Manchester City preview (feels good)

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Let’s start this post off with a big congratulations to Man of the Quarantine, Marcus Rashford. The guys has been relentless in his giving, donating money when others dithered, then campaigning to land the kids of the UK a meal during a very challenging summer.

That there is a counter-argument to such a campaign shows the depth of misery some people voluntarily dive into. You have a dark heart if you think empathy, during the worst pandemic of the last 100 years, is misplaced here. There is no financial planning that could see parents in, say, the hospitality industry, through this moment. If you are chirping off about this on the internet, find a friend (if you have one) and ask them to confiscate your phone for a month because you are a disgrace.

Onto the football.

ARSENAL PLAY TOMORROW!

I couldn’t be any more excited about the restart. Sure, it’s likely we’ll get beaten, but who cares, we’re back in the mixer and we still have a European spot to play for. The manager says it’s one game at a time, and I agree. If the players react well to the full preseason we’ve just had, we’ll be in good shape… if they don’t, it’ll be problematic for the fans waiting in the wings to avenge the beheading of Senor Emery.

There’s a lot to be excited about.

We’re going to see the kids. The manager has a big bench and 5 subs he can make now. New youth will get a chance. This will set the tone for the summer and hopefully show the world the Arsenal we’re going to build over the next 5 years. We are one of the best-placed clubs when it comes to teenage talent, let’s hope we meet a new star

Better off-ball movement. Arteta has been trying to build a more cognitive style of football at the club. He’s teaching players shapes and triggers that help our off-ball movement. That was tough to do midseason, but a month in the training field is kind of ideal to implement this elevated approach to the game. The hope is that we see a better style of football, less mistakes, and more intelligence on the field.

Senior turnover is bound to happen this summer, but don’t expect it to be reflected in the starting 11. Arteta wants to win a cup and he wants to make the top 4 this season. That means he’ll lean on experience. Why ‘could’ that work? Well, our bigger names are low on contract in a very uncertain world. They are going to need to prove they are value buys so they can extend out their futures this summer. I expect to see fully committed players on the pitch because everyone is playing for their future. PUMP THAT VALUE.

Style. Yes, this something I’m looking for. I’d like us to move out of functional to something more elevated. We debated this on last nights podcast. What will we see? Getting by with what you have? Or something more exciting that shows the future? I’m hoping for a middle ground. But we’ll see.

The away advantage has gone in the Bundesliga.\

Since the Bundesliga returned in front of empty stands, where they call them the “ghost games” (“geisterspiele“), home teams have won 21.7% of matches (10 from 46 games), down from 43.3% before the shutdown of play in March. Home teams have also scored fewer goals — the pre-lockdown rate of 1.75 goals per game is now down to 1.28 — while the away teams’ winning ratio has risen from 34.83% to 47.8%. The same trends have been seen in Estonia (after 29 games there were just 11 home wins) and Czech Republic (after 32 games, just 10 home wins) since their leagues resumed when behind closed doors.

This works well for Arsenal because, you know, we’ve been shit away from home for years. The hope is that we level the playing field, win some games we might not have, then build confidence going into the future.

We can dream, right?

Ok, before I go, click my podcast and GORGE on its goodness. We cover about 500 topics. It’s great.

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Santan

luiz nooooooooooooooooooo

Guernsey Gun

Haha what a cameo from Luiz……

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Useless cunt

Guns of SF

Never thought I’d ask for sokratis

andy1886

Luiz again…oh dear.

Upstate Gooner

Luiz strikes again

roaaary

🤡

Nelson

Red card.

vickingz

It’s over

TheBayingMob

Disaster Luiz

Dissenter

David Luiz again

Anyone that wants us to keep this guy should get a lobotomy
He’s as bad as Mustafi

Batistuta

Saka on the right
Auba on the wings again
Willock showing he’s not ready
Defence absolutely non existent

Know it’s City and all but he’s had time with this squad now and somehow i really don’t see what the plan is

azed

Fuck David Luiz!!

MidwestGun

CG doesn’t have a point other then Wenger is God.. and he hates Spaniards. come on Diss. what happened to you? There were many on here who hated the Luiz signing from the jump… CG wasn’t one of them. Why you touting a troll?

And anyhow… There is another bonehead play… game over.

Leftside

Luiz Gonna Luiz

Singlehandedly taken this game away from us.

Santan

2 nil ffs

Spanishdave

When a arteta said in his interview ‘the next level’ he has caught Wengercovis.
So Quarantine for him, well done Luiz key player.

Useroz

Luiz is guilty having a hand on Mahee’s shoulder. No problem.

Eric has BOTH hands on Eddie’s shoulder and pulled him down No foul??

You can’t blame Arsenal fans to get bitter about ‘corrupt’ refs

Guns of SF

Do not give him a contract sell his sorry ass

andy1886

Started outside the box, no way a PK and a red. Taking the piss.

Sideshow still terrible though.

Samesong

No it wasn’t
Even the commentators said it wasn’t a foul

He did when they saw it from the second angle.

Habesha Gooner

Do we attract shitty defenders. Fingers crossed Saliba and Mari are decent.

Dissenter

Habesha
‘Fucking hell he is having a stinker.”

No, no, no
He’s having a regular day. This is what he does most of the time.

izzo

There is nothing brave about Arteta’s lineup. Just a novice clueless coach who thinks he can hoodwink so called City players everyone assumes he knows well by playing his players out of position. Luiz with the red. Lol hope this is his last game for us. Fuck him!!!

Batistuta

Horrible starting eleven and though the injuries “maybe” didn’t help.

Guess we have to get used to that with having a rookie in charge

london gunner

This is such an Arsenal performance.

What a pathetic team we have become to even field players like luiz

Upstate Gooner

LOL… on the bright side, he won’t be playing in the next game. And Arteta should take just as much “credit” for today as Luiz.

TheLegendaryDB10

This is going from bad to worse. And KdB scores. What a surprise!!!

Jim furnell

Luiz is over but the refetee is still a fucking Manc

The Godfather

Agent Luis!
Just like Cech, another hatchet job by Chelsea conning arsenal to their dross!
This is MAD!

london gunner

Fucking hate these games ruins the spectacle completely when you go behind 0-2 at the start of the half and now have to play with 10 men.

Worse start we could have

bennydevito

Seriously why the fuck did we sign that useless bastard luiz ffs??

Luiz needs to go, Xhaka needs to go, Mari needs to go, Ozil needs to go and Aubameyang needs to go.

Huge rebuild needed in the summer.

DigitalBob

So is it damage limitation time? another half to go and down to 10 men…………. hopefully Pep and the City players look out for a friend or this could get very nasty.

Guns of SF

Mari was shit too
Too casual

Fuck me it’s time saliba like now

Receding Hairline

What a clown Luiz can be at times. I really thought signing him was a good idea, now we shouldn’t even entertain taking up that option.

Paddy Gooner

Mustafi going now

Spanishdave

Yep this is the next level.
Downwards

CG

20 million 26 games
David Luiz.

Zombie Club strikes again!

Left Testicle

Still no sauce from Arteta.

The Godfather

I’m out to watch Napoli vs Juve.

london gunner

Was a red tbf

TheBayingMob

Typically comical for Arsenal.

13 weeks off to get players fit.

Two of them injure themselves. Luiz gets himself sent off because he’s a shit cunt. Mustafi now also injured. It’s like they are focused only on getting back to the same level of injuries pre-shutdown.

They will do well to keep this under 4

Upstate Gooner

Anthony Taylor surely got a thing for Arsenal but our players don’t do themselves any favors by getting into these situations… AND … it all starts with coaching.

Useroz

Commentators are equally guilty, at times.

When sterling caught Mustafi very late commentators immediately suggested sterling definitely went for the ball and didn’t mean it!

Do I care sterling meant it or not. Luiz didn’t mean to pull Maher down too and he walked and we got a pen.

No card for sterling however.

Spanishdave

CG that hurts

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Rip thet cunts contract up…
Lose him June 30.

Danish Gooner

Game over and already 3 centre backs Down.

Kay

Don’t really understand how holding and chambers be worse than luiz and mustafi

Saying it again we ain’t getting top 4 without 200 million cash injection

Benjamin

Havent missed this shit one bit!! All so predictable

Benjamin

Havent missed this shit one bit!! All so predictable

Danish Gooner

This is as bad as Baku !

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

And you can see the confidence drained from them.

Nelson

May be we can find out that Tierney is a good CB.

london gunner

We ain’t getting 5th place for a CL spot

Sid

Bring in pepe, theres nothing to loose now

TheBayingMob

Well the PL is back, why would we expect Arsenal to come back any differently?

What a laughable club we’ve become …

Danish Gooner

Not one inch of progress under Arteta .

TheBayingMob

Auba is on cruise control making sure he doesn’t get injured

Dissenter

You can’t leave Nkettiah and Auba on
Neither of them is dropping back to defend.

london gunner

Where is Martinelle and Pepe

Paddy Gooner

We seem a yard slower

Useroz

Update G.

Coaching probably. But player qualities matter.

Some of ours trying things beyond their capabilities and made mistakes as a result

Globalgunner

Funny how a chump like Solskjaer has Pep all figured out but 3 Arsenal coaches in a row have no clue

Habesha Gooner

If chambers and Holding are both fit I wouldn’t mind letting the three of them go. but I feel we would still need pl experience.

Leftside

On the bright side now, if Arsenal don’t extend David Luiz’s contract then that is the last time he will play for us.

Danish Gooner

Same timid horrible football as under Unai and Wenger.

Upstate Gooner

Where’s Willock?

Guernsey Gun

Those 4 games on the spin against wolves, Leicester, spurs and Liverpool in July…..if city could be arsed this would be 5. Fucking poor.

Dissenter

TheBayingMob
‘Auba is on cruise control making sure he doesn’t get injured”

Would you blame him.
I would do the same if I were in his shoes. It’s his last major contract.
He can score his 30 goal-allotment per season and we wont have moved one inch forward.

Useroz

I’d rather having Martinelli in the pitch especially with 10 men.

No harm putting Pepe on too. Might as well

TheBayingMob

We seem a yard slower

Just a yard you reckon? The lights are on but no one’s home

Nelson

Eddie has to be aware of offside position.

Habesha Gooner

How many times has Auba touched the ball?

prvhc

I think among the top teams,we have truly game changing CBs. Players who can have multiple howlers in a game and single handedly destroy their team.

Danny S

Desperately need a reboot in this team.

Pretty much most of the senior players are wank.

Guns of SF

Gabby and Pepe why not
Let them get some time game is over
So much for the veteran leadership Arteta

TheBayingMob

This ref is a cunt

Luiz is a bigger cunt

Ben D

David Luiz is such a cunt! No way we are gonna keep him now, surely!?

Paddy Gooner

Can’t even get the simple passes right

Jim furnell

Neville ‘hardly seen anything of Aubamayang’ well what I’ve seen is shit. Havent heard Willocks name, Deplorable performance, make the three subs now

Leftside

Prvhc

With respect, we haven’t been a top team in some time.

DaveB666

This could turn into a bloodbath – CIty are all over us

Paddy Gooner

Feck. Sane on the bench 😭

andy1886

Still have no idea why we always try to play out from the back when we don’t have the players to do it. Even when a player has opponents around him we still try it. Just stupid.

Danish Gooner

7 centre backs and not one fit to lace the Boots of Tony Adams .

azed

“it all starts with coaching.”

Careful Upstate, you are getting close to banned territory.

Leftside

Our last team to win at the Etihad is miles ahead of this current side.

Guns of SF

Sane same as Drogba
Pure arsenal killer

Ben D

But the inconsistency in reffing is just annoying as well. One little hand on the shoulder and it’s a penalty and red card (rightfully so), but how was the grappling of Nketiah in the first half not even a foul?

Ben D

But the inconsistency in reffing is just annoying as well. One little hand on the shoulder and it’s a penalty and red card (rightfully so), but how was the grappling of Nketiah in the first half not even a foul?

Useroz

LB and RB have a pass so far
CB pair obviously failed. Sorry Mustafi You didn’t play too badly.
Mid field failed as whole.
Forwards pass, barely
Leno the only one getting credits under the circumstance

The Backpass

On the bright side at least Pierre would stop saying we are the only unbeaten team this year.

What a shit team we have from top to bottom. I wouldn’t mind binning all bar Leno and use some players from crystal palace.

DaveB666

65 minutes and still no tactical changes……

Useroz

Ben D. That’s not just frustrating. It’s utterly unprofessional given the PL status in world football. Not acceptable.

DigitalBob

Part of me wants to say sell Auba and Laca and use the money for a centreback and a proper central midfielder, but Eddie is not getting near 20 goals in the premier league, not yet anyway, he still needs to gain top flight experience.

CG

Has anyone throttled Bob N16 yet?

Terraloon

Neville hinted at it and you do wonder if off the pitch issues are taking a toll?

PEA Is no where to be seen.

Saka is little boy lost although in part that’s the madness of him starting on the right.

Luiz clearly didn’t appear to get his head straight. The red card was correct you can’t do that in the box

This is just pathetic and other than Leno you can’t see much other than the odd flash.

Left Testicle

No Martinelli or Pepe. And no sauce.

Upstate Gooner

“.. take Aubameyang and willock off”

How can you sub players that are not even on the pitch?

Habesha Gooner

If two players don’t leave from the forward line, We don’t need to spend any money there. I don’t blame Willock and Guendouzi. Somebody should hold their hand. Everyone can’t be Cesc at 20. We need a total revamp in midfield. If we have money I would go for another CB too and let the three of them go.

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