The Warm-Up: Arsenal gonna Arsenal
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Updated 22/06/2020 at 09:11 GMT
Liverpool avoid disaster while Arsenal embrace it. And Serie A is back!
: Matteo Guendouzi of Arsenal confronts Neal Maupay of Brighton and Hove Albion during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal FC at American Express Community Stadium on June 20, 2020 in Brighton, England. Football Stadiums ar
Image credit: Getty Images
MONDAY’S BIG STORIES
Oh, Arsenal
Fair play to Arsenal. Some Premier League clubs have not looked themselves at all this first week back, but not the Gunners. It’s like they’ve never been away. First they got comfortably dismantled by a big club; now they’ve been sucker-punched by a smaller one.
Villain of the piece Neal Maupay was apologetic for the consequences of his snide, unnecessary shove on Bernd Leno, but you get the feeling he quite enjoyed scoring the winner. Pointing out where Arsenal are going wrong is practically a national sport in its own right, and he joined in enthusiastically after the game.
Some of the Arsenal players need to learn humility maybe sometimes. They’ve been talking a lot first half, second half when they were 1-0 up — they got what they deserved.
It’s a strange old mess, this Arsenal side. 18-year-old Bukayo Saka asked to shoulder creative duties while Mesut Özil counts his assists on the bench. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shuffled around the front line to think about his expiring contract. A midfield of much tidiness but little more. And a defence led by Shkodran Mustafi.
While they aren’t quite out of the scrap for Europe yet, there are longer-term questions to be considered here. Arteta has eight games to figure out which of these players deserve a place in the coming rebuild, which will need to be extensive. Eight games to see who has it, and who doesn’t.
And then he has to convince those who do that it will be worth sticking around through that rebuild. Aubameyang taking off would be inconvenient. But Saka also has 12 months left, and losing him for nothing would be highly embarrassing.
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'It's all our fault' - Mikel Arteta after Arsenal lose at Brighton
The title edges closer
Up at the top of the table, Liverpool looked every inch a team that hadn’t played for three months, and also one that knew, deep down, that they only need a handful of draws to seal the title.
Would it have been nice to win the Merseyside derby? Absolutely. Was it entirely acceptable to get through a weird occasion with a minimum of fuss and panic? Yes. Did the introduction of Dejan Lovren late on nearly set everything on fire? Of course.
Lovren was only on the pitch because Joël Matip picked up an injury to his big toe. Jürgen Klopp doesn’t seem to know how long he’ll be out, and nor does the Warm-Up, because we’re not doctors and a big toe injury could be anything. Could be a cracked nail. Could have lost the whole thing. Toes are mysterious. Nobody understands them.
If it does turn out to be more than just a bruise, then Liverpool are in a slightly sticky situation. Unless Andy Robertson can return for the next game against Crystal Palace, then Lovren might have to play again. Even then, he’ll likely be first reserve, and this weird mini-season is going to be packed with injuries.
But then, they only need a few more bore draws. We’re trying to squeeze a bit of tension out of this, and we’re failing. Nobody whose opinion matters to Liverpool will care how they get across the line. Only that they do.
The Internazionale
Over in Italy, Serie A is waking up, and Inter are back with a bang. Or as much of a “bang” as a slightly sketchy 2-1 victory over Sampdoria can amount to. A decent-sized home firework, perhaps.
Excitingly for fans of things like “title races” and “somebody that isn’t Juventus, please, come on, it’s been ages”, they looked pretty sharp on their return. At least for the first half; they were hanging on a bit in the second. Romelu Lukaku was particularly busy, scoring the first and then making the second for Lautaro Martinez.
That win moves them within six points of top spot. If only they hadn’t lost to Juventus just before lockdown kicked in, hey?
Anyway, we reckon that Antonio Conte is pretty much the ideal coach for these strange times. Sure, his squad can’t train together. But you just know that they’ve been getting constant contact from their boss: an email here, a chase email a few minutes later, a voicemail the next morning, a quick video note to follow-up. We reckon it’ll take more than a global pandemic to stop Conte waving and shouting at his charges.
IN OTHER NEWS
According to Dr. G. Translate, this sign, which appeared after Napoli defeated Juventus in the Coppa Italia final, reads: “the CR7 taste is only available in the cone due to the lack of cups”. Neapolitan banter: tasty, and ice cold.
HEROES & ZEROES
Hero: Joelinton
The record books will show that nearly ten months passed between Joelinton’s first league goal for Newcastle, against Tottenham back in August, and his second, this weekend against Sheffield United. Hopefully the record books will also point out that for at least a few of those months, nobody else was scoring either.
He probably suffered more in the lockdown, he had no family over and he was stuck in an apartment somewhere. It’s been difficult, but I’m delighted for him because he’s a really good pro and he can only get better.
And if Steve Bruce is delighted for him, then so are we.
Zeroes: Galatasaray
Come on, now. Come on. Even Arsenal couldn’t have contrived this.
HAT TIP
The Guardian has an extract from Ed Aarons’ new book Made in Africa: The History of African Players in English Football, looking at the life of Luton Town legend Brian Stein, who became the first black African-born player to play for England.
“Brian was very good because he helped get other footballers involved,” [says anti-apartheid activist Sam Ramsamy]. “Chris Hughton came to have a chat with us and since then I got to know him very well. I also got to know Garth Crooks and John Fashanu at that stage. They were very sympathetic to what I was doing because it also related to what was happening in the UK at the time. The UK still isn’t a totally non-racist country. They were important in doing their bit for the anti-apartheid struggle by being at the top of their game.”
COMING UP
More Serie A this evening, as Juventus get their league campaign back underway. Since returning to action they’ve been unconvincing against AC Milan and beaten on penalties by Napoli. Time for 10th place Bologna to take advantage. Elsewhere Manchester City are playing Burnley, and the second legs of the League Two Play-off semi-finals are happening as well.
Marcus Foley will be here tomorrow to talk you through Juventus’ inevitable, unconvincing 1-0 win
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