It’s North London Derby this weekend. What we’d all give to be present at The Emirates for this one.
Last time out, we killed ourselves early. Spurs had 5 attempts at our goal, put 3 on target, and scored 1. Their first goal was a 30-yard screamer after we let Son run at us on the counter. Their second came as part of a double whammy in which Thomas Partey broke down in midfield and Kane scored off the bar down our end.
It took Arsenal 5 games after that to register a win in the Premier League. Truly a miserable time for the ages.
So what will we have learned this time?
Well, the team we played was pretty strong last time out. We’ll likely have Xhaka and Partey pivoting again. Attack will be something different. I doubt we’ll see Auba and Lacazette starting together. I suspect we’ll see the two new additions that have changed the way we play for the better.
Emile Smith Rowe has to start. The question is whether he’s shunted out to the left again. I think he’s the better player there. I really like Odegaard, but I’m not sure he’s quite up to the speed of the league as it stands. He’s given away hospital passes in his last two games because of casual play and I don’t think he was what you’d call present to the levels we need… especially in a game like tomorrow. Thing is, he is more than competent playing as a wide attacker, and he generally boasts high levels of control… which tomorrow, is going to be absolutely vital, because Spurs are absolute vultures…
I’d love to see Nico start the game, but I have my doubts. Last time out at the toilet bowl we were mauled from 3 shots on target despite dominating possession. It was a typical Mourinho game. He’s going to let us do our thing tomorrow because he knows the odds are stacked against us not bringing pain upon ourselves. 7 of our 14 goals conceded this year have been of our own making. With a strong side on Thursday, we still managed to gift the Greeks 3 big chances unforced.
I think we’ll see Saka, Odegaard, ESR and WiIlian in attack. Jose will have a special plan for Saka… Spurs will be taking it in turns to smash him over in transition. Olympiacos did a great job brutalising him the other night, though I’m not sure I’d say they nullified him. The key tomorrow is getting him on the ball a bit higher up the pitch… though that’ll be hard to manage if we’re trying to keep our defensive structure strong.
Spurs are quite a simple unit. They depend on 3 exceptional players to put lipstick on an old pig of a system. When it works, everyone calls Jose a genius, when it fails, he’s a fraud.
Arsenal are not a simple unit. We’re better coached, have more interesting ideas, and we’re going further than them longterm. However, what our squad has that theirs does not is the self-destruct button.
When you build in the correct fundamentals, it’s only a matter of time before the correct outputs happen. The fundamentals are in place. The balance between and attack and defence is there. We are creating good chances. We’re limiting our opponents. The biggest problem we’re dealing with is unforced errors. Our players need to concentrate. They need to make better decisions. They need to leave every ounce of brainpower on the pitch tomorrow.
NLD is a toss of a coin. It’s usually fine margins, it’s usually an emotional wreck of a day, the winner will be crowned by who makes the least mistakes.
Arsenal FCs coaching staff have had this game pinned in the priority board for the last 6 weeks. Make no mistake, everything has been building to this game because it’s the Premier League Cup Final. Let’s be honest, it’s a huge deal for both managers as they look to extract positives from underwhelming campaigns. If Arteta wins this, and the whole project gets a huge lift and you’re looking at the Europa League with a different eye.
Lose? Not an option I’m afraid.
I genuinely can’t wait for this game. Two rivals with their best players on show going toe-to-toe. Should be an immense 90 minutes. Let’s hope we’re the fans crowing on the group chats.
Sorry there was no pod this Thursday. I don’t think I’ve ever been worked to hard in my life or more consequential things (first world consequential, I’m not distributing vaccines). It’ll be a patchy few weeks, but I’ll do my best.
P.S. I am on the warpath in the comments. Any of that ‘modern internet’ anti-Arsenal rhetoric on an Arsenal blog will be met by the full force of the law. I don’t care if you rate Mourinho, I don’t care if you’d like to see Arsenal lose to move on Arteta, this is a NLD and you’ll be treated like you would if you were spouting off against Arsenal in The Twelve Pins pre-game. This is an Arsenal paradise for the next 48 hours or so. See you there.
Arsenal shitting pants after being given a penalty and a man advantage
Way are we playing so shit since the red card…….or is it Willian? No Saka and no ESR and we go to shit.
Partey ‘s been dogshit today
God I can’t watch
Here we go dicking around ar the back….
Leno has to catch that. Dafug???
should never have taken Smith Rowe off
This has 2-2 written all over it. Hopefully Inam dead wrong.
Reading the comments you’d think we were losing.
This is Garbage.
Come on Arsenal
Willian was not the sub we needed., In this game. Lost ESR energy and input. We’re worse for it.
Fucks sake … they have 10 men, why can’t we keep the ball?
Definitely weaker since Willy worker came on…
The Egyptian King is on. All is well.
Which team has 10 men?… Arsenal playing like they have a man down.
Martinez would have come and and taken that cross easily. Leno has no confidence just stays on his line.
We are so trash? How are we gifting them the game???
We are so fucki g brainless in these situations…….
Fk sub will i aint for mo plse
Auba not even warning up. Oooh
Must have been some disagreement
Awful subs by Arteta.
Spurs with 65% possession after going down.
Arsenal gonna Arsenal.
Gabriel !!!!!
Massive
Are you fkin kidding me. Fk Arteta. Losing 11 vs 10. How is that even possible???
Fuck me….
Leno what the fuck that’s your side and you stepped behind the wall….
Harry Kane is a heck of a player
Just got to say that
He’s a first class prick but ….
Gooodness me… why do we love to self destruct?
Over a year of ‘process’ and we can’t see a game out against an average 10 man spud side.
What a block by Gabriel
Phew
We are making this so hard for ourselves
We never make it easy… that’s for sure. Fuck off Kane.. Gabs … saved us.
Oh fuck off arsenal, this is pathetic
William is shit
“Are you fkin kidding me. Fk Arteta. Losing 11 vs 10. How is that even possible???”
We’re winning though. Check the score.
Gazzzap,
He was late for the game and apparently Arteta is throwing a fit.
Shite wall
Gabriel fuckin immense !!!
He’s our best defender.
How the fuck is it 5 min. No one was injured
Omg this is killing me. Leno went the wrong way. He would have been completely to blame.
Tit willian
Ugh 5 mins..
Justice as kane bought the free kick
Fk the back passing best dfnce is offence
Jamie,
stfu. We’ve been horrible with 1 man more. Are you actually blind? We concede and you gonna say what? It’s so clear Arteta’s subs were horrible and killed our game.
Willian is absolute dog shite
Why do we look like we’re playing with a man less?
News to get on the ball
Where does 5 mins xtra time come from fk
rap, relax yourself. We’re winning.
Everyone is upset how we’ve been playing for almost 20 mins with 11 vs 10 and Jamie says it’s all perfect and well. Gimme a break.
This a bit pathetic
We shouldn’t be hanging on for our lives with a one man advantage
Arsenal are a bag of nerves.
With a man and a goal up.
Go figure
Moura is pain in the ass
Moura 1v5 people gets a free kick in a great position. Fantastic stuff. All is good though.
Partey again fouling
Partey is tired.
Shit
Fuck I can’t watch this free kick
Willian coming on for ESR was like going down to 10 men
Partey got the ball there
Game over f u Kane
Oh my god hanging by a thread……
He’s been falling down all the match.
Diving for the Olympics
Stupid free kick to give away…
Pathetic stuff. 20 mins with a man more and we’ve been hanging by a thread.
Arteta really poor subs, he just doesn’t know how to close a game out.
Game over!!
Another effin free kick
We lost all control of the game thanks to Willian replacing Esr.
Then lost all the momentum with those astray passes ij quick succession
Bring on Olympiacos !
Diving cheating scum. Fuck off Kane you fat cunt.
MotM – VaR or the ref?
Fucking window licker
Well done lads, massive victory.
It’s a nice feeling keeping that cunt from scoring
Good win.
The team is nervous.
We outplayed them.
Arteta deserves credit for that line up!
Well done guys!!! 😁😁😁
We own it .
Played better without Auba, but need a real CF
How have spurs massively dominated us with 10 men?! Moura has been insane to be fair
Fuck yes!
That must be it
Fuck me. 3 pts on the board.
Luiz MotM for me. Lamela close 2nd lol.
Yessss… altogether now… Fuck off Spuds… Fuck off Moooourinho.. !!!
So happy we finally beat those jammy fucks.
This team is almost useless. How did we yield over to spurs since lamella got red carded? A winnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Fantastic win!! Not enough for a few hysterical babies apparently, but good enough for everyone else.
Omg we smashed then for 80 mins and fucked up 15…but take it..
I know we were shit for most of the second half but who gives a fuck. We beat the yid cunts
Man willian is sooo shit
Woo hoo
The shambles at the end outdoing all the good done in the match. Partey a complete nervous wreck.
Always good to get the win. But we were complete dogshit once again
North London is RED
Fuck it. We outplayed them. Good three points. More valuable for the three points we took off them but still a great result.
Hopefully that bitch Korean out for a few weeks
Fuck spuds and moureen
Arteta not good enough.
Satisfying win
Also, Arteta brought Pepe on before Willian.
He knows deep down.
Special shout-out to Gabriel with that block. Tierney and ESR were amazing. Odegaard put a shift in with all that pressing too.
I find that Ode is one of the few who is not nervous. Luiz, Partey and Gabriel all looked nervous.
St Totteringham’s day back on this season please