296 Comments

ESR with another assist

Let that sink in

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He got a goal and another went off the post. Why we allowed Arteta to sideline ESR I will never understand.

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I am waiting to watch this Arsenal team play a free-flowing game like the way we played in the ‘08 to ‘11. Oh! How i miss those moves. the beauty of one-touch has vanished from Arsenal.

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Ward-Prowse with 7 goals, 11 assists last season, wanted gone by the duo at West Ham. In his place, a bunch of duds. They must be having a laugh.

Maybe this Soler fella from PSG is decent but why would he not be starting ahead of Guido?

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3 losses in 5 games for the Hammers. Their owners hiring Lopetegui and that German director Steinden must be really proud of themselves. Pissed their money up the wall in the process as well.

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God this Loptegui guy is such a fraud. How does he keep getting jobs? Spain national team, Real madrid, Sevilla, Wolves, and now Westham. All of them have ended in a short period with disasters.

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Bob

“Observer rhymes with stirrer, coincidence? I think not!“

Fuck me Bob, good thing you don’t write poetry or song lyrics.

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Spitting bars off the dome!

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Guido Rodriguez taken out after 30 minutes. They loaned Ward-Prowse to get this guy? Bahahaha...

Btw, that penalty not given is a horrible, horrible decision. I'd be pissing of my ass if that was Arsenal v Chavs.

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I saw him drop a disaster class in the world cup or copa America for Argentina. I couldn't believe my eyes that he was a professional footballer. Enzo Fernandez benched him after that.

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It's incredible how West Ham spent about £130m this summer and downgraded their team. Absolutely stunningly shit business by them. They loaned players to spend a truck of money on worse replacements.

I'm looking at their German director, the guy responsible for this fiasco and waiting to see how many places they drop from last season's finish.

Summerville's their only good buy.

A 10000% penalty in West Ham's favor not given. The PL is a joke.

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I don't think they spent poorly apart from Fulkrug and that free signing rodriguez. Wan bissaka at 15m is good business for them. Todibo is good, and Kilman is a good player as well.

I am looking at that manager for me. He has been shit at a few clubs now. I don't know if he warranted getting that job. They would have been much better off with Graham Potter.

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Kilman and Todibo in.

Aguerd and Zouma out.

£40m on Kilman, £34m on Todibo.

Straight loan (no option) for Aguerd (£0m), straight loan Zouma (£0m) and end of contract.

About £75m and not even an upgrade?!

Wan Bissaka in, Ben Johnson out (free transfer).

30 yo Guido Rodríguez in, Ward-Prowse out - loan with no option even.

I said Cornet and Benrahma out for Summerville is good and they have the random Brazilian who might be good eventually.

I'm not even going to open my mouth about that old German CF with 0 minutes in the Prem and who's already injured for almost £30m when Eddie was available and would have probably preferred them to the other London clubs.

Ward Prowse was very good for them. Now they have a 30 yo Guido. Downgraded.

Aguerd was one of their best players. Gone as well.

So much money spent for just 1 upgrade on the wings. They be pissing their money up the wall. Steinden is the fella...

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Ben Johnson 😂😂😂 that guy is shit. Wan Bissaka might not be elite but he is twice the player. I guess you didn't watch Aguerd and Zouma last season. They were disastrous. They shipped in so many goals. Kilman is an upgrade on Zouma and Todibo will be an upgrade on Aguerd as well. They have better players in defense than last season.

I have seen that Rodriguez guy play before and he is shit. I agree with you on that. I would much rather have ward-prowse. I am thinking Fulkrug isn't a good longterm investment but it might workout in the shor term. We are still 5 games in to the season.

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Yeah, 5 games in but every game matters.

That upgrade on their defence is looking real good. 3 losses in 5 games. 4 points. Holy shit...

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Bro, did you see the high line they got caught with for that Palmer third goal? The coaching is shit. they have better personnel. But I don't even know if this Lopetegui guy is an upgrade on moyes. It is idiotic to say other circumstances haven't changed. Conte won the PL with the same players that finished 10th. They have a better squad but they might have a worse coach.

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There are 2 types of knowledge, paid and for free.

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Professional and amateur..

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There are 2 types of managers, pro football and anti football

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Vardy scores against Spurs in open play, Generational has to rely on corners.

Let that sink in.

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Rich kicking arse and taking names

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Sep 20
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You’re on the record challenging Sid’s position Arsenal record scoring from set pieces as unsustainable.

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As far as I can see Rich didn't mention set pieces.

Let that sink in...

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Not on this thread he didn’t.

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Sep 20
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Relax tiger,I’m just a neutral observer here.

Sid said awhile back scoring from set pieces at the last season’s rate was unsustainable.

You said there was no reason to think that.

It’s got nothing to do with this thread.

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It has nothing to do with missing players, we were 6th for open play goals last season, with all players available. Its the tactics.

Teams will improve at defending against our setpieces, we wil draw many games.

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I don't think that's correct.

From understatdotcom:

City

Open play: Goals 70, xG 69.10

Liverpool

Open play: Goals 64, xG 75.29

Spurs

Open play: Goals 62, xG 67.55

Arsenal

Open play: Goals 62, xG 65.27

Newcastle

Open play: Goals 61, xG 64.81

Villa

Open play: Goals 59, xG 57.76

Tied 3rd from what I'm looking at but in general, yes, we can be better in open play. Bringing Merino, Sterling, Calafiori and having a healthy Timber and Partey will address that.

It's early days for all teams. Let's navigate through this really tough early period of the season as best as we can - which was supposed to be 4/4 wins in the PL and the draw last night, surely nothing to scoff at.

Martinelli is coming alive. Keeps missing but he does everything else in very good way.

After City we'll be entering a streak of games we'll be favored to win and are all at home - Bolton, Leicester, PSG, Southampton, then away to Bournemouth and again at home vs Shakthar. We'll see more of the ideas settling in during that stretch of games.

Before another nightmare sequence - Liverpool (H), Newcastle (A), Inter (A) and Chavs (A).

The work will be done during the easier games to prepare an all guns blazing Arsenal for that super shitty fortnight at the end of October and beginning of November.

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Go to whoscored, scroll 2023 2024 season, go to premier league situational stats, Goal types

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I got it. I checked and you are correct.

https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/9618/Stages/22076/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2023-2024

When I scrolled here it showed.

Whoscored has made a retarded separation between goals from open play and goals from a counter attack. How is a counter attack not an open play? It makes no sense but I guess.

There's an own goal category as well not counted towards open play goals.

Understat has no counter attack stat and own goal stat. The goals from both situations are counted towards the goals from open play.

We need to create a little bit more though, that's for certain.

10 xG behind Liverpool and 4 xG behind City in open play situations last season is a lot and that's the level we are facing.

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Just check the counter attack goals for Brentford the season before Raya joined Arsenal

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A counter attack is most likely a ball from Raya directly to the forwards. Not a goal from pressure from outfield players.

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I use to be an Arteta critics, however I've warmed up to him a little. But but this guy makes some really really bone-headed decisions doesn't he? He just never learns. Try this 3 for a start.

1. Partey has broken every season for the past two seasons. So what does Arteta do? Yes, play him 3 matches straight. I said I didn't want Partey and Timber against Atlanta. It's blindingly obvious why. But Arteta never gets it.

2. There's a reason why this club has nearly 30 well paid professionals. Especially now that we have some capable replacements there's absolutely no reason why you should be overplaying anyone or continue playing players that have had close shaves with injuries. Why Calafiori couldn't play in place of Timber yesterday and Sterling in place of Saka shocks me. Ffs, freshen this team regularly. Don't let your first 11 be too comfortable.

3. If there's anything we all saw last season it was that Trossard is probably our most productive attacker and could make a goal out of nothing especially when we're not having a very good day. Coupled with that Martinelli have been having stinkers for ages. Indeed, by the end of last season Trossard had taken Martinelli's place in the first 11 and it was obvious why. Why Arteta has to turn back the hand of time again I do not understand. This dude never learns.

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Without Ode, Mike might want to play Saka in the middle more, and opt for Marti and Sterling as wingers -

And Id like to see Nwaneri. We threw a 16 year old Cesc into the fire and see what happened. I hope Nwaneri gets mins against city. Another baller is M'Hand. I hope Mike bleeds them in a lot this season

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Saka as a 10 or 8 should be a option. Especially if played with Trossard and Sterling on the wings, players who themselves can come into the middle and take some of the playmaking burdens off him. Wenger tried that severally: Cesc with Rosicky and Hleb on the wings, essentially having the playmaking job stretched across three of the four forwards.

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All of Wengers mids could create. Its why they were pure money to watch. Even Song

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or Sterling in the middle Saka wing. we need better movement in that final third

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The biggest problems we have in this squad revolve around the absence of a pacy ball carrier through the middle … Rice is a unit but he can’t progress the ball through the lines like a Viera, Yaya or a Kessie in their pomp.

Funny thing was that a young Partey was pretty adept at that.

We also lack that on the wings. I see how Doku changes the game whenever he replaces Grealish or Silva on the wings.

He runs at defenses and routinely breaks down low blocks. While his end product is lacking, his impact is readily observable..

It’s the obvious miss in our roster and one that will help our transition from laying deep on defense to springing quick counter attacks.

Hopes it’s addressed in January …

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I expect a defensive set up as usual against City and a smash and grab style win (maybe)

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a draw I would take.

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