The debate is OVER.
Sambi Lokonga gets the nod in midfield. This is a huge year for him. We heard him bitching about playing time, the key tonight is to show he can make the most of it when it’s offered on a plate.
He’s going to partner Granit Xhaka. The major question is going to be whether he sits a little deeper and allow the Swiss to roam, or does he play in the more advanced role, swapping out where Granit has been playing.
The kid has talent, no doubt, but his 2022 has mostly seen him play with substandard or ‘not ready’ partners in midfield. He’s played with Big Mo, Odegaard, and Charlie Patino. I’m looking forward to seeing how he does with someone better.
Reality is, unless we sign Tielemans, there’s no #6 or #8 that is dropping into the side right away, the better bet is always going to be an internal solution like it was for left back.
Talking of left back, there’s no Zinchenko for the second game in a row, so we’re going to have to rely on Sambi and Xhaka picking up the progressive passing that has been lost by the Ukrainian and Partey.
Aston Villa have been utter shite all season, they look lost without Dean Smith, and their identity has come crashing down.
That said, this is Arsenal, they’ll be up for showing us a thing or two, so we need to manage complacency, and we have to respect that they have some really talented individuals that can do damage.
We also have to keep an eye on Emi Martinez dropping his annual masterclass against us.
This is a home game, if we win it, I believe this will go down as the best start in our history. Quite the pivot from last season.
Let’s see if we can do it.
We’ll be On The Whistle later, so come and join the party!
3pts
And
The
Tr4phy
Nothing less
Over to you Sambi…
Tets is going to give me a heart attack with this lack of rotation. No Tomi or Eddie even?
Lonkonfa is a worry for me ngl…his passing is very poor..lot of nervous mispasses and he takes too long to release the ball
Mikel is ride or die with his favorite 11, only necessity of injury changes his mind. Saka will play 60 matches this season.
COYG good luck Sambi & hope to see Vieira given 30 mins
Spot on selection in the circumstances.
4-0 to the Arsenal.
Hope the crowd gets behind Sambi today
Lokonga needs to adapt to the speed of the game. Interesting to witness if he does. Might just be his breakthrough year. At a point he was linked to Man City and Barcelona.
Partey is a pooper. Next!
What up peeps? Ready for this.. Time to grab that 3 points. Don’t care who starts in midfield we should beat Villa. It is time for Loko to justify his spot … bad game and we could see a midfield signing by sunset. I’m feeling a 3-0 to the Arsenal. Jesus, Marti and Eddie off the bench for the goals.
Sambi goal from outside the box
I hope Arsenal win again tonight!!!
Big game for Sambi indeed. Let’s see if he has improved since his last time out.
As for Nketiah, either he will be an impact sub like for the Fulham game or (and?) he is being kept for the Manure game.
Either way, I just hope that we manage to get the 3 points. Wouldn’t be surprised if Villa come and play for a draw and make it hard for us.
And I agree that Arteta should have rotated today. Hopefully he will do this circa the 60th minute.
And it’s Arsenal,
Arsenal FC,
We’re by far the greatest team,
The world has ever seen….
Coyg!!!
fucking come on gunners!!! big damn day!!!
This is it. Xmon boys 💪💪💪
Ok then Let’s GO!
Come on The Arsenal!!!
Villa started roughing up our men…
Sambi is playing Dm.. Xhaka same position as always, lately .. Bombing forward for the overload.
Defender had his right hand wrap around Saka’s tits ffs
Sid, I don’t remember anyone asking to sign Coutinho permanently but I was one of the jokers who wanted him on loan till end of the season at half the Barca wages rumored Villa payed him.
5 goals and 3 assists would’ve been well worth the money
Saka hardly ever gets the benefit.. which is some bs.. because he isn’t a diver.
That was close. Good shot by Jesus.
2 shots soclose …
Ohhhh man… ball keeps falling to our Center backs.
About fuxking time the card came out. Rotational fouls these thugs
We’re knocking on their door.
Tierney not off to the greatest start defensively. Villa already up to 5 fouls. in 13 mins.
So close, again !
I knew Stevie G was going to pump them up to the point they’ll start assaulting us. Disgusting shit and the ref should put an end ot it earl on.
Ugh… invisible force field over their goal. Need to get one of these half chances to fall.
som eold school dirty today
Oh Xhaka… should pass earlier… great run though
Yep Stevie G.. going with the old foul the shit out of Arsenal… they don’t like it up’em tactics.
Jesus will get one though.. he is a tough bastard.
Villa averaging about a foul a minute so far.
Shud have put that low KT
Oh shit. Saka!! Cmon u have to score
Ohhhhh Saka was just like a half a step late.
Saka wtf.
Sambi proving me wrong..having a solid game
How did Ska miss that chance .
Any link?
Yeah Jonko, Sambi has been better. No worse than Elneny so far at least.
Yep Sambi been pretty good so far.. Tierney not so much.
The only way this Villa team scores is through a triple deflection
Get in!
Jesus
1
come on!!!!
GET THE FK IN!!!
Boom !!!! Told y’all Jesus …… whoop whoop!
Rough play just makes Jesus mad.
The stadiums fucking rocking
Martinelli on fire. Xhaka great run and cut back too
Now lets get a 2nd, 3rd etc…
There it is! Let the floodgates open
Our ex GKs have been kind to us haha
Thid Jesus aint Bout compassion.. hes fucking ruthless
daaamn arsenal are ballers now
fantastic worked goal
massive credit to Arteta
How good is lokonga looking!!
Xhaka keeps making the doubters look like 🤡
Mid I can hardly believe this Tierney on the pitch is the same Tierney from two seasons ago. Looks a shell of his former self.
The whole team looks a yard sharper this year
Jesus is a bad man!
Link?
Yep…Luteo.. I hope it’s just rust. he has lost his mojo.
Hahaha Saka was like dude… why pass so hard?
Saka wake up son!!!!!!!!!!
Gerard looks like he’s been eating for comfort during this poor run
What a player Ödegaard is. Lokonga also has a decent game so far
This ref is high
We are playing some beautiful football just need to get the goals … to show for it.
Cmon Saka. Ode not a bad thru ball
Ode first foul a card…. genius ref
No card?? U r kidding
Does Arsenal have the most ex goalkeepers in the Premier League?
Neither Sambi not Xhaka really playing 6
Jesus! Chris!. Not get in Saka from 1 yard slipped
Saka is missing chances !
Ugh… we could easily be up 3 or 4.
Is this delayed. Jesus scored like over 10 minutes ago
Chavs have just bid £43m for some ajax midfielder i have no idea of….how on earth is this FFP compliant??!!
Haaland hatrick again the guy is a beast
Omar not sure 1 min left in half.
Whata shot Martinelli…. tipped over by Martinez
Wicked willy I have no idea how chavs are still ffp compliant
Oh man.., Marti … that was a good shot. Emi saved the shit out of that one.
Oh dear …should be 3 up
If we can maintain momentum will get ’em in the 2H
Only thing frustrating about that half is we didnt score more. Other wise we pretty much dominated them.
We should be out of sight in this game, let’s hope we don’t give them an easy way back into it….
Lokonga is not as fit as the rest of the team. Natural passer but needs more match fitness.
Haaland might as well be called Hahaland…
Fuck me we need to score at least one more. Nothing makes me more nervous than dominating like this without getting the ball in the net.
Sambi has been great in the first half. His movement isn’t yet at Partey’s level but he has a great range of passing.
Saka is beginning to worry me though.
what an emotional match. first of the season to have myblood properly boiling. so proud of theboys. martinelli has completely arrived, he looks properly world class. gabi jesus giving tierney that 2nd chance for that goal was class. he really has a huge heart out on the pitch
for all those that insist bad reffing against arsenal is a fiction…what the fucking hell is VARfor? thats a body slam in the box on mings and a clear red card kicking out on ramsey. what the fuck is VAR doing
Villa are more despicable under Stevie G than before. Anti football and kicking for 47 mins.
also, very proud of SAMBI keeping his head out there. funny enough he doesn’t look much different to other times i’ve watched him but the system seems to suit him and keep him steady.
saka off eddie on ASAP
ive always remembered villa games btwn us and them to be especially thuggish but this is pretty bad. props to a few of the villa players tryign to keep it classy like digne. loved seeing ode block emis path out on a counter
Spuds 1 nil