Here we are, match day blog time.
Mikel Arteta has finally caved to Martinelli in the starting 11. All the noise I hear is that he’s been electric in training. He needs to channel some of that ESR mentality. Play like you belong, don’t give an inch to the manager, and take the chances afforded.
Nicolas Pepe has also been rewarded after his cameo on Thursday. He’s another one that needs to keep showing that he can be relevant for 90 minutes. He needs to take his chances, impose his bag of madness on a weak defence, and be decisive.
Main point of concern for the game is the the lack of creativity. Ceballos, Xhaka and Partey doesn’t scream fast breaks and threaded balls. Dani really needs to show up, he has to move the ball fast, and he has a rescue a reputation that’s in the gutter. If he’s shite, I’d love to see Azeez given a bit of a role.
Overall, this game has ‘WHY AM I PLAYING’ vibes about it. This squad of whiners switches off all too regularly when there’s nothing on a game. I really, really, don’t want to see another slow start and another shite performance.
Let’s see what we get…
See you in the comments. x
Martinelli should start most games he pissed on willian
Martinelli looks like a CF. His runs have been excellent. His finishing is at most times deadly from what we know last season. Just looks like a mini Suarez. Putting him upfront and he will harass defenders, make runs and be in a threatening position.
Lemassivecog, exactly especially since Willian plays better
Martinelli really makea a difference..been slightly unlucky in this game..doing really well overall
That was the second poor corner from Pepe though
Fuck Pepe was in then
Laca is doing very well
Need to make this superiority count
Mid
Same here ‘re Martinelli. That is why I like the kid. He is at least making an effort at all times.
It looks more and more like a case of MA trying to show thar he didn’t fuck up with signing that fuck face Willian.
We all know that he did and I hope MA realises this sooner rather than later.
Yeah wig Lacs is having a very good game
I wasn’t for one second suggesting that Willie Wonka is a better option….
I’ve always said that the most professional of all the big name players at arsenal is lacazette
vickingz
What do you expect when he never plays?
Do you ever see Willian have this many chances? When Willian plays his name is hardly mentioned as he’s a professional ‘hider’.
How could we allow a shot from there…. need to be ahead at HT
Nothing wrong with martinellis decisions
LeMassiveCoq
“I kind of see why Arteta snubs Martinelli, very poor decision making so far.”
I think he plays out of position tbh.
As said before see him as a central forward.
It’s probably a case that he is played wide not only because of the seniors ahead of him in that position in ranking but also as Wenger used to do play forwards/ attackers when they are young away from their later natural position. It’s meant to give them a wider understanding of the game apparently that is meant to aid them in the future.
Le massive coq
At least he is making runs and being in position to make those poor decisions. And he is 19. We don’t know whether willian is playing most times.
Champagne CharlieApril 11, 2021 19:41:50
Laca is undoubtedly the type of striker needed for CF, no idea how anyone can watch some of his involvement and claim Auba is the type needed instead.
1,000,000% charlie.
I really don’t want auba near the first team any more unless it’s off the bench for the last 10 to goal hang and even then I’d rather we had other options
But for his finishing on Thursday I thought Laca played well.
Anyway, best to enjoy this it might be another month till the next enjoyable Arsenal match.
Vickingz
Pretty sure his ‘big game’ record is very good. Scores against all the big sides, but nearly always when the game is level. He’s not meek, he’s just not nearly consistent enough.
Replacing Cedric with Chambers, we gain a lot of height. Cedric got to be one of the shortest player in the EPL.
They’ve got to be asking him to hit it low to hear post
That can’t be mishit 4 times
Even against this team I am not confident with a 1 nil lead we need another plus I would love martinell to have a great game and score 2 that would upset MA
Always said keep laca and scrap auba
Always
Let’s grab couple more goals quickly in 2H and rest some legs for Thursday.
I just think Martinelli plays like a young player takes risks.. and makes quick decisions.. sometimes they are wrong ones.. But there you go.. Arteta more a fan of ball controllers , imo. . But you have to put pressure on the defenders with pace/ directness and eventually they break.
Anyhow.. decent half.. Sheffield are pretty toothless in attack … unable to expose Xhaka deputizing as a left back/ center back.
Lacazette is the ultimate team player. But he doesn’t score nearly enough to be dependent on him. Always liked him but his scoring rate for us has been around Giroud levels. We need better than him. If he had more speed and was as deadly as Auba, He would have been the complete player.
Actually by professional, I mean rhat he does what’s expected of him, he gives his all even when it’s not working for him. During emery’s stint, he was mostly subbed despite being the best of the strikers on the field in many games, he would complain, express his dissatisfaction but he never went hidden or not playing well when called upon. He just want to play, he brings the winger to play, he’s not just a striker, he comes to midfield to move ball.
Looks like Partey is the sole holding midfielder. I know it’s Sheffield United but said this a long time ago we don’t always need two holding midfielders.
I really should be running Arsenal.
Midwest
He is a fan of ball controllers but chose not to buy any in the summer and continues to play auba and bellerin who are very poor on the ball for premier league footballers
Yes Martinelli should really play more central he is a finisher not a creator, needs tierney to overlap so he can cut inside more.
Pepe trying hard but misplacing almosy every pass.
Ceballos showing why he is an attacking not central or defensive midfielder. Doing well.
Martinelli doesn’t have the footballing brain Saka has still he has been more effective than Willian and Auba.
Ceballos a strange player, looks pure class sometimes but when he is off his game he looks woefully out of place.
Pro job so far, great team goal. This really is a game that we ought to be winning given how poor Sheffield Utd are having said that.
If we look at ranking and wage and strict positions of where players are meant to be really playing in essence Laca is really back-up to Aubameyang. So if it’s a case of looking at him as back-up for Aubameyang Arsenal probably have one of the better back-up strikers in the league in Lacazette. Yes he’s inconsistent but like others I think the team as a whole plays better all round attacking football when Lacazette is CF rather than Aubameyang but of course he has had nowhere near the scoring rate from Aubameyang in previous seasons at least. CF is… Read more »
Great half of football. Love that we’ve innovated with the tactics, dealing with no Tierney, Odegaard and ESR felt like a recipe for preXmas game of bland.
Another thing… Auba and Lacazette cannot exist together. Really hope Arteta remembers that when the ‘flu’ has passed.
Yep if we could somehow combine Laca/ Auba into one player… rather then play both or one or the other we would be golden.. seems like we are doing a workaround, constantly.
Wiglaf
I’ve always been of the opinion that Auba was a bad buy given the needs of the squad. Laca was rolling in Lyon scoring goals for fun in an attack with ballers like Fekir and Depay.
Spend that 55 mil on players like that and we’d have seen more from Laca as a CF imo. Here we are years later bemoaning the balance in the attack, still.
TR7
“Martinelli doesn’t have the footballing brain Saka has still he has been more effective than Willian and Auba.”
He’s not a natural wide player like Saka is so he is going to obviously look inferior playing in a wide position in relation to Saka.
Assist for Laca was reminiscent of wenger ball.
That one touch death march for the opposition
All Aubameyang had over Lacazette as a ST was being a superior goalscorer and now, he’s not even that anymore.
5 of his 9 PL goals came in two home wins over Leeds and Newcastle. 2 of the other 4 were penalties.
2 years older to boot. And yet he’s the one we have tied down to two more seasons on mega money with Lacazette walking away for nothing next summer.
Pedro
“Great half of football”
Completely satisfactory so far Pedro. Not sure about great given the opposition who struggle to put together two meaningful passes together but very satisfactory yes.
Saint-Maximin (Newcastle) and Rafinha (Leeds) the two players we get to improve us going forward. Sell whoever to make it happen no one’s sacred.
90% of ceballos game is flicks. That’s not good because most of the time flicks don’t work and you don’t have the space to do them. Ultimate fancy Dan.
Rest Saka ASAP.
I championed that auba shouldn’t be given the new contract but we just don’t learn from our mistakes at arsenal. He’s now another ozil, with willian and luiz as his henchmen. Arsenal to the dogs
“Another thing… Auba and Lacazette cannot exist together”
Someone really should go paste this on tets office door.
Wtf was that leno
Why Leno doesn’t catch the ball?
Gazzap, ceba just doesn’t have sense, with all the goals he’s caused against us, you would think he should be more serious with his play than showing useless flicks up and down, he takes too many touches, just can’t play a free flow pass at a touch, hmm
I have defended Leno a lot of times, But his command of his area is weak. He will be good enough for a top 4 challenge. But we would need better if we got to a title challenge hopefully.
If United win their game in hand they will be 8 points behind City with 18 points left to play for.
In 2011/12 United were 8 points clear of City with 18 points left to play for and bottled the title on GD.
Not that I expect City to choke but the fact that there’s precedent makes it at least mildly interesting. Although it essentially would be a 9 point gap given City’s vastly better GD.
Arteta ❤️ Williams warming up. Martinelli run seems over, until sudden induction after 3 months
Jesus Holding. Folded like a bitch.
Leno doing his best to cost us this game
“All for binning them both but I’m not interested in revisiting another Aubameyang or Lacazette conversation it’s been done to death and it’s irrelevant under this current manager.“
Nobody is forcing you to talk about it, let others be.
You’re that guy Gervais is on about, walks past a poster advertising guitar lessons and you get annoyed, ring the number attached, and complain that you don’t want guitar lessons. It’s not all about you.
They ask Laca to support the play out from the back.
I would prefer to see Willian replace Pepe.
I’d still bin them both too Marko, we must bin at least one in the summer and either give Martinelli a proper run through the middle or bring in another CF.
We look better with Lacazette up top than Auba though, that much is pretty clear by now.
Should at least hit the target
Laca should be hitting home from there
See that’s why Lacazette isn’t the answer. Should at least hit the target with that. A top 4 CF would.
Laca trying to be too cute again, just hit it hard and low in the corner
Arsenal play better with Laca than with Auba and eventually that is what should.matter.
Bottom line ….we are struggling against Sheffield United. Myriad changes and everyone trying to adapt adapt…until the next change in position
Is Pepe playing?
Mari having a little bit of a rough patch here.
Stopped playing previously when he shouldn’t have and got lost on a play there.
Not too damaging though.
Martinelli winning balls in the air. Good to see at last.
Don’t worry Pepe will score a good goal against a shit team in Europa and then he will become a potential world class player again 😆
Usual making hard weather of what should be a routine win.
Arteta should just let them play more naturally
We’re a bit shit at the moment
I’m a Martinelli fan but one weakness he does have is that he keeps his head down when running with the ball and looks up a bit too late
Pepe and Saka have combined really well.
Martinelli hurt
Please no William.
Shit.
Just an ankle twist..they hurt but he’ll be fine
Kick on ankle bone maybe
Pepe 10 for effort zero for end product
Martinelli down again
Pepe has been back to his usual self. Offering nothing and back to being Captain Meek!
Phew.
Almost all our players can look very good one moment and pretty bad the next…. no consistencty at all.. except Xhaka who is just Xhaka. Oh man.. Marti… down again.. hope he is ok.
Saka down holding thigh….no
Saka down…
Saka nooooo
Lol has the gamble backfired?
Old man Willian coming in. Literally the same as having a man sent off.
Oh man… inuries…. this season…
Shit we need to take him out now.
Doesn’t look good Saka injured
Great….Saka now. Wonka on… 1-1?
Saka down now
Shit Saka is hurt.. Williams in
Big worry
Ok I’ve officially told Willian I’m done with him…. so time for him to score a worldie.. 😀
Haha that cunt willian is on. Generational sauce scenes.
who could have possibly seen this coming? Thank god we risked him in such an important game
Saka hasn’t being playing well for the last month
OMFG not Willian….
Going to be long 20 minutes
Arteta has his excuse now.
Yes!! Here comes Willian! Deep joy.
You know I’m not sure I can support this team while this cunt of a player is part of the team.
Commentator in the US just called Willian for Saka ‘like for like’. Lolololol
Also our best players ..:.what is the absolute fucking point if they can’t stay for for more than two mins? It’s infuriating and it’s been going on for years.