Sounds a little bit like a track title for an Adele song. BUT IT’S NOT OK? It’s about the game today.
Top 4 was the stretch target this season, especially after the shocking opening we had… but the more the season goes on, the clearer it is, that the objective might not be that outrageous.
You gotta dream big (ish). The power of ambition in an organization cannot be underestimated. It sets the tone, it keeps people excited, and sometimes… it pays off.
Just look at Arsene Wenger when he told the world we might go invincible. Hadn’t been done before. Will never be done moving forward. The ambition was ridiculed, it was put on Spurs market stall merch… but who was the one laughing in the end? Wenger.
Our ambitions are a little lower right now, but everyone has to start somewhere.
Beating Everton would be a very good indicator that we’re less fragile than we were last season. Losing to United was upsetting, but they are a good side, and Old Trafford is always going to be a difficult place to go. We can beat them in the return leg. I don’t think we’d won there in 17 years until last season. Not like beating them is par the course. It’s also not like there crisis was that terrible either. Ralf Rangnick is one game into his tenure and he’s 3 points off top 4. Their crisis is they aren’t winning the league.
Goodison Park? Now, there’s a game that you lose if you’re not Top 4 serious. In fact, it is a game we actually did lose last season, 2-1, when Carlo was there. We can’t be that team this season. Beating the teams below us and around our level is how we’re going to progress.
Rafa Benitez is a very good coach. I’m actually surprised he’s still in charge though. The Director of Football, Marcel Brands, left their business yesterday… so maybe not for long. As I said yesterday, we’re either going to see a big reaction from Everton this evening, or we’ll see a non-reaction if the players can taste blood in the water and they don’t like what they’re getting from the exScouse boss.
Arsenal have injury concerns. The biggest one is ESR. He has a tight groin. Our #10 wasn’t great in the last game. He might just need a rest in general. That’d put a lot on the shoulders of Odegaard, but if we have Saka in the side, hopefully it won’t be too telling.
The biggest reboot I feel we need is in attack. Will Arteta persist with Auba in the side? Or is he going to cave and give his captain some time out? It’s a tough call. If you persist with an underperformer for too long, it starts to impact your standing with the other players. No one is undroppable. If you have a high performance culture and you talk about it… you have to live up to it.
He could play and score a hattrick. He could play and drop another disaster class and make it feel like we’re rolling with 10 men.
Auba is part of the reason we struggle with chance creation. If you striker can’t hold-up the ball and link play, the whole system is going to struggle. That’s why Lacazette has been so important. He brings others into the game. The issue with him is he doesn’t have the speed to be a threat coming deep and holding the line.
It’s a messy balance that needs to be struck… but we have to find a way this evening.
The curve ball inclusion might be Granit Xhaka. He’s making good progress. We know he’s made of iron. We could see him on the bench. That’s good news for squad depth when you hit mid-December.
3 points puts us back where we need to be. Anything less and it’s going to ramp the pressure up again.
December is the month for heroes. Who is it going to be? My hope is Martinelli gets a run again. It seems more likely if ESR is out again.
Let’s see what happens. See you in the comments. Watch our video or plug our podcast right into your ears.
Bankz is here for the tr4phy again
Anything but a win tonight would be a disastrous result.
Everton have been on a free fall since October
Tr4phy
DM?
grooveydaddy?
Where are you guys at?
Damnit
Damnit
You tried you sneaky sneaky man.
Lol!
I knew one of you was going to try pulling a stunt like this
Everton are a mess right now and their recruitment has been borderline comical .
In football and in comedy timing is usually the most important thing ……….playing them now is a huge bonus.
December will tell a lot on how the table will be come May.
I genuinely think nothing will take city off the top spot now that they’ve finally gotten there.
Beat Everton tonight and get 10 more points from the next five games before playing city and we just might be serious contenders for that last spot in the top 4.
Just happy to be here….
I expect that Arteta will awaken Pepe from the sarcophagi, unwrap the linen he used to mummify him today and throw him out at Goodison Park.
People will jump over Pepe if he doesn’t dribble five people on the way to scoring a goal
If he does very well, they will hail Arteta as genius for managing him well.
Either way, Arteta will be proven right.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/12488256/thomas-partey-arsenal-midfielder-reveals-he-is-his-own-worst-critic-and-vows-to-deliver-greater-consistency
This interview is painful to watch, feel for him a bit, says he hasn’t adapted yet to the PL, gives himself a 4/10 so far for his time at the club
Haaland is going to be on Monday night football tonight with Jamie Carragher
Hopefully watching the team he’ll be joining this summer
On the bench. Does that mean I am the “new” Pepe? 🙁
A decent team takes three points off a disheveled Everton tonight. KT back in the team, possibly with Tavares ahead of him if ESR doesn’t start. Saka, Sambi and Partey with him in midfield. Auba and Laca together upfront in a 4-4-2. Martinelli coming off the bench earlier than normal if Auba misfires to run against a tiring Everton backline.
Fingers crossed AND light a candle because anything less sends us into a malaise and a nervous game against Southampton on Saturday.
Bit unfair to put our lack of chance creation all on Auba, Pete. He bears some responsibility, but it’s down to Mikel’s tactics as well.
Haaland is going to be on Monday night football tonight with Jamie Carragher Hopefully watching the team he’ll be joining this summer
Fucking hell Rich I love your optimism but can I have some of the stuff you are smoking ? 😀
I think Partey is being generous giving himself a 4!
TT
Blind faith, is better than having no faith at all….
Hopefully we can pair him with Mbappe 😂
Ex-Scouse boss Pedro? I think that you’ll find that Everton are Scousers too, just a different colour.
Actually I think that when we were playing a version of 4-4-2 (or 4-4-1-1) with two genuine strikers we were better. Dropping Laca for Ode has made us less dangerous and less aggressive in the opposition half.
If Aube needs benching I’d play Laca and Martinelli as the ‘2’, if you really must play Ode it has to be in the four across midfield.
Arteta apparently can’t wait for Xhaka to return, he just loves slow footy.
It’s going to be a close one tonight, why not Martinelli and Pepe up front?
Could work against their crap defense.
Why was top 4 ever an “outrageous” target for this year ??
Top 4 isn’t an outrageous target, Man United are just slight favourites to get in front of us.
They’ve got superior quality, we’ve got the benefit of playing a game a week, particularly from February in the home straight
I’d expect Leicester, West Ham + Spurs to be in the mix as well, I don’t think there’ll be much separating those teams, but we’re certainly one of the teams with realistic aspirations of getting in there
Pedro is correct. Today is groundhog day.
We need to show who we are…
Lose to Everton and its going to be a challenge, in many ways…
We need to stay in the mix and keep the pressure for top 4…
Rich is right,that spot is going to be a real battle.
Wenger was right when he said top 4 is a trophy. Many of us mocked him for the atttitude but as we all can see, its going to be tough…..crazy tough
I don’t think Rod-gers is going to turn it around to any great extent. They may have some decent attacking players but it looks like Rod-gers made his decision at the start of this season to be less of a counter attacking side and more on the front foot and they will continue to suffer defensively. As others have noted Rod-gers is quite a vain man so him ripping up his plan from the start of the season may be too much for him to bear even if it’s obvious that it’s failing. He thinks he is trying to get… Read more »
Why was top 4 “the stretch target” when we had the biggest budget in Europe?
Top 4 is the minimum!
Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea fair enough you can’t touch them at this time. Even Man United is understandable to be finishing below them because even if they make a right pigs ear of utlising their squad properly they still have the amount of players of a certain standard to recover somewhat. But we can’t keep shrugging the shoulders and keep accepting that teams like West Ham and Spurs are better than us. We have to match those two teams. Leicester looking like they are dropping out in comparison to last season should be seen as a bonus to us… Read more »
Matt
Partey is giving himself a 4 becuase of the height and distance he manages to get on all of his freekicks !
Soham
4 hundred MPH shot
40 feet above the goal
Andy1886
I agree with you about Lacazette. We looked at the most impressive part of our unbeaten run with him in the team.
I don’t think Arteta will drop Auba just her to so I hope he brings Lacazette back into the line up tonight.
Guns of SF
Yes at 4 hundred MPH the ball travels all the way to Planet Partey !
I am going to choose to remain grounded in my expectations for this team. They are improving but equally are expected to lose some winnable games, as one can realistically expect from a young team. The boys really do need to beat Everton and quite honestly, there really is not one legitimate reason as to why they shouldn’t win. Stop being timid and take the game to Everton and keep taking the game to them. Results should theoretically follow, but equally this is a difficult team to nail down because they remain touch and go at times. Release the hounds… Read more »
Kris
I know im joking here.
But seriously, we lack goals from our CMs
A major issue with this team, esp with a striker who is not firing for many reasons.
TP needs to add goals, Xhaka too. Around 5 plus each this season would really help us!
Why was top 4 “the stretch target” when we had the biggest budget in Europe? Top 4 is the minimum! ______ Well probably because we havent finished 4th for going on 5 years now. 5th, 6th, 5th,8th, 8th, … so we arent coming from a position of success. Amusing that people think Top 4 is a minimum expectation when we havent done it for going on 5 years now. Thats like saying I only date Super Models when all you have been doing is sitting in your basement and watching pornhub for the last 5 years. Sure you might want… Read more »
Kris
I would say the technique is the opposite of decent. Watching Partey shoot is like watching a teenager who is growing and unaware of the length of their limbs.
Both Partey and Tavares are very wasteful with their opportunities. You cant keep applauding effort when opportunities keep sailing into the upper decks. Better coaching prevents this sort of waste and lets stop rewarding stupid and wasteful play. At this level you cant be skyrocketing shots at a 90% clip – that belongs in beer leagues.
Yeah Partey certainly shouldn’t be taking a free kick in a dangerous area ahead of Odegaard ( as happened against United). That was a bit of a head scratcher.
When you play a team in crisis like Everton are atm you start strongly straight from the first whistle and test out their fragility straight away.
No sitting on the game to see how it pans out. Go straight at them from the beginning.
Middy with the knockout blow. Dishing out sense upon sense
Seems that the San Francisco 49ers will have 100% ownership of Leeds by 2024. Don’t think the Leeds 49ers has much of a ring to it?
San Leeds Frisco…
I can’t resist Gabriel to score a header at 20/1 tonight, cheeky few quid on that one!
I would also put money on us scoring a setpiece goal.. that is a good call Chris.
Haha that is my home team
how knew?
Sanleedsisco
The pressure is ramping up a bit, but i think that’s just going to 4th spot this season. It’s all bunching up around there at the moment with the others and I wouldn’t be surprised if it remained that way right to the last day. 3 away points in December at Goodison is no gimmee, but they’re important to keep in touch. I’d like to see a response to letting a result slip away at Old Trafford and I expect that Arteta will set that as bar. Everton are in disarray and I think the performance we had against Leicester… Read more »
We will get a result if we slow down Richarlison.
Or irritate him to get a red card….
He is capable of imploding …. Mike should advise his players to poke and prod him …. lol
FA cup draw about to begin.
KT, Xhaka , Laca
If the mediocrity supporting fans can keep up, the operative words were “outrageous” and “target”. If Arsenal football club is not targeting top 4 then It is not acting like Arsenal football club given it’s history and financial clout.
I would consider this. Not a fan of the 2 man pivot but still
__Rambodale
Tomi_Gab_Ben_Tav
___Loko__TP___
Saka__Laca___ESR
_____Martinelli——–
Better movement up front, and with Gabby leading the line…Laca in just behind… knitting it together…
No Auba today please… he needs to not play for a bit, at least dont start him
Xhaka back in the starting line up?
For fuck’s sake. He’s clearly not match fit yet he keeps Lokonga on the bench? Has he got Kompromat on Arteta or something?
well that settles that…
COYG!
Tierney back in…….Xhaka starts!
Odegaard as the 10,
He will really need to step up today. Hope he does well and gets goal and assists…
At least Arteta had the stones to stick Auba on the bench.
Xhaka straight back in is a brave/risky decision..
Auba will come on as a sub I thinks
Pls, is there any good stream for tonight’s game?
Xhaka is Arteta’s favorite. It isn’t a secret. I am happy ESR gets a break considering he looked jaded against United. Martinelli gets another run. Tierney is back too. We need him at his best. And Auba isn’t going to stink up the field today. Lots of positives in the line up. I am worried about Xhaka playing away after 3 months and no bedding in time though.
Ishola boys back.
Akinzo
Try, Hesgoal.com
Arsenal: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Lacazette
Subs: Okonkwo, Holding, Cedric, Tavares, Sambi, Elneny, Pepe, Nketiah, Aubameyang
Arteta likes slow sideways football like he played.
Oh well back to normal now.
Xhaka, Ode, Partey. Can’t run, can’t tackle, and can’t shoot. Otherwise it’s all good.
Well it was said that the right time to bring back Tierney was when Tavares starts making obvious errors and he was at fault and involved in regards Man United’s second goal conceded the other night and didn’t look that comfortable defensively against Liverpool either so that’s a fair decision.
Also a fair decision is dropping Auba as Martinelli looked quite sharp and hungry against Man United and Laca coming in is a natural decision at this point.
As for Xhaka no surprises at all that he comes straight back in.
*sigh* Xhaka. .. oh well. Guess he likes the combo of Xhaka dropping to left back and Tierney getting forward. Seems like a serious step back to last season for me. It tends to Isolate Partey in the middle . Anyhow.. I hope it works.. I do like our forward line. given ESR is injured.
Bar Xhaka early inclusion, the line-up is alright. With so many games coming up this Busy period it is only fair the squad is used.
I think starting Xhaka is a risk given he is just back from injury. But has the saying goes Nothing risked , nothing ventured.
Let’s see how it goes. #COYG
Forest V Arsenal
As long as it isn’t a repeat of the debacle in 2018 we have to be happy with that draw! Always love beating Forest, that goes back to the 90s.
Reverting back to type. Sambi offers so much more than Xhaka the crab.
The saying is nothing ventured nothing gained’ it was my schools motto .
Xhaka will not venture far tonight!
Forest in the cup. Apt, as Arteta can’t see the wood for the trees.
We got a youth keeper on the bench… Wow
Xhaka captain?
Lacazette is captain according to flashscore just because he is filling the position of the absent regular captain tonight Auba.
Still a mess the captaincy issue. Auba is not a natural captain.
They are all captains of course or so the line goes.
Ishola70
December 6, 2021 19:25:40
————
Thanks
Laca captain
Yea i too am feeling a set piece goal.
Ode or Xhaka maybe
“Spanishdave
December 6, 2021 19:21:14
The saying is nothing ventured nothing gained’ it was my schools motto .
Xhaka will not venture far tonight!”
Thank you for the correction. We have less than 30 min to kickoff to see if he will .
Do Sky actually intend to talk about Arsenal or Everton this evening or is it the usual Man Utd love in?
Dissenter is going to be miffed again at Pepe’s non inclusion in the first XI.
Martinelli is keeping him out atm.
Who knows Pepe may do something worthwhile coming on from the bench at some point.
Well be reverting to the predictable Tierney bombing down the left to cross to nobody in the box while Xhaka drops in at left back.
Xhaka will score tonite
20 minutes to kick off and Sky are still masturbating over Man Utd.
If Xhaka has a stinker of a game….is all on Tets and if he is the one who wears the hero cape today, well w
won’t blame him any. I didn’t know I would start worrying about Xhaka’s annoying specificity this soon…… Lokonga must be gutted,he played the game of his life and he has been married to the bench since, hope he hasn’t broken Tets unbreakable codes?
Left Testicle
It’s a piss take. I guess we should be used to it by now but it’s Man Utd this, Man Utd that. Zzzzzzzzzzz
Ishola “Well it was said that the right time to bring back Tierney was when Tavares starts making obvious errors and he was at fault and involved in regards Man United’s second goal conceded the other night and didn’t look that comfortable defensively against Liverpool either so that’s a fair decision.” Will just point out that Tavares had a 90% pass completion rate v united and at no time did an attacker beat him one on one , plus he created 2 chances in the closing stages for saka, , so obviously didn’t play that bad and the goal was… Read more »
The media are Man U obsessed, always have been.
The refs love then and give them all the help they can.
We are now just a second tier club unfortunately.
Chris,
It’s a load of bollocks.
I’m really nervous
That’s not a bad Everton team.
Are we going to continue to be the team that keeps giving by helping to end teams losing runs and crisis
Pierre you are right he’s frightened to attack it’s the defender in him.
A lot of tippy tappy coming up.
Xhaka isn’t suited to recieve the ball from Ramsdale. He’ll get caught with his pants down and recieve a good spanking.
“At least Arteta had the stones to stick Auba on the bench.”
I don’t know, how many times does one want to get kicked in the nuts and get let down time and time again?
Well the footballing Gods usually have a pretty ironic sense of humor .. so yep I would not be shocked if Xhaka scores today I remember this one time .. when I was trash talking Carl Jenkinson and he scored a goal… hahaha
Pierre
“and the goal was not a direct error”
It was sloppy play nonethess from Tavares that led to that 2nd Man United goal.
Arteta will revert to seniority and have players like Lokonga and Tavares as options as squad players as was intended when they were brought.
We are seeing this with Lokonga now.
Don’t ask me whether it is right especially in regards to Lokonga but it’s just that this is what Arteta will do.
AMN not even on the bench so he must be leaving next month?
Go easy on Xhaka tonight
Remember he’s returning from injury well ahead of schedule
The lad must be a consummate professional that looks after himself, how else can he come back so early.
Xhaka would be better suited being introduced in the 70th minute, ramping him up slowly and with caution. Seems Arteta couldn’t wait for him to come available. Nothing good will come of this.
Arteta usually plays the players who make errors the previous game to give them a chance to make up. Can payboff but can also backfire. Worked with tavares cos he had a decent game against united. Hopefully odegaard has a worldy tonite.
Even nbcsn is still masturbating over United. Like wtf they won 1 nil.