Carabao Cup
Wednesday 22nd September 2021
There was to be no Carabao Cup upset for AFC Wimbledon as Arsenal emerged as comfortable winners in this Third Round tie at the Emirates Stadium.
The Dons have been a force to be reckoned with in the early weeks of the new season; looking good value as they've scored for fun at one end of the pitch and showed resilience at the other to reach 7th position in Sky Bet League One. Back playing at Plough Lane too, Mark Robinson's team certainly have all the credentials to enjoy a respectable campaign (and who knows, maybe even a promotion push?) but this game against a close to full-strength Arsenal was just a bridge too far for them.
Despite their Premier League status - and with some deluded folk still even believing they're amongst the 'big six', Arsenal have been a laughing stock for a number of years. Therefore, it was probably a combination of the fact they haven't even qualified for Europe this season and their weak early-season form behind Mikel Arteta's reasoning for fielding such a strong team.
Tickets were £10 (which was my main reason for attending) yet the extremely shallow seating in the lower tier 'bowl' coupled with folk getting up and down every 20 seconds and regularly blocking my view of the pitch, spoiled my enjoyment to some extent. I've been to the Emirates Stadium on a handful of occasions in the past but even I'd forgotten just how crap an experience it can be if you're in the lower tier and don't fancy participating in human yo-yo trials!
Although the hosts avoided the sort of upset on the pitch which would have sent 'Arsenal Fan TV' into yet another laughable meltdown, some of their fans sat around me came out with plenty of verbal diatribe. It's always funny listening to idiots who are a certain way inclined that they'll not think twice about shouting needless abuse at their own players, calling them 'sh*t' and 'w**kers', amongst other things when it achieves absolutely nothing whatsoever. It can be especially ironic when those gobbing off look like the type of immature mugs who wouldn't even get into a bottom-of-the-table team in the Dog & Duck District League on a Sunday morning!
Each to their own, but there were more than a few individuals who fit into the above category at this game and it's little wonder why the Gunners have endured so many issues in recent times - from crap performances in general to many fractious player-supporter relationships (think Granit Xhaka or Mesut Ozil). Nor is it difficult to figure out why 'Arsenal Fan TV' has absolutely thrived everywhere apart from the Emirates Stadium.
That said, even though it was comfortable, it wasn't all plain-sailing for Arteta's team of internationals because Wimbledon gave a good account of themselves yet they just weren't quite able to muster up that one key, gilt-edged opportunity which players dream of in these kind of one-off cup ties.
Wimbledon may well have feared the worst when Alexander Lacazette put Arsenal ahead from the penalty spot on 11 minutes, converting after Gabriel Martinelli was brought down inside the box by Nesta McGuinness-Walker, and despite Dons 'keeper Nik Tzanev enduring a nervous moment when he fumbled an awkward ball right underneath his crossbar, he got away with it and the scoreline remained 1-0 by the interval.
The second half saw Arsenal carve out plenty of half-decent openings but a tendency to over-play rather than just have a shot was apparent in a few instances. However, they still had a few chances and Nuno Tavares was only denied by the post shortly before substitute Emile Smith-Rowe eradicated the lingering uncertainty which had built up in some parts of the stadium when he made it 2-0 on 78 minutes. That opened the floodgates and Eddie Nketiah quickly added a third goal with a deft flick-finish to put the result beyond any doubt.
I've seen Wimbledon three times now this season; the other instances being a deserved 2-1 win against Doncaster Rovers on the opening day and then in a 1-1 draw against Gillingham at Plough Lane. Each time they've impressed to a large extent, they've got some fine players in Ayoub Assal, Luke McCormick and Ethan Chislett, get the best out of others such as Ollie Palmer and Alex Woodyard, and they're 100% progressing in the right direction.
Now this 'big day out' type of occasion is over and done with, they can re-focus their efforts into their League One schedule and I wouldn't bet against them to keep pleasantly surprising people over the coming weeks and months.
That said, even though it was comfortable, it wasn't all plain-sailing for Arteta's team of internationals because Wimbledon gave a good account of themselves yet they just weren't quite able to muster up that one key, gilt-edged opportunity which players dream of in these kind of one-off cup ties.
Wimbledon may well have feared the worst when Alexander Lacazette put Arsenal ahead from the penalty spot on 11 minutes, converting after Gabriel Martinelli was brought down inside the box by Nesta McGuinness-Walker, and despite Dons 'keeper Nik Tzanev enduring a nervous moment when he fumbled an awkward ball right underneath his crossbar, he got away with it and the scoreline remained 1-0 by the interval.
The second half saw Arsenal carve out plenty of half-decent openings but a tendency to over-play rather than just have a shot was apparent in a few instances. However, they still had a few chances and Nuno Tavares was only denied by the post shortly before substitute Emile Smith-Rowe eradicated the lingering uncertainty which had built up in some parts of the stadium when he made it 2-0 on 78 minutes. That opened the floodgates and Eddie Nketiah quickly added a third goal with a deft flick-finish to put the result beyond any doubt.
I've seen Wimbledon three times now this season; the other instances being a deserved 2-1 win against Doncaster Rovers on the opening day and then in a 1-1 draw against Gillingham at Plough Lane. Each time they've impressed to a large extent, they've got some fine players in Ayoub Assal, Luke McCormick and Ethan Chislett, get the best out of others such as Ollie Palmer and Alex Woodyard, and they're 100% progressing in the right direction.
Now this 'big day out' type of occasion is over and done with, they can re-focus their efforts into their League One schedule and I wouldn't bet against them to keep pleasantly surprising people over the coming weeks and months.
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