On Saturday, Arsenal faced a big test against Brentford. They knew that a win would place them at the top of the Premier League table and could potentially challenge Manchester City’s dominance. However, the game was not filled with fluid play and creativity. Arsenal did dominate possession but struggled to create many chances. And then in the last minute, Kai Havertz created a goal to give Arsenal a 1-0 win. The reaction to the win was transformed from lamenting the team’s creative shortcomings to praising their patience and character.
Manager Mikel Arteta was pleased with the win, but he refused to classify it as an “ugly” win. He noted that his team was at their best in the game, but the style of play that Brentford employed was not conducive to fluent football. Brentford, a team known for being physical and tough to break down, did what they had to do but it’s up to Arsenal to adjust and break them down. Arteta seemed to reveal a new level of pragmaticism about Arsenal that was not seen in previous seasons.
While nobody should celebrate winning with subpar performances for too long, it’s good to see that Arsenal has a sense of more to come this season. After last season, where Arsenal had to play at their maximum level just to stay in the race, it’s nice to see that they’re currently at the top of the table with some room for growth. Winning ugly might not be ideal, but it’s a sign of a potential champion because not all matches can be won with beauty.
In conclusion, winning with style is great, but showing grit, character, and determination to win the matches that don’t have a lot of beauty is equally important. Teams like Brentford make it hard to look good, but the top teams need to find ways around that. Arsenal’s win over Brentford could be a sign that the team has a new level of pragmaticism that could be beneficial in the long run
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