That felt very much like a professional ‘job done’ from Arteta and the boys last night. It literally felt like the archetypal result that ticked all of the boxes:

  • Minutes into legs of squad players
  • Young players given the opportunity to shine
  • Comfortable result
  • Controlling possession and football played Arteta’s way
  • No new injuries (that we know of)
  • Confidence-booster ahead of an important run of matches coming up.

On that last point, I think I’ll start today, because although “It’s only the League Cup“, you still want to see The Arsenal win and after the draw was concluded last night and we learn we have Palace at home for a spot in the semi finals, it feels like suddenly this could open up to send us deep into the competition and give us the chance of winning some silverware. Hey, it’s not the main silverware we all want, but it might prove – as I said on Tuesday ahead of the game following my pre-Liverpool chat with my mate Kevin in the pub – as a momentum builder when the season reaches its conclusion in May.

The Liverpool draw felt like a confidence increaser because of the performance, so this feels like another layer just added on top a wee bit, because there were some decent performances from some of those rotational players that may bring them closer into the frame in Arteta’s thinking. There’s been a little online discourse about how some of these squad players looks like Arteta just doesn’t want to use them. On night’s like last night, a bad performance only heightens that, but I don’t think we really got one from anybody. Plus there were a couple of stand outs that I think will be very good for both individuals.

We obviously need to start with Nwaneri, because once again he showed what a fabulous young talent he is. His goal was sublime. One touch to let it roll across his body, then a curler into the corner, that Woodman just wasn’t getting near. He looks like a 27-year-old pro that has been doing this stuff for a decade. He was also unlucky not to get a second in the second half with his shot that clipped the top of the bar and there’s a reason why Arteta keeps bringing him on when we’re chasing games – every time he gets solid minutes he proves he’s ready. The headache Arteta is going to have which is getting more and more prominent for the Spaniard, is who Nwaneri’s place he is coming for, because there will be a few players in the first team that must be looking at this kid and thinking that it’s only a matter of time.

Wowsers.

The other person I wanted to highlight was Kiwior, who I thought had a solid enough game defensively to follow up his (second Liverpool goal aside) solid performance against Liverpool last weekend. He put in a wonderful cross for Havertz to head home to make it completely secure at 3-0 and I think he’ll have come off that pitch knowing he’d done all he can do to prove to the manager that he’s ready, willing and able, if needed on. Of course we all want to see Gabriel and Saliba on Saturday against Newcastle, but with Mikel refusing to confirm pre-game whether he was fit or not (not that we would expect him to, mind), I would have no problem seeing Kiwior and Saliba as our central defensive partnership based on what I have seen from him in the last couple of matches. I know you have to take the calibre of opposition into account yesterday, but again I reiterate the importance of confidence when a player is playing minutes – it makes him feel a few inches taller and I think last night will have been very good for Jakub. Especially after what happened to him at Bournemouth.

Raheem Sterling did alright too, was unlucky not to score right at the end and I think that will have been beneficial for him, but I’m looking at the performance as a whole and thinking it was superbly professional, symptomized by the performance of Jorginho, who never really got troubled all night and looked cool as a cucumber.

There were also more minutes in Zinchenko’s legs, which is positive, plus Timber and Merino came off at halftime and so hopefully that’s good for Jurrien getting him back up to speed ahead of the next 10 days of football. We are absolutely going to need him and pre-Preston Arteta said he could not continue as he had cramp. So to get 45 more minutes in those legs, bringing him further up to speed, then taking him off so as not to exacerbate anything, feels like a perfect bit of ‘loading’ to have him up and ready for the inevitable physicality of Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime.

We also got a goal from Gabriel Jesus, which again, feels more like he needed it than anybody else. Get that goal drought monkey off yer back, son. And Kai Havertz chipped in with another goal to add to his tally. As we go deeper in to this season, it feels like we’re going to see more than 20 for this guy, for sure. He’s on seven already and we’ve only just hit the quarter way through the season, so this bodes well, methinks.

And so Arteta will be very pleased with the night’s work. They will probably all get on the training ground on Friday feeling pretty good with themselves and after a bumpy ol’ time with injuries, suspensions and some questionable results as a consequence of that, this feels like another little booster for the team ahead of this death run that starts on Saturday lunchtime.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some more thoughts, so until then, enjoy your Thursday folks.