Mikel Arteta deserves more respect.
Arsenal’s manager gets criticised, and some of his public utterances are odd and his failure to recruit a No.9 has been baffling, but he reads the game well, echoing his playing days.
Arteta can make decisive interventions to turn the flow. He made what appeared the tiniest of tactical tweaks against Newcastle United and was rewarded with a place in the Champions League.
Arteta ended up with a booking for dissent, showing his frustration when Dan Burn escaped punishment for throwing the ball at Kai Havertz.
Arteta must now serve a touchline ban for Arsenal’s final game of the season at Southampton, but his work is already done.
Arsenal have calmed their late-season nerves and will finish second unless Manchester City go on a goalscoring spree.
The pressure lies elsewhere, on Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, City and Nottingham Forest, five teams fighting for three Champions League places.
Newcastle left London frustrated but knowing that victory over Everton at James’ Park next Sunday guarantees Champions League football; along with the Carabao Cup, that would make it an exceptional season for Eddie Howe’s men.
Arsenal should still be disappointed with another trophyless season.
“Hopefully we strengthen,” Rice told Sky Sports, adding slightly cryptically that they ‘will probably lose a few’.
Some exits are obvious like Raheem Sterling back to Chelsea, Neto back to Bournemouth and Jorginho off to Flamengo. Martin Zubimendi is expected to come in from Real Sociedad.
They need to push hard for Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting.
Goals have been Arsenal’s problem this season – Gyokeres has 53 of them for his club this termBut at least they can relax now. Thanks to Arteta.
He had to react at the break to inject more urgency and forward momentum into his labouring Arsenal side. Seven separate Newcastle players managed shots on goal in the first 45, a contrast to Arteta’s shot-shy side.
So he instructed his left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly to step more into midfield, giving Thomas Partey more support. This allowed Declan Rice to push higher up the field and he scored within ten minutes.
When Arteta gets criticised it is worth remembering his fine-turning work, getting a finer tune out of his players.
His critics, and there are still a number, especially online, will say that Arteta was forced into making a change.
William Saliba felt his hamstring, signalling he had an issue, so Arteta had to withdraw the centre-back. His options were limited.
Raya made a number of excellent saves to prevent Arsenal from going behind in the first halfAFP Saliba’s injury was a blow but Arteta made the best of itGettyBen White could have gone to right centre-back, Partey to right-back and Jorginho into midfield. But Partey was needed in midfield.
It made obvious sense to insert Riccardo Calafiori to left centre-back and shuffle the excellent Jakub Kiwior right.
Arteta took a risk here. He knew that Calafiori had the pace to cover Lewis-Skelly so encouraged the youngster to step more into midfield.
Arsenal were often a back-three. Partey had being doing well shielding the defence but Newcastle had still broken through the middle dangerously at times. Lewis-Skelly was needed in there.
Until he appeared more centrally, Newcastle were in charge. Harvey Barnes, playing as a No.10, raced unchallenged 40 yards before bringing a low save with a deflected shot out of David Raya.
Arsenal’s keeper, who will wear No.1, also saved a Bruno Guimaraes shot, pushed away a Dan Burn header and somehow kicked away Sven Botman’s follow-up. The only time when Arsenal threatened Newcastle came when Nick Pope pushed over a Partey header.
But then came Arteta’s alteration at the interval. Calafiori went on one early charge upfield, but it was mainly Lewis-Skelly liberated.
It was not only the tactical change that was significant. Arteta also demanded greater urgency. They pressed more. Anthony Gordon was spooked into gifting the ball to Bukayo Saka and, for the first time, Arsenal did not dawdle.
Martin Odegaard can over-elaborate, adorning a move with too many touches, all very pretty but allowing opposition to regroup. Not here.
Collecting Saka’s pass, Odegaard threaded the ball into the path of Rice, who was now roaming higher up the field. Rice ran on to the ball and whipped it from right to left past Pope.
Giving Rice such a more advanced platform made obvious sense. He has been Arsenal’s most important player this spring.
He’s now scored six goals since the start of March. His season’s tally is now nine goals and ten assists and the campaign will grow for him to replace Odegaard as captain. Rice is the leader without the armband anyway.
No one is questioning the £105million Arsenal paid for Rice nowGetty Arsenal must now spend big once again to reach the next levelGettyArsenal now controlled the game. They kept the ball better. Now it was Newcastle struggling. They missed a finisher.
Callum Wilson’s race is run at this level. William Osula, who replaced Wilson after 64 minutes, is too raw. He’s only 21.
Alexander Isak, who was absent from the matchday squad, goes for a scan on his groin on Monday. He’s still managed 32 goals in 47 games for Newcastle and Sweden this season.
But there has to be concerns about his injury record: hamstring in January; hip knock in December; toe last September and last season’s issues with groin and calf.
Havertz came on for his first appearance since injuring his hamstring against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on February 5.
The fact that he remains Arsenal’s leading scorer in the Premier League with nine, despite missing 15 of the 37 games, highlights where the problems lie. No cutting edge.
Arsenal’s co-chair, Josh Kroenke, wrote in the match-day programme that ‘we plan to invest’ in the squad, and the obvious priority has to be a No.9.
Gyokeres would give them a focus and a finisher. Where would Arsenal be without Rice – and Arteta’s tactical tweaks?
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Arsenal must reward clever Mikel Arteta and new clutch player and push hard for Viktor Gyokeres signing )
Also on site :
- Where to watch online Crystal Palace vs. Wolves: Preview, Predictions and Lineups
- Manchester City vs. Bournemouth - prediction, free online live stream , lineups
- Arsenal Sets Sights on Prolific Striker Gyökeres for Upcoming Season