After a grueling start to the Premier League season, Arsenal finally scored a Premier League goal to record a narrow win over Norwich City.
The Gunners started the game with high intensity, however, that dissipated as the first half progressed. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the only goal of the tie in the 66th minute. The ball fell kindly to the club captain in front of an open goal after a frantic passage of play in which Nicolas Pepe struck the post twice.
The hosts could have added to their lead, but some sharp saves from Tim Krul denied them. Mikel Arteta has been under scrutiny following the team’s poor start to the campaign. Now he will be determined to continue the winning run.
Here are the talking points from the game:
1. Tomiyasu with a solid debut:
Takehiro Tomiyasu made his debut after securing a transfer to north London on transfer deadline day. The Japanese full-back looked confident while defending. He was also good in the attack and almost broke the deadlock with an acrobatic volley that just went over the crossbar. The youngster displayed his dominance in the air winning all of his aerial duels. Overall, an impressive outing for the Japan international.
2. Is Ramsdale the new Number 1?:
Aaron Ramsdale got the nod ahead of Bernd Leno to start in goal. This was his second game for the Gunners and also his second clean sheet. He was not tested much throughout the game, but looked comfortable whenever he was called into action. His distribution was also on point. Leno was away with Germany during the international break, which could be the reason for Ramsdale’s inclusion in the starting lineup. If the Englishman continues to work hard, he is well on track to become Arsenal’s main man between the sticks.
3. Partey staying fit is crucial to Arsenal success:
Thomas Partey joined the north Londoners last summer from Atletico Madrid. Since then, injuries and fitness problems have hindered his progress at the club. He is accomplished when it comes to retrieving the ball and provides a perfect cover to the backline. The midfielder’s passing ability was evident in the buildup to the goal as he made a well-calculated pass to find Bukayo Saka.
4. Odegaard continues to impress:
Martin Odegaard started in the No.10 position ahead of Emile Smith Rowe. He looks to continue from where he left off last season. Apart from his incredible technical abilities, he has impressed the fans with his work rate. He is willing to track back for the team and was constantly trying to find spaces in between the defenders, unleashing the pace of Aubameyang with wonderful through passes on a couple of occasions. Arteta will have a selection dilemma this season unless he finds a way to fit both Smith Rowe and Odegaard in the same system.
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