Arsenal: 4 things you might have missed from the weekend as Mikel Arteta celebrates 100th match in charge with 1-0 win over Watford. (Photo by Erwin Spek/Soccrates/Getty Images)
What a weekend for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s 100th match in charge of the club saw him register his 54th win as his side came through a tough clash with Watford on Sunday afternoon.
It was a game that Arsenal were fairly dominant in without finding the back of the net. Bukayo Saka thought he’d got the characteristically fast starts from the Gunners the result they wanted only to be denied by VAR, and after that Ben Foster took centre stage.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw his weak penalty well saved by the Hornets keeper who also denied Gabriel from close range with another inspired stop on what ended up being a frustrating first half.
Chances were relatively easy to create but the finishing touch was lacking, one that eventually came via the boot of Emile Smith Rowe after a controversial build-up to the goal.
Arsenal: 4 things you might have missed from the weekend as Mikel Arteta celebrates 100th match in charge with 1-0 win over Watford
The scoreline wouldn’t change after that and Arsenal are into double figures for unbeaten matches in all competitions. Add to that some very favourable results from around the Premier League and the weekend was near enough perfect.
It then got even better on Sunday evening as it was confirmed Smith Rowe would link up with the England national squad for the first time after some withdrawals from the senior team saw him moved up from the Under-21 side.
Gabriel also got in on the act with his first senior call up to the Brazil squad, a richly deserved accolade for the defender who is now unbeaten as an Arsenal player for well over 200 days.
Could the weekend get any better? Well, casting one’s gaze away from the happenings at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, it most certainly could. Here is what else happened in the Arsenal world to make it smiles all round.
ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – NOVEMBER 7: Reiss Nelson of Feyenoord Rotterdam during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Feyenoord Rotterdam and AZ Alkmaar at Stadion Feijenoord De Kuip on November 7, 2021 in Rotterdam, Netherlands (Photo by Yannick Verhoeven/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
1. Reiss Nelson Grabs First Goal Involvement for Feyenoord
With the buzz in and around Arsenal at the moment so joyous, it’s easy to forget the ongoings of first team players out on loan with their respective clubs over the weekend.
Hector Bellerin scored an own goal in the Seville derby, William Saliba recorded another clean sheet, Matteo Guendouzi continues to impress, and Lucas Torreira narrowly lost with Fiorentina against Juventus.
However, it was what went on over in the Netherlands that caught the eye most of all, as Reiss Nelson recorded his first goal involvement with Feyenoord since joining the club in the summer.
The 21-year-old is yet to start a match for the Dutch side and has instead been limited to four Eredivisie outings so far, but his latest one against AZ Alkmaar had the biggest impact of all.
Coming on with 14 minutes to go in a fascinating, but goalless, encounter where both sides had opportunities to win it, Nelson superbly controlled a pass on the halfway line with 91 minutes on the clock as the home side sought to counter-attack. Finding the run of Cyriel Dessers he fed the striker in, who found the bottom corner to send the stadium into pandemonium via the aid of a very welcome deflection.
Having struggled with fitness and injury so far, while it wasn’t an assist to tell the grandkids about, it will have done Nelson the world of good as he aims to become a firs team regular.
Continued on next page…
#AFCU23</a>! 🔥 <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/11/08/arsenal-4-things-missed-weekend/"https://t.co/RH41PkoITR">pic.twitter.com/RH41PkoITR
<p>— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/11/08/arsenal-4-things-missed-weekend/"https://twitter.com/ArsenalAcademy/status/1457001499654037509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>November 6, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
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<h2>2. Folarin Balogun Completes Astonishing 3-3 Comeback</h2>
<p>Across Europe many will have had their eyes peeled on Barcelona’s remarkable collapse away at Celta Vigo where they let a three goal lead slip in the 96th minute to draw the game. Or, perhaps, focus was on Valencia where Atletico Madrid let their own two goal lead slip by conceding twice in stoppage time.</p>
<p>Two results that make you to blink twice.</p>
<p>Well, enter the Arsenal Under-23 side. What Kevin Betsy’s side did rewrote the handbook on comebacks, in quite astounding fashion.</p>
<p>A relatively tame first half at home to Leicester passed by without major incident, but after the break the visitors took control and dominated proceedings. Three second half strikes handed them a commanding lead after 77 minutes, only for matters to get worse when goalkeeper Karl Hein suffered an injury as the third goal went in.</p>
<p>Having used all of their substitutes, striker Mika Biereth had to go in net for the final 13 minutes after a lengthy stoppage for Hein’s injury. Yet, with ten men, a centre-forward in goal and just over ten minutes and three goals to make up, somehow Arsenal managed it.</p>
<p>Tim Akinola got the first with 92 minutes on the clock, by which stage it only looked like being a consolation. But, two minutes later, Omari Hutchinson reduced the Foxes lead to just one goal with the clock ticking down ever more. Then, with the last kick of the game, Hutchinson crossed for Folarin Balogun who controlled superbly before firing a volley into the net with 97 minutes on the clock.</p>
<p>Not only was the comeback something unheard of, it also kept Betsy’s side top of the table with 11 matches played. What a crazy game.</p>
<p><em>Continued on next page…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/11/08/arsenal-4-things-missed-weekend/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3. U23's not the only ones on top </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-120718" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/11/08/arsenal-4-things-missed-weekend/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1351894968-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Meado" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">BOREHAMWOOD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 07: Beth Mead of Arsenal celebrates after scoring their team’s third goal during the Barclays FA Women’s Super League match between Arsenal Women and West Ham United Women at Meadow Park on November 07, 2021 in Borehamwood, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3. Arsenal Women Continue Perfect Start Under Jonas Eidevall</h2>
<p>Joe Montemurro was a much loved manager who lifted two trophies during his time with the Arsenal women, but there were signs of stagnation within the group and change, for both parties, felt right. The team needed freshening up.</p>
<p>Bringing in Jonas Eidevall has proven to be a masterstroke. The 38-year-old Swede has made Arsenal a more complete unit than seen in years: they can score from anywhere on the pitch, press with ferocious intensity and are expertly organised at the back.</p>
<p>Tasting defeat just once so far in his tenure – a 4-1 loss away a Barcelona in the Champions League group stages – it has been nothing but smooth sailing in the Women’s Super League where they’ve been imperious.</p>
<p>On Sunday they hosted West Ham to Meadow Park and a thoroughly commanding performance saw them end up deserved 4-0 winners. It took until the 39th minute for Kim Little to break the deadlock, albeit the game being under the Gunners’ control for the entirety of the match.</p>
<p>Another strike from the captain was added to by the in-form Beth Mead, who also clocked an assist on the night to take her tally up to 29 from open play in the WSL – more than any other player in the league’s history.</p>
<p>Conceding just twice in their opening six matches – coming on the opening day against Chelsea – Arsenal have also scored a whopping 21 goals and have a maximum of 18 points to show for it.</p>
<p>This is a team going places.</p>
<p><em>Continued on next page…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/11/08/arsenal-4-things-missed-weekend/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4. It happens every year... </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-120719" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/11/08/arsenal-4-things-missed-weekend/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F955383808-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, the boss" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Arsenal’s French manager Arsene Wenger holds up his gift of the 2003-4 gold Premier League trophy, awarded for their unbeaten season on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Burnley. (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>4. Arsenal Celebrate Invincibles Day</h2>
<p>You can’t miss it, can you?</p>
<p>Just like St. Totteringham’s Day, one that sadly has’t come around for too many years, supporters also have a special day to celebrate the moment where every side in the Premier League loses at least once.</p>
<p>It’s familiar to everyone, purely because it has happened every single season since the competition started back in 1992. Except this one time, back in the early 2000’s, where a certain Arsenal Football Club under Arsene Wenger went the entire season without losing a single fixture.</p>
<p>What’s the closest any side has come since? One need only go back to 2018/19 where Liverpool remarkably tasted defeat just once all campaign, a 2-1 loss away at Manchester City, and still didn’t lift the title.</p>
<p>And if it was Jurgen Klopp’s side once more who ensured Invincibles Day came around nice and early as the only undefeated side left in the division fell to a 3-2 loss away at West Ham on Sunday night.</p>
<p>While ideally David Moyes’ side will be losing these matches to open up the race for the European places, the fact it happened mere hours after Arsenal saw off Watford meant it capped off a superb weekend. There is quite literally no reason not to be elated as <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/11/08/arsenal-4-things-missed-weekend/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/11/08/arsenal-next-watford-win-january-window/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the international break comes around</a>.</p>
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