ARS 4-2 LEI

 What a crazy game.  Leicester tried shutting up shop in the first half and it didn't work.  Arsenal's relentless attacks resulted in two decent goals.  The Foxes came out swinging after the break and it paid off.  A free kick was headed by Justin and took a wicked deflection into the top corner.  Then a cross-field ball was volleyed by Justin magnificently off the far post.  Maybe a goal of the season.  So, 2-2 and an Emirates stadium full of worriers.  It took until injury time, off our 17th corner kick, and it was an own goal, but it was definitely coming.  The fourth goal came on a counter.  Their keeper Hermansen kept Leicester in the game with some smart saves, but in the end we didn't have to explain how we could outshoot an opponent 25-4 and not win.

City drew with Newcastle and Liverpool won.  It's getting quite congested at the top of the table.

The hits keep coming

 After losing an early 1-0 lead, Everton 2 Crystal Palace 1, and we are still winless in six games.  What happened to the on-fire team that got 16 points out of its last five games just a few months ago?  The fire seems to have gone out.  

ARS 2-2 MCI (women) and MCI 2-2 ARS (men)

 I didn't get to watch either of these games (we were helping a relative move) and saw the highlights afterwards.  Wow.  The women's game was really good but the men's game had a lot of drama as well as quality.  What a hit from Calafiori!  It made up for the way he was spun by Savinho earlier in the runup to Haaland's goal.  Gabriel's scoring record is phenomenal from corners,  I don't have an argument about Trossard's red card; it was harsh but he did clatter into the player from the back with his elbow leading.  Arsenal may be the world's toughest team to score against, so I wasn't surprised that we held out for over 50 minutes before City broke through.  It was coming.  I'd have taken a point before a ball was kicked, and that's what I got.

No one is running away with the league. We've drawn with City and Brighton (playing with ten men for a half in each game) and beaten Villa.  We've had our share of injuries and suspensions too.  Merino and Odegaard are big misses and we will need them to return before too long and play at their customary high level if we are going to have a chance to win the league.  We have to target silverware in all competitions.  

Ex-gunners Smith-Rowe, Reiss Nelson, Alex Iwobi (Fulham) and Welbeck (Brighton) had a goal or an assist this weekend.  Good for them.

HBK 1-0 ARS (women, CL qualifier) and More Thoughts on the NLD

 You don't get points for hitting the crossbar or for time of possession, unfortunately.  Hacken defended really well, and scored on one of their dangerous counters.  Now we'll have to win by two at home in the second leg.  We'll have to play a lot better than we did today.  Chances went begging and no one wanted to shoot.

Jon Ollington's excellent "By the Numbers" column on Arseblog News reveals the possession dominance of Spurs last Sunday, but xG was even.  We relied on our strong defense to nullify their attack and in the end a corner kick goal was their undoing.  Two of our three goals in our last win in the Toilet Bowl were off corners too.  Postecoglou looks rather dumb for failing to do anything to improve Tottenham's ability to defend set pieces (we're not the only team to score against them that way) and opposition goalkeepers must be getting nervous when we take them.

To win without so many important players inspires confidence.  But the Spurs game was close, and as I wrote before, Villa could easily have won that game.  Nevertheless, we have an awesome away record and will be hoping to extend that run next Sunday at the Etihad.

City's hearing on their financial transgressions started yesterday.  I don't expect anything to come out of it.

TOT 0-1 ARS: First Test Passed

 I was traveling for the Brighton game and didn't see it.  Replays revealed how silly Rice's second yellow was.  Annoying.  Two points stolen.

Rice's suspension, coupled with Odegaard's injury, and Merino's injury, meant that Arsenal's probable starting midfield was unavailable for the North London Derby.  I was apprehensive.  It was a close, hard-fought game, the difference being a corner.  Gabriel powered a perfect Saka corner kick past a flailing GK in the 65th minute.  Tottenham had chances, but they never really looked like scoring.  We played surprisingly well.  The usual ball control was missing, but defensively we were excellent.  These three points was earned.