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Drama-free nights are a rarity in the world of Arsenal, so such a simple victory will not be negligible. It can also have long-term use. Mikel Arteta chose a fringe side to face Dundalk and the challenge to his substitutes, some of whom have stalled in recent months, was clear enough. He needed performances that could sway his thinking for higher octane matches and in some cases he got them, Joe Willock in particular attracted attention with a display of action that capped off a well scored goal.
His was the second of three Arsenal scored in 257 seconds on either side of the break, Eddie Nketiah and Nicolas Pépé landing their own shots for the substitutes. Whether any of them start at Manchester United on Sunday is debatable, but it was a reminder that Arteta may still have a credible set of alternatives to banish the lethargy that has crept into some of his latest league performances. Given the limitations of his opponents, there would be no benefit in overdoing it, but the work, by any measure, was carried out to the letter.
“They showed that they are well prepared, that they are at it and that they are ready when we need them,” Arteta said of his players. “They made things more difficult for the national team.” Made 10 changes, Granit Xhaka survived Sunday’s loss to Leicester, but was sandwiched between Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac in an impromptu three-way back. When Dundalk midfielder Patrick McEleney forced Alex Runarsson, Arsenal’s rookie goalkeeper, to deflect an early shot, it looked like a test awaited them; However, soon his offensive colleagues took center stage.
A year ago, Willock looked like one of England’s most exciting midfield talents, but the 21-year-old has yet to appear in the Premier League this season and has seemed lacking in confidence. He was the best player on display here, setting the tone quickly with two push runs down the inside right of the area. The second brought a central flash through the twenty-foot box; For some time, that was the closest Arsenal got, but Dundalk, who had initially come into play, became increasingly linked and the pressure finally showed.
Nketiah is a born poacher and was horrified when, six minutes before the break, he fired a deflected shot after an effort by Pépé had crashed in front of goal. He soon redeemed himself with a degree of help from Gary Rogers, Dundalk’s 39-year-old goalkeeper, who completely missed his shot at Reiss Nelson’s corner and was stranded when the ball hit his defender Daniel Cleary. It was perfect for Nketiah to inflict punishment and while the forward’s entire game needs improvement, the missed Alexandre Lacazette may feel unsure of his starting place at Old Trafford.
Almost immediately, Pépé picked up a loose pass from Dundalk, headed for goal and saw a blocked shot. Willock took the fumble with a firm stride and finished emphatically. “I said to [Arteta], ‘I want to fight for my position’ and I hope I have more opportunities like I had today, ”said Willock, and has not hurt himself.
The often baffling Pépé helped his own cause when, 30 seconds into the second half, he wrapped his supposedly weaker right foot around the ball and found the top corner after some smarter work from Willock. “He has played quite a few moments, some better than others,” Arteta said of the club’s record signing, whose undoubted talent tends to grow in flashes. “It’s about him hitting the best he can every week. I think this is where he thinks he can do better and we have to try to help him. “
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That goal turned the final 44 minutes into little more than a practice match, in which Arteta debuted with prolific 19-year-old forward Folarin Balogun and Dundalk manager Filippo Giovagnoli made use of his substitutes before the important match of the Sunday’s League of Ireland with St Patrick. Athletic.
The visitors were not disgraced but they achieved the curious distinction of being the first team in Europa League history to not commit a foul. “Our team is very polite, they are gentlemen,” said Giovagnoli. Certainly, there was no danger of a rude awakening for Arteta and her hopefuls.
