Sometimes, you have to win ugly and boy did Arsenal do that at Brentford.
On an evening when the Gunners dominated possession for large swathes of the game, it genuinely felt like a goal might be beyond us. That was until the 89th minute when Bukayo Saka picked up the ball on the right edge of the Bees’ box and floated a perfect ball to the back post for Kai Havertz to nod home.
Cue pandemonium in the away end as three points and a return to the top of the Premier League were secured, just in the nick of time.
Here’s what the managers, players and pundits made of a tight match at the Community Stadium…
Mikel Arteta on his side’s win…
So happy. I think when you have the opportunity to go top and you come and winter starts and it’s cold and you come to Brentford and it’s a really uncomfortable place to come, I think the team showed so much willingness to compete, to dig in and to play the game that we have to play to win it and I think we fully deserve to win the game. So happy.
Source: Post-game press conference (via Hayters)
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Thomas Frank on the late defeat
It’s tough. The players are devastated, I praised them for a good performance. We did so many good things again, it’s the story of these first 13 games. I think we have deserved more points than we have got, and the same again today. We were completely in the game, look at Arsenal with the players they have the budget they have, so it is incredible we played a completely even game with two chances each side, and unfortunately they scored theirs.
Source: BBC Sport
Aaron Ramsdale is the first #Arsenal goalkeeper to keep two away clean sheets against a specific opponent (Brentford) in a single season since Pat Jennings vs Brighton in 1979-80.
— Harvey Downes (@HarveyDownes92) November 25, 2023
Kai Havertz on Arsenal going top of the table…
It’s always good to be up top but you have to look game by game and still so many games to play, such a long season. You just have to focus on ourselves, win the games and then see at the end what’s going to happen.
Source: Arsenal.com
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Mikel Arteta on his players racing to Aaron Ramsdale at the final whistle…
It’s a joy as a manager to watch this reaction of the players looking after themselves, encouraging each other, and showing love to each other. It doesn’t get any better than that. Today’s my 200th game and when I see a team that behaves between them like that and I see the staff and the smiles, apart from Dan [Tolhurst the club’s press manager], he doesn’t smile too much when you ask the same questions, I’m so happy, I cannot be prouder and more grateful for everybody that was with us every single day to make my job so enjoyable.
Source: Post-game press conference (via Hayters)
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Rio Ferdinand on Arsenal’s centre-back pairing…
The two centre-backs, they’re the reason why I’d put them [Arsenal] ahead of Liverpool in the title race to challenge Manchester City. Those two [Saliba and Gabriel], you can trust those two implictly. At the moment, they are bang on form and it only looks like that partnership is going to grow the way they are playing at the moment. They don’t mind coming to places like this and having to fight, that’s the big difference. Some players, when it’s good and going well, they look good. These guys, they don’t mind rolling up their sleeves and doing the ugly stuff which is a testament to their partnership.
Source: TNT Sports
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Mikel Arteta on celebrating his 200th game with a win…
I am so happy, I’m going to have a beautiful dinner with my family and tomorrow start to think about the next Champions League game.
Source: Arsenal.com
BIG win on the road!! Thank you for all the support ❤️ Another big game to prepare for now. #COYG pic.twitter.com/IjsAJrmqyj
— Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) November 25, 2023
Ian Wright celebrating Arsenal’s goal…
We’re winning the fucking league. Yes, Kai!
Source: Gary Lineker’s Twitter
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Mikel Arteta on Aaron Ramsdale growing into the game…
Courage, he has big courage and big personality, and that’s why we love him.
Source: Post-game press conference (via Hayters)
This is what happens when you have 2 keepers eating each other! You put them both under pressure
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) November 25, 2023
Great thing is, we weren’t perfect, we can improve, we are top of the league. Boom
great article! love the reactions and social media bits, but every day we care about what gary n*ville says is another day he has a job as a pundit, and i for one wouldn’t mind not hearing about him ever again
Yeah I really didn’t need to hear from gnev2, let alone see him. Hopefully never again on this site.
I was mostly amused by the image of Raya and Ramsdale *literally* eating each other.
I think that’s one for Poorlydrawnarsenal
Hmmm. Not long ago Mr Ramsey was valued as the highest rated keeper in the world circa £75m. A few months on we’re seeing him throw the ball into the ground in an embarrassing way and doing another arsenal where a high value player is probably going to leave for peanuts. This is an aspect that we need to improve on massively
Let’s just see how it pans out before drawing conclusions.
It has already panned out. Chelsea paid £65m for kepa. We’ll get £30m for Ramsdale.
What do those 2 things have to do with each other?
It’s the same old thing with us. Balogun became our record sale at £35m. Liverpool sold Rhian Brewster to sheff utd for £25m, Danny ings for £25m, solanke for £21m, neco Williams for £20m, Jordan ibe for £18m – that’s not to mention coutinhio for £135m, Suarez for £80m and Sterling and Torres for £60m. Spot the difference
Yeah, you only listed one Arsenal sale.
Because there is scarcely any other sale of note.
Balogun was sold for £30 million. There are 7 players who we received more money for. The biggest sale was Overmars to Barcelona for £40 million.
You’re right. We are a crap club and a crap team. Top of the league is pure luck.
You an accountant? Why do you care about the money so much?
Yes, none of those were Arsenal players. That’s the difference.
Isn’t Mr Ramsey a chef though?
Ian Wright–too funny!
Gary Neville–too salty!
I love me a bit of Ian Wright! And Gary Neville is a cunt.
Gary Neville, dunce of the twats.
We won, but I feel like tactically again we were too predictable going forward. Too much slow side to side passing. We need to speed it up a bit more and also try and be unpredictable with our next pass. Let take a few more shot (on target). Great 3 points against a stubborn side, but so much to improve on. An I hate Fking Gary Neville, but he finally has a point. Ramsdale before Raya would have played this game with full confidence. Raya is a good goalkeeper but Ramsdale is not a bench goalkeeper. A problem created that… Read more »
Oh, you mean the team with the best defensive record in the league have a goalkeeper issue?
I would love to hear your educated opinion on our goalkeeper situation outcome going forward as things stand. Leaving a sarcastic comment is too easy.
Raya is the number 1. He’s better in basically every statistical goal keeping category. Sucks for Rammers, but the purpose is to win and Raya improves the team. No points are awarded for niceness. End of.
What statistical evidence are you using that Raya is better This situation has made an excellent Ramsdale into a nervous reck which could have easily cost us two mature goals. Raya might be slightly better in some areas we could agree on that but this situation has made another player worse and he starts matches. Do u see the problem there? Or an excellent Raya on the bench makes u feel confident?
*amateur goals
Now that is a “Naked” comment. Football has two goals, one at each end. IF one team decides to spend the vast majority of a game in front of their net like a freakin school of fish…this requires the other team to spend the whole game trying to kick the ball through a school of fish and into the net. Most managers who win, when faced with this particular dilemma, they strive to maintain ball control first and execute various methods to “ part the fish “ and get the ball into the net. If there is one thing to… Read more »
Yes, obviously when the other team parks the bus we will have the ball more and try to keep it. What I am trying to say is the way we move the ball is too predictable and slow. When the ball is on the the right and we start the process to switch to the left, there is a very high probability we go left and the opposition sets up for a left side attack. We should try to be more unpredictable and try more dummy runs, if going right to left, go quickly right again to keep the opposition… Read more »
Oh, so like Arsenal having been awarded the most corners and scoring the most goals from set pieces as a result?
I get it, thanks for the sane reply. I just feel that at this level accomplishing all of those things is what every team does…to the levels they are capable of with the players they have. IMO this is why ManchesterArabia bought Haaland to attain another element, an edge in executing those strategies and techniques. The execution of all that you described are all risk calculations, the more creative and quick, the more risk of failure and counter attack by teams that are making the alternative to that risk assessment…we will pack the box and accept less scoring opportunities in… Read more »
I would hate to admit that I agree with Gary Neville, even just once.
So instead I’ll just say that I loved the video of Ian Wright.
Is the “this” that Neville is talking about the clean sheet, the win away at Brentford, or the top of the table?
All true that the goals against record is stellar. And yet it doesn’t seem that either keeper is brimming with confidence or playing their best, particularly with their feet.
On the other hand, this means we can be better still from the back. I trust it will come together.
Rio Ferdinand looks and sounds like a horse.
But at least when he says nice things about our brilliant centre backs, then it’s a nice horse. Here Rio, have a sugar cube.
I’m not a great fan of his, but he was a world-class defender who was more similar to Saliba (or the other way around) than anyone I can think of.
If Bojack Horseman really existed he’d look a lot like Ferdinand
Bojack would never miss a drugs test.
He absolutely would
His blood would disintegrate the test tube.
So much appreciation for this post with all the quotes and different stuff! It’s such a treat instead of all of the randomness of algorithms on different apps and sites.
Thanks a lot and keep it up!
Willy and Gabi are so fucking good together. Their spacing, the way they cover for each other. Like Per and Kosc only a lot better.
That was a weird time at the start of the season when Gaby was on the bench.
Gary Neville can fuck off.
Neville is such an idiot.
The bard Ian Wright expressing the joy of the day in sublime iambic pentameter no less. Simply beautiful.
Funny, didn’t even mention Ramsdale in the response to the question about Ramsdale. = Ramsdale isn’t playing the next game.
Why would he? Raya is the better player and clearly Arteta’s 1st choice and better at the system Arteta wants the team to play. All backed up by statistics on this season or last season.
Oh sorry, in the next question you say he has courage and love him.
= he’s being dropped for the next game.
Why no mention of Suares?