Poorly Drawn Month: October 2021 (Patreon)

Welcome to the second month of this new feature, exclusive for Patreon Members. We do a recap of each month, big stories, key moments, matches, incidents and more – with words from me, and fantastic artwork from Poorly Drawn Arsenal @cantdrawarsenal.

OCTOBER 2021

Having ended September on a high, the start of October is a bit of a damp squid (yes, we know it’s really ‘squib’ but nobody knows what a squib looks like so it’s impossible to draw).

Brighton 0-0 Arsenal

On a wet night on the south coast, Arsenal can’t quite keep up with the home side’s energy, and have the defence to thank for a clean sheet. Aaron Ramsdale makes a superb save to deny the irritating Neal Maupay, while Ben White and Gabriel are solid at the back.

It’s not the win everyone wants, but a point and a clean sheet make it 10 from 12 and it earns Mikel Arteta the Manager of the Month award from the Premier League. He dedicates it to all his staff.

Then, there is an Interlull.

Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace

With the Interlull over, the focus is on the home game with Crystal Palace and the return of Patrick Vieira in the opposition dug-out.

The Gunners begin brightly, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opening the scoring in the 8th minute

However, Mikel Arteta’s team can’t capitalise on the early breakthrough, although Palace are lucky not to be reduced to 10 men when James McArthur escapes a yellow card for booting Bukayo Saka with the ball nowhere to be seen.

Link to GIF - sometimes they don't work on the Patreon app.

Referee Mike Dean does his best Arsene Wenger impression.

Who knows what the VAR officials were looking at though.

Two second half mistakes allow Palace to go ahead, and it looks like the Gunners are headed for defeat. However, in the last gasps of injury time Alexandre Lacazette grabs an equaliser to snatch a point.

As the Arsenal players celebrate, Patrick Vieira is aghast on the sideline.

Arsenal 3-1 Aston Villa

Having played Palace on Monday, the Friday visit of Aston Villa comes quickly. Having lost on the last three encounters, there are doubts – especially after the Palace performance – but those are quickly dispelled as Arsenal come flying out of the blocks.

Thomas Partey scores his first Arsenal goal.

Emi Martinez, who has lots to say about Arsenal since leaving, saves Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s penalty but can’t prevent the captain from tucking away the rebound.

The star of the show though, is Emile Smith Rowe, who breaks away to score the third goal, coming a day after he says he wants to stay at Arsenal forever.

A late consolation robs us of the clean sheet, but the win is what maters most.

Arsenal 2-0 Leeds

The Gunners go into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 win over Leeds at the Emirates.

The goals come from Eddie Nketiah, whose second makes the game safe, after Calum Chambers heads home just seconds after coming on as a substitute. The defender runs to the sideline to celebrate with the set-piece coach who assured him he’d score with his first touch.

Leicester 0-2 Arsenal

October ends with a trip to take on Leicester, with Arsenal looking to avoid a Halloween horror show.

We start brightly, with two goals in 18 minutes, but the man of the match – by some distance – is Aaron Ramsdale who makes an incredible save just before half-time to deny James Maddison from a free kick.

Everyone though it was a goal:

But the Arsenal keeper has other ideas, keeping Leicester at bay throughout the second half with more saves, as well as taking time to banter with the home fans.

Afterwards, Mikel Arteta is full of praise, but tells his summer signing he has to ‘keep his feet in the earth’.

Given the form he’s in right now, even that wouldn’t stop him.

Link to GIF 

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Next up, November. Traditionally a difficult month, but let's hope we can keep things ticking along.