Aston Villa are proving out to be Mikel Arteta’s Bolton. They don’t beat us up, but they have beaten us the last three times we’ve played them. Tonight, at home, I am not expecting anything different.
My expectations for this game are absolutely on the floor.
That is very negative, but you know what, my feelings count and that’s how they are today.
Biggest worry is getting overrun in midfield again. We haven’t found our rhythm with Thomas Partey and a partner yet. Lokonga always looks impressive when he comes on but he’s very young. Mo Elneny isn’t a sexy option. Martin Odegaard really isn’t quite the 8 at the moment.
So who knows?
The big question for this evening: Which Arsenal will show up… and for how long? We’re averaging about 20 good minutes per game. Our issue at the moment is confidence. We can be frightened into playing a different game. In golf, when you are given a new swing instruction, it’s great when it works. But a couple of bad shots and you get caught between the new instruction and falling back on what’s comfortable. That’s where the team is right now. Sadly, the only remedy for that is repetition.
Against Palace, we were great at the start, and we were great at the end. We need to find greatness for at least 70 minutes tonight if we’re going to take anything from the game.
The good thing about playing Villa is they will come to party. They’ll run at us, there will be big openings at the back, if we can break their press, we’ll create chances.
What can Arteta do to inspire a bit more courage in the players? What tactical offerings do we have planned? How do we make sure Villa will have gone a month without a win? They were taught a lesson by Spurs who just ripped them through the middle. They were taught a lesson by Wolves who barely registered a result this season despite being pretty good. We need to pile on the misery for Dean Smith. Not be the gift to struggling sides we usually are.
My hope is that we’re not going to have another day out where all our key players absolutely tank. Watching Saka, ESR, Partey, and Pepe struggle with absolute basics is not a rarity… but it is a rarity they are all shite at the same time.
What I’m really hoping for is a bit more aggression from our centre backs. We cannot allow Ollie Watkins or Danny Ings to get balls into feet like we did against Palace. We absolutely cannot be seeing Ben White back off a striker running into our box. Palace created fuck all against us and came away with two goals. That’s more of last seasons nonsense. We need to have a tighter performance this evening.
Here’s how low I’m feeling: If we’re going to get beaten, let’s at least do it with bit of style. The Goldilocks football needs to go in the bin. Not too good, not too bad… pick a lane. The purgatory is a sign of a lack of progress.
Right, sorry about that, I’m just having a day today. See you in the comments. x
So far so good
There we go that’s what we have paid Ben White to do.. get the ball forward.
If we play the football we’ve just played for the first 5mins over 90, absolutely nobody would be complaining.
Let’s see if this lasts.
Fuck off Mings.
This fella has so much to say for himself endlessly
I’ve thought for a while now that our players would suit a 4-4-2 despite it not being fashionable these days. And it does look good so far.
Aston Villa shit so far
Auba looks on it.
That didn’t look like a foul Laca hustled for that ball.
Given as a foul.
But again that is good. Putting pressure high up
Ohh… fuck.. come on… That was just the usual wrestling. We need to score while we are on the up… otherwise we all know what happens later.
What about White and that run though.
Tavares doing well
We’re playing some lovely stuff in the opening 10.
Make it count please
Min 14 and still energized !
Fingers crossed
Laca barelled into Mings
Ming reached out his arm and hit Laca
Laca not a foul…BS decision!
Craig Pawson ain’t giving us a fuck all tonight! Can sense it with most of his decisions early on..
Heres that moment
Laca was held back there on a counter. Pawson missed it
What worried me is we usually have about 20 mins where we look good .. hopefully it isnt the first 20 and that’s it.
Timiyasu need to work on his stepover game.. haha still a good run.
Aston Villa pinned back
Who’s this tomiyasu? Does he think we reward players for just playing across the face of goal?
Laca is like a wild animal. Wouldn’t mind 10 more players with his attitude.
Love Smith-Rowe. Such a good footballer.
Wow unlucky
What the hell.. ugh… doing everything but scoring.
We’ve had our customary 20 minutes good start and hit the woodwork.
Partey will score a goal one of these days. May take a thousand years but one surely has to go in.
Partey!!!
There we go!
Let’s see if we try to park the bus now or if we’ve actually learned something.
Hahahahahahahahaha SAID IT.
Took just 1min apparently!
GET IN BOY!
Yes!!!! Partey scores! hahahaha finally… nice.
Great play so far……long may it continue
Partey got it in
Love Smith-Rowe. Such a good footballer.
He’s only going to get better.
What a header
Arteta shouldn’t be jubilating till the final whistle has been blown, just zaying
Need to continue attacking
Park the bus & concede time? Let’s see.
Finally
Nice to get the payoff.. now don’t let off.
Really enjoying this performance, just made excellent by a goal from Ghana international, John Jensen!
Get in!
Thanks Emi super keeper! Best in the world!
Yep
Thoroughly deserved lead.
Excellent opening 20 minutes
Now what we don’t need now is Arteta micro managing from the touchline as this team goes into it’s shell again.
This has been our best 23 minutes of football for a long long time. Fully deserved lead.
Don’t sit back now
We are playing 4 4 2
Well-deserved!
Saka is wonderful, but Smith-Rowe is even better!
ESR corners a joy to watch.
I know we don’t want to criticise refs but FFS Pawson!
9attempts in 25mins is pretty impressive btw.
Albeit with just 1 on target.
About time he booked MIngs… only took 4 dodgy tackles.
I e run Tomi
Laca up for it
If we win it will be because Martinez fired up out players with his remarks. Similarly Marinez has got Vila charging like wild bulls.
Massive booing for Martinez for being an Arsehole
We are no longer pressing so when Pedro talks about confidence affecting the team, just remember he is deflecting for Arteta.
TT getting forward.. Tavares… White.. Maybe somebody got the memo. One can hope.
Has to score there
Saka is just way overrated
Oh man
SAKA FFS!!! OPEN NET BOY!
Saka!!!! Aim the corner , boy!!!
That was amateur hour from Saka.
Ohhhhhh Saka could have dribbled it in… man what a move though ..
Should have scored Saka.
Tavares has been excellent thus far
Sambi like Pogba
Saka can miss sitter after sitter today as far as i care if we keep
Playing this way
Do we want the half time break really.
I’m worried that Arteta is going to dampen things when he gets them in for the half time team talk.
great so far. saka should have scored
leave the hand brake off for now tets, time to mature. knives sheathed for now!
The fans are calling for the yellow card!
Good from Lokonga
‘’ Saka is just way overrated’’ Honestly is that the best u can come out with
Press is excellent today
We got to get another goal before half.. We have played very well.. but need the payoff for playing with the handbrake off.
If Laca keeps this work rate up for 90 I’ll be seriously impressed.
Lokonga has had such a good game so far btw
We play much better in this formation without Tierney
Laca run out of gas
Bravo Tavares
Everyone is weighing in, not just Auba. The changes made seem to have woken a few players up too. See Laca back so deep helping win back possession before charging forward to be available for the break away.
Honestly is that the best u can come out with
Watch his game with an open mind
You can hear the emirates tonite!
Like the directness of Tavares , utterly bored of Tierney going wide and crossing the ball like a robot.
interesting that this young team can be mobile and dynamic
really speaks to coaching mentality holding them back
Lokonga not known for his offensive play skying one there
But he’s done an overall good job so far
Players need to practice shooting from distance
The finishing is all over the place but I love the press. Shows you don’t need two lines of players behind the ball to be defensively solid.
We’ve been good but this is a very poor Villa side and for all the domination and chances there’s still only one goal in it. 😬
Lokonga , Tavares and Tomi shoot where people like ESR have doubts of it’s outcome, correctly
Laca should be given another year ! His work rate is phenomenal
Laca looking tired.
Silent Ollie. Give us DCL
Really don’t want to see Tierney back in the team after this. Tavares offers much more in both departments.
Tierney is so boring and slow. (always seems like he’s struggling to breathe)
There we go again. We playing well and now villa are poor. Seriously man.
Arteta got rid of all the weak links today – Tierney, Pepe and Odegaard resulting in more intensity, directness and consistent press.
With Pepe and Tierney we lose the ball too much in critical areas which puts the pressure back on us.
Sambi has been brilliant so far
Samir agree with your Tierney comment. He’s been dining out on his earlier form.
Lokonga looking world class
Tavares pace and strength make him better than tierney
Will be good competition