The dominant Gunners under Mikel Arteta just keep on winning. In the Europa League, Arsenal improved to 2-0 with a convincing 3-0 victory over Bodo/Glimt on Thursday. Eddie Nketiah and Rob Holding’s goals in the first half gave the Gunners a commanding lead, while Fabio Vieira added a third goal later on. Despite having played one fewer game than Bodo and FC Zurich, the victory puts Arsenal two points ahead of them at the top of Group A.
Overall, Mikel Arteta’s team performed admirably. The Arsenal manager made eight changes from the lineup that defeated Tottenham at the weekend. After Kieran Tierney’s shot hit the post, Nketiah’s quick finish put them ahead and Holding later extended their advantage by heading Vieira’s superb cross into the corner. The home team had numerous opportunities to increase their lead, however, they were only able to add one more goal in the second half. That was scored by Vieira from close range following some outstanding play by the substitute Gabriel Jesus.
The Performing Side:
Eddie Nketiah: Nketiah made the most of his chance to make an impression right away, just like he did in the initial Europa League group stage matchup against FC Zurich. Now that he has scored in both of his starts this year, the 23-year-old is continuing to display an all-around performance that is noticeably better than what we saw from him in prior campaigns. He appears to be direct, and strong and is holding the ball up quite well. After Kieran Tierney’s attempt rebounded off the post and came back to him, he finished with precision. Nketiah is having it tough in the Premier League due to Gabriel Jesus’ form, but if he keeps playing well when he does get an opportunity, it won’t be long until he gets more playing time.
Rob Holding: When Holding scored, his joy was obvious on his face. It was not unexpected to see the Arsenal defender grinning after he headed Fabio Vieira’s wonderful cross into the corner to make it 2-0 given his struggles to get any playing time this year. Holding is very much aware of his current position as Arsenal’s fourth-choice center-back. The 27-year-season old’s has nonetheless been disappointing, so he would have been motivated to perform well in his first home start of the year. And he succeeded in doing just that, effectively managing the defense and scoring a goal.
Fabio Vieira: The young Portuguese player certainly seems talented. This season, Vieria has made an impression every time he has entered the field, and today was no exception. Given his youth and inexperience, there are still certain shortcomings in his game, but the 22-year-old is extremely talented and good with the ball. After some wonderful play from Gabriel Jesus, he was on hand late in the game to score his second goal for the club. His whipped cross for Holding’s goal was outstanding. The attacker put on a fantastic display and now looks like a £30 million steal. According to what we’ve seen thus far, Mikel Arteta was correct when he said that the Arsenal fans would love watching Vieira once he was completely fit.
The Losing Side:
Marquinhos: This was a much more unpleasant experience for the young Brazilian after such a successful start on the road against FC Zurich. Before being replaced by Bukayo Saka, he toiled diligently down the right side all evening, but things just didn’t quite work out for him. Marquinhos will be eager to take advantage of his opportunity in these group-stage games given his lack of playing time in the Premier League, but it didn’t quite work out this time. His night could be summed up by the header he misfired wide early in the second half. He lacked a tiny amount of timing.
The supporters: The more than 3,000 traveling supporters were undoubtedly winners for their support, but they were extremely unlucky not to have seen their team score. The away team at the Emirates was fantastic from the get-go and added a tonne of color and atmosphere to the evening. Their enthusiastic fans deserved a goal to celebrate, but sadly for them, their team was unable to breach the Arsenal defense.
The Defensive Side:
Matt Turner: Turner had hardly anything to do in the first half, but after the break, he was sharp and made a few excellent stops. A great celebration of Nketiah’s accomplishment.
Takehiro Tomiyasu: Tomiyasu was as strong as usual. He was up and running in Marquinhos’ defense.
Rob Holding: The second goal was headed in was just amazing. He enjoyed his game that night.
Gabriel Magalhaes: Gabriel was seen a little sluggish throughout the majority of the game.
Kieran Tierney: He was unfortunate not to score on his thunderous shot that struck the post. Although he appeared powerful and fit.
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