Arsenal KO Brentford But Have To Battle To Do So
Sep 27th, 2018 by 'holic
The team lined up as predicted in the preview on a balmy autumn evening. We survived an early scare when Bernd Leno miscontrolled a backpass. It could have resulted in worse than a corner.
After four minutes we had the lead when Danny Welbeck rose majestically to power in a header from a corner. Two minutes later Emile Smith-Rowe sprinted clear and just lifted his effort wide of the near post. This was the sort of tempo we have been crying out for in recent matches.
It wasn’t all one way traffic however and we survived attempts by Watkins and former Gunner Yennaris. Around the mid-point of the half Alex Iwobi went close with a shot following a corner award. The same player was mystified not to have got a penalty when he was brought down in the box by Jeanvier.
A second goal followed eight minutes from the break and a thing of beauty it was. Welbeck got the final touch to round off the approach play of five of his team mates. Truly this was our best performance in the first-half for some time. So it was perplexing to see us drop a gear in the second-half.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan saw his shot safely pouched by the Bees goalkeeper, Daniels, and Iwobi drove an effort over the bar. There followed a string of attempts by Brentford as we lost control of the midfield. The nerves returned before an hour had been played when Judge curled a free-kick over the defensive wall and into the net with Leno seemingly poorly positioned.
Canos fired one over the bar while Barbet’s header was thankfully blocked as Brentford sought the equaliser. We needed to shake things up and Alexandre Lacazette was sent on for the lively Smith-Rowe. It would prove to be a master stroke as the French striker put the seal on the victory in the five added minutes at the end of the match.
In the end we have to show respect to Brentford who battled back strongly after being largely outplayed in the first-half. I think Unai Emery will appreciate that beating Watford on Saturday will not be easy if we cannot maintain our drive and commitment for both halves, not just one.
18 Responses to “Arsenal KO Brentford But Have To Battle To Do So”
it does always seem to be a battle of two halves. at some point we’re either going to have a stinker both halves, or start playing teams off the park both halves. i’m willing to experience the former if we end up with the latter on a regular basis.
cheers, holic. and here’s one for the management, too, still hoping for the best.
Thanks for the report ‘holic and good bye Aaron Ramsey if the Beeb is to be beelieved.
Hope Mrs ‘H is on the mend.
Rare that we don’t see the same game, ‘Holic, but I thought our first-half performance was more disjointed and unimpressive than you suggest. The early Welbeck goal flattered to deceive. The second goal was, indeed, superb, as mentioned in the previous drinks. As for the second half, at least we agree on that.
Top 4 is in the bag.
My sense is that yesterday’s first half energy, notwithstanding Ned’s interesting observations , was largely the result of playing Guendouzi and Smith- Rowe. I find Xhaka way too languid and this sets a pace that is uninspiring.
Yesterday we brought Torreira on at 75 minutes and he is the go-to lock the back door man. Guendouzi would seem to me to be the Ramsey replacement and as I mentioned earlier in the week I believe we are seriously looking at Banega to provide the double pivot with Torreira. I’m not sure where this leaves Xhaka as I don’t think he can play further forward and maybe the new contract might be with a view to getting more for him on the transfer market.Personally I do hope so.
As for Ramsey something has changed as he was apparently about to sign. I think we need to offload him in January but unless the move is a great one for him he is likely to want to move on a free in the summer . We still seem to lack decisiveness and a deft touch in the contract department
Another area where there has not been as much change as some may suggest .
Hope all is well, H.
Current mood for me is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeK3Lkd_XL4
But only the bongos section.
As for Ramsey, I suspect a tapping up, possibly leading to extra demands after a deal was agreed and us then going “YOU’VE WELSHED!” *ahem*.. and walking away.
Pure speculation obvs.
Hope Mrs H is recovering well Dave,an the Op was nothing too serious.
Pass on my best wishes.
Excellent post by Tim Stillman on Arseblog,which gives great insight into possible reasons why the offer to Rambo has been shelved.
It was posted before the news broke,so even more prescient.
Of more interest to me,is what does Unai do with him now. ??
Surely he cannot figure in the first eleven for the rest of his time left at the Club.
Expect him to be a regular on the subs bench from now on,and i will be amazed if he plays against Watford given that his head will be all over the place after today.
Clive,
I think Arsenal are ( not for the first time) using Ornstein to manipulate public opinion. We can certainly survive without Ramsey but £50 million is a massive amount to lose especially if you are owned by Stan Kroenke who has a stadium to build. Arsenal can’t give Ramsey a silly deal because he then won’t leave and we are stuck with another Ozil situation. I don’t think we will leave him out of all games but I don’t think he will start in the league but in my view he shouldn’t anyway.
I shall read Tim’s piece with interest
You were right Clive. It’s an excellent article by Tim.
https://arseblog.com/2018/09/attack-attack-attack/
What TTG said @10.
The question is, if Ramsey goes, who plays No 10 when Ozil is next ill or otherwise unavailable?
It’s a real shame that the club have allowed Ramseys contract saga to stage on. It’s also sad that he, like other players feel they deserve huge money despite the club sticking by him when he was out injured and out of form for so long.
He should play for free!
But it is very sad, Ramsey has grown up at the club and seeing him depart will be very disappointing.
Ned,
Mkhi in answer to what may have been a rhetorical
question.
We’re not short of attacking players really.
The question to me is can we do anything in
January.
I have been mentioning this earlier as well, for the balance of the team we cannot have both Ozil and Ramsey being a part of the playing 11. Mhki suits us being the wide player even though if you ask him, he will also say I prefer the number 10 role. So yes to answer who will play number 10 when ozil cannot, Mhki will.
Aaron leaving will be sad though, we nicked him off united, seen him come back from a career-threatening injury, won us a trophy when we were crying for it and now to lose a scoring midfielder will be tough but again team comes first and in the current scheme of things, it wont hurt us really bad. Whoever we may sell him to( not let him go free in May), we should ask for a CB in return please.
Watford offers a physical test in more ways than one and heard a certain cojone or the lack of it one is taking injections to be fit for this game. Their whole team will defend as a unit and we need to be far better than we were against Everton to win tomorrow. Now Laca and Auba, keep those scoring boots on please.
Thanks for your good wishes all. She is gone in the fetlock so the vet has corrected one of her hooves. She won’t be walking for a few weeks.
Might I suggest the withdrawal of the Rambo contract offer owes much to the rise of Emile Smith-Rowe.
holic, agreed about esr. he reminds me of a young ramsey, albeit with less haring about and somewhat better choices of what spaces to fill.
i feel your pain in her fetlock: my wife’s hasnt needed the knife, but our eighteen days in europe (leaving in less than a week) are the first half of her time in a walking boot for the metatarsal she broke last weekend…
and where the heck is trev?
She won’t be walking for a few weeks.
Get your fitbit on so you can tell her how many steps she owes you, when she has recovered 😉 Glad all is well.
The golf is going rather well too.
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