Notes on Arsenal 3–1 United: Arteta’s Crazy, Entertaining World
For all the criticism I’ve levied against Mikel Arteta, and there’s been plenty to go around, I have to admit Arsenal are no longer a boring watch under his management. In fact, Arteta’s team is a crazily entertaining mess of luck, attacking brilliance, defensive frailty and chaotic temperaments.
This heady brew is contributing to some BONKERS games during the run-in. Saturday’s 3–1 win at home to Manchester United was the latest instalment from Mikel’s House of Fun.
Just as in the midweek 4–2 victory over Chelsea, fortune smiled on Arsenal’s lucky general. Had Wednesday’s game been replayed several times, it would have been Chelsea winning 4–2 more often than not.
Similarly, had the tussle with United ended 3–3 or even 4–4 (2011 Newcastle PTSD warning), neither side could have any complaints. The breaks just happen to have fallen Arteta and Arsenal’s way, but boy there have been a lot of them.
Things should have been in cruise control when Nuno Tavares opened the scoring on two minutes against a United team that’s given up on the season. It was a nice moment for Tavares, who also showed why he’s the master of ceremonies for Arteta’s mental, meathead mixer.
The next thing the mercurial (to be polite) left-back did was get himself in a tangle with Anthony Elanga that might have resulted in a penalty. It looked like a stonewaller at live speed, but certain replays showed a beyond belated fall from the United teenager.
Disaster averted, but on another day…
Then it was the turn of Arsenal’s other calamity full-back, one Cedric Soares, to put his foot on the clown car’s accelerator. Cedric handled in the box while crawling along the edge of the area looking like a sniffer dog who’s been sampling the wares.
Nothing was given and Arsenal were once again reminded that sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
There was no luck involved in the neat and slick move that led to Arsenal’s second. Some clever interplay between Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka helped the ball roll in front of Eddie Nketiah.
Fast Eddie finished well, but he was offside. It was merely the prelude to another twist as VAR ruled Saka had been fouled by Alex Telles. Honestly, it looked more like the two had simply run into one another, but it’s Shited, so who cares? Not me, that’s for damn sure.
Saka made no mistake from the spot for a 2–0 lead. Arsenal comfortable and in control, right? Wrong. About as wrong as it gets.
There was still time for Cristiano Ronaldo to get one back thanks to a surprisingly sweet cross from Nemanja Matic. United bossed most of the match from this point, but Arsenal still scored a third when Granit Xhaka lashed in a pearler from distance.
Against. The. Run. Of. Play.
Say what you want about Xhaka, and we could all say plenty, but he knows how to stick it to United:
Again, Arsenal might have gotten away with one because Nketiah was in the eye-line of David De Gea as the shot flew his way. Big who cares???
Before Xhaka scored, United hit the post, albeit with a helping hand from Aaron Ramsdale (who had the crossbar to thank for leaving Diogo Dalot frustrated in the first half), and also wasted a penalty. This time Tavares didn’t get away with it after leaving his arm extended long enough to make sure a referee living on Mars could see the infraction.
For reasons beyond all understanding, United let Bruno Fernandes take the pen’ instead of Ronaldo. Bruno struck the outside of the beans, despite sending Ramsdale the wrong way.
A major let-off when there was still just one goal separating the sides.
Arsenal still held a slender lead when Ronaldo had a goal chalked off for offside by VAR in the 58th minute. Again, it looked kosher live, but those bright dashes aligned Arsenal’s way for once.
It reminded me of when Alexandre Lacazette had what should have been an equaliser at Stoke ruled out in 2017. If he was offside, it was by less than the length of a full bootlace.
There was more to come from Tavares, who should have given away another penalty, but his second clumsy tangle with Elanga went unpunished. This one was a much stronger claim than the first.
It’s difficult to put Tavares’ performances into words, except to say you never know what he’s going to do from one moment to the next. I doubt he knows. The only safe bet is chaos:
Tavares is living a charmed life, but it’s nothing compared to Arteta. Every time he’s on the brink, fate bails him out. The stars align.
Those same stars have Arsenal in fourth and favourites to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League. Playing a Chelsea side struggling at home, a few days removed from an FA Cup semi-final, and in limbo at ownership level, helped.
So did hosting a United team in utter chaos and far from motivated for a scrap. Next up is a West Ham team formidable on its day, but also gassed by impressive exploits in the UEFA Europa League.
Arsenal travel to the London Stadium three days after the Hammers face Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the semi-final. O’ and there’s also the not-so small matter of West Ham dealing with an injury crisis at centre-back.
Mikel, fate wants you to know you are chosen…
Luck is a funny thing and sometimes you can force it your way. It would be remiss not to credit Arteta’s team for its enterprise going forward.
Whether it’s the manager’s philosophy or his tactics being shaped by the type of players at his disposal, remains uncertain. I like to think Arteta genuinely wants to play entertaining and expansive stuff, but it’s still helped to have inherited Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Where Arteta deserves credit is for signing Martin Odegaard, the Process King’s best decision by a country mile. Odegaard was all quick turns and clever flicks against United:
His back-heel for Nketiah deserved a finish, but Arsenal have generally played liquid football since Odegaard entered the engine room.
What’s interesting is how much Arteta’s style of play is starting to resemble the Arsene Wenger way. Arteta is supposed to be replicating Pep Guardiola’s plan, but there’s none of the relentless, remorseless order El Baldy craves.
Instead, Arsenal’s deft one- and two-touch game is reminiscent of the boom-or-bust flair Wenger preached. It’s made Arsenal an engrossing watch again after the dreck of the Unai Emery era and Arteta pre-Smith Rowe and Odegaard.
‘Course the flip side of being more entertaining is Arsenal really ought to be better defensively given all the money Arteta and Edu have spent at the back. Buying a new back five shouldn’t leave you still clamouring for a new central defender and full-back, but this squad could use both.
Still, if Arsenal are going to go down in the top-four race, better the team goes down swinging. If things work out, let’s have it be because Arsenal are brave enough to keep playing on the front foot.
It’s a wacky and wonderful ride.
Originally published at http://arsenalnotes49.wordpress.com on April 24, 2022.
