Well that was better. While the 4-0 score line was slightly flattering, the second half against Newcastle was arguably the most impressive 45 minutes since Arteta took over. I don’t think anybody expected this match to finish 4-0 in our favour after a pretty dire first half. Nothing clicked for us and we struggled to control the game while Newcastle and in particular Saint Maximin caused us problems at the other end of the field.
Whether it was a case of Arteta having to bring out the hairdryer treatment again or simply a case of the players getting up to speed after the break, the second half was much better. We moved the ball quicker and looked far more fluid. The two wide players, Pepe and Aubamayang were far more involved and their combination resulted in us taking the lead. Pepe in particular looked so much more influential in the second half. As well as taking his goal well and assisting two more, his overall contribution was much greater. There was one particular instance where, with Newcastle on the counter, Pepe tracked backed, shrugged off the Newcastle player and won the ball back. If you could pick out a prime example of Arteta having an influence on his players, that moment would be up there.
You get the impression that, despite the results being largely unsatisfactory, confidence is growing amongst our players. It looks like they’re all on the same wavelength and fighting for the same cause. Just a few weeks ago it looked like Ceballos’ would be cutting short his loan and heading back to Madrid but he started against Newcastle and had a good game next to Granit Xhaka at the heart of the midfield. Lucas Torreira is a player I really like and I think he should be starting most games for us but Ceballos’ ability on the ball and dynamism was important against Newcastle. It makes sense to include him in games such as these, where we dominate the ball. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Mesut Ozil had his best game in a while either. Ceballos acted as a connection between the defensive line and Ozil and also helped tale the burden off him going forward.
Lacazette really needed that goal and deserved the bit of luck that came with it. It’s been difficult for him the past few weeks and while I’m sure he’d be the first to admit he hasn’t played anywhere near his best, the lack of service as been a huge factor. There’s still a huge amount of work to do in that regard but the growing influence of the wider players and the greater movement and fluidity throughout the team is beginning to change that. He’s worked tirelessly despite his difficulties and it was good to see him finally hit the back of the net. I also enjoyed the teams reaction to him ending his drought. It feels like, despite the difficulties this team is experiencing, spirit is high.
We’ve drawn 13 games this season in the premier league which Is obviously far too many and even when we have won, it’s felt unconvincing. A win like this should give us confidence as well as giving us a positive goal difference. For me, the top four is beyond our reach at this stage but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t aim to finish as high up in the premier league as we possibly can. If we have any chance of winning the Europa League this season, we’ll need players to be at their best and there’s a much better chance of that if they’re playing regularly and winning games.
Image Credit- Skysports.com
TheGoonerStation 