouth failed to make the most of a break; Gabriel defended another break very well but again he was poor for the visitors; and the way we were pushed forward gave them room at times.
Having lost Leandro Trossard for the first half, replaced by Emile Smith Rowe, and without Eddie Nketiah on the bench, I was concerned that we wouldn’t have enough attacking variety on the bench to help turn things around if the game continued in the same fashion. Which he did. Until they dialed again. We had ten billion corners and we did nothing. They had one and scored from it. Again, Partey was at fault for not tracking Senesi well enough. 2-0 down. Problem, big, big problem.
However, we were relentless. Ben White, instead of Tomi at half-time, added something down the right. We almost forced an own goal, and then Partey struck it back, driving to the far post after Smith Rowe headed a clear corner back to the mixer.
Neto went down, as the goalkeepers do in all our games, to waste time. The referee had a word. Neto responded something and they signed him. Arteta replaced Smith Rowe with Reiss Nelson. Substituting a substitute is a difficult thing to do, but it was an understandable change. ESR is still improving his match fitness, and while Nelson has barely been playing regularly, he hasn’t had to deal with surgery and the like.
He immediately made an impact, his cross deep in the box finding White who finished beautifully for his first Arsenal goal. I’m sure he won’t mind, but it’s a shame he didn’t nestle in the back of the net, but he was well behind the line before Neto made the save.
A Saka cross was stopped at the post by a defender’s arm (no penalty); Martinelli’s good run deserved a better ending than the one he put over the crossbar; an Odegaard shot hit a player’s arm (no penalty, and I don’t think it was), but from the resulting corner there was what looked like an obvious handball from Billing that could easily have been a penalty. Gabriel was sure, and who am I to doubt a man whose teeth are so bright they could guide you through a sunken cave to find your way to freedom? Of course, without penalty. Today there will be no penalties for Arsenal. Do I write or what was on the blackboard at the PGMOL headquarters yesterday? Who can say?
The last 10 minutes are breathless. Although I breathed. I am not a free diver. I can’t last that long. crosses. corners. Closeouts. Shots blocked. We arrived at 90 min. 6 more minutes. A Bournemouth player falls into his box, he stays down for a while. Time that the referee, to his credit, takes note. So those who question the timing of Nelson’s goal, question Billy Bournemouth, whoever he was.
Another blocked shot. That’s all, surely. A cut cross. That must be it. Zinchenko, the crazy bastard, comes out, hits a shot and deflects past the post for a final corner. This is definitely the last of the last opportunities. Odegaard takes it. He heads outside. He falls for Nelson, lands on his left foot, cocks it like a shotgun, aims for the top bins, let’s fly, and have you ever seen anything as beautiful as that ball hitting the back of the net?
Forget glorious sunsets over pristine mountains. Forget the birth of your favorite child. Forget the majesty of nature. That yellow ball at the bottom of that net is the most wonderful sight that has ever been. What a moment for Reiss too. He has had a bad time, his future is uncertain, but he comes up with something like that.
Violence. Pandemonium. Happiness. Odegaard falls on his back like Willem Dafoe from Platoon. Gabriel falls to his knees. William Saliba decides that the corner flag needs a good kick. Ben White, my beautiful adult son, stands in front of Neto, who had slapped him on the back of the neck in the 80th minute, fists raised. ‘Have some of that old man’ I’m sure he said. Or something like that.
The Arsenal bench leads onto the pitch. Manager, staff, substitutes, players, all freaking out. At one point, Mikel Arteta high-fives a little boy who has somehow ended up on the touchline before realizing ‘Oh my God, there’s a little boy on the touchline!’
I can only imagine what it was like in the stands, but the Arsenal fans in that stadium experienced a glorious moment. Up there with Welbeck’s goal against Leicester, or Arshavin’s winning goal against Barcelona. Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, it will be unforgettable.
Arteta later said:
Probably the loudest and most emotional moment we have experienced together. The journey we’ve been on together, how the fans and the team are together, just added to that moment we had today. It was really special.
I realize there is another discussion to have regarding this game. That you don’t want to leave it so late to win games in a season that promises so much. I get it, but also what’s the point of that this morning? And really, this is what happens in title races. This is what the last third of a season throws up. Teams fighting for something. We had two sides at both ends of the table desperate for points for different reasons and sometimes that creates a cocktail of unpredictability and when combined with the inherent craziness that exists at the very core of football, you get it. THAT. 3-2. 90+7′ winner.
Would you trade it for a routine 3-0 win? Maybe. But here’s the thing, you don’t get to choose. You’re on this roller coaster just like the rest of us. Buckle up, enjoy the ride, because we’ll be upside down, looping and spinning, always spinning towards the ultimate goal of the Premier League title.
I feel exhausted just writing about it.
My last thought, and a serious one. Despite all the drama, you don’t do this if there isn’t something a little special about your team, their character and their desire to win soccer games. Mikel Arteta has instilled a belief in these players, which means things like this can happen. It’s impossible to quantify, but you know when you have it and you know very well when you don’t.
We do, and I love it. I love this team and where they are trying to take us. The worst thing about soccer is, for me anyway, when your gut tells you that your team doesn’t really feel like it matters. It’s important to these guys, in a big way.
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Right, that’s all for now. We’ll have a lot to relive in Arsecast Extra tomorrow with James, so join us for that.
Have a good Sunday, my friends at the table.
