NO EXCUSES

Thanks, Sky

Oh, you didn’t hear? Sky pundits are childishly setting up today’s narrative as ‘no excuses,’ so if we win, they called it, and it’s "normal" to beat the form team in the league. And if we lose, they can kiss their teeth and blame it on a weak mentality and deeper issues at Arsenal.

Tabloid dross, my friends.

If you lose to the best team in the league based on form, that’s just football.

The job for Arsenal today is to not lose when they’re at a weak point. The league isn’t going to be lost this afternoon, regardless of how many people say it… but getting a point or more is really important. We lost the league last year because we had double losses at Fulham and Villa. Our top-six record was great.

Carrying on our home form would be exceptional, but it’s hard to work out how that’ll happen because we have very little clue about who’s fit, how fit they are, and what system Arteta fancies rolling with.

Saka could be fit and play a full 90.

Timber might be fit, but he hasn’t played a full 90 in four weeks.

Calafiori doesn’t sound ready, but who knows?

Will Trossard be benched for his drossy performances?

Will Martinelli get the nod against a team he loves playing against?

Will Jesus get the chance to redeem his atrocious 2024 goal haul?

Will MLS or Nwaneri start their first games of the season?

It’s all very unpredictable—just as Arteta would like it. Gotta say, I really, really hate the kids showing up at the hotel to reveal who’s in the squad five hours before the game. Not cool.

So what do we want to see today?

I want to see a brutal nullification of all the things that bring Liverpool fans joy. We need to be cautious with their deep long balls to their pacey forward line. We need to lock that lunatic striker up like we have done with Haaland. We need to make sure everyone is taking full responsibility in the box with Willy Saliba absent. Liverpool used their aerial advantage really well midweek against Leipzig.

The big worry for us all is pretty simple… it feels like we’re a bit rubbish going forward. We lack Odegaard’s incisive passing, and there’s a real lack of magic in our midfield trio of cloggers. That means Arteta’s either going to have to pull some spark from our sparkle players… or our forwards will need to be deadly clinical with limited chances in a tight game.

Liverpool can be got at. They take big, bold chances. Their keeper can be rattled. There will be openings.

It’s a simple game of no excuses. Lock them down with a suffocating defensive structure that tortures everyone watching… and kill them with something special up top.

I think this could be a really, really ugly game… but I’m here for it. I’m feeling confident. This will be a fun afternoon.

Ok, that’s me done, my darlings. I’ll see you in the comments and ON THE WHISTLE after. x