How was your Christmas people? Good I hope. I cooked. My gfs dad said, ‘great meal, the thing with a big Turkey is they don’t have flavor.’ Don’t have flavor? Are you f*cking kidding me? I massaged that Chicken with sage and orange rind butter like it was a Kobe cow. No flavor? You’d best have covid taste buds right no… wait?
OK, enough of the personal talk… Arsenal today is massive.
If we lose, I struggle to see a way back for Arteta. It’s one humiliation too far and I’m not sure the players will put in the requisite shift to lift us in 5 fairly straightforward games after.
Arteta, a manager flailing in the media, behind the scenes, and on the pitch… needs to find a performance. We need to see the players come out of the traps like they did this time last year when Mikel joined. We need a huge, huge game that convinces everyone the corner can be turned.
I don’t really know how you go back to basics again when you are coach that has overseen such a shocking run.
I’d start by playing those that want to fight. Mikel keeps saying he sees the players give it their all in training. Reality is, they are not doing it on the pitch. That has to be solved for.
Deference to players that have weak character has cost him all his political capital this season. That said, he has to stop being a politician. It’s time to start being the guy that set out guiding principles at the beginning. Show the fans and the players who is boss and make tough decisions. Being bullied by shit players is unbefitting. Those players might have been his choice, but we’re in survival mode now, time to castaway personalities that are toxic, because they have us in 15th.
He needs to pick a side that has runners in it. We’ve looked closer to a system when we’ve had players that think fast, takes risks, and move at speed. It’ll be huge if we have Martinelli in the side today. We have to have AMN and Mo at the base of midfield. Then there’s a big decision to make on the third player in midfield. There’s a video of the City game, Lacazette trudging around when we’re 1-0 down, Gabriel charging people down… give legs today. Take a chance. If Lacazette drops another 4 out of 10, we’re in trouble.
Defence is also going to be problematic. I don’t think anyone is seeing it at the moment, but new signing Gabriel has been bad. His form has dropped over the past few weeks. We need a shift from him and 100% concentration. Same for the rest of them. Where do we go with the defence? Do you opt for Hector with his terrible form? Do you risk Soares? Whatever he puts out there, it has to play a focused game because Chelsea are lethal. Surely we don’t play David Luiz? We all saw him digging out Mo in the last game. That is Luiz, deflecting responsibility in full view of everyone. Behaving like that was part of the non-negotiables, I hope he’s not there today.
Mikel sounds like he’s in bad shape. I’m not surprised. This season has been dreadful and I’m sure he had far higher hopes. He said this.
“When I don’t do things to perfection and just the way I want it in the timing, I feel like I’ve let people down. To live with that feeling is incredibly hard.
“As well, I have to know that what I thought a year ago that it would be, what I wanted to do and what I am right now; that perspective is not far from where we are.”
It’s a little bit sad to read if I’m honest. Like, what is he seeing that we are not? We don’t create. We don’t shoot. We don’t press. We stopped defending. Our xG numbers aren’t telling a positive story. What is he seeing that we are not? It’s the Emperor’s new clothes, except it’s not a sexy outfit, it’s Steve Round telling Mikel the numbers are good. Still, I think he understands the gravity of where we are.
“The next seven to eight days are going to be crucial to see where we’re going to be heading to in the Premier League,”
“We have to stand up and we have to pick up the points. Let’s draw a line and move forward. Whether it’s bad luck or these things that are affecting our results, they have to change dramatically.”
If the next 8 days go badly, it’s hard to see his survival. The players might be shite, but you can’t relegate a club to make a point… and at that point, it’ll be clear we don’t have the person in place to make things happen.
Today is the moment. Beat Chelsea and hope returns. The players will take confidence, the fans will have seen a performance, and the next games look easier.
Lose… well, let’s not consider it, but it’ll certainly feel like the prison doors opening on the green mile.
P.S. Olise is blowing up at Reading. £8m release clause. 19 years old, the exact sort of player we should be taking a risk on.
1st
And
The
Tr4phy
A Boxing Day clean sweep….nice! 🙂
Anyone here watch villa much? I’ve seen a couple recent matches and Emi is so good. Great distribution, the shot stopping and command of the box is fantastic. Our coaching staff has this guy buried for 10 years? Arsenal ooze incompetence from all sorts of places
The club, players, fans, and the manager badly need something from this game today.
I just can’t, for the life of me, seem how that’s going to come about….
*see
Any news on Auba and Martinelli?
The best we can hope for is that we don’t get humiliated.
I’m pulling an ‘Henry’ today.
If I see Xhaka in the starting XI, I’m turning the TV off.
Bottom half.
I’m desperate for a win today, but I just know the likelihood is astronomically small.
maybe saka will have some nice touches?
I just don’t even know what to look forward to about today, arteta is not going to surprise anyone with his team selection.
Club seems to have made it clear that today doesn’t matter. We get battered today nothing changes. I’m waiting to see how Brighton and WBA turn out
Sunday olise still playing football, for Reading? Amazing
There’s always a chance, however improbable. But Arteta makes it even harder with his stubborn approach. Leaving it to today to throw in some of the youth is kind of ridiculous when you have had so many opportunities to try them out, and the worst opponents to try something untested. He does sound out of puff and out of ideas, flailing around with slogans even he doesn’t sound convinced by. Add that to the news that we have been heavily involved in talks with Eriksen, and it just adds to the impression of jaded, desperate ideas – more of the… Read more »
Love to see a team without Willian. Xhaka, and Luiz but not holding my breath.
Pedro Oh dear mate – you keep grasping for all those straws and there won’t be any for the children – THINK OF THE CHILDREN FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! Where do we start? “If we lose, I struggle to see a way back for Arteta.” You mean when we lose. ” We have to have AMN and Mo at the base of midfield.” We’ll go with Xhaka plus Elneny or Ceballos and with AMN on his way Bellerin will start at RB and you just know Willian will be in the team. Even if by some miracle we got… Read more »
“I’m pulling an ‘Henry’ today.If I see Xhaka in the starting XI, I’m turning the TV off.”
My sources tell me Sky are thinking about putting a Xhaka clause in the next round of TV deals. If Xhaka’s in a match day squad the TV money to Arsenal is reduced by 80% to cover for lost advertising revenue.
RIP Mikel.
Marc
That seemed to have worked for Ozil….
Can’t we get Xhaka to speak up for the Uighurs as well?
Depressing watching united, Leicester and Villa today in comparison to the garbage we have to endure every week with Arsenal. But not surprising when you look at how every other club recruits to strengthen. Martinez showing he’s 10 times better than Leno also! More than half of this Villa team would strengthen our starting 11 which is a really telling tale of how bad it’s been and how little ambition our owners have!
Zaha is tricky. The first yellow he kept fighting Ming nd resulting in both yellow. The 2nd yellow, he pushed Ming first. Ming pushed him back and there it goes.
You see how we missed a beat by not getting Zaha.
His team was on the rack and being toyed with by Villa.
What does he do, by sheer trickery baits Mings into
a second yellow and bang, game is changed and suddenly
palace are on top.
Let’s see how this ends. We just don’t have that Kinda player
Its unreal the amount of people in social media and here that give free pass to arteta because the squad is shit and want Arteta to continue the mockery that is going on at the club right now. So I decided to look at the positives and negatives of Mikel rein and it is easy to come to a conclusion Pros, 1. Better Playout from the back 2. Better organization and defending (arguably) Overall he is a good defensive coach Cons: 1. Vindictive personality (Guendouzi, Saliba) 2. Lack of creditable youth development and focus on wrong youths (Eddie Vs Balogun,… Read more »
Auba and Martinelli in the squad….
Macey is in the match day squad. It seems that he is now our #2.
Gabriel is the best of the lots. Don’t agree about him, otherwise a good post, pedro.
Nelson
I felt sorry for the kid chucked in midweek – it must have completely destroyed any confidence he had.
Mb
Gabriel is being overplayed and let down by his manager. No wonder his very good form from earlier in the season has taken a wobble.
No need to target Gabriel at all. Throw another young player under the bus to deflect from the real issues? Not nice.
BBC commentators noting what Arsenal fans already knew – Emi commands the area, has great handling and his distribution is excellent and rapid.
Villa scores a second with 10 men.
Smith Rowe and Martinelli start.
Marc
Yep, overplayed but still better than other dross we have.
FFS Xhaka still made it.. atleast ESR and Martinelli are in the line up..
Would have been better with Auba instead of Laca..
Arteta going for it.
No William, No Aubameyang but Xhaka survives.
2-1 to the good guys.
Holding + Mari is a bad idea against Chelsea. Both ultra-slow.
And, of course, Xhaka starts, with AMN on the bench.
Too many slow players. At least Willian is not playing.
Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli start for Arsenal.
The Gunners’ Brazilian contingent of Luiz, Willian and Gabriel miss out from the squad altogether.
Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Mari, Tierney, Elneny, Xhaka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Lacazette, Saka
William not even on the bench. Is he injured or has Arteta seen the light?
If ESR don’t make much of an impact against a better team, Arteta gets a free pass to play Willian for next decade.
So looking like a back 5 with Saka and Bellerin as WB’s, Xhaka (what does this guy do in training?) and Elneny at the base of midfield with ESR in the hole and Martinelli and Saka wide.
So willian and Luiz come as a combo deal ?? #Fuckteta out
Is he nuts, Martinelli has just come back from a serious injury, gently break him back into the team. As for xhaka, nice to know he can fuck up and still always get picked
Best wishes to the team today but not interested in watching this side with Xhaka in it
Gabriel Magalhães misses today’s match against Chelsea as he is required to self-isolate after coming in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
What happened to David Luiz? Injured or has he really pissed Arteta off (despite the denials).
Subs: Runarsson, Cedric, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Willock, Pepe, Nketiah, Aubameyang.
TYAG
Agree Arteta’s going to get Martinelli injured again.
Truly the worst manager we’ve had in my time supporting the club.
Just noticed Mustafi on the bench – what the fuck is wrong with Arteta? The guys leaving in 6 months on a free and he gets picked over Saliba.
CHELSEA TEAM
Starting XI: Mendy, James, Zouma, Silva, Chilwell, Kante, Kovacic, Mount, Pulisic, Werner, Abraham.
Giroud is only on the bench!
@Marc
Without a shadow of doubt. Truly awful manager
Strange team selection.
Talk about putting the pressure on ESR.
Is it a ploy from Arteta?
Xhaka and Bellerin in.
Never mind.
——————————-
Walcott scores .
No he doesn’t.
Still 0=0.
Xhaka again FFS. He seems to nbe learning a bit though. Saka and Martinelli together will give us an edge.
Pedro talking nonsense.
You find new ways for Arteta to comeback from the latest set back each day.
Re: Luiz and Willian
Unavailable to play this evening ( thank heavens)
(A prior engagement.)
They are hosting a special event at their Mayfair restaurant later.
Frank Lampard has booked it for a celebration party after they have whipped us.
And a good whipping is whats coming.
Some would say the Martinez decision in itself is a sackable offence…
Wow, Villa have recruited very well.
Arteta’s team and squad selection today illustrates just how clueless he is…Doesn’t play Mari against a second string Citeh side without any real pace up front…and then brings him into the side against Chelsea in a crucial league game.Drops AMN out and brings back the useless Bellerin and Xhaka…Still selects his favourite under-21 ,for the bench, in Neketiah who time and time again has illustrated how out of his depth he is playing Premier League football….Yet both Nelson and more importantly Balogun remain outside the matchday squad…He really is incapable of learning from his mistakes and by the time we… Read more »
Decent line up! He’s made his decision regarding Xhaka already so no need beating a dead horse! Very obvious now he’s shoo in for the first team no matter what
Only concern is our midfield really! The Chavs are going to absolutely dominate the midfield area
Odd team selection. How Xhaka walks back into the side I don’t know. Pray that Leno doesn’t get injured.
Guys Saliba is going out on loan as he needs regular game time so he ain’t going to suddenly appear in any squad now so get over it!
& yes we should have loaned him from the start of the season!
Kaz
“You find new ways for Arteta to comeback from the latest set back each day.”
Yeah it’s like the Christmas gift you didn’t want that just keeps giving anyway!
Maybe Luiz and Holding had to isolate cause of Jesus’ COVID.
Luiz and Gabriel***
Just saw the lineup and dunno whether to laugh or cry.
This is insane by Arteta
Ollie watkins is a nightmare.
” Olise is blowing up at Reading. £8m release clause. 19 years old, the exact sort of player we should be taking a risk on.”
So that Arteta can send him to union berlin on loan next season?
CG
I think it’s going to be a 3 – 1 loss for us – but with Chelsea missing lots of good chances.
What’s going on in South Africa with COVID?
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 6?
Why not AMN instead of Xhaka he is far better
I believe Arteta is trying to get sacked so he can get his payout and gtfo.
He knows he’s over his head but doesn’t want to miss out on that juicy severance pay contract.
“He’s made his decision regarding Xhaka already so no need beating a dead horse! Very obvious now he’s shoo in for the first team no matter what”
Ye it doesn’t matter that he keeps playing a garbage player who has been letting us down since he joined the team 4 and a half years ago. We should just stop talking about it.
Willian isn’t even on the bench against his old club!
WTF🙀
CG
That type of scoreline is on it’s way. I’m getting to the point that the sooner the better and why stop at 6 in the long run it’ll be better for us.
Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins have very good chemistry together.
What a team Aston Villa have become
****What’s going on in South Africa with COVID?***
Dopping like flies over here Walt.
But my carers are looking after me.
ESR and Marrinelli starting?
Yes Guns they are
No Balogun on the bench, He’s as good as gone isn’t he? A midfield pairing of Xhaka + Elneny up against Kante + Kovacic is worrying. The pace of Abraham, Pulisic and Werner against Holding + Mari is also a serious concern, I’d have gone with Niles instead of Bellerin, especially if it’s a 3-4-2-1 Niles is much better in 1 v 1 situations than Bellerin I’d be pleasantly surprised if we kept a clean sheet today. Hopefully our forward line clicks, Smith-Rowe has looked decent when given opportunities Saka + Martinelli have good chemistry My Guess ……………….Leno …Holding Mari… Read more »
Think both reiss nelson and AMN have entered arteta’s saliba book. They will be out on loan soon
Aston Villa are down to 10 men and winning 3-0.
How do you think Arteta would set us up in this scenario?
How many times til you understand Pedro.
Edu doesn’t pick the fucking team nor set the tactics out and way to play.
Strange how Villa can both defend (even with 10 men) and attack extremely well, it doesn’t have to be an either/or. Can someone tell Mikel?
Fuckteta starting ESR – definitely knows that he is in last chance saloon.
Lose today and he is gone
Chelsea will target our right side.
AMN instead of Bellerin would make much more sense right now
These remarks made by Arteta are getting more and more worrying.
They are the hallmarks of soneone who is completely clueless as to what to do next.
And these last remarks ominously sound a bit Wengerish. The problem is that he has no experience to fall back on to dig himself out of his hole.
What’s that – eight clean sheets for Emi so far this season? Class.
At this point I am not sure even if we sign three more midfielders, Arteta will kick out xhaka. Arteta has questionable eye for talent regarding our squad. His favourite players list is stupid. Unless the player is undeniable in talent and consistency he won’t play the player ahead of his favourite. That is a sure way to get sacked.
Last night it was runarsson, today it is mari. How does these clowns end up in starting line up?
Martinelli to score today
We will play better up front I hope! Finally Mike is coming to his senses.
Someone got through his thick skull to play the youth
8 clean sheets in 13 games for Emi. They had 7 in 38 last season.
Andy
****Strange how Villa can both defend (even with 10 men) and attack extremely well, it doesn’t have to be an either/or. Can someone tell Mikel?****
This Dean Smith is one heck of a manager.
He knows the game.
What you see is what you get.
Great soccer Instinct.
Xhaka again. Fuck Arteta.
We can’t defend either, we can’t attack we just send silly inane crosses into the box whilst that idiot Arteta shouts from the touchline. Worst manager in this league.
Novices Mari and Smith Rowe against a top form Chelsea, still believing in Xhaka, overplaying Martinelli just back from injury, our so-called manager has completely lost his marbles. When will it all end?
Yep, it’s official, Arteta is shite.
Graham
I think that’s about the understatement of the year.
You can’t win football matches with so many rookies.
The nonsense of the past months continues