ARSENAL ‘RESERVES’ TONK TOON
Courage and conviction from understudies gives Arteta a headache
The understudies emerged from the shadows to shine, and it might just be that Arsenal’s reserves perform with more freedom and expression than the usual cast of bunglers.
It was not just mikel Arteta’s team-sheet that showed changes — eight of them — but the subsequent display was also barely recognisable. Arsenal played well. yes, they were aided by a newcastle side who got stage fright on what could have been the day they all but ensured safety. But take nothing away from Arsenal’s leading men, such as scorers mohamed elneny and Pierre-emerick Aubameyang, starting for the first time since recovering from malaria. Gabriel martinelli’s delightful cross provided the second for Aubameyang, and the teenage winger was another who made a strong case for keeping his jersey.
That trio all appeared as substitutes during Thursday’s 2-1 defeat at Villarreal. They will be unfortunate should they revert to bench duty for the second leg of that europa League semi-final this week.
But those are the decisions facing Arteta after a performance of rare courage and conviction. Arsenal as good as kept the ball for 90 minutes and did not look like a side who kicked off in the bottom half of the table.
By contrast, newcastle did. They were back to their lackadaisical worst, and this with near enough their strongest XI.
The only thing they looked interested in passing was the time of day. That is a problem for Steve Bruce, whose team have hopelessly under-performed this season, leaving them in 17th position.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have now scrambled into the top half, although victory in the europa League — and automatic passage to next year’s Champions League — remains their best chance of continuing a quarter of a century in european competition. The only sour note was a hamstring injury to David Luiz, back in the team after five weeks sidelined.
‘Apart from David’s injury, it was what we wanted,’ said Arteta. ‘We had a strong performance from the start and dominated the game. It helps for Thursday, it puts us in a better position. All of them gave me something to think about.’
It flattered newcastle to trail by just one goal at the interval. At the same time as the protesters at old Trafford were trying their best to invade a football pitch, Bruce’s lot looked as if they would rather be anywhere but. Arsenal duly exploited such little resistance.
The ball belonged exclusively to the visitors during the opening five minutes, and it was a period they deservedly climaxed with the opening goal.
Luiz sprang the pass that set hector Bellerin clear. he pulled the ball back for Aubameyang and the striker’s rustiness saw him turn unwitting provider when his mis- hit shot landed for elneny, who volleyed home from 18 yards. It was the midfielder’s first Premier League goal in his 66th appearance, something of a surprise given the execution of his finish.
equally as curious was the swagger with which Arsenal were playing. roy Keane, in the TV studio, had said that he expected ‘very little’ from Arteta’s team. he was not the only one who underestimated them, and newcastle never recovered from their early complacency.
But what remained a mystery was Bruce’s failure to instruct Allan Saint-maximin to attack makeshift left back Granit Xhaka. on one of the few occasions their paths did cross, the forward drew a foul that earned Xhaka a booking.
That was on 20 minutes and, given Xhaka’s tendency for the erratic and irrational, it was baffling as to why he was then afforded an easy ride.
Xhaka could have been sent off in the second half, but that was a for a senseless block in newcastle’s half, rather than a home tactic designed to target him.
But Arsenal would have bossed the contest with 10 men, so superior were they. Their second, on 66 minutes, was vintage in the intricacy of its approach.
They knitted a series of passes around the fringe of the penalty area before martin odegaard threaded wide for martinelli, who whipped to the far post for Aubameyang to apply an airborne finish.
And that was that, save for Fabian Schar’s 90th-minute red card when he clattered into martinelli from behind. It was probably a yellow, but such indiscipline summed up a wretched afternoon for newcastle.
Bruce said: ‘The best team won. To beat any Arsenal team you have to play better than what we did. Allan Saint-maximin in the last few weeks has produced all sorts of magic, but it wasn’t quite there today.’
Arsenal, meanwhile, were magic. not bad for the second-string.