MATCH DAY BLOG: ARTETA GOES ALL IN

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The line-up is in and it’s a very strong team today.

Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Xhaka, Ceballos, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang

Clearly too soon for Thomas Partey, so we revert back to a centre midfield of Xhaka and Dani Ceballos.

Attack wise, we have all the tools in the box on display. Our best central defender for passing. Kieran Tierney prowling down the left. With probably the idea from 4 moving forward.

It’s the gun show today.

What are we looking for?

Goals, goals, goals.

The main worry is that we’ll be leggy after chasing shadows against Manchester City over the weekend. Post-Leeds, we weren’t really at peak physical condition, even though you’d be hard pushed to say we didn’t create enough to win.

We need a performance today. There needs to be an answer to their offside trap. We need to keep our midfield and defence super tight so we don’t give up an away goal. Everyone needs to give a 90 minutes of concentration.

I also want to see us take risks. Auba isn’t the only person that can score goals. Odegaard is capable, the same is true of Saka and ESR.

… but Auba does need to show up. We need a captains performance. Lead by example. Be the sharp shooter we need.

We need a big win.

We need to start a run of tough games positively.

This has to be a run.

So let’s see where it goes.

Enjoy the comments. See you there a little later. This will be fun.

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Graham62

As soon as FIFA (Sepp Blatter and his cronies) were found out, they should have stripped Qatar of hosting the WC.

Also FIFA should have been dismantled and a new governing body set up.

To this day both FIFA and UEFA remain corrupt.

Tony

BobN16 I understand your thinking, the arrogance is him repeatedly making same or similar mistakes. I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping tomorrow he’s going to go on a winning run bringing home the EL cup and a reasonable finish position. The reality is the mistakes keep coming with alarming consistency. And his pressers now are Comedy Central for anyone not an Arsenal fan. There’s confidence and then there’s an arrogance in believing you’re right when it’s blatantly staring in your face on many levels it definitely isn’t. Emotions obviously play a big part in a poster’s mood with his/her… Read more »

Pierre

It shows how individual players are important for the performance and success of a football team. Liverpool with Van Dijk and Fabinho, United with Fernandes, Tottenham with Kane and Son Leicester with Maddison.and Arsenal with Tierney an Partey.. Anytime those players are out for their respective teams, perfomance take a dip. City are the exceptions due to the depth of their squad and the ability of their manager to tweak their style of football, consequently they haven’t missed aguero or Debruyne, in fact they have looked a strònger outfit without those 2 gifted footballers. It shows that pep is head… Read more »

Graham62

Pierre

Good post.

Thorough

Divine Sherlock.
That can’t be father from the truth. He’s our best midfielder after Partey.

Valentin

ESR is not a winger, he is a CAM. Where he excels is in accelerating the game with one touch combination with a partner and then running into space to receive the return pass. He can do a job as LW, but it is misusing his talent as he does not have the pace nor the dribbling ability to consistently make the difference in that position. I do not understand why Arteta is shunting him to LW to accommodate Ordegaard who has not been great in his No10 position. On the left, Pepe was starting to play like a £30… Read more »

Valentin

Pierre, You forget to take into account the quality of our opponents when assessing the defense. Holding and Mari got good results, because they were facing poor teams. Team such as WestBrom who never tested them. Against Chelsea, Mari got a yellow card who could have been a red and conceded a penalty.bso the jury is still out on his suitability against opponents that tries to score instead of roll over. Until now Mari has not faced any team with speedy wingers/attackers to expose him. I would rather have Gabriel facing Vardy than Mari. You also forget to take into… Read more »

shaun

Yep that is a no brainer Gabriel has to play against Vardy

salparadisenyc

Off topic but have to say the one thing w/ Oyarzabal when he misses that patented pen he takes its not pretty viewing boys.

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