Morning all.
How many times have you and I heard pundits say “there’s not enough contact for me” after one of our players has been fouled in the opposition box? Too many to recall. This morning I saw the penalty Liverpool were awarded against Bournemouth and it has to be up there with some of the worst decisions I’ve seen given. Gakpo tripped himself up and the officials as a group, let him get away with it. The rest of the league clubs might as well give up because it’s quite clear this is going to be Liverpool’s title winning season. I’m pretty sure an Arsenal player, players from other clubs too I hasten to add, would have been booked for simulation.
As Arsenal take on Man City at The Emirates later this afternoon, all one can hope for is honesty and consistency from the officials. I know, I’m asking a lot…
David Raya missed our game in the week with an alleged muscle injury but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him return today. Lord help us if Neto is between the sticks as he hardly covered himself in glory against Girona. Ben White, Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Jesus remain out.
City are still without Rodri and according to Guardiola, Dias, Doku and Ake will be missing too. Bobb is a doubt but their three new signings, Marmoush, Reis and Khusanov could make their league debuts.
Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme:
City have shifted between a 4-1-4-1 and a 4-2-3-1, with the use of Kevin de Bruyne crucial to which set-up Guardiola prefers. If he is leaning towards a possession-based attacking approach, the Belgian will usually play as a No. 10 but if not, he becomes a box-to-box midfielder in a gameplan more suited to breaking at speed on fast transitions. Averaging a league-high 61% of possession, City want to monopolise the ball. Bypassing our press by going long to Erling Haaland is an obvious ploy if he is left 1v1 with a marker, but roving left-back Josko Gvardiol also likes to make dangerous runs beyond the defensive line. He can be expertly picked out by keeper Ederson, or a central defender.
City have had more shots than any other team, and have netted a division-high nine times from outside the box. Egyptian star Omar Marmoush has been added to their ranks this month who scored 15 goals in 17 starts for Eintracht Frankfurt prior to the move, so his finishing prowess has to be respected. However Rodri’s absence means City have also been more susceptible to counter-attacks through the middle, and only three Premier League sides have faced more shots from fast break, and their unusually porous defending has limited them to just five clean sheets in 23 matches.
Regardless of the title race, Arsenal need to beat City today. They got lucky at the Etihad and today gives Mikel Arteta and his players the chance to prove that. To themselves and the fans more than anyone else.
The back four pretty much picks itself right now, at least three do but I wonder if Riccardo Calafiori will start at left back rather than Myles Lewis-Skelly. Thomas Partey should be back in midfield where he belongs with Declan Rice. Up front, Arteta could opt for Gabriel Martinelli on the right although Ethan Nwaneri is more than capable of handling himself against a top team. Neither of our teenagers will let the occasion or the opposition get to them I’m sure. If Martinelli starts on the right, will Arteta give Raheem Sterling another start on the left where he looked better in midweek? Probably not, or rather,, hopefully not. It wouldn’t at surprise me if one day, it’s Lewis-Skelly we see on the left.
As Clarke mentioned in his tactical assessment of City, they’re vulnerable to a quick breakaway which is something we as a team can try to take advantage of. Martinelli is our speedster, so let’s use him. We know the threat City offer up front with Haaland but as another battle between him and our defenders goes on, Marmoush could be just as much of a danger should he feature.
Still, Arsenal have plenty of dangerous players for City to worry about too and if they’re in firing on all cylinders, are more than capable of getting the three points the club needs.
Lastly, good luck to the women who face Man City at The Etihad at midday today. Like the men, they need a win. Ex Arsenal Vivianne Miedema will be up against ex City Chloe Kelly with the latter rejoining Arsenal on deadline day.
Enjoy the games guys…
Let’s make it a double, I’ll drink to that! Make mine a scotch. 😉
Good morning Rico.
Watkins went off with a suspected groin injury yesterday, so we won’t be buying him.
.
Morning Cicero.
I’ll settle for water… 😂
Watkins wasn’t moving anyway was he..?
I don’t think we ever were , that rumour was put out as an appeaser to make it look like we were really trying and to keep the fans onside . The club know what and who they want but those players are not available and they are prepared to wait. , get as far as we can and collect the money before the summer spend .
I reckon you’re probably right. I’m certainly not expecting us to make any signings today or tomorrow.
Afternoon Rico et al.
I haven’t seen the Liverpool penalty Rico, but just as I opined the other day that there is a red card and an Arsenal red card, there is also a penalty and a Liverpool penalty. I don’t need to see it because I spent a lot of the 1970’s and 1980’s seeing a succession of Liverpool penalties particularly at Anfield, so I know what you mean and it’s why I deeply dislike Liverpool FC and all the BS that surrounds that protected institution.
After the Wolves game I expected this kind of an outcome, especially following the MLS appeal, the PGMOL have been almost brazen in its favouritism for the media darlings of Scouseland so I am not in the least bit surprised.
It would not at all shock me if we see the referees bete noir Arsenal well and truly stitched up today, the PGMOL know that they can pretty much safely get away with it because it’s friends in the MSM will gaslight everyone and frankly nobody cares because none of them like Arsenal or Arteta.
I will watch todays game, of course I will, because I love my club. I could have actually gone, my son offered me a ticket, but the thought of the journey there and home and the prospect of being robbed on a cold freezing day left me without enthusiasm for the effort involved.
That’s what the PGMOL have done to me and I suspect that many foreign fans who make many sacrifices at all kinds of ungodly hours to follow our club, may begin to wonder if it’s worth it and may also begin to suspect that the EPL is just as corrupt as many other football leagues are across the globe?
COYG
When you have such a contentious episode as was the case in last weeks game at Molyneux and then the fall out following the MLS appeal, you’d think that Howard Webb would go to any length to avoid anymore negative publicity and any more suggestive comments regarding double standards at the PGMOL.
You do that by carefully selecting a referee whose honesty cannot be calmed into question…
Peter Bankes, Liverpool FA is our referee today…
Mind boggling isn’t it?
Great result in the W S L Man City 3 – 4 Arsenal. Let’s hope that’s an omen for this afternoon’s match. 🔔🔔🔔🔔
Afternoon Kev, it was a shocker in my opinion.
You’re right of course, it’s been going on for so long now..
The ref had a shocker though Cicero, a City penalty for a foul outside the box… what a joke. We had the last laugh though..
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, M L S, Partey, Odegaard, Rice, Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard
Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Nwaneri.
Our bench is great defensively, dreadful attacking wise though..
I understand Neto will be superglued to the bench.
Good..
Kind of feel sorry for Havertz, he can’t get a break can he. Should have buried that chance.
Odegaard with the first and only so far, Havertz really should have got the second.
Half-time one nil to The Arsenal!
Raya, MOTM so far, we so negative in attack going sideways and back. Nwaneri needed to drive forward and shoot, without Saka I just don’t know where goals are coming from. Well a City mistake helped, but we not getting many corners either, our other chance.
And now it’s 2-1
That’s who Myles Lewis-Skelly is Haaland!!!
3-1
M L S makes it 3 – 1 and takes the piss out of Haarland by celebrating with lotus position sit down. Brilliant!!!!
And then brushes him off with ease…
That’s more like it Havertz, brilliant strike..
Havertz makes it 4 – 1.
Thomas Partey or MLS for motm surely…
Come on Sterling, get us a fifth…
Wow, what a strike Ethan….
What a pass from Declan.
And Nwaneri makes it 5 – 1 🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔
Yep, can’t see where goals are coming from 😂😂😂
🤣
Next Wednesday, we will need to score goals.
If we win on Wednesday and manage to get to the final the club will have all the excuses they need…5 different scorers, winning against City and NUFC, goals coming from everywhere.
I enjoyed reading the article this morning Rico, but was up to my neck from one thing to another so could not comment. Managed to watch the game and enjoyed it immensely, but would have preferred to win 2-1 and save 3 for the game against NUFC.
As much as I enjoyed it I also dread to think that the club might use it not to buy a striker, saying that it will block Nwaneri’s progress and the fact that we scored a lot against City.
Still…..let’s bask in it today
Devil
Why settle for less, that was target practice today….more to come on Wednesday 😂
I hope so Berg. I would love us to play the same team that we played with today.
I think and feel so as well, that Partey’s place will be taken by MLS. Saka’s first months were at left back (same as MLS) then he cemented the right wing. I believe that MLS will be the same.
That bodes well then devil. No
Well what a great result, can’t watch matches at moment as pay tv down and they don’t know why it’s not working.
Highlight of the season for me today, just ahead of thrashing Sporting, but if we can beat the Magpies on Wednesday by 3-0 then that might just top the lot?
It’ll be a different game against Newcastle I imagine as they’ll sit back and look to hit us on the break so we might see a couple of changes in the starting XI, maybe Califiori will start?
Demand a refund and a compensation payment, Geoff.
The image that will stick with me was Myles Lewis-Skelly in the Lotus position after scoring a great goal.
Thanks Devil.
That’s rotten Geoff, hopefully you’ll be able to catch up tomorrow.
Kev, best you don’t go to any more games, not after today’s result. 😜
Re Newcastle, I think Mikel will rotate as much as he can with Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Tierney etc in the team. Maybe a couple of youngsters too.
Unless any of the above leave tomorrow of course..
Rashford to Villa on loan, they must be desperate after the injury to Watkins.
Good morning Rico and all
Going to work today will be a piece of cake. Can’t wait to rub it in.
Winning 5-1 is always good against any team, but doing it against a top six, especially with a team who have humiliated us more than once and made use of doping money is special.
Was it the result that made my day? No it wasn’t that. I would have been just as happy with a 1-0 or 2-1 against them.
what made my day was MLS and Nwaneri. One from the right and another from the left. Top goals. and with them being 17/18 makes it even more awesome. both produced by Hale End. And with Saka waiting to heal and come back the prospect of all three making up around 1/4 of the team is there.
I do not think that MLS will continue at LB from next season onwards. He is still finding his feet so for now that is understandable, but his skill set and tactical nous will see him move to Partey’s position or on the left wing.
It is possible that in the future we might see Saka as RAM, Nwaneri as AM, MLS as LAM maybe even as a front three.
What a shame that Chido Obi and Heaven jumped ship. Heaven I understand because he was up against Saliba and Gabi…..an almost impossible task. And with Maldini Kacurri having already made his debut and with the management thinking highly of him maybe Heaven felt it was a closed lane.
But Obi I still cannot understand.
But he’s gone now.
Morning Cicero, Devil and all.
I’ve already forgotten about the two who’ve left, they couldn’t have thought much about the club to quit at such a young age. Quality players with the right mentality stay and fight if they believe they’re good enough.
New post up.