Morning all.
Another seven days without Arsenal playing a game of football. Another eight days until this winter transfer window slams shut and it doesn’t look like Arsenal are going to add to the squad. Mikel Arteta has all but said he doesn’t need to, although I suspect that deep down he wishes the club had a spare few hundred million to spend. I bet many Arsenal fans do too.
I think our hope is that Thomas Partey returns very soon and stays fit for the rest of the season, Oleksandr Zinchenko doesn’t break down again and Takehiro Tomiyasu comes back from playing for Japan in excellent health and stays that way until the end of May. Not to mention the rest staying fit of course. Then it’s over to the manager to manage their workload.
It was around this time last season when the wheels started to wobble in our Premier League title challenge. We were beaten by Everton away from home then dropped two points against Brentford and lost 3-1 against Man City at The Emirates, Just one point from the nine on offer. We perked up with victories over Aston Villa and Leicester City away from home, thrashed Everton at home before beating Bournemouth 3-2, Fulham 3-0, Crystal Palace 4-1 and Leeds Utd 4-1. The wheel wobble turned to a total blowout as we drew the next three fixtures. 2-0 up v Liverpool but we drew 2-2. 2-0 up against West Ham but we drew, 2-2 and 3-1 down against Southampton but drew, 3-3. A defeat at The Etihad followed by a win at Chelsea but then we suffered three more defeats against Newcastle Utd, Brighton and Nottingham Forest. By now, the dream was well and truly over.
January ends with Arsenal travelling to Nottingham Forest. February through to the international break. Ten Premier League fixtures and two Champions League follow. If Mikel Arteta and his players want to be in the fight for the League and Champions League trophy, they’ll need to win them all. That’s the hard part. It’s all very well thumping an under strength Crystal Palace team 5-0, but we as a team have to win the trickier fixtures too, including beating Liverpool at The Emirates on the 4th February, getting something at The Etihad too because they’re the clubs we’ll probably have to better if, and it’s a huge if, we’re in with a chance of winning the League.
Personally, I think it will take a miracle to even be in with a chance of winning one or both of the competitions we’re in because Mikel Arteta has too many players who could at any time suffer injury. Heaven help us if Rice or our two centre-backs are ruled out for an extended period of time. I suppose the same could be said for the clubs around us but it often seems that when Liverpool and City suffer injuries, they cope better than we do. Why I don’t know but maybe both managers rotate their players more so when they’re needed, they’re ready. Or it could simply be that their depth of squad is stronger than ours.
Maybe that’s the next step for Mikel Arteta and the board. Player sales before strengthening the depth of the squad. Logic suggests that’s the only way the club can go really because Arsenal can’t keep spending millions of pounds without balancing the books through player sales. That might mean a few of our favourites leave as well as a few youngsters. I think the one thing which has become clear under Mikel Arteta and that’s he favours new signings rather than believe wholeheartedly in those already at the club. With a few exceptions of course.
Anyway, it’s highly likely than any changes will have to wait until the summer. For now, it’s about getting the best out of the squad he has which imo, is pretty good.
Catch up in the comments.
Morning Rico, good post.
Yeah, I reckon we’ll win all of those 12 matches.
The key is to keep Rice, Saliba and Gabriel fit whilst getting Partey back and firing for the remainder of the season.
This transfer window potentially could well see the least spent in a window during the Premier League era and maybe that’s a good thing. It’s forcing clubs and managers to look at internal solutions to cover for injuries and squad depth.
Last season was, for the most, great entertainment for us, it had been years since Arsenal looked capable to challenging and winning the League and but for a few injuries, notably Big Bill, we might have ‘lived the dream’.
This season we’re a lot less dreaming and more pragmatic. City look ominous and Liverpool are looking resilient, for now, but City are experts at juggling resources and getting the job done as Winter turns into Spring. Arsenal just need to hang in as the fixtures are piling up for our North-Western rivals and if they slip-up we’ve gotta be in a position to take advantage.
Morning Kev. Nope, not for one minute..
Thanks by the way.
I think so too re the players we need to stay fit, Zinchenko, White and Tomi too. Add Saka and they’re our most important players as in the way we play. Through Partey in and we should be ok. I don’t think we’ll be winning anything though. Again.
Love your optimism re Liverpool slipping up Kev. 😂
How ironic that Ghana are already out of the ACON when Partey isn’t playing. Lol
Liverpool have a League Cup semi-final this week and an almost certain League Cup Final to look forward to, along with FACup ties and Europa games to pile onto a battle with Man City who also have a lot of fixtures to contend with Rico, that’s why I think that both of them will drop points.
All Arsenal have to do is win all our games, so a walk in the park. 😁
G’day Rico and all.
It looks likely that Mo Salah will not be fit in time for us to welcome him to The Emirates, at least that’s the latest word from Anfield, but we all know what liars they are.
Presumably as Ghana are out of the ACON he’ll be on a Ryanair flight to Gatwick soon. So as long as he doesn’t get collared by Border Force, he could be back at London Colney tomorrow morning.
Ha ha Kev.
Afternoon Cicero, who, Partey? If so, I’m pretty sure he remained in north London having not been selected.
Arsenal ‘very close’ to Zubimendi
Arsenal have been tracking Martin Zubimendi for a long time – and they might finally be about to get their man, if reports in Spain are to be believed.
AS reports that Zubimendi is ‘very close’ to accepting an offer to join Arsenal in the summer on a pre-agreement. Barcelona have reportedly turned their attentions away from Zubimendi, who has a €60million (£52m) release clause.
Just testing Rico, to see if your still on the ball. 😉
Rico,
Good post and exciting news about Zubi if true. That would mean goodbye to Partey, ElNeny, hopefully Sambi…. and hello to …… Patino?
Kev and I have a very similar view about the big picture.
Liverpool will have a hiccup or two. Very unusual that they haven’t had one all season. So many things have fallen just right for them in the first half of the season.
Always Cicero.. 😜
Thanks Nigel.
I hope you and Kev are proved right, I’m not keen on that lot. I’ve a feeling though that Klopp will prioritise the PL over Europa and the domestic cup. What would be great is them winning none of them..
Zubimendi has been out of the Sociedad side for a month and did not feature against Vigo on Sunday.
So it will have to be the summer as according to el mundo deportivo it’s a muscle problem in his lower back and buttocks and it’s likely to be a few more weeks.
And showing the lack of accuracy of the press everywhere he played 90 minutes tonight in the copa del rey
Good old press…
New post up.