Arsenal start new season with victory
Goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka ensured The Arsenal start the new Premier League campaign with a win
Hello,
Happy Sunday!
It was wonderful to be back at The Arsenal on Saturday as the Gunners kick-off the new Premier League season with a deserved victory.
Goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka ensured Mikel Arteta’s side started the new Premier League campaign with a win.
The Arsenal team celebrate Kai Havertz’s season opener on Saturday. CREDIT:
Credit to the club for organising an emotional video tribute to the much-loved, and much-missed Kevin Campbell before kick-off. And to everyone in the crowd for such warm applause for the big man. I still can’t believe he’s gone. I suspect you can’t either. So very sad.
The new Gooner (out for Brighton) will also be paying fulsome tribute to Kev. RIP
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Arsenal 2-0 Wolves
It was an enjoyable day from start to finish, not least when catching up with so many friendly, familiar faces that make an Arsenal match day so very special.
I was on Gooner Fanzine duty early doors, flogging copies in the blazing sun from 11am. I certainly can’t complain as I really enjoy it - especially when it’s sunny.
Rain is the enemy of fanzine sellers everywhere as no-one ever buys a copy as they’re understandably racing to and from the ground to stop and buy an issue.
Which I completely sympathise, as I used to do the same before I took over our labour of love as editor.
Anyway, it was simply wonderful to catch up with so many good people.
I’ve got a really busy day today on Gooner duty - so much so, that I’m not even covering the Premier League today, as I would have probably done either Brentford vs Palace, or Chelsea vs Man City - or both.
I reported from the Stamford Bridge press box last season during the Blues 4-4 draw with Pep Guardiola’s side (my breathless match report here) but keeping the Gooner alive is far more important today and this week.
And that means editorial, admin and further proselytising work.
In the meantime, I’ll share with you a number of happy photos taken while flogging the Gooner on Saturday.
Meeting - and catching up - with so good people is one of the reasons I absolutely love being editor of the Gooner Fanzine. Long may it continue.
By the way, doesn’t watching Match of the Day on Sunday morning feel so much more enjoyable after an Arsenal victory….
Joy at The Arsenal on Saturday as the players celebrate Kai Havertz’s goal. CREDIT:
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Player Ratings:
Arsenal 2-0 Wolves
Arsenal started the 2024-25 Premier League season with a comfortable 2-0 victory after easing past Wolves at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon.
Goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka sealed a deserved victory as the Gunners aim to make it third time lucky after two successive runners-up finishes.
Find out who else impressed with our Gooner Fanzine Player Ratings
GK: David Raya - 7.5/10 - Outstanding save from Jorgen Strand Larsen's header late in the first half that showed excellent agility that also underlined his progress between the sticks at Arsenal. Not particulary busy otherwise but, as, all the best keepers do, he was ready when called upon, when saving from Matheus Cunha and Pablo Sarabia late on. Deserved clean sheet to start the new season
RB: Ben White - 7.5/10 - Effective when stepping into midfield and solid at the back. Fired an eearly chance wide
CB: William Saliba - 6.5/10 - Purred through the match with no hangover from Euro 2024. Despite a rare error in handing Matheus Cunha a chance, the classy French centre-back is a world class talent who still has plenty of space to improve. A frightening thought even.
CB: Gabriel - 7.5/10 - Solid and reliable while also attempting to prompt attacks by playing out from the back
LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko - 6/10 - Stepped up his performances in pre-season with Riccardo Calafiori breathing down his neck. More effective when stepping into midfield
DM: Thomas Partey - 6/10 - Laboured at times, and not particulary imrpessive when slowing the tempo during embryonic attacks but still efficent in his defensive duties even if ceded possession on rare occasions
CM: Declan Rice - 6/10 - Understandably looked jaded after his summer exertions with England, but still battled hard. Limped off after what looked like cramp. Let's hope that's all it is
CM: Martin Odegaard - 7/10 - So easy on the eye. Does the simple things so stylishly in terms of passing and moving. Not his most effective match creatively, but then again, with such talented colleagues around him, it didn't matter against a limited Wolves side
RW: Bukayo Saka - 8/10 - A reassuringly lively performance that Arteta likened to Messi. No highere praise. His movement and crossed including for Havertz's opener, were outstanding. Scored a superb goal when coming inside to fire past Sa's near post to get his account off the mark already for 2024-25. A huge season ahead for the 22-year-old
ST: Kai Havertz - 8/10 - Excellent header for Arsenal's first goal of the season after a brave late run into a crowded box to head past Sa for 1-0. Worked hard leading the line up top, while also providing an assist for Saka's strike. A good day all round for the Arsenal striker - even if the squad requires another top quality striker to complete the team
LW: Gabriel Martinelli - 6/10 - Lively but not as effective as he would have liked
Substitutes
Jurrien Timber (69' for Zinchenko) - 6.5/10: Good to see the former Ajax defender back in action after a long year out. As underlined by the tremendous reception the crowd gave the 23-year-old when he came on. Showboated early on prior to lsoing posession. We'll forgive him moment as the player must have been keen to show his talent after a frustrating 12 months on the sidelines
Leandro Trossard (80' for Saka) - 7/10
Gabriel Jesus (85' for Rice) - 6/10 - Booked for reacting to having his bum pinched
Subs not used: Aaron Ramsdale (GK),
Riccardo Calafiori,
Ethan Nwaneri,
Jorginho,
Reiss Nelson,
Eddie Nketiah
Good to see Jurrien Timber back playing for The Arsenal. CREDIT:
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Gooner Gallery
Thanks to each and every wonderful person who came and said hello yesterday I’d thought we’d run a quick gallery - so many people came and said hello - so much so that there simply wouldn’t be enough space to include every photo below! So, here’s a quick selection…cheers
Thank you to everyone who stopped for a chat.
I absolutely love catching up with loyal Gooners when flogging the Gooner.
It’s a hard sell at times, so it makes my day so much more fun, cheers!
PS:
For someone like me who uses social media for my job, as well as for sharing the Gooner Gospel, among many other things, I will be spending less time on the binfire/cesspit/ruined social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and more time on what every journalist - and football fan - hopes will be its far more palatable replacement, Threads.
So, if you use social media, I would recommend also moving to Threads. I’m @laythy29 on that platform. See you there, cheers.