By Boris Mellor
November 24 2024

If there is one thing that drives me mad its the idiot not far from me who yells shoot whenever an Arsenal Player is anwhere in a remotely possible shooting distance. Usually at players with not an enormous amount of shooting ability in impossible positions. So yesterday when Partey got the ball in a position that seemed to be an impossible shooting distance, with loads of defenders in the way, a  guy sitting not far from me shouted shoot,  my cynical laughter had barely died in my throat when the ball hit the back of the net.

What was the chances of that happening? About the same as a million monkeys with typewriters writing The Wasteland (or White Hart Lane as now called). There was no need for interminable VAR as it was nailed on onside. I have heard that stupid shout hundreds of time and rarely seen a goal as a result, so it has to be right one day.

This was a match Arsenal commanded from start to finish, and yet still left us a bit nervous as one nil still didnt seem enough by halftime. With three players on yellows there was always a chance of a slip up. The past weighs like a nightmare on the minds of the living.  The rain teemed down on and on, Arsenal missed or wasted quite a few chances, who would have expected it would be Partey who would make it safe only a few minutes after coming on at the start of the second half. Odergaard was brilliant and it would be tetchy to raise his shyness in front of goal. Here he was even more than apprentice to Saka's sorcery he was maestro of the whole team.  It was his ball to Saka that sent the Star Man on his way to his and the team's  first wonder goal, who later supplied Partey. I say first wonder game as all the goals were incredibly good.

Defensively Arsenal were very good but not convinced by Timber's midfield/attacking abilities. I don't think Arteta was either as he tried Zinny in the same position somewhat later on.

Minutes from the end the Arsenal Crowd bellowed out "he's one of our own" as late sub Nwanweri celebrated the second youngest scored goal in the clubs history at the top level.

Meanwhile the club had also achieved its 2000th win at the top level, of which Arteta has achieved two hundred and fifty.

A happy crowd dived out into the still teeming rain, to the delayed buses, trains and traffic jams, but who cared its all to play for.

Ratings follow

Raya 8

Timber 6

Saliba 7

Gabriel 7.

Calafiori 7

Jorginho 5

Merino 7

Odegaard 9

Saka 9 MOTM

Jesus 6

Trossard 7

Subs:

Partey 7

Nwaneri 7.

Zinchenko 6

Sterling 6.

Kiwior (n/a)

More Ratings HERE