ARSENAL VS WOLVES - CLIFF NOTES DEBRIEF
Here are the cliff notes from the game, plus the On The Whistle podcast for members at the end of the post. Let me know if you like this format - if you do, I’ll make it a regular thing.
Starting 11:
Arsenal players come out to THEY NOT LIKE US. A Kendrick diss track that accused Drake of being a ‘certified pedophile.’ Quite the choice.
A banger however you cut it. Play it while you read the post.
Declan and Partey were pinning the midfield early on, with Partey the deeper of the two.
Arsenal spent most of the time in the opening six minutes trying to make things happen down the left—a familiar scene if you've been following preseason.
Delicious pressing by Saka and Ødegaard, with the Norwegian creating a chance for Havertz with a backheel counter-press flick.
Partey clips the ball to Saka, who pulls off a lovely bit of skill to create some space for a strike that is well saved. No one follows in on the parried save.
Partey is really having a sharp game—he’s alert, calm, and causing problems in the final third, although he did miss a clean chance on the edge of the box.
Saka is spending a lot more time on the inside right early on, occupying Ødegaard's positions—really good stuff.
Some early signs show Big Gabi is thinking about Calafiori—long passes not quite hitting the mark.
Zinchenko finds Saka in acres of space, and Saka puts a delicious cross into the box. Kai drops in with a proper geezer number 9 header to score the first of our season.
Saka bounds into the area one-on-one, clips the ball back, and is partially wiped out by the oncoming defender... but there's no chance Gillett and Tierney are giving anything to Arsenal. It's not in their DNA.
Raya pulls off an incredible save from a Larson header (great Gomes cross)—the chance came from a loss of possession by Kai Havertz. Arsenal were too slow to react to the transition.
Arsenal allowed the game to become a bit end-to-end before halftime. A little bit rattled by the opening earlier? Who knows.
Zinchenko had a blinder going forward—at the heart of a lot of the early build-up moments. Martinelli was threaded in twice at the end of the half, with Zinchenko being key. Martinelli needs to make better choices.
One notable surprise in that half was watching Saka occupy Martin Ødegaard's positions. I’ve suggested in the past that he could cover as a 10, and this game seems to indicate he has the tools. He was a real problem when he came inside, getting off different types of shots, delivering deft balls to Havertz, and being an overall nuisance.