PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE! | Saka NEEDS rest! | Wolves 0-2 Arsenal Reaction @deludedgooner

People deluded, I'm back again. It feels like forever, but finally, Arsenal are back to winning ways. After three disastrous games in all comps, you know, Champions League, Hulks dashed, Premier League, Hulks hitting, you know, hitting the buffers. We've got back to winning ways in what I would say was a professional performance. Arsenal two, Wolves nil, Wolves nil, Arsenal two, as you can see above my head. And it's a weird one. The first thing I will say, yeah, you see it added on time, like 90 minutes plus the six that was added on. I thought our players looked knackered in the second half at a certain point. I was like, I'll tell you, I'll make the subs, man. Like, oh, they got looking knackered. Saka looking knackered. You know Saka's not coming off. You know, if not that, you know, take nothing away from Wolves because for all their injuries, you know, Gary O'Neill's a very good manager. As I've been saying, I think he's the one of the most underrated in the Prem, you know, big up Ryer. I think he had a good performance and deserved his clean sheet, made a big save as well in the first half. And I wouldn't say I was scared that Wolves would score, but I was wary. I was at 1-0 with our form. I know 1-0 to the Arsenal's a famous chant, but at 1-0, I think a lot of us Arsenal fans were relatively, somewhat confident in our performance and our ability to see the game out. But we was thinking, oh, you know, what is it? One of those Premier League games, really. But it felt like it added on time. It's like a lot of our players, Declan Rice, you know, you had a role in Odegaard's goal. Big up Odegaard for the quick thinking as well. It's like we got an energy rush, like a caffeine boost. But yeah, man, I'm happy to get back to winning ways. I'm happy to, you know, apparently I don't look at the league table, but move to the top. Obviously there's games in hand. We all know this is a big week for us. It's going to test the squad. It's going to test Mikel Arteta and Cole. And it's about bouncing back from what happened to us against Aston Villa. We've got the three points. We scored some goals. We kept a clean sheet and we need to move forward now to, you know, Chelsea midweek. Let's try and have a better performance than we had against them at their place where we took an hour to wake up. And then we've got the North London derby at the end of next week. And again, it's as simple as that. It still might not be enough, but to have any chance of winning this Premier League, going into this game, we have to win all six games or something close to that and hope that there's twists and turns with the other people challenging for the table, top, well, for the Premier League trophy at the top of the table. Of course, now, obviously it's five games. Now, when I look at the game, people, I must admit, I do, I understand, I have felt fans, I understand fans' frustrations with a lot of the results and performances, but I do think some of our fans have been emotional and a bit dishonest in relation to certain elements of our collective performances and performances of individuals. For me, I think the game had a good tempo, really. You know, I think Wolves gave us a bit of respect early. They were clearing it long. Then they started playing out from the back. There was a couple of opportunities where Sar looked a bit shaky and I wanted us to capitalise on that. But I think there was good, I think when we started the game, there was a good tempo for the neutrals, not that it was one of those crazy end-to-end games, heart-in-mouth moments, but I think the tempo was good. I think the body language and just how we went about our tasks was a lot positive. You know, Jesus and Havertz, early doors within the first 10, 20 minutes, had some half chances. Yeah, man, I think one improvement, you know, because we scored a lot of goals this season, hit a buffer, but we scored a lot of goals. A lot of the time, you know, there's several players we take, at times we're reluctant to shoot or shoot when we shouldn't, or making the wrong decision in the final third or that final action. But a lot of times when we're shooting, it's like our players ain't got power in their legs. Like, maybe whatever we was doing in Dubai and we came back scoring goals, we need to do again, because a lot of team efforts, they're either going wide or they're not. There's no real venom in the strike, if that makes sense, to really test the keeper, or seriously, you know, put a goal in the back of the net and pips off to something. If I'm honest with you, it felt like we was lacking a bit of a cutting edge in that. You know, I actually think Saliba and Kyrgios had very good games. You know, if I'm nitpicking, you know, there was a moment Kyrgios, you know, made a bit of a mess of it and Raya bailed him out, obviously tipped onto the post. Saliba had a near faultless game, but there was one time where the easy option was to Benjamin White. He tried a difficult pass, they intercepted, and thankfully for us, I think it is Bueno, Bruno, he shot wide, you know, so I'm kind of cool with that. Other than that, I think we're managing the game where we're being professional. Obviously, I don't want to make excuses, but our players are being ran into the ground. There's been a lot of games, we ran into the red zone, so there's a lack of, there's a certain element of our players just needing to push through this physically, you know, if I'm completely honest with you. Happy to see our scorer goal up, obviously, you know, it was a lovely play from Saka, you know, I would say Saka, Havertz, you know, Gabriel Jesus with a bit of great skill, and it's a lovely strike from Trossard, man, he just kissed the ball lightly and it was a fantastic strike, man, and that's what we expect from Trossard. So we got the goal, you know, at halftime, I am wary because I look at the Bayern Munich game, I definitely look at the Aston Villa game, I don't think we were perfect in the first half of either games. Clearly, we were better in the first half here, but it's like, if not two different teams have come out in the second half, it's kind of gone a lot left for us, so that's why I'm looking in the back of my head because I actually think Wolves are giving a good account of themselves with the injuries they've got, and it's only 1-0 at this point, and, you know, Arsenal have generally been decent this season, but we're somewhat of a wounded animal. They're playing at home, you make it nervous for us, things start happening. I think Romain was a good positive change for them as well, people. I did think at halftime, even Declan Rice, as I said, he got, like, second win in the second half, or added on time, but there was times he was second best. He had a decent game, but he looked tired because he was second best and he was kind of, you know, not the Declan Rice he has been really and truly. As I said, I felt we were lacking the cutting edge or the quality on the final ball, the final action to put the ball in the back of the net or create proper goal scoring chances to, you know, score some more goals. Simple as that, man. But at halftime, I'm thinking it's good to get a goal. These are my notes. It's good to get a goal. You know, attacking moves have been positive, but lacking cutting edge as stated. I think we was allowing, not that Wolves were lacking confidence, but I think we allowed them to grow in confidence as a result of that and not making head drops, obviously, because we're scoring goals. You know, Wolves have had half chances of their own. So at the time, they should believe they should get something out of the game. Big Raya free save once again. And as I said, I'm hoping that there's no silly mistakes because it's near enough being faultless, but football's about fine margins. And there was literally a couple minuscule ones in the first half. And at halftime, I think we deserved the lead. You know, eight shots, four on target, 52% of the ball. They had three shots, two on target and 48%. So I think both teams, not playing amazing, but it's a good account of both teams, if I'm honest. I think the second half we started well. I think by the 56th minute, you know, we had six shots, one on target. So again, it tells the tale of kind of what I'm alluding to. I don't think Wolves are a bad side, but I'm seeing Kyrgios elbowed. You know, you know, Jesus is kicked in his face. I don't know how the ref is letting these ones there go unchecked, but fair enough. Of course, it's lovely in the dying embers of the game to see Declan Rice get second wind, kind of force the issue a bit in that regards. And, you know, a bit of fortune with quick reactions from Odegaard. It gets the, he gets the second goal. There's a sigh of relief from us. We know we've, pardon me, we've got the three points. I'm not Arteta. I don't know for the fitness of the players, the true state of their fitness. But I would say I was hoping with the Chelsea result, you know, could Saka or Odegaard have been, you know, I know you lose control if you take off Declan Rice and Odegaard. There's no one to bring on instead of Declan Rice. Obviously, party came on. But it would have been nice for Saka to get some sort of rest going into the Tuesday, Wednesday game against Chelsea. But it is what it is. He's a strong lad. He's going to have to recover. It's another performance from Saka where he's not poor. He's involved in the first goal. But you still want to see him get back to his best. You know, Martinelli done all right off the bench, but he had an opportunity he could have done better with. I think it was one of the more quieter games from Odegaard. But it was a professional performance, really. Not everyone needs to be playing a million out of ten every week. By the end of the game, people, 24 shots, nine on target, 55 percent of the ball. They had five shots, three on target, 45 percent of the ball. Only three corners in the game. In truth, we had two corners like the goals we scored. They had one. So, yeah, my professional performance. We keep our small title challenge hopes alive. We got the three points. We kept a clean sheet. Hopefully that instils a tiny bit of confidence with us, you know, because had we have lost today, it would have been a very dark place. Do you want to see our players go to shooting practice? As I said, you know, the tame efforts and the wide efforts and sometimes the decision making in the final third not being there. I won't say it was a perfect performance because it definitely wasn't, but a very professional performance. And sometimes that's all you need to do. If we did that against Villa, if we did that in the first leg against Bayern Munich, who knows what that would have set us up to. But we can't go back in time. The past brings regret. The future brings uncertainty. There's no time like the present. And what we could do in the present was get back to winning ways and heading back to London now. Happy about that. And now focus on the Chelsea game, really and truly. So it is what it is in that regard, man. You know, and this time next season, you want to see us have the ability to take Saka off or have people that could be in that regard. I thought Havertz was good today as well. I mean, I think everyone, I know fans will be a bit extreme, but I don't think anyone was amazing. Like, if anything, and I think I'm reaching a bit, I'd say, I'm guessing hindsight, Declan Rice. I more so believe Gabriel and David Rye. I think Gabriel Jesus had a decent game. Only thing that peed me off is when it's 1-0 and he's not got a decision by the ref, he's turning around and throwing his toys out the pram. But I think Trossach did well, I think Jesus did well, I think the whole team did well. Like I said, professional performance. It weren't one where everyone's amazing and it's 20 millions out of 10, but that wasn't what was required today. You have to adapt to the game, to that error state. So we did what we needed to do. I'm a happy lad. And it's also good because, you know, Chelsea bottled it at Wembley. And now, you know, we focus on Chelsea. We focus on Spurs. You hope next week that obviously Liverpool and Manchester City, whoever they're playing, whenever they're playing, wherever they're playing, drop point. But we need to control the variables we can because there's no margin for error, people. So that's all I've got to say. Smash the like button. Let me know your thoughts in relation to our game. Let me know who's your man of the match, what you felt about the game, what you think about Arteta's substitutes or his lack of substitutes, what you think of Saka and Martin, Eli and Trossart and Jesus and Kai Havertz and the rest of it, people. Stay safe, stay blessed. Peace.