So, we go into the final Interlull of 2024 on the back of a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Not the win we needed, but we stemmed the tide after two successive away defeats.
The team news saw a much welcome return to the team for Martin Odegaard, while Declan Rice was deemed fit enough to start. Chelsea began well enough, David Raya making a fine early save from Cole Palmer who was given too much time to shoot. They also had quite a lot of joy with vertical passes straight through the centre of our midfield. Once we made a tactical tweak, we cut off that avenue for them, and grew into the game ourselves.
It wasn’t a first 45 minutes replete with chances. Chelsea’s best opportunity came when Pedro Neto crossed from the left and Malo Gusto somehow contrived to head over from close range. Almost straight away, we had one up the other end when Bukayo Saka’s shot was blocked, the ball fell for Gabriel Martinelli, but on his left foot his finish lacked real conviction.
We had the ball in the net through Kai Havertz after Rice found him with a quick free kick, but he was just offside when receiving the ball, and that was about it for the first period. In the second I thought we were by some distance the better team, and much of that was because Odegaard had warmed up and grown into the game.
Our goal came when he won the ball high up the pitch, kept it alive with Thomas Partey, and his lofted pass found Martinelli in the box. The Brazilian’s finish at the near post was smart if you’re an Arsenal fan; and one which would have you leaving questions of your goalkeeper if you’re a Chelsea fan. Nevertheless, it was a moment of final third creativity that made the difference, something we’ve been lacking of late.
Their equaliser 10 minutes later was avoidable, I think. You can’t take anything away from the finish, but Neto was allowed too much room to shoot from outside the box. We were a bit disorganised positionally after a corner, but also a bit slow to get out after the set-piece had been taken. It wasn’t the first time I noticed that yesterday either, and something Arteta said afterwards probably went some way to explaining it:
What I am just praying is that after the international break I have the team fully equipped physically, they are available and they are fit because it has been an absolute nightmare for eight weeks. Issue after issue, not only the ones that are not able to play, but the ones that are able to play only for certain moments, only for certain days, not able to train. We have players out there that they cannot play more than 60 minutes. They are playing and struggling, you know.
We were planning changes before their goal went in, and made them immediately afterwards with Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard coming on for Rice and Martinelli. There’s been quite a bit of chat about the summer signing in the last week or so, but I thought he was really good when he came on, and made our midfield more progressive. He received the ball and rather than playing it backwards or laterally, he made sure it went forwards. There were some nice body feints and movements in tight spaces, and it was an encouraging cameo from him. Interesting too to see him click with Odegaard straight away, but they have previous from their time together at Real Sociedad, obviously.
I thought both subs made us brighter, but it was about whether or not we could fashion the chance that would win us the game. Gabriel Jesus came on to replace Saka who had to go off after a foul by that woolly snitch Marc Cucurella. He made a chance which Trossard blasted over from close range, but there was a hint of offside in the build up, and the same was true of that moment right at the death when William Saliba, of all people, provided the overlap on the left hand side. He squared it across the 6 yard box, if Trossard had left it it was a tap-in for Havertz but the Belgian tried the cute finish and nicked it away from the German.
Would it have stood anyway? It’s so hard to tell, maybe his shoulder is just ahead of Cucurella in the middle, but it felt like such a big moment. It’s water under the bridge this morning of course, but who was there making that pass to Saliba? Martin Odegaard, in the 96th minute of his first Arsenal appearance since August 31st. I think he visibly and understandably tired as we headed towards full-time, but that’s the quality he can bring.
Speaking afterwards, Arteta said of his captain:
I don’t know any other player in the league that is capable of doing that after six weeks* out, he had a day and a half, a training and a half. Just physically and mentally to be connected the way he was with the team is unbelievable.
*It’s a longer than six weeks, folks, but it showed how much we missed him, and how he influences the way we play. You watch him gesture to his teammates to get higher up the pitch, coordinating the press, and you can see that his remit goes way beyond being the creative fulcrum in the final third. Hopefully he now spends two weeks really working on his fitness on the training ground, and we don’t do anything silly like let him go away with Norway.
Similarly, Arteta sounded quite negative about Rice and Saka, but I suspect that might be to ensure that their international commitments with England come second place to ensuring they’re fit and ready for Arsenal after this upcoming Interlull. Both of them have played a lot for club and country this season, and all throughout last (including the summer), and I don’t think anyone could begrudge them a couple of weeks without the intensity of competitive football. Let’s see what happens there.
Overall, I don’t think we can complain too much about a draw in the context of the game itself. It is frustrating to be in a winning position and to be pegged back again, but that was our fourth successive away game, and as the manager pointed out, this squad has been pushed to its limits physically. On top of the players missing, you also have to take into account Gabriel, Ben White and Jurrien Timber have had injuries of late, while Odegaard was playing his first game in months.
Every team has to deal with this kind of stuff, of course, and there’s no question Arsenal need to improve – particularly in the final third – but I don’t think you have to dig too deep to try and find the answers as to why the opening quarter of the Premier League season has fallen below expectations. Now it’s about finding form and rhythm once we get underway again, but that’s a discussion for the next couple of weeks.
I’ll leave it there for now. We will have an Arsecast Extra for you in a little while, of course. We’ve put out the call for questions on Threads @gunnerblog and @arseblog with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or if you’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, leave your question in the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Pod should be out around noon. For now, have a good one.
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