Alone with his thoughts…

Morning all.

October 2018 seems a lifetime ago now but in the world of football, it was only last season. Unai Emery was just a couple of months into his Arsenal career and Mesut Ozil was in the mood. This was last time Arsenal faced Leicester City at The Emirates in the League.

The ‘new manager syndrome’ was in full flow as Arsenal went into this fixture with nine victories behind them. Claude Puel on the other hand was finding life tough at Leicester. Even so, his team started this game well and we were 1-0 down just after 30 minutes. Hector Bellerin with an own goal from a Ben Chilwell cross. Alarm bells sounded, Arsenal woke up and Mesut Ozil equalised just before the break. Puel was still moaning about the penalty decision which they didn’t get as both sets of players trundled off for tea and stickies.

I would say a different Arsenal came out after halftime but that would be a fib. Same Arsenal, just more awake. Aubameyang came off the bench to score two goals, both of which Ozil had some kind of involvement in and the Arsenal players walked off at the end with tails in the air and three more points to our fast growing tally. Mesut Ozil was our man of the match. We’d popped back into the top four and would have been seen as being strong candidates for a return to Champions League football the following season.

Oh how things change in a relatively short space of time. Brendan Rogers has since replaced Claude Puel and Mikel Arteta of course, replaced Unai Emery. Leicester are third in the League, Arsenal are just a few places below them. Both squads have changed a bit since that 3-1 victory too and of course, Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi aren’t in Mikel Arteta’s good books. Out of the two, Ozil is in my opinion, the one more likely to see his his name in the squad one day. According to David Ornstein, young Matteo is training on his own and will be sold as soon as this summer transfer window opens.

Arsenal’s injury list remains the same. Mesut Ozil is still struggling with his ‘sore back’ – believe that and you’ll believe anything but Nicolas Pepe should return to the squad after becoming a Dad at the weekend.

Ben Chilwell and James Maddison are major doubts according to Brendan Rogers although I suspect they’ll both make a miraculous recovery before the Leicester City squad jump on their bus. After a dismal restart to this season for Rogers, his team finally managed to win a fixture just a few days ago. That was at The King Power Stadium though against Crystal Palace. Away from home, their results haven’t been good, in fact they’ve not won on the road since New Years Day.

Arsenal have been ticking along nicely. After a horrid restart, things have settled a bit with four victories under our belt. All very different performances too. The scrappy yet much deserved defeats of both Southampton and Sheffield Utd came before smashing four past Norwich. They were followed by perhaps our best result and performance under Mikel Arteta which came just a couple of days ago at Molineux. Beating Wolves away from home is a rarity for any club. For an Arsenal team/squad going through such change is hopefully a mark of what’s to come. That being, no longer soft centred away from home.

Leicester have one of the biggest con merchants in the game up front. He’s quick and dangerous in his own right but the slightest over touches in the box and he’ll go over as if he’s been hit by Mike Tyson. Ben Chilwell is dangerous too but hopefully he’ll be too focused on his big summer move away to cause either Cedric or Bellerin problems.

But we’re at home, so perhaps Brendan Rogers will approach this game with caution as let’s be honest, Arsenal are a threat going forwards themselves. The pace of Aubameyang, Pepe or Nelson, the closing down, hassling up front of Lacazette and Nketiah, whichever one starts and of course, the dangerous Saka whose name is on everyone’s lips these days. In behind them is Ceballos who together with Xhaka look a more organised central midfield and then there’s our defence and the in form Martinez, all of whom will need to be careful around Vardy. Be strong and decisive but don’t give the officials a decision to make.

I hope this Arsenal team/squad, whoever plays, can tear Leicester City apart from start to finish. Aubameyang will want the Golden Boot again so this is an opportunity to get ahead of the rest. Bellerin has a point to prove after being replaced by Cedric in our last game and if Ceballos wants to stay on at Arsenal, another big performance will help his cause. I’m loving the battle between Nketiah and Lacazette up front because it’s what every player needs to keep them on their toes. Actually, not just those two battles because Nelson will be after Pepe’s place, Willock will no doubt have one eye on Ceballos and Holding will be desperate for another start.

A battle for the right to play is healthy and it’s already clear that Mikel Arteta isn’t afraid of change.

Yes, I’m almost enjoying being an Arsenal fan again…

See you in the comments guys.