That was my favourite victory of the year because it was exactly the sort of game the narrative gods thought they could control.
They couldn’t.
The injury-ravaged bully boys of Brentford came to our house to rough us up and put some perspective on our title run.
They took a wild swing, grazed our cheek, and fell over the pool table.
The footballing gods had the cheek to weigh in and stack the cast against us. They put a referee in charge from Liverpool and they had Paul Tierney in the VAR room after his shocking mistake for Liverpool against Forest. You couldn’t make it up, only divine intervention plays these sorts of games.
Even worse, our superstar signing David Raya was out of contention because he’s on loan from Brentford.
We took a nice early lead from a Declan Rice beauty of a header, served up by Benny Blanco. Everything about the goal was world-class. Who knew Declan had final third attributes as good as that?
The game was rough, but Arsenal were fully in control. Then, just before halftime, disaster struck. Gabriel laid off a standard ball to Aaron Ramsdale in his 6-yard area; he didn’t read the run of Wissa; he took a touch, the Wissa tackle caught the clearance, an equaliser was the result. I felt horrible for Ramsdale, he’s rusty, that’s what happens, a true nightmare must have been unravelling in his head.
The second half was much more beastly. The ref was allowing the game to flow like glass through a straw. Every tackle from Brentford was heavy; every time we touched a Brentford player, a St. John ambulance was called upon, every corner was an argument, handbags were flying all over the place, and there was a clear and obvious pattern of play that the ref was happy to indulge/ignore. The ball was in play for around 49 minutes. That is disgraceful and worthy of an investigation. Will that happen? Of course not. Another ‘nothing to see here’ game form PGMOL.
Brentford were also getting a bit of luck with their hopeful balls into the box. Aaron Ramsdale pulled off an excellent save from a speculative header with a flying hand that tipped the ball over. He also worked miracles when Ivan Toney hit a screamer over his head and he used all 6ft 5 of his reach to tip it wide. World-class is an understatement.
Still, there was to be no forgiveness without a winner.
Kai Havertz stepped forward for the 4th game in a row. Ben White, for the second time in the game, took on the responsibility, picking up a perfectly weight-through ball from Odegaard and offering a chipped cross for Havertz to put into the top corner.
No one deserved that goal more than Kai. Beloved at the club by the staff and players. Now beloved by the fans who have fully shaken off the Chelsea unfavorability tax.
Arsenal saw out the 9 minutes of injury time and moved on. Business as usual. Onto the agenda of a Champions League that will look the same as Brentford (minus physicality), then we head into the most consequential week of the season. City, Luton and Brentford. 30% of our remaining games inside a week.
So, any final thoughts on the game?
Ivan Toney did Ivan Toney things again, but all the leaks post-game seemed to point in the direction of that transfer decision being final. The club doesn’t like him, nor do the players if you’re judging the anger directed before him. It’s looking like Andrew at Arseblog is taking the W on this one. He said we’d be in for a project striker, and that would make the most sense, considering the market for Premier League strikers banging them in is mostly stacked towards older players.
The biggest takeaway from that game was Arsenal don’t have a weakness in 2024. We’re one of the best two teams in the Premier League. We can’t be outplayed, we can’t be bullied, we don’t have weakness in the air, and increasingly… we are adept at dealing with a refereeing union trying to tear us down.
Brentford were brilliant at being Brentford. That has been our kryptonite over the past few years. They couldn’t get away with it yesterday. They only made the game scary because of a horrendous error by our second-choice keeper.
This squad of boys are now men. This group of men are no longer pretenders, they want to be in the conversation for the Premier League because they believe they are at that level. That performance was everything we needed to see to be convinced that we can take this season down to the wire.
8 wins in a row. 10 more games to go. If you want to do City things, you probably have to win 8 of the next 10 games.
Can we do it? Who knows. But this is what the Arteta project was always supposed to be about… asking questions in the biggest league in the world. No one has a right to win it, but it’s fucking incredible to be in the running. Especially on a day where I’m watching Unai Emery tactically botch it against Spurs in a disaster-class afternoon for a team on the cusp of the top 4.
So now I give you permission to sit back, relax, and soak up a City vs Liverpool game that means very little to us. Can Klopp motivate another miracle with a team that looks desperately short? If he can, it’ll be one of the greatest miracles of his extremely impressive career. I fear the worst though, this could be a wallopping.
Ok, that’s me done. If you want the On The Whistle Podcast, sign up for a free 7 day trial and enjoy me and Matt jabbering off about that MASSIVE win.
Big love xxx
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Brutal Brentford Destroyed!
👑King Kai takes back the crown
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📈Benny Blanco adding levels
🔥MAD ATMOSPHERE
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— LE GROVE (@LeGrove) March 9, 2024
still think it’s between Manchester City and Liverpool. I think Arsenal are there to make it colourful but I don’t think they’re there to win it.
David James is an idiot
Raptora, that would be true if City hadn’t already won the last three titles in a row. It’s quite evident Arsenal and Pool look more hungry. If this was Pep under pressure I would have agreed with you. But as things are, anything is a bonus for City and it’s starting to show.
Luteo why not shut up about stupid referee conspiracies and enjoy the team? You are pushing the stupidity limits left for a select few on this platform.
Aaron Ramsdale needs to keep his ears uncuffed next time he has a game changing howler.
He needs some self-awareness going forwards
I don’t like it when some fans start booing as was the case at half time with Ramsdale who credit to him made two excellent saves in the second half.
Porto will be a very tough game and I heard Martinelli was still on crutches last night.
I would play Jesus as he does well in Europe but it’s a really important game and the financial rewards are immense.
Haaland was hardly noticeable yesterday but regardless we have a tough came despite the 11 day break when we go to City.
Pierre Mistakes are just part of football.. You can’t not have any occupational hazards on a football pitch… To take more chances, we first have to stack the odds in our favour. Mistakes do happen.. Look at Ake’s mistake for City yesterday with Liverpool’s penalty.. City worked their corner well, and the ball from De Bruyne is sublime… But Liverpool should never have been done on their near post like that. You always fail to grasp the processes of why and when mistakes happen, the fact that mistakes are inevitable.. But how and why we can limit them. But you… Read more »
Interesting post Pedro.
I didn’t see it yesterday, thankfully, but it seems that Sky has added Mike Dean to its stable of talking heads on commentary, a hideous idea but so typical of Sky.
Yet another good reason to find a different commentary option for now on…
Kev
Have you noticed with Mike Dean that he doesn’t actually hold his own opinion.
Whatever happens… He just tries to justify the unjustifiable, in order to cover up for PGMOL.
He’s not there to hold them to account, he’s basically a Trojan Horse, designed to cover up for their ineptitude.
The problem is, that nobody is buying it, because he’s so blatantly trying to gaslight us.
It’s an old story but people who think that playing Holding wasn’t a big part of why we failed in the title run-in, should open their eyes. Rob hasn’t registered a single minute in the PL or the FAC for Palace. He’s got 1 appearance in Carabao Cup and that’s it. 90 mins played (in that 1 game) for the whole season. Currently, Guehi’s been injured for weeks. Rob hasn’t even made the CP bench in 3 months and a half (since November). But fellas here thought he’s used as a scapegoat for the bad results at the end of… Read more »
Viva arsenal.
I think we gonna win the EPL n the Champions League
There was a xenophobe who claimed the goal keeping coach was against Ramsdale because he is English
The Spurs line up that faced Villa is their best team, if they have the same players available against us, thats our toughest fixture alongside Man c.
We have 4 very loseable away trips till the end of the season. It’s nail biting stuff for me at this point but somehow, I’m hoping we will pull it off. Beating spurs away could be trickier than beating city for me. City play the same way we do and for now, going by form, we are better at it than them. The more cagey and technical the game is, the better for us. We may have issues against the more chaotic spurs.
Rich
I didn’t watch it but I’ve heard all about it.
Be under no illusion as far as Sky is concerned that Arsenal are their last choice for the title and they’ll take every opportunity to ‘dig us out’ as and when it’s appropriate to their narrative.
To use the Millwall mantra ‘nobody likes us’
I don’t think City have lost a competitive game at home for 40 games. Brentford back in November 2022. Their home form is phenomenal, they’ll be favourites at home… But we’ve still got a decent chance of going there and getting something, providing we’ve got our key players available. There’s been nothing between the 2 clubs in our 2 fixtures this season, both incredibly fine margins, with a cigarette paper separating us.. But we’ve managed to just push the margins in our favour… We haven’t won there since Dec 2015.. I don’t remember us even taking a point there since.… Read more »
Rap:
That’s a bit harsh on Rob, he doesn’t suit the way the game has evolved from a defensive perspective but he was pretty good a few years ago in a back three and arguably our best defender before Rashford caused his ACL injury at Old Trafford.
The reason we lost out last season was a collective issue but whilst I can’t disagree that he was a significant part of our failure to get over the line it’s not on him – or anyone really it was just what it was.
Says Sid….a xenophobe…..
Facts about Rob Holding.
He is a thoroughly decent human being.
He has a wonderful head of hair.
He is not a top six team standard defender.
Rank those in order of your own importance.
Has KDB stopped crying yet?
Amazing how Endo can pocket one of the midfielders of the premier league era so easily
Has KDB stopped crying yet?
Amazing how Endo can pocket one of the midfielders of the premier league era so easily
He was sulking and bitching on the bench at Pep for ages-in full view of the cameras. Insubordination at its finest…be interesting to see how Pep deals with that.
“He was sulking and bitching on the bench at Pep for ages-in full view of the cameras. Insubordination at its finest…be interesting to see how Pep deals with that.“
Pep already dealt with it.
He put his arm around him and explained reasons for his sub, which probably went along the lines we needed more control in the actual mid which Kovacic provided.
KDB is brilliant but his free role to do whatever he wants around the pitch wasn’t what was needed when Pool were suffocating them in the middle of the park.
KDB is showing very visible signs of decline. He still has the incredible passing ability and superb technical class, but physically he is not the same or at least at this moment. Pep hasn’t been playing him in every game, not because he wants to protect him from getting injured again, or because he’s letting him slowly find his rhythm. It’s because current form KDB is not an auto starter. From what I’ve seen, he’s a shadow of himself. Still got the best passes in the game, but physically, he’s degraded a lot. I hope he won’t be back to… Read more »
Let people Make us the third favourites
Don’t think it harms us one bit
I mean we have a better squad than liverpool, we have a better attack and a better defense… our midfield is clearly better too.
Tactically we’re better as well.
But if people want to make out we are not in with a good chance good, less pressure
Personally I don’t expect we will get over the line first. But we absolutely do have a great chance right now.
Let’s see where we are 3 games from now
Timber has been back to full training for 2 weeks now.
Tomiyasu is also finally back to full training.
There’s a good chance we have our full squad available for the game vs City.
Obviously, half our team will get injured during the international break. I fucking hate it…
I don’t see us winning the league. We have City and Spurs away. We’re level on points with Pool. The maths doesn’t add up. The Saka back pass, Jorginho back pass, two brain farts from Zinchenko, and the refereeing abomination at Castle, those will end up costing us the league. Fulham !!! Will end up costing us the league. This is final and written and done. Anything else is a waste of time. It’s not realistic to expect to win every single game in hand. It’s not been done so it can’t be done. That is the maths. Get Leao,… Read more »
Normally I’d dread Partey, Tomi, Jesus going away on international’s. But all 3 players need minutes, Ghana play Uganda in a friendly, ideally Partey would play 60-70 minutes in that. He’s been out since October, but that was coming off the back of a 5-6 week injury from August. Japan play North Korea in a double header, ideally Tomi would play 90 minutes in one of those games. Jesus getting a few minutes with Brazil wouldn’t be the worst idea either, providing his knee has fully recovered. There’s always a chance with these 3 that they get injured again.. But… Read more »
Gooner twitter says Tomi back to regular training, Timber been training for week already like raptora wrote, and Marti trained alone today and club will make last minute call tomorrow on his availability.
I see raptora’s hell bent on jinxing our season.
First he brings up Holding as the main culprit of our last season’s demise, and now he’s shit talking KDB just as we are about to face him.
2 goals and 13 assists in 750min of play says he’s an automatic starter when fit.
Yakubu should Not go to Uganda at all costs, the ladies derrieres over there are irresistable, he will tear his hamstrings
My top penalty takers in order:
Ødegaard, Saka, Jorginho, Trossard, Havertz, … Jesus at the end of the line.
“Luteo why not shut up about stupid referee conspiracies and enjoy the team?” I was enjoying it, until your cuntface brought up Liverpool and conspiracy theories when you started crying about how Pool didn’t get a 50/50 call to nearly determine a title race. You go out of your way to say it’s fair for everybody, but your proof of “no bias” is a biased compilation of clips on YouTube. Yeah real smart that. And just to be clear, I don’t believe in any conspiracy theories about organizational efforts to favour any specific teams, simply that referees make a lot… Read more »
Sky sports: Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal fans to create special atmosphere for their crucial Champions League game.
We haven’t qualified for the CL last 8 since 2010
Mr Serge, Leftside and the other home fans who will be privileged to attend tomorrow’s game: sing, you merry bastards, sing all night long.
Awesome how we were able to rehab Tomi just in time for him to play for his national team and get injured again.
Luteo…don’t feel you gotta hold back mate…..
Always eye opening to see Luteo unload his raw anger so freely and with such little provocation. Like a hornets nest when something comes near it, rather than send out a couple of hornets to fly around in warning, he orders the entire flying squad to empty the nest and sting the living shit out it’s victim.
He did it to me once, it was quite a showing.
It’s a bit teenager-ish.
I held back quite a bit there actually. I didn’t even mention his whore mother.
Muff
Okay snowflake. Sorry to disturb your delicate sensibilities. Go munch on Momma Muff’s muff some more and maybe you’ll feel safe again.
Also, look at Aasim up there 👆 😂 he’s done. Finished for this season. Nothing left to play for. It’s in the maths. Fact.
He’s also very kindly laid out the key moments for us to blame when it’s all gone to shit. As it most definitely will. It’s all written in the maths.
👋😂🆒
Dissenter
23 minutes ago
Sky sports: Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal fans to create special atmosphere for their crucial Champions League game.
We haven’t qualified for the CL last 8 since 2010
Mr Serge, Leftside and the other home fans who will be privileged to attend tomorrow’s game: sing, you merry bastards, sing all night long
i will do Diss I won’t stop singing
Luteo you’re a wrongun. But hopefully you’re actually a nice little fella when away from your keyboard.
Siddeeq – that was me buddy though we could discuss all day whether I’m xenophobic to suspect xenophobia in others.
Ramsdale has sadly made one mistake too many his race is run. Sadly I thought he would be developed but it was not to be
Our goalkeeper coach is pretty shit according to keepers who have left. He promoted Runnarson and is running a goal keeper grift / side hustle in the background
Our set piece coach is one of the best in the business. Our goalkeeper coach not so much….
Btw how are you on the misogyny front ?
Muff
I’m nice on the keyboard too, just not to self righteous idiots like Mystic and pansies like you that harbour resentment over internet jabs from god knows how long ago. Have you been working on confronting traumas in therapy? Brave of you.
If not and you need feel the need, I recommend any therapist in the UK besides Marky Mark.
@pedro – I am a Patreon member that joined on 8/10/23. However, I am now locked out. Please advise. Thanks.
Oh Luteo you are prickly today aren’t you
@Markymark, the ladies love me. Including the ones that come on vacation here from your place.
Im telling you for free
Klopp in Arteta’s position last season would win that league, he’s never afraid of playing his young players, he’s built them mentally that you hardly notice they are young players. That’s what it takes to be a champion. Arteta in klopp’s position yesterday would have lost that match hands down.
BBC, Sky, sports pages, media all gooey eyed fucking lapdogs fawning over Liverpool and City, pride of the Prem, an exhibition to the world, how Pep and Klopp will see this down to the last kick, surely the greatest two football teams on the planet who shit gold bricks and piss champagne. They write us off as pretenders who will stumble like Danny Welbs his a giraffe on ice impersonation. Fuck the lot of em, they show scant respect for what we’ve achieved, the style that we display, the spirit of the team.
Yep Luteo definitely a kid. I’m not harbouring anything little fella. You should reign in the nasty stuff though, when you’re not doing that you are capable of done interesting points.
“ not harbouring anything”
Is that why you mention how I was mean to you once upon a time every chance you get, when I can’t even remember anything about you besides the fact that your last name is as synonym for cunt?
Vikingz – you really are one miserable person – what a load of shit you do talk
Going to the game tomorrow night – can’t wait
Turns about the aborted application for Luton tickets on Exchange actually went through so going to that game too
Lots still wrong with the ticket system but I’ve got more tickets as a silver member this year than I have in years
Dissenter
I got it!
We have to make the ‘12th’ man really count tomorrow so will be early and in full voice to support our lads.
We have to strike early and be prepared for somewhat of a continuation of Saturday. Porto are coming to be spoilers tomorrow.
Just want the main 11 to keep together now. Maybe impossible to have that but cannot see how we can play Partey into form quickly and without issues across the pitch. Having similar feeling about Jesus
What a great season this is. I look at our remaining games in the the Prem’ and this team on current form and still getting better, is capable of winning every single one. A massive huge ridiculous ask but what a way to win it all.
City still have to go to the Spuds. A place they have the most miserable outcomes from.
Plenty more twists and turns yet. But as Chrispy said 👆 on current form we can beat anyone. Best not to look too many games ahead.
Will be there tomorrow evening. 250 mile round trip will be worth it if we pull it off!
Maybe I can get the miserable buggers in front of me to sing as well.
Can’t stand Gary Neville, but he’s dead right on this one… Brutal takedown at the end.
https://x.com/SkySportsPL/status/1767279267082273000?s=20
Stylistically I’m not a fan of Isak, lacking anything resembling urgency or aggression without the ball..
But he’s certainly got moments of real quality in his locker.
Right that Porto are coming to be spoilers… in the process they spoil football with their low tactics.
That’s exactly why I have been saying he should be top of our list of strikers rather than Toney !
I’d take Isak from Newcastle think he’s got lovely movement
Jim “ fingers “ Furnell.Spot on.I was looking for the vomit bucket after that sky match commentary.The fawning over pep & the oilers was bad enough.But then took it to another level with Liverpool.They( media) are literally gagging for the scousers to do it.Us winning it would devastate them.
Isak is 24 and prem proven
Isak is trash. Toney is garbage. Arteta will not buy a forward of any type unless they work hard, drop into midfield, press hard, and defend. Toney walks around the pitch. Isak waits around for easy striker opportunities. Everybody in our team contributes and overloads midfield. How else would we be smothering teams and dominating? We have 11 men working at all times. It doesn’t matter if Havertz plays false 9 or midfield. It’s all the same now that he’s in the flow….. It’s only a problem if Jesus plays false 9 but gets caught up in battles that ruin… Read more »
Does anyone know any reliable streaming sites aside from soccorstreams?
Thanks
Personally think we are better for a few points more
Ederson out for 4 weeks apparently
The international break is going to throw a few surprises in terms of injuries
I expect that some players will come back injured, especially the CONMEBOL players- their WC qualifiers are brutal.
Hope Jesus doesn’t go
I expect that Martineli is not going but who knows what Brazil will do
I honestly think we can win the league without beating city we need to win every game and draw the city one this will keep us above city and Liverpool will draw or lose at least one game. It’s a very tall order I know but I don’t think we need to win every game just close to that
Klopp in Arteta’s position last season would win that league, he’s never afraid of playing his young players, he’s built them mentally that you hardly notice they are young players. That’s what it takes to be a champion. Arteta in klopp’s position yesterday would have lost that match hands down.
The same Liverpool we schooled and put 3 past?….that Liverpool?
Brentford did us a solid in preparing us for tomorrow. I hope Arteta and his staff took notes and prepares our team accordingly. Can’t wait for the game!
Northbanker the ticket system is fucked my boy is a red member and he can’t get a ticket in the ballot system for love nor money, he has been to 2 games this season, 1 ticket I got him one in the ballot.
last season he got at least 9 games by just logging in on time.
Vickingz you are the last bastion of trolls on here still fighting the corner of all the dead trolls gone by, poor deluded sod.
I want to give massive praise to Gabriel Magalhaes for keeping his cool after the early yellow card and manhandle Toney successfully without going over the line last Saturday
While it may be fashionable [and rightly so] to consider Rice the signing of the season for Arsenal as well as the league, Magalhaes must surely be the player of Arsenal’s season so far – and possibly still so at season’s end. Elite.
Mr Serge, tickets are like gold dust this season, I know a few ticket holders but none of them are missing any games and who can blame them.
To be honest, if I can only get one more ticket to an Arsenal game this season hopefully it’ll be at Wembley…
37 downlikes 💪💪
Hilarious.
I like Gabriel Magalhaes but people forget that he’s prone to mistakes. I get scared anytime the ball is passed to him. His upfield balls often get to opponent. He should restrict his passes to short ones.
If I came away with anything from the Liverpool man city game it’s this : City are the worst version of themselves I’ve ever seen in the Pep era. They were playing a Liverpool team missing key players everywhere that is nowhere near as good as peak Klopp and they were basically played off the pitch for 70-80% of the game. If not for Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez being kinda clumbsy the game would not have been close. The robot was invisible as was KDB. That backline featured two third choice players, a second choice player, a backup Gk… Read more »