Gareth Ainsworth has claimed that Emile Smith Rowe, Ainsley Maitland Niles, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette made Wimbledon ‘suffer’ during Arsenal’s 3-0 win in the EFL Cup, as he told Sky Sports News (22/09/21 at 9:25 pm).
Two of the above players got on the scoresheet for Arsenal last night, with Lacazette opening the scoring, Smith Rowe easing the pressure late in the second half and Nketiah scoring with a wonderful flick ten minutes from time.
It’s another much-needed win, a clean sheet and confidence-booster for this Arsenal side and it has come at the perfect time.
They lock horns with their North London rivals on Sunday and they go into that match not having conceded since players returned from their international break.
That’s some going for a team that was sitting bottom, with no goals or points before the international break.
Nonetheless, Wycombe boss Ainsworth shared that the football played by Arteta’s side was the ‘Arsenal of old’.
“It’s fantastic football,” said Ainsworth. “It’s what you would expect from Arsenal of old.
“When you have players like Emile Smith Rowe, Bukyako Saka, Maitland Niles and Lacazette on the pitch then you are going to suffer. And that’s exactly what has happened.”
It’s all well and good for Arsenal to produce such performances against teams they are expected to beat.
But the big one is happening this Sunday, lose that, then everything that has happened during the past few weeks will be forgotten about.
If Arsneal can win then Arteta might just start to win some of his critics over because he will be well aware that he could have got the sack from the job at numerous moments last season and this term.
The signs suggest, especially given that the Gunners are at home, that they should win their games.
Either way, like North London derbies of the past, there will be action-packed drama and goals-galore.
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