Hello.
It was quite interesting reading Aaron Ramsdale talking about the win over Villa on Saturday. From my perspective at least, the way it played out was important, like the team would benefit from a shot in the arm after a tough few weeks. They still could, but the Arsenal goalkeeper said it was “probably one of the worst ways we can win…”
His reasoning is sound, to be fair:
‘…because we pride ourselves on defending and keeping a clean sheet from number 9 to number 1 and the coaching staff.
“Some truths will be spoken in the week about how we can improve and what we need to do better in the coming weeks because in different matches, if we don’t show that level of performance in the second half, a 2-1 or 2-0 advantage for the opposing team and there will be no turning back.’
It’s hard to argue with that, and while he acknowledged the great feeling in the locker room, part of what I like about this team is the recognition that high standards are necessary for success. I’ve written often this season about the mantra of one game at a time, which is designed to keep people grounded, but also to stay focused on the short term as the long-term prize begins to loom closer. and more.
Arsenal can be satisfied with the performance of the second half, they can take all the positives, and three points, from the last minutes, but Villa’s learning of the game is in the first half. The reason we’ve seen words like extraordinary and remarkable used to describe this victory is because it’s rare. Very rare. When was the last time you saw a former goalkeeper score and head an own goal and then moments later go up a corner/walk? [delete to your preference] allow a striker to advance unopposed and score? Exactly.
I’m not trying to piss on anyone’s chips here, I enjoyed it just as much as the next person, but I can guarantee you that Mikel Arteta’s video review session this week won’t be so much about belated comedy as it is about the goals we conceded in the first part. The second one in particular will have infuriated him because, although it was a very well worked move by Villa, it was too easy. Nobody won their duels, and our manager gets mad when that happens.
Her reaction on the Bench Cam video tells you a lot:
I think this was a win we really needed, and I’m sure the players will take positive things from it, but as we prepare for Leicester on Saturday, making sure we don’t find ourselves in the firefight because we’ve been a bit careless and a little neglected will be high on the agenda.
In the meantime, we had a good question on Arsecast Extra about the team having a bit of an advantage these days, and I think that’s a really interesting thing to consider. Yesterday I mentioned Bukayo Saka’s reaction to Coutinho’s poor challenge and the fact that the Arsenal players were there to back him up. It was good to see him, because he tells you something about the group coming together. You don’t have to go back too far to see how different it is from previous teams that rarely defended like that.
We know that the manager is a presence on the sidelines, and he drives some people crazy. We know that our reactions to certain incidents have led to FA charges. We know that when we do anything, the Celebration Police are out in force, criticizing people who are just having fun.
There seems to be more attention on us, because the way Arteta carries himself is no different than Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola (who was booked at the weekend for complaining about a missed penalty for an Erling Haaland dive), or many other trainers. So why is it getting more attention?
Partly it’s because no one expected this Arsenal this season, so there’s a bit of ‘Who are these chubby little rascals? We have to put them in their place. On top of that, I think Klopp, Guardiola and other coaches get away with it because they are seen as mature. They have been there and done that, and their experience informs their reactions. Arteta is the youngest manager in the league, and he, in the minds of some of these people, needs to earn his stripes before he can get into any mischief. It’s silly, of course, but the perception of the team and the coach as immature due to how young we are in general is the reason why it’s easy to try.
But the team and the players don’t take their cues from the media, they take them from the coach. The coach who, in a Sunday Times article, was described as a “steel little son of a bitch” by a former colleague in the game. That is passed down to them from their training, their preparation, their team talks, their in-game meetings, and their post-game reviews. He cannot set high standards without a measure of internal discipline, but also a desire to win that can manifest itself in behavior that others may sometimes object to.
The Invincibles were brilliant? Yes. Were you guys lovely all the time in the field? Hahahaha no. They had incredible quality, but a streak of bastardism that was key to them winning games and racking up points on days when they didn’t quite fit. And in the mists of time, I think we can lose sight of the fact that there were more than a few such days.
Just for the record: I’m not saying this team is as good as the Invincibles, I’m just pointing out that without a little toughness, it’s very hard to succeed. I think Arteta has cultivated something of that in this team. We’re bigger, we’re stronger, they don’t put as much pressure on us, and it’s part of why this season has gone as well as he has.
We haven’t found what we’re looking for yet [the title]but we have a little advantage.
I’m sorry. I don’t feel it. See you tomorrow.
