Posted by Several interesting selections as Mikel Arteta compromised between squad rotation and the best 11.
Two inclusions were notable:
- Sead Kolasinac for Bukayo Saka, who had been fire (and was again in the first half after coming on), but looked like he needed a rest with most of his touches in the second half
- Eddie Nketiah for Alexandre Lacazette. Rest for Lacazette or competition for places? Maybe a bit of both…
Arsenal operated out of the 4-2-3-1 until the 82nd minute, when Guendouzi’s introduction reshaped the team into a 4-3-3 with Torreira at the base of the midfield three:
Player Ratings —Minute by Minute
| First Half | |||||
| Time | Phase | Sequences | |||
| 0:08 | Attack | Nketiah (-1) can’t hold the ball up. | |||
| 0:43 | Defense | Kolasinac (-3) drops seven yards into the Arsenal box. Luiz (-2) misses his header. 0-1 | |||
| 1:57 | Attack | Ozil (-1) has his pass infield knocked off him for an Everton throw. | |||
| 3:53 | Attack | Ceballos (-1) hits his pass at Ozil’s head instead of his feet and Arsenal turn it over. | |||
| 3:59 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) heads Everton’s clearance to Bellerin (then calmly plays Ceballos a few seconds later). | |||
| 4:11 | Attack | Ceballos (-1) tries (and fails) to find Aubameyang in the hole. | |||
| 4:50 | Attack | Luiz (+1) plays into Kolasinac from 35 yards. | |||
| 5:00 | Attack | Ceballos (+1) fizzes the ball into Pépé (+1), who draws three defenders before laying off to Bellerin. | |||
| 5:04 | Attack | Bellerin (-1) smashes the shot miles over. | |||
| 5:45 | Attack | Ceballos (+2) plays Aubameyang (-1) through on goal, but he delays a beat too long and his cross is blocked. | |||
| 6:33 | Attack | Ceballos (+1) passes the ball over two Everton defenders to Ozil down the left channel. | |||
| 7:24 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) plays a ball over the top that looks like a hit-and-hope but instead finds Mustafi (+1), who plays Aubameyang down the left. | |||
| 8:06 | Defense | Ceballos (-1) comes off Sigurðsson to double team, then can’t recover as Everton counter through him. Mustafi (-1) gives up the inside. | |||
| 9:20 | Defense | Bellerin (-2) lets the ball bounce. Mustafi (-1) lets Calvert-Lewin race past him to latch onto the ball. | |||
| 9:26 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) recovers to slide the ball out for a corner. | |||
| 10:17 | Defense | Ceballos (+1) gets a foot to Sigurðsson’s attempted through ball. | |||
| 10:40 | Attack | Ceballos (-1) tries to squeeze the ball into Xhaka, but has it picked off. | |||
| 11:16 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) crunches Richarlison at midfield. | |||
| 11:20 | Attack | Mustafi (+1) nearly plays Nketiah into the Everton box. | |||
| 12:13 | Attack | Bellerin (+1) earns a corner. | |||
| 20:32 | Attack | Aubameyang (-1) passes loose for Nketiah. | |||
| 20:34 | Defense | Nketiah (+1) rescues it. | |||
| 20:52 | Attack | Xhaka (-1) has his pass for Aubameyang intercepted. | |||
| 21:52 | Attack | Mustafi (+1) finds Ozil between the lines. | |||
| 22:36 | Attack | Ozil (+1) cuts inside and plays to Aubameyang inside the box. | |||
| 22:40 | Attack | Aubameyang (-1) tries to juggle over Sidibe but it’s too heavy and Pickford claims. | |||
| 23:01 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) powerful header at midfield to start Arsenal on the counter. | |||
| 24:24 | Defense | Xhaka (+1) cuts off the pass. | |||
| 24:32 | Defense | Ceballos (-1) slide tackles and misses. Xhaka (-1) switches off. Iwobi skies the shot. | |||
| 25:30 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) slips Saka down the left. | |||
| 25:35 | Attack | Aubameyang (-1) tries to go 1v1 down the left, but Sidibe sticks him. Saka (+1) alert to pick up possession. | |||
| 25:37 | Attack | Saka (+2) finds Pépé alone inside the box for the shot. Saved. | |||
| 26:12 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) plays Saka (+3) in stride down the left. His cross is inch-perfect for Nketiah (+3). 1-1. | |||
| 27:29 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) beats Richarlison to the bouncing ball to head clear. | |||
| 27:33 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) juggles over Schneiderlin then earns the foul. | |||
| 28:14 | Attack | Aubameyang (-1)’s lead pass for Saka goes out of bounds for a throw. | |||
| 28:33 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) finds Pépé (+2), who cushions the ball into Ozil inside the box. Pickford gets there just ahead to clear momentarily. | |||
| 28:53 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) weights the ball perfectly for Bellerin to cross first time. | |||
| 29:29 | Attack | Saka (-1) tries to cut back against Iwobi and has the ball stolen. | |||
| 29:39 | Defense | Bellerin (+1) delays Richarlison until help arrives, then blocked the cross. | |||
| 29:43 | Attack | Xhaka (-1) smashes the ball clear when Pépé is sitting by his lonesome ready to start the counter. | |||
| 30:07 | Defense | Nketiah (+1) nicks the ball off Schneiderlin then draws the yellow card for the Everton man. | |||
| 31:18 | Attack | Saka (-1) tries to take two players on at midfield and loses the ball. | |||
| 31:22 | Defense | Ceballos (+1) nearly gets spun in midfield but recovers to block the pass back to Bellerin. | |||
| 31:29 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) finds Nketiah (-1), who loses the ball on the turn. | |||
| 31:39 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) blocks the cross. | |||
| 32:05 | Attack | Aubameyang (+3) sells Sidibe the inside run, then darts behind where Luiz (+3) puts the ball on a plate for him. 2-1. | |||
| 34:12 | Attack | Xhaka (-1) doesn’t get enough on his cross-field pass. | |||
| 35:52 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) heads the free kick clear. | |||
| 36:01 | Attack | Arsenal nearly make a mess of trying to play out. Pépé (-1), Bellerin (-1), Ceballos (-1) all culpable. | |||
| 36:17 | Defense | Bellerin (-1) misses his initial tackle. Ozil (+1) and Ceballos (+1) combine to back up. | |||
| 38:11 | Defense | Pépé (-1) shades too far inside, freeing Baines to cross. | |||
| 39:36 | Attack | Good playing out from Mustafi (+1), Bellerin (+1), and especially Ozil (+2) to get the ball across field to Saka. | |||
| 40:26 | Attack | Nketiah (-1) loses the ball. | |||
| 40:33 | Defense | Luiz (-1) oversteps Calvert-Lewin and allows him down the Arsenal left. | |||
| 40:43 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) beats Iwobi to the ball inside the Arsenal box. | |||
| 40:45 | Attack | Pépé (-2) with one of the worst passes you’ll see from a professional footballer. | |||
| 40:52 | Defense | Xhaka (+1) steals the ball. | |||
| 41:37 | Attack | Ceballos (+1) gets the ball to Ozil (+1), who finds Pépé through down the right. | |||
| 41:43 | Attack | Pépé (-1) slows up and has the ball kicked out for a throw. | |||
| 42:10 | Attack | Ceballos (+1) gets enough loft on his pass that it makes it to Ozil. | |||
| 42:16 | Attack | Pépé (-1) goes down softly trying to buy a foul. | |||
| 42:59 | Attack | Mustafi (-1) dribbles himself down a blind alley and loses the ball. | |||
| 43:58 | Defense | Richarlison gets between Nketiah (-1) and Bellerin (-1). | |||
| 44:41 | Attack | Ceballos (+1) sprays left to Aubameyang. | |||
| 45:15 | Attack | Pépé (+1) beats two Everton players down the right… | |||
| 45:18 | Attack | …but Pépé (-1) can’t beat the third and loses the ball. | |||
| 45:28 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) puts the tackle in. Bellerin (+1) too, to work the ball back to Ceballos, who gets cleaned by Richarlison. Yellow card. | |||
| 47:32 | Attack | Bellerin (-1) wastes the free kick by sending long to Nketiah, who’s covered by two defenders. | |||
| 47:46 | Defense | Saka (-1) falls for the feint inside and gives up the Arsenal left. Aubameyang (-1) slow to track. | |||
| 47:52 | Defense | Aubameyang (+1) tackles out for a corner. | |||
| 48:25 | Defense | Luiz (-1) slow to step out on the initial Arsenal clearance. Mustafi (-1) outjumped by Mina. Leno (-2) lets the ball squirt through him. 2-2. | |||
| 49:44 | Attack | Luiz (-1) sends straight out of bounds off the kickoff. | |||
| First Half | |||||
| Time | Phase | Sequences | |||
| 45:10 | Defense | Bellerin (+1) tackles the ball to Ozil. | |||
| 45:12 | Attack | Ozil (-1) leaves Ceballos short, but the ball falls to Xhaka anyways. | |||
| 45:14 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) finds Ozil down the right. | |||
| 45:20 | Attack | Pépé (+2) crosses, Aubameyang (+3) finishes. 3-2. | |||
| 46:33 | Defense | Luiz (+1) tackles Iwobi by the Arsenal corner flag. | |||
| 47:25 | Defense | Saka (+1) shields out for a throw. | |||
| 47:37 | Attack | Saka (+1) and Ozil (+1) combine to get Arsenal out of their own end. | |||
| 48:13 | Attack | Aubameyang (+1) plays Xhaka (-1) into the box, but his cross bounces back off him and out of bounds. | |||
| 49:07 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) tackles at midfield. | |||
| 49:13 | Attack | Aubameyang (-1)’s pass too heavy. Ozil (-1) makes his run too early and is offside if it isn’t. | |||
| 49:39 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) earns a foul jumping over Richarlison. | |||
| 50:08 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) plays the ball across the field to Pépé. Despite Baines getting his head to the ball, it eventually makes it there. | |||
| 51:17 | Attack | Another cross field pass from Xhaka (+1). | |||
| 51:33 | Attack | Xhaka (+2) plays Pépé from across the field on a rope. | |||
| 51:38 | Attack | Pépé (+1) earns a corner. | |||
| 52:11 | Attack | Too much loft on the corner from Pépé (-1). Xhaka (-1) ducks out of the challenge. | |||
| 52:17 | Defense | Xhaka (+1) recovers to make a sliding challenge and get the ball to Aubameyang. | |||
| 53:23 | Attack | Pépé (-1)’s cross is blocked and Everton race forward on the counter. | |||
| 53:28 | Defense | Ceballos (+2) puts an end to that, tackling in open space. | |||
| 53:57 | Defense | Ceballos (+1) with the sliding challenge at midfield. | |||
| 54:23 | Attack | Saka (-1) takes a heavy touch and lets Iwobi nick the ball. | |||
| 54:31 | Defense | Ceballos (+1) comes across to block the cross. | |||
| 54:49 | Defense | Luiz (-1) loses the aerial duel to Calvert-Lewin, but Mustafi (+1) alertly steps in front of Richarlison to clear. | |||
| 54:53 | Attack | Xhaka (-1) loose pass in the Arsenal third. | |||
| 55:10 | Attack | Ozil (+1) plays Nketiah into space down the left. He turns back—Arsenal looking to kill the game with 35 minutes left. | |||
| 55:29 | Attack | Ozil (+1) puts the ball on the edge of the six. Nketiah (-1) doesn’t attack it, leaving Pickford to pick up easily. | |||
| 56:12 | Defense | Ceballos (-1) crumples after Sigurðsson’s hand brushes his face. No foul. Xhaka (-1) trying to block Pickford’s punt is out of position. | |||
| 56:19 | Defense | Pépé (+1) does enough to delay until Arsenal can recover their shape. | |||
| 56:27 | Defense | Leno (+1) claims the cross. | |||
| 57:10 | Attack | Mustafi (+1) plays Bellerin into space down the right. | |||
| 57:14 | Attack | Bellerin (+1) cuts inside then finds Nketiah (-1) on the edge of the box. His layoff is a poor one. | |||
| 57:30 | Defense | Luiz (+1) does just enough to put Calvert-Lewin off and Richarlison’s pass rolls through the Arsenal six yard box. | |||
| 60:39 | Attack | Saka (+1) is able to first-time a loose Everton pass to Nketiah (-1), who isn’t able to bring it under control and lets the ball roll out for an Everton throw. | |||
| 61:02 | Attack | Ceballos (+1) gets the ball to Saka. | |||
| 61:32 | Attack | Ceballos (+1) advances the ball to Aubameyang. | |||
| 61:34 | Attack | Ozil (+1) takes Aubameyang’s layoff and sends Saka down the left with a first-time pass, but Saka’s offside. | |||
| 62:17 | Attack | Mustafi (-1) doesn’t get anough diag on his diagonal. | |||
| 63:04 | Attack | Saka (-2) tries to dribble out of his own half, gets stuck, and gifts Everton a scoring chance. Leno (+1) saves the shot low, but right at him. | |||
| 63:20 | Attack | Ozil (+1) spins Delph and passes to Aubameyang (-1), but the return pass is cut off. | |||
| 64:05 | Attack | Saka (-1) caught in possession inside the Arsenal third again. | |||
| 64:38 | Defense | Bellerin (+1) blocks the cross. | |||
| 64:41 | Defense | Pépé (+1) tackles to Ceballos. | |||
| 64:43 | Attack | Ceballos (-1) tries—and fails— to shield. | |||
| 64:49 | Defense | Ceballos (+1) blocks the Richarlison cross. | |||
| 64:52 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) plays a bouncing ball to Nketiah (-1), who can’t hold off Delph. | |||
| 64:58 | Defense | Bernard plays the give and go around Xhaka (-1). Mustafi (+1) tackles. | |||
| 65:16 | Attack | Ceballos (+1) takes the free kick quickly to send Ozil into the Everton half. | |||
| 65:22 | Attack | Ozil (-1) holds onto the ball too long and as a result his pass goes behind Aubameyang. Everton are able to reset. | |||
| 65:28 | Attack | Saka (-2) with a horrific pass backwards and across field that Richarlison picks up and takes off with. | |||
| 65:37 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) heads the cross clear. | |||
| 65:46 | Defense | Bellerin (-1) gives up the cross. Mustafi (+1) heads clear. | |||
| 67:00 | Attack | Mustafi (-1) gets under his header. | |||
| 67:04 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) able to recover to block the pass with his head. | |||
| 67:20 | Attack | Ozil (-1) whips the ball for Aubameyang but doesn’t get enough on the pass and Everton come away with it. | |||
| 68:11 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) plays the ball to Ozil (+1) in a pocket of space. Ozil spins and leads Bellerin on. | |||
| 68:20 | Attack | Bellerin (-1) holds onto the ball too long, allowing Pépé to drift offside. | |||
| 69:57 | Defense | Ceballos (-1) comes inside before Pépé drops, resulting in Baines free to receive the ball and carry into the Arsenal third. | |||
| 70:08 | Defense | Xhaka (-1)’s tired legs give up the pass inside to Bernard. | |||
| 71:02 | Defense | Pépé (-1) gives up the pass outside. | |||
| 71:33 | Attack | Saka (+1) and Xhaka (+1) do enough to get Arsenal out… | |||
| 71:38 | Attack | …before Saka (-1) trips himself and allows Everton to counter. | |||
| 71:46 | Defense | Richarlison jumps over Bellerin (-1) to win the header. Luiz (-2) busy asking for offside while Calvert-Lewin gets on with it. Leno (+3) with a terrific save. | |||
| 71:56 | Attack | Bellerin (-1) passes behind Ozil on the counter. | |||
| 71:59 | Defense | Ceballos (+1) alert to the danger gets to the ball first then gets chopped down. | |||
| 73:03 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) plays Ozil over the top. | |||
| 73:07 | Attack | Ozil (-1) loses the ball to Mina. | |||
| 73:55 | Attack | Saka fizzes a ball at Nketiah (+1)’s chest, who does well to bring it down and play Xhaka. | |||
| 74:02 | Attack | Ceballos (+1) carries the ball a beat, then plays Ozil into a pocket down the left. | |||
| 74:04 | Attack | Ozil (+1) finds Nketiah on the edge of the box, but he can’t wriggle through the Everton defense. | |||
| 74:12 | Attack | Ozil (+1) finds Saka running between two Everton defenders. Corner. | |||
| 74:42 | Attack | Ozil (+2) beats Sidibe then finds Ceballos (-2), who shoots over. | |||
| 75:53 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) beats Richarlison to the ball to get it to Pépé, who’s header is just too far in front of Bellerin. | |||
| 76:07 | Attack | Smart of Saka (+1) to let the ball roll out of play for an Arsenal throw. | |||
| 76:14 | Attack | Xhaka (-1) caught unaware and can only knock the ball aimlessly forward after inviting pressure. | |||
| 76:20 | Attack | Saka (+1) clears to Ozil, although I’m not sure how much he knew about it. | |||
| 76:29 | Attack | Bellerin (+2) puts the ball right on Aubameyang, who trips as he’s taking it out of the air. | |||
| 76:55 | Defense | Xhaka (-1) leaves Bernard to run down the Arsenal left. | |||
| 77:10 | Defense | Torreira (-1) and Mustafi (-1) leave Richarlison too much space, so when Delph’s shot falls to him he’s nearly free on goal. Leno (+2) saves. Aubameyang (+1) alert to the danger on the back side. | |||
| 77:43 | Attack | Saka (+1) pokes the ball through two defenders to Ozil (+1), who volleys back infield to Nketiah to get Arsenal out. | |||
| 77:50 | Attack | Aubameyang (+1) finds Xhaka (+1), who skates past Delph to play Bellerin down the right. | |||
| 78:02 | Attack | Xhaka (+1) cross field pass to Ozil, who looks dead on his feet. | |||
| 78:42 | Attack | Bellerin (-1) misses on his pass to Pépé behind Baines down the right. | |||
| 79:02 | Defense | Luiz (-1) beaten to the spot by Calvert-Lewin, but the Everton man can’t connect with the ball and it goes all the way through. | |||
| 79:51 | Defense | Torreira (+1) initially misses his tackle, but recovers to poke the ball away from Gomes. | |||
| 80:12 | Defense | Luiz (-1) passes out of bounds. | |||
| 80:28 | Attack | Xhaka (-1) overruns Torreira’s pass because he doesn’t think it’s going to get through. | |||
| 82:09 | Defense | Bellerin (+1) blocks Richarlison’s pass down the line. | |||
| 82:20 | Defense | Torreira (+1) blocks the pass into Calvert-Lewin. | |||
| 83:34 | Defense | Xhaka (-1) steps high to press leaving his man. Torreira (-1) shifts too far right to help. Bellerin (-1) comes infield to help but succeeds only in opening space down the Arsenal right. | |||
| 83:47 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) blocks the cross. Leno (+1) claims. | |||
| 85:55 | Defense | Xhaka (+1) capitalizes on Guendouzi (+1)’s press to intercept Pickford’s pass into midfield. | |||
| 85:58 | Attack | Torreira (+1) taps to Nketiah (+1), who smahes the ball against the crossbar. | |||
| 86:35 | Attack | Bellerin (-1) throws to the other team. | |||
| 86:40 | Defense | Bellerin (+1) blocks the Everton clearance. | |||
| 86:43 | Attack | Guendouzi (+1) earns a foul down the side of the Everton box. | |||
| 87:42 | Defense | Xhaka (-1) goes to ground, taking himself out of the play. Aubameyang (+1) races back to tackle on the sideline. | |||
| 87:53 | Attack | Torreira (-1) tries to one-time pass to Xhaka but misses. | |||
| 87:57 | Defense | Bellerin (-1) gets split by Gomes’s long pass. Leno (+2) comes a long way to make the sliding challenge. | |||
| 88:09 | Defense | Both Torreira (-1) and Gunedouzi (-1) fail to track Gomes’s run down the left. | |||
| 90:16 | Defense | Xhaka (+1) and Aubameyang (+1) combine to steal. | |||
| 90:22 | Attack | Saka (+1) plays Nketiah between two Everton defenders. | |||
| 90:31 | Attack | Nketiah (-1) takes the ball to the corner, then inexplicably lets it roll out of bounds for a goal kick. | |||
| 90:52 | Defense | Pépé (-1) shades too far inside and allows the pass to Baines on the Arsenal right. | |||
| 90:55 | Defense | Torreira (-1) doesn’t track Richarlison. Mustafi (+1) comes over to block the cross. | |||
| 91:41 | Defense | Saka (+1) blocks the cross. | |||
| 91:53 | Defense | Arsenal fall asleep as Everton take the corner quickly, specifically Nketiah (-1), Saka (-1), and Pépé (-1). Mustafi (-1) gets sealed. Bellerin (-1) not close. Calvert-Lewin heads inches wide. | |||
| 92:52 | Defense | Bellerin (-1) caught too high on Gomes’s pass over the top. Calvert-Lewin jumps over Luiz (-1). | |||
| 93:02 | Attack | Mustafi (+1) heads onto Aubameyang (+1) who draws the foul as he attempts to sprint into the Everton half. | |||
| 93:59 | Defense | Mustafi (+1) undercuts Keane at midfield to head back into the Everton third. | |||
| 94:06 | Defense | Aubameyang (+1) tracks back to steal. | |||
| 94:07 | Attack | Aubameyang (-1) and Torreira (-1) get in each others’ way, turning the ball over in the process. | |||
Game
A bit lucky, no?
Three wins in a week!
Yeah, but Arsenal were fortunate not to concede in the last 15 minutes…
Haven’t lost in 2020!
Dominic Calvert-Lewin should have scored at least three goals…
…?
Okay, fine. Arsenal were indeed fortunate to come away with the three points after their third game in seven days robbed them of their legs. Early on, it looked like the trip to Greece had also robbed them of their minds:
But Arsenal recovered to dominate the next hour, out-possessing Everton 56% to 44% en route to three goals from open play and a 3-2 lead that, critical mistakes aside, should probably have been more.
Then Arsenal hit the wall of all walls. Stat lines from the final 30 minutes are reminiscent of the Emery era:
Two shots (to nine for Everton), 40% fewer passes, and only 18 completed in the attacking third.
The eye test was no better:
Make no mistake: Arsenal were lucky to win. But three points are three points, and the win vaulted Arsenal over Everton into ninth (woohoo!) in the Premier League table. They’re four points out of a potential Champions League place, as long as Man City get what’s coming to them.
Player Ratings — Game Chart
Massive team scores: +28 offensively and +17 in defense, although a significant number of players ended up in the red. In defense, three of four starters scored below zero; Mustafi’s +18 propped them up to the tune of +11 (+19 if you include Bernd Leno’s +8).
The attackers weren’t as lucky, finishing -1 overall between the three of them. Aubameyang and Nketiah scored the goals, but did little else to help the team sustain possession late in the contest.
Arsenal won the game in midfield: Xhaka (+7), Ceballos (+9), and Ozil (+10) combined for nearly 60% of positive points on a day that Arsenal scored +45.
Player Focus
CB Shkodran Mustafi [+3 Att | +15 Def | +18 Ovr | 90 mins]
Had you told me two months ago that Mustafi would put up the highest score in the history of this blog, I would have thought you were talking about a new January signing. No way it would have been Shkodran.
And yet here we are. I feel those waiting with baited breath every time he gets put into a 1v1 situation, and understand that three games don’t erase three years worth of mind-blowing errors. But count me in the “hold on a minute” camp with respect to selling him this summer. Because if he can do this consistently:
…combined with his age and ability on the ball, Arsenal would have to pay €30+ million for a similar player. Let him repay the faith that Arteta’s shown him, I say.
CM Granit Xhaka [+10 Att | -3 Def | +7 Ovr | 90 mins]
Redemption story, take two.
Arteta has given him help at the base of Arsenal’s midfield, and he’s thrived—thriven!— when given the freedom to push forward and/or slide to the deep-left. His range of passing is world class:
He still struggles with defensive recognition…
…but he’s no longer put in those positions 25 times a game. He doesn’t wear the armband, but he’s the Captain of Arsenal Football Club for me. And this is coming from someone who was hoping we’d sell him last summer.
CM Matteo Guendouzi [+1 Att | +1 Def | +2 Ovr| 15 mins]
He came on for the last 15 minutes and was probably my favorite player of the game. This tweet perfectly encapsulates his performance:
Here’s his entire day in little over a minute:
The Xhaka-Ceballos pivot is working at the moment so I’d probably ride that wave to completion. That Torreira and Guendouzi are nipping at their heels is a good problem to have.
I know you don’t want to talk about Hector Bellerin again…
Bellerin’s a quality player who’s coming off the worst injury a player can have, but if he wasn’t Bellerin we’d have been calling for him to be dropped a month ago.
This is nearly unforgivable:
He’s an intelligent player and a leader in the dressing room, and it was probably unfair of the fanbase to expect him to return to his pre-ACL-tear level. Even so, it’s a bit odd that Maitland-Niles seems to have been completely shut out of the right back conversation. I’d bring him back into it, if I were Arteta.
Looking Ahead
What does it mean for Olympiacos?
The Man City match was postponed, meaning Arsenal have only a trip to Portsmouth for a winnable FA Cup match to contend with in the week following Thursday’s Europa League match.
Olympiacos faced PAOK in the Greek Super League at the same time Arsenal were taking on Everton, so both teams should be similarly rested.
Arsenal take a 1-0 lead into the tie, and although they’ll be feeling confident having scored an away goal in Athens, Olympiacos present enough quality that Arsenal will have to put forth a relatively strong side.
One would imagine Lacazette returns to lead the line, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Aubameyang ceded his place to Gabriel Martinelli. Others in need of a rest might not get one: Saka looks to be the only healthy left back again, and I can’t imagine a midfield without Xhaka in it at the moment.
Does Reiss Nelson get his first look since coming back from injury? What about Pablo Mari? Arsenal are in a good spot at the moment. If only they hadn’t fallen so far, and waited so long, before bringing Arteta in.
Prediction: Arsenal 3 – 1 Olympiacos