What actually happened
An Arsenal blog from a coach’s perspective
The benefit of not always being able to write these blogs the day of the game is that most of the emotion has subsided. If I pride myself in any one thing when I write it is attempting to point out reasons and solutions. That becomes harder to do when i’m too excited/miserable. I don’t think it makes for good reading for you, either. Twitter is where many of us live and it is doused in emotion, over reaction and superlatives.
To be fair, it would’ve also have been over aggressive towards the fact that we let in three goals against the team that I didn’t think were going to get 10 points this season.Sitting on my ideas for 24 hours has led me to view the game for what it really was rather than what it should’ve been based on the names of the teams.We are all guilty of looking at results or just watching bits and pieces of a game and giving our full opinion.
Those that didn’t watch the game would probably call Arsenal lucky to have won. They would’ve giggled at what hard work we made of that and how Luton scored 3 against anybody at all.The truth of what actually happened what was that Luton played an extremely solid defensive game, were particularly motivated and aggressive, and that the referees encouraged this. That they created almost nothing from open play and had one of those games that are hard to understand, where the opponent scores every time they have a chance.
This is what actually happened and so I was hoping good analysis is based on this, rather than what I thought before the game started.I’m writing this whilst watching Villa against City. It reminds me how fans are so quick to talk about opponents based on the past and what they should be. I watch Villa and I think about the game on the other channel between Chelsea and Manchester United. Those two teams might have a lot more money, but I think Villa have got better players. That includes squad depth that might have cost less, but makes sense. They also have a better balance and a coach that seems to fit the club. This result might be a surprise, but the fact that they are higher than United or Chelsea isn’t, in my mind.
Anyway, blah blah blah ….
What actually happened in the Arsenal game was that we had a large handful of players who were absolutely excellent. How’s that possible when you only beat Luton in the last minute? I suppose that’s the joy of football. Ultimately, what seems to matter is keeping the ball out of your net and putting it in theirs. Anything else is possible in the rest of the game.
What also happened was that Luton were apparently amazing yet had almost no pressure on us, and hardly any chances to score. So if they were so incredibly good, then surely we had to be even better right?
After re-watching this game, I come away impressed. I forget the names of the teams, their history and their present and I base my view on what actually happened. Luton played above themselves. We were very good. Some of our players were excellent and they capitalized on some poor decision making from our keeper.
The truth might be too grey to be a headline, but it’s the truth and far more useful than exaggeration.
POSITIVES:
A true team is one that all take their part seriously. Realize that they are just a cog and not the whole engine. That don’t rely on a few but on themselves. A team, a true team can do this ….
.
When Arsenal are good, Martin Odegaard is very good.
His performance mirrors that of a growing list at Arsenal. A list that comprises of Gabriel and Rice in particular. The ‘absolute refusal to lose’ list. There are others that could be on there but they are less obvious. Either way, all the greatest teams in any sport had this attribute. I didn’t watch much of Michael Jordan for example, but I’m aware that he would just take over games that his team needed him to. That is where Odegaard is. Perhaps it’s the responsibility he feels as captain but it’s now common to see him drag the team back into the game with his energy and refusal to sulk.
What is even more delightful is that he has started to reactivate his primary gift. Playing balls between the lines. He did more in this game than any player in the Premier League this season. Seventeen. I knew this would happen. Not because i’m clever but if you look at any Arsenal game under Arteta you can see who he has had a chat with. Whether it’s Havertz playing off Jesus or Rice shooting more or Trossard arriving in the box in the available space or Saka flicking the ball between the two defenders, you can see constant improvement.
How good is Declan Rice?
Well, what makes a top player? I’d say that if you take the four components of the game, TECHNICAL, TACTICAL, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL then you have to be top at all four. Take Ballotelli for example. He was top at three of them but his mentality was so backwards it greatly affected the other 3 and he was therefore an unfulfilled potential star. There is a strong argument that there is a fifth component. That would be CONSISTENCY. You can have all of the four qualities but if you only use them once in a while then you can’t truly be considered a top player. You would be Marcus Rashford. As I’m watching Villa I see a player that looks like he has the qualities to go to the top. Leon Bailey. As he says himself in the post match interview, he has to be consistent though. Without that he will just be a ‘good player.’ There are lots of those.
Declan Rice has all five qualities. In abundance.
The hardest to attain are the mentality and consistency and they might actually be his strongest. Players that get all five and then get the sixth which is TROPHIES cannot be argued with.
As far as Rice is concerned, that is the one that he looks like he is driving us to. Actually, he is in the car in the drivers seat with Odegaard in the passenger seat and Gabriel the annoying one in the middle back seat shouting motivational warnings. This is a big car that fits 22 people and the engine is a Spanish guy with a six o’clock shadow and perfect hair.
What I think we are actually dealing with is a player that could be one of the greats of football. For a guy who has just got off the West Ham train that might sound like an exaggeration but when you look at those 5 components, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t got all five already. If he can keep it up then he will be a statue worthy great either of football, or Arsenal we hope.
Now that Havertz has confidence there are a lot (A LOT) of Arsenal fans who are trying to ride back their extreme views. Looking at it now it all looks logical. A player who hasn’t been in form but has elite potential joins a new club and starts slow. This player came from a local rival. We didn’t like him 5 months ago. He is given a brand new role in a brand new team who are all playing with automatisms that he doesn’t have. He keeps getting into dangerous positions and for whatever reason, doesn’t get the ball crossed to him. He has to deal with all the disappointment both at the stadium but in the streets and most definitely online.
He has a long contract but takes 4 months to adjust to all of the above, much like Pires did. So what happened? Again, what happened was totally logical but Mr Havertz is trying to do all of the above in a world that chucked patience in the bin a long time ago and has an addiction to attention and therefore this opinion, which was mine, gets no interest.
I remember folks asking, ‘what does he actually do?/what are his strengths?’ The answer is that his list is larger than all the others apart from Rice and Jesus. You didn’t know it because he couldn’t show it. Yet.
He’s really fast. We didn’t know this because we aren’t a transition team. He didn’t want to to make any more mistakes so played safe, so we didn’t know that he can penetrate on the dribble until Luton. He is scoring now that the players are getting used to his movements. Let’s not forget that we are a pre-programmed team that has specific instructions and these automatisms. They now see Kai. He is combining now because his confidence is up and he’s turned his hips 90 degrees and learnt the available combinations. He’s got great feet that he’s taken out of the closet. They were in hiding, again…. confidence. He’s got fire, a strong work ethic and high tackling numbers. Nobody cared about that though because that’s not worth 65M. He has natural timing with his runs. See his goals. Whilst others stop and watch, he moves. Then we see his heading ability both as a link player and goal threat.
We see that he is a quiet guy that doesn’t seek spotlight. An introvert. Then we wonder why it’s taken a while. It seems logical that this type of personality would not get us up off our seats straight away.
So, why was he more productive in pre-season? Pressure. There is very little in pre-season.
Finally, you have to wonder why this player was repeatedly picked at Chelsea when he couldn’t get a groove? Why another very modern manager in Nagelsman is still picking a guy who is struggling, even to the point where he plays him at left back just to get this talent on the field. I think that all of this has happened because Kai Havertz has actually got the magic dust and he has just found it under the bed. If he didn’t then he would’ve been one of many whose career slid in obscurity, as team and coach’s keeping their jobs always wins over players careers.
Don’t judge Jesus on stats!
On the same note as my opening piece, Gabby Jesus is a player that is easy to slander because of his stats compared to others in the league. If you are an Arsenal fan that doesn’t post in extremes then you know. You know why he is so good. Especially in this team because this team is a real team and not one reliant on one or two. On this team, you do what is right for the whole not the individual. It would be hard to imagine another striker in world football that makes his team so much more effective by his play as a striker. Ordinarily, strikers are appreciated exclusively for their end product only.
Against Luton, Gabby was showing off his whole toolbox. The strength, fight, dribbling, combing, rotating, goal threat and on… A striker on form can cover a lot of sins. I ‘m doubtful that we will get ourselves into a place where it’s Jesus vs the world, but it’s a big bonus.
What does it say that Arsenal have never lost a PL game that he has scored in. I say it says that he gives belief to others.
+ It seems that people are really starting to recognize how far Arteta has come and in a short time too. The days of watching an unpredictable team that had unpredictable effort and unpredictable players leaving us in an unpredictable final league position are way gone. That is where Chelsea, United and Spurs are now. Mikel Arteta should win lots of trophies in his career. He is too good not to. The amazing part of his story is that it has just started. Clearly, he was born to lead men. Some have this gift. His work is reflected in the work ethic of his team. When was the last time that we even conceded a goal because of lack of effort? His structure gives players such security because there are no areas of the field that are vacated as players cover and rotate. He has and is putting in place a variety of formations that change multiple times in game if you watch it back.
If there is anything that is unpredictable about Arsenal it is the confusion caused by our ideas.
NEEDS:
– David Raya.
I see this differently to most everyone that I read. Raya’s performance was illuminated for two reasons. Firstly, Luton scored from almost every chance. That sentence doesn’t read well but it doesn’t explain why. Without that you can start a fight. But to be a fair analyst you have to analyse rather than scream. Secondly, Raya is the big topic that won’t go away. Again, people have a tendency to opine based on newspaper headlines. Wanting to be outrageous so the conversation becomes about them rather than the conversation.
What I saw and what I see is similar to the Havertz situation. It is also a standards issue.
The goals could and probably should have both been saved. What nobody is talking about though is how. The second header was a judgement error. A keeper should not try to compete for a ball if they have a standing start. Especially if they are only 6ft. He will know this. He needed to attack that ball on the move, get more height and punch it because it was big pressure. So, hands up, that’s a mistake. If your analysis is fair though you have to recognize that this error is probably the single most common error that ALL keepers make. Coming for crosses that they shouldn’t or they get their timing/approach wrong. Why is it so common? Well, the ball is now being crossed at a lower trajectory and with more speed. A keeper wants to control his area so his tendency is to think that he has to help. Sometimes the help isn’t needed, but if you’ve ever played keeper you know the feeling of guilt that your teammates are putting in all this physical effort in front of you and every 5-15 minutes you get to help them. The best help as a keeper can sometimes be not to help, but to trust your defenders. Watching the Villa v City game I saw Ederson make a few big saves and one horrendous decision on a cross. It didn’t stand out for me because it’s actually somewhat normal to see a keeper come and completely miss the ball. None of this excuses what was a mistake. The problem is the reaction. If this type mistake was becoming routine then let’s all get our boots on, take a run up and two foot Raya from our devices. The truth is though that catching crosses has been his BIGGEST strength so far. Perfect hands. Anticipating and cutting out dangerous crosses. This was a mistake not a pattern. The pattern is much in his favour.
The Barkley goal is a technique choice.
I challenge you to pause for a minute. Put a ball or a cat or maybe a delicious bowl of peach pie with cookie dough ice cream and magic shell topping right next to your feet. Now dive on it. Ok…. that was actually almost impossible because all of us reading are larger than 2 ft 4 inches and our hands land very far from our feet or the dessert or the cat. You teach a striker to shoot right next to the goalies feet or through his legs as an option because both are almost 100% guaranteed to go in. It’s hard to aim there from where Barkley was so it is fair to say that Raya ‘could’ve done better,’ but not with his hands he couldn’t. He should’ve used his feet.
David DeGea was (before he fell off the face of the island of the United Kingdom), a very good shot stopper (sometimes). He used his feet for close range efforts more than others. I teach my keepers that when the player is close to you remind yourself to use your feet. You probably don’t have time to get down and use your hands. More importantly, no keeper has ever had the chance to use their hands, fallen to the ground and saved it with their teeth, got up and thought, ‘I’ve got to remember to use my hands.’ You practice repeatedly to use your feet and if you can get your hands on it you will because that is natural. Feet isn’t.
I’m not so much defending Raya here because he should’ve saved this with his feet. I’m frustrated because I think most people just think that all shots should be saved if they are close to a keeper. It’s equally frustrating when people say that a keeper should’ve saved a ball that was drilled through their legs from close range. No they shouldn’t. They aren’t supposed to get set by putting their legs together because then they would have to take a shuffle step that they don’t have time for. I suppose if they couldn’t find some modern day tablets that grow your willy to be 3ft long then that would help but beyond that I think we have to accept that foot saves are the only way in these situations. I will caveat this by saying that a keeper should also have their feet on the ground (bouncing) at the moment the ball is hit. If they are in the air then they can’t make any kind of save as easily because your feet have to return to the ground before you use them to save the ball,to push off and dive. That is a more common error that isn’t spotted either.
I think my frustration is more with Tim Howard and his teeth rather than fans. They look more like the glorious, pristine, blindly white gates of heaven than actual teeth.
He is one of the pundits here in the States. He is decent as a pundit. Better than everyone on British TV, but that bar is loooooow. What was frustrating was listening to him analyze David Raya’s mistakes in such general useless terms, and he was actually a good keeper that knows better. Frustrating.
- With every tactic there is a counter. Luton played tight and aggressive. It took Arsenal a little while to get to grips with a way out. The solution comes in laying the ball off with one touch therefore giving yourself a chance to play around the aggression. It makes this tactic a risk because you can move defenders out of their hole and use them as cones. They want you to take a touch some they can tackle/whack you and claim that butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth. In order to pull this off, when a vertical pass is made, the closest support needs to check into space or run past for a flick. If the game is moving too fast for this then either the pass needs to be slower or more passes need to be made prior in order to give support time to be able to support.
HOPES:
- If Zinchenko plays on Saturday then they will target him. I have no great issue with it except when he wins the ball. You could tell after the Luton game that he was upset with himself. I think he will correct the issues. The concern is mostly when he takes a touch. That touch goes to his left foot. He’s playing against inverted wingers most of the time and will be on Saturday. Wingers with fast feet. He puts the ball on their best foot, they nick it and oh boy! He needs to do two things. He needs to clear it if he hasn’t scanned. Secondly, he needs to keep it on his right foot and further away from the robber.
- Now that Kai Havertz has started to click, this could save Arsenal from needing a target man in January. As long as Havertz is on the pitch when a target man is needed and that we are attempting to find him in the box then this will give us the opportunity to guide the money towards a defender and midfielder. The defender is the priority now. With Tomi going down and possibly going to the Asia Cup too, we only have 5 senior defenders that Arteta wants to use for 4 positions. The defender will need to be versatile and not only have to be able to play left and right back as well as centre back. Tomi is a bad player to lose because he was back up/first choice at right back, left back and centre back. Does Reull Walters get a chance? Lino Sousa? I wish this was possible. Just not sure it is because Arsenal are now a team of 11 starting elite players. If Walters was attempting to replace Cedric then yes, undoubtedly he should get a go. There are opportunities though. After this tough run of 3 games, it gets a little easier to the point where both should get an opportunity. We need one of them ideally to make the step up because there is an argument that we need 2 defenders until Timber or Tomi return.
Diomande from Sporting is the level and can play both sides of centre back. The modern trend is to have four centre backs, two playing at full back, so whether he has done it before or not, he will likely have to learn anyway or has already done so. You will have noticed the success of White, Ake, Akanji and Gvardiol at City, Konsa at Villa and to a lesser extent, Gomez at Liverpool. Before Matip tore his ACL, a loan for Joe Gomez would’ve been an interesting option although he is as injury prone as Tomi. For generations, Italy have produced arguably the best defenders or at least those that have played in Serie A. I do wonder if that is where our solution lies.
FINAL THOUGHT:
VAR.
Is it worth even talking about it anymore?
How can something that was designed solely to make the game better, be making it worse? Unless they are intentionally trying to do something nefarious. We should’ve had two, possibly three penalties.
I was just talking to my boss. He is a scouser. In East Tennessee no less. He noted that if they win on Saturday and we lose they will be top. Every time we have this similar conversation, he always says that he thinks that the season could come down to that ridiculous game at Spurs Hart Toilet Bowl where Liverpool were robbed. He could well be right. The trouble is that I feel that this is exactly what the PGMOL want. Spotlight. Distraction. Look over there whilst we do something else awful over here.
I hope not.

Former Highbury regular. Moved to TN, USA in ’99. Married with 3 kids. Coached in UK and US for 27 years.
Mike McDonald Soccer Academy in Morristown TN, Olympic Development coach, Regional Premier League Champion.
Great post, great perspective on critiquing, sensible view on Raya but the mainstream media are such frauds, I don’t even watch Match of the Day anymore, nothing they say is worth wasting your time on. I see the goals on YouTube and get my Arsenal info via podcasts, some YouTube outlets (not AFTV) and blogs like this one. You just have to be picky and not waste anymore of your valuable time on pundits with an agenda – and I don’t.
I was chatting to my son this evening as we both usually finish work about the same time and I said to him that I’m worried about Liverpool. I’d hate to see us focus so much on finishing above Man City that the Scousers slip through on the inside. We need to focus on them as well.
Walters is far better at centre back than full back but that’s where he’d get a game if we needed him I reckon, but he’s far too inexperienced for us to rely on him as of yet, so yes Mike, an experienced and versatile defender who we can take on loan this January would be brilliant, but who?
I haven’t a Scooby Doo?
Mike! Thanks for taking your time to write the article.
I dont like the result, though. Please dont get me wrong, I respected Luton after watching that game. I wont pretend to be PL expert who watches Luton long before this Arsenal game; I hold my head in frustation instead, what does this Luton team doing near relegation zone? They do not look like a near relegated team at all. Are they taking vacation all these time and suddenly turn up for Arsenal? Did they eat spinach only before Arsenal game to channel their inner Popeye?
The reason I dislike the result because it deviates from our pattern. Current Arsenal are the team with excellent department of defense. It is very rare to get Arsenal conceded one goal; needless to say three in one game. I understand it is Luton’s ground, two goals coming from crosses (anything could happen from cross), and they play with a brave heart. But still we took Raya because his prominent stats in claiming crosses and individual save. It just a single game, but it deviates from “Raya the Brentford goalie” we take. Maybe just unluck, maybe #again# too much rondos and less crossing session.
Thanks for our various attacking force, we won by 4. We start winning big, especially since Jesus came from injury. And Martin, what a player he is; deep crosses, through passes, tight space, one on one, first time finish, he does it all. A true number 10 in modern game. Who says it extinct? It breathes Arsenal.
My wild imagination asked me to email Arteta whenever he put that 2-3-5 attack formation, please train our five tallest player (Kai, Rice, Magalhaes, Saliba, Tomi) in those 5 pockets as alternative of current one (Martinelli-Kai-Jesus-Martin-Saka) and spread the rest in 2-3 pockets to deliver the ball and counter attack anticipation. This may become helpful against Liverpool; only Virgil and Alisson can claim the crosses. Its not that I want Arsenal to play more crosses, but we need to nail our opponent at times; like we did to Luton.
I like the fact we have secured CL spot. I hope Arteta rests player for Villa’s game. Villa enjoy focus on PL as what we were last year. Lets fight them with proper rest and see who claim the win. And lets hope for no more injury this season.
COYG
Brilliant stuff Mike.
Hello Mike,
Thanks for your insightful posts on our games. I keep checking to see when they have been posted.
One of my views on the game is that football is a different sport all the time. Before the match, some people would have predicted a 3 nil win but that’s football for you.
Now on to Raya, in my FPL team I used my wildcard chip and brought him in because he’s the confirmed 1st choice now and matches like against Luton happens to most GKs at least thrice a season.
I want to praise the composure of Zinchenko to delay the cross and pass to Ødegaard for the assist. It helped us to reset to attack the ball as Luton were preparing for the cross from Zinny. His impact after coming on was tremendous and we are developing a horses for courses style of play. Full credit to the whole team.
As for the match against Villa, it is going to be a very intriguing one because of the many subplots to the game. We have Emery, Martinez, Luiz that we are interested in, Tielemans that we didn’t sign, as well as Diaby. With what Villa did to City, it’s going to be one match I can’t wait for.
Thanks Mikey.
Cheers Mike.
Sensible analysis as usual.
Don’t worry about the defence. Havertz is the answer at right back in an emergency. Tried and tested for Germany. Has the height, stamina, and skill to play there. Put Zinchenko in front of him. Sorted.