Arsenal may have found the key to their Premier League title challenge but not in the way supporters expected
Arsenal might have left it late to grab all three points against Leicester City, but in this case it was not the manner of the win but just ensuring the points were secured. This was particularly important considering Manchester City dropped points at Newcastle earlier in the day.
Mikel Arteta was embroiled again in another refereeing controversy as James Justin appeared to go unpunished when delaying a restart. In a week where talking off the pitch has ruled, many might have liked it to stick to football but this incident will inevitably create some drama.
The win pushes Arsenal level with City but there are several other sides very much in the fray and with matches against Southampton and Bournemouth to come, building momentum through to the visit of Liverpool next month is massive. As always in the fallout from the game, football.london discusses the main title boosts from the clash.
Take your chances
The game itself saw plenty of opportunities go past the Gunners as they tried to find a way past Mads Hermansen. The Dane was making save after save and each becoming more ridiculous than the last, especially at point-blank range from Kai Havertz’s acrobatic effort.
Yet despite Leandro Trossard and Havertz himself settling the score in extra time, it is indeed the aforementioned capitalisation of City’s draw with Newcastle that is the big chance that has been taken. After taking the lead, Anthony Gordon’s penalty saw an end-of-game scenario emerge similar to when Pep Guardiola’s side were tasked with trying to find a late goal against Arsenal – this time however, they couldn’t.
The point gain means the two sides are level and on paper, the Gunners have had the far trickier start to the season. They have two more expected winnable games before Arne Slot arrives in North London, it may be September but it is starting to feel like April already and every point matters.
A star arrives
You might have thought that scoring two goals in your first start for the club would give you the credibility and plaudits you’ve always wanted as a 17-year-old but, instead, Ethan Nwaneri’s late cameo against Leicester did even more. With his first touches of the ball, he took on two senior figures, beat them and then rifled a shot low toward the bottom corner only for Hermansen to become the most hated man in North London and spoil the moment.
Yet Nwaneri continued to probe away and created several opportunities while also forcing set pieces. Mikel Arteta said as much, without needing to be asked directly about the teenager, in his post-match press conference.
“Ethan Nwaneri came on & beat one, two, three players. I just love it. If you want to play here you need to play with that courage.”
There will be calls for him to get a start against Southampton. Quite rightly too, he might have just earned it.
It’s going down
I have loved watching the growth of Ben White as a player. His evolution to becoming one of the best right-backs in the league is a credit to Arteta and of course, White himself as his versatility improves every week and his partnership with Bukayo Saka.
That said, watching Jurrien Timber in the role in the absence of White has given me pause for thought. Not that White’s presence is under threat, although many would legitimately argue that it is, but that the options we have to cover big losses in games like White’s is in a really good place.
Not everywhere, there are some gaps, but defensively Arsenal are stacked. As the season progresses this will prove to be a big plus for the Gunners.