Arsenal 4-0 Norwich. 5-things

 

1. Kruelly Robbed 

Fans will have plenty of memories of Tim Krul and his antics. The experienced Premiership keeper has been a nuisance to Arsenal, not necessarily for performance, but in terms of his relentless gamesmanship. Everything from time wasting, jiggling on the goal line and inciting handbags. He loves it. So, who better to get embarrassed tonight at the Emirates? Absolutely no one. 

Aubameyamg chases down a back-pass to the goalie. The Dutch keeper mistakes himself for Johan Cruyff as he attempts a cut back, showing the agility of a 10-ton lorry. He’s fooling nobody. The striker pokes the ball clear, runs on to it and kicks it into an empty net. He’s now scored 50 goals in 79 games, which makes him the faster Arsenal player to reach the target in Arsenal’s Premier League history.

 

 

2. A Full Moon?

Xhaka divides opinion. His range of passing is his strength. It opens up the fields and gives us structure. He does, however, misplace the odd pass and when you’re the deep lying midfield, it will cause trouble. In fact, he had patches of games where his passing got regularly punished. Fortunately, under Arteta, he has looked more comfortable and less exposed.

It was great to see him get a goal today, albeit it without the fans he’s had such a torrid relationship with. For the goal, Luiz looped a huge diagonal pass to Tierney. He ran down the left flank and fed the ball to Aubameyang. Under pressure, the forward delicately cut the ball back for the Swiss, who smashed it through the legs of the keeper from a tight angle.

 

 

3. Lucky Escape?

Kolasinac has started the last two games as part of the back three, and despite having an involvement in the Sheffield United goal in the last game, he has looked ok. We’ve been on the receiving end of some poor VAR decisions this season, and most would have been expected the worse when they checked this incident.

The game was at two-nil when Kolasinac allowed Cantwell to get the wrong side of him in the box. At first glance, it looked like the defender bundled into the back of him, but after the VAR check nothing was given. Big sighs of relief from sofas and couches worldwide. When the Checking VAR is shown on the big screen, at least some pessimistic Gooners will expect this to become the beginning of the end, as it feels so long since Arsenal have enjoyed giving out a good old thrashing.

 

4. Cheers Mate

Aubameyang has been especially deadly this season. If there’s one player on the Arsenal team that Norwich don’t want to accidently pass to in the box, it has to be him.  So poor old Josip Drmic will be kicking himself this morning because he sets the striker up perfectly for Arsenal’s third goal.

Arsenal have Norwich penned in their half as the Canaries have a take a throw-in. They find one of their own players, but being closely marked he panics and hits the ball into his own 18-yard box (a traditional big no-no). The player he is passing to mysteriously hesitates to collect the ball, and it drifts past him and onto Aubameyang. The striker takes a touch, bears down on goal and slots the ball into the net. His second goal today without an Arsenal assist.

 

 

5. Who Is That?

In the 77th minute, the number 17 is held up on the substitute board. Silence falls over the Emirates. He looks too old to be a youth player. Those are big biceps. It’s the man, the myth, the legend, Cedric Soares! The man who got a new four year contract despite not kicking a ball. But you know what, he might just be worth it because four minutes later he’s celebrating a screamer.

A poor looking corner comes in at knee-height and is cleared by one of the four Norwich defenders it aimed at. The clearance goes straight to Soares, who takes a touch, runs onto it and smashes it low it into the near corner. A lovely looking goal that only on closer inspection shows a slight deflection off a Norwich ankle.