Don’t say it…
Don’t say it…
Don’t say it…
Don’t say it…
Don’t say it…
IT WAS A GAME OF TWO HALVES!
Yes. Yes it was.
A lot of Arsenal fans were furious at half time. We hit the target once from 7 shots. The football was slow and ponderous at times. It looked like the start of an episode of ‘oh wow, how did we botch that.’ I wasn’t too concerned. If we had last seasons Auba, he’d have finished 2 of his three good chances. If we have David Luiz of Chelsea, he’s hitting the target with his header.
The second half saw a different vibe. The passing kicked up a notch, our front four took control of the game and we started finding the target. Our break came shortly after Lacazette was denied by an elite save from Darlow.
Cedric defended a long ball by heading calmly to Lacazette just outside our box, he played in Partey who broke the press, moved left and curled a 40-yard pass into the path of Auba (fast release). Our out of form captain powered into the Newcastle box, he faked right and smashed home from 8 yards into the inside post.
Auba had the assist to the assistor for our second. He gave the ball to ESR who drove at Newcastle’s full-back, turning him inside out before passing to Saka who comfortably blasted across Darlow into the bottom corner. A thing of beauty.
Our third goal saw Saka with the pre-assist. Cedric did well to get on the end of it, he kept the ball in play by a whisker, but found Auba with deadly accuracy for the tap-in.
The game finished with another clean sheet. This time, we were able to finish them off in the 90.
So what did we learn?
Smith Rowe is starting to look like the real deal. There’s obviously a long way to go for him, he’ll still have to prove his fitness, and work his way out of an inevitable slump… but right now. Wow. What a great player he looks. There’s so much to like. His touch is sublime, he can receive the ball on the half-turn, and he has explosive pace combined with tight control. He has been ruthlessly efficient since he started his run and you feel he has the air of a player that is going to be a big deal.
Saka feels like a veteran in our side because he’s so consistent. He had another great game. He’s starting to impose himself in games. He has that weird knack of being a bit of a silent assassin on the pitch, he glides, like Pires… he doesn’t make mistakes, and he’s very patient. His stats are starting to reflect his importance in the side, that’s good news.
Our problems are now squarely sitting in midfield. We’re just never going to be an elite side with Granit Xhaka in the team. Sure, the second half was good, but it’s really difficult for me to get behind the long-term partnership of Partey and Xhaka. We shouldn’t have to have counter-weights for painful weaknesses. Granit did not have a bad game, his second half was nice, but against a proper team, you know he’ll be found wanting, or at least threatening to be found wanting.
That said, Thomas Partey is a fucking dream. I remember working in a factory when I was young. I thought the babes in there were true babes… then I’d head into London town and realise the truth. We’ve been looking at factory babes in midfield. Mo and Xhaka look sexy together when we have injuries, but put them in All Bar One in Fenchurch Street next to Thomas Partey in his Top Shop stilettos and you suddenly realise what you’ve been missing. He’s press resistant, his off the ball movement is elite, he defends, he releases fast, he can drive a team. 36 of his passes were FORWARD. We need to get him a partner like Bissouma so he can truly flourish.
I was starting to worry about Auba. He hasn’t looked the player he was last year. What did spur me on though was that he was missing chances, versus not being the right place to get them. He’s a top pro, he proved that in the second half when we saw a bit of the old Auba. Hopefully he’s found his shooting boots in time for our two HUGE games against United and Southampton. Let’s see…
Finally, a word for the defence. We’re the 4th best in the league now. When we could boast that last time, we weren’t able to attack. Now we have a solid foundation, and we’re having 20 attempts at the opposition goal. This is where we need to move to as a football team. Two or three additional players in the right posisitons that can offer us true quality in the final third and we’re cooking. Shout out to Cedric, he made a cheeky backheel I rated and his delivery was excellent. Also, big high gives to Holdinho, another solid game.
Last word goes to Lacazette who wiped snot off Willian’s face. That was to brotherly love, but also, very grim. Tissues next time.
Ok… now listen to my podcast. Johnny is back. It’s a cracker. Enjoy!
Havertz isn’t made for this league just like ozil. He needs protection.
Chelsea lucky Vardy’s been off lately
He should score that. It would have been over.
It was outside
No penalty
Frank can’t catch a lucky break
6th row on the fk. Now it’s over.. Cya Frank.
😂😂
Oh dear, Fat Frank on his way out 😟
Sacked in the morning. Trouble is a good manager will guarantee top 4 with this squad. And we won’t know who is coming.
Russian hit squad will be waiting at the exit in the white panel van.
Leicester going top of the table with their back line anchored by Johny fucking Evans and a 20 year old rookie Frenchman everyone said couldn’t possibly start at this level, myself included.
It’s official Abraham I’d the English Sanogo. I actually think Sano is the better player.
Midwest
Don’t disparage Russian hit squads, they serve a vital role in keeping cheap leather coats manufacturing sector ticking over.
How can you spend over £200m and have only one – Kanye – combative midfielde? Completely demented way to assemble a squad.
It isn’t that different to Arsenal to be honest with 100 CBs and a pup, ESR, to rely on for creativity.
Guess what both sides have in common? Inexperienced managers.
Kante even. Although Kanye is quite combative.
Arsenal are 10th. Leicester who have won the league more recently than us are heading to the top of the table. A table which includes liverpool. The best team in Europe. Leicester who won the league by 11pts. And are again 11pts ahead of Arsenal. But lets celebrate, we’re 10th.
Kanye off the meds could hold any mid.
Tom,
It’s our generational coach the reason we’re that far from Leicester. After the FA cup win, generational went a bit of experimental crazy playing Willian false 9 and 343 against bottom teams.
When are we going to discuss the fact many fans saw ancehlotti as the sensible option. About how Arteta and Carlo got their jobs at the same time. About how Arsenal are a bigger club, with bigger resources. Yet Everton sit comfortably above us with a 5 point cusion
Yep it’s worth celebrating being 10th we’d been out of the top 10 two months. I just of course.
But beating shitty teams we’re expected to beat was a long lost feeling so yes something to celebrate. The performances against Chelsea and WBA were our best this season.
I jest*…
Everton are in a false position they’ll drop off don’t you worry. I’ve watched them several times and they’re not all that.
I say it and it happens as you know.
I guess we will find out what Allegri will do in the PL. Didn’t think it would be at Chelski though.
I truly hope it’s the banter pick of John Terry, though… 😀
I think it’s a fair point to make that Martinelli may find it difficult to make an impact due to limited game time, especially in the league.
He may have to settle for game time in the cup comps but as we know, scoring or assists in cup competitions is not recognised on le grove .
La croqueta
Ancelotti was my choice.
After the turmoil of Wenger and Emery, he would have steadied the ship.
Convinced we’d be in a far healthier position with Ancelotti at the helm.
Abraham.. no sauce.
Chelsea doing their best to mimic Celts Vigo in kit and in league position(ish)
“Convinced we’d be in a far healthier position with Ancelotti at the helm.”
We’d have James instead of Willian too, Graham
C a r v e d open Mendy keeping Lamps kind of in this.
Fe fi Fofana… been pretty damn good killing off any threats. Game could easily turn into a massacre with Chelski pushing for a goal of any sort.
If Saliba is half as good as Fofana then Arteta has to be a complete dope for not giving him any game time. A quarter as good? Mmnnn tough one that.
Paging Dr. Giroud
Giroud … isn’t available ankle injury… or that’s what the talking heads told me anyhow.
Football can be funny
I recall when most is he were envying Chelsea when they were spending roubles on Harvetz and Werner.
Frank looks pretty relaxed knowing he’s getting the axe and why shouldn’t he be …..,,at this level the gravy train just keeps on rolling in with a cushy studio job already waiting I’m sure.
Not that he needs it to survive anyway.
Chelsea spent 250 mil On being a worst team Then they were last year.
Radio
People with inside knowledge of Ligue un scoffed at the idea that Saliba wasn’t good enough to face the mighty Dundalk and Molde on Thursday nights.
I bet Arteta would have dumped Fofana for Mustafi too.
Werner will come good. But Havertz’s confidence isn’t there. And I am not sure the premier league gives time to find your feet. Leicester almost never spend more than 35 mil and the recruitment has been spot on so far.
Leicester replace their big players rather seamlessly. Kante, Drinkwater, Maguire, Chilwell, Mahrez…I never get the collective wailing that often follows the selling of so called big players. It can be done when done intelligently. Football is the most popular sport in a world of over 7 billion people.
Come on there’s always another way.
There’s always an asterisk on any manager who gets sacked by Chelsea
They’ve sacked so many that it’s not a blotch on a manager’s record.
Is Chelsea’s current rough patch any worse than our hellish 7 week run?
So beating Chelsea wasn’t that impressive after all.
Shitty Arsenal beating Chelsea is impressive.
Leicester go top after this. We were below them when we beat them.
Red
Smashing Chelsea was massive
We put them in this sorry state
Coming from an Arteta skeptic – beating Chelsea was massive.
Everyone thought they would beat us because there were still playing well at the time.
Red just likes to live under his dark dark cloud… where everything is shit since 1972. Misery is his friend.
Dissenter
I think those players Chelsea bought are good players. I’m not sure if they’re in that ‘enabling environment’ to see the good in them. It’ll take a a bit of effort to get them confident again after a season of Fat Frank.
Dissenter
Expectations matter too. I have a bit of sympathy for arteta in a way. He wanted both Partey and Aouar and he only got one. Lampard has signed every player he wanted. That is why even if it is the same hellish run he would deserve to get sacked. We were calling for arteta to get sacked with a worse squad.
Goal here makes it interesting.
Var… breaking out the slide ruler.. and nope.. It’s Frank’s destiny … sacking.
In ten years time we’ll wonder how Fat Frank ever go to manage Chelsea.
*got
Ziyech doing his best Pepe.
Yep… and you don’t ever wanna go full Pepe.
Well.. Guess Ill have to text my bro.. and see if I can troll him..
Fat Frank getting sacked will be bad for us. Chelsea will be a top team with a decent manager; and an unlimited budget.
No one’s taking Leicester as a serious title challenger but they’ve players in that squad who won the league a few years ago. They’ll certainly back themselves.
City look the most complete side at the moment though.
“In ten years time we’ll wonder how Fat Frank ever go to manage Chelsea.“
Club legend , probably answers this best.
Fat Frank had more of a résumé that Arteta…Didn’t he?
From the 3 generational coaches, Arteta, Ole and Fat Frank I’d actually thought it’ll be either Arteta or Ole who gets the axe first with their wobbly early start to the season, but now it looks like Frank is off, Football is indeed a funny old game.
Dissenter
Chelsea lost 2 out of 3 games before facing Arsenal
Although the four most recent Premier League wins are most welcome, can we have a bit more realism.We beat a Chelsea team that are in freefall, a poor Brighton side, and West Brom. and Newcastle who were pitiful. In Tierney (surely a future captain), Saka, Smith Rowe (give him the no. 10 shirt), Martinelli and Partey we have the basis of a promising team but will they thrive under an inexperienced, inept blunderer like Arteta. Let’s see what happens in the next few matches before we get carried away. Manure in particular will show us how far we’ve progressed.
Club legend , probably answers this best.
———
You’ve missed the point.
This is his pinnacle he’ll go on to do shitty things like get a middling side that take a chance on him relegated and so on. And then in ten years time we we’ll look back and wonder how he got to manage Chelsea.
We’ll beat VARchester Utd at home, I’m more worried about Soton away.
Lampard was doomed the minute he started blaming players after losses for not giving enough on the pitch, which he did more than once.
It might’ve been true but no matter his excellent playing career, his coaching body of work was just not there to go in hard after players , some of whom probably never even watched him play.
Whats with the negative on here, christ Chelsea imploding after shelling £200m into a depressed transfer market, Arsenal finding way forward with very young core, Brendan is still the most cringe leading a side, the vax seems to work and Trump’s soon to be a fugitive.
Pull it together people.
Amen Sal, people need to pick it the fuck up
Maybe if Chelsea leave Lampard in charge for another 5 games, he will eventually get it right.
They can take their cue from Arsenal.
At some point the law of averages will strike and one win will infuse their team with confidence.
Then covid-19 will knock some manager’s favorites like Mason Mount off selection and a neglected player will catch fire to lead them out of trouble.
Chelsea imploding because they have a shit manager just like another club which will remain nameless.
We should be poaching the DoF at Liecester at whatever cost, Guy’s doing some really amazing stuff there, recruitment of both the coach and most of their players have been absolutely top notch.
Lampard will get deservedly the sack because Chelsea operate like a big club.
If they had any club “values”, the man would still keep his job and eventually exorcise his demons.
Pierre
Sorry, pal,but your idol has feet of clay.
Personally, I never rated Ozil. But, okay, let’s say I’m wrong and Ozil is some kind of genius. My opinion would not change. His flaws outweigh his talents.
An opinion, I might add, shared by Mourinho. Emery, Lundberg and Arteta.
Only four other clubs have spent more than Arsenal on new players over the course of the last 10 years. Unsurprisingly, Manchester City have spent a total of £1.42 billion on new players since summer 2010.
Chelsea’s heavy £225.1m spending spree this summer took their total to £1.38 billion and into second place.
Manchester United, meanwhile, have spent £1.09 billion on new players in the last decade, with diminishing returns since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, while Liverpool have shelled out £909.9m.
So we will be facing Southampton then…
I really hope Arteta resists the temptation to play our best players in the FA Cup.
As much as I love winning silverware, we’re not going to move forward as a club until we start placing the EPL as our first priority.
Englandbest
Who mentioned Ozil ?…not me .
Leeds
‘I really hope Arteta resists the temptation to play our best players in the FA Cup.”
You do realize that we play Southampton twice in 3 days?
He has to play the strongest possible team on Saturday. If we beat them on Saturday, then surely we have the psychological edge playing the again in 72 hours
Two games back to back against the same team in 72 hors is as much of psychology as it is freshness.
Dissenter
If we can beat them using our reserve squad all the more psychological advantage… 💪💪💪
Dissenter
Just out of curiosity who would you play on Saturday?
A couple of seasons ago, Xavier Amaechi, was pretty much in the same position that Folarin Balogun was in.
Feted by suitors here there and everywhere he decided to leave Arsenal in search of more regular playing time.
Today his new club loaned him out.
It’s a cautionary tale. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Balogun take note!
I’m sure Southampton will put out a youth team in the FA Cup.
If Southampton does put out a youth squad i hope we’re brave enough to do so as well with the bench full of fringe players to come in if necessary.
Actually by all accounts we have a good crop of kids following through..,
Leeds
-I would start with most of those that didn’t start on Monday, except for Runnarson.
-I would play Eddie and Gabiel along with Pepe. Willin acan use the game to run off his demons.
-Partey will play only the first half just to set the pace of the game . Partey is still rusty and needs games to get to 100%. He would play 50 minutes on Saturday and 50 mins on Tuesday.
I would play Tierney-Luiz-Holding-Bellerin at the back.
Why can’t we play Ben Cottrell LB? Last time he played there he looked good.
Against Southampton we would play most of the second team like Willian, Pepe, Mustafi , El etc. Shame we’ve manager obsessed with late 20s early 30 squad players.
We should by now have in the squad and have played in the EL and LC Guen, Saliba, KJH, Azeez, Bola, Cirjan, Moller, Lopez and Cottrell.
For Southampton:
Hein
Bellerin Cedric
Gabriel Holding
Azeez Cottrell Cirjan
Balogun Moller Martinelli
Bench
Okonkwo
Bola
Patino
Lewis
Ideho
Leno needs to play. F.A Cup is our calling card right now and the likeliest path to Europe next season.
Aussie Gooner
I love the very bold line up but I don’t think Arteta would have the pair to use it.
Plus I would use AMN and Willock in the beginning line up and put Cottrell and Cirjan on the bench…
when will Martin get more minutes. I swear, he is ready to bust at the seams, but Mike never gives him extended time…
I think the reason is Willian… He knows if he sticks with Martin, there is no room for WIllian as a starter.
ESR and Martin makes no room for Willian, bar a sub role.
I think Mike needs to swallow his pride ( again) and play the young man.
SF
Who are you speaking speaking about? Are you referring to Martinelli?
If you are I wouldn’t worry. He’ll get the opportunities. I think Martinelli is being handled with kid gloves because he is coming back from a big injury…
Pierre
You are correct I rechecked my source and realised I had entered the wrong formation. We played 4-2-3-1 v Leeds, Wolves and Burnley. So we didn’t fortuitously stumble across the right formation.
Northbanker
‘This is going to be where we build our squad.’
I doubt it with Arteta.
The only reason ESR got his chance was because it was forced on Arteta with injuries and suspensions.
Saka & Martinelli were from Emery days.
However, one can live in hope with Arteta.
The FA cup is Diet Peps best bet at Europa league football
Im telling you for free!
A few injuries to Chelsea and Lampard will try out something that will get him back to winning ways
Jorginho needs to get his phenomenol back
My friends, taking bets who we will sell out of the youngsters making strides ATM.
We need a coutinho sale to kickstart this overhaul properly.
Saka or martinelli are off sooner rather than later in my opinion.
And I would love Saka to stay purely for the fact he’s an arsenal man through and through.
If we can keep the other youngsters we will be in good shape. But if we can make 50-60m plus for either of those two over the next few seasons, would we be crazy to not accept?
Leeds,
Yes Martinelli, Im lazy so I wrote Marin
Just like I write Mike, which is actually his name
goober
What r u talking about man? Our best players- sell them?
Goober
Good God man, calm the fcuk down we don’t need to sell Saka or Martinelli.
I have it on good authority from Pierre, Arsenal sage extraordinaire, that Eddie is a budding elite ST, Arteta looks like he’s of the same opinion, so we can sell Eddie to be our Coutinho golden goose.
Keep S&M to punish our opponents by raining goals and embarrassment on them.
No no no no no to selling our spine of ESR, Saka, Tierney and Martinelli!!!
I’m not ‘expecting’ it.
But they are literally the only players with value.
Liverpool didn’t win the league because they didn’t sell their best player. That money from couts took them up a level.
If that’s what it takes, especially considering we are a ‘self sustaining’ club, then I’m up for it.
I’m just putting out another alternative to our route to the top.
And for Christ’s sake, I don’t want that to be the way we play the TW, but under Kroenke if an offer came in like that, does anyone seriously think he wouldn’t take it????????
Goober
We are not in those type of dire straights where we need to sell players just to function as a team.
No way we sell those 2-3 players… those are our future.
Sell Eddie, AMN, Pepe, and all the others…. just not them
Our Academy is doing well…. finally! This is how it has to be for a while.
Grab a gem or 3 every few years from there…
But fellas, I love the response to that first comment!
I really would love to see all these youngsters being the core of our side the next 10 years. Would make me so damn proud as an Arsenal fan.
I just think self sustainability at its core requires that mega sale in order to get to the top.
Considering we eat ass at sales and contracts (and buying) it probs wouldn’t make a difference anyway.
Guns, I wouldn’t sell all. Just 1 if an extraordinary offer came in