Arsenal pretty good at home right now: match report and player ratings

ARSENAL 4 AZ 1

A TRIP overseas to meet a new baby niece and to catch up with her sister, mother and father meant that for the first time this season I was not at the Grove.

But I did catch all of it, save for a couple of minutes when screaming erupted upstairs meant I was called upon.

The long and short of it is that we were as you were. We’re a joy to watch going forward. Seventeen years ago the fact we managed 92 goals in a season (with four more league games) prompted the end of season video to be titled in honour of that feat (92 for 92 it was called.

At the current rate (51 in 18) we’ll shatter that record sometime around the new year. At home it’s played ten, won 10, scored 33, conceded 7.

Last night the attacking carousel was in full swing again. Off stepped Bendtner, on stepped Samir Nasri. He added a beautiful second before the break. But before that Cesc had broken the deadlock with a shot that made up for what it lacked in power with accuracy. Still the keeper might have done better.

That Nasri goal followed a wonderfully precise slide rule pass from Arshavin, a quick footed turn from the Frenchman and a very decent low finish.

The third after the break came from another Arshavin pass and Cesc went as if he was going to sweep the ball across the keeper, before sending it high into the near post. Lovely.

The carousel did it’s thing again. Eduardo and Tomas Rosicky both climbed aboard. I’m not going to lie, the return of Rosicky, who I think has been moonlighting in a Beatles tribute band, was something of a relief. I hadn’t wanted to say anything but the vagueness of his injury situation had left me fearing the worst. I don’t think I was the only one.

But it was Eduardo whose brilliance set up the fourth with a backheel that travelled straighter and more accurately into the path of Arshavin than many a player’s pass would have done. He set up Diaby who converted.

A word on the tiny Russian: give him a break. Yes, in an excellent team performance against Spurs, his player rating was at the lower rather than higher end. But can we stop over analysing everything? The guy’s a genius and when he needs to step up, he does.

As if to offer a truly accurate picture of where we are at the moment, there was the obligatory goal conceded too. And in keeping with recent trends it wasn’t particularly the fault of the back four – can you see where I’m going here.

In fairness to Manuel Almunia the toe-poked finish from 18 yards that beat him was unorthodox and unexpected, but nonetheless he’d left an absolute chasm at his near post.

All in all mind, it’s looking decent right now and I just love watching us attack.