From all accounts (I saw only the highlights, having been on the road), Eindhoven was naive and tried to play the Gunners straight up. The result was a thorough whomping, starting early and continuing throughout the game. Individual brilliance was on full display, as all four finishes were excellent. Team play? Check. Solid defense? You know it. I'll be surprised if PSV tries this at home. All three of our forwards scored, as well as MOTM Martin Odegaard. Jesus was in full flow, and looks fit for the Spuds game. Trossard slotted in for Martinelli and we didn't lose anything by it. Smith Rowe got some minutes, and a huge ovation from the supporters when he came in. I suspect we will need him to step up multiple times as the season progresses. Reiss Nelson was very lively after replacing Trossard. Tomiyasu played 35 minutes. It was all good.
I don't know what to make of the goalkeeping situation. Ramsdale will have to be disappointed to have been usurped by Raya so early in the season as first choice between the sticks, especially after not having done anything wrong. Arteta has been very forthright about his ideas, saying that he treats every game as different, and will play the keeper who he thinks is best suited to help win it. Raya's stats show that he is the better long range and short range passer, which Arteta values very highly. Ramsdale, it seems to me, is clearly the better shot stopper, but Raya has so far been more assured on crosses. It looks like a changing of the guard, but there is no way Ramsdale will be sitting on the bench all season. He will get games, and Arteta said there will even be times when he replaces a keeper mid-game for tactical reasons. We have two top keepers who'd start for most other EPL clubs, so why not? The competition will make both of them even better. They're professionals and are not going to start whining about playing time. As Ramsdale said when Raya was brought on, Ramsdale had come in and replaced good, established keepers, so why would he think it couldn't happen to him too? I doubt this arrangement would work for more than one season, but if anyone could make it work, it's Arteta.
Anyway, it's a rousing start to our UCL campaign, and a great confidence booster heading into Sunday's derby with the Lilywhites.
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