“Time flies over us but leaves its shadow behind.”- Nathaniel Hawthorne
BIG WEEK for THE ARSENAL!
9/28 Premier League:
Arsenal 4 – Leicester City 2
10/1 Champions League
Arsenal 2- Paris St Germain (PSG) 0
Premier League Game tomorrow at 8:00AM
48° F and Partly Cloudy is the forecast for the Emirates Stadium in North London. Arsenal have been flying. Let’s see it continue.
From my barstool in my kitchen, I’m testing my retention—remembering the game against Leicester City that happened almost a week ago.
It’s difficult to recall every moment, and the ‘shadow of time’ is passing over—as I type, so I’ll add what can to the phenomenal 4-2 Arsenal Premier League Victory.
Where to begin? Well, I think it is fair that I point out that this game was officiated very fairly by my own sometimes punitive judgement. Both sides might argue a call or two, but I believe he was fair in how he officiated the game. And I’d like to point out that I am referring to the Referee as He this week as opposed to calling out the Referee by name as I did last week. If I don’t remember the referees name after a Match, it usually means he did a fine job, so well done to the nameless referee.
I have looked it up just now, and his name is Sam Barrot, and he has NOT been selected as a referee for this weekend. Leicester City Manager Stevie Cooper complained about two separate non-calls that should have gone against Arsenal, but based on what I can find, I do not see an official reason for his absence.
Let me say this about my perspective of Sam Barrot, and this is important as I feel I now have to defend this point of view. The reason I liked the game this past Saturday was because the referee allowed a certain level of physicality, at least in the first half, and did not unnecessarily blow his whistle every time Jamie Vardy fell over his own feet. I understand Cooper’s Post Game comments, however. He knew he needed to muddy the game to compete against this far superior side, and in order to do that—the referee had to hold up his end of the bargain and give cheap foul calls. Take the alleged foul committed by Saliba on Vardy that in my view was officiated properly and not called. Vardy was simply seeking contact with the larger, faster French Defenseman, and in no way did Saliba do anything wrong when he brushed the 37 year old aside. If you’re Stevie Cooper, this has to be called to feel like you have a chance, and we see these things called all the time. It is near impossible to watch when there is constant stoppage for a foul call on what the replay will show as someone’s hand brushing the cheek of an opponent while jumping for a 50/50 headed challenge leaving the player ‘FLAILing’ about as if that in fact was what was being done to him. I’m glad the referee let the game flow, and surely hope Barrot’s absence from the PL schedule this week is for personal and not professional reasons. This is important to me because I would like to see the officiating trend more towards what I saw last Saturday, not closer to the constant stop and go as if it were some other sport.
Truthfully, I did not set out to go on that tangent, but when I looked up his name, there were articles from the UK that I had not yet seen regarding our game. Many people are upset with this referee, and perhaps I would be one of them, if that was one of the calls that lost us the Man City game, but I do not agree. Even watching the clips just now on YouTube of the alleged missed calls, I stand by what I’m typing. Sometimes, the bigger, tougher, stronger, faster team just wins. Arsenal is that team this year and I think people know it.
Speaking of that team…At this point, there are 13-14 players that I would feel comfortable starting in a Champions League Final. Arteta has built an absolutely tank of a team that is built to defend first and strike second. David Raya has been elite in goal, but then entire defense needs to be praised.
At Right Back, both the Dutch Jurrien Timber and English Ben White have been adequate, although Timber is in better form at the moment.
The Center Backs, French William Saliba, Brazilian Gabriel, and the Polish Jakub Kiwior (Kiv-ee-or) have all three played their part with Saliba and Gabriel both looking World Class.
Left Back has been a blend of Timber and the Italian Riccardo Calafiori with the latter holding the position in the past two games, and it has been a massive improvement over the Left Back performances last season.
Winning headers, timely tackles, intercepting passes, playing the ball forward, and even scoring goals themselves, this defense has been the best in the Premier League thus far, and I don’t think there is a close second.
That said, Arsenal conceded two goals in the second half cancelling their 2-0 first half lead they had built, so there are certainly imperfections on which they can improve.
In all honesty, the first half of the game last Saturday was an absolute treat to watch. We led 2-0 and Leicester to that point, barely crossed the halfway line. The second half however was a different game.
The referee began to insert himself into more situations, and the game began to tilt Leicester’s way.
One minute into the half, Saliba was called for a foul on Vardy and shown a yellow card for the challenge, and one minute later, the three first named James Michael Justin brought the visitors back into the game. 2-1.
Momentum shifted. I could feel it in my basement as I watched, and took note in the moment of how quiet the Arsenal home crowd were at the Emirates. I could hear the 3,000 travelling Leicester faithful over the 55,000 Gooners. You know what I saw? I saw a bunch of people in the first few rows looking at their phones a bit too much in the first half. The crowd let up and so did the team, and it would be a while before Arsenal would find their footing again.
One minute after play resumed following the Leicester celebration, Calafiori was shown a yellow for his challenge.
The referee did become strict with his cards in the second half, but again, he officiated well in my opinion. I don’t agree with every call, but I don’t need to. I just need to see a “fairly” called game. One that is called both ways, and he did. In the first half, he was loose, and in the second, he tightened the reigns, but he did for both teams.
Arsenal was scrambling at this point and seemed in disarray. I recall saying out loud to Mrs. W, “Oh no. I’ve seen this game before,” meaning, I had seen Arsenal blow a 2-0 lead in the past, and those moments came screaming back to me. Well, if you are a fan of any team in the sport, this has happened to you more than once, probably in this calendar year.
Anyways, in the 64th minute James Michael Justin equalized on a volley.
If I have ever understated anything in my life, it is the previous statement I just typed. This goal in the 64th minute was near miraculous. Although it equalized the score and further put Arsenal in the pressure cooker, I was enthralled by the perfection of the strike.
The cross came in from the left wing and found Justin’s swinging boot midair and he slashed into the ball slicing it perfectly onto the far-left post, leaving Raya with zero chance to save it as it bounded into the net. It was a goal that is still amazing to watch if you find the clip. Goal of the Season nominee for me.
What followed this tremendous effort was Arsenal desperately seeking a winner in front of the nervous home crowd who had suddenly found their voice.
Thankfully, it happened.
A Leicester own goal came in the first minute of stoppage time giving Arsenal the 3-2 lead, after I had already accepted the Draw that seemed to be destined. There was no way for Leicester to come back now, and surely there wasn’t.
On the fourth and final goal for Arsenal, the Leicester defender kicked the ball into the German Kai Havertz shin, and it ricocheted into the goal in the final seconds. 4-2.
“60 million down the drain? Kai Havertz scores again!” the fans sang.
Had the game only been one half, Arsenal would’ve been perfect. It is concerning to let a team come back like that but sometimes, Strikers like Justin are going to hit the perfect strike against you. The important thing is Arsenal responded and ultimately won the game. “Three points is three points” as our fearless Spanish born Manger likes to say from time to time, and the team now sits one point off the top team Liverpool. So much season left.
Regarding the game midweek against PSG, I did not watch it, but it was a very good 2-0 win from what I gather. The Gunners will take on the Kiev based Shakhtar Donetsk inside Emirates Stadium October 22 to continue their Champions League Group Play. I’ll focus on this tournament a little bit more once Arsenal has made the final 16. That’s when the fun begins. Even then, the second leg of those games will be the real fun.
This has tarried on a little more than intended and the ‘shadow of time’ is upon me, so the preview for tomorrow’s game will have to be brief.
Newly promoted Southampton and recently sold former Gunner GK Aaron Ramsdale will take on Arsenal at 8:00am on Peacock tomorrow morning. The South Coast club has mustered only 1 draw and accrued 5 losses in the first 6 games. Hard to see Arsenal losing this one. Steady boys.
3-0 just sounds right in this one.
COYG!
I will recap Tomorrow’s game next week, but after that Arsenal do not have a match until October 19th as the players go away to compete with their home countries for two weeks in International Friendlies. Stay healthy lads.
Find the Humor and keep on Movin’
Whit W.