Morning all.
Arsenal play Man Utd this evening without Aubameyang. Personally, I don’t think it’s such a big deal. If he’d scored 20 goals so far this season then of course I’d think differently but he hasn’t, in fact his number of league goals need only one hand to count. He doesn’t really help out defensively either, nor does he really press from the front. Yes, he runs around a lot but he’s not one to really get ‘stuck in’. So no, I’m not overly fussed that he’s unavailable. If Pepe takes that left sided role and performs as he did against Southampton, or Martinelli, then we might even be better off.
More important to the team in my opinion is Partey, ESR and Tierney and all three were training with the squad yesterday which hopefully means all three are fit to start. New man Ødegaard was out there too and I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings to the team. I don’t think I’ve read a bad thing about him, other than his lack of playing time in Madrid. But hopefully that’ll prove to be Zidane’s loss and Arsenal’s gain.
Man Utd lost in midweek to bottom of the table Sheffield Utd and whilst that’s hilarious in itself, they’ll be out to bounce back immediately. Much talk has gone on in the media about how Ole’s team can finally win the Premier League again. Talk which I believe is rather premature. Utd have some very good players though. Pogba has found some form plus they have Fernandes, de Beek, Martial, Rashford, Shaw and Cavani to name just a few.
I don’t rate Harry Maguire much. I think he’s slow and cumbersome in defence but he is a threat on set-pieces against us. He’s good for a penalty too if our attacking players run at him in the box. Lacazette doesn’t need telling to go over that’s for sure.
We’ve got the Premier League’s best referee in charge of this one, Michael Oliver although Mike Riley will probably be sat in with VAR.
When the two sides met back in November of last year, neither were in a particularly good place. The win took us to 8th in the table, the loss dropped Utd to 15th. Who’d have thought both clubs would sink so low ten years ago? Utd though kicked on after that day whereas Arsenal dropped further and further down the table. Then, one December day, something clicked and since then, we’ve slowly but steadily climbed the table ourselves.
That doesn’t mean all is perfect in the world of Arsenal, of course it’s not but it’s better, much better. Having Partey and Tierney fit makes a difference to the team. ESR and Saka too and what about the form of Holding which has been marginally short of brilliant. Leno now looks like a keeper with confidence but then perhaps the players ahead of him are giving him that confidence. Little things like these make a huge difference to the team and of course, the positivity within the squad.
Today’s fixture won’t be easy, what fixture is in this league during this rather strange season but honestly, I believe we can win and I think we will. That is if our key players are out there playing and the Arsenal are up for it.
Of course they’ll be up for it, its an opportunity to do the double over the Mancs!
See you in the comments.
Just got my vaccination letter , I will let you know if my arm drops off.
Hi Rico.. Auba has 3 goals in the last 4 games against that lot. Pity he won’t be around, but I have faith in Laca and Gabi!
United are unbeaten on the road this season, while we find ourselves on a good run… it’s all set up to be a real juicy encounter!! Can’t wait!
Let’s hope not Potter.
Hi Sue, he’s got stuff going on though, and not in the best of form.
Good Afternoon Rico and all
While I feel sorry for Auba due to the family reasons he is going through, I cant help but do feel a bit relieved that he is not playing. Imo, as I have always stated, Auba unbalances the team. He is not suited to the way Arteta plays the game. He does not defend his flank and is not fully a team player. I prefer Martinelli or at least Pepe (on the form he was last game) or Nelson as the team seems more balanced with them on the left. Maybe if we played 4-4-1-1 Auba would function better as he would float around with Laca central. But in the formation Arteta plays its better if a flank player took the position instead of him.
The most important thing is that the Goalkeeper, the Defense and the Defensive Midfield have a good game today. They stick tightly and form a solid shield.
Afternoon Rico and chums, I see that Mat Ryan our antipodean reserve goalkeeper is out, so that explains Arthur Okonkwo training with the 1st team squad this week, that’s unless Okonkwo is going to be on the subs bench?
Okonkwo or Runarsson, you decide?
Afternoon Rico/all
I’d have to agree about Aubameyang, Martinelli is fantastic anyway. Having said that we have a minimum of 20 games in 4 months(assuming we don’t get a bye in the Europa League) so we will need everyone.
Important Tierney returns, I hear Arsenal are unbeaten in the last 5 games against Man United, let’s keep that run going.
COYG
I see that Mat Ryan our antipodean reserve goalkeeper is out,
Bloody Aussies , give them a contract and they go walkabout .
Morning Scott and Geoff.
Everton 0 Newcastle 2 good result for Arsenal
Personally and rather unfashionably, I wish Auba was with the squad today.
Afternoon Devil, Kev, Limey.
Just not Runasson, please not Runasson on the bench. What’s wrong with Ryan?
That’s a shock re Everton..
Yes, I’ve always seen the funny side of Gary Larson and yes I agree with Adam regarding PEA
West Brom are awful…
39 minutes of West Brom vs Fulham and that’s it, no more, off it goes and onto You Tube where I can laugh at dogs and cats doing the funniest things….
Starting XI: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, David Luiz, Cedric, Partey, Xhaka, Pepe, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Lacazette
No Tierney…
Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Cedric, Partey, Xhaka, Martinelli, Pepe, Lacazette, ESR.
No Saka either, not even on the bench.
I missed Saka wasn’t in the team. My level of optimism has suddenly decreased.
Saks has a hip problem and needs to rest it. Tierney is needs more time.
Afternoon rico, House. Treble blow before we start, why couldn’t it be Fernandez, Poona and Rashford instead missing. Just as I was feeling fairly confident! Oh well, Cedric and Pepe need to be stars and step up again. And hope Leno doesn’t get injured!
Afternoon Andrew, ditto, I was confident before seeing Saka and Tierney out. Fingers crossed Cedric is in the same form he was in the second Saints game.
United have turned up for this one
Fernandez looking to get Xhaka off
Is it just me or does Xhaka look slower than usual?
Our passing could improve..
Xhaka is holding back. he is not venturing forward like usual. Although he had a shot on target.
We have nothing on the bench if we go behind, all our attacking talent is out there.
Can’t expect Odegaard to work miracles.
We went into this game minus our three best players in Saka, Tierney and Aubameyang.
I’ll take a draw, a cheeky 0-0 will do me…
Perhaps Willian will come on and score a scorcher…. lol
Can’t believe Fernandes wasn’t booked for the studs on Xhaka… if it’d been the other way round, Fernandes would’ve still been rolling round now!! It is United though….
Rico….Stranger things have happened in life and in football. So you can expect Willian to come off the bench, score a hat-trick and then turn to Arteta and tell him that he should not have signed Odegaard on loan.🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yeah Rico, maybe, but did we need Odegaard, Willian, Elneny and Willock?
Couldn’t we have squeezed Mustafi on the bench as well? 🙄
On the whole we are coping defensively, but are lacking a bit in midfield due, I think, to Xhaka’s reluctance to go beyond the halfway line. Maybe our newby could replace him soon and we what difference he can make.
Well you got your wish Rico, Willian is on.
Neither can I Sue, could easily have seen red for raking his studs down Xhaka’s Achilles
In a work Kev, no. Very uninspiring subs bench.
Just as Willian misses a chance to score.
I was wrong, we do miss Auba.
What is wrong with Willian!!
I had my tongue firmly in my cheek Cicero..
How have we not scored..
Willian has done nothing since his little bit of treatment from the physio.
He has, he’s passed the ball backwards several times.
Pepe so so close..
On comes the new boy..
Partly given ball away too many times today. Lacazette looked good and Luiz has celebration of the day. Well organised defensively, hope I haven’t spoken too early. So unlucky with crossbar.
Unbeaten against the Mancs this season – I’m happy with that!
0-0 result. we could have nicked it…..but overall I feel I can take a point.
The thing I am most happy with???? Keeping another clean sheet.
We have the 2nd best defence. Only City have conceded less.
Up to the heady heights of eighth place in the Premiership.
Keeping two clean sheets and taking four points Man. U. Can’t be all bad.
Fair result I reckon.
Off!
Best I’ve seen Willian play for us.
He looked sharp for a change.
Pepe was fantastic again……not sure what’s changed in his head but if he continues like this, we can stop referring to his price tag as he may well end up worth it.
Luiz was enormous.
Considering we lost players before and during the game I thought we were very good.
Yes Scott, although it feels so wrong to agree with you, I also thought that Willian looked ok.
Soares with another decent 90 minutes, I think we can leave the left back situation until the summer, and Lacazette was a warrior, my MotM, brave as lion considering that Lurch kicked him all over the shop.
Yeah Pepe did some good stuff but his finishing reminds me of Kaba Diawara…
I think that that’s six games on the trot unbeaten vs the Mancs, very welcome…
Today was the 8th clean sheet out of 21 games. And as Scott pointed out we lost players before and during the game. So all in all we should be happy with not conceding today as well. Its true we did not score either, however we have taken 4 points against the Mancs and without conceding. Also I think that United will be more happier than us with the point.
Would we have won with Tierney and Saka playing? Maybe yes maybe no. As the game would have had different dynamics. However, the players who took their place….Soares, Martinelli and in the 2nd half Willian, didnt do badly either. Willian put in a shift, just like he did in the last game vs Southampton.
Arsenal have gone six consecutive league games against Manchester United without defeat, equalling their longest run in league history between 1980 and 1983.
Kev, Maguire got away with blue murder lol
4 points this season taken from Utd-I reckon we can be pretty content
Thank you Sue, now you can get back to X Factor… 😆
Yes Scott, now I’m content, but I wasn’t during the game, I found it frustrating and expected them to nick it as they have so many times in the past…
I’m very happy with that result all things considered Digger.
Kev, Lacazette a warrior, good call. He put himself about, ran into the ground, held and brought others in. Great performance. Another great save from Leno, and both our centre backs commanding again. Have now forgiven Luiz from that 2nd sending off! Would rate Cedric above Bellerin, he deserves right back spot.
I thought Willian was average and Pepe was cms away from getting a couple of goals. Lacazette and Xhaka should take our free kicks though, imo anyway.
Still think we need a left back too, unless AMN is staying put to cover Bellerin.
If they are potentially champions then we need fear no one but I fear that this United are living beyond their ability they are a top 6 side and so could we be but a bit more improvement needed although we were 3 short
Rico, I agree William was average but it was still his best performance for us.
He’s been well, well below average until today.
I’m certainly not suddenly excited about the guy in our shirt, and we have better options but it was definitely a step up from what he’s produced so far.
He needs to do more, and who knows whether she’s capable or not?
Kev, every time those bastards attacked I held my breath lol
I disagree Scott, his best game was his first I reckon, the Fulham game. I had high hopes after that, however, those hopes soon faded.
He’d be better if he’d only pass the ball forwards.
Think we all did although not because I thought they were particularly dangerous but they have a habit of getting gifts in the last minutes.
Well second best, Rico, but the fact is it was an upgrade on what he’s done recently.
He needs to keep improving.
Sitting here watching the news and the game highlights come up.
Typical wavier media-its all about how Utd had all the chances but fluffed their lines and it was a dropped 2 points for them.
They watched a different game to me.
Yes, they could have scored but we easily could have as well.
Was it Neville or Carragher who said “this Arsenal side are difficult to score against”. That’s something I haven’t heard said for years.
Willian was just coasting for much of the time he was on the pitch. He doesn’t have the pace to play on the counter attack and he seems to have lost the ability to take a pass control the ball and take a shot.
Pepe is looking better, he’s looking to beat defenders instead of dumping the ball off if it looks like he’s going to get tackled.
We had our chances but still happy with a draw, I felt that Man U player should have been given a red card for his tackle on XHAKA,
Pepe looks much better since his come back from a red card a few weeks ago
Good Morning. Happy Sunday
Leno has now kept eight clean sheets in the Premier League season and only Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa and Ederson of Manchester City have managed more. And its 5 clean sheets in the last 7 games.
We have the 2nd best defence as well. And while its Holding who is at the centre of it we must not forget how much Xhaka has improved in that as well. It seems we have a solid spine of Leno-Holding-Xhaka-ESR-Lacazette. That is a good spine running from the back to front. And it has contributed to our results.
Bruno Fernandes has come up against Rob Holding four times (twice for Sporting) and his team haven’t scored a single goal in those 360 minutes 🤩
Morning campers, morning DG, I saw the Burnley vs Aston Villa highlights a few days ago and you could put one goal for sure and probably two goals conceded by Villa down to Martinez, so swings and roundabouts eh?
I still rate Martinez but Leno has quietly got on with his job and has been a major part of our improvement since the turn of the year and you’re right a solid spine has made a big big difference. It’s taken awhile for last seasons 3 4 3 to settle into the current 4 2 3 1 or whatever it is now. Holding has been a massive plus.
Let’s hope that Fernandes signs a new long term 10 year contract with the Mancs then Sue. 😉
Morning guys.
New post up now
I’ll give you that Scott, better than he has been but still average. Lol
cant find it , not even on e mail
Guys, go through NN or just click on the HH heading at the top.
https://highbury-house.com/2021/01/31/utd-held-by-under-strength-arsenal-indeed-they-were/