Well, if there's one pick-me-up medicine to cure post-holiday depression, we're saying that battering your arch rivals 4-1 is right up there as the ultimate cure.

 

No sooner had we landed back in Blighty from the good old Land of the Free than a North London Derby was upon us. As well jumping straight back in at the deep end, right?

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You know who looked like they were in the deep end but drowning? The Spuds. My oh my. Their glorified set-piece coach dropped the most cowardly lineup possible and got slaughtered as a result. It was more like the waving of the white flag before a ball had even been kicked.

 

In a way, we can't blame him. This is the opposition's problem when playing us now. You go for a filthy low block and at some point, we'll find a way, usually more than once.. If you try to go toe-to-toe with us, we will tear you to absolute shreds. There really is no right or wrong tactical set-up against us now.

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The gum-chewing, jug-eared Dane went for five defenders with two sitting midfielders and from minute one, they looked completely overwhelmed. You have to remember. We were without Gabriel, arguably the best CB in the league; no Odegaard, our Captain and creator-in-chief; no centre forward in Gyokeres; and Havertz/Jesus still nowhere near the squad. Yes, we welcomed back Madueke and Martinelli to the bench, but the players missing are the spine/core of the side.

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You also have to remember that the first game back after the interlull can throw up some right funky results. Just ask Liverpool. We mentioned it in our Fulham Review, "A Different Feel" that there seems to be something different in the air this year. We were determined yesterday not to let anything bad happen to us. We didn't let ourselves be affected by the interlull, injuries, Michael Oliver, or any other negatives that could have derailed us. We took it all on board, looked laser-focused and said "not today," and wiped the floor with an unbeaten away-from-home Spuds.

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That kind of attitude is HUGE, and if we can carry it through to the season's end, coupled with very important players returning from injury, we might be on the verge of not just a great season but a HISTORICAL one. We genuinely believe that here at Arsenal Legion.

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As for the match itself, there are a few points we'd like to touch on.

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We'll start with the pre-match atmosphere. What a difference when the club consults fans and fan groups on ways to improve the atmosphere. There has been much negativity, for example, about the treatment of Ashburton Army. Yesterday, from the absolutely amazing Tifo to the pyrotechnics, the atmosphere had a big-game vibe. Big respect to all involved for their hard work in making it happen, both on the fans' and clubs' sides.

 

As for the line-up, we were somewhat surprised that it was Hincapie (we'll talk more about him later), not Mosquera, who started at left centre-back. There were a couple of reasons for this. The first one is balance. Hincapie is a leftie, so he gives that natural balance. Secondly, Mosquera has been outstanding, but his one weakness is aerial duels. He has only won 36% of them. The Spuds' best bet for a goal looked most likely from a set piece (Van der Ven being their top scorer).

 

Without Gabriel, Arteta thought we were a little vulnerable in the air, so he went with the smaller but more aggressive Ecuadorian. He was proven right as Hincapie won 100% of his aerial duels. He also won 100% of his aerial duels in his previous match vs Slavia Prague. His current aerial duel win rate percentage is 57%. We wonder how many times we just said "aerial duels" in this paragraph, so we'll move swiftly on (the official count is 4, we regret nothing!)

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We also mentioned in a previous blog (we can't remember which one) that we justified Trossard locking up the left-wing position, even though there was much clamour for an in-form Martinelli to get the start. We explained that if he is one thing and if this is even a word, he is 'goalsy'. At Brighton under both Potter and De Zerbi, he was often used as a false nine or the 10. He has that unteachable instinct for a goal.

 

In 2025 alone, he has 20 goal involvements (10 goals and 10 assists) across all competitions (including 1 for Belgium). That leads the team. Think about that for a sec. With all our attacking talent, it's Leo who's leading the way. He is one of only three players in the EPL to have double-digit goals and assists this calendar year (the other two being the clown brothers, Bruno and Enzo). His knack for a goal becomes even more critical when other sources of goals, like Gyokeres, aren't available.

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We can't write a review of the game without mentioning their goal. Look, it was Zubis' fault, not Rayas. It's as clear-cut as that. Raya was standing where he was supposed to. We love Zubi, we think he's up there for signing of the summer, but he fucked up for the goal. He knows it, we know it. Shit happens.

 

The way we play and the number of times he receives the ball in that area make it inevitable that, at some points in the season, he'll lose possession. We have to keep our fingers crossed that when he does, the opposition doesn't manage to lob the ball into our empty net from 35 yards out. On this occasion, surprisingly, with it being the uber annoying overrated Richarlison, they did.

 

If there's ever anything satisfying about conceding like that, it's the thought that Richarlison peaked right there, and in the grand scheme of things, it meant absolutely fuck all. We didn't let it affect us too much. We wobbled a little for the next 5/10 minutes, but got back on track in style.

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Before our MOTM, we usually do honourable mentions first. In a game like yesterday with so many standout performers, we could be here all day, so we'll try to keep it as brief as possible.

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Firstly, the previously mentioned Hincapie. Much like when Mosquera came in for Saliba, Hincapie came in for Gabi at the Back, and we never missed a beat. In our signing piece on him, we were a little worried he hadn't played much in a back four and was a little undersized. None of that looks like it matters at all. He is a super-aggressive defender who looks ready-made for the rigours of the Premier League. This was his first league start for us, in an NLD, and he didn't look at all fazed.

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Next up is our weekly honourable mention to the best right back in the world, Jurrien Timber. Another master class in both phases of the game, dropping another 9/10 performance, just like it's another day at the office, no big deal. Ridiculous. The sooner the news of him signing up for another 4/5 years, the better. He deserves every penny of the huge pay rise he's about to get.

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We also have to mention half-price Declan Rice. He was absolutely everywhere and should get a mention just for giving the annoying duo of Simons and Richarlison an earful. Telling them both politely to "shut up" was pure comedy gold.

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Trossard also gets a mention for getting the goals rolling, scoring the all-important opener. Also, we thought the unheralded Merino did a fantastic job as the false nine, linking play, fighting his corner, plus his pass for Leo's goal was a thing of beauty.

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Right! No more honourable mentions. We could go on and on and on right through the lineup. It's time for the MOTM award, for which you will have absolutely no clue who it's being awarded to. It's really not an obvious one this week, right? Right ....​?