Arsenal Silences Doubters with 2-0 Victory Over Leicester: Five Key Takeaways from the Match

 By Danong and 1970s Gooner 

Given their attacking injury crisis, some pundits didn't give Arsenal a chance of winning against relegation-threatened Leicester (who were at full strength).

But this lot were left disappointed as a spirited cameo appearance by Mikel Merino saw Arsenal beat Leicester 2-0.

These are the key takeaways:

-Academy stars Ethan Nwaneri and Lewis Skelly performances were pivotal to the win.

Lewis Skelly’s back post defending stopped a Leicester goal before he was subbed off and Nwaneri provided a gorgeous cross for Mikel Merino to break the deadlock.

But that wasn't all. He enjoyed five out of five successful take-ons and won all eight of his duels. 

He also won two tackles and struck the bar and woodwork with two excellent shots from outside the area. He was also a threat in the final third with four shots and six dribbles.

- Odegaard was way below bar in the first half but stepped it up in the second  carrying the team with numerous sprints and exceptional passing. He has to start games much better though.

- The Arsenal left-back position is in safe hands, as was clear versus Leicester. Lewis Skelly continued his resurgence with a classy performance, but so did Riccardo Calafiori. 

The Italian fullback's cameo was full of purpose, intensity, and quality. Long gone are the days when the left-back position was a source of concern.

- Raheem Sterling really struggled. Despite having a lot of the ball in dangerous areas, that spark wasn't there. 

He has been like this in all his Arsenal appearances so far looking really out of his depth. He is not even fit to play for a league one team and Arteta shouldn't contemplate starting him again.

- Merino the saviour!

Mikel Arteta's decision to start Merino as a false 9 next weekend versus West Ham and drop Sterling will not be questioned. The Spanish midfielder has shown that he can get in the right positions and put that ball in the back of the net.

- That win means Arsenal are unbeaten in 15 Premier League games in a row, their longest streak since April 2011 under Arsene Wenger.

The Premier League title race is on; Liverpool will not sleep easy tonight. The pressure is on them.

Up next for our Gunners is a London derby clash with West Ham at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal are yet to lose this season in the league. 

Sterling is a liability. Get him off

 By 1970s Gooner 

There is no way we will win this game at Leicester with Sterling on the pitch. 

He is match unfit, cannot control the ball and keeps getting offside. 

Please get him off and bring on anyone else. That kid on the bench Butler-Oyedeji will be way better than him.

Or Calafiori even in the middle and Trossard on the left

If Arteta doesn't act quickly we will lose the game. 

Let's get the win at Leicester with this attacking tweak

 By Danong

After a long wait, Arsenal are back in action this Saturday against Leicester.

While Arsenal are second in the league, 7 points behind Liverpool and needing a win to maintain their title ambitions, the Foxes are third-last and battling relegation.

Mikel Arteta and Ruud Van Nistelrooy both need to field their strongest line-ups for a win; a draw doesn't benefit either side.

Team News:

The Leicester boss revealed that Jamie Vardy, Jannik Vestergaard and Victor Kristiansen have all trained this week and should be involved, admitting there are no fresh injury worries. So his team might be at their strongest.

Vardy's return should worry the Gunners, as he’s scored 11 times in 17 meetings against them (William Saliba and Gabriel ought to nullify his threat).

Arsenal's best attacking options are out with injury: Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.

Possible or probably in terms of the attack, the only available Arsenal line-up:

- Raya
- Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Lewis-Skelly
- Partey, Rice, Odegaard
- Nwaneri, Sterling, Trossard

Alternatively Trossard may play as a false 9 with Sterling on the wing.

In any case the defence and midfield will be at their strongest, but can we trust this attack, which the Spaniard may have no choice but to field?

Since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left, Arsenal haven't had an out-and-out striker.
They’ve relied on a system where the team shares the goals. And we may need to rely on this even more now.

Let's hope that  Sterling, interchanging play with Trossard and Nwaneri, disrupts the opposition with smart runs and chaotic dribbling, creating the chances for someone to capitalise on.

On the other hand it may be time we opt to maximise our chances of scoring from set pieces.

It's been a long time since we've achieved this but we may well need to resurrect this under the current circumstances.

At this point it’s not about how we win but just winning by any means necessary.

Let's prove the doom sayers wrong who believe the season is over and get the win which will put pressure on Liverpool.

The title race is only just beginning. 

If there was a perfect moment for Liverpool to begin to lose their grip on the title race, it's now.

 By Danong

Before Liverpool faced Everton in the rescheduled Merseyside derby, Gooners were worried that a Reds' win would widen the gap at the top of the table.

However, a passionate and determined Everton managed to contain Liverpool’s dominance in the second half, striking late to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw.

For us Gunners, Liverpool dropping points is a massive boost to our title charge. There are now just 7 points separating us from them.

In fact, looking at the Reds' situation, that derby draw was the first of their five league matches in the next 15 days, with meetings against Wolves (H), Aston Villa (A), Man City (A), and Newcastle (H) quickly following.

If there was a perfect moment for Liverpool to begin to lose their grip on the title race, it's now.

For us Gooners, I can't help but feel our fixtures are much better than theirs. We play Leicester, West Ham, Nottingham, and Manchester United (after which we should have Gabriel Martinelli and hopefully Bukayo Saka back).

Yes, for a while, we might have limited attacking options, but Martinelli and Saka are likely to return for the run-in and carry us from the London derby against Chelsea in mid-March until the end of the season.

We still have a date at Anfield to determine our fate. Yes, after the Kai Havertz season ending injury, some thought the title race was over. Its not now. We can still win the title.

Why so? With Martinelli and Saka returning, we might have to trust Sterling, Trossard, and Nwaneri as our front three for the next four league games. Despite being overlooked, they may surprise many.

Trossard and Nwaneri can make a difference, and we just need Sterling to step up and play that false 9 role well. We also hope Martin Odegaard, as the skipper, will step up and carry this Arsenal attack.

So, does Liverpool dropping points against Everton breathe hope into Arsenal's title charge?

It surely does.

The one that flew away which Arsenal will regret

 By Danong

During the winter transfer window, the consensus was that Arsenal needed to bolster their attack.

While Gabriel and William Saliba's defensive partnership flourished, Timber found his footing at right back, and Nwaneri broke into the team, the attack was the one area needing reinforcement, especially with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus sidelined due to injury.

According to transfer guru reports, Arsenal were offered Ollie Watkins for £60 million, but they didn't agree to the deal (apparently £20 million more than they were willing to spend).

Beyond Watkins, the Gunners held talks with other targets. But one player they did not go for is Randal Kolo Muani.

Muani was desperate to leave PSG, and Juventus were fortunate to sign him. And guess what. Kolo Muani has been on fire:

3 Games, 5 Shots on target, 5 Goals, 100% conversion rate and 2 MOTM awards!

Looking at these stats (which are before Juve vs PSV), you'd easily dub him a "Rolls Royce number 9." A hero in Turin, Muani has become the first player in Serie A history to score 5 goals in his first 3 league matches.

In these 3 games, he's guided Juve to 3 wins. Surely Arsenal could have used such an impactful signing.

But they overlooked the chance to sign Muani and they will probably regret it.

He can play anywhere across the front three, stretch the play with channel runs, drop deep and link up play, carry the ball into dangerous zones, provide final third balls to teammates, and, most importantly, SCORE goals.

The Daily Mail mid-January revealed, "Arsenal were offered Randal Kolo Muani... to fix attacking issues but expensive fees and hefty wage demands scuppered January deals."

Let's hope the Dubai training camp does the trick and Kai Havertz comes back supercharged to guide this Arsenal team to the title. 

If not, seeing winter targets like Muani and Watkins shine elsewhere while our attack falters could be frustrating and lead us to question how much Arsenal's decision-makers really wanted a path to glory.

Are these the games where Liverpool may slip up?

 By Danong

Less than a month after Manchester United knocked us out of the FA Cup, we failed to turn around the Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle. 

With Arsenal out of both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, our Gunners now have just two trophies left to fight for this season—the Champions League and the Premier League.

As for the Champions League, after finishing in the top 8 of the league format, the Gunners have to wait for the play-offs before they know their round of 16 opponents. 

Finishing 3rd means Arsenal will face one of the teams that finished 13th, 14th, 19th, or 20th i.e Milan, PSV, Juventus, or Feyenoord.

Meanwhile, in the Premier League title race Liverpool have a 6-point lead and a game in hand. This means that the title is out of Arsenal's hands and it's Liverpool's to lose.

All Arsenal can do is try to be better than the Reds from now until May. Is there hope for Liverpool to drop points, and which games might they falter in? Here are some fixtures where they could slip up:

1. 12th February: Everton vs Liverpool - Everton seem to be on a resurgence under David Moyes, having lost only once in their last four games. They certainly could avoid a Merseyside derby loss.

2. 23rd February: Manchester City vs Liverpool - By then, Manchester City might have gotten their act together. If they can't beat Liverpool, they might at least force a draw.

3. 15th March: Aston Villa vs Liverpool - Unai Emery's team, with the additions of Marco Asensio, Marcus Rashford, and Donyell Malen, could potentially beat the Reds at Villa Park. Gooners will be hoping for a shock.

4. 3rd May: Chelsea vs Liverpool - Chelsea have been unpredictable, but let's hope they can nullify anything Liverpool throws at them by the time they host the Reds at Stamford Bridge.

5. 10th May: Liverpool vs Arsenal - If Arsenal are to pip Liverpool for the title, this is a must-win game. The boys in red and white must win, no matter what.

So Arsenal are now in Dubai for a 10-day camp. We Gooners will be hoping they'll find their rhythm and get plenty of sun and rest which would allow them to replicate their 2023-24 post-Dubai form.  

They came out of Dubai supercharged and unplayable: 16 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss and 53 goals scored switching from shaky form to title charge mode.

They say that history repeats itself...

All players need to step up after the Dubai trip but this one will be key in reaching the top

 By Danong

For Arsenal's 2024-25 season to end in glory, the boys in red and white find themselves in a tricky position—they must win either the Premier League or the Champions League (or indeed both).

The Gunners are in this tough spot after once again failing to make strides in the league and FA Cup. If they want to dominate English football, that's something they need to address (but that's a story for another day).

So, how can Arsenal clinch the league or the UCL?

The defense and midfield have delivered this season, and we can trust them to do their part, but will the attack do the same?

Most Gooners are hoping that the team, currently on a training camp in Dubai, can replicate their post-2023-24 Dubai form. While I share that hope, I'm particularly interested in Kai Havertz replicating his 2023-24 post-Dubai form.

Post-Dubai, in 18 games (15 starts), Havertz managed 10 goals and 4 assists.
"Maybe we should go back to Dubai now," Havertz joked when asked about the key to his resurgence as he steered Arsenal in their 2023-24 PL title run.

Well, the club has taken them back to Dubai, and let's hope Havertz gets the rest he deserves (he looked tired ahead of the trip), comes back, and steers this Arsenal team to glory.

With Gabriel Martinelli sidelined with a hamstring injury picked up in that 2-0 loss to Newcastle, Arsenal's attacking options look slim.

Bukayo Saka will not be ready to be counted on until late in the run in, leaving Ethan Nwaneri, Kai Havertz, and Leandro Trossard as the only attacking options after the Dubai training camp.

This makes it even more important that Arsenal have Havertz at his A-game if their attack is to perform in the PL run-in and the UCL knockouts.

Arsenal should have signed a top striker, but they didn't, yet they need to score more. Arteta has to work with what he has and Havertz might be the man to bail out his attack.

If Havertz can replicate his last season's PL run-in form, Arsenal might just have it in them to pip Liverpool in the title race!

As Arsenal Bow Out of Carabao Cup, Their Top Target Continues to Prove He's Worth £150M+

 By Danong

Wednesday night, unfortunately, wasn't a night Gooners would remember fondly, as Arsenal once again lost 2-0 to Newcastle, bowing out of the Carabao Cup with a 4-0 semifinal aggregate loss.

There were a lot of negatives from an Arsenal perspective, but one positive stood out: the performance of Alexander Isak, confirming he's the striker Arsenal should be targeting.

The explanation for why Arsenal didn't go all out to bolster their attack was that they didn't just want to add bodies—they wanted their ideal targets and didn't want to stray from getting them by making stopgap signings.

Let's hope that Arsenal's chiefs have highlighted Isak as their top target and are doing everything to get him on board.

On Wednesday night, he may not have scored against them, but he once again put in a fantastic performance. Although he didn't find the net, he set up the goals for his team, showcasing his quality.

The goal he has disallowed was the result of his great movement to get behind Saliba and his very sharp strike of the ball.

Before the game, I thought Gabriel and Saliba should have dominated him physically and mentally. But quite evidently that wasn't the case, as Isak was once again a terrible nuisance for them.

Isak vs. Arsenal
- Minutes: 90
- Touches: 10
- Disallowed goal: 1
- Total shots: 2
- Shots on target: 1
- Accurate passes: 1
- Key passes: 1
- Accurate long balls: 1/1
- Tackles: 1
- Clearances: 1
- Turnovers: 2
- Was fouled: 1

Alexander Isak vs. Arsenal in the 2024/25 season played 3 Matches and scored 2 Goals. It's like he always wants to prove to Arsenal how good he is.

Arsenal certainly have been proven wrong for not hijacking his £63 million switch to Newcastle when the chance was there for the taking. Interestingly, The Athletic now says that other than Benjamin Sesko, Isak is one player Arsenal admires the most.

Isak is surely every club's dream number 9. He's tall, fast, has great positioning, can dribble, possesses great composure, has excellent finishing, and a superb first touch. It would be hard to get him now, with £150 million plus thought to be the asking price.

That said, Arsenal should blow their whole budget on Isak—that's how we'll get over that frustrating 2025 winter transfer window.

Arsenal shouldn't worry about getting him at a premium. He's still pretty young, deadly in front of goal and Premier League proven!

It’s been two windows now where Arsenal have saved finances so let's splash the cash and give Arteta the ammunition to go for glory.

Going full gas for a historic win

 By Danong

Arsenal are back in action tonight as they take on Newcastle in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Newcastle have been a thorn in Arsenal's side this season. They frustrated the Gunners at St. James' Park in a Premier League encounter that ended 1-0 and managed a 2-0 away win in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final in early January.

Gooners will be hoping Arteta and the boys pick up from where they left off on Sunday, when they thrashed the defending champions Manchester City 5-1.

Interestingly, Arsenal are yet to score a goal against Newcastle this season. However, if they can replicate their goal-scoring exploits from last weekend, they might just turn around the two-goal deficit and book a spot in the Carabao Cup final.

After losing 2-1 to Fulham at home last weekend, Newcastle will be looking to bounce back, but Arsenal will make sure that won't be the case.

The Gunners go into this game on a six-game unbeaten run in all competitions, winning five and drawing one. Newcastle, on the other hand, have one win and two losses in their last three games.

The Gunners will be without Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Ben White. The latter will probably be back after the trip to Dubai.

Newcastle will be missing Harvey Barnes, and Jamaal Lascelles. Callum Wilson may be back.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has insisted to the media ahead of the game that his side is preparing to go "full gas" against Newcastle United in their Carabao Cup semi-final.

The importance of winning a trophy means that resting some players is not an option. But anyway we will have a 10 day rest period after this game so we might as well go for it.

What a match this is going to be, and this Arsenal lineup maximises our chances of going through to the final:

David Raya
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly
Odegaard, Partey, Rice,
Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard,

Is there anything you'd change in this lineup?

This gunner is Arsenal's outstanding player of the season so far

 By Danong

For the first time on Sunday against Arsenal, a Pep Guardiola side conceded five goals and lost a game by more than four goals.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal managed to humble Manchester City as the boys in red and white thrashed their main rivals of the last two league seasons 5-1.

Martin Odegaard gave Arsenal the lead early in the first half. Erling Haaland managed to equalize early in the second half, but the Norwegian's goal only seemed to poke the bear.

Arsenal, through Thomas Partey, Kai Havertz, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri, responded mightily for that healthy win.

Most Gooners rose to the occasion, but you can't talk about that resounding victory without mentioning the top top performance Thomas Partey put on.

This season, the soon to be free agent, managed to shake off his injury struggles and has been available for almost every Premier League match day, running the show in midfield or filling in at right back.

There has been displeasure about Partey playing at right back, given how the midfield misses him when he does that.

Performances such as the one versus Manchester City exemplify this notion.

If Arsenal fail to win the league, it might be because Arteta took his best midfielder and nullified his impact by playing him at RB instead of midfield in crucial games. 

Examples are Newcastle, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Brighton, leading to dropped points in such a tight Premier league race.

In the last three games Thomas Partey played 90 minutes in midfield:

- Beat Palace Away 5-1
- Beat Brentford Away 3-1
- Beat Man City Home 5-1

In midfield versus City, Partey chewed up their engine room and spat them out. Certainly a force to be reckoned with, he did everything for Arsenal to control the game. 0 yellow cards, a super goal, and midfield domination. Here are his stats:

- Minutes played: 90
- Touches: 51
- Accurate long balls: 3/4
- Tackles: 5
- Clearances: 2
- Interceptions: 2
- Accurate passes: 45 (88.2%)
- Total shots: 1
- Shots on target: 1
- Goals: 1

Myles Lewis-Skelly, Declan Rice, Raya and Nwaneri may receive all the plaudits from that game, but I don't see how Arsenal would have won without Partey, who was absolutely unbelievable all over the pitch.

It would really be criminal if Arteta and Arsenal let him go at the end of the season.

They surely have to give him a new contract.