via @Arsenal.com
Our first Saturday match of the season has landed and it feels good. Enjoy it, they’re going to be few and far between.
So what’s new?
Ozil has been ‘sick’ again, lolz, there are people that have eaten directly from a nuclear reactor with stronger immune strength than him.
Arsenal ditched the captain’s notes. Xhaka is the ‘Voice from the dressing room’ in the matchday programme… it’s like Arsenal is in its early twenties at a fancy University, we’ve just met an older student that’s running side classes in wokeness called Kale-isthenics, and we’ve just learned that the captain’s armband is actually social construct and is basically a form of oppression.
Emery hates it. He can’t wait to tell the captains of other clubs that they’re contributing a vicious cycle of captain-archy that’s directly contributing the anxiety of naturally weak people.
Good for Unai, but I can’t help but think a team that really lacked leadership when the chips were down last season should perhaps be making one person accountable for being the go-to for dishing out meaty bollockings.
Checklist for the captain:
- Make sure they’re not injured
- Make sure they’re going to play the majority of games
- Make sure the fans and players like them
- Make sure they are good at football
- Make sure they can battle knife crime with their BARE HANDS
Probably going to be Xhaka… guy can handle the spare key though, so who am I to sniff?
Burnley at home shouldn’t be a problem, but if we play like we did against Newcastle it might be.
They’re capable of putting the wind up us and they have some speed in their ranks… Ashley Barnes can be a bother at times and I hate playing shit-kickers with an unsettled starting 11.
Our defence put on a great show against Newcastle, our full-backs played with more discipline, which looked like a tactical decision based on ability. It’ll be interesting to see whether that holds up tomorrow. I’m also waiting to see how Emery treats Chambers now David Luiz has been with us a couple of weeks. We are one week from Liverpool, Luiz making his debut against them is a scary proposition… so is Chambers starting against Firmino, Mane or the ruthless Origi.
We need a big performance, lots of energy, lots of chances and a bit of a statement.
OVER TO YOU UNAI!
x
Nelson is another iwobi. Intact iwobi is even better
Never offside VAR please !
Where dafug was papa Sok?! He’s a bloody plonker. I hope we stop playing him.
*in fact
Can’t fault VAR
That’s onside wtf.
That was a brilliant play though
Guen? David luiz kept barnes onside when the whole defense was up.
Still, that was good play from Ceballos.
shit
Martinelli or Pepe for Nelson?
Put Pepe in
He won’t get a better chance to launch his Arsenal career than a hoe game on the line.
Foot was off on the replay, unlucky.
Pepe CA, this is a game we have to win. Can’t be dropping points at home to Burnley before going to Anfield and hosting Spurs.
Wenger eagle
Monreal’s bow leg proved you wrong
Burnley lucky in the last 8/10 mins.
Their goal was lucky, a deflected shot that spun through the only gap available.
Nelson lost the ball with a powder puff attack, and Ceballos was pathetic and gave the guy 5 yards to strike it.
Quite harsh, but that’s football. Usual switch off costs us but Burnley got lucky with the deflection as well.
Dani Ceballos was absolutely brilliant. Everything we’ve been missing in central midfield.
I thought Guendouzi was good as well.
Nelson seems far too tame for this level of football. Looks terrified on the pitch.
I really like Willock’s ball carrying ability.
Ceballos beat player this half, closely followed by Guendouzi. We need to link play better between midfield and attack. Might be worth pushing Ceballos further forward.
Dissenter
Poxy rickets, Monreal ought to have drank his milk as a lad.
We’ve got to get our act together defensively, and start asserting some control on MF, otherwise there’s no reason we won’t lose this. Burnley have had the ball bouncing around near the 6 yard box on many occasions.
*best not beat
WE
I agree.
I think I’d bring Martinelli on for Aubameyang toward the end to provide some pace and work rate for the last 10 minutes.
It was a deflection that caught the fence out. David Luis was slow in getting out, kept Barnes onside.
We didn’t control the game in the middle and it’s shame that a route one team is outplaying us at home.
Need to get Nelson off and Pépé on for whole second half
Willock the more I watch him looks all sizzle and no steak.
Very little substance to his game even if it looks pretty on the eye.
Ceballos putting in the most exciting CM first half we’ve seen since cesc left
What a talent and his contribution has been relentless and in both attack and defense. We’ve sat through the dreariest of dreary ozil performances for years now and keep being told AMs shouldn’t need to be chasing back and helping out
Ceballos comes in for 45 mins and contributes more than ozil did all last season.
Pepe has to come in.
Just a few things to note that half.
Ceballos isn’t going to go down too well with the traditional Wengerites on here. He isn’t a silky player. He’s more of a scrapper that has some good attributes.
Laca has been completely invisible after his scored his goal.
No need for Xhaka in the side when Luiz is capable of passing from all ranges at CB.
Monreal lively again after his good previous game at Newcastle.
Loving Ceballos – we’re going to need to save our pennies to buy him and ironically we’re making him more expensively
Let passion aside willock and nelson our most inefficient players going forward and lrone to errors at the back. Luiz has helped a lot at the back, he is really taking over. it is our midfielders that have to step up to relieve the pressure. Ceballos quite sparkling guen, nelson and willock the problem
Definitely Pepe for nelson….nelson needs to up his game if he wants to stay a 1st team regular….there’s something there tho. He needs to bring it out
Prone*
People really do forget quickly how ridiculous Santi was for us in his debut season here playing as the 10.
Said Barnes would be a problem the other day.
Do we ever practice defensive training techniques like marking ? Every game is the same and all teams know our weaknesses.
WE
I think that a midfield 3 of Guendouzi, Torreira, Dani Ceballos is certainly worth a go. That might actually be what I’d go with at Anfield.
This is why as well for all the people saying Nelson should start at Anfield I just thought no way. If he’s shitting himself at home to Burnley what’s he going to be like there?
Nelson reminds me of how Gnabry use to play when given a chance. We might need to be very patient for him to come through.
home grown pair of Nelson and willcock are shit. maitland niles should be playing in the championship or lower then that.
Wenger eagle
You’re unfair on Willocks though.
19 year players typically can’t control the game. He is still in the early formative phases.
Willock has a bit to learn but he also is a bit special in our squad because no one else has similar attributes imo. We’ll see what emery does in the second half
Nelson off for Pépé please
It seems the defensive frailties are going to be the downfall of Emery. I just cannot get the fact around my head that Burnley look threatening every time they get the ball forward.
Our midfield and defence is totally disconnected. I hate to say this but even under Wenger we weren’t this bad defensively. Luiz must be wondering what the hell he is doing in there….
Burnley have to fancy themselves in the second half. The best outcome for us would be a point.
WengerEagle
“Willock the more I watch him looks all sizzle and no steak.”
Very quiet match.
Pepe had to start today. No brainer for me
Pepe has to come in for Nelson
Ceballos is quality..love the way he plays the game.
Definitely playing better football with him in the side , he and willock a good combination.
Aubameyang on the right wing, WTF is that all about?
“Guess who is sick?”
I would have respond Pierre, instead of Ozil.
Said last week Nelson should have been sold.
The only way we’re buying Ceballos is if real waste their money on Pogba.
Here’s to hoping. The guy is quality.
We haven’t had many players who can get fans off their seats over recent years but he has that
CA With you on Nelson, absolutely no way he should be playing at Anfield, or Willock for that matter. Yeah front 3 picks itself as far as I’m concerned for Liverpool, hope Emery doesn’t bottle it and bench Pepe again. As for the CM, without trying to take the piss I’d be tempted to opt for Luiz as the CDM. He’s played there to great effect for Chelsea in past seasons in big matches. Toreirra and Ceballos in front of him. Good balance of pressers and passers in there, Ceballos being the link to the attack along with our full-backs… Read more »
Replay showed that the ball reflected through PapaSok. Guen let Barnes moved free and scored. Any experienced defender would stayed with the man.
WE: “People really do forget quickly how ridiculous Santi was for us in his debut season here playing as the 10.”
Said he is extremely underrated player even by Arsenal fans. He got called “a good player” 2 mins later.
How about Luiz moves into MF for Guendouzi, and Chambers in at CB. Adds an extra competent aerial player, as that is where the game is being lost.
Think we will definitely see Torriera and Pepe replacing Willock and Nelson at some point now.
“I hate to say this but even under Wenger we weren’t this bad defensively”
vs Liverpool, vs Manure, vs the Chavs, vs Bayern Munich, etc,etc,etc…
You know what I mean, jokehead.
What was papa Sok doing so far ahead so that Guen had to cover his position though? Wtf was he thinking?
Ishola
Ceballos is both silky and a scrapper.
He’ll be the end of ozil for sure
Also Kola for the height and physicality, even if he can’t defend.
Sok wasn’t even on his side of the defense. Why?
Dissenter
I’m not looking for him to control the game but he’s had no influence on it whatsoever and that’s unforgivable for a CM no matter how young.
Cesc was dominating Europe’s best at that age for perspective.
“Said last week Nelson should have been sold.”
And of course, you always nose best…
WengerEagle
“.If he was a yard or two quicker he’d be some player.”
Yeah Ceballos not the quickest.
At least he isn’t a typically Arsene Wenger soft player though.
Boy is a scrapper.
no mustafi,xhaka,ozil ? so who you going to blame now?? maitland niles is the biggest waste to play for this club.
“Ceballos putting in the most exciting CM first half we’ve seen since cesc left“
Jesus Christ… You not watch us when Santi was here?
Pépé coming on? Just took off his vest
Pépé !
Reiss Nelson won’t make it at this level.
Pepe for Reiss.
What has changed???
Nelson, willcock,maitland niles all championship or German league players.
Pepe has to be effing bold. he needs a good start because the English tabloids love to tag new expensive imports with “flop” too quickly.
Dunno who’s worse at crossing between kola and monreal. Shameful for being called professionals
That has to be a yellow card
What is wrong with Mike Dean?
Barnes used the knee
Monreal is a non-event in the attacking third.
We’ve never had fullbacks that could cross, Sagna and Clichy were awful at it too.
Funny enough Eboue was our best fullback for that, couldn’t defend for toffee though.
Tony
“Pierre will be very upset Ceballos playing well”
What was you saying about trolling earlier.
Let me remind you.
Tony
“Pedro..If you feel posters should restrain themselves when posters are being trolled, then isn’t it your responsibility to bin trolls and those writing insane comments?”
Practice what you preach Tony ..
RR
I mean he was a foot offside away from having an assist in the 1st half.
WE
What are you on ?
Willock’s been good….just not excellent. Will be a good player for us
Funny how from Andre Santos we went to Kolasinac who isn’t all that different of a LB. Both can’t defend for their lives but are good going forward.
Emery doing a Wenger impression on the touchline.
WE
Maybe.
At least we have some options now.
I really cannot wait until we have fullbacks. That will step things up for us.
Max
Clearly we’re watching different ball games.
He’s done literally nothing of note.
Burnley have had fun stopping us from playing from the back.
Just hoping the switch on sok and luiz heads doesn’t switch on again. sok always advancing, is he a striker now or what?
The speed with which Dani Ceballos moves the ball ups our tempo
Ceballos outclasses everyone on the pitch.
Take ceballos out of this team and we would be toothless
There’s no plan B, other than playing out from the back
He’s a stoic fellow Pepe.
Don’t think I’ve seen him crack a smile since he’s joined the club.
That’s not good from Pepe.
Poor trying to dribble out from there and gets dispossessed
More like it this half.
Hardly trolling Pierre you should reread your Ceballlos comments since he joined us
Auba is bit out of sorts, needs to get his touches right. He’s showing too much of the ball to defenders.
We ain’t breaking them down…
Lacazette invisible.
Auba can only tap in. He wastes so many balls to be called an elite striker
Amn
No
Has to go
Laca is just waiting to be subbed here.
Not getting into game at all.