Antonio Conte exited another cup, this time a semi-final against Chelsea, his side were utter, utter dross all game. No energy, no idea what they were doing, no real output.
That means they’ll show hard at the weekend and we’ll all be wondering how a team so bad can pull a performance out the bag so good just because it’s Arsenal.
Or… Arteta and the coaching gang might have a plan to take more than a point of a very average team bereft of ideas.
That does take me neatly into the game this evening. I really hope Arteta knows the most important thing for Arsenal fans this season is beating Spurs. I don’t care what happens tonight. It’s Liverpool over two legs and we know they are so desperate to win, they basically cheated to get out of playing us last week when we were in good form.
Arteta is going to have choices to make this evening. Dice to roll. I just hope he doesn’t take risks on players that are important to the season. Emile Smith Rowe is key to what we do, if he breaks, we’re in trouble. Tomi is THE MOST PRECIOUS of players, nothing hurts more than seeing his name of the team sheet, but at the same time, this is a League Cup no one cares about, and I’d rather live to fight another day with our first teamers… because we are not strong enough to make top 4 with the second-stringers. We saw that against Forest.
If there is a chance of losing a big name for Sunday, it’s just not worth it.
Granit Xhaka is different. He had COVID, I’m guessing his 7 days are done. He’ll be in the mixer and we need him next to Lokonga. That man is made of different stuff. So I’m not really that worried with him. But I think people are starting to see the reality with Granit, we’re better with him in the side, he’s very solid bar a few brain farts a season. Sambi needs experience next to him, he’s too young to carry a junior.
The big picture here is taking 4 points from the next two Premier League games. If we can manage that, Top 4 is game on. We have 2 games in February, we’ll have a little midseason break to bed in the new players, then we’ll be fresh and ready to hit the rest of the season VERY hard. 1 game a week is a huge advantage if the luck rides with you.
We could blow that in leg one against Liverpool if we rush players. It happened last season when we brought TP back early. That cost us big time. Let’s hope we’re not thinking similar things this evening.
Liverpool needs a lift. Klopp is under pressure. He needs a trophy, this is the earliest one he can take, but make no mistake… that team is stammering and he doesn’t have VVD to blame this season. It’s on him. Pep is taking him to the cleaners.
I’m saying that because it’s likely he’ll roll with the big guns. This evening might see us shithouse them with a 5 at the back jobby. Arteta needs to realise that Cedric is not very good and if he rolls him out against elite full-backs, we’ll be beaten before we leave the tunnel. Try something different. If we can escape Anfield with a draw, it’s game on in leg two and we can go for it with a fitter group of players.
We have seen a worse group of players at Arsenal beat better teams with 5 at the back. There is no shame in doing that at Anfield. NONE.
The key is not to get hammered like we have been recently. Super basic, but just don’t get railed. We need a resolute performance, everyone focused on the job, and we need to frustrate them. Liverpool were walked through over and over by Spurs a few weeks ago and as we all know, Conte’s Spurs are shite. We have power players who can make runs, we have talent that can find feet from distance… can we piece those bits together and make it count?
We’ll go big tonight with our starting 11, really, we can’t take a chance with Leno in a game like this, he’ll panic. We need to have Gabriel in the mixer because Rob ain’t it, and I suspect we might see Nuno on the bench in a game this big.
But who knows… just don’t break anyone. That’s all we ask. Spurs is all that matters. That’s the real Cup Final.
Ok, have fun in the comments. x
UPDATE: Odegaard, Tomi, Smith Rowe all out. GOOD. Arteta derisked it. I bet they’re all back this Sunday.
Hate to talk politics but, honestly, does anybody give a damn about the party at No 10? A bunch of juvenile hypocrites in Parliament arguing the toss about Boris in a world where humanity is facing extinction. Heaven help us.
“Continues to deny reality…..”
And yet somehow the reality is that Arteta spent £150m net on non-free transfers this past summer. Should’ve listened to Don from the internet on his 12th le-grove account and gone hard on bosmans instead – there’s an ‘avalanche of top players’ available.
For every free transfer you think might happen, I’ll list 5 players who will have moved for a fee next summer. Nullifying your logic is as boring as it is easy.
Cedric starts RB oh dear!
Lets hope ESR and Tomiyasu can play in the NLD.
Odegaard won’t be playing Sunday…….covid strikes again.
ESR better fuckin’ start against The Scum or else we’ll be in big trouble.
Liverpool going strong. They feel they can win it I guess. We need to be in the tie for the second leg. That is all that we need to do. We can’t lose by more than one goal.
Ok if Odegaard is out with Covid then I can see resting ESR.. … I hope Eddie plays like the one in Pierre’s mind. Because that dude he talks about sounds great. Laca will have to drop into midfield. and get the ball to Saka and Marti.
Test.
It is a 442 by my guess. Arteta has adopted 4 at the back this season. And I don’t think he would change it today.
Could be a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 but requires Martinelli and Saka to exercise a bit of discipline. Three at the back really isn’t a great idea, I can see Laca dropping back into the midfield out of possession to make a 5. Tough game but we should still be in it for the home leg if we play to our potential.
I’m not sure why le grove thinks that we will struggle to create tonight because Odegaard isn’t playing. In the 18(14 starts) premier league games he’s been involved in, he has assisted in only 2 games Norwich (5-0) and Leeds (4-1). I am interested to see how the attack functions without Odegaard pulling the strings, will lacazette drop in the hole and provide the link or alternately Lacazette could play up top which allows Eddie to play in the left channel and Martinelli on the right with Saka in the hole. Will we look more dynamic with 4 forward thinking… Read more »
I am hoping that Martinelli can take advantage of the space AAR leaves behind and has one of those break away goal…..
“does anybody give a damn about the party at No 10? ”
First question: which one??
Ans: Only if you think that the law should apply equally to everyone I guess. And if you believe that the police are there to serve the people not politicians or political parties…
Jesus christ pierre. This is why people think you are nuts. You were banging on about how Ozil could have had more assists when he didn’t and you brought up chances created numbers. But it is not the same for Odegaard? If you can’t see what he brings other than just keeping the ball then you need to learn about football. But I think you do know football. You are just thick and you won’t change your opinion on some statements you made. That is why you are having a hard time letting go of the Martinelli, Nketiah debate. You… Read more »
Pierre it isn’t about chance created and key passes again now? Dumbo
If we come away from tonight with only a 2 goal losing margin we will have done well based on the line ups
Habesha
” If you can’t see what he brings other than just keeping the ball then you need to learn about football”
Ha ha, you are using my lines now …who’s thick.
Can we PLEASE concede less than 4 goals against the Pool
Listen to that crowd
Saka has played too many games
Hope he gets.out of this game intact.
Why do I keep getting a bloody annoying ‘How is Arteta handling his job as head coach?’ message pop up?
Ramsdale may need his superman cape. today.. Ok boys .. let’s go!!!
They don’t have Salah. That is worth at least 2 goals.
Not too sure about having Cedric at RB. Looks like he will be our weakest link.
As much as I am not a fan of Xhaka, hopefully he will help instil some calm in MF. We will need it.
Tough game tonight.
I’d hate to lose but our focus should be on the EPL and a top 6 birth.
Come on The Arsenal!!!!!
Good jump by Eddie
Left T it’s really annoying me too
Cedric looks injured already
Well in KT
Great pass by VVD that
Have you seen how lokonga blindly passed the ball back to the opponent.
Our players are unsettled.
Gabriel doing a Tavares backpass routine
is he going it be subbed off early too.
Decent start.
What you gonna do sub off Gabriel?? Same as what Tavares did.
Worth remembering that our second string put 5 past Liverpool at anfield 2 seasons ago
Martinelli need to stop these needless collisions
He’s going to get himself seriously injured soon
Passion is good but he needs to know when to hold off.
Sixty something years old obsessive. The internet is the gift that keeps giving.
FYI… Tavares wasnt subbed off for just one bad pass. The backpass to the keeper was just his worst bit. Soares is toast..
Alisson 80 mil. What a joke.
Honestly, this is a blessing
Good news, Cedric injury will force Arteta hand to Chang the back four.
Prefer chambers to Cedric anyway
Even though i dont really rate cedric, ya gotta feel bad for the guy, you could see the level of disappointment there. At least he cares
Fuck
Handball anyhow
The real Ramsdale is emerging
Left T, Serge
That widget has become really annoying with its pop up that appears after every refresh.
Pedro
Can you please remove this widget? It’s super annoying when on a mobile and I guess fewer and fewer ppl are using it (I know I have; we get nothing out of it).
That’s almost our first team out their and we are getting battered. So upsetting seeing how far we’ve fallen.
VickingzJanuary 13, 2022 19:58:40
The real Ramsdale is emerging
Bit of a wankery thing to say.
Lakonga not looking comfortable out there
liverpool in 2nd gear.
We need to hold the ball, if we keep playing like scared we’ll concede. This is a shit Liverpool side
Lakonga given it away cheaply four times in 18 mins
He’s got to get his head up
Saka was not offside… unlike that last attempt by the bindippers who clearly was offside but the ref didn’t whistle.
We’re getting nothing from the officials tonight. How the fuck does Henderson charge down a ball with his hands as high as his head and then get a corner ????
Hopefully we settle down and work our way into this one.. first 20 mins playing nervously. I wouldnt say this is a shit Pool side either. They could have fielded a much worse side.
Pool of piss have decided to roll around at every brush of arm to the head.
Are they pansies or what????
Shameless attempts at getting a foul.
VickingzJanuary 13, 2022 19:58:40
The real Ramsdale is emerging
What a twat thing to say he has been one of our most consistent players all season
THE XHAKA SPECIAL LOOOOOOL
WHO COULD HAVE GUESSED WHOOOOOOOOO
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You know that brain fart you mentioned…
Out vs Spuds the dipshit
Lakonga looking like a passenger so far
That’s another brain fart then
WTR is Xhaka doing again. Now he is out of the NLD.
Fuckin Granit… seriously.. and now out for Spuds. dumbass.
That’s not a straight red
Fucking abysmal from the ref
Ffs xhaka
Good old Xhaka.
Raptora
Is he out of the Spurs game or the 2nd leg? It’s for all domestic games?
Now he’s out for Spurs!
When will Arteta learn?
Seriously the man can not be trusted.. for anything.
The only time in the year that he has to not be a complete waste of space, and he gets send to the showers and out of our most important game. WHAT A FKIN RETARD!
How anyone can defend xhaka is beyond me
Yet Arteta keeps picking him! Thats why Arteta should be sacked!!!
His eye was on the ball
Fucking joke
Joke
Something has to be done about these refs
A yellow.
We are going to get an arse spanking
All domestic games Chris.
Gooners everywhere are going apoplectic now
We’ll get stuffed here
Then we’ll have a weak midfield at the shit-house bowl
Why didn’t they sell him when they had a chance
Roll up, roll up for the great Granit Xhaka masterclass.
Let his champions step forward to excuse him. Again.
Fuck it, why not extend his contract a bit more?
Arteta out now!
About that midfielder we need on transfer… need him like tomorrow now.
Get the fucker out if the club. Lets the club down numerous times per season.
F*cking Xhaka. Always Xhaka.
We’re better with him…….
My fuckin Arse !!
Xhaka at it again with a rash challenge.
He has become a real liability now…
We. Are. Fucked.
Brain farts don’t matter said Pedro.
They certainly fucking do.
..
Arteta went far and beyond to keep this guy here. ARE YOU FKIN KIDDING ME
Everyone going to be exhausted for the weekend
Lol
Bus parking incomng.
The Tie is over already. We might as well rest Saka and Martinelli.
That was a Xhaka-san Cobra Kai karate kick to the solar plexus.
So basically no midfield against spurs now
Xkaha misses the NLD now too
Xhaka. Next we will hear about how we missed him in every game he is absent in. Who misses a brain dead clustetfuck?. Arsensl fans that’s who
What’s arteta going to do here??
Xhaka’s reputation contributed to the red card
The red card was a tad harsh
It should have been a yellow card with extras
Cost us the City game by being dumb and only gone and done it again
In all fairness xhaka slipped there. The guys have been slipping all game for some reason.
Down to 10 men and already made 2 subs
Oh my god. Granit. Why?!