Listen, I simply won’t tolerate it on this website. I will not have you laughing at Aston Villa. They are trying to be elite, people. It’s not funny that the team that went to great lengths to extract Emile from us this summer has now lost 5 games on the bounce in the League. I don’t think it’s amusing to point out that the last time they tasted victory was September 18th. Don’t even dare try to trigger me by saying ‘only two teams have conceded more than Villa this season’ (20) because I like Emi Martinez and he’s dealing with separation issues. None of this is funny and I truly hope their ‘elite’ summer signings some of our fans were pointing at come good… especially those that said they’d prefer Danny Ings to Alex Lacazette.
Now we’ve set the ground rules, can talk about what needs to happen tomorrow? Yes we can.
We need a win.
The club has done a lot of very good work in Phase 3. My target was 10 from 12. If we do the business against Watford, we could be on for that exact number. I suspect that a win will put us firmly in the top 4 mixer. West Ham has been one of the standout sides in the Premier League this calendar year, but I think it’ll be very, very tough for them to take 3 points off Liverpool. United were bounced 2-0 by City (lolololol). That’s as far as it goes for top 4 competition right now.
Win the game should be top 4 proper. No post-Christmas tables for us. That is GOOD news. Not that I want to hang on that post-Christmas table, but are we about ready to admit that the form was more predictive than many gave credit for? 5 months of continuous form was always a good sample, amazing that it was a debate. But, we were in a world where people were getting upset by the use of the word project, so there we are.
The Watford game is very winnable, but the focus simply has to be there. We don’t want the players reading too much of their good press and Arteta needs to make sure they know that you have to show up, even in the games that aren’t sexy. You make top 4 by racking up points in the winnable games. This is the sort of game that should start to form bread and butter, but I’m not sure we’re there yet.
The team has had the luxury of a week off again. There will be a full squad to pick from. I’m not sure there’s much reason to change what is working. There is always the challenge of finding balance. A squad is a living being. If you only water part of it, the neglected areas can wither and die. That’s why there might be some rotation at some point. Martin Odegaard might get some minutes and we could see some changes elsewhere.
Or maybe we’re in ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ territory. I don’t know, I’m not the coach, leave me alone.
Arsenal are making a big deal of Arteta’s first 100 games on the .com. It’s been a literal rollercoaster. But finally, it looks like we’re getting some traction as we head back up the table.
Has it been a success so far?
Depends how you want to frame it. On a football level, it hasn’t been… yet. But I think the Arsenal project so far has been bigger than results, it’s involved more people than just the coach, and it’s been harder work than anyone suspected it would be.
We’ve shipped out a lot of bad eggs, about 21 I think.
We’ve weathered the most consequential mitigating circumstance in sporting history.
We’ve brought in a whole batch of new players that are young, vibrant, and full of character
We continue to give chances to an exciting group of Hale-Enders.
We sacked our Football Director.
We pivoted hard on a new, more modern strategy
The culture at the club has taken a huge reboot.
Arteta is talking about ‘unity’ as the identity he has at Arsenal. I’m not quite sure that’s an identity, but it’s certainly the output of a lot of change, and we can see it on the pitch. We can even see it by the deals that are getting signed by players. Last season was about the young players pulling us to higher levels, this season, it’s about everyone doing that. So you have to salute the work and hope it lasts. Whatever happens with Arteta, you can’t deny that he’ll leave the club in a better state than he found it. Could you say the same of Jose Mourinho who joined Spurs at the same time? How about Carlo Ancellotti? How about Ole G at United?
Arsenal took the hard option when they went with Arteta, but the upsides still feel more tantalizing than if we’d moved on Rafa Benitez. We took the hard option on transfers this summer, fans went nuts about the deals, but it’s hard to deny the direction was wrong. We’re still on a long-term path and that will come with some pain, but this sustainable approach, when it finally delivers, will have us competing at the very highest levels for the very biggest trophies.
It’s exciting. There are no victory laps, but if you have a good plan, good ideas, a good culture, and everyone is united around the singular mission… you have a chance of doing great things.
So let’s see where the 100th game goes.
This has been a great stretch of games. Team looks solid and mentally strong. Getting a point from Liverpool would be fantastic. But my only expectation is that we avoid a humiliating loss by three goals or more. If we keep playing like this, the Liverpool game won’t matter.
I really hope there’s some substance to the Vlahovic rumours. Big deals aren’t usually done in the January TW but we would need something like that. Auba has been poor for a long time but today was absolutely shocking.
I don’t think Friend is bent …..he’s more clueless than anything.
I saw weird decisions going both ways today, although how Rose didn’t get a booking for the Laca foul is beyond strange.
Having said that, if Arsenal conceded in the same manner I would’ve wanted a foul for obstruction AMN pulled on Sarr immediately prior to the goal.
Sorry, Sarr not Sissoko.
LS
If we go for a player in January, then it should be a central midfielder
An ugly 3 points off an expected win? 2 draws when it was easier to lose? It looks like they’re making steel in North London. Just sayin.
Bacary, nervy, but in control. They had 1 shot on target, they didn’t really get at us at all.
Pedro I’m not moving the goalposts, arteta is actually winning me over. I’m not saying we should win against the bindippers and United. Although I think we could win against United. Top four is the maximum I think we can get, and I think that should be the minimum as well. No Europe will help later in the season. What I’m saying is I want to see us turn up and try to get something out of the game against the bindippers. If we just go up their and roll over its the same old same old. I can take… Read more »
I find Alexander-Arnold more dangerous sending the cross from the right side. This game, he stays more in the middle.
Grabs, I’d like to see us be more aggressive against Pool like Brighton and West Ham.
United we have a good record against.
This was Mikel Arteta’s 100th game as Arsenal manager, the full record is: P100, W56 D18 L26 F163 A97.
He has the joint highest win percentage of any Arsenal manager for their first 100 games (tied with George Graham).
Emile Smith Rowe’s goal was the 100th we have scored in the Premier League under Arteta.
*Courtesy Arsenal.com.
Solid win, defense looked composed for the most part.
In spite of Auba today the team grinded out a W.
Everyone has got it wrong with josH, he was going for the Ming the Merciless look, girlfriend and her nose ring by his side, and that roguish hunter B aura….
Rich,
We need a CMF for sure but at this rate I feel a striker is more urgent. We’ve gotten a lot of good results lately but a lot of our goals are scrappy and a bit lucky. And that’s not because we’re not creating chances, it’s because the rest of the team is forced to carry Auba.
What a free kick that is, unstoppable 👏
Trent can really hit those
Decent strike.
They have fooled the GK, thinking that Salah will aim the left corner.
Jamie, he also gave Arsenal two goal kicks when Watford corners were probably the right decisions in opening minutes.
I don’t think those are signs of a ref on a mission.
Tom, exactly. Incompetence over bias, imo.
This game proved why we need a top striker. That game should have been dead and buried because there was only one team in it. Ramsdaie was a passenger. We have a very good side but we need to be more ruthless.
AFC,
Yup. Can’t ask for much more from a chance creation perspective than this. With a top striker, this is a 4-0 game at least.
Are Europa League games included in Arteta’s first 100 matches in charge?
Did Wenger play the likes of Dundalk in his first 100 Arsenal games in charge?
Keith Hackett called it unconscious bias, not being bent.
LoveSausage
Yep, exactly.
LS – I agree that looking at things as they stand now, the next signing to add is a top level but young striker . If we can do that in Jan with Vlahovic then that would be fantastic
Given how poor Auba is , that Laca and Eddie are off in the Summer and that Martinelli is not seen as yet as the next CF then we need to buy externally
AFC, I’ve been thinking about the Ben White/Franz Beckenbaur comparisons for the last week or so. I didn’t want to say in case it went pear shaped. It’s all on you now mate.
LoveSausage
Exactly. You don’t want to dominate teams to the extent you create that many chances, while restricting the opposition to zero shots on goal, and miss straight forward chances. Once you get a couple, the other team panic and more goals follow. Nobody could complain if that was five today. Auba is 32 now, so if our young strikers aren’t ready we have to buy a quality striker asap.
Pedro,
I’d love to get something at anfield, I’d take a scrappy 1-1 0-0
In my book that would be a great result.
Even if we lose a narrow 1-0 2-1 but played well I’d take it.
I just don’t want to see us go up there all meek and mild trying not to lose or be humiliated, and not even try to win.
Liverpool will press us for 90 minutes, my concern is we do have spells in game where we run out of gas.
United should be a breeze compared to the bindippers.
Spudnik
“AFC, I’ve been thinking about the Ben White/Franz Beckenbaur comparisons for the last week or so. I didn’t want to say in case it went pear shaped. It’s all on you now mate.”
Oh no mate, everything’s always on me!!! Like Ramsdale, he’s proved to be one hell of a signing.
I think today’s win .. gives us a free roll at Pool.. Not many will expect us to get anything.. so go for it.
We have been really good at set pieces as of late.. West Ham got them on a corner.. We could do the same. We need everyone to be healthy though and fit.. Hopefully International break doesn’t ruin that for us.. Always a worry. Can we keep Partey from going home to play?
Ben White & Gabriel combined cost less than Harry Maguire.
Let that sink in
20 points from 33, if we carried on this trajectory we’d be on course for 69 points over 38 games:
Liverpool (Away)
Newcastle (Home)
United (Away)
Everton (Away)
Southampton (Home)
West Ham (Home)
Leeds (Away)
Norwich (Away)
We need 5 wins from our next 8, doable, but I’d be a lot less optimistic without our 2 senior central midfielders
That would put us on 35 points at the halfway line
We need Partey to be ok, and to sit out the international break
Just got home from match.
Scrappy game.
Shame that Aubameyang touched the ball which was then signalled offside. Odegaard’s shot
was 100% going into net and he was onside.
Great comment: AFC Forever November 7, 2021 16:06:30 — 20 out of 24 points. Only a fucking moron picks holes in that.. Great three points, had Auba been on form that was a comfortable 4-0 or 5-0 win, Arteta doesn’t miss penalties, miscontrol the ball or get his toe on shots on the line. Ramsdaie had nothing to do.What we know is that we no longer get bullied. We defend balls into our penalty area so much better than we have before. That game we lost in the past. Live these young lads, so much heart…… So many positives in… Read more »
Damn the scousers are blowing it
WH leading 2-1 . Hope they hold the lead. There can be only one Invincible
By the way, people taking shots at the owners (son) appearance. Get a life. Do you have to pass judgement on everything in the world? Josh Kroenkes beard? Really? I’m sure you’re all fashion models commenting here. Really well dressed, well groomed, not fat, not balding… I really think you might be professional models based on your lack of football knowledge. Maybe the beard is because he’s actually cool and doesn’t wanna look like a typical billionaire or the son of one. Did you see the girl he was with ? Yes, he deserves to be mocked by the likes… Read more »
Liverpool can be beaten. I don’t believe its a free role for us we have some great form at the moment.
2-1 Hammers.
Spudnik
“AFC, I’ve been thinking about the Ben White/Franz Beckenbaur comparisons for the last week or so. I didn’t want to say in case it went pear shaped. It’s all on you now mate.”
I made the comment ” white doing his best impression of Beckenbauer ” quite a few weeks back, was said more in jest, although the relaxed way he stands over the ball and strides out with baĺl is actually very reminiscent of Beckenbauer …white and Gabriel look a very good partnership at the back.
Nigel Tufnel had to be Arsenal version of Alf Garnet. Go and have a lie down you old fart.
Agree with comments that Ben is MotM. I would put Tomi as a close second. He was bossing that right side.
It is really looking like our defence is gelling together more and more. Gabriel did well to.
You have to say, it really is looking like we have our defence sorted for the next few years haven’t we?
has*
Declan Rice would love him in our team.
Pool under the hammer here…
Are we going into the international break just two points behind ‘pool?? Yesssss!!! 3-1
3-1
Antonio is strong!
3-1 West Ham. Liverpool are awful in the 2nd half, look leggy.
Antonio held off Allison for the goal. Strong
3-1 Looks like Pool are going down to defeat at last
Bin Dippers getting a hammering.
Great stuff
That Liverpool mid if hurried can really crumble. If only we had a physical mid!!
West Ham showing how to undo Liverpool.
Fast direct and great at set pieces.
Great header.
Pierre
“The relaxed way he stands over the ball and strides out with baĺl is actually very reminiscent of Beckenbauer.”
Yes, it is. Very composed.
Klop is desperate. Monaminio coming in place of Fabinho
3-2 going to be a frantic last ten minutes
Nigel basicallly has argements with people that dont exist.. There was like 3 people who didnt rate Ben White much based on stats mostly. but most were concerned about his cost not his play.
As for the owners sons beard it was hilarious looking… My Life is just fine.
“Maybe the beard is because he’s actually cool and doesn’t wanna look like a typical billionaire or the son of one.“
Sorry Nigel but Jack Dorsey just called and said he won’t allow his image destroyed by someone born with a golden spoon up his ass.
Maybe he is joining ZZ Top? who knows.
Midwest
“There was like 3 people who didn’t rate Ben White”
Mate I know you’ve probably never heard of Diane Abbot but she’d be very proud of your counting ability..
Happy Invincibles Day everyone.
Yippee
Arsenal are the Invincibles still
Great result.
AFC… I only know of one vocal one.. Wenger Eagle and he will own it. Otherwise you have to name names.
Wish you the same Graham.
What a relief
Always a relief when it happens.
Fair play to West Ham, they deserve the win. Allison had a poor game but Liverpool’s midfield looked leggy. This could be a very interesting Premier League season.
What a shame we now have a two week International break.
Yep Just when you think Pool look unbeatable… they are not. Good day..
Bad result for Arsenal.
The Hammers are for real it seems.
I was concerned we over paid for a CB when we needed a striker and a midfielder which we still do by the way.. But always said if he plays as good as Pedro hyped him up, nobody will care .. and lately he has.
Brendan being linked with United Job
Unlikely, but if Arsenal beat Liverpool, and Leicester beat Chelsea, then there’ll be just 3 points between 1st + 5th
This was a good win. The performance was a bit sub par compared to the last two but we still had a good enough performance to win. Foster was brilliant. Aubameyang is still playing based on reputation. At this point, we need Arteta to take him out of the line up and put in Martinelli or Eddie. He fumbled so many things today. Odegaard might have scored if he wasn’t there, he missed a pen that Lacazette should be taking considering he is the most assured and he miscontrolled a ball that should have ended up with him scoring rather… Read more »
Credit David Moyes and WHU.
Liverpool looked leggy and Allison was awful.
Great shame there’s yet another international break. It really is destroying the domestic leagues.
UEFA don’t care. It’s so frustrating.
Pedro Hope you mention in your next blog about Ranieri’s complaints. Almost 60 mins into the game his tactic of making it difficult by breaking up play by constant foul rotation came back to haunt him. The Watford player went down, feigned injury got straight back up we had a break on later ESR kicked the ball out, should of just played on, If it’s a head injury the ref intervenes and blows. Watford had a tactic to disrupt the flow of the game it came back to haunt them has it of been the other way, no one SKY… Read more »
Midwest
You’re right, it’s the cost of the White and Ramsdale I think most had/have an issue with considering the other needs of the team.
It’s great watching us put together this run of results but worth noting Leicester are the only half decent side we’ve beaten in that run.
I hope the team grows from this and they put up more of a fight against better sides when we meet them.
It is clear we still need a lot of work in the final third: our composure, decision-making, finishing and ultimately chance creation need improving.
6 points behind
U wonder what could happen
Radio, the issue wasn’t the price, it was the fact that no one had extensive knowledge of the players.
‘We’ve beaten no one of note’
What a yawn comment. We are 6 points off to after losing our opening 3. That is massive. People struggling with dead agendas all over the place.
Also people were arguing we needed a direct David Luis replacement.. and some that we didnt need one. However after a short period I would also say Ben White plays not much like David Luiz so that arguement was kind of moot. He is a much better tackler then David Luiz and a better dribbler.. his passing range isnt as good as David Luiz though nor is his heading But Ben White doesn’t back pass as much either.. he also steps into the midfield more to intercept passes and doesnt panic under pressure. . David Luiz was more of a… Read more »
I’m curious to hear what Ranieri’s grievances were at the end of the game
Maybe he was complaining about the turf or something.
Positiveness is awkward on this silly blog. I know
How can you not have hope.
Youngest team in the Premier league
Unbeaten for 10
Midwest, Ben White opens the game like Luiz and makes less errors. The argument was we had a good defence already and didn’t need him.
TIJUANA lady … let’s go to Mexico
Pedro
Relax man, why don’t you wait for you to play out before accusing anyone of an agenda.
We all want Arsenal to succeed no different as you.
Today was fantastic for Ben Whi and it looks like he’s growing with every game. I hope Edu can make money off Chambers and Mari because we do have a surfeit of central defenders now.
Anyway, when are you recording the podcast?
Crimson, exactly.
‘Played no one of note’
The build up to every game is ‘THIS TEST IS HUGE’, we pass, ‘they were shit anyway’
Blanco opened up the game. Tomi covered. In a asymmetric system. Nuno bombing down the left
Pedro… I would say David Luiz slowed us down.. Ben White speeds us up.. Regardless.. he has been great so I think you should feel really good about your Dad’s scouting report. He was spot on so far after an adjustment period.
Diss, podcast tomorrow!
Pedro
Without firmino we could have a chance because usually he scores against us a lot
We just need to beat the counter press and we can punish them as West Ham shown
Pedro
‘ The argument was we had a good defence already and didn’t need him.’
The argument that you helped forge was that we had a good defense
There was no agenda in some posters making the point that we had another generational talent in Saliba, that’s not made up and that fact still stands.
Ben White is living up to his huge price tag, which was a high bar to reach and good for him
Let’s just get along. It is what it is.
Midwest, oh my word the speed difference is huge! He’s very tough to deal with. Very unique
The premier league is by far the best in the world.
It used to be a cliche but now it rings true.
Midwest: people on here moaning about BWs fee 🤣
You’re joking right?
About the same number complained about the purchase of Ramsdale.
Also remember, there was a few moaning about Tavares’ disciplinary record ffs.
And today, there’s some geezer saying Fuck off to Arteta for not giving more time to Martinelli. Some fans never satisfied.
Jealous of a Pedro and his Miami dreams..
Rose should of been sent of btw
Crimson, there was a moment in 2016 when Welbeck scored that last minute header against Leicester, where I allowed myself to dream that this could be our year, and had Cazorla not got injured in the Dec, I suspect we’d have come close It was 2010/11 + 2007/08, the last time I thought we had a genuine chance before that If we keep this team together, add well, then maybe 2022/23 we’ll be able to really challenge Something extraordinary would have to happen for us to get anywhere near the title this season, but we’ve still assembled a really good… Read more »
The issue with Ben white was the price tag. 50 mil was a huge price. He was more of a 35 mil defender. He was good on the ball, he was good in defending ground duels too. The issue was his aerial ability and his frame. He also went down to block shots. But these past few games, he has played like a 50 mil defender. He is winning his duels, even in the air, he is also showing his ball playing ability, which is much better than David Luiz. So even if we overpaid, he is still showing we… Read more »
3
I am hopeful of putting up a fight against Liverpool after the break. Their squad is thinner because of injuries. So we should go there to get a positive result. Let’s keep the good times rolling. And add someone like Vlahovic un January. Because we need goals we still have scored 13 goals which is at least 6 less than anyone we are competing with for top 6. We can’t rely on Benny, Gabriel and Ramsdale all season to bail us out. We need more fire power.
People still complaining about the prize tag of BW! Just makes me laugh — remember the spend some fucking money chant, not even that long ago?
Some of the same posters complained about Tavares’ and his disciplinary record; about Ramsdale and his fee, being relegated etc. That Odegard was shite etc.
These posters don’t have much credibility and actually, all they did was sow the seeds of division
Diss, there was a perfectly valid argument about not starting with a 20 yr old with no Prem experience / poor grasp of English
My agenda was ‘we are better with Luiz in the side’ and plenty argued that wasn’t true. People weee arguing Mari and Holding were our best paring up until the first game of the season.
I agree we don’t need anymore litmus tests as far as Im concerned.. We have shown a system (changed one recently which shows Teta is tuned in) that can work and it has been entertaining with good results so .. now it’s about keeping players healthy and in form. I’m good. It seems like we are looking for Strikers in the market so I think we can get past the Teta In / Out arguments hopefully.
RR “You’re right, it’s the cost of the White and Ramsdale I think most had/have an issue with considering the other needs of the team” Not true. You’re not the only one, a few are trying to make out it was just one or two. That is bollocks It’s also a nerve. We had a few on here trawling the internet about Whites height, desperately. Then we had Ramsdale relegating 2 teams. Tavares laughed at by Benfica fans. Denial doesn’t cut it. That’s why fans are just fans & not working in the game, don’t really know as much as… Read more »