Well. The Gunners had more than their fair share of good fortune to add to their great play at Bramall Lane, padding the score via a couple of deflections. The Blades were never in the game. Six scorers...that's the Arsenal way this season. Brentford gave us all we could handle on our ground yesterday, but we overcame an amazingly dumb gift goal from our former regular GK to get three necessary points in what is a fabulous title race. In fairness, Ramsdale made two spectacular saves in the second half that I don't think Raya would have made. In the end, two more headed goals, from Rice and Havertz, both from Ben White crosses, were just enough to overcome the feisty Bees.
Ramsdale's evening was a perfect demonstration of why he was fine for us last season but not for this one. There's no better shot stopper, but he still isn't good enough with the ball at his feet to fit in with Arteta's total control philosophy. If he plays for us again, it will be because of injury or suspension to Raya, though I'd make him a last minute substitution* for Raya if a Champions' League game is about to go to penalties. I expect a team will buy him off us. He's good on a team where he'll be called on repeatedly to bail out his defense. He'd be an upgrade on many EPL keepers, I think. But he's not going to spend time as a backup for Arsenal.
Havertz has silenced the doubters and has a great chant now: "Sixty million down the drain, Kai Havertz scores again!" Arteta gave him every chance to integrate with the squad and boy has he ever. I still think he can improve his finishing. He's keeping Jesus off the team.
The focus has to be on Porto now. To be eliminated from the ECL now would be big failure. At the end of the month, of course, there's the showdown with Man City. Their draw with Liverpool at Anfield today leaves us in first place on goal difference against the Reds and one point better than City. The pressure on all three contenders to win every game is enormous.
* Boy was I wrong about that! Raya was great in the shootout against Porto.
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