Match report – Player ratings – Arteta reaction – Video
Good morning, I am writing this from a hotel room in London, without the benefit of seeing any replays or footage of yesterday’s game, so any errors are based on that. And perhaps some of the post-game drinks.
When the team was announced, with quite a number of changes, I said to the friend I went to the game with that it would be a good thing for Eddie Nketiah if he could bag a goal. Little did I know I was about to witness a high quality hat-trick. His first came from a lovely touch and sharp movement in the box, the finish was excellent, but the defending left a bit to be desired. Sheffield United had been relatively well organised until then, sitting off, staying compact, but the ball from Declan Rice was speculative more than deliberately incisive, and I think the defender closest to the action was found wanting there.
Which isn’t to take anything away from Eddie, but it was a nice combination (for us) of good centre-forward play and poor defending. It was an important goal though, in what was a strange first half. The crowd – where I was at least – were a bit subdued in general (although hats off to the one guy who never stopped ‘singing’), but going in at the break a goal up provided a sense of comfort.
In the second half, Eddie came to the fore. From what I could see down the other end, the keeper came and flapped at a corner, and he was first to react, firing home into the top corner. There was a VAR check which seemed to take a while to be announced, and everyone waited until the goal was given. It wasn’t a foul on the keeper, he was just bad.
The third, ooooooof. I’ve never seen Eddie do that before. It was probably the kind of shot he doesn’t take on without having scored the previous two, but wow, what a sensational finish that was. Top corner. Foot like a traction engine etc etc. I’d wondered beforehand if he might start this game, his goal-scoring record has not been good by any stretch of the imagination, but after news we might miss Gabriel Jesus for a few weeks, this is a timely contribution from Eddie. Yes, it was against the second worst team in the league (I think Burnley are worse), but they all count. I have a suspicion that Mikel Arteta is convinced there is something in Eddie that few of us can see, and maybe yesterday was some evidence of that.
There was a penalty claim which wasn’t, then a penalty claim which eventually turned out to be a penalty. Again, I haven’t seen it, so I can’t comment, but inside the ground it felt interminably long. First the wait as VAR checked, then they told the ref to go look, then he spent an absolute age starting at the monitor before pointing to the spot. I wondered who was going to take it, I’d have liked Eddie to get four to be honest, but he handed it Fabio Vieira who tucked it home safely.
Another substitute, Takehiro Tomiyasu got the fifth, and his first Arsenal goal, having missed a chance from the edge of the box a little earlier. He turned and fired home after a corner had been flicked on. Once again there was a VAR check, this time for handball, but the goal stood. An Eddie hat-trick and Tomi’s first Arsenal goal – that made for an enjoyable afternoon. Definitely not what I would have predicted pre-game.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta had praise for Eddie, saying:
To me he is top level. He’s started nine out of our ten Premier League games, so that tells you how much we trust him and the importance he has in the team. I’m really happy for him, an academy player to experience a Premier League hat-trick. He needs to enjoy the moment, he fully deserves it, and hopefully there are many more to come.
Let’s hope so. The striker position at a big club like Arsenal is one where there will always be discussion and debate, and if this hat-trick can give Eddie the confidence to boost his numbers in the weeks ahead, then that would be a great thing for the team. He obviously enjoyed it too, saying:
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dreamt of this moment – to get three goals in a Premier League match. I’m a childhood supporter of the club, so to do it in front of the fans, my friends, my family and my team-mates is an amazing feeling. It’s a day I’ll remember forever.
Some other observations from inside the ground. Declan Rice’s ability to be in exactly the right place at the right time is unerring. He strode around that pitch like he owned it, and in the very rare moments Sheffield United tried to do anything with possession, he snuffed them out like a wise old monk blowing out the candles in the abbey before he goes to bed.
Jakub Kiwior starting was a bit of a surprise, so I kept an eye on him. His reading of the game and his technical ability is really impressive. Of course it helps when you have someone like William Saliba alongside you. There was a very funny moment late in the game when someone played a long ball over the top of our defence. Ordinarily, the Sheffield United player would have closed him down, trying to put the defence under pressure and perhaps capitalise on a mistake, but he started to do that, saw it was Saliba and just didn’t bother. He didn’t want to be the latest guy to look like an eejit when the Frenchman sent him one way then just went the other way with the ball. He’s so good.
So all in all a good day for various individuals and for the team. I don’t really think we got out of second gear and we still won 5-0. Quality of opposition is part of it obviously, but we’ve had these kinds of games in the past and not done that, so a very pleasing result that gives us three points and boosts the goal difference in a positive manner.
Right, I’m going to head back to Dublin this morning, and we’ll have an Arsecast Extra for you tomorrow. Have a great Sunday folks.
