Noni The Wiser

Noni the Wiser as Arsenal's Super Sub Shows His Worth

There are occasions when winning the Premier League requires breathtaking football, moments of individual brilliance and a demonstration of technical superiority. And then there are afternoons like Arsenal's visit to Nottingham Forest, when the best you can hope for is a lucky deflection, three points and a swift journey home.

For 80 minutes, Arsenal looked about as threatening as a damp firework. Their passing was pedestrian, their movement predictable and their finishing non-existent. Indeed, neither side managed a shot on target during a first half that will hardly feature in any promotional video for the Premier League.

Step forward Noni Madueke, a player whose Arsenal career has largely been conducted from the substitutes' bench but who is rapidly making a compelling case for more regular employment.

Introduced at half-time in place of the ineffective Eberechi Eze, Madueke eventually provided the one moment that mattered. Cutting inside from the left, he unleashed a shot that took a substantial deflection off Jair Cunha before finding the net. It was Arsenal's first effort on target, and, remarkably, their last.

One shot, one goal, three points. Football can be a wonderfully uncomplicated business.

Mikel Arteta, of course, would probably disagree. The Arsenal manager has elevated the business of substitutions into something approaching a philosophical discipline. He doesn't have substitutes any more. He has "finishers", a term suggesting that the men who spend the first hour sitting in tracksuits are not merely waiting for their opportunity but preparing to deliver the final, decisive blow.

It sounds suspiciously like managerial jargon, but the statistics suggest there may be something in it. Arsenal's substitutes have contributed to 26 Premier League goals since the beginning of last season, more than those of any other club.

Madueke is increasingly becoming the embodiment of this philosophy. He possesses pace, directness and the willingness to run at defenders, qualities that can be particularly valuable when opponents have spent the previous hour successfully frustrating Arsenal's elaborate attacking patterns.

His critics will point to his inconsistency and occasionally questionable decision-making. Fair enough. But there is something refreshing about a winger who actually wants to beat his man rather than exchange another dozen passes before sending the ball backwards.

Having assisted Arsenal's opener against Lille in the Champions League, Madueke has now made decisive contributions in successive matches. It is difficult to ask much more of a player who has started only one Premier League game this season.

The situation is rather less encouraging for Eze, whose first league start of the campaign ended with an early shower. There is no disgrace in being substituted, but watching your replacement score the winner is hardly the ideal way to strengthen your case for selection.

Yet the real significance of Arsenal's victory lies beyond individual performances.

Championships are not won exclusively through exhilarating attacking displays. They are also won on miserable afternoons when nothing quite works, when opponents refuse to cooperate and when a single moment of good fortune separates success from frustration.

Arsenal have now won six of their opening seven Premier League fixtures, their only blemish being defeat at Brighton. They remain three points behind Manchester City, but there is something reassuring about a side that can produce such an uninspiring performance and still return with maximum points.

That does not mean everything is rosy. Eleven goals in seven matches is hardly an attacking avalanche, and relying on a deflection to overcome a struggling Forest side is not a particularly convincing formula for sustained success.

Nor should Forest's contribution be overlooked. The home side defended resolutely, showed considerably more adventure after the interval and might well have secured a deserved point had their finishing matched their determination.

But champions have a habit of surviving precisely these situations. Opponents can frustrate them, outfight them and occasionally outplay them, only to discover that the scoreboard remains stubbornly unimpressed.

Perhaps that is the most encouraging aspect of Arsenal's performance. A few seasons ago, this might have been remembered as two points dropped. Instead, it becomes another narrow victory, another clean sheet and another demonstration of the value of a strong squad.

Arteta deserves credit for recognising that his starting eleven need not be his finishing eleven. With the quality now available on Arsenal's bench, he can afford to change the complexion of a match without necessarily weakening the side.

And Madueke, whatever his limitations, has demonstrated that he can make those changes count.

There will undoubtedly be more attractive Arsenal performances this season. There will be afternoons when the passing flows, the chances multiply and the opposition goalkeeper resembles a man attempting to stop traffic on the M25.

But there is an old footballing truth that remains as relevant as ever: nobody remembers how the winning goal was scored when the trophy is being lifted.

Except, perhaps, the unfortunate defender whose backside it struck on the way in.

For Arsenal, this was hardly a masterpiece. But it may prove to be another important brushstroke in the bigger picture.

And for Noni Madueke, it was further evidence that sometimes the best way to make yourself indispensable is by taking your opportunities when they come your way.

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Seven Magnificent Mininutes

LOOSE CANNON | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Seven minutes of magic as Arsenal blow Lille away

Arsenal 3 Lille 0 — Timber, Eze and Saka turn a frustrating evening into another emphatic European victory.

For 63 minutes, Arsenal threatened to turn a Champions League encounter with Lille into an exercise in patience. Seven minutes later, the French visitors were wondering what on earth had hit them.

Three goals, three different scorers and another clean sheet. What had threatened to become an evening of frustration ended with the Gunners cruising to a 3-0 victory, maintaining their perfect start to this season's competition and extending their remarkable sequence of league-phase victories to 14.

Not bad for a team that apparently struggles to entertain.

There was something particularly satisfying about the way Arsenal dismantled Lille. This was not a victory secured through a fortunate deflection, a disputed penalty or one of those set-piece routines that seem to upset opposition supporters quite so much. It was a demonstration of attacking quality, intelligent movement and the considerable strength of Mikel Arteta's squad.

And, perhaps most encouragingly, Arsenal managed it without ever looking particularly vulnerable.

Patience is a virtue

The first half was hardly a classic, although anyone suggesting Lille were unfortunate to find themselves behind by the end of the evening must have been watching a different match.

Arsenal controlled proceedings without finding the breakthrough, with Jurrien Timber proving an increasingly influential attacking outlet.

The Dutchman created opportunities for Bruno Guimaraes and Mikel Merino, but neither could convert. Guimaraes stabbed his effort wide, while Merino's header lacked sufficient power to trouble Berke Ozer.

Eberechi Eze also tested the goalkeeper, although his side-footed attempt was comfortably gathered.

Lille, meanwhile, briefly thought they had taken the lead after 21 minutes when former Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb's shot ricocheted through the Arsenal defence and fell invitingly to Ayase Ueda.

The Japanese striker finished confidently past David Raya, only for the assistant referee's flag to intervene. VAR confirmed the offside decision, leaving Lille with nothing more than a fleeting moment of excitement.

It was about as much as they would enjoy all evening.

At the other end, Ozer produced an important save from a deflected Guimaraes effort shortly before half-time, recovering quickly enough to prevent Viktor Gyokeres from converting the rebound.

The interval arrived with the scores level, but there was little doubt which side had been in control.

Timber!

Arsenal emerged for the second half with greater urgency, pinning Lille inside their own territory

Bruno Delivers The Goods

ARSENAL 2–1 LEEDS UNITED

BRUNO DELIVERS AS CHAMPIONS SHOW THEIR METTLE

Arsenal 2 Leeds United 1. Three points, a second-half comeback and a timely reminder that champions don’t always have to play like champions to get the job done.

For an hour at the Emirates, it looked as though Arsenal’s three-week international break had done little to repair the damage inflicted by Brighton. The Gunners were sluggish, short of ideas and second best to a Leeds side who clearly hadn’t travelled to north London simply to admire the surroundings.

And when James Justin fired the visitors ahead ten minutes after the restart, the prospect of a second successive league defeat suddenly became horribly real.

Leeds deserved their lead. They were organised, energetic and adventurous, with Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson giving Arsenal plenty to think about. David Raya had already been called upon to make two important saves, while the home side’s attacking contribution amounted to little more than a tame Kai Havertz header.

It was hardly the stuff of champions.

But this Arsenal side has developed a useful habit of finding answers when the questions become uncomfortable.

Riccardo Calafiori provided the first, arriving in the right place to convert Ben White’s delivery and restore parity before the Emirates had completely surrendered to frustration.

Then came the cavalry.

Mikel Arteta’s triple substitution, most notably the introduction of £75 million summer signing Bruno Guimaraes, changed the complexion of the contest almost immediately.

Suddenly Arsenal were moving the ball with purpose. The passing became sharper, the movement more intelligent and Leeds, who had looked so comfortable for much of the afternoon, were forced onto the back foot.

Eight minutes after the equaliser, Guimaraes supplied the decisive moment.

A beautifully constructed Arsenal move ended with the Brazilian calmly dispatching the ball from the edge of the area. It was a finish of real quality, but equally impressive was the fluency of the football that preceded it.

From looking like a side still suffering a Brighton hangover, Arsenal had rediscovered their swagger.

And with that, the Emirates rediscovered its voice.

There was even time for Martin Odegaard to squander an excellent opportunity to put the result beyond doubt, failing to convert Declan Rice’s inviting pass from close range. It mattered little in the end, although Arsenal supporters might have appreciated a less anxious conclusion.

THE BRUNO FACTOR

Much will understandably be made of Guimaraes’ contribution, and rightly so.

Seventy-five million pounds is an enormous investment, even by modern Premier League standards, but this was precisely the sort of occasion on which expensive footballers are expected to justify their price tags.

The Brazilian didn’t merely score the winner. His arrival gave Arsenal a different dimension, injecting urgency, authority and attacking imagination into a midfield that had previously struggled to impose itself.

Arteta deserves credit, too. His starting XI had failed to deliver, but his substitutions were decisive.

There will be questions about why Arsenal needed an hour to get going, but the manager recognised the problem and did something about it.

That is what substitutes are for, after all.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The significance of this victory extends beyond the three points.

Arsenal entered the international break having been comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Brighton, a result that punctured the confidence generated by four consecutive victories at the start of their title defence.

Another defeat, particularly at home, would have invited the inevitable questions about whether the champions were beginning to wobble.

Instead, Arsenal have responded in the manner of a team that knows what it takes to win a title.

And perhaps that is the most encouraging aspect of the afternoon.

The Gunners were nowhere near their best. Their passing was frequently laboured, their attacking play predictable and their opponents created the better opportunities for much of the contest.

Yet they still found a way to win.

With Manchester City heading to Anfield on Sunday, Arsenal have ensured the pressure remains firmly on their principal rivals. City lead on goal difference, but the champions are breathing down their necks.

Arteta, fresh from signing a new contract, has provided the stability that has become an increasingly rare commodity elsewhere in the Premier League.

There is something reassuring about that continuity, particularly at a time when their rivals have undergone considerable upheaval.

But stability alone doesn’t win championships. Quality, character and the ability to respond to adversity are equally important.

Against Leeds, Arsenal eventually demonstrated all three.

THE LOOSE CANNON VERDICT

Let’s not pretend this was a vintage Arsenal performance. It wasn’t.

Leeds were excellent for long periods and will feel understandably disappointed to leave empty-handed. Their organisation, ambition and willingness to attack made life distinctly uncomfortable for the champions.

But football matches last 90 minutes, not 60, and Arsenal’s superior quality and strength in depth ultimately proved decisive.

Calafiori supplied the spark. Guimaraes delivered the knockout blow. And Arteta emerged with another three points, even if the performance will have given him plenty to ponder.

There will be better displays than this over the coming months. There will certainly need to be.

But championships are not won exclusively through dazzling football and comfortable victories. Sometimes they are won through resilience, timely substitutions and moments of individual brilliance.

Arsenal showed all of those qualities when they mattered most.

The champions were rattled, but they weren’t beaten. And that might just be the most important message of the afternoon.

Up the Arsenal!

Coastal Defence Comes Crumbling Down

Well, that was a nasty little reality check.

Seven wins on the spin, confidence soaring, and suddenly Arsenal looked like a side that had forgotten how to play football. Brighton didn't just beat us. They pressed us, outplayed us and eventually put us out of our misery with three goals that exposed some distinctly uncomfortable weaknesses.

The Seagulls were celebrating their 125th anniversary, and Arsenal generously decided to provide the entertainment. Unfortunately, it was the home supporters who got to enjoy the party.

From the opening whistle, Brighton were at us like a pack of hungry dogs. Their high press had our defenders looking distinctly uncomfortable, and Riccardo Calafiori's early clearance was the first indication that this wasn't going to be one of those afternoons when everything clicked into place.

Ferdi Kadioglu fired over, and then David Raya had to produce a full-stretch save to deny Charalampos Kostoulas. We were barely out of our own half.

It took 15 minutes before Arsenal managed anything resembling an attack. A long ball from Raya released Bukayo Saka, but his effort was blocked. Calafiori then had a header charged down, and for a brief period, we began to look like a team that had actually met before kick-off.

But Brighton had other ideas.

Pascal Gross picked up the ball outside the penalty area and sent a low shot crashing in off Raya's near post. It was a fine finish, although the ease with which Brighton found shooting opportunities from distance was becoming a worrying theme.

Still, at 1–0, we were very much in the game.

Then came the moment that effectively killed it.

Martin Odegaard drove into the box, Saka managed a tame effort that Bart Verbruggen collected, and within seconds Brighton were racing up the other end.

Kostoulas advanced with the confidence of a man who knew exactly what he was doing and buried a superb effort into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Two goals down at half-time. Two long-range strikes. And a mountain to climb.

The second-half response? What response?

Arsenal needed to come out swinging. Instead, Brighton continued to dictate proceedings, and on the hour mark Chema Andres rose at the far post to head home from a beautifully delivered corner.

Three-nil.

Game over.

Mikel Arteta turned to his bench, introducing Viktor Gyokeres in the hope that fresh legs might inject some urgency into a performance that had become increasingly pedestrian.

To his credit, Gyokeres produced a delightful ball over the top to release Kai Havertz, who found himself one-on-one with Verbruggen.

This was the chance. The moment to salvage a little pride and perhaps give Brighton something to think about.

Havertz hit it straight at the goalkeeper.

That, ladies and gentlemen, was pretty much that.

Brighton cruised home, Arsenal trudged off, and our magnificent seven-game winning streak disappeared into the Sussex sea.

A defeat worth examining

There is no need for hysteria. Seven consecutive victories represent an excellent start to any campaign, and this was our fourth successive away fixture in less than a fortnight.

Fatigue may well have played a part.

But let's not pretend this was simply a case of tired legs.

Brighton were sharper, more aggressive and considerably more effective in possession. Their pressing repeatedly forced mistakes, while Arsenal struggled to establish any rhythm in midfield.

The hosts created the better chances, scored three unanswered goals and deserved their victory.

What should concern Arteta is not merely the scoreline but the manner of the defeat.

We looked vulnerable when pressed, failed to prevent Brighton from shooting in dangerous positions and offered precious little attacking threat once we fell behind.

For all the attacking talent at our disposal, our best opportunity came from a substitute's pass to Havertz. That is hardly an encouraging statistic.

And while Brighton deserve enormous credit, Arsenal must ask themselves why they were so comprehensively second best.

One defeat doesn't undo seven victories. But seven victories don't make a performance like this acceptable either.

Time to regroup

The international break now arrives at an opportune moment.

Arteta has time to examine what went wrong, although most of his players will be disappearing to represent their countries rather than working on the training ground.

We return to Premier League action against Leeds United at home on Saturday, October 10.

That fixture provides an opportunity to demonstrate that Brighton was an aberration rather than the beginning of an unwelcome trend.

For now, congratulations to Brighton on their anniversary. They played with the energy, ambition and conviction that Arsenal conspicuously lacked.

As for us, the unbeaten run is over, the winning streak is history, and the players have been given a reminder that reputations count for very little when the opposition wants it more.

Seven wins, one defeat. No crisis. But plenty of questions.

And Arteta needs to find some answers before Leeds come calling.

Max Makes Marks Skidding Town Out Of Tournament

Mighty Max Makes His Mark as Arsenal’s Kids Keep Coming

There are nights in the Carabao Cup when the result is almost beside the point. Arsenal’s 4-2 win at Ipswich put us safely into the last 16, but the scoreline will probably be a footnote to the thing we’ll actually remember.

Max Dowman.

Sixteen years old. First competitive start of the season. Six minutes gone. Goal.

And not some fortunate ricochet off his shin either. Dowman won the ball high up the pitch, continued his run, took Ebere Eze’s return pass, wrong-footed Cedric Kipre and buried his finish into the bottom corner.

That’s not what 16-year-olds are supposed to do.

At that age, most of us were trying to work out how to get served in a pub. Dowman is apparently trying to work out how quickly he can get into Mikel Arteta’s Premier League team.

NO FEAR

What impressed me wasn’t simply the two goals. It was the complete absence of fear.

Young players sometimes make their first appearances looking as though they’ve been instructed not to make a mistake. Keep it simple. Give it to the senior players. Don’t take risks.

Dowman looked as though nobody had bothered to tell him he was the kid.

His second goal arrived just 90 seconds after half-time. Martin Zubimendi helped work the ball through to him and Dowman calmly rolled it into the bottom corner.

Two goals.

Sixteen years and 258 days old.

Only Cesc Fabregas has scored younger for Arsenal in this competition, and Dowman became only the second 16-year-old to score twice in a game for a Premier League club in all competitions. The other was some bloke called Wayne Rooney.

Decent company.

Comparisons at this age are dangerous, of course. Arsenal supporters have seen enough wonderkids to know that development rarely travels in a straight line.

But equally, there comes a point when pretending not to be excited becomes ridiculous.

This boy looks special.

ARSENAL’S PRODUCTION LINE

Dowman wasn’t the only teenager worth watching.

Marli Salmon, barely 17 himself, played alongside Gabriel and looked remarkably composed. He defended when he needed to defend, carried the ball confidently into midfield and generally behaved as though playing senior football at Portman Road was perfectly normal.

Later, Theo Julienne came on for his competitive debut.

That matters.

For all the money Arsenal have spent assembling a squad capable of challenging for the biggest trophies, there remains something uniquely satisfying about watching another Hale End player emerge.

Saka. Lewis-Skelly. Nwaneri. Now Dowman, Salmon and Julienne are knocking on the door.

You can buy quality.

You can’t buy that connection.

NONI LOOKING DANGEROUS

There were plenty of encouraging signs elsewhere.

Noni Madueke caused Ipswich problems throughout and smashed in Arsenal’s second after some excellent pressing and a lovely Mikel Merino chip put him through.

Madueke increasingly looks like a player capable of giving Arteta exactly what he wants from his wide players: pace, directness and the willingness to attack defenders rather than simply recycle possession.

Merino then got the fourth, controlling Bruno Guimaraes’ pass before firing in off the post.

At 4-0, it was job done.

The two Ipswich goals — Anis Mehmeti first and former Gunner Chuba Akpom in stoppage time — made the final scoreline look slightly less comfortable than the match actually was.

Arteta won’t particularly enjoy conceding twice.

I doubt it will keep him awake.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This is exactly what you want from the League Cup.

Win the game. Rest some players. Give others minutes. Introduce youngsters to senior football. Discover whether the next generation can handle it.

And occasionally discover that one of them doesn’t merely handle it.

He grabs hold of the game.

Nobody should be demanding that Dowman starts every Premier League match now. He needs protecting, managing and developing properly. There will be poor games because there are poor games for every 16-year-old footballer who has ever lived.

But there is also no point pretending we didn’t see what we saw at Portman Road.

Two goals.

Two composed finishes.

No fear.

Arsenal are into the last 16.

And Max Dowman has properly announced himself.

The scary thing?

He’s still not old enough to drive himself home.