RAGEH AGAINST THE ARSENAL
Arsenal 3 West Ham 1
On my way to be part of West Ham’s annual thankless pilgrimage to the Emirates Stadium, I found myself unexpectedly sitting next to Arsenal fan Rageh Omaar (ITV News Reporter) and his wife, two kids and father-in-law, all travelling to the game, like me, from west London. Throwing aside any civilised politeness I may have previously laid claim to, I listened in to their conversation attentively, observing the reporter excitedly explaining to his father-in-law all about Arteta’s career as a player, and the accumulation of footballing coincidences that had offered him a unique and startling experience of factionalism. Being a Catalan growing up was as good a start as any, then going on to play for Everton (v Liverpool) and Rangers (v Celtic), both footballing experiences undoubtedly offering him intimate detailed experience of geographical enmity. Omaar failed to mention Tottenham or West Ham as potential cut throat rivals to Arsenal, much to my disappointment, though when he finally reduced the level of conversation to the banality of Arteta’s team selection and formation for the evening game, he found himself suddenly and horribly upstaged by his previously taciturn daughter, who clearly knew everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours around the wretched club. It was all great pre-match entertainment, but no decent or fair preparation for what I was about to witness.
Gabriel Jesus misses a game for Arsenal for the first time due to an injury received at the World Cup in Qatar with Brazil. Lucas Paquetá, from the same side however, is fit. But still not looking much in this West Ham team. Maybe tonight that changes. We wait to see.
Antonio is back but Scamacca is still absent. All these variables, and Arsenal with a 100% home record going into their last home game of 2022. We wouldn’t want to spoil that, of course, even if we could.
After just five minutes a loose ball from Rice is intercepted by Saliba, who feeds Ødegaard, and his through ball is well back heeled by Nketiah to Saka who thumps it past Fabianski. So simple. But fortunately offside. Twenty minutes later Ødegaard is a foot from finishing at the same near post, having been put in by Saka. It isn’t nice to watch for a follower of the opposition.
A minute later Coufal picks out Antonio who this time gets the better of Saliba and puts Bowen in who is felled by the same man chasing back, and Benrahma dispatches the penalty. So simple, but like his goal against Palace before the World Cup break, this has wounded the lion, not put it to sleep.
The referee Michael Oliver tries to put things right with the home crowd by awarding a penalty to Arsenal a few minutes before the break after a shot from Ødegaard strikes Cresswell on the head, but after a consultation with Dr. Var and a brief lesson in anatomy, the penalty is cancelled. Arteta, even having seen the conclusive replay on the big screen, finds something to complain about.
Seven minutes into the second half after Paquetá is gently hassled off the ball and the first of three has arrived. Ødegaard’s mishit shot is gathered by Saka and steered past Fabianski. Six minutes later and Arsenal have the lead when Saka hassles Rice off the ball and Xhaka feeds Martinelli wide on the left who beats Fabianski at the near post. Shocking.
The third comes twenty minutes from time when Saka robs Cresswell and Nketiah turns Kehrer sublimely before hammering the wide ball past Fabianski. This goal is actually quite magical to watch, but again you would have to be a neutral or an Arsenal fan to feed even slightly on its beauty.
So, a defeat to the league leaders who have only lost once all season. Does that make it any easier to bear? Getting beat is still getting beat, and the season is just starting to look a little like something from a bygone age (or a pre-Covid one, in any case).
1 Lucasz Fabianski, 3 Aaron Cresswell, 5 Vladimir Coufal, 15 Craig Dawson, 24 Thilo Kehrer, 22 Saïd Benrahma, 28 Tomas Souček, 41 Declan Rice (captain), 11 Lucas Paquetá, 20 Jarrod Bowen, 9 Michail Antonio
Substitutes: 8 Pablo Fornals, 72 Divin Mubama
Goalscorer: Saïd Benrahma (penalty)
