GAME CHANGER!

My day was set. The other half was away skiing so my plan for the day was morning golf, watch the Arsenal match in the pub in time to go and see Braintree Town take on Dartford. With a pint or two along the way. What could go wrong?

After a reasonable round of golf, I was now sat there in the pub staring at the 2-1 score line, even my pint of Moretti could not stop my mood edging further towards a complete meltdown of doom and gloom. The scars from the Man City defeat still raw, questions suddenly buzzed around my head. 'Have we just been over performing?' 'When will we win again?' 'How many points are we from 5th'. I am so so pleased and comforted that the Arsenal players hold more faith and fortitude than me!

My Leeds supporting friend, who has still not forgiven Arsenal for losing to Everton, informed me that he had just placed a bet on a draw. I admired his optimism. He asked 'So are you just going to be miserable all day now?', 'No!'. I lied.

And then up popped little old Zinchenko with a wonder strike to not only score his first Premier league goal for Arsenal, remarkably his first Premier League goal ever! What does he do to celebrate this incredible moment in his career? Does he run towards the fans to receive the adulation? No, he runs straight back up the pitch urging for the game to restart. A true team player with a winning mentality.

With the game slipping into injury time Arsenal refuse to give up and a mix of skill and fortune results in Arsenal taking the lead via the head of Martinez. What a moment. What a feeling! And by the way, what a signing by Arteta of Jorginho!

But before we had time to calm down Arsenal had a corner to defend with only a minute to go. Martinez is reuniting himself with the Arsenal penalty area hoping to create that moment of late drama we could really do without. Little did he know that his decision, that was not supported by his angry to be manager, would lead to such satisfying end to the match.

The cross is successfully cleared, and suddenly Vieira is breaking away with the ball towards an open goal. I'm screaming 'SHOOT ---- JUST SHOOT!!!' Martinelli sprints past Vieira who with all the composure in the world slots the ball beautifully between two defenders and he starts to celebrate, Martinelli kicks the ball towards the goal and he starts to celebrate, he then kicks the ball into the empty net, and everyone connected with Arsenal start to celebrate! I'm standing and cheering, enjoying that fact that the people in the pub who cheered when Villa scored can now have some back!

The joy and exhilaration felt by all was quite intense. I was absolutely buzzing! A feeling that was running through me for some time. To win like this will have more of an effect to this team than if we had turned up and walked away with a 4 nil win.

I believe it was a game changer to our season! Why? Facing a revitalised Everton team who ran more miles than they had all season to lose by one goal, to have 2 points stolen from us after we eventually broke down a determined and organised Brentwood, and then the painful defeat against Manchester City meant we had to stop the rot, quick. The players, and fans, had to believe again. The spark had to be re-lit before it totally blew out. And how better to do this than face being a goal down after a few minutes away from home, to come back only to have to do it all again whilst not playing at our best? The next period of this game our Arsenal returned, showing once again what they are really made of, and the emotion and belief they would have experienced winning in the manner will feel like we have had a brand new shiny set of spark plugs fitted. You could see it in the scenes of celebration at the end of the match, a group of players, thanks to Arteta's actions over time, who are evidently such a very close unit.

Manchester City later that day dropped two points to Nottingham Forest, we are back clear on top with a game in hand. No one would have predicted this at the start of the day. In fact, a BBC journalist released his match report about Arsenal's 'faltering title charge', even before the final whistle had been blown and it being still 2-2! Many are waiting for Arsenal to fall away, thankfully the players seem to have different plans.

So a perfect day, well, Braintree let it down a little by only drawing 1-1.

A little word about Martinez, I was puzzled with his strange reaction to receiving his personal award following the World Cup final where he thrust the trophy forward in a falik motion. But then this was compounded by his decision to celebrate on the open top bus with a mask of Mbappe in a mocking fashion, a player had had actually put four goals against him during the match! For me it reveals much about his character, he obviously has little class, as confirmed by the footage caught of him interfering with the penalty spot during Saturday's match in his area in preparation for any possible penalty he may face. I wonder if Mbappe had a wry smile watching the misfortune of Martinez at the end of this match.

REF WATCH

It was great news to hear that firm action was taken at last by the PGMOL by sacking Lee Mason. His position was untenable! It is quite incredible that he 'forgot' to perform his basic job of drawing the lines that would have ruled the Brentford's goal offside. This is the same man who acting as the VAR official managed to persuade the on-pitch referee to disallow the Martinelli goal at Old Trafford which had put us one up. The referee admitted afterwards that he wanted to allow the goal to stand, you can tell this by the comments being made by the commentator Gary Neville who was listening to their VAR conversation, but he decided he did not want to go against his colleague, and the goal was disallowed. What difference these decisions will make in the end we will have to wait and see. I just hope like in 1991 it will have no effect whatsoever.

So, a tough test away to Leicester who are showing some signs of form awaits, and then two home games in quick succession against Everton, our game in hand, and Bournemouth. The roller coaster of a ride continues, however it would not be fun if it wasn't, would it?

Thanks for reading, speak soon!

Rob

@Gooner145

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