Jules Breach
đ€ SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
The throws, the set pieces, Igor Thiago up front.
There is such a handful, that midfield that works really well.
And they were very smart, Arthur, especially in the first half, which caught...
Arsenal a bit cold in the way they build up from the back, in their rotation in midfield, which I don't think Arteta and Arsenal players expected that from them because that's not really what we've been used to so much.
So, yeah, credit to Keith Andrews again for the job that he's been doing.
And for the season that they're having, they're still very much fighting to finish top six and seven, by the way.
It might still take them into Europe next season, which would be incredible for them.
I thought he worked really hard and clearly to beat that press, especially in the first half, clearly the aim from Arsenal was to play long on him and it's not easy when you've got Ajax behind you and the Brentford defenders but I thought he did okay.
There was a chance in that second half we didn't show on the highlights where Arsenal moved the ball really well on the right-hand side and then Rice, instead of going for goal himself,
tries to play the ball almost in a six-yard box for Giocares, and Caglioti comes back and just clears the ball at the moment where Giocares is going to hit it and score from that close range.
You see the touch-map that he had.
The problem, obviously, as you can see, is the last two numbers in the stats.
The fact that he has zero XG because there was zero shot on target, on goal.
And that's the problem, obviously, in a team like that.
But tonight was a game where...
It would have been great for him to score, sure.
But you also needed him more for all that kind of work to get the block higher from Arsenal, to try to beat their press, to be a handful for the Brentford defenders, which I think he can do and try to do tonight.
I think Arteta will choose, depending on who they face, because I think there's... OK, Havertz was not available, was not fit for tonight, so it was Gabriel Jesus or Gio Keres.
In a game like this, away, under the rain, the cold, the wind, everything you want...
you put your cares to play against that Brentford defence more than Gabriel Jesus, to be fair.