That felt like a BIG win yesterday, I have to tell you guys, because at 60-odd minutes I was pacing up and down of the house I’m staying in, in the Algarve, wondering how we were going to get anything from a game that I thought Villa were starting to get a little more control in during that second half yesterday. We’d spent most of the match with the liojn’s share of the possession, but we hadn’t created a ton of chances and opened Villa up I didn’t think. This was a Villa side in which as much as Arteta had learned from the games last season, Unai had too, and he wasn’t prepared to be as open as they had been in 2023/24.

You could tell that both sides were cagey and not giving an inch in that first half. It felt a bit of a drab one. Saka had forced Martinez in to a decent early save and I was hoping that it would be our blueprint for another match in which we would dominate. But Villa weren’t giving us as much; they were content to stay disciplined, stay resolute at the back and then fashion whatever chances they could get. And to be fair to them,. they did get a couple in the first half. I thought it was a foul on Gabriel that allowed Rogers to set Ollie Watkins in, but the England man uncharacteristically (and thankfully) dragged his shot wide). At that point I wasn’t too worried though. We’d gone with a strong line up and Timber was in at left back in the space of Zinchenko, which meant from a defensive duel perspective, we stood a better chance. I thought Timber did well; he was slotting in to midfield every time the ball progressed up the pitch and although he doesn’t have the passing range of Zinchenko, he’s still pretty tidy in possession and I thought the way he handled Bailey on their right wing more than made up for it.

The halftime stats told the story that Arsenal had all the ball, Villa were still dangerous, but we needed to up it a little bit in the second half. I thought Kai was particularly quiet up top and had a really good opportunity to set us in when he got in behind on the right hand side, but his pass was poor. Saka and Martinelli struggled and particularly the latter, I thought Martinelli had a couple of things that looked like they would come to something but his final ball was lacking, or he’d run down a blind alley.

Which is why the substitution of Trossard felt timely. He’d had a good pre season, he’d had a great end to last season, so it felt a little harsh that he wasn’t starting, but I think certainly now he’ll have staked a claim to play from the off against his old team next Saturday. His arrival gave us the end product we needed and his finish in to the corner from the cut back was brilliant. Classic Trossard, classic sub impact move, classic finish to get beyond Emi Martinez and inch us ahead.

Then it was whether we could hold on. I should mention the game could have swung in the other direction were it mot from David Raya, who kind of had his ‘Ramsdale at Leicester’ moment yesterday when he saved from Ollie Watkins header. It was super reactions, I have to say; as a former ‘keeper myself I know how difficult it is to get up after you’ve made an attempted save and as Big Gabi’s deflected ball hit the bar, Raya’s reaction to quickly stick out a palm like he did was immense. And these are the kind of swing moments that define games, because just a minute or so later Trossard had put us ahead and we had something to hold on to.

I don’t know about you, though, but I sometimes feel even more nervous when we’re winning, than when we’re losing. My pacing up and down the lounge continued at an increased rate and the nerves really started to up themselves. “This could be a big statement win. We HAVE to hold on to this” I was saying out loud to myself, perhaps trying desperately to manifest it in to being, but in reality I should appreciate just what we’ve got in this Arsenal team: resilience in spades. For just ten minutes later Thomas Partey stepped up with a very fine finish indeed to secure the points and the one thing we can say about this Arsenal back line – when we are two up, we’re likely to hold on – and such was it so yesterday evening too. The finish from Partey felt quite trademark; we’ve seen him do that in to the top corner against the scum too, using the defender as a screen to unsight the ‘keeper and curl it around him. Usually we get what happened last weekend and the Ghanian puts it wide or over, but every once in a while – usually once a season – he finds the net. I was very thankful that yesterday was one of those times and we saw out the game to collect three precious points.

Which makes it two from two for us and six points on the board. Last week was a celebration of returning, but yesterday felt like the first statement of intent. We now find ourselves in a position in which we are up and running, we face a Brighton side at home full of confidence, but we will take a lot from those points that we got on a tough ground. Arteta was rightly delighted, but he will also perhaps be a little concerned because we were hardly sparkling yesterday. Perhaps we can put it down to early season rustiness, but we need to find our rhythm, because it feels like 115 Charges FC are also up and running. Even if they did have a relatively easy styart with Chelsea away and Ipswich at home.

Right, that’s me done for the day. James will be doing a post match pod later on the Same Old Arsenal stream, so check that out at 7pm if you want some more post match goodliness.

Laters peeps.