Morning all.
Both Joe Willock and Issac Hayden return to The Emirates today and I’m sure they’ll both receive a warm welcome. I hope Willock’s late runs into the box don’t catch us out.
I think this lunchtime fixture against Newcastle Utd is big. They seem to have found a new attacking lease of life since Eddie Howe was appointed and we’ve just been hammered by Liverpool. Well, a week ago that is. I think that defeat was just a reality check as to how much catching up Arsenal have to do in order to be successful again. Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea, forget the results against them and focus on the rest because not losing to them is key to where we might finish the season. I know, that’s obvious.
Really looking forward to the game. After a defeat we want to play straight away in a different context. We are on a good run, we play at home, we will have our people right behind us and we are going to perform well. First of all play as well as we can and then we will be closer to winning the match. – Mikel Arteta.
Strong words, ‘we are going to perform well’ but Mikel Arteta is right, his team need to perform well again today. Secure three more points and get back on the right track and the defeat at Anfield will just be another fact written in history but stutter against Newcastle, or heaven forbid lose, the little knives which had been put away, will be back out again. I suspect the sports writers already have the pens and pencils at the ready.
Two things I know about Newcastle.
- Joe Willock will want to prove he shouldn’t have been sold.
- Allan Saint-Maximin can, and does on a regular basis, cause the best of sides problems.
Make that three, Eddie Howe is no fool of a manager. He’d have watched us against Brighton, Crystal Palace and of course Liverpool in preparation for today’s match and I’ll be surprised if his team don’t press us high and hard in our own half. Either that or his team will sit back, defend and then try and hit us on the break.
As the home team though, it’s up to Mikel Arteta’s team team to set the tone of the game. A first half similar to what we saw against Aston Villa, Toots and Leicester City and I think we’ll be too good for the bottom of the League club.
We’re three points West Ham who sit in fourth spot and it’s imperative to not let that gap grow too much. Wolves and Toots are just behind us and with the latter going through a ‘new manager’ process, they might just begin to improve. Man Utd in are the same position as far as a new manager goes so they too might begin to climb the table although I doubt they’ll get anything from their game tomorrow.
For today though, it’s all about Arsenal v Newcastle and the home team coming out on top.
See you in the comments.
COYG’S!
Good afternoon Rico and all.
This is a must win match to prove that we can come back from a heavy lose and also with Man u sacking their coach the media will be after Arteta.
Newcastle fan here, can’t believe you are in the slightest bit worried.
We might score right! But we have at best a Championship defence who have conceded 27 goals so far this season.
3-1 my prediction and as always will enjoy my beers at the Bailey on Holloway Road….
This will be held up as a guide to our progress , Anything other than a good win will be treated as either a wobble or a “” just Newcastle “” comment . In some ways it heaps the pressure on us because the reaction to a Newcastle loss will be a shrug of the shoulders with the acceptance that Howe has work to do. Whereas a narrow victory will be hailed as an Arsenal struggle to get past the bottom team.
Good morning Rico and all.
Arteta’s mention, earlier in the week, of the word rotation could have been the prelude to easing Tavares and Lakonga onto the bench today and could herald the return of Tierney and AMN. The rest of the line-up picks itself. Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, AMN, ESR, Saka, Lacazette and Aubameyang.
The left wing combination of ESR and Tierney worked well earlier in the season, providing a good number of crosses in the box.
Apparently Howe has been urging his players into a high pressing game, he obviously watched how Liverpool succeeded with the tactic last week.
Afternoon Geoff, Cicero, Potter and all. HH crashed on me earlier and haven’t been able to get on here. Anyone experienced the same?
Hi Billy, I’m not worried about Newcastle, I’m worried about Arsenal. 😂
OK here Rico, I was wrong Tavares in, Lakonga, in Odegaard in, Lacazette, Tierney and AMN on the bench.
The only change for Arsenal is Odegaard for Lacazette.
I agree Potter.
Morning rico, all. No more excuses, Howe can’t work miracles on a team that hasn’t won yet. Hi Billy, we are not the most confident crowd here, not since the GG 1-0 Arsenal days!
He had his ups and downs at Arsenal, not helped by some dreadful refereeing decisions, but good luck to David Luiz today in his South American Cup final, trying to add to his European Cup medal.
Am surprised after his Scotland games, and a rest, Tierney not recalled. We need his quick crosses. Actually we also need a forward on the end of them!
Morning Andrew.
Absolutely agree, there can’t be any excuses today. Just hope Aubameyang is up for this one.
Rico no trouble today but the last few day one minute my ipad found HH the next could not find it
Thanks Geoff.
Apparently Aubameyang is on the pitch, but if he is he’s doing an amazing impersonation of the Invisible Man.
What a goalie!
Too slow, too many backward passes.
Aubameyang looks totally disinterested in this game.
Terrible miss from Aubameyang
Cicero, when he does touch it he manages to miss from 2 yards!
We have absolutely no presence in the penalty box. Oh Mr Anonymous is there, he just missed a sitter. 😕
The quickest Aubameyang has moved was going off at halftime 😜
I know we used to ask for more long shots but……. tell Tavares if he can’t get within 10 yards of the goal!
Arteta need’s to send Auba to spec savers
I think Tavares is trying too hard after last weekend. He’d be better off playing it across the box.
He needs to send him somewhere Geoff!
Nice goal by Saka
Take Auba off, he’s getting worse!
Hopefully Saka injury not too bad
Wow, that’s how to finish Auba! Hope that’s the start of Martinellis re-emergence.
I hope Auba is watching how to score goals
Super goals from Arsenal. Martinelli 👏👏
I too hope this is the start of more game time for him.
To think he hasn’t been coming on even as a sub!
Beggars belief really.
Smith Rowe is a great clean tackler, as well as his other talents.
He certainly is.
Good win in the end.
Nice win, Ramsdale another good game.
Two goals, a clean sheet, three points. Just another day at the office….except an outstanding goal by MotM Saka and an absolute gem of a goal by Martinelli.
The only down-side was an abysmal performance by Aubameyang. Is he even worth his spot in the squad?
Three points but a terrible first half. Auba still looking very poor.
Honestly Adam, I don’t think he’s looked interested ever since he signed that lucrative new contract. He even seemed unmoved by missing three very good scoring chances this afternoon. Is it lack of motivation, lack of confidence, lack of hunger or a just couldn’t give a shit attitude?
If anything, Aubameyang is holding the team back imo.
I have to agree Rico, a pity Arteta can’t or won’t see it.
An enormous pity Cicero, for the few amount of goals he’s scored, someone else could have bedded in by now.
Rico @ 4:09, it’s baffling why Arteta keeps playing Aubameyang, and even worst why he doesn’t sub him off? As bad as Aubameyang has been, he will rather play Lacazette as a 10 and keep Aubameyang as a striker when there are better options.
I can see that Obi, certainly recently. There must be a reason why.
I agree Cicero. His goals have dropped alarmingly since the contract.
As has his attitude and body language on the pitch.
His interview about being the captain was pretty weird.
Martinelli will probably start on Thursday, no need to risk him at Old Toilet.
Risk Saka
Just for once I have nothing bad to say about the referee. I thought he did pretty well, he booked players only when they deserved a booking. He didn’t fall for the simulation tried by the Newcastle players and largely protected the players from the wilder elements in the Magpies defence. 8 out of 10.
Auba is invisible. I’ve posted here a few times, but a player who wants to, for example, cross, looks at the area and doesn’t see anyone. Auba he hides behind or between the defenders, playing the mistake.
Martinelli, may miss many chances to score, but he looks for space, goes unmarked, “he plays the game”.
I still say that Saka-Odegard-ESR cannot play all 3 at the same time.
We lose depth and don’t get the best out of each one.
There are 2 possible reasons why I think Arteta keeps playing Auba.
1 he’s hoping by playing Auba he can breaks this bad run of not scoring.
2 he doesn’t want to get into a similar situation as Ozil by having our most expensive player sitting on the bench.
Geoff in terms of transfer fees, our most expensive player is sitting on the bench at £76 million that’s Pepe.
It’s strange how Pepe remains on the bench, yet Aubameyang plays. Not that I’m suggesting Pepe should play, I think both should be on the bench, or better still, at a different club.
New post up now
Cicero I meant match payments not buying price