Three Things We Learned After Arsenal Beat Everton As Gunners Honour Ken Friar With Class
Arsenal’s two centre-backs proved to be the difference in front of goal against Everton as the club and fans honour the late Ken Friar on a rainy Saturday in North London
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The Arsenal team take part in a minute’s applause for the late Ken Friar before kick off against Everton on Saturday afternoon. CREDIT: Layth (@laythy29)
1 - A Good Week For Ezri Konsa
How many of us can say we celebrated our birthday a mere 24 hours before not only playing for The Arsenal, but scoring your first ever goal in red and white?
It was a good week all round for Konsa – who celebrated his 29th birthday on Friday – after the Gunners summer arrival from Aston Villa opened the scoring in the seventh minute as the incessant rain lashed down over North London. That was prior to our Wall at the Back heading home in the 68th minute to claim victory on a wet and windy Islington afternoon.
It’s testament to Silvertown-born Konsa that he has fitted in seamlessly since moving back to the smoke from the second city, so much so that he has already fitted in perfectly with Gabriel to form an excellent centre-back pairing in William Saliba’s absence.
When you think about all the utterly useless defenders we have had this century from Mikel Sylvestre to Igor Stephanovs, to Stephan Lichtsteiner to Sebastien Squillaci to Shkodran Mustafi it makes you weep to think what we could have achieved with such a pairing in the heart of an Arsenal backline if we had Konsa and Gabriel playing for us a decade previously.
As it is, Konsa could be forgiven for feeling a little hard done by when Saliba returns to claim his place, albeit with Mikel Arteta surely shifting the former illustrious Senrab youth team graduate to right-back.
While we’re on the subject of our defence, the fact we could field Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back prior to Riccardo Calafiori coming on moments after we went 2-0 up simply underlines just how strong this squad really is that Arteta has assiduously cultivated. And that’s without mentioning Piero Hincapie can also play on the left.
As for the fact that Ben White is performing admirably at right-back, with Jurrien Timber on the bench on Saturday, along with Cristhian Mosquera who as we all know has the makings of an exceptional centre-back.
This truly is our strongest squad since 2006, and if we picked up a world class striker at any stage soon would even rival the Invincibles. Long may it continue.
2 - Arsenal honour Ken Friar with class
As I raced from flogging the Gooner in the rain at Arsenal tube, to flogging the Gooner in the rain at Bear Roundabout, it was good to note that so many supporters had placed red and white scarves and other momentoes at the Ken Friar stature on, naturally, as the club honours its heroes, on Ken Friar Bridge, in honour of the great man who first performed duties with our club in 1948.
On the way round to bear Roundabout I also noticed two advertising hoardings on Hornsey Road in the shadows of the Emirates had been taken over with tributes to Mr Friar, including his quote his wonderful quote “My life and my heart is and remains with Arsenal.” It was also a nice touch to run his line in the new Rocastle font, which also appeared on the pre-match Tifo when Mr Arsenal was honoured before kick-off with a hearty round of applause for his eight decades of service for the club.
RIP to a true Arsenal man.
3 - A big month coming up for Max Dowman
While I went to Munich as a fan rather than a journalist this week - and had an absolute ball catching up with so many old Arsenal mates, and good people - I may have imbibed a tad more strong continental lager than was suitably necessary, which may have impaired my faculties somewhat.
However, despite far more two litre steins that was good for me, I could still tell through the haze that the injury to Bukayo Saka would be a serious one.
It’s a real shame but any player who has suffered with serious hamstring injuries becomes more susceptible to picking up further injuries, be they hamstring related or not. Which means Saka’s injury, as Arteta said on Friday, ‘was really bad news’.
All of which means that Max Dowman has an exciting chance to stake his claim on the left flank. Starting with Tuesday’s game at Fleetwood. Can’t wait to see how he fares on the Fylde Coast.
See you in Fleetwood (and Blackpool after the game), come on you Gunners.
PS:
Apologies if you were in a certain cellar karaoke bar in the centre of Munich around 3am on Wednesday morning, as me and my pals proceeded to butcher a number of well known classics including Billy Joel’s Piano Man. Good times.
A swift half before kick off in Munich…
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