Arsenal: 3 reasons why Watford win was extra special

Arsenal celebrated Mikel Arteta’s 100th match in charge with a 1-0 win over Watford to move up to fifth in the Premier League table ahead of the third international break of the season.

With each unbeaten game on this run the disbelief grows. Well, it’s very real. That hammering up in Manchester on matchweek three continues to sail off into the distance to the point it is no longer visible by the naked eye.

Seven Premier League matches on and Arsenal are up in the European places. From rock bottom the team has cleaned themselves up, dusted themselves down and embarked on a spell of games few, if anyone, could have envisaged.

Emile Smith Rowe was the difference maker on Sunday as his second half strike, and third in a row in the league, settled a tight affair. The home side saw the lion’s share of possession as expected and tested an inspired Ben Foster in goal six times in total, only to be repeatedly denied by the 38-year-old.

Arsenal: 3 reasons why Watford win was extra special as Emile Smith Rowe goal secured 1-0 victory in the Premier League

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw his poor penalty saved in the first half when Danny Rose illegally clattered Alexandre Lacazette in the penalty box, while Gabriel also saw a point blank header brilliantly kept out just before half-time.

Arsenal weren’t to be denied in the 56th minute after fine work from Benjamin White and despite some nerves creeping in towards the end of the match they held on against the ten men Hornets to continue this remarkable run under Arteta.

With just under two weeks to go until the most daunting away journey in Europe takes place at Anfield, Arsenal will find themselves smiling all the way through these World Cup qualifiers with their only concerns being whether or not players will return injured.

It’s a great feeling; a surprising one. All looked lost after that 5-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City, who sit just three points above Arsenal in the league table. And, while it was only 1-0, there were some other elements of the victory that made the result all the more pleasing.

1. Standing Firm Despite Numerous Setbacks

Well documented that Arsenal have the youngest team in the division – Arteta has fielded ten of the 11 youngest starting lineups across the ten matchweeks – supporters are coming to terms with what comes with that.

Youthful exuberance is a wonderful quality to have: players are energetic, hungry, passionate and creative. These traits coupled with their characters make them likeable in every sense, and that spirit transmits onto the fans who have rallied behind this group in a way not seen for years.

And while being more malleable has its benefits, it can also have its setbacks. Inconsistency is the main issue but the lack of experience can also impact reactions to certain situations on the pitch.

Against Watford the team had to ride the emotions of seeing an early goal disallowed, a penalty being saved and being kicked off the park. Watford weren’t concerned about rotational fouling and focussed more intently on taking out whomever they were closest to. Tackles flew in from every angle and the team showed grit and guts to maintain focus throughout.

All of the above can disrupt rhythm and flow. Arsenal weren’t at their fluid best and the Hornets’ mid-block caused some issues in progression but the team stood firm. Getting through a bitty game with numerous stoppages and not wilting under the occasion is a credit to this young group’s character.

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2. Some Dreadful Refereeing From Kevin Friend

The Arsenal conspiracy theorists were served up a three course meal with hors d’oeuvres to kick things off on Sunday as Kevin Friend flat out refused to book any Watford player despite the plethora of fouls they committed.

In total the visitors made 19 fouls. They received three yellow cards.

Arsenal made six fouls. They received four yellow cards.

The sheer volume of kicks, pull backs and tackles from the visitors that went unpunished was astonishing. It got to the point where Watford players knew they could avoid cautions and could make the same foul multiple times without fear of going into the book.

Of all the examples none are more clear cut than Danny Rose. The former Spurs player got away with four fouls, all of which could easily have been yellow cards although there is some leniency for the first one as it’s early into the game, but escaped without a single one. That includes the penalty, which some feel he could easily have seen red for.

If there is consistency in the calls then it would be more palatable, but both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Albert Sambi Lokonga got booked for their first fouls of the game. It’s not the first time that refereeing inconsistency has been on show in Arsenal matches this season.

But it’s not a conspiracy, as much as many would like to believe it is. The quality of refereeing is just bad. Thus, to to have navigated through all of that and come out with three points makes the win extra sweet.

(might have got away with one for the goal)

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3. Premier League Results Make for Perfect Arsenal Weekend

Ahead of the Crystal Palace fixture on home soil all the talk was about how Arsenal could have temporarily lifted themselves into the top four had they have accrued a total of six points from that match and the following Aston Villa meeting.

While they failed to capitalise on the order of the fixtures, even if they had it would still rely on other results going their way to keep their place. This weekend was different, as on top of claiming the spoils against Watford, nearly every single one of their European rivals dropped points so the climb up the table is confirmed without needing to look over shoulders for incoming results.

• Manchester United lost
• Wolves lost
• Brighton drew
• Tottenham drew
• Everton drew
• Leicester drew

As far as weekends go they don’t get much better than that. West Ham may have put Liverpool to the sword but you can’t have everything in life. That said, the Hammers look outstanding and they could well peel away higher up the table should they avoid injuries to key men – David Moyes is doing an incredible job.

Nothing encapsulates this rollercoaster season more than Arsenal having the scope to go above Liverpool in the Premier League table should they go to Anfield and leave with a win: just two points separate one of Europe’s finest teams and a bunch of backup players under a dreadful manager (that was the narrative, right?).

A glorious weekend worth savouring.