Portsmouth - on the bus. Our only hope
A confident win against a Championship side moves us into the next round of the FA Cup.
The starting eleven matched my expectations—only players lacking minutes were named. I was quite content until I clocked the bench.
Why on earth did Arteta need Ødegaard, Saka, Rice, and Zubimendi on the bench today? Is he really that terrified of losing to a Championship side that he has to bring along all the big guns? What kind of message does it send to the starters when the gaffer brings 70% of his first-choice XI to Portsmouth? My take is simple: if our second string can’t do the business against Pompey, we shouldn’t even be in the competition. We can’t expect the same core group to fight on three fronts between March and May.
Having Timber on the bench made some sense, given our backline lacked senior heads. But the rest of the bench was properly baffling. When a manager face lower-league opposition, I’d expect them to plan for two scenarios:
The team is three up and cruising, offering a chance to give the youngsters some valuable minutes.
The team is struggling, requiring a couple of senior names to steady the ship.
To cover the latter, Arteta could have brought just one senior player for each department. Zubimendi in the squad, Rice staying at home. Saka involved, Ødegaard given a rest (or vice-versa). Instead, Arteta prepared exclusively for the “struggle” scenario—the only exception being Marti Salmon, who I honestly expected to start.
Players are only human, and expecting the same level of intensity in an FA Cup tie at Portsmouth as you’d get in a top-of-the-table six-pointer against Villa is just plain naive.
Funnily enough, Portsmouth took the lead in the second minute, leaving those on the pitch with no choice but to find a way back. They proved to Arteta that he didn’t need all those safety nets. More than that, they showed they’ve mastered the same drills as our Premier League regulars. An own goal and a set-piece header turned it around—the boss couldn’t have been prouder.
Individually, they did exactly what it says on the tin: Jesus was dancing with the ball like he was at a Samba championship, Madueke was taking diagonal runs into the box, Merino was winning his duels, and Martinelli was direct and relentless. That attitude from the Brazilian was rewarded in full!
It’s massive having someone in the wider squad who’ll bust a gut to score regardless of the opposition. Gabi is so passionate that I don’t think he knows how to play in first gear; his legs carry him into the box before his brain can even catch up. With four competitions still on the go, that sort of engine is vital.
The end of the first half was sparked by a Madueke penalty. After winning it, he went straight for the ball and wouldn’t let go. I didn’t like that attitude—it looked like he wasn’t the designated taker but just wanted it because he’d earned it.We’ve already witnessed that Chelsea-style fallout where he clashed with Palmer over the ball; it’s a bad look for him and reflects poorly on the squad as a whole.
I’ve never understood the obsession with taking penalties. If you’re a striker chasing the Golden Boot, makes sense. But when you’ve only bagged three goals all season, it makes no difference. It doesn’t help a career, either. Best case: you fight for it and score. No scout or manager is going to increase your valuation based on that. Worst case: you miss, and your stock plummets in addition to the talk of disciplinary issues.
I played in tournaments at an amateur level, and there we had a coach who made the calls. If I earned a penalty, I knew the gaffer would recognize the effort and my chances of starting the next game would improve. Then why take on extra responsibility that the manager hasn’t actually given you?
Just as we saw with Martinelli, the footballing Gods handed down an immediate verdict on that attitude. A poor miss following a very average effort. Will a lesson be learned here? I seriously doubt it.
The second half followed a similar script to the first. Portsmouth applied relentless pressure for the opening five-ten minutes before Arsenal reasserted control. Jesus picked out Martinelli with a superb cross-box pass to make it 3-1, a goal that signaled a triple change for the Gunners. The most anticipated arrival was the return of Kai Havertz, but before we get to Kai, let’s talk about the other two.
Ødegaard replacing Nwaneri really left me scratching my head. What was the point of giving him a 30-minute run-out yesterday? And if he had to come on, why not rest Eze instead, given Ethan is almost certain to miss out against Chelsea? Why couldn’t Ethan get the full ninety, especially since he can’t even make the matchday squad lately? The only plausible explanation is that Arteta wanted to drill the link-up between Ødegaard, Havertz, and potentially Eze to help the German find his feet, slotting players into the roles they’ll likely occupy going forward. But even then, shouldn’t Ødegaard and Havertz know each other’s game inside out by now?
It’s fair to say Nwaneri’s performance was slightly above average, but he was certainly more effective than Eze. Yet we all know who gets the nod the next time we need an option at number 10. So why should we expect more from the youngsters? In the last two months, he’s managed just two minutes against Spurs and nineteen against Club Brugge. Does that sound like a player capable of providing a spark? Where is he supposed to find the motivation to jump through hoops when he knows he’ll likely only feature against the likes of Kairat in the coming weeks?
Rumour has it Bournemouth offered a loan move that Ethan turned down. Honestly, I’m not sure why he’d reject it, considering he can’t even get on the bench at the moment. His chances will only slim further once our injured defenders return. He won’t kick on playing against Portsmouth or just idling in training sessions. He might qualify for a Premier League winner’s medal if we pull it off, but he’d never truly feel part of that title. Currently, he’s wasting vital development time, and there’s no sign of him getting meaningful minutes anytime soon. And giving a preference to a title, rather to his own development doesn’t sound like a good choice at 18 years old.
Timber coming on for White was another surprise; I fully expected Marli Salmon to get a run given our two-goal cushion. Salmon did replace Gabriel two minutes later and looked completely at home. It wasn’t a surprise to me, having seen what the kid can do against Brugge. Interestingly, it looked like he slotted in at right-back, with Timber shifting to the left and Myles taking Gabriel’s spot in the heart of the defence.
The icing on the cake, however, was Kai Havertz. He was a breath of fresh air after the other “nine” performances we’ve endured recently. He picks the right lines, links the play great, and has a fantastic read of the game. He also occupies the spaces a true number nine should at times and can be a nuisance for defenders. Yes, he scuffs a few chances, but at least he’s there to get them. He is far and away our best option up top and could be the key to our second half of the season. To be honest, he’s our only hope to get far in the Champions League. Without him, we will not be able to score enough goals against strong opponents and without goals a team doesn’t win the Champions League.
Even Arteta couldn’t hide his delight at Havertz’s return, perhaps hinting at his frustration with the others.
His awareness, when he needs to move. Where he needs to move. We miss him big time. It’s a pleasure to watch him
Martinelli rounded off his first Arsenal hat-trick with another headed effort – massive congrats to Gabi!
He was hooked for Zubimendi shortly after, which only goes to show we could’ve easily given a ten-minute run-out to one of the youngsters if Arteta had actually bothered to put another one on the bench.
Tough calls on the horizon
Next week is not going to be easy. We’ve got the Carabao Cup semi at Chelsea and a tricky away trip to Forest in the league. Both are massive and we can’t afford to sack either off. That said, naming the same “preferred” XI for both would most likely not end well.
Forest are your typical Sean Dyche outfit – well-drilled, happy to sit in a deep block, and looking to hit us on the break. They’ll be well-rested after a week off, so we’ll need high intensity and fresh legs to break them down. For me, that means we need to see three to five changes between the two line-ups.
Not sure what Arteta’s thinking is, but based on yesterday’s subs, it looks like he’s saving his strongest XI for the Chelsea clash. Personally, I’d be picking the sides based on who suits the specific opponent.
Forest is all about picking apart a bus parked in front of the goal and snuffing out counters. Chelsea away is more about keeping things tight and making sure we are well set up to decide the tie at the Emirates. With that in mind, Trossard and Madueke feel like a better fit for the Forest game, leaving Saka and Gabi to handle Chelsea. I reckon there’ll be enough space to exploit on the break at the Bridge, and after bagging a hat-trick, Martinelli is the good match for the occasion.
The Forest game might finally be the time to unleash a Rice-Ødegaard-Eze midfield (or dare I say Rice-Øde-Ethan? I dare not!). That could mean the option of Zubimendi, Nørgaard, and captain for Chelsea. I honestly don’t get why Nørgaard is getting frozen out by Arteta. He’s a top-drawer professional who looks comfortable whenever he’s called upon, regardless of where he’s asked to play. His attitude has been class despite being sidelined, and he’s never let us down this season. I’d love to see him get more minutes in the Prem.
And I definitely don’t want to see Rice and Zubi starting every single game just because there’s something on the line! For example, when we’re out to show some new philosophical hipster exactly who runs London!