Morning all.
European football served up a few unexpected results this week, especially for the Premier League clubs. On Tuesday, Totts managed to salvage a draw against Bodo/Glimt after trailing 2-0, Chelsea beat Benfica 1-0 thanks to an own goal but Liverpool lost their match against Galatasaray 1-0. Both Alisson and Ekiteke picked up injuries which are expected to keep them out of this weekend’s fixture against Chelsea.
On Wednesday night, Man City could only draw their match against Monaco, Arsenal defeated Olympiacos 2-0 at The Emirates and Newcastle Utd thumped Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 away from home.
In last night’s Europa League, Aston Villa beat Feyenoord 2-0 but Nottingham Forest were beaten 3-2 at home by Midtjylland. Two defeats in two days for Olympiacos and Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, “you’re getting sacked in the morning” chants for Big Ange. Crystal Palace breezed through their Conference League fixture against Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 in Poland.
Arsenal’s next opponent in Europe is Atletico Madrid at The Emirates. That will be a tough tough test for Mikel Arteta’s players but one I’m really looking forward to seeing.
This weekend, Arsenal go up against West Ham in north London. Nuno Espírito Santo will be in the Hammers dugout for the second time since taking over from Graham Potter.
It’s quite nice that so many other clubs are occupying the football headlines other than Arsenal, especially when those clubs are Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool. But it shows just how fickle the media are, certainly in relation Chelsea and Liverpool. Just months ago, both Slot and Maresca were being lauded yet now, they are being questioned. One headline on Sky Sports suggested that Liverpool are “fortunate to be sat top of the league as their expected table, which is based on their xG formula, has the club sitting seventh, on nine points, behind struggling Manchester United on expected goal difference”.
What a load of rubbish! They are top because they are scoring enough goals to win games regardless of what time those goals come during a game. xG doesn’t win games, goals scored do! Salah isn’t the same this season, “they say” – well of course he’s not as he’s getting older, as is van Dijk funny enough. Is Liverpool’s luck running out? Who knows but I sure hope so.
Arsenal don’t get a lot of luck and by that I don’t mean officials favouring us, I certainly wouldn’t want that, but just good old fashioned luck. The kind of luck which sees a wayward shot take a big deflection and end up in the back of the net. A opposition defensive clearance which goes horribly wrong and ends up with an own goal. A penalty awarded at Anfield when it is deserved, or at St James Park like last Sunday. I know that’s not about luck really but I certainly feel we’d be lucky to ever get that type of decision.
Injuries, well we could certainly do with a lot of luck in that department.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, It’s good to see you back in the fold and producing great posts again.
No Friday ramble for me, it’s pissing down right now. 😕
Morning Cicero, thank you.
We have the rain too, summer seems well and truly over..
At least the ODI women’s World Cup is on and England have started exceptionally well.
Hmm, crash, bang, wallop white ball cricket. Not my thing, and not of much interest to the locals by the looks of the near empty stadium.
Early stages I guess. When India play it’ll be busy I’m sure..
Arsenal have opened talks with Juren Timber over a new contract.
Gabriel being monitored but likely to be fit for th Hammer’s game tomorrow. Hincapie should return after the interlull.
Good news re Timber.
Good afternoon Rico and all
A good Friday ramble Rico.
Liverpool’s problem is one worth BP106 which goes by the name of Wirtz. Not because he is a bad player but because now SAlah is told to stick to the wing instead of cutting inside so as to afford the freedom of the park that Wirtz wants. That is the problem. A chain reaction becasue instead of 4-3-3 the dippers now play a 4-1-1-2-1-1. That is quite disjointed and leaves the team clueless…..it shows that for last season Slot bled dry Klopp’s sauce and now when he had to serve a new sauce he ended up with a mashed up mixture of jam and sauce.
Afternoon Devil, thanks.
Whatever it is, long may it remain.
Very intersting point about Lucky ‘Pool, “Devil” (where does this “alias” come from??), food for thought indeed; thanks.
Hi Le Gall
thanks.
Devil is short for Devilgunner, my original alias. I have used that name for 25 years now. Even my email carries that name. Then about a year ago I began using Grumblestiltskin….was grumbling all the time. Now I use Carmelsson in honour of my late father (Carmel) who passed away 1 year and a half ago. He was an avid Arenal supporter….Arsenal DNA has always been in our family since my great grandfather (around 1900) who was born and lived in Italy till he came to live here bringing over his son (my gramps). Dad was born here but half of me is Italian.
I have been supporting Arsenal for 50 years now. Dad used to sleep/dream, wake up, work, eat, drink, bathroom etc always thinking of Arsenal whatever he was doing. Like Gramps. So you can work it out that Arsenal is our lifeblood. The first time I used Devilgunner I used it on a spuddie site actually because I used to go Spuddie hunting. I still do that now and then but 99% of the time I spend my time on HH only. CAnt be bothered reading other sites.
A relevant (imo) complement to what you wrote … Devil:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/oct/04/florian-wirtz-latest-footballer-battling-objectively-weird-price-tag-liverpool
Ronay is one of the very best sportswriter around.
Too bad he loses his marbles and turns into a belligerent ignoramus (almost) every time his piece has something to do with … Arsenal.
Morning guys.
New post up.