Part 3 of a 4 part series sees Arsenal welcome Olympiacos the North London. We’re 3-1 up. They have to score at least 3 goals with no response to go through. It’ll be a tough day out.
The worst thing we could do tonight is assume this is a ‘rest’ game and rotate so hard we lose our footing.
There can be no slip-ups. Last time we played them, we were dropped out when Auba missed a sitter at the death. It should never had gone to extra time.
Arsenal need to be ruthless this evening. We can afford to be patient, because they have to come to play. Arsenal has more than enough players to kill them in behind if they overextend.
The big worry? Arsenal LOVE to concede an early goal in big games. That can’t happen tonight. We’re more than capable of defending like warriors, the thing that needs to be ironed out is the big lad called UNFORCED ERROR.
Our defending has been solid this year, but the clean sheets haven’t been as prevalent as I would have liked. Now would be a good time to change that.
Arteta has two games to deal with before players go on international break. I think he’s going to go all-in with minor changes. He has a full squad to pick from. The question is how hard is he going to batten down the hatches? In the away leg, he took Thomas Partey off after 55 minutes for tactical reasons, which I suspect revolved around the NLD. Will he do that again tonight? Or will he give minutes to Elneny or Ceballos?
The front 3 will also be interesting. Who is he going to roll with? After the Auba nonsense at the weekend, the show of unity would be to start our captain. At the same time, having him fresh for West Ham might also be a bonus. If you’re going sit in waiting and strike at this Greek side, Gabriel Martinelli as a #9 wouldn’t be the worst move if you were looking for a viper move.
It’s hard to say the game at the weekend is more important, because business-wise, it’s probably not. What is important is making sure we don’t ruin the run-in by injuring players that are on the edge load wise. Smith Rowe picked up a tweak a week ago, Saka rolled off at half time at the weekend. Tierney has played a lot of games, Xhaka plays every game, Partey was very leggy in the last 15 at the weekend… I know you have to push the limits in this game, but our squad is too shallow to suck up mega injuries, particularly with our creative names who are in limited batches.
It’s quite interesting listening to the press conferences at the minute, Arteta has more colour in his face and looks like he’s started eating again… the new addition is the Norwegian press who all seem very keen to know what their captain is up to. I love that everyone is a little bit worried about what will happen with him next season. If the club sell well this summer, they’ll try and buy him. If not, I don’t think there’s much doubt that we’ll have the player on loan next season, hopefully with a clause where we can buy him.
Arsenal are giving him love he’ll never get at Real Madrid. He’s giving us the work rate maybe Madrid couldn’t get from him because he didn’t feel welcome. I wonder if part of his difficulties at Madrid are born of the deal they made for him, I think Carlo went out of his way to say he was only playing him because it was in his deal. There was a big fuss about him training with Ronaldo. Zizou can also be quite brutal. Bigger thing here… it’s hard to be a superstar in a team of superstars. Arsenal can offer him something Madrid can’t. He can be a star boy, he can grow with ESR, Martinelli, and Saka. He can take Arsenal back to the very top, become a legend and do it in the most-watched league in the world with fans that will absolutely adore him.
That’d be my pitch…
The pitch for tonight? No drama. Cleansheet. Next round please. See you in the comments. x
P.S. That magazine in the main picture is The Gooner. It’s an iconic fanzine I grew up reading with my dad and football family. Passing it around in the car with my cousins after a game is a fond memory. Discusing the gossips hidden in the pages was always fun. I LOVED the back page joke it always had on it. Anyway, I’m going to be contributing a nice chunk of words on the regular for them. If you can buy a subscription to it, that’d be amazing. These sorts of things make the game experience special and they look nice on your coffee table. I took a big chance on the topic this month, it’s about the future of Arsenal and why you should be excited. Looking like a good bet.
Why
Always
Me
Tr4phy
No Partey no Saka
ESR Auba Pepe up front
Xhaka El Neney Ceballos in midfield
Should see us through….
Are you talking to yourself again groovedaddy ?
Mr Serge
It looks that way….
Well now you can talk to me I let the guys know there is a new post
I’d like to see Martinelli get some minutes off the bench.
Maybe Reiss too. Need to pump his value.
Looking forward to the match tonight
Martinelli above all I need to see play more
__________Leno______________
__Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney__
_____Ceballos, Elneny, Xhaka____
_______Pepe, Auba, ESR________
Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Elneny, Xhaka, Ceballos, Pepe, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang
Substitutes: Ryan, Okwonko, Lacazette, Odegaard, Holding, Cedric, Partey, Chambers, Mari, Nelson, Nketiah, Martinelli
No Willian
Be interesting to see how Ceballos gets on playing further up the pitch
Rich
I might be wrong but I think it will be Elneny driving forward more than Ceballos.
We will probably see one of Nketiah, Martinelli, Nelson coming from the bench of all looks fine till 60min.
Hopefully we can get a comfortable early lead, then get Tierney + Smith-Rowe off at half time
Karsa his best form came at CF last season. I don’t think he would struggle to find a club willing to play him there if Eddie can do it. He’s a hot prospect and would get a lot of attention if he was available In terms of how he’s supposed to play, Laca and Auba currently play CF and play the role very differently and arteta doesn’t seem to mind that. I don’t think arteta has a one size fits all approach to CFsHe’s not going to get minutes if Auba and Laca are ahead of him up front and… Read more »
Excited for tonights game.
No interest in Ceballos playing,as I dont see him as a future part of Arteta’s plans.
But the front 3 should be exciting,a professional performance with good early subs once we have tied the game up,but with it being us,it will be the proverbial rollercoaster.
No injuries and 3 points at the weekend,come on boys.
Pleased to see sensible rotation, Arteta hasn’t gone too mad. The great thing about having a hungry squad is you know the player he has selected tonight will want to prove a point. Aubamayang in particular will hopefully feel he owes us all something and Pepe, Elneny and Ceballos will be desperate too.
Whatever anyone thinks about Xhaka, he has a great heart and must be at peak fitness levels to be playing so many games.
Willian rested for the weekend.
I would have liked to see Matt Ryan get a start, Leno needs to be kept on his toes given his recent performances.
That’s a monumental meh of a midfield 3 haha
But we should have enough in this team to go through comfortably
And I’m glad saka and partey are out
That’s a monumental meh of a midfield 3 haha
————–
Cracked me up!
And glad no Ode as well
Solid XI for me to nick a goal and kill this thing, no doubt Martinelli gets in at some point regardless of score.
Thats a sexy poster up there Pete!
Buying genuine competition for Tierney + Leno this summer is a must
Healthy competition keeps players on their toes
So much of what we do that’s good, comes down our left with Tierney
It’s dangerous that losing one player to injury can destroy our attacking threat down one side of the pitch
Pete, good luck in the Gooner mate. Love the Rocky picture on the front in the bruised banana, what a night that was. Same year I got married, so there was an up side.
Rich agree with your comment about the drop off if KT is not playing. I would also add that Partey has the same positive effect when is he playing but any replacement comes across as a significant drop in quality.
I suspect that Arteta accidentally came across Le Grove and found out that Willian is not very popular among the fans. He took Willian completely out of the lineup.
Attention All Bedwetters
As it’s an early Kick Off, Mummy says you can stay up right to the end, and then you may well see Martinelli
Hopefully, we’ll then have a dry night
Cheers for the post Pedro
Hopefully, they checked up their coach carefully to make sure he is clean.
We should take advantage of all 5 subs.
Hey y’all… how’s it goin? I’m late to the party today… Had to get my Covid vaccine and they wouldnt give me an earlier appt time..
They need to understand my Arsenal schedule. 😀
Wow all Arsenal injury.
I didn’t know that ESR doesn’t like PapaSok.
ESR nailed Socratis, looks painful.
Is it just me that sees Ceballos as a player who is purely blocking other players opportunities to the first team? I dont see him being here next season.
Looks like a pretty good lineup for a second leg.. Oops ESR just shot himself in the face off of Papa Sok.
Stay healthy dude.
Danny Cebs for me is just depth… I dont think we will extend his loan next season or buy him out right. unless it’s extremely cheap.
Auba is just useless
Ceballos playing like a pony.
Lightweight
Pepe looking stronger. Shrugging off the dick head hanging off his shirt
Yep that Oleg dude is a foul machine on Pepe. and it’s only been 10 mins.
Have to say I am surprised Mari and Holding didn’t come in tonight.
Great play Aubameyang
Didn’t even try and win the corner
What a duffer
Better off with Eddie up top
At least he tries
Elmeny passing forwards. A good development. Guess, now he started might take time to get accuracy
Olympiakos have to come out
There are goals in this for both teams
Smith Rowe looks like he owns the pitch every time he gets the ball
Such swagger
Beautiful to see.
Donglaf.
But Bellerin is true to type incorrigible back passer still. Arteta lives the boy for not losing possession. But fuck winning a game.
But today ,no matter , Olympiacos losing again
Good pass luiz
Pepe trying the bergkamp turn
auba playing like dog shit. can’t make simple passes, flicking the ball around to no one like a young Rambo.
Pepe so close. Greedy. Should pass.
Great through ball by Ceballos but it’s not Odegaard so people won’t notice it.
Come on The Arsenal!!!
Ughhh I hate these 6pm KO. Far too early. No time to relax after having finished work at 6pm.
Pepe loves a fucking Meg
Oh man… almost the slowest rolling goal ever.
Pepe should have passed to Auba instead of shooting.
should of squared it. selfish Nico
Rubbish defence.
Tie killed if Pepe passes that.
We really should win this game. Ideally score the first goal to kill the game off.
If we do that, we must not relax afterwards!!
Great save Leno.
Can’t handle a goalie long ball????
I think Bellerin kept him onside.
Stupid defending. Great save Leno.
Save Leno.
Whoaaa nice save… Got in the way anyhow..
Fantastic keeping
Auba playing like Williams, chasing shadows , appearing so hard working . Should get into good books of Arteta
Wtf
Leno caught a cross!!
That El Arabi dude is pretty rapid..
Why do we play such a high line.?
Now I didnt say that Olympiakos should score first.
Good save by Leno.
Their no.4 should’ve been booked there, cunt.
Ceballos is so poor. Get rid
Playing like B team atm. Cmon
Lecoq have to agree he is poor
arsenal players acting like this game is beneath them. Tbf, it is.
Auba so so poor.
Oh dear Auba…..
Wtf? I rest my case.
Auba you wanker
Fantastic by Dani but it’s not Odegaard so it won’t be noticed.
Right and left goal open and Auba hit it over the cross bar. Oh my
Oh wow… that should have been a goal.
Is it ok to say I really do not rate Cabellos
wow. auba smh
Actually a decent ball from ceballos. Auba piss poor finish
What are we so naive in defending?
How can a goal kick launch a chance at our goal.?
Auba has started missing chances again 😁😁😁
He should have showed up late
That is not a striker’s shot.
@Raptora
We’ll have to agree to disagree in regards to Cabellos
Should have been 2-0 with 2 key passes by Dani. But he’s shit right?
We have always been naive in defense, not new…. unfortunately
Wtf is Auba doing ?! Matt Ryan would have scored that !
tyagn,
Ofc my man. Just don’t think Odegaard is the 2nd coming of Jesus either.
Aubameyang is a wanker and a waste of time
Meant to be the captain and turning up late
He’s an arse hole
How is this dick head the captain of my club
Down there with Gallas in the arsenal captain toilet
I don’t think Danny Cebs is shit.. just midfield depth.. not really a starter for me. Ok for games like this.
Xhaka has all the time to head the ball but straight to an opponent.