Special Delivery From Defenders

DEFENDERS DELIVER AS ARSENAL DRAW LEVEL AT THE TOP

Arsenal 2 Everton 0

Who needs strikers when you’ve got centre-backs who know where the goal is?

Arsenal moved level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Everton, with Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhaes providing the goals. It might not have been a dazzling exhibition of attacking football, but it was another thoroughly professional performance from Mikel Arteta’s men. And with City slipping up at Aston Villa earlier in the day, the result was just what the doctor ordered.

The Gunners were out of the blocks quickly, forcing three successive corners before Konsa bundled the ball home at the back post in the seventh minute. It was his first goal for the club and, remarkably, Arsenal’s first from a set-piece this season. Given how much has been made of their prowess from dead-ball situations, it was about time.

From there, Arsenal largely controlled proceedings. Thirteen shots and ten corners in the first half told their own story, although Everton weren’t entirely without ambition. James Garner and Tyrique George both tested the home defence, but David Raya was equal to anything that came his way.

There was one slightly alarming moment when Ben White made a mess of things towards the end of the first half, offering Everton an opportunity they failed to exploit. But these things happen, and White more than made amends after the interval.

Indeed, it was his cross that provided the second goal in the 68th minute, Gabriel Magalhaes rising to power home a header and effectively settle the contest. Two centre-backs, two goals, three points. Lovely stuff.

Everton almost grabbed a consolation late on when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall flicked a header narrowly wide, but that would have flattered the visitors. Arsenal were comfortably the better side and deserved their victory.

Of course, if you really want to split hairs, you might ask why Arsenal are relying on their defenders to score goals. Isn’t that what the forwards are supposed to do?

Well, yes and no. Football is a team game, and goals count just the same whether they’re scored by your £60 million striker or your centre-half. Nobody awards bonus points for artistic merit, and nobody hands out fewer points because a defender has done the business.

That said, Viktor Gyokeres isn’t exactly setting the world alight at the moment. The goals aren’t flowing, and there will inevitably be questions about whether he’s going to justify the expectations that accompanied his arrival. But he works hard, occupies defenders and contributes to the team in ways that don’t always appear on the scoresheet. Confidence is a funny thing with strikers. One goal can change everything, and there’s no reason to suppose he won’t eventually hit his stride.

Fingers crossed, anyway.

The bigger concern is Bukayo Saka. His injury looks set to keep him out for a considerable period, and there’s no point pretending that won’t hurt. Saka is one of Arsenal’s most important players, capable of creating something out of nothing and turning a tight match on its head. You don’t replace that sort of quality overnight.

But there is some consolation in the form of Noni Madueke, who has been playing extremely well. He offers pace, directness and a willingness to take defenders on, and if he can maintain his current form, perhaps Saka’s absence won’t be quite the catastrophe some fear.

Indeed, one of the encouraging things about this Arsenal side is the growing sense that they don’t have to depend on one or two individuals to get results. When the forwards aren’t scoring, the defenders chip in. When a key player gets injured, somebody else has an opportunity to step up. That’s what squads are for, and that’s what successful teams do.

It would be nice, admittedly, to see Arsenal occasionally demolish somebody with a flurry of goals from their attacking players. But there’s something rather satisfying about a team that can win comfortably without ever needing to reach top gear.

And let’s not forget the bigger picture.

Manchester City have lost, Arsenal have won, and the two sides are now level on 21 points at the summit of the Premier League. Nobody wins the title in October, of course, but you can certainly lose it by allowing your rivals to open up a substantial gap. Arsenal are doing precisely the opposite.

There’s a long way to go, plenty of obstacles ahead and the inevitable twists and turns that make the Premier League such compelling entertainment.

But for now, Arsenal are right where they want to be.

Level with City, three more points in the bag, and another clean sheet.

The strikers can start scoring whenever they’re ready.

Up the Arsenal!

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Rice To The Rescue

RICE TO THE RESCUE AS ARSENAL REFUSE TO BUCKLE

Arsenal 2 Bayern Munich 2

There are draws that feel like defeats and draws that feel like victories. Arsenal’s entertaining 2-2 encounter with Bayern Munich probably falls somewhere in between, although Declan Rice’s late equaliser certainly gave the Emirates faithful something to celebrate.

On a night when Harry Kane threatened to remind his former north London neighbours of his considerable talents, it was Rice who ultimately stole the headlines with another all-action performance and a superbly taken goal.

But the biggest concern for Mikel Arteta will be the sight of Bukayo Saka limping off after just ten minutes. The England winger went down clutching his thigh without an opposition player anywhere near him, which is never a particularly encouraging sign. Arsenal have enough attacking options these days, but losing Saka for any significant period would still represent a serious blow.

Fortunately, his replacement needed little time to make an impression.

Eberechi Eze has not always enjoyed the smoothest of rides since arriving at Arsenal, but his 35th-minute opener was a timely reminder of his quality. Martin Odegaard supplied a delightful pass, Eze finished clinically, and VAR eventually decided that the assistant referee’s offside flag had been a little premature.

At that stage, Arsenal looked capable of taking control. Unfortunately, Harry Kane had other ideas.

The former Tottenham striker may no longer be tormenting Arsenal on a weekly basis, but old habits die hard. His beautifully weighted pass released Alphonso Davies for Bayern’s equaliser before he stepped forward to convert a penalty after the ball struck Jurrien Timber’s hand.

It was a reminder that Kane is considerably more than a goalscorer. His passing throughout the evening was exceptional, and Arsenal’s defenders found themselves repeatedly pulled out of position by a striker who seemed equally comfortable operating as a midfielder.

At 2-1, Bayern looked the more likely side to score again. David Raya produced two excellent saves, while Gabriel Magalhaes and Ezri Konsa had their hands full attempting to contain the German champions’ attacking movement.

Yet Arsenal possess something that has not always been associated with the club over the years: resilience.

They refused to panic, stayed in the contest and eventually found their reward when substitute Viktor Gyokeres combined neatly with Rice, who drove a low shot into the bottom corner.

It was the sort of finish that makes you wonder whether there is anything Rice cannot do.

He tackles, intercepts, covers enormous distances, organises those around him and increasingly contributes decisive goals. The £105 million Arsenal paid West Ham once seemed an extraordinary amount for a defensive midfielder. These days, it looks like money exceptionally well spent.

Indeed, Rice’s influence has become so substantial that it is difficult to imagine Arsenal functioning quite so effectively without him. He has developed into the heartbeat of Arteta’s side, and this was another performance that demonstrated why.

There were other encouraging signs. Odegaard looked sharp and inventive, Eze made an immediate impact, and Noni Madueke offered plenty of direct running without quite producing the final product. Gyokeres also demonstrated that he can influence matches from the bench, even when he does not get on the scoresheet.

Bruno Guimaraes, meanwhile, still appears to be finding his feet, although there were glimpses of the quality that persuaded Arsenal to bring him to the club.

Arsenal might even have won it. Timber forced Manuel Neuer into an acrobatic save in the closing stages, and the Gunners finished the game with considerably more attacking intent than they had shown during Bayern’s strongest spell.

There will undoubtedly be frustration at conceding twice, particularly after taking the lead, but Bayern Munich are hardly a side against whom defensive perfection can be guaranteed. Kane remains one of the world’s finest forwards, and Davies demonstrated just how quickly Bayern can turn defence into attack.

The greater question concerns Saka. Arsenal have invested heavily in attacking depth, and Eze’s contribution suggested that Arteta now possesses alternatives capable of changing important matches. Nevertheless, there is a considerable difference between having options and losing one of your most influential players.

For all the millions spent strengthening the squad, Saka remains a footballer whose intelligence, movement and creativity cannot simply be reproduced by someone else.

Still, Arsenal emerged from a demanding European examination with their unbeaten spirit intact and another demonstration of their ability to respond when things go wrong.

There was a time when going behind against Bayern Munich would have been the cue for an Arsenal collapse. Anyone who remembers the humiliating 5-1 defeats of 2015 and 2017 will appreciate just how far the club has travelled.

This time, Arsenal stood their ground, fought back and might even have snatched all three points.

And if there is one reassuring conclusion to draw from the evening, it is that whatever problems Arteta encounters, he can usually rely on Declan Rice to help solve them.

The former West Ham captain has become Arsenal’s Mr Dependable. On this occasion, he was also Mr Indispensable.

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!