Arsenal.com
Morning all.
I touched on part of Mikel Arteta’s press conference yesterday, the bit about the fans needing to be in full swing later. I’m sure every Arsenal fan whether in the stadium or not will be hoping for a top notch Arsenal performance and a win against Newcastle Utd. They’ve had enough good fortune against in the past so tonight, let’s get at them from the off and put the result to bed by halftime. Ok, I got a bit overly optimistic there, let’s just win the bloomin game.
Injury update from Mikel Arteta:
Thomas Partey’s availability:
Let’s see. We have another session today and obviously he’s been out for many, many months now and we need to really nail the timing and when he has enough in the tank to compete, but I think he’s very close.
Other injured players:
It’s the same with Gabby [Jesus] as well, he’s done a few things. Alex [Zinchenko] is not far at all, and Tomiyasu is still a little bit more.
How the squad have reacted to the Porto loss:
What I see is a team that can’t wait to play Porto at home now. With that result we have created a fantastic Champions League night of football in front of our people and under the lights where we need to beat them to go through. The task is very clear.
Maybe, but today we need to see a team/squad who wants to beat Newcastle, Porto can wait. I don’t think we’ll see Zinchenko, Tomiyasu or Jesus today. Next weekend perhaps but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Thomas Partey on the bench, after all, he’s been training all week.
Callum Wilson, Elliot Anderson and Joelinton are ruled out for Newcastle which is a bit of a bonus for us but Willock and Isak could return. Isak is a beast of a striker and one we’ll need to watch. Anthony too. As said yesterday, Bruno Guimaraes plays on the edge so push him over it. Wind him up and watch him go. Burn will no doubt get stuck into Bukayo Saka as and when he can but my money is on the younger of the two Englishman winning that battle. Trippier will be all over Gabriel Martinelli too I’m sure. I just hope Paul Tierney is strong and fair for both sides. VAR too. Newcastle’s central defensive pairing is likely to be Botman and Schar are likely to be their central defensive partnership. Longstaff and Miles are likely to join Bruno in midfield unless Howe throws Willock back into the side. That leaves two outfield gaps which if Isak is fit, will fill one, the other being Gordon.
With Jesus ruled out, I strongly suspect Mikel Arteta will play either Trossard or Havertz central because it’s been working well. Against Liverpool, Arteta brought Jorginho into the team so I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him do the same tonight.
A stat for you:
Newcastle have already conceded 41 goals this season, eight more than the entirety of the previous campaign and worryingly for them, 20 have been conceded in the past eight. Five counter-attack strikes have found the back of their net, which is an area Arteta’s side could well exploit given the pace in our team. Arsenal.com
How will Eddie Howe approach this game? My guess is by playing like Porto. Porto committed 36 fouls. They used any old tactic to stop the game, to stop Arsenal playing football. Fouling was one way, another was to go to ground regardless of whether they’d been fouled or not. As manager Conceicao said – “Arsenal wanted to play. his team wanted to win”.
Remember this fixture last year? Newcastle played for a draw and they got it by using every trick in the book. “We’re not here to be popular” said Howe after his team was accused of time wasting. However, things are a little different now as minutes for time wasting will be added at the end of each half and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see 100 minutes on the clock when the game ends.
As for the other stuff we can expect from Newcastle, as Arteta said, that’s down to the officials to sort out.
The world will be watching our match I’m sure, wondering if the midweek result is the start of a bad run, hoping no doubt that it will be. Whoever Mikel Arteta selects, they just need to go onto the pitch and play their game with confidence. Just like they have done since the turn of the year. Keep it simple and leave Newcastle to do the stupid.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, a piece in The Telegraph reports that Arteta is coaching his players in “the dark arts”. He wants make his young team more streetwise and trickier to play against. It’s not something you would directly link with Arsenal, but it has to be developed, Arteta said.
Morning Cicero. Good, he needs to.
In his press conference he said:
on whether the team can be nice guys and bad guys:
Yeah, I don’t know about bad guy but you have to be tricky, you have to be smart, you have to be street-wise and you have to try to take advantage in every situation. They know that.
on how you coach players’ attitude on the pitch:
That’s the thing that has to be developed if you don’t have it, that’s for sure. Because the best teams, the best players, they have that.
Morning Rico and all.
Rico if Aterta statement read as you said about players attitude on the pitch, sounds to me that he doesn’t fully trust his players or on the other end the players don’t trust Arteta. or have I miss understood it.
Morning Geoff, I think you’ve misunderstood. I think he’s just saying that sometimes, we have to play others at their own game.
That sound better, the last thing we need is the players and manager not trusting each other
Morning Rico/all
Agreed we need to be smarter,in the words of Arteta streetwise.I don’t want us to resort to the dirty tricks and outright cheating we saw in Porto,no doubt Newcastle will try similar.
Tonight’s match feels more important after Porto,
COYG
Afternoon Limey. Agreed, the officials would have a field day if we start behaving like Porto etc.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if next season the PGMOL decide to crack down on the grappling and pushing you see at corners.
I thought they had agreed to already but there’s no evidence to suggest that’s the case…
Our set piece coach has been working with the team to make the most of the corners we win. The main ploy is to get Ben White in front of the ‘keeper to block his movement. It’s not illegal and has been quite effective, but some refs are taking a hard line and are looking to penalise White for obstruction. We need to have a corner situation plan b.
Afternoon Rico and Co.
None of our players on loan in the Championship and League One are starters today. Not much of a compliment to our academy products, although Alex Kirk did start for Bromley in the National League, Bromley are in the playoff places. Kirk played in midfield, also Taylor Hart came on at 74 minutes for Bromley, who lost 2-0 at Eastleigh!
Afternoon all!
After Wednesday, I just hope for a victory!
Afternoon Kev, certainly doesn’t say a lot. I’m seldom convinced other clubs loan our players for any other reason than to make up the squad numbers.
Iwobi you beauty!
Always liked Iwobi. 😂
Maguire should have been sent off by all accounts. Fitting that he thought he’d nicked Utd a point… 😜
I’m getting good at this, Jorginho in… 😂
Team to play Newcastle: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Rice, Odegaard, Jorginho, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Subs: Ramsdale, Cedric, Elneny, Vieira, Nelson, Smith Rowe, Trossard, Nketiah, Jesus.
That looks a much better, stronger bench. Now what we really need is an early Arsenal goal and a more open game, then we’ll see?
Yes I saw the Maguire tackle Rico, if was a nailed on red card. If Xhaka makes that tackle he’s off.
1-0
Agree Kev.
2-0 Havertz
Just the fast start we wanted. Looking so good, just shame such an early booking for Odergaard. Like seeing Rice able to get forward more with Jorginho in.
Hate Bruno
Fantastic first half from Arsenal in every department bar the finishing. This game should have been done and dusted by halftime.
I’d like to see that pull on Havertz right at the end of the first half again. Looked a penalty first time around.
Impossible to take your eyes off the game terrific play two well deserved goals. A great advertisement for football played the way it should be.
sure did but it will not get replayed
Bent ref Rico, he’s giving everything he can to Newcastle. That tug was a clear foul, at the very least Var should have told Tierney to have a look at the poolside monitor.
Poolside? It’s not water polo! Pitchside!!!
RIP Stan Bowles.
Agree guys, a pen, an odegaard booking but nothing for them…
Bad miss from Havertz
A Saka cracker !!!
Wonderful goal from Saka
Kiwior with another from a corner.
Rice corner, Kiwior goal… love it!
ESR & Nelson on for Saka and Odegaard
Nketiah for Havertz
Excellent result.
Night guys…
That’ll do nicely!!
Outstanding win.
We were irresistible,a nice break until the next game.
Agree Rico, why didn’t VAR look at that pull on Havertz, it’s almost as if they wanted their half-time cuppa and couldn’t be bothered?
Watched the replay, what a good team performance, Newcastle were so lucky that they only got beat by 3 goals, with a bit of luck we could have scored 6 or 7 goals.
should have brought of a younger player for experience insteat of Elneny,
Beggars belief Kev..
New post up.