Two things Arsenal did correctly for their first three points

 

After their terrible start to the new season where they went three games without scoring a single goal in the Premier League, Arsenal finally got their first win of the season against Norwich City.

The win ensured the Gunners got out of the relegation zone after they secured all three points against the newly promoted side. The game was not swinging to any direction for long periods as Norwich put in all they had. Their main undoing was to not to capitalize on the big chances they managed to create in the match.

Arsenal on the other hand appeared to have learned from the mistakes of their last three matches where they failed to secure neither a point, nor score a single goal.

Here are the two obvious mistakes Gunners’ manager Mikel Arteta was able to avoid as they grabbed their first win of the season.

First, Mikel Arteta fielded his best eleven for today's match. Despite their poor start to the season, the Spaniard wouldn't want to underestimate the ability of Norwich City to hurt the Gunners. Besides, Arsenal needed to get that very important win today to maintain his position in the Gunners dugout.

A front four of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Bukoya Saka and Martin Odegaard was what the North-London side needed to get all three points today. In the back line, where the Gunners have often been found wanting, Ben White made a return to the squad and the Gunners’ fans saw clearly the impact he made in leading the backline to their first clean sheet of the season. Arsenal fans will only hope for more of such performance from their defensive record signing.

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the Gunners’ first goal of the season with Ivorian record signing Nicolas Pepe providing the assist.

After a disappointing goalless first 45 minutes, the Gunners showed desire as they kept pushing for the opening goal. Their persistence eventually paid off after a brilliant build up that led to the opening goal.

Ghanaian midfielder, Thomas Partey who has missed three of the Gunners’ opening Premier League games brought in steel and solidity to the middle and led the team’s winning spirit today. The former Atletico Madrid man had a rock-hard performance alongside new signing Sambi Lokonga in the center of the pack.

Secondly, Mikel Arteta avoided unnecessary substitutions: like the saying goes, ‘if it’s not broken, there is no need to fix it’. After a goalless first half, the Spaniard held his nerve under pressure and made sure not to change the flow of the game with an early and unnecessary substitution in the opening minutes of the second half.

The players were obviously playing to instructions and all they needed was to keep pushing and wait for the right moment. The opportunity eventually presented itself. Making unnecessary changes could have changed their style of play which would have given Norwich an opportunity to regain their declining confidence. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave in his very best for the gunners today, he scored their first goal of the season and there would be more to come this season.