Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Morning.
A fast Monday weblog for you, as I’m heading for the airport shortly to return to Dublin. The house season completed with a win after a Declan Rice aim was sufficient to beat Newcastle 1-0.
We had been most likely fortunate to be degree on the break after a primary half that lacked some power and precision. The place David Raya was poor with the ball at his toes, he was wonderful along with his arms – even when a number of the probabilities Newcastle had had been all the way down to his iffy kicking. Additionally they appeared capable of simply waltz by means of our midfield with ease, which was a little bit of a fear. Our greatest probability of the half got here from a nook however Nick Pope made himself large to provide a good save.
The second half was higher virtually immediately. Maybe one other ‘pep speak’ from the supervisor on the break, however a few of what we lacked within the first 45 was there. Newcastle are a troublesome aspect to play in opposition to, very bodily clearly, however we competed higher. 10 minutes into that second interval we went forward by means of Rice. Martin Odegaard performed the ball throughout the sting of the field, the end was wonderful, whipped with actual tempo past Pope and into the again of the online.
Ben White had an opportunity not lengthy afterwards, firing simply extensive after a very good drive in direction of the sting of the Newcastle space. He was illustrative of how little there was within the tank, spending the final 15-20 minutes stretching anytime there was a break in play. At one level on the midway line, he was virtually doing yoga poses, and you can see that he, and others on that pitch – together with some Newcastle gamers – had been feeling the results of a protracted, laborious season.
The ultimate phases acquired a bit tetchy. Dan Burn most likely ought to have been booked for throwing the ball at Kai Havertz who returned from damage with a second half cameo; Arteta was booked for the third time this season which implies a touchline ban for the Southampton sport; and all of it completed in bizarre style when there was a scuffle in our field, there was some pushing and shoving proper in entrance of the place we had been sitting, and the referee appeared to be ready for VAR to substantiate or deny one thing, however we had no concept what.
Finally, the ultimate whistle went, Arsenal had been winners and second place mainly secured on the expense of Newcastle. It was removed from a basic, however we did what we wanted to do, and did so with out being something like at full energy. You would see there have been gamers on the market who had been mainly operating on empty, and we additionally misplaced William Saliba at half-time to a hamstring situation – undoubtedly a consequence of how a lot we’ve needed to play him this season. Rice, the goalscorer and match winner, appeared completely shattered, so it’s to his actual credit score he was capable of dig deep sufficient to provide a aim of that high quality to take the factors.
Afterwards, the gamers did their lap of appreciation, and in his post-game press convention, Mikel Arteta mirrored on the consequence and what now lies forward:
To begin with we’ve got yet another sport to play and to complete it in the appropriate approach, and profitable in Southampton goes to be actually necessary once more after which go on holidays, have time to reset and convey the temperature down a bit bit. It’s been a protracted, lengthy season and we have to begin to assume and mirror on the whole lot that we’ve got deliberate is the appropriate one. Begin to make some steps, some motion and are available again right here contemporary on day one, able to go once more.
And on recruitment this summer season:
We’ve to be very sensible with the choices that we take. Clearly we’d like gamers as a result of the squad is absolutely brief, and on high of that, we’re dropping 4 or 5 gamers that finish their contracts and their loans are completed. So we must be sharp, once more very disciplined in what we wish to do and ensure that we’re sturdy within the season.
There’s an entire summer season forward to consider and focus on that, however I don’t assume there’s any doubt internally as to what must occur. How? Who? When? Questions I don’t have the solutions for proper now, however all will turn out to be extra clear in time, and whereas this season has been an actual slog, I’m genuinely enthusiastic about how we go about addressing a number of the points we’ve had when it comes to squad depth and high quality. Different facets of this season have been past our management, however on the core of all of it for me is making certain we create a robustness for subsequent season that may assist us deal with a few of that.
As I mentioned although, we’ve acquired weeks and weeks and weeks of all of it to return, so for this morning, I’ll depart it there. Simply to complete, it’s been a unbelievable weekend right here in London with nice pals and the broader Arseblog and ArsenalVision podcast group. It’s such a pleasure to have the ability to spend time with everybody, and I sit up for extra it subsequent season.
We could have an Arsecast Further for you however a bit later than ordinary, we’re recording in some unspecified time in the future later this afternoon as soon as I get again dwelling. We’ll put the decision for questions shortly on BlueSky @gunnerblog.bsky.social and @arseblog.com with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or if you happen to’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, depart your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Pod must be out early night. Till then, have a very good one.
