Morning all.
Leeds v Arsenal is just one of two Premier League fixtures taking place today. Leeds have a glut of injuries to contend with and go into this game with a 7-0 thrashing by Man City still in their minds. Manager Marcelo Bielsa will want a response from his players, whilst Mikel Arteta will be hoping that his Arsenal team can vastly improve on its recent away day disasters.
The Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saga continues, worsens even, as headlines in the back pages suggest he’s not only been forced to train alone but he’s not likely to play for the club again until after the ACON. If true, there’s clearly a lot more going on between the player and Arsenal FC than Mikel Arteta is prepared to divulge. At least I think there must be. The press are loving it though as it’s generating headlines, followed by a lot of guesswork and opinions from people who probably don’t have a clue about what’s really going on. He’s not in the squad for today’s fixture.
Neither Sead Kolasinac or Bernd Leno will make the trip to Leeds as both continue to recover from injury but the rest are fit and healthy.
Leeds however, have eight first team players missing. Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford, Liam Cooper, Jamie Shackleton, Dan James, Rodrigo and Pascal Struijk are all injured whilst Junior Firpo serves a one-game ban. As a result, Bielsa is expected to call upon a number of under 23 players.
Arsenal is pretty much an under 23 team already, with just Alex Lacazette, Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney being the exceptions and two of those senior players need to raise their game. Especially away from home.
We should go into this game with confidence. Not arrogance or complacency but confidence. The performance against a very good West Ham team is there to be built on. Our away form has been poor to say the least and today presents an opportunity to get three precious points away from the Emirates. As much as the fixtures are coming fast and furious over the next two weeks, Covid permitting of course, I can’t see Mikel Arteta making too many changes for today’s fixture. Perhaps Emile Smith Rowe will come back into the side with Martin Odegaard dropping to the bench. Both players are in great form that’s for sure and all the doubts I had about the latter are fading. If he can stand up to the physicality of West Ham, which he did, he’ll do for me.
Another player performing well is Alex Lacazette. I love his unselfishness, his gritty edge too and the younger players seem to enjoy playing more when he’s in the team. Bukayo Saka is another player who’s game has gone up a level and together with Gabriel Martinelli, is causing defences problems.
But in sport, a team is only as good or as bad, as it’s last game and with Arsenal, consistency has been a problem. At home we’ve been good but away from home, we’ve struggled. If the players can sort out their mental frailties on the road, the rest of the season might be much better than than the first five months. Mikel Arteta can say all he likes to the players but only they can sort it out on the pitch. Not dropping deeper and deeper as the game goes on, or reverting to safety first would be a good place to start.
Leeds will have a go at us, of course they will but they’re vulnerable at the back. Arsenal have to capitalise on that and come away with three points because anything else will be a big disappointment.
See you in the comments.
good morning!
Come on Arsenal!
Morning Rico and all
As I said before as long as we don’t take this match too easily there is no reason why we can’t win 3 nil
If all these rumours about Auba are true then he is fast becoming more of a problem than Ozil ever was,
Let’s hope Saka keeps his mind on the game as he is very close to Auba
Morning Geoff, all.
Agree. If we’re at it, we should win. Mind you, the younger players coming in for Leeds, if they do, could play without fear and give Leeds a lift.
Morning Rico, interesting point regarding the age profiles at Elland Road, might be for the first time this season that Arsenal are playing an opponent with a younger average age than our own?
Thanks for the post.
Morning Kev. I kind of feel sorry for Leeds with all their injuries, not sorry enough to not want Arsenal to batter them though.
It might be their younger players make up the bench to start with.
I’ve not read any of the Aubameyang rumours but he’s always been a loose cannon in the past, we all know that.
The thing is that we can put up with his idiocy as long as he’s scoring goals, but when the goals dry up he then becomes a burden and we’re not good enough yet to carry a burden like him or anyone, be it Guendouzi, Ozil, Kolasinac or Mustafi, we simply have to move away from these expensive, inconsistent, drama queens.
And I don’t give a flying f**k what all the self absorbed idiots on Twitter, Facebook et al say.
We’re a broad church on here but we know a waster when we see one…
Good morning Rico and all.
According to the Telegraph Aubameyang is training on his own with a set programme in order too maintain his fitness. He was due to leave for the ACON at the last possible moment, but has now been told he can go earlier if he wishes. If his national team, Gabon, progress into the later stages of the competition he will not return to Arsenal until mid February and will then need a break to recover from his exertions and may also need to go into quarantine. All of this suggests that he may well have played his last game in an Arsenal shirt.
I hate these games where a team are shorn of some of their best players and are coming off the back of a heavy defeat. Arsenal need to ignore all that and treat Leeds with respect but still go for the jugular.. I’m sure that the man who watches the game from his seat on a touchline bucket will have his team up for the game with a vengeance.
Agree Kev, it doesn’t take a genius to see that something has been wrong with Aubameyang and for a while now. The only thing I’m surprised about is how long it took before he was dropped. As you say, we wouldn’t be on his back if he was scoring but he’s not and some of the opportunities he’s had have been relatively simple for a player of his quality.
Morning Cicero. Auba clearly is in a serious naughty corner and I can’t see a way out of for him now. I think he’ll go in January which imo would be best for all parties.
If Leeds beat us today I would hate to be in Arteta shoes
There are a couple of problems with Aubameyang moving in January. He will be out of the country during most of the transfer window which will make communication a little difficult, there is the matter of a medical to pass and the fact that it will be close to the end of February before he is able to join up with his new team-mates, and lets us not forget the obstacle of his wages.
I don’t think it’d make a difference to Mikel Arteta’s future Geoff.
Depends if Arsenal want him gone, a cut price or even a free transfer might happen. Also, if Auba wants to move, surely he’d be prepared to take a cut in salary.
Villa v Burnley has been cancelled now.
What ever is going on between Auba and Arteta is a bloody mess, whether it’s Auba’s lack of discipline or Arteta lack of man management skills it has to be fixed.
If needed get someone from out side of the club to work as a go between and find out we’re the problem lies.
Ayling reported to be out now through illness.
The sole survivors , then again it’s a TV match . If Leeds could have their way I am sure that with their depleted squad they would want it off .
However our players have to treat this with the importance it merits . Win and it’s points on the board and win well and it’s a boost to the goal difference.
Looks like this might be the onset of a Christmas break so I would rather have the points than games in hand in a congested fixture list.
Whether they conciously drop a level will be interesting because if the Leeds team is as young as we are led to believe , they could all be full of energy with a point to prove.
Don’t be complacent Arsenal.
Ayling ailing?😉
The same line up…
Ramsdale, Tomiyasu White Gabriel, Tierney, Xhaka, Partey, Saka, Martinelli, Odegaad, Lacazette
Well it’s 4:15am wife and kids asleep looking forward to a good win.
So lokonga failed Covid test out for 10 days let’s hope he is the only one.
Martinelli once more…..
Evening all. Was half reading tablet catching up with HH when looked up to see us driving forward, and a lovely sharp finish. Oh to have someone who looks like a hungry striker! We have missed him.
We need to settle a little bit, some silly shots at goal , that’s much better nice goal
And again…
Boy what a difference a proper striker makes to this team.
What took you so long Mikel?
Should be about 6-1
Lokonga out with Covid Geoff? I missed that, I guess he’ll be the first of a few now.
Nice first half, now let’s come out and put another 3 more in
Oh dear, we were doing well on the covid front
Rico according to the commentary team just before kick off about lokonga, I hope there wrong that’s all we need around the club
Thanks Geoff.
That’s why I get annoyed with Xhaka, absolutely no need for that. He’s bloomin lucky not to be sent off.
That was a very good first half, what a difference Martinelli makes over Aubameyang.
Now is the time to go for the jugular.
Rico, time for Xhaka yet, can see it in his eyes!
In all honesty Rico the player was making far too much of what was a very little contact. The Leeds player with a foul on Tomiyasu was extremely lucky to get away with only a yellow.
We need to pick up our game so far second half very boring.
Me too Andrew..
What was I saying the other day about White going to ground? 3-1
I saw it the other way round Cicero, I’ll have to put my glasses on and see it again. Lol
Off out for a curry, recording the rest of the game, back later.
AMN not in 20 man squad. Another covid, or not thought good enough?
Yes, another for ESR!
We do have another case but it’s Pablo Mari now out for 10 days.
Morning all.
I can see our Tuesday game being called off if Covid is now in the camp.
New post up now
Good morning all, excellent chicken korai and a couple of pints of Kingfisher, my wife was driving, and I was ready to watch the final thirty minutes. Fantastic!
Martinelli two, Saka one and ESR one is indicative of what youth can bring, all are only twenty years old with a wonderful future there for the taking.
The only downside to the match was the injury to Tomiyasu, I hope it’s not serious as he’s become a mainstay of our defence.
With our next game at home to Sunderland on Tuesday Arteta can afford to ease the load on the players who have done so well over recent games, Hopefully there will be no more Covid cases and the knocks and injuries suffered will have cleared up in time for the away fixture at Norwich on Boxing Day.