Gameweek 4: The Headlines

Hello and a massive thank you to everyone who kept Arsenal in your thoughts and prayers this past weekend!

Yes, our back line was immense, our team was resilient, and our manager showed great creative ingenuity–but I like to think that the Gunners felt all our good vibes and then some.

While the North London derby (and Arsenal's three-peat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) headlined the weekend, there was more. Lots more.

Think a rite of passage for one young mascot in the tunnel at Tottenham. The honeymoon period at Anfield crashing to a halt. Aston Villa coming from 2-0 down to roar to victory.

Let's dig in.

North London is red

On Sunday at 9AM EST, all eyes were on Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Even early in the season, there was a lot on the line. Beating Manchester City requires perfection, and a loss to Tottenham ahead of a trip to the Etihad would have been devastating.

Facing Tottenham away is already a tall order. But to face them with a decimated midfield and without our two star players? I currently have no fingernails left.

However, Arsenal's back line stood STRONG. Let's just say that in the unlikely event I'm ever under siege in a medieval castle, I will politely say no thank you to Manchester City's treble-winning back line manning the fort. Instead, I'll request William Saliba. Ben White. Jurrien Timber. And Gabriel Magalhaes.

Arsenal's statement win was a testament to their solidity, their partnership, and how d*** good they were on the day. In particular, the match belonged to Big Gabi, who scored the winning goal on a set piece.

I'll defer to former Manchester United legend Gary Neville, who summed up the importance of the match. Speaking to Sky Sports about the goal, he said,

"This is the moment that you score if you're going to win a league. This is the moment you score if you're going to win a big match. You soak up the pressure, you withstand it, you give nothing away, and then you go punch and knock them out, and that's exactly what [Arsenal] did."

On the flip side, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou came under criticism following the loss because he refused to change up his game plan–and Arsenal once again exploited Tottenham's major weakness (set pieces).

Previously in May, the Aussie manager shrugged off pointed questions about his team's tendency to concede on corners and free kicks. He said,

"Eventually I will create a team that has success and it won't be because of working on set-pieces."

OK, sour grapes! Ange was even more tetchy in a post-match interview with Sky Sports when an interviewer questioned Tottenham's slow start to this season. When she noted that Ange "normally" wins trophies in his second season with a club, he corrected her, saying,

"I don't usually win things, I always win things in my second year."

This soundbite has now become the metric by which Ange and his Spurs side will be judged.

A coming of age for one precocious mascot

Football isn't always about footballers; sometimes, it's about the fans. In this case, it's about an eight-year-old named Danny.

Like any good youngster, Danny was reared on tales of Arsenal's brilliance, and lulled to sleep by his stuffed dino, Gunnersaurus. Receiving his Junior Gunner call-up as a mascot in the Tottenham game was therefore a dream come true.

Danny was warned by his Gooner dad ahead of time that the atmosphere might be hostile. And Danny was nervous! But just like Arteta's starting XI, the lad was up for it.

Now, Danny is an Internet sensation after footage went viral of him playfully shoving Tottenham mascots and standing up for his team.

At one point, Danny talked smack to the Tottenham lads when he saw them hanging around the Arsenal players.

"I thought, 'why are they high-fiving my players?' I said to them, 'If you want to high-five our players, join Arsenal!'"

After the match, Danny added,

"When I got to the football pitch, the nerves went away somehow. ... My dad said he thinks [Mikel] Arteta showed the players the video in the half-time team talk and told them they should be as aggressive as me!"

Never change, Danny.

Liverpool's shock loss

Behind the North London derby, the biggest news of the weekend was Nottingham Forest's win over Liverpool. It's the first time Forest has won on Liverpool's home ground since 1969.

Was it the perfect away performance for Forest? Close to it. The match started with a packed, compact midfield and gradually, Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo introduced zippy, super subs who made immediate impact. Kudos to Callum Hudson-Odoi (or CHO, as I've now decided to call him) who eventually got the goal.

All the credit goes to Forest, but it's worth noting that Liverpool had a bad day. The Reds were off pace the whole game. Maybe it's because manager Arne Slot started many of the same players who had all just been playing in their international games. This match reminded me of Liverpool's end-of-season blip last year when they lost to Everton and tied West Ham, killing their title dreams in the process.

To quote Arne,

"If you drop home points in a game against Nottingham Forest then something is wrong."

Harsh, but true.

I guess the question is: Was this truly just an off day, or a sign that Liverpool is inconsistent overall?

A weekend for super subs and come-from-behind wins

It was also a big weekend for Newcastle and Aston Villa. Both teams came from behind to win, with super subs scoring the winning goals.

After falling behind 0-1 to Wolverhampton Wolves courtesy of a really nice team goal, Newcastle rallied. Defender Fabian Schar got them level. Then, Harvey Barnes came off the bench and whipped in a truly spectacular long-range shot to net all three points.

I really like Harvey Barnes. I like his bow-and-arrow celebration, which I re-created to poor effect at home (according to my family).

And I know that lots of Geordies would prefer he start games, but like Arsenal's Leo Trossard, he has tremendous impact when coming off the bench.

Thanks to Harvey's stunner, Newcastle are enjoying their best start in nearly three decades. Pundits are yapping about how, results aside, Newcastle has largely been unconvincing and sloppy in position–but let's let them have this one, please and thank you!

Like their northerly neighbors, Aston Villa needed help overcoming a 0-2 deficit against Everton. Ollie Watkins stepped up with two goals–but like the song goes, Villa fans were holding out for a hero 'til the morning light. You know who was only too happy to be that hero? Jhon Duran.

His wonder strike literally left Villa 'keeper Emi Martinez open-mouthed in awe.

If the urge strikes, please spare a thought for the Everton lads! They suffered against Villa and have been suffering so far this season. While their defensive solidity has "vanished" (according to one pundit I heard on Sunday), I guess the silver lining is that now they're scoring more goals?

While I'm asking favors, please cheer on the Gunners this Sunday! They're headed to the Etihad to take on the best team in the world, Manchester City.

It was around the same time last year that this happened (albeit at the Emirates). Is a repeat in the cards?

Meanwhile, as you're waiting for all the action this weekend, you can entertain yourself with the return of Champion's League today-Thursday.

Happy viewing!