SWatching Arsenal score a late winner was like hearing an old acquaintance receive a formal pardon. I want to congratulate him, but what I really wonder is how on earth did he end up in a position where he needed a blessing?
In the end, they won, so it was a story of resilience and Aaron Ramsdale at least deserves credit for that, as he made two outstanding saves in the second half after scoring the equalizer for Brentford. , one from Ivan Tony and one from Nathan. Collins. Arsenal will also be praised for continuing to progress across the board and moving into the top spot with a win, but this match seems to allay any doubts that their instability could derail their title challenge. It wasn’t a great match. Arsenal is very good when things are good, but when things are bad it’s probably not as good as it should be.
Accusations that Arsenal sabotaged last season’s title race never seemed fair. This is because Manchester City have more resources. But I also remember the games at Liverpool and West Ham, where Arsenal seemed to be in control, only to succumb when faced with resistance. Isolating the cause is never easy, but it doesn’t seem unreasonable to draw the line at defeats to West Ham and Fulham between Christmas and New Year’s this season. What was impressive in both games was how Arsenal, who had started relatively well, lost their way and were unable to impose themselves on their stubborn opponents.
However, Arsenal were riding a wave of euphoria as their confidence increased after winning seven consecutive league games (31 goals scored, 3 conceded) since the trip to Dubai in January. The atmosphere they had at kick-off was very difficult to resist. They were leading 1-0 and were making good progress, but they were only half wary of the fact that their overwhelming strength in the first half had made it difficult to see where the match would go.
And test. It’s debatable whether David Raya is an upgrade over Ramsdale. Perhaps competition for position is more important than the sense of security that former goalkeepers believe is essential. However, Raya’s arrival on loan from Brentford has brought increased attention to the position. Raya’s strong form may have eased that scrutiny to some extent, but his absence has brought attention back to Ramsdale as he was unable to play against his parent club. It was Ramsdale’s first appearance since January’s FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.
So when he set a clearance for Yohan Wissa to give Brentford an equalizer, the Democratic Republic of the Congo forward last week converted an overhead kick for, as he said, “for the people who love football.” Ta. His goal this week was probably for those who love farce – which inevitably restarted the whole discussion. Would he have made a mistake if he had played regularly? Would you know? Choose your hypothesis as necessary depending on the argument you are trying to make. But in truth, at least as important as Ramsdale’s hesitation was the delay in Christopher Ajer’s treatment, with Arsenal losing a whole lot of intensity, as if they believed the first half was already over. .
A straight victory turned into a potential trauma. This could have been a repeat of last season for West Ham. How many times have we seen this? Arsenal desperately aim for a goal, but as the Emirates crowd grows more and more furious, they find themselves in more and more tatters. The Reiss-Nelson protocol was enacted in vain as Bournemouth’s memories of last season fade. Opponents discard and spoil. He is desperately pleading for a penalty and a card. Shots hit defenders and one went from an angle. Frustration slowly overwhelms hope. Except this time, there was a development. It was a cross from Ben White who scored the first goal, and Kai Havertz’s winning goal.
How should we evaluate such matches? Kudos to Arsenal for getting the job done? Or do you criticize such an authority for being debased?
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But that was the case last season too. When Arsenal beat Aston Villa and Bournemouth with late goals, it was a testament to their character and was almost portrayed as some kind of destiny, but Liverpool’s mental As exhausting as the victory was, it was actually proof of a mistake that was later exposed. . I can only go to the well very often. In the end, the dramatic late goal is exhausted.
Arsenal don’t have to rely on them these days. This may be the kind of goal that reinforces the dream and the sense that it was meant to be, but equally worrying is the lack of composure after conceding a goal, the way they upset themselves. A vital three points, or a worrying sign of a tendency to panic under pressure? It could depend on whether they win the league or not. What do you think of this game? Perhaps it’s too early to say that.
