Morning all.
Premier League football is back, better still, The Arsenal are back. At least I think that’s a good thing. Arsenal v Liverpool, two clubs which have had a very up and down season so far. Liverpool’s defence of their title has been poor but they’ve suffered injury after injury which has hardly helped. Losing a player of VVD’s quality would be hard for any team, let alone the other players too.
Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe are doubts for this match as is Granit Xhaka who has some kind of illness. David Luiz misses out though with a knee problem. But never fear, Willian is fit again and available for selection.
Liverpool are still without Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk. Roberto Firmino is back though.
Arsenal’s biggest problem tonight is Arsenal. If everyone is focused from the off, I think we’ll win but give Liverpool the kind of opportunities West Ham were afforded, it’ll be a long 95 minutes.
We know Mikel Arteta will have a plan to nullify Liverpool’s strengths and exploit their weaknesses but once the players cross the white line, it’s their job to execute that plan. From then on it’s Mikel Arteta’s job to make changes as and when needed, to bring something different to the performance. Something better even, something more difficult for Liverpool to cope with.
All the talk in the media is about how important this fixture is for Liverpool. They need a win to increase their hopes of a top four finish. A win to give them confidence ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Real Madrid. Well, this fixture is important to Arsenal too in case anyone has forgotten. We need the points and we need a good performance to give us confidence ahead of our Europa Cup match against Slavia Prague.
In our last fixture, the best of Arsenal was on show but only after some of the worst of Arsenal had seen us go 3-0 behind. We simply have to cut out the errors if we’re to improve and we need more from our captain. Much more.
Three points today might not move Arsenal up the table as far as positions go but they’d certainly put us in a better position to pounce should clubs above us drop points. 27 points are still up for grabs and after today, our toughest fixture on paper is Chelsea away.
If Arsenal turn up tonight, my money is on a home win.
See you in the comments.
Afternoon Rico/all
Nice preview. I’m looking forward to proper football at last. Luiz being out doesn’t hurt us at all. I keep hearing he is good with the kids – let him get a job in a kindergarten. Seriously I know he has qualities but I like a settled partnership in central defence, Holding & Gabriel for me.
The other injury doubts will weaken us, but hopefully others step up, time to unleash Martinelli maybe.
It’s a weird season,and for as long long as we’re in the Europa League, even more so for us.
COYG
Morning Rico and the House.
A good post on another chill day in Kent.
Like you Rico I think we will win.
They finished last season 43points above us and if we win
it will only be 1point Its in our hands.
Afternoon Limey, Rick and all.
I’m not in the Luiz camp either, in fact I wonder why he’s been such a regular in the side. In this crazy season, I’d have liked to have seen Holding and Gabriel settled in defence.
Afternoon all. Not quite as confident as you guys, reckon a draw!
In Luiz’s defence, Holding makes a mistake and its often forgotten, Luiz does and it remains in everyone’s memory. I know he has brought it on himself with the early sending offs, but he does clear a lot of balls, makes a few good passes and is the most likely of our CBs to score. Hopefully Gabriel will get a few more.
Let’s get at them tonight, agree Martinelli would be good, didn’t Klopp call him ‘talent of the century’?
Ten man Chelsea go from one nil up to five two down against the Baggies.
Hi Rico… what a start to the footballing weekend!! Always nice seeing Chelsea spanked!!
Just watche the Chelsea defeat.
Good to see AMN playing with a smile on his face
Thought he had a good game
I agree Rick, It’s good that AMN not only started but played the whole ninety minutes in central mid-field, where he should have played much more often for us.
Allardyce has done what none of our previous three manager/coaches, nor the present one could do, he recognised a midfielder when he saw one. Horses for courses, as the saying goes.
My pick for this evening:-
Leno
Cedric Holding Gabriel Tierney
Partey Odegaard Elneny
Pepe Lacazette Martinelli
Good evening Rico and all
I hope we play properly from kick off till the final whistle. Yes even during half time.
My pick would be Leno; Cedric, Holding, Mari,Tierney; Elneny, Partey; Willian, Odegaard, Pepe; Lacazette.
If by some miracle, ESR and Saka are fit enough I will go for them. I prefer Willian instead of Auba tbh. Because at least Willian tries. if Auba is pissed off it will be a player less from the start.
By winning today the City have dethroned Liverpool
The 30 year wait fir their next title win has started LOL
Arsenal Starting Lineup:
Leno,
Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney,
Partey, Ceballos,
Pepe, Odegaard, Aubameyang,
Lacazette
Leno
Chambers
Holding
Gabby
Teirney
Partey
Ceballos
Pepe
Odgaard
Auba
Lacazette
Snap
I dont like the fact that Ceballos is playing today. That means Partey will stay back instead of being Box-to-box midfielder.
Its interesting that Chambers has got in again ahead of Bellerin. He has not played for his nation as Soares, so its understandable. But neither has Bellerin if I am correct. It will do Chambers a lot of good to play. I just hope he plays well enough to cement his place there because if he keeps up the good level that will mean no need for a new right back.
With regards the attack and advanced midfield I am undecided. I dont like the fact that Auba is on the left. Pepe has played better there. Fingers crossed that Auba plays well and not with a chip on his shoulder.
Let’s win this for Rocky and Claude!
Waited what seems like an eternity for tonight…COYG, make us proud!
Hi Sue, Devil.
Totally agree re AMN guys. Really pleased to see him help beat the Chavs. Maybe the Tuchel fans at Sky Sports can sit down now…
Andrew, probably because Luiz mistakes usually lead to us conceding a penalty, a goal, or him being sent off. Sometimes all three.. lol
Cicero
I agree with what you have said about AMN
I think he is looking better with every game he plays in mid field.
,and if he can keep it up for the rest of the season he will be in the form
he was in at u18 level.
I used to like Luiz. And always wished he was with us before he went to chavs. not now though…..his age is showing. and when he has a brain fart its always because of his age and the first thing to go down with age is his speed. 5 or 6 years ago he would have been quicker to the ball than his opponents. but now he is a fraction slower and his decision making turns out to be costly. However he is still an experienced player to have around and is very technical and also good at reading the game. He also scores goals and that is a bonus. plus he can play with both feet and that is always good in any player.
Do you all think that Arteta may have 2nd thoughts about selling AMN now that he is performing well and is growing in the role??
I just hope its not a flash in the pan. But if he plays well he can replace Ceballos besides PArtey.
Lump in the throart time in warm up.
Seeing Rocasle 7 on thr track suits.come onyou gooners play for Rocky.
half an hour gone. we have had one shot on target and none off target. They have the lion’s share of possession. Our attack is practically non existent and they are all over us.
it will be a miracle if we go for half time without having conceded.
Tierney subbed suddenly. problem with knee it seems. fingers crossed its precautionary.
we made it to half time 0-0. a bit of a miracle with the way they were playing however we restricted them to just one shot on target. and we had one as well. otherwise they were all over us.
Ceballos and Partey does not work. We are missing Xhaka big time. Saka as well.
I hope we have a better 2nd half and maybe score.
Got to try Martinelli, without youth and energy of Saka and ESR we have no flair at all. If it’s Willian we turn to, I’m chucking my slippers at the telly!
How poor is Ceballos,and how much are we missing Xhaka in mid field
Big big 45 for Arteta, he’s got two changes left to try and outmanoeuvre Klopp and it’s not looking likely. Not sure why he didn’t start Elneny?
I know it’s a ‘process’ but why does it have to be such a fecking boring process…
What a load of rubbish that was.
7.59 Rick, well said.
We’ve gone from playing out from the back every time to just hoofing a hopeful ball up the pitch.
Agree re Xhaka, we miss him. Thank Ceballos for that.
Martinelli has just shown more intent in ten seconds than Aubameyang has all game.
Some of the worst defending I’ve seen!!
Exactly what we deserve tonight. Can’t see any positive from whole match.
Missing Luiz Scott😀
Some of the worst football I’ve seen Scott, from Arsenal I mean.
And Xhaka Andrew. Lol
Rico, has to be the worst midfield this season. That leaves the attack……,,,,,
The attack is pants too Andrew.
The whole lot have been really poor.
Night all.
Rico, things are pretty bad when we are missing Xhaka and Luiz, Two players most of us never wanted to see at various times. Shows how just how poor we are tonight. Auba is still my biggest disappointment of this season.
To be honest, it highlights how poor some of our squad still is but they’re not machines-these guys who played in the internationals needed a break.
Lots of sales to be made in the summer.
Get rid of Auba off ffs.
It’s not even a case of him being out of form any longer, it can’t be.
He’s taking the piss.
Where do you start on that ?
At the top, Potter, our skipper.
Woeful again!!
250k a week and he can’t even out in a shift.
He’s a disgrace.
Let’s hope Arteta starts Martinelli midweek!!!!
Another game with the duo Auba-Laca without winning. And no game opportunities. They did not learn from previous coaches.
Please: make a survey of the total number of games in which we played with Auba-Laca in the attack and the balance between wins / losses / draws. We will be surprised by the result. And they will realize the obvious.
What a load of rubbish that was.
We were outplayed and outclassed. Not one player came out of the
game with credit.
Well and truly put in our place, outfought, out thought, out played, out classed, Liverpool actually played as they did last season and we played like we did before Christmas.
Arteta and the players are so so fortunate that there aren’t any supporters in the stadium atm, as half the Emirates would have been empty after it went 2-0 and rest would have left on 3-0…
Boring, unimaginative, predictable…
Guys, look at the players we were missing.
That explains it all.
We lack quality throughout the squad and in some cases, we lack effort.
Still huge changes to be made and I reckon some of these imposters stamped their papers today, if they hadn’t already.
Slot our best starting 11 in today and it’s a totally different ball game.
Our problem is the difference between our best football and our worst is massive.
Until our worst is much better, we are in trouble.
Some of them, too many, just aren’t good enough.
The precedent or standard Auba sets every week is bloody terrible.
I’d make a stand right now and take the captaincy off him, something I’d never condone mid season but he’s just collecting his wage, now.
Utterly appalling!
Probably the worst we have played in the entire Premiership era.
Even under Emery we didn’t sink as low.
A few more games like tonight’s and Arteta will be on his bike.
Good night all.
Out of the 22 tonight, I’ve got 4 gone , 10 with questions and keep 8. Lots to do , lots to think about.
Looks as if David Luiz is out for the rest of the season.
Also it could put the kibosh on any extension of his contract?
Rob Holding needs to bloody sort his head out and quickly as we’re going to need him focused if we’ve got any chance of salvaging this season, likewise Gabriel, who had one of his worst games in an Arsenal shirt.
I’m also becoming increasingly concerned about Bernd Leno, I’ve always seen him more so in the John Lukic category of competent goalkeepers rather than top top drawer, but we need a David Seaman, a goalkeeper with presence who can spread confidence to his defenders –
and maybe the man who could do that job we sold to Aston Villa?
And finally Aubameyang….
Are our worst fears being realised and is he really, gradually transforming into the next bloated, overpaid, demotivated version of Mesut Ozil..?
Goalkeepers
1 Bernd Leno
13 Alex Runarsson
33 Mat Ryan
Defenders
2 Hector Bellerin
3 Kieran Tierney
6 Gabriel
16 Rob Holding
17 Cedric Soares
21 Calum Chambers
22 Pablo Mari
23 David Luiz
Midfielders
7 Bukayo Saka
8 Dani Ceballos
11 Martin Odegaard
18 Thomas Partey
25 Mohamed Elneny
32 Emile Smith Rowe
34 Granit Xhaka
Forwards
9 Alexandre Lacazette
12 Willian
14 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
19 Nicolas Pepe
24 Reiss Nelson
30 Eddie Nketiah
35 Gabriel Martinelli
Loan
Torriera
Guendouzi
Kolasinac
Mavropanos
Saliba
Maitland-Niles
Willock
Assuming no-one in or out before next season that’s what we are working with .
Who is in or out , who makes up numbers and who is purely a substitute ?
Hi all,
What happened to plan B when the City way of play is not possible.
Surely it is not hoof it up field everytime we are under pressure.
2 inexperienced CD’s that never played together and flying wing backs but no plan to run in behind. We know Laca and Auba doesn’t have that in their game, Pepe does but he needed to work the wing and actually track back.
Why didn’t Arteta flood the midfield and have runners if the plan is to sit back in our own half and soak up the pressure?
Lastly, these guys are professional footballers on big money that can’t trap a ball, can’t or not willing to tackle and can’t string 3 5m passes together?
That was piss poor all round from Arteta’s plans and formation and useless half assed players.
And I forgot to add the names of ARTETA and EDU.
Kev, Aubameyang has already morphed into Ozil #2 with the addition of his April Fools hair style.
I’d sell 16 on that list Potter, if we’re down to me of course.
Morning all.
There is a new post up now.
Brad, spot on.
Need a link Rico, I had to access it via New Now…
The technical changes are ruining the online experience, Arseblog News is an absolute joke now, every post they put up is frozen.