Leeds - on the bus. Keeping up with Artetians

Right then, that seemingly innocent game against a newly promoted side was absolutely full of potentially season-defining moments – honestly, it was hard to keep up!

So, this post is going to be structured like a proper Sunday edition of the Daily Mail, just for you.

Our new number 10

Eberechi Eze, our shiny new number 10, got his grand unveiling in front of the faithful home crowd, something I haven’t seen in years. He was all smiles, absolutely radiating the positivity and excitement, yet still looking remarkably composed and confident in his own brilliant abilities.

The video connecting his story with Ian Wright is also just a gem. Wrighty’s got this unmatched likeability and an incredible knack for injecting energy into everyone around him, so you can never get enough of him when it really matters. Both have swapped Crystal Palace for Arsenal, when being around 17 years old. Both are charismatic, and Ian has become a global legend and the very face of Arsenal, so it’s fair to say Eze has a clear path laid out for him.

Wrighty, that music, that story… I’m not crying, you are!

Nwaneri and Dowman in the matchday squad

With all the chatter about signing another number 10 and concerns over youngsters’ minutes, Arteta decided to send a clear message of hope (before the transfer window slammed shut) by bringing both of them on the bench.

Sometimes, life just finds a way for things to happen, even if they seem quite unlikely. And today, it was Odegaard’s injury, coming out of nowhere in the middle of the first half. After a nasty tackle, the captain landed awkwardly on his shoulder. Usually, this sort of injury (if not too serious) can sideline a player for around 1-2 months.

Ethan started stripping into his kit soon after the captain went down. And even though it looked like Odegaard might be able to limp on until half-time, the substitution was absolutely the right call. If the gaffer says your main position is number 10, but you only get a sniff of minutes when the captain's being taken by the emergency team right onto the surgeon’s table, you probably need to find another route for your career. Luckily, Arteta made the only sensible call and unleashed the young Englishman.

If we compare what Nwaneri and Odegaard do in that position, it becomes clear that Ethan isn't running around the pitch as much; he's not covering the same amount of ground. This means he’s not actively offering himself quite as often as the skipper. However, whenever he does get on the ball, he can be seriously impressive.

Overall, Odegaard, considering what he's shown in the first two games, isn't looking like a weakness. He’s getting into threatening positions, he just can’t seem to convert them into goals, even when he’s opting to shoot rather than find a teammate.

Madueke gets the nod

Noni Madueke made his first start on the left wing against Leeds United, a surprising choice over the more established Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. He didn't look out of place, gliding past defenders and creating promising situations.

However, it was when he shifted to the right that he truly came alive. Playing in his preferred, familiar position clearly makes a world of difference to a player's performance. It begs the question: will Noni ever truly replicate his right-wing abilities on the left? But with the newest, shiniest signing of the entire window now in the squad, perhaps it doesn't matter as much.

Should Madueke continue to impress against teams in the bottom half, he could prove a valuable addition to the squad. Yet, I can't shake the feeling that he, much like our other major new signing, isn't quite the player for the big games.

Gyokeres opens his account in the Goal bank

While the final result of the game offered a bright rat of hope for Arsenal and Gyokeres, his first half was, to put it mildly, forgettable. He offered little threat, struggled to get into dangerous positions, and looked so utterly lost that even Saka decided to stop babysitting and bedding in big Swede and just smashed one in without hesitation. What a strike!

The second half, however, told a different story. Unleashed into acres of space by Riccardo Calafiori, Gyokeres felt it was his moment, going all-in on the opportunity. The gamble paid off, and the stadium erupted. He did exactly what he's famous for: he's not one to link play or conjure chances, but he'll run at defenders and isn't afraid to pull the trigger. I even enjoyed his "hair flick" celebration – entertaining, but also a stark reminder that footballers are quite exposed to the often-toxic world of outside commentary.

My only real concern is whether this will work against the mid-table sides we struggled against last season: Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Fulham, and the like. They won't operate with such a high defensive line, and you can bet your mother-in-law’s house they won't let him roam through their box like a rogue police officer.

A Martinelli farewell?

Early in the second half, Bukayo Saka started limping, clutching his hamstring and looking visibly frustrated. This was a worrying sight – even a slight hamstring issue could sideline him for another two months, though hopefully, Saka was just being overly cautious. But after a fruitful summer transfer window, Mikel Arteta can now confidently assert that we have two options for each position in question: an experienced head complemented by a promising youngster.

Saka was swiftly replaced by Leandro Trossard,  who was recently recognized for his services. The newly crowned Mr. Fancypants looked half-dead on his feet, several of the attacks stopped on him and we were lucky to be three goals up by this point. Meanwhile, Martinelli remained rooted to the bench. Close-up shots on the broadcast showed him looking quite disturbed and uncomfortable.

With Dowman shortly replacing Madueke, it became clear that Gabi was to be overlooked for the entire fixture, despite having started just a week prior. Madueke, Dowman, and a visibly jogging Trossard were all preferred to him yesterday. If that doesn't send a clear message, I don't know what does.

I'm pretty sure Eberechi Eze is arriving primarily to play on the left wing. With Eze likely to drift into central areas during the attacking phase, he'll need to be complemented by an overlapping left-back – one who can position high up the pitch, hold width, and create those vital gaps for Eze to exploit. Can Ricky do it? Probably yes. Can we trust him to stay fit for the long stretch of the season? Probably not. That's why I wouldn't be surprised if Arsenal make another move for an overlapping left-back, while letting Zinchenko and Kiwior depart. And if that happens, we'll clearly need to raise some funds. Gabriel Martinelli, unfortunately, is the only one who can bring in the sort of money we'd need.

While I genuinely like the lad, Trossard's salary increase potentially means an extra ~£10 million spent, whereas Gabi could fetch over £60 million. Again, if Martinelli is staying, Trossard's pay rise makes absolutely no sense. However, if there's a decent offer on the table for Gabi, it makes perfect sense to bench him for the game and avoid an unnecessary injury. That's why Kiwior was also left out. The only scenario where Gabi stays is if he's our back-up to Gyokeres while Havertz is out, but I wouldn't bet on that.

Dowman & Mosquera make their mark

On a positive note, we've witnessed the Premier League debut of Max Dowman and Christian Mosquera. Giving them a run-out sends a clear message from Mikel Arteta: there's a genuine pathway for the youngsters in our squad.

Source: BBC

Max Dowman looked a touch lightweight on the physical side; I'm not entirely convinced he'd fare well against more physically imposing teams like Everton or Newcastle. In that respect, Ethan appears a bit more ready for the rough and tumble. But what truly impressed me was his sheer bravery. He wasn't playing it safe, he wasn't just looking for an easy pass to get rid of the ball. He wanted to leave his mark, make a statement, and prove he's a force to be reckoned with. And he achieved it with a signature penalty earning move. While there was a bit of a "stepping on the toe" moment, the fall itself looked a tad theatrical and could have been penalised for diving, so there's certainly room for improvement on the training ground.

The penalty itself was coolly dispatched by Gyokeres. He didn’t do the hobby-horsing steps “Jorginho-style”, he didn’t try to be smarter than the keeper, he just slammed it into the net. How many times have I watched Harry Kane execute a penalty in a similar fashion and dreamt of having someone with that ruthless ability? Well, he's arrived, and he can even flick his blonde hair afterwards – take that, Harry!

A midfield reborn

The duo of Zubimendi and Rice are well on their way to becoming a formidable unit.

Martin Zubimendi – what a player. He’s absolutely everywhere on the pitch, he can’t be pushed away from the ball easily. He’s also incredibly adept at delivering the ball to a teammate in a prime position, even if it requires a bit of dancing with the ball to draw an opponent out of the passing lane. And what a reader of the game!

Declan Rice was on the quiet side again and now I'm starting to understand why. Rice is a very good player, but his main attribute is his incredible ground coverage, his ability to chase down opponents trying to escape officer Dec. He used to make those impressive sprints, bailing us out, and we, as a fanbase, were simply in awe of his skills.

Now he's partnered by Zubimendi, who preemptively recognizes danger, moving into position to block the runner before a disaster can even unfold. Declan just doesn't get enough opportunities to showcase his unique attributes. He did demonstrate it once, when Ethan lost the ball attempting to dribble past three Leeds players, and it immediately led to Saka's goal.

But Declan isn't accustomed to such a partner – Partey was constantly leaving pockets of space, while Jorginho (even if he spotted the problem) could only keep up with Rice's grandma. Zubi is neither; he's a superior player and will help solidify our central midfield. At the same time, it was Declan who delivered two perfect corners that led to the goals, so despite him not being the best passer, his actual goal contributions are really hard to overlook.

Set Piece FC on the road

We've now scored six goals, and four of them have come from set pieces. We still need to be more dangerous from open play; we need to be able to break the deadlock from more than just a corner.

My final two shout-outs go to Timber and Arteta. The Dutch beast is one hell of a player: scoring from corners, bossing opponents, providing precise assists – the man truly has it all. He's one of the biggest gems unearthed in Arteta's era. He is our only fullback with cementing abilities, and, boy, we would need to provide him with concrete throughout the season.

Mikel handled the game brilliantly – precise instructions, timely substitutions, Premier League debuts, and opportunities for the youngsters. Will he really change his approach this season?

The Hate Watch

Saturday afternoon saw me embark on a proper hate watch, as Manchester City faced Spurs. Usually, in such games, I’d be rooting for the team that poses less of a threat to us, which, throughout the Guardiola era, has always been Spurs. However, times, it seems, may be changing.

After City acquired a bunch of quality players in summer, I was genuinely worried they will have a proper title run again. Yet, after that game, the title-winning scenario seems far less likely. My gut feeling is that City's players are simply tired of Guardiola. The fire, the passion to turn games around, just isn’t there. Guardiola, undoubtedly, is an intense, demanding and to an extent a mean manager. But as long as the team's winning and the trophies keep rolling in, players were sucking it up. Last season, though, they exited all major competitions early, allowing that frustration to boil. Unless they manage a complete squad overhaul (which, to be fair, they’re halfway through, shipping out the likes of Bernardo, Stones, and Ederson), I simply can't see them lifting the PL title.

Despite the belief that City will, somehow, escape punishment for those 115 charges (while Everton and Leicester face deductions, naturally), there has, in fact, been a consequence to that ongoing saga. All these lawsuits have undeniably impacted their ability to sign those 'pain in the arse' players – the ones who elevate their game in the big matches and consistently cause us nightmares. They used to sign them almost every season – think KDB, Gvardiol, Rodri, Haaland, Sterling. The recent acquisitions – Ait Nouri, Trafford, Marmoush, Cherki – simply don't seem to possess that same infuriating quality for opponents. With the looming threat of relegation, City have seemingly lost the ability to fish for 'the very best'. Haaland, by the way, isn't capable of single-handedly turning games around. Without De Bruyne or Rodri terrorising opponents, Haaland becomes little more than a local bully.

Tottenham now boasts the most wins against Pep, securing their eighth victory on Saturday with that impressive 2-0 win at the Etihad – a result Arteta, for instance, still struggles to achieve there. Perhaps Pep takes him more seriously due to the rivalry, but the fact remains. Usually, Spurs have tended to win in a frantic, emotional exchange, where their world-class heavyweight attackers, like Son or Harry Kane converted rare counter-attacks into goals. But this time, it was different. It was calmness and control that secured them the win. The players were composed, and Thomas Frank was as cool as a cucumber, which, frankly, felt incredibly unsettling.

They still, however, clearly lack a creative number 10 – someone around 27 years old, who's proven himself in a weaker team, maybe even scored a decisive Cup goal… and who also didn’t go to a clearly better neighbour!

Jokes aside, they haven't really elevated their squad level, with the exception of Kudus. We, on the other hand, have brought in Zubi, Gyo, and Eze, all of whom will probably be starters. They still have a week to improve their squad, and there are players on the market who could make them a far scarier prospect, such as Morgan Rogers, for example.

So, have Spurs become a more concerning rival than City? Should we start getting worried?

The only real consolation is that they'll soon be grappling with Champions League football, and Frank has never managed three games a week. As a general rule, coaches struggle with that in their first season before they learn how to properly plan and rotate their squad. For now, it's not looking good, and I'm certainly not relishing the prospect of the North London Derby.

But who the hell cares when our boy Eze has returned home to raise the roof?!