Well, I felt pretty terrible about life waking up yesterday morning, but then the mighty Spurs brightened up my day when they gave up a 3-0 lead inside 18 minutes after the second coming of Gareth Bale.
Beautiful stuff. That killed off ‘THEY’RE GONNA WIN THE LEAGUE’ talk pretty fast. Spurs will be up there this season, but contending the title? Have my doubts people.
Even better than that, Emi Martinez kept another clean sheet and Ross Barkley fired the impressive Aston Villa to another win against Leicester.
So, the weekend shook out quite nicely. We’re 5th, level points with Leicester. United, City, Wolves, and Chelsea are all behind us in the table.
Suddenly, losing 0-1 to Manchester City in a very tight game doesn’t look so bad. I mean, not great, but I’ll be the perspective police here and say it could have been worse. City are a very good team, we had good enough chances, we forced them into a cagey response. Games like that should be close and live on a knife-edge… I suspect if we add a little more flair to our attack in those sorts of games, we’ll not have that top 6 away record hanging around our neck much longer.
Additional good news: We currently have the second-best defensive record in the Premier League. Arteta is building from the back, if he maintains this sort of record all season, we’ll be in contention for the top 4.
A lot of fans are throwing around our dismal attacking numbers, and rightly so… but that will develop and if we’re honest, we’ll probably have to buy to really solve those challenges. We don’t have an Aouar or a Grealish in our squad and it is very unlikely anyone is going to develop into the role. The gamble for this season is that if we have a strong foundation, we can live off less chances because we have Auba. A lot of eggs in that basket though. We really need to up our creativity and share around the responsibility for scoring.
We do have a chance to experiment. This Thursday is sandbox time. We’re playing Rapid Wien, currently 2nd in the Austrian Bundesliga. This game is important as it sets the tone for the competition. Arteta will want to win, but he’ll be all too aware that we do not have the depth of quality in our squad to deal with an injury crisis this season. I expect some experience, but I also hope we see a lot of young players. Joe Willock and ESR are the best candidates for more attacking flair in our play… hopefully, they deliver a good performance. This is our back-up for top 4 this season, but we should really be walking the groups with our reserves.
We also have a really big game on Sunday. Brendan Rodgers, top 4 contenders, needs to make amends for the Villa loss. Arteta, will be desperate not to lose ground at the top of the table. It’s a huge game, how will the team react? We shall see.
Short one today, see you in the comments. x
“Newly promoted Leeds managed a draw against Man City so why couldn’t Arsenal especially as City had 4 key players missing from the team“
Do you think Leeds will finish above Arsenal?
Superrob
Fiesta was filth.
There was always a ‘Dawn from Longeaton’ featured.
And Sid.
Champagne charlie
Arsenal finishing above Leeds makes the defeat against Man City look even worse.
Building from the back up, especially now that we have the makings of a spine, is not the worst idea and probably the more pragmatic way to lay the foundations for a sustained winner. How many times the last few years have Arsenal conceded a goal right after scoring? If it takes a half a season of a stilted attack in order to put us in position to grab the points we need, I don’t think I have a problem with that. The thing about it is, pinging the ball sideways at midfield with players who aren’t mobile enough to… Read more »
SuperRob
I’d say Pepe alone is worth more than the Leeds squad.
Readers wives was classic!
Champagne Charlie
Oh dear you’re looking for Arsenal to flat track bully their way over the line.
My good friends at Transfermarkt tell me Pepe is around £35 m at moment which is still about £10 too high but you do have a point there Calypso.
The value of the Leeds squad is currently £75.69m, with midfielder Kalvin Phillips the most valued player across the entire first-team squad.21 May 2020
Okay I was wrong by £3m
Calypso,
Yes that year we did the Domestic Cups double.
That alone was worth the horrible league games.
And that was a time where the European Cups were not as celebrated as now. Domestic Cups were still viewed as success.
Nowadays nobody really care about the League Cup.
“Oh dear you’re looking for Arsenal to flat track bully their way over the line” Where have I said this? I just happen to think ‘well Leeds managed to attack City’ is a pretty frail comment to make against Arsenal. You’ve already admitted we’re more than likely to finish above Leeds, so I guess marvelling at their approach only goes so far. I want Arsenal to compete with every top 6 side and impose themselves vs the rest. But I’m also cognisant of where we are all things considered, and I have patience in our novice manager to develop us… Read more »
“Beilsa has had 3 years with those players.“
Two
Also like Mid said it’s not as simple as putting Auba at CF, both Laca and Eddie do a better job of initiating the press from the top, so it’s a matter of Auba setting up on the left defensively and having freedom to come to the middle when on the attack. I’m not saying I agree with it, but I understand the motives. Even Klopp played Auba as a winger more often than not dating way back to Dortmund.
I still think it’s a waste to shunt him out wide though.
Makes sense that Wolves are dressed in Portuguese colours.
Highbury was something else, even though I‘ve never been at the Emirates, left London before Arsene finished it single-handedly.
Being able to watch some 20 odd games, sitting just behind the goal was a blessing.
The memory of the sound of the seats whenever we had a goal opportunity brings a smile to my face.
CL nights were absolutely thrilling too.
3 summer transfer windows to mould the team how he wants.
Half expecting Ronaldo to pop up for Wolves here.
Anyone want to stick their neck out about Kalvin Phillips?
Grealish hit the PL at 24 for Villa and was superb, does anyone see him as a similar standard? I don’t see it from him personally.
Is it wrong that part of me is a little happy about Van Dijk’s ACL injury?
That Bielsa opening 10 was drenched in sauce.
In other news, Luis Campos is about to leave Lille…
Karim
I read to Spurs which clearly would suck… what you hearing?
That Bielsa opening 10 was drenched in sauce.
————
It is. Can Kalvin Phillips do it on a cold winter evening in North East without all that sauce? Even Arsenal reject, Ayling, looks sauced up.
‘Is it wrong that part of me is a little happy about Van Dijk’s ACL injury?‘
Yes
The Leeds defender just got a yellow for wearing a woman’s sport bra , I think
Bamford who played football like an accountant now plays like a footballer. Bielsa farts sauce when he squats, sauce everywhere.
Aubameyang at Arsenal in the league since 2018/19: Expected goals per game playing from the left – 0.36 Expected goals per game playing centrally – 0.65 I will say it one more time it’s time to stick auba up front and fuck anyone who comes at me with the usual “auba can’t play upfront because he can’t hold up play”..it’s becoming pretty depressing watching our top marksman tracking back on the left wing and pinging shit crosses to whoever the dud that is upfront.Not to risk the endless martinez leno debate but it’s pretty laughable that we want to persist… Read more »
All I know is the Ria Grande Valley loves them some Wolves.
Rio
Daniel Altos
“God,ffs I just want to see a front three of pepe,auba and saka and no xhaka in the team is that too much to ask for?”
lol yes it is.
Xhaka and Arsenal = forever together. What a lovely story.
Sal
I hear they’re shite, always have been, always will be !
Just read that Allan Saint-Maximin’s wages were doubled at Newcastle to 70k weekly. Now he’s one the highest wage earners at that club.
It just reminded me of how much wages we are wasting on half of our squad.
Someone save us from Tim Howard
Gawd I hate half times at NBC
When Leeds aren’t scoring goals and giving up loads of goals I’m very disappointed in them.. This is not what I tuned in for. Come on Bielsa get it together man.
Leeds 12 year old keeper with a good stop though at the end of the half.
Anyhow.. yeah Tim Howard needs some sauce of some sort, because he is bland on toast.
Tim Howard is absolutely the worst
Midwest
Their keeper just turned 13 yesterday, get it together will you.
Oh ok.. I did see one chin hair.. must be puberty.
Tim Howard should shift that beard of his to top of his head ( Cmon, it’s got to be fake, or is it just me jealous because I can’t grow one like that)
Main reason Nuno was a no go for me as thecArsenal manager.
Sorry, but that look doesn’t fit the image.
A taliban spokesperson yes, Arsenal manager no.
Sharp finish.
Pick that one out
Crafty from Podence but thats coming back.
VAR gonna nix that goal. even though the build up pass was about a half hour before the actual shot.
Scrathed out.
Did I just read someone write they would rather we lost 5-0 playing attacking football? Of we had taken out chances against City, we could have come away with something from that game.
I think some of you should just stick to playing PS4! Upgrade to PS5, I hear the graphics are better.
Here comes the baby oil arms
That dude is jacked.
🙄
Ben
Obviously that’s ridiculous but throwing caution to the wind down one goal and taking more chances in the last ten minutes would’ve been great to see.
Last time I checked even the most prolific of clubs can still only score one goal at the time.
If you conceded the second then pull back and pass it around your own half.
Sal-
As London G would say he is a muscular cunt. One of my fav all time Le Grove conversations about chatting up babes if I remember right.
Wow.. Mexicano Lobos… does have some quick feet for a big man… but lucky deflection.
Brilliant reaction header from Kalvin Phillips
That was bound to happen with Phillips’ shitty haircut.
Mid
For the record i’m not really an ’emoji guy’, to that I was hoping for a new one that my keyboard keeps teasing, has a bit of a pig in the blanket vibe.
Didn’t come off for me, bit like Song and Barca.
As you were.
Comment of the day from Radio right there.
This Leeds jersey is very revealing
It makes it look like all them blokes are wearing sports bras.
Been very little to talk about in this game. A few abysmal trims on display though
Hahaha Sal.. Ok. Can’t count the times I had a cool You tube link that didn’t post proper. So I feel your pain.
Leeds looking gassed spent it all in the first 45.
I don’t know what’s more embarrassing, deflecting a header into your own net or spending the next minute fixing your fucking pony tail.
It would be pretty harsh on Leeds to no get any points out of this. Besides I have them higher in my power rankings.
Pedro Not disputing any of that but do you seriously think that by continuing this slightly negative approach to games, we’ll achieve our goals this season? Cup games are different to league games. Tactically and psychologically they’re a different kettle of fish.. The only game this season we’ve looked comfortable in was against Fulham. Says it all really. I know you and a few others feel some of us are asking too much too soon but I sense the players are feeling shackled by Arteta’s insistence on these regimental methods. Imo, we have regressed these past few weeks which, surprise… Read more »
What the hell is going on? An El Tri player with some shit housery fake injury to kill off the game? surely not.
Leeds have the right approach but lack a bit of cutting edge which is understandable at the cut rate price they’ve been put together.
Leeds are going to suffer a catastrophic physical collapse in the second half of the season.
Biela’s style is going to take them down, There’s no way they can sustain this level of sheer effort.
goals raul jimenez must have won alot of points for wolves since he signed.The amount of match winning goals he has scored must be high
Dissenter
I completely agree. When they gave Arsenal a scare at the Ems in the FA cup ( they did outplay us) , some said they were PL top six in the making.
Talk about knee jerk.
They will be happy to stay in the league.
Tom in the first half they were great against us but they blew their load first half and then we absolutely dominated in the 2nd half.
If they had a better striker they’d have been 2 up v us
Leeds didn’t show anything of interest in the second half.
The better and more likelier team in the second half won the match the Wolves.
Ishola they were gassed was nothing to do with lack of interest.
https://youtu.be/u2RGXYyUmnc
The man from Tema
Thanks for that video
Is that Partey’s father with the tears welling up?
It just goes to prove that the premier league overseas TV contract should not be shared equally. Very few clubs will make a non-UK parent tear up on seeing his/her son wear the famous jersey.
Partey after Partey….Partey after Partey
SuperRob
“they were gassed was nothing to do with lack of interest.”
Meant rather they didn’t show any interesting football rather than them not being interested.
Didn’t see the first half.
There are two basic schools of thought when coaching any team: 1: Play to a system Or 2: Play to your strengths It is quite simple. No 1 can only work when you have the resources to make the appropriate changes and bring in the personnel required. Arsenal are not in that position are not likely to be any time soon under KSE. Unfortunately Arteta seems to favour this approach and continues to toil away without the appropriate tools. Like many an eager young coach he selects a ‘progressive’ system from the Coaching 101 manual and hopes it will succeed… Read more »
WOLVES BEAT LEEDS SO IS IT THEY LOST TO MANCHESTER CITY?
Pedro
I’ll set Marc upon you, he’s ready and all set to go.
Players do look after there own self interest, in that they want to play regularly and get paid well. Footballers also have a brain and have feelings for their team mates , and if they feel a team mate is being mistreated by the manager or the club or both , it could well start alarm bells ringing in their head . By this, i mean a certain amount of mistrust could well come into play . A player or players must discuss privately what they feel is mistreatment of a team mate and how would they feel if the… Read more »
Pierre, there’s not dangerous game here… just a manager setting our his rules and sticking to them.
Matteo was a joke. Everyone at the club knows the deal with Mesut. It’s not a problem and no amount of conspiracy theorising from you will change that.
Aussie, It is not just managers without ego who use option 2. It is managers who value winning above being right. It is also mission/result oriented managers who don’t have a philosophy except maybe being adaptable. In most philosophy oriented manager’s career, there is a point where the pressure is too intense because of poor result, they have cave in to the reality and tries to adapt. They ditch their philosophy and become pragmatic. Most can’t keep the change permanent. Soon they revert to type. Remember when Wenger adopted a more control approach against ManCity and brought Coquelin. We won… Read more »
“Ferguson and George Graham ruled by fear but times have changed and I’m not sure ruling by fear is the way forward.“
That’s why Arteta is ruling by humility and respect, and the players are lapping it up. You afford the same criteria to all and you breed harmony.
Ozil is out because Ozil is another one that’s failed to cope with the changing times. No effort, no responsibility as a senior player, and no respect for the collective. Boring player, will be a burden his teammates are glad to have lifted when all is said and done.
Pierre You have seen what has happened to Emery. And you think that could happen again. There is a big unknown with Arteta. He is new. We all see that he has corrected our problem with the defense. I hope he knows what to do with the offense. As you said, the result will be the deciding factor. As long as we are still winning most of the games, there won’t be any revolt even if the players don’t agree with all Arteta’s decision. Auba is also having a very important role. Arteta relies on him to score goals. And… Read more »
Pierre Are you seriously suggesting that the four players you are listing merit a regular place in the starting place or bench at the Arsenal ahead of the players who are currently playing? Ozil is leaving the club at end of his contract and you are constantly flogging a “dead horse”. Guendouzi fell out with the coaching staff and by all accounts some of his teammates. So was not exactly flavour of month at club.Frankly I considered him grossly overrated. Torreira was not playing regularly under both Emery and Arteta and has been replaced by Partey considered to be an… Read more »
,There was always a ‘Dawn from Longeaton’ featured. And Sid.’
😂😂
Most of the smart Arsenal fans know that Auba and Laca are good pals on and off the pitch. I don’t know how Laca felt when he found out Arteta replaced him by “Willian”. I am sure Auba wouldn’t find that funny.
Not everything Arteta does is perfect or makes any sense even. That some of you think he is above criticism doesn’t make it so. Guendouzi is captain of the French under 21 side, don’t know when or how he became a joke. Champagne Charlie called for the team to be built around him, Pedro called for his salary to be doubled before we lose him, all of a sudden he becomes a joke because Arteta came in and said so. Pedro has not shared any of the inside gist on him he alleges to have. Arteta came in and made… Read more »
Pierre
“Ferguson and Graham ruled by fear”.
Not necessarily.
They ruled because they were the boss and you had to respect your boss, whether you liked it not.
Nowadays players and agents have the power. Certain players act like prima donnas.
Times have changed with the onset of money and, dare I say, political correctness, and whereas the managers back then were able to focus purely on footballing matters, these days they have to juggle many different facets of the operation.
So far, I can’t fault Arteta in these matters.
Apart from his goalkeepers decision.
Those Ghanaian’s have followed the arsenal since partey joined and have more of an idea about fandom than Damford ever could.
Wonder if they spent the game debating if this was a top 4 squad. Did they bollocks.
Anybody knows the rule for the League Cup?
According to Daily Cannon, To qualify for a League Cup squad you have to be in the Premier League squad on the relevant date. That means that any player not on the premiership squad is not eligible for League Cup game until at least the next transfer window.
We already know that at least two non-home grown and older than 21 years old will miss out. If they were also out of the Europa League squad, that would mean no competitive senior football for those two until January.
Stroller “Are you seriously suggesting that the four players you are listing merit a regular place in the starting place or bench at the Arsenal ahead of the players who are currently playing?” I haven’t suggested that but what i will say is , as an Arsenal supporter i want to see the best for the team i support. Since lockdown , without Ozil, Guendouzi and Torreira we have Fewer points per game Fewer goals per game conceded more goals per game Won fewer matches per game Lost more matches per game. This is what matters to me, it’s obvious… Read more »
Pierre:”i think he is treading a fine line and if results continue to decline, the players and fans will begin to ask questions.” It has already started. Darren Bent: “It’s not the fact he hasn’t scored a goal, it’s the performances,” Bent said on TalkSPORT. “Before he signed his contract he was absolutely everywhere – running back, tracking back, putting tackles in, breaking forward. There was a real hunger and intensity to his game. “At the minute, you can see there’s been a massive drop off. I don’t know if it’s coincided with the new contract, but you can tell… Read more »
Raptors lapping up some utter bollocks from a former spuds striker.
You’re the exact demographic talkshite are aiming at when they come up with this shit. Gullible,
impressionable and not very bright.
A younger version a Graham.
SuperRob,
Thanks for your input.
We should wait to see how we fare in term of performance and results against smaller team, but right now it does not look good. All the stats points to Arsenal having to score 2 goals to win a game when our attackers have less than 2 big chances per game. It is obviously skewed because of the Liverpool and ManCity games, but if the same trend continue in the next 10 games, then we are unlikely to make top 4. We may be extremely lucky and win most of our games with narrow victories, but bad luck, referee decisions,… Read more »
Darren Bent similar to Micah Richards and Cli Ron Morrison no talent just there to make up the numbers and fill the diversity quota.
SuperRob
Clinton Morrison is a very good addition to the punditry team
Whilst the likes of Eni Aluko and Alex Scott know their subject and significantly, add a bit of glamour to the studio.
Are you telling me that pundits like Robbie Savage, the obnoxious Chris Sutton and the exceedingly boring Tony Pullis are talented?
It’s always been about jobs for the boys.
Thank goodness for diversity.
Long overdue.
75% of the sky sports pundits, prior to diversity, should have been put out to pasture long ago.
I do miss Charlie Nicholas though.
Pierre Ozil’s performance over the last 2.5 years has been in serious decline and the so-called stats you produce are frankly nonsense. What exactly do you think that Ozil will contribute to improve the current team? 1. He does not train properly 2. His end product has declined over last 2.5 years with fewer assists and goals scored. 3. He does not defend. 4. His energy level was in sharp decline 5. He sulks when not picked feigning on many occasions back injury. 6. He refused to take a paycut despite almost all the other players in squad who earned… Read more »
Hey everyone, no politics. I do not want to know that my most valued commenters are Q fans. Take it to Breitbart