We play Sevilla tomorrow in an Emirates Cup special. This is the test run. The game we need everything to click. It’s where we all get down on our knees and pray to each and every god out there that no one gets injured.
Palace is next Friday.
I cannot wait.
That’s the hardest game of August. They’ll be fired up, the atmosphere will be electric, and they’ll know they smashed Arsenal a few months earlier.
This time, we’ll have Thomas Partey in the midfield, not hungover from Ghana.
We’ll have Zinchenko at left-back and Ben White at right back. A much better pair of options than Cedric and Tavares.
Our forward line will also boast a striker that can occupy defenders, run, create from nothing, and score goals.
Things should be different. All the news I hear from training is positive. The players are enjoying each other, the culture is strong, the intensity is really high in each session, and there’s a buzz that something special could happen this season.
We’re going to look at the season in phases like we did last year. We do this because it allows you to break off chunks of the season and give a little more context to each. Some phases will have more away games, some will have more games against big 6 sides, so you do this to keep track of where you are.
Phase 1:
- Palace (A)
- Leicester (H)
- Bournemouth (A)
- Fulham (H)
- Villa (H)
- United (A)
- Everton (H)
- Brentford (A)
The first 5 games are very favourable. Arsenal really need to be collecting 11 points. I’d take a draw at Palace. You’d also hope we can collect 7 points from the following three games. The biggest is United. Win that and we’ll start believing.
If we take 18 points from 24, we’ll be in the top 4 for sure. If we collect more than that, then you’re heading into the first international break absolutely fired up, from there, who knows where the confidence will take Arsenal.
The squad, as is, has moved forward.
Everyone is built for the system. The character of the players has moved up a level. They’re all highly intelligent players. At the very least this season, we are going to be a nightmare for most teams, because there aren’t a lot of weaknesses when everyone is fit. We are City light now.
- Everyone knows how to press
- Everyone is comfortable on the ball
- We can go long, so a high-line is a bad idea
- We can play through a press at speed, so you have to double-take going for us
- We can unlock deep-blocks because we have pocket-pickers
Do we have fear factor like City or Liverpool? Not yet. We haven’t been good enough in the final third for that. But we are certainly not an enjoyable side to roll up against. We’re relentless, well organised, fit, and the technical level is very high.
Adding some killer to our side is going to be really beneficial for us next season. If we can find a goalscoring winger that has some of that special sauce, we really could be a bag of unpredictability.
I’m super happy where we are as a team. We’re not winning the league, but we’re going to ask questions of the Premier League Order this season and hopefully lay the foundations for a big push the season after.
I’m genuinely excited about where this club is going. I hope you are too. 2 more players and this window will go down as one of the greatest.
Right, check out our latest Patreon from Johnny and Matt Kandela. I’ll be doing a football and tech podcast next week with someone very interesting. We’ll be On The Whistle for Sevilla if we can!
Crabregas
I’ve already said that I am pleased with Jesus in pre-season along with virtually everybody else.
That’s positive.
And I was positive about him when we were first linked to sign him unlike a few other posters on here.
Also, it helps the atmosphere that the club was willing to eat the losses to get rid of any possible negative influences or laggards. Edu, Arteta, and the board on the same page is big.
Why is the first 11 still on the pitch, they are fit and ready for next week so why risk injury
Ishola – competitive friendlies can be very dangerous things. Last thing you want is both a crunching but also rusty mistimed tackle ( Leeds lad suffered this )
If we’ve blown them away in first twenty minutes why not enjoy it . It’s not impossible that we might rip Palace the same. Here’s hoping
Agree Pierre
Bob
Kill it by controlling it, not kill it be desperately throwing bodies forward for a 5th.
We create the 5th with tiring the opposition through needless possession, not by playing a game of basketball
I’m positive going into the Palace game anyway and you can be positive regardless of this friendly match today.
Nigel
Said Xhaka was the true leader of the team, got lots of pelters for that
Thou shalt no mention Xhaka
Wouldn’t surprise me if Saliba’s pass success rate is 100%
Yes I would feel better about some subs.. Jesus again… hat-trick.
Good, subs
Hatrick jesus
Rich
‘ But we also need to learn how to take the pace out of a game, not just inject pace into it.’
You expect to have 2-3 players in the middle who know how to do that.
A young squad struggles with stuff like that because killing a game that way needs nuance
Diss
Brentford you mean?
I’m not sure.
La Manita
Jesus hat-trick !
I’m only referring to your posts since kick off.
There are no negatives in my eyes for signing Jesus. My only concern on the bigger picture is it already feels as though there is a dependancy on him. If he has an injury or fitness issues we may be short.
Jesus with the hatto
take Jesus off now please.
“No emotion allowed Samesong for pre season games? Surely you can see how our first team has improved with three quality starters arriving?”
I’ll save my emotions for the real competition that starts next week. Thanks.
Samesong
Oops, I meant Brentford
We are more together now than ever before
We have better players and one can see a system of play develop over time
Ok then get Eddie a goal… and we are ready for the season. Free Kick for Ben White to shoot? haha nice one.
It’s a simple formula that every manager has to get the team up to competitive pace and longer match fitness for the first game of the season. You can’t wrap the players in bubble wrap like we want..
They have to go out and play, and shit happens, even in training.
Even with all that, I’d say I would’ve had Jesus and Partey on a slightly shorter leash. That’s just me.
Glacial Samesung!
Dissenter
“Said Xhaka was the true leader of the team,”
Now that is a negative.
You also implied at one point that Eddie N may force Jesus to play wide attacker in the team. That Eddie N would get the nod over Jesus as the central striker.
I know it’s only pre-season but on reflection so far how do you feel about those comments now?
I’ve not read on any Pepe exit rumors
Maybe they intend to keep him around and commit the spending on a midfielder
So unselfish, love it!
Pepe… is so far off the pace these days…
And there it is.. Eddie’s goal… from Marti.
Eddie showing some great speed there…
Ishola
I sad Eddie will outscore Jesus over the season, and I stand by that
Eddie will profit from the Jesus chaos, tiring out defenders. He will be feeding in carcasses all season coming in as a sub.
I can see you lamenting that we beat Palace too easily, groaning about Arsenal depriving you of a ‘competitive’ match.
Ok then… 6 days to go… Let’s get in on.
Enjoyed that. So many great performances.
Dissenter
lol
If I am a wet blanket over this pre-season friendly match then you were a sopping wet blanket over the Jesus signing.
Overpaying for him, giving him too much money, Eddie may keep him out of the central striker position blah blah
Yes I know it’s only pre-season lol
But Jesus may hammer those comments you made about him previously.
May do.
Diss I agree this is to be expected with a young team, but we have to learn to do it. This has been brilliant to watch, but this type of chaos for 90 minutes across an entire season isn’t sustainable. We’re wasting far too much energy, if we want to compete against the top teams, we have to match their maturity. Klopp had similar issues in his first few seasons at Liverpool, kept tanking leads in the last 20 minutes, because the pace they started with was unsustainable . Not a criticism, just an observation, brilliant game though, thoroughly enjoyable.… Read more »
That was fun
get it on .. even.. haha
I’m ready. Team looks ready.. add a cm in the transfer window ..and I’d be 100% satisfied.
6
Ishola
You have that wrong
I was as excited about Jesus coming in as anybody else. He represented the best available premier league ready striker we could have ever hoped to sign.
I admit I didn’t see him as a prolific goal scorer ….and pretty much everybody else was in that mode at the time.
We all thought he would be a force multiplier in other ways, creating goal scoring chances for his mates.
He’s the real deal. He’s the remake of Alexis Sanchez.
Good game all round against a good Sevilla side which held Spurs to a draw. We have the obvious players doing the expected ie Saka and co. On the other hand I’m looking at Partey and can’t help but wonder what we’d do without him. He’s just fucking immense. Talking, shielding, passing, dictating play from deep and defensive awareness all way above average.
Tackling l*
Ishola
That’s why Xhaka comes in. He’s the old head in the group
Don’t forget that we now have players with league winning know how in the group who will e able to rein in some of the excessive youthfulness
We have as many as four international captains-Xhaka, Partey, ode and Zinch.
The main reason why youthfulness won’t cost us is because of the hurt of last season. They won’t forget that pain of missing out at the last minute.
Ah I think you were a little down on him Dissenter.
Weagle showed true faith in the signing though.
Andy was even more down on it than you though.
Thierry
Agreed about Partey
Not getting a suitable back-up for him is footballing malpractice
He’s the glue that holds it all together.
His impact may not be as noticeable because we’ve gotten so damn good everywhere else but things will come apart if he’s out.
I’ve said before if Xhaka is the leader in the team that is a negative in many things that seem positive atm.
Oh well you can’t have positives completely across the board I suppose.
How good is William Saliba?
He is so much more assured than Gab M.
Just an amazing footballer who we cant allow
to walk away
Ishola
How can anyone here be down on Jesus when Habesha was writing 10,000 words everyday before the signing?😀😀😀
Partey is now showing us why we bought him what a player
Hope he stays fit
I would rotate him every 70 mins for elneny
GD4 I think we will all be apprehensive until Saliba signs a new deal
Dissenter.
This elephant remembers.
I think Saliba signs, there are murmours that he already has even. Looks a fantastic talent. Can’t wait to watch him at the Emirates regularly this season.
Partey is incredible, we really need another midfielder of comparable quality too – in this window.
Ishola
‘ Dissenter.This elephant remembers.’
….they also excrete about 150kg of hot poop daily
Yes you’d know about that Dissenter
Eddie to keep Jesus out of the central striker position? he he he he.
Come on really.
Tierney should be a bit worried coz Zinchenko wants to be on the starting 11. He showed it when he played a day or so after joining us….who does that😂. KT has pace over him but Zinch plays with alot of intelligence, even his passing is thought through. Arteta has to channel his inner Pep and find out how to keep all his players happy
Xhaka might be the leader of the team in the dressing room but on the pitch he is a laggard. So let’s not attach too much value to Xhaka’s supposed leadership.
Today’s game showed me why we need a proper cover for Partey. I thought we could shift tactics and accommodate his absence but it’s not possible with the personnel we have.
Saliba looks better than Fofana’s ever looked at Leicester which tracks with their original ratings by the French.
Zinchenko doesn’t blindly cross the ball like Tierney, he is really a smart passer of the ball. Zinchenko is better than both Tierney and Xhaka and I would rather he replaced Xhaka than Tierney in our starting line up.
Tom
Saliba is like a new signing, a valuable addition to our defense.
We have added 3 starting 11 players to our team – Saliba, Jesus and Zinchenko.
I reckon once Viera gets used to the league, he could be a starting 11 player as well.
TR7
“he is really a smart passer of the ball. Zinchenko is better than both Tierney and Xhaka and I would rather he replaced Xhaka than Tierney in our starting line up.”
Here. Here.
Zinchenko in. Xhaka out.
As Xhaka is the leader of this team off the pitch supposedly and in the dressing room no better way than to do this off the field leading on the touchline.
Ishola
When Arteta has to play, or chooses to play Eddie and Jesus together….
Who do you think will occupy the center ?
Who;s more effective playing from the wings?
TR7
Agreed. Very exciting developments, meaning both a superior starting XI and significantly more depth
Dissenter
Who is the first choice striker at Arsenal now?
Jesus or Eddie N?
You see it even pains you now to admit it lol
Palace will be a hard start but whatever happens the team looks ready, sharp and focused.We all know lots variables in most matches but we look ready.
Last season pre season covid issues apart the pre season was very poor the team looked lacking in the way we played the results were an indicator going into Brentford away and on the night it showed.
Tom
‘ Saliba looks better than Fofana’s ever looked at Leicester which tracks with their original ratings by the French.’
I’m sure that point was made to Pedro et al, when the Saliba conversations were going on in 2020 and 2021. Saliba was the better of the two at St Etriene, hence the consternation of those that watched them growing up.
It’s like….don’t you know who you signed. He was always a prodigious talent but Pedo will have you believe his talent was imbued on him by his loan to Marseille
Jesus is going to be a problem this season.
Has looked electric all pre-season.
Xhaka for assistant manager.
Off the field leader of men.
Xhaka had a good game today to be fair
Jesus and Eddie better than Auba and Lacazzete in agility, combination play and goalscoring.
Never seen Laca and Auba link together and play well as a pair but Eddie and Jesus already seem to have developed on field connection.
Ishola
You’re really clutching at straws because you got a stern dressing down today for whining because our excellent application deprived your eminence of a ‘competitive’ game.
If you’re trying to lick your wounds, this is not the way to do it.
Most people didn’t think Jesus was a polished center forward, excellent footballer yea…center forward, or so much
You were in that category too but now you’re trying to rewrite the history.
Can’t see the game. What’s the score and who scored?
Dissenter
“Most people”
Most people? Most people?
Don’t follow those lemmings and Tim Vickery.
As if I really care about a pre=season game lol.
Palace is where it starts.
The ball from martinelli and the finish by Jesus was just too pretty.
A lot more of that please.
Kick some players out the door so we can get tielemans in this squad and we are going to be really food this season.
Top 4 and any trophy(preferably Europa) and it will be a great season and one to push on next season with.
But first let’s just beat palace.
lol the cheek of you Dissenter.
Weagle and myself were the few on here that said the Jesus signig was really a coup for the club and he would come in as undisputed no.1 striker straight from the off when we were first linked to him.
“Jesus is going to be a problem this season. Has looked electric all pre-season”
WEagle, I’ve put money on Jesus the impact transfer of the PL window.
Close second to Perisic of course.lol
We still have zero cover for Partey. All looks good but if he goes missing, we will struggle regardless
Ishola
You’re lamenting about how trivial a preseason game and yet you moan about it not being ‘competitive’
Forget the result, don’t you think the individual and team performances were encouraging for the palace game.
You won’t find many gooners who thought Jesus was a natural goal scorer. No one contended that he was a great signing. You’re just trying to stir stuff because you got called out today.
Xhaka brain farts aside, is a much better player than some give him credit for. But it’s not hard to imagine how in certain games, particularly at home, having another midfielder with more cutting edge, end product + agility, would improve us significantly. Once teams know we’re capable of beating their press, and doing that to them, they’ll naturally retreat to the edge of their own penalty box, and be much less inclined to press us high, when we’re capable of transitioning directly at that type of speed Partey had his usual few loose balls today, but other than that,… Read more »
No Dissenter you are actually lying now.
I had a long argument with Andy on here before we signed Jesus saying that he was a coup signing and to not listen to Tim Vickery and he would come in as no.1 undisputed striker.
Don’t worry about it though.
but Eddie and Jesus already seem to have developed on field connection.
I doubt they’ll play alot together and I don’t like it when you play your number one and number two together cause it does away with the whole rotation/freshness option. I mean if they both play who comes on at CF if it’s not working out? Exactly there’s no one
Wish we had two Thomas Parteys in our team, what a player.
Did Saliba concede any goal yet since he started playing ?
Marko
I think we will play with one striker (Jesus) but in games where we need to score goals to win the game or snatch a draw Eddie will be thrown in to the mix as well in the last 20 mins or so which is when partnership between the two could help us. Auba and Laca never played well together.
Martinelli could be our third striker when needed.
The interchanging positions of Martinelli + Jesus were interesting, Jesus was regularly drifting out to the left, and Martinelli was all over the place in possession.
They were impossible to pickup, causing all types of issues.
I mean there’s zero tangible links to CM’s and unless that’s addressed our season will hang in the balance for me
Marko
I think Tielemans is in the bag.
Did anyone really think either Jesus or Zinchenko would come to Arsenal and not start?
Marko I see a left sided version of Ben White as possibly the biggest priority, someone who can compete/rotate with Gabriel, and also play that inverted left back role. If we want to push that high consistently, win the first balls, and pin teams in for extended periods, then we can’t do it with Holding or Mari stepping out like that, it leaves us too vulnerable, and Tierney staying fit for an entire season, now has to be seen as a bonus, rather than something we bank on, There’s no point having pressing forwards, if our defence aren’t comfortable pushing… Read more »
Tom
“Did anyone really think either Jesus or Zinchenko would come to Arsenal and not start?”
In the Jesus case not a case of not starting but playing wide and Eddie N to keep his CF role.
This was only reinforced when our Brazilian “expert” Tim Vickery said Jesus was not really a CF and doesn’t really like playing CF.
It was nonsense from the off.
Tr7 Tielemens is all well and good but I dunno if it’s enough to fully address the CM. He might replace Xhaka though so there’s that I suppose
Genuinely excited for the start of the season, first time for a very long time. Surely the goal has to be 3rd.
On Jesus I’d hoped he’d want to prove people wrong that he is a CF goalscoring and it’s looking good so far.
Please let’s just fill those holes so we’re not rolling the injury dice.
“You would hope a title challenge after 3 years in charge and spending over 300m to buy a playing XI and some more.
..Na our player’s haven’t got the mentality for that. We will do our custom bottle at the end of the season when the going gets tough.”.
Is this a troll job?
Serious question, because what other kind of loser gets his jollies by coming to any Arsenal blog to say something like that. It’s just uncalled for, so what’s the motivation?
If it’s not trolling, it’s a sad life the individual leads.
Partey was absolutely world class.today..those first touches god damn orgasmic..techincality at its finest
I know that no-one takes too seriously friendly games, but the way that Arsenal have performed in the 5 pre-season matches has been impressive. It should not be forgotten that Spurs have also played Seville in pre season and drew 1-1 with them. My view is that Arsenal will start against Crystal Palace with the same starting eleven subject to fitness concerns. Also our bench during the season will be strengthened. Tomiyasu, Tierney, Smith-Rowe and Vieira are all recovering from injury. Hopefully Arsenal will pursue still the signing of Tielemans. That will ensure that we will be able to rotate… Read more »
Saliba 42/45 passes, Zinchenko 21/22. Tidy
Think we should get Tielemans bid in. Geordies bidding for Maddison means that if Leicester accept a bid from the Saudis, Tielmans price surely goes up. Alternatively, if they accept a bid from us then it might bugger up the Geordie’s chances of getting Maddison.
Am I wrong?
Nope sounds plausible Bob
naija don’t think theres been a goal against us since saliba has been on field, thik he came on 2nd half against orlando… that cuts to the heart of it. chelsea and sevilla no goals conceded. regardless of pre season or not that is notable because both those teams are high enough functioning and pre season games have goals more often than not. i think w saliba coming in our defense is probably the best in the league pound for pound w the formation w played today and even if tomi slips in for white which i don’t think we… Read more »
Xhaka had a fantastic game today.
Unless Tielemans signs a new contract he pretty is much a lost cause.If they Jack the fee too high the danger is he rides it out& walks on a free.So they have to be careful.The fly in the ointment is Manure,if they don’t get De Jong will poss turn their attention to Tielemans & Leicester May get the ‘ bidding war ‘ they’re after.Except he’s made it clear he wants us apparently.
Personally was hoping that Leno might have been a valuable makeweight in any potential deal.
Nigel.This is what the ‘ bedwetters do’ it’s in their DNA.lol!
Adams, I agree Xhaka played well. The issue for me is when Partey is unavailable and Xhaka has to step up defensively. With Zinchenko to his left, Partey to his right and Gabriel and Saliba behind him, he’s far from a liability and can fit in more than adequately. At any time he’s got an average or slow player near him, he struggles to pick up the slack and can get exposed by his lack of speed. With today’s line up his weaknesses are not exposed. As today, playing further forward he’s fine but I still feel we can do… Read more »