Morning all.
2018 was the last time an Arsenal women’s team defeated Chelsea away from home. Yesterday, Renee Slegers and her players put an end to that eight year run with a fantastic 2-0 win. Goals from Beth Mead and Mariona Caldentey secured the points. New signing Smilla Holmberg had a 15 minute runout which no doubt brought a smile to Kev and Cicero’s face. lol
13 minutes into his Marseille debut, Ethan Nwaneri scored. A good goal it was too. A left footed strike which hit the back of the net. Not a bad start for our young player who by all accounts had a great game.
Arsenal take on Manchester United at 4-30 today.
The message from Mikel Arteta to his players should be clear. Be brave, be disciplined and be clinical! Win! No, not the four legged furry one at the club, win the game!
Utd have had a weird old season under Amorim. Up, down and then out of both domestic cup competitions. Their Carabao Cup campaign ended in the second-round after losing to Grimsby and their FA Cup journey ended as soon as it started by Brighton. With no European football to play, their squad should be pretty fit and healthy.
We on the other hand have had to endure a tough six months and yet we’re still in all four competitions. I very much doubt Mikel Arteta has even thought about anything other than fielding what he considers to be his strongest eleven for this game.
Unless Calafiori or Hincapie are ready to start which I doubt, I reckon we’ll see Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Trossard, Saka and Gyokeres start the game.
It’s been a long time since the winner of this fixture usually went on to lift the Premier League title, before Mikel Arteta’s managerial days, it had been a while since this fixture meant much really as both clubs had been drifting for a long time. Utd still are really as no one manager has joined the club and enjoyed a lengthy period in the job.
A few stats for those who are interested:
- Mikel Arteta has won 67% of his 12 Premier League games against Manchester United, the highest win rate of any manager to face them at least five times.
- Utd’s league record at our home in recent years has been poor. Since winning 3-1 back in December 2017, United have failed to win any of their seven Premier League visits to Emirates Stadium, losing each of the last four in a row.
- Michael Carrick’s first and only Premier League victory in his previous stint as United manager came against us in a 3-2 win at Old Trafford in December 2021.
That December victory came during very different times with two very different lineups. Today it’s different, different even than the 1-0 victory we achieved at Old Trafford earlier this season. If memory serves me right, our victory back in August was a bit of a smash and grab with David Raya saving us on more than one occasion. Too bad eh, we scored, they didn’t and we took the points.
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme:
Carrick’s Manchester United set up in a 4-2-3-1 against Manchester City, producing an impressive brand of fast, fluid, counter-attacking football. They only had a 32% share of possession, but by breaking up play with tremendous belligerence, they set up a series of dangerous breakaways, making six big chances. We can expect a similar tactical approach, who may look to target the flanks from those counters by deploying speedy wingers Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo.
The key takeaway from Carrick’s set-up against City was the vibrancy and desire his players showed in and out of possession. They applied an incredible 584 pressures – way above the norm – to unsettle Pep Guardiola’s men, while we must also be wary of switches of play or balls aimed towards their front three from deep areas. Over 15% of United’s passes against City were long.
It may have been a mixed bag from the Red Devils results-wise this term, but they always carry a goalscoring threat. Scoring in all but one away match (City away) they are the division’s third-highest scorers on 38, with their xG tally the second best on 40.61. Bruno Fernandes’ set-piece deliveries are usually top class, and with Harry Maguire back in the starting XI, they are sure to be dangerous from corners and wide free-kicks, having netted 11 times from them already.
Holding onto leads has been an issue for United. Across their last 13 Premier League games they have drawn seven times, but on five of those occasions they gave up a winning position, while there is also some fragility in the air. Seven headed goals have been leaked this term, with only two top-flight outfits letting in more. Maguire’s return to the side will make them stronger though.
I’ve no idea how Carrick will set his team up away from home but I suspect they will be defensively organised with a plan to break quickly with Cunha and Mbeumo the targets. Martinez and Shaw will be all over Saka like a bad rash, pushing the boundaries as much as Pawson will allow. Casemiro will no doubt be doing the same to anyone who gets too close to him and I strongly suspect other players will do the same. We just need to stay focused and not give the officials a decision to make.
But, we have to improve on our last two league performances if we’re to have a chance of winning today. Move the ball around quicker, be more positive and certainly be more clinical in front of goal. The fact that City won yesterday might help focus the minds.
I had a dream. Gyokeres scores very early.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico.
I expect Saliba to have a stinker this afternoon, there’s an article in The Telegraph, this morning, praising him to the heavens. 😉
Great pre-match, thanks Rico.
Morning Rico and all.
Fingers crossed for tonight match, it’s a must win match as city and Villa are both closing in and we can’t rely on City dropping too many points,
Morning Cicero, thanks you.
Ha ha re Saliba, don’t you go jinxing things now…
Morning Geoff, Villa lost their last so we gained a point on them. Just need to get three more today.
Not necessarily a topic for today, but something to think about, a boycott oft he Fifa World Cup.
Morning all,
Yes that line up sounds spot on,if Calafiori is available Arteta will probably go with him,although Timber/White make a great partnership.
I was away last week so missed the Forest game,I would normally watch the full game but the highlights were enough. All the Carrick hype after ONE game seems a bit ridiculous. They were good last week,let’s see if they can do that against Arsenal at the Emirates.
I couldn’t be more confident,which in itself makes me nervous.
I just have a feeling it will be tight and low scoring,an early Gyokeres goal sounds good.
Fingers crossed..
Trump is certainly trying to get one.
And City were dire Limey..
Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Jesus.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, Eze, Martinelli, Madueke, Merino, Gyokeres.
Well well well. dreams can be broken or shattered. Gyokeres is not in the beginning 11. Unless you meant he scores very early as soon as he comes on. Arteta should introduce him when we have a corner like AW did with Lord Bendtner who scored with a header 13 seconds after coming on.
Good afternoon and a good post Lady.
Line up….Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabi, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Trossard.
Afternoon and thanks Devil. It’ll have to be soon after he comes on then.
I’m a bit surprised Arteta has gone with Jesus, hope it works out.
mr too rico…
Vieira and Keane together on the sofa, could be interesting. 😉
🤞 Jm..
Fight night Cicero.. lol
I had had a feeling it would be Jesus. If it was VG14 beginning it would have meant that Utd would have just sat back in the 6 yard box and defended plus conserving energy. With Jesus it means that utd will attack as well. So spaces will be open. VG14 will come on when physically and mentally the Utd players will be tired and the teams stretched. which suits him as he will not be facing 3 players at the same time. The same reason for beginning with Trossard and leaving Martinelli on the bench. I feel both will come on at the same time to give pace to the attack.
One nil to The Arsenal!
Zubimendi gifts them an equaliser. 1 – 1
Our usually reliable defending has let us down.
A roasting from Arteta at half time and then go up a gear second half..
Of all the players you wouldn’t expect to do that, Zubi, what was he thinking? Odd we were in mild control until we scored, then pass after pass going astray.
Why do we piss about so much at the back ? Sometimes you just have to clear it.
Just not good enough, only an own goal and then we give away an equaliser. Some strong words from Arteta and some early subs. Jesus for one and maybe Trossard.
Pace from Martinelli and guile from Eze needed. Plus Gyokeres to actually win or knock on a header up front. Great subs to have. But expect Merino will come on to battle in midfield.
With Jesus height up front, we are less likely to clear upfield, but this playing at the back always going to cost us 2 or 3 times a season.
Vieira agrees with many of us. A bit more umph from Arsenal going forward.
Agree on the messing around at the back too. Every now and again we drop a clanger.
At 1-0 we should going for 2-0 and 3-0, not playing it safe.
Bloody heck, how weak was our defensive work.
That is the third time this season that a mistake from Zubimendi led to the opposition score a goal.
Why dont we hoof it to the sides up front?
Serial bottlers
1-2 now. uphill struggle
All the old problems are back. No bite in midfield, disorganised in defence and no penetration up front.
Get Jesus off for goodness sake, Odegaard and Trossard too
Martinelli please…
2 – 3 and that is ninety minutes.
So so poor today. I like White but as soon as he got throw ins, everything is slowed down, I almost wanted him to get booked for wasting OUR time.
Crap!!!
Really poor and beaten by an even worse team.
Three games on the trot we’ve been toothless, predictable and boring.
League games I mean.
Six years wasted and still we have no football identity.
I thought after beating City last week, United would come down and beat us.
Predictable script.
Is Arteta better than Carrick, Rico?
Arteta doesn’t play to win against the big teams, he plays not to lose with uber-conservative football after £1billion spent.
He is an embarrassment.
We really are our own worst enemies , for some reason it seems that after we score we switch off and we drop back . Admittedly their winner was a worldy unlikely to be repeated in the next twenty times he plays but it was the fannying about that lost the ball and created the chance .
There was one moment as they were pushing us back , they were pressing high up the pitch and there were 7 United players in or around our penalty box , so what do we do ? Play it out from the back of course , get to the half way line then play it square twice and back to Raya.
It’s just so frustrating.
He certainly was today Alan.
Agree, we pass pass pass and barely make it over the halfway line and when we do cross the line, we pass even more. Our slow football blows any chance of running at the defence and shooting.
What on earth has happened to the creative and forward thinking Eze at Palace.
I noticed twice that Odegaard was marking Bucket Head when we were defending corners. Somewhat of a mismatch methinks.
Arteta has to rest as many players as he can on Wednesday, how many that can be I don’t know, but every possible option must be used.
No more to say on the subject, I’ll think of something in the morning.
I bet he doesn’t though..
£ 100 million spent on Eze and Madueke , one has forgotten what he is meant to do and the other didn’t know in the first place. I have seen so many complaints about Odegaard but Eze doesn’t strike me as any great improvement infact I wasn’t sure that Eze had come on and Madueke all pace and runs out of room . He has all the attributes of Kanu with none of the effectiveness.
Still frustrated.
Eze was great at Palace but something makes me think his talent has been stifled. I think you described Madueke to a tee.
I’m cheesed off…
We have to move on from this boring turgid horseshoe football.
Arteta Out.
£175m spent on Jesus, Havertz and Gyokeres and none of them capable of 15-20 PL goals in a season.
I’d suggest Arteta needs another two year tutelage under Pep before he even considers another management role.
Looks like we are starting to choke again, as I have always said Arteta is a good coach but does he have what it takes to be a great coach I am not convinced yet.
I haven’t seen Arteta interview after the match but guessing it will be a copy and paste response from every time we loose.
Why would you want Arteta anywhere near Guardiola if you want Arteta out? After all, a lot of what he learned came from in the first place.
Does anyone else find Arsenal’s football baffling?
Especially as he came through La Masia, where he would have spent many hours with the legendary Johann Cruyff, and Pep during his time as captain at Barcelona.
With the money he has spent he could have bought two XI’s playing at peak Barcelona levels, and yet we’re subjected to cowardly cautious football relying on the small margins of set-pieces, instead of putting our best foot forward and trusting a tried and tested philosophy.
I find it really odd that this isn’t being discussed among the clubs hierarchy, because the energy levels, intensity and general fluidity between Arsenal and United was night and day.
Give us something to believe in.
I don’t care where Arteta goes Rico as long as he stops stealing a living from Arsenal.
You say Arteta learned from Pep, Rico.
Have you ever seen any Pep team play this indistinguishable brand of football?
Quite odd isn’t it not a word from Superstar Allan Hudson after the excellent win against Inter Milan, but plenty of venom after a defeat.
Morning Cicero.
I was just reading those comments and something similar went through my head.
I think we’re all frustrated with Arsenals performance yesterday, the last three have been pretty poor but in January, top of two leagues, still in both cups, isn’t the time for ‘Arteta out’ in my opinion.
Of course he did Alan, he was by Pep’s side for a few years. There is a vast similarity to the the way both City played back then and how Arsenal play now.
Rico, people who have an axe to grind will always keep on repeating the narrative ad nauseam.
Time will tell.
As you said, 1st in the league, 1st in CL, SF of CC and still in FA cup is not the time to say Arteta out.
There will always be someone who says Arteta out. Even if Arsenal play 38 W 38 GF 76 GA 1. There will still be someone who says Arteta out because the team conceded that goal because it was comical.