FORGETTABLE WIN OR MONSTER DEFINING MOMENT IN TITLE PUSH?

ARSENAL KEEP ON MARCHING

I wrote yesterday that the Bournemouth game might be a forgettable one, but as I rewatch and internalise what happened out there, maybe I need to upgrade this game to one of those moments that defined a season?

Bournemouth did the dirty double over Arsenal last season—so Iraola really is a manager who has our number. They go one-v-one, they press high, they are adventurous… and they did not give one single f*ck that we were top of the league.

For Arsenal to exit that game with a win, after going a goal down following a dreadful Big Gabi pass into midfield, was nothing short of exceptional. The slightly rotated team showed resilience, character, and powerful levels of fitness to see out a massive game.

The first half was basically a showcase for the mentality of Gabriel. He put a hospital ball into Evanilson, who was on the edge of the area, and the Brazilian swept a 10-yard shot past a backpedaling Raya in nonchalant fashion. That’s the second goal we’ve gifted him in two games. But 6 minutes later, the Big Brazilian made amends when he found himself on the end of a loose ball at the back post. He absolutely steamed the ball inside the far post. Unstoppable stuff. The run into the box from Madueke was beautiful; he danced across the byline and clipped it through a sea of legs. He really does have something very special about him. Call me a dreamer, but I think he has what it takes to be world class. The pace, the swagger, the skill, the shifting hips… love him. I’m captivated.

That didn’t really make us much more comfortable. The whole team looked labored, and the passing was lacking crispness. Martin Odegaard hadn’t found his range, and our forward line, particularly on the left, was not having its finest day. Martinelli had a game to forget (partly because he has zero chemistry with Hincapie), Madueke had some really nice moments without end product, and Gyokeres was sloshing around like a crab in a beer barrel.

The second half saw the one-v-one nonsense die down and gave our players more time to pin Bournemouth in. Declan and Odegaard really led proceedings.

The next goal saw some route one love into Gyokeres. Timber looped a ball to Martinelli, who nodded it into the path of Gyokeres. The Swede pulled the ball down over his shoulder but couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet; he attracted a Bournemouth wolfpack towards him, losing the ball to a stabbed clearance. Odegaard collected, organized his feet, spotted the Declan late run, and teed up the big man for a beautiful strike into the bottom right of the goal. Wonderful stuff from a player who must have been itching to get on the pitch after missing that Villa game.

Our third was really something. Odegaard found this beautiful diagonal ball for Saka to run onto; the wideman dropped a very steep cut-back to Declan, who swept home AGAIN. Two goals for a midfielder who should get 15 a season.

We still found time to make things spicy. This week, it was Eli Junior Kroupi. He found himself with space in midfield and just fucking drilled it from 30 yards past Raya. There was a slight bit of whip on the ball that made the flight hard to judge. Not much you can really say there… bar this becoming a little bit of a trend to switch off late. I’m sure Arteta will be pissed at both goals. We need to be more buttoned up because this season could go down to the wire and goals conceded might be VERY important.

So where do we want to start today?

Martin Ødegaard. One the best players in his position right now. He has found his sparkle. The fitness looks back to normal, the confidence is sky high, and he looks like he’s shining in this new and upgraded system. No player is written off faster than this guy, but my word, since he’s returned, I think he’s probably even surprised himself. That pass into Saka was a man tuned into the matrix, he felt the run before he saw it, and had the experience to prod that into his path with precision. Saka should have shared the assist imo.

Bukayo Saka. A player who hasn’t really hit the heights this season. We’ve been waiting for the breakout Salah season, and we look a way off it. But for me, this is a guy who has also faced his fitness issues, and my feeling is the back half of the season will be when he explodes into form. Those shots he’s blazing over will drop under the bar; he’s becoming sharper, and he’ll show that he’s the big man when the call comes. He seems to be in a funk this season where he’s snapping at shots, perhaps trying to force it. I’m also not sure he’s vibing with Gyokeres. We’ve all seen the choices not to pass, is that because he wants to score the goals himself, or he doesn’t trust who is there?

Declan Rice. The man is dropping Ballon d’Or performances this season. He is Rodri with better freekicks, corners, and general output. He’s creating insane amounts of expected assists, and now he’s telling the world he’s recognized the next level is getting goals on a more regular basis. Well, those two yesterday were so, so valuable to our season. But let’s not forget what his real skill is… being a total menace. He made 16 defensive contributions, and his passing accuracy was 84%. He won 50% of his duels. He only made one foul, which shows how in control he is, especially when you compare him to Moises Cattermole over at Chelsea. Harping on about his leadership feels twee at this point, but it is worth noting the first person over to Big Gabi was Declan. The man is a great teammate… and the level of focus he has on winning this season is insane.

Big Gabriel also needs a mention. We all know he’s one of the best on the planet. I nearly threw up when I saw the pass he made. I had to check that he did indeed make that error. It was him. Mistakes happen, even to freaks of focus like him… but this Arsenal team is different because the reaction is always so positive. To make amends, as a centre-back, at the back post in the 16th minute of a first half shows insane dedication to the cause, and outrageous belief in your abilities. This is another guy who did a bozo thing by playing for Brazil when injured, but it looks like he’s ready to make amends and drive us forward.

Viktor Gyokeres. A better performance by his standards? Sure. Did he do well to fight for his lunch up front? Yes. Are Bournemouth one of the hardest teams to play away from home? Absolutely. We are winning right now. When you’re winning, no one wants to be honest about what they’re seeing. But I will be because I remember getting slapped up by my own Merino propaganda when we saw how he looked as a striker in the Champions League semi. Viktor’s record… zero shots on target, zero off target, no chances created, and he lost 6 of 8 duels. Even for the goal, that was a lost duel. I need to be seeing better; if the role we were hiring for this summer was just an athlete, we might have gone for a faster one. We wanted to see goals, and it feels like we’re getting further from them. People can get upset that I don’t want to wax lyrical over what I’m seeing… but I said at the start of the season, the only thing I give a shit about with my 9s is goal contributions. I’m not seeing enough right now. Was Jesus the answer when he came on? No. Dreadful as well. But he’s been injured for a year while the Swede has been winning Gerd Muller awards. But if we’re handing out trophies for attracting defenders, Jesus did the same for the 3rd goal. It always worries me when the standards and expectations get lower and lower for players. That is what we’re seeing here. 30 goals. 20 goals. 13 goals. He’s a hard runner. Never gives up. Are stats even relevant?

But here’s my prediction… Liverpool, this Thursday, will see Arteta pick Gyokeres again. My feeling here is he’s going to score a brace. Screamers perhaps. It will be the turning point for his season because he’ll know that Kai has all the tools he has, plus a lot more. Gabriel Jesus is a dream player, one of the best at our club, but he isn’t a present number 9. He’s a drifter, a mirage; he is indirect, when this Arsenal side we’re watching now is very direct. People say Gyokeres’s style isn’t suited to Arsenal, which I’d say is nonsense. Someone standing up front, occupying defenders, and running in behind is exactly what Arsenal need. We just need it happening with more power, control, and speed. Kai is the real threat to his minutes… and I think Gyokeres might be looking at Thursday as the moment to have a big splash.

We should also be prepared to give Mikel Arteta some big praise. He rolled with a slightly altered front line to take some of the load off his two big dogs in Trossard and Saka. That’s a tough move for someone who hates rotating when under pressure. Arteta read the game perfectly. He knew we’d be savaged for 50 minutes, then we could bring on the fancy assets when the game tired. Saka landed his assist, he’s going to be fresh for Thursday, and it looks very much like Arteta is going to have a full squad to choose from bar Mosquera and Calafiori. Not bad for early January, you have to say.

So, we have one more game in block 5 this seaosn, then we break for cup games galore. We’ve played 12 games in total, won 10, lost one, drawn one. That is a sensational return when you consider there have been large chunks of that period where we’ve been doubting the ability of the manager and the squad to fend of Man City. We are bonified title contenders, Arsenal have the best squad, the best manager, and the hardest momentum. There’s a very long way to go, but my word, who else would you want to be right now?

That was a great start to 2026. A core memory cemented for this season. Maybe we’re talking about that Declan double in 20 years time? Now over the Callum McFarlane to lead Chelsea to glory at the Ethihad today (yes, really).

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