After watching Arsenal produce a slick attacking display and his captain score a confidence boosting hat-trick, Mikel Arteta praised his players focus despite a difficult start to the season.
A young West Brom side were swatted away with ease by the Gunners who scored three times in each half to record Mikel Arteta’s biggest win as a manager.
Tipped by the bookies to be the Premier League’s first managerial casualty of the fledgling season, the win, which was coupled with a clean sheet, was a welcome relief for the Spaniard ahead of Saturday’s trip to Manchester City.
“The spirit has been really positive, to be fair,” said Arteta in his post-game press conferene.
“I’m really pleased to win tonight, to score six goals away from home, to get a clean sheet and to be in the next round. But I’m even more pleased about the preparation during the last two days and the togetherness and dedication the players are showing, how much they want to turn the situation around.
“I’m really happy for them and for the fans – that we can give them something to cheer, because we had a lot of supporters here tonight.
He added: “When you lose a game, you have to win as quickly as possible. Today’s match is going to give us some confidence.
“We had some players playing their first minutes – for example Auba – so to get some minutes and score three goals is going to be great for his confidence.”
Aubameyang showed his poacher’s instincts to snaffles two goals on the rebound before the break but it was the way he struck his third – a trademark curler after cutting in off the left – that the player and fans enjoyed the most.
After a difficult last campaign in which his numbers dropped dramatically, it bodes well. Arteta thinks that playing in front of packed terraces helps the Gabon international.
“Obviously he’s a really happy character and he needs that connection with people, with family, with friends, with fans,” he said. “You could see the interaction when he left the pitch. I think that’s something really positive for him, yes.”
Arteta also had warm words for Martin Odegaard who made his first start for the Gunners after joining in a permanent deal from Real Madrid.
“He loves drifting into that right-side pocket, coming deep and he needs freedom to play,” said Arteta.
“He needs players around him to follow and understand him because the moment he has time on the ball he’s a real threat.
“He glides players together. He attracts players. He’s really confident on the ball. He can take the ball anywhere on the pitch and he gives us that continuity. I think tonight he was really good.”
Signs of beautiful things to come?
In the old days, Vela and Alliaderie used to hit hattricks against opposition first XI in Carabao cup. Now we are reduced to playing our first XI against minnows second XI and still gloat on the win.
Any news on Saka injury that is more important
Just give yourself a few minutes to chill. Your whole post was… unnecessary.
Inspite of the opposition, this is a very welcomed victory.
Auba finding his poacher’s instinct is the biggest positive.
Man City, here we come… 😉
let’s hope last season was a mere blip for aubameyang, we need him to score score scoreeeeee
By his standards it wasn’t a great season but keep in mind his chance conversion was on par with his career average. The bigger issue was chances created in general. Feed him more and he’ll score more. He certainly looks up for it early this season.
No doubts that’s the biggest issue and his stats on conversion rates were in line with his previous years.
But…he struggled last year and many promising opportunities never even registered as chances created because of poor touches, miskicks, and not being in the right place. Those things never show up in stats and aren’t reflected in xG. A great ball across the box that no one can get a toe to is a great chance but shows up a zero because a shot didn’t get off.
Love me some Aubamayeng…we need him this year.
Let’s glide to the top of the league. Yes, we can.
Haha. Classic reactionary stuff
Being happy when your team wins is known as “supporting”. You might want to try it.
This was a real positive. Im not hoping for much for the City game, even a draw would be a bonus. But I am sincerely hoping we put a run together after the international break and I really think we can. Having Partey back in midfield, with ESR, MO and Saka/Pepe in front of him providing ammo for Auba is going to be exciting. And with Ben White and Gabriel hopefully back and fit by then, hopefully it will be the start of a solid central defense pairing. If we somehow sign a solid RB before the window closes, then… Read more »
Yes! A back-up striker would be good too, but RB is a must.
Only just noticed that Ødegaard has the same initials as Özil, and they both have a funny Ô. Also we signed both from RM. Freaky stuff man! I hope our current MO is more like early Özil than the latter version.
I don’t think the currrent MO is as good offensively as the old MO but he’s better defensively no question
Pretty clearly, Odegaard is intended to fill the creative hole that we have had since Ozil played. And I am pretty certain he is the right player to do it.
To avoid the inevitable responses: I’m not arguing about Ozil’s merit or his work rate or anything–just saying he played a certain role in the attack and that role was mostly unfilled since.
I caught the highlights. The holes were still very much visible against the weakened opposition but glad for the players to have something to smile about. Made me think how much it must suck to be in this constant vortex of negativity.
Focus on what we can do good, Mikel!
I for one am okay with shipping some comical goals here and there as long as we get our mojo and swagger back.
We are The Arsenal!
Wenger had the perfect philosophy. Score, score and score some more. And when you’ve done that, attack.
In fact, if we had a fault, it was a hair tearing inability to shut up shop when we had the game won. A 3-3 draw in the ECL springs to mind and, of course, that fucking 4-4 draw at Newcastle that the media dined out on for the next decade.
Still, there was never a dull moment, that’s for sure l.
I am confident we can get something from the City game.
Firstly, Arteta has to make the back tighter. My only worry there is Pablo Mari; but if much of the play happens in front of him, he should be fine.
Secondly, counter attack should be the focus. In Tierney, Ødegaard, Saka, ESR, Pepe and Auba, we have the players that can hurt them on the counter.
Generally, I feel good about the weekend.
Stop it please, don’t set me up 😣
I don’t need to set you up when you can set yourself up. 😄
I want to see it, but still struggle to recognise what Odegaard is doing so effectively. Maybe it will be clearer against bigger teams.
Great to see some goals though.
While I understand your point about performing against the big teams, Arsenal lately have struggled against every team. If he does it against 14 “lesser” teams it’s a step in the right direction no?
You know, Wenger’s post-Highbury teams often had mediocre or poor records against the top teams, but did well enough against everyone else for top four.
That was a stick used to beat Wenger when, in fact, it was the opposite: Arsenal sides often included players vastly inferior to those of our rivals, but we finished ahead of them year after year.
I think Arteta’s description is very accurate: “He glides players together. He attracts players. He’s really confident on the ball. He can take the ball anywhere on the pitch and he gives us that continuity.”
Yeah but that’s not the right question to ask on here as it seems the latest arseblog golden boy is Odegaard. By that I mean, even though to the majority of us scratching heads asking why he’s even in the team, why we even bought him and why he will get motm from blogs every time he plays despite being basically non existent on the pitch, that’s the way it goes. He’ll be the nail in the coffin for Arteta this year. I hope I’m wrong…
When Auba and Arteta do well. Arsenal do well. That’s what all of us want despite our views on the manager.
I hope we can take the game to city and not go with an inferiority complex like we tend to do. Hopefully Ben White and Holding are our centre back pairing.
There’s no shame in setting up to defend against City, Chelsea, Liverpool. In fact our results in those games have been better than under Wenger.
The problem is not looking to dominate the rest of the league, against whom we’ve always had a talent and resources advantage.
*Without an inferiority complex.
Hopefully Arteta picks Auba to play through the middle this season. He looked so sharp last night. City’s a big game. Still got Partey to come back come back soon.
Hopefully Arteta will have learned a lesson.
Auba is not, and never will be, a wide player.
Dortmund?
Yet, Wenger and every manager since has frequently played him out there. There are plenty of articles on the web with Wenger explaining why. I’m stating facts here. I’m not a football tactician and don’t know the right answer.
I’m really hoping that saying of “form is temporary, class is permenant” holds true for Auba.
Hopefully he receives the ball in the right places and is able to score a sh*tload.
If he hits 22+ and Pepe/Laca/Martinelli/Saka contribute their fair share we’ll be in a good place.
We conceded less than everyone except City and Liverpool. So defensively even if we don’t improve we’ll be ok providing we don’t start leaking them.
It’ll come down to creating chances. Here’s to hoping Saka/ESR/Odegaard can really kick on.
Good to see some minutes in the legs for Auba, Lacazette and Saka and to see them all on the scoresheet. You could see the lack of confidence in the team early, which improved as the game went on. Doesn’t matter if it was the equivalent of a league 1 or 2 side in terms of standard (with the youth players they had out) hitting the back of the net in a competitive match = confidence. It’s a shame we’re not playing someone of lesser quality on Saturday as we’ve still got a long way to go and players to… Read more »