Morning all.
In the words of Jeorge Bird over at Arsenal Youth, “were it not for the exploits of Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, who made some fantastic saves in the second half”, the Arsenal under 23’s would have been beaten by a much greater score line than the 2-0 defeat they suffered.
So who is Arthur Okonkwo?
Not much is written about our young keeper other than he was born in London in September 2001. He’s a mighty 6’ 4” tall and he’s represented England for the under whatever age he was at the time. Lol
But more important than that, he’s an Arsenal player and has been described on the official site as being a tall and modern keeper which I guess means he’s confident playing out from the back. He’s already been training with the first team and I think he’s been on the bench this season too. I’d love to see the team have an Englishman back between the sticks one day. Just maybe, in a few years time I will.
Another talking point from last night’s match was the absence of Folarin Balogun. Is he injured, off, or set to be part of the squad to face Man City. Was he the office with Mikel Arteta and Edu signing his autograph at the bottom of a new contract? I’d like to think it was both of the latter two. Why not get him on the bench tomorrow afternoon and give him thirty minutes against the best team in England.
Man City come to The Emirates tomorrow in excellent form. Unless they have a massive meltdown, they’re likely to win the league again this season. Good, I’d much rather they did than the likes of Liverpool, Utd or Chelsea. Inevitably, Pep Guardiola has been asked about Arsenal and his chum Mikel Arteta ahead of the game:
“Over the last month or two they’ve played better than the opponent in every game. As a manager you want the results you deserve, sometimes it doesn’t happen. But in the games they are always better, controlling, creating chances and conceding few. We’ll need to play as good as possible with the ball and run a lot. They have exceptional build up, the quality and energy.
I have to agree, Arsenal have often been the better team, even during the first half of the season when a victory was so hard to find. All we lacked was goals which had our frontmen been in better form, would have got. It was the same story on Thursday. When a teams main strikers aren’t scoring goals, missing sitters along the way, how can the manager really be blamed? If Aubameyang was converting his chances at a similar ratio to last season, we wouldn’t be 10th in the League that’s for sure.
Pep was quick to remove himself from any credit Mikel might be getting for his work so far at Arsenal.
“I didn’t inspire him. I know absolutely that I wasn’t any influence, he takes all the credit with his staff. I learned off him and we worked together. I listen a lot to my assistants, most of the time we take decisions together. I don’t know the influence – he has to answer. I worked really well with him and now he’s doing it for himself.”
It’s only natural for one human being to have an influence on another as we go through life. The important thing is to remember the good and discard the bad and I’m sure that’s no different in football. Mikel Arteta would have taken and stored things in his mind throughout his footballing life regardless of who his manager/coaches were. Even David Moyes. I say that slightly tongue in cheek but his West Ham team are doing pretty well this season. Mikel Arteta, despite what Pep says, will have learned an awful lot from his time at Man City and I’m quietly confident that our manager is inspired by, and to be as good as his fellow countryman one day.
Life in management/coaching has always been easier for Pep though as wherever he’s been, he’s had huge financial support so building his own squad pretty much happened overnight. Or rather, one season’s worth of transfer windows. For Mikel Arteta, the building process has and will be much slower but even so, the squad already looks different to the one he inherited just over a year ago.
I think we’d all agree that Arsenal are nowhere near City’s level on the pitch but even so, I’m looking forward to seeing the two clubs battle it out tomorrow. At least Pep’s team is unlikely to sit back and defend so we might get a few chances. Who knows, the way this season is going, we might even win.
See you in the comments.
Good morning Rico and all
Good points especially on Okonkwo and Balogun.
The wish of seeing an Englishman between the sticks might soon be a reality. Currently we have Leno and Ryan. However both are not English and that reality might soon hit in. I still dont know how come we have not tried for Eddie Woodman who is a good keeper and English. Currently there is talk of Arsenal trying to sign Ryan permanently.
The following is a good read and it might clarify a few issues……. https://untold-arsenal.com/archives/85636
Anything can happen in a one off , a mistimed tackle with a red card and penalty can change things in a second.
Then again if precedent is likely to be repeated it wont fall in our favour.
During 20/21 Man City have committed 117 fouls , Arsenal have also committed 117 fouls but whereas City have collected 26 yellows we have 34 , City have yet to receive a red but we have 5 ..
Not hopeful that we can expect any help from above.
Unless City winning the PL is not on the PL agenda Potter.
Morning to you, Devil, all.
Hi Rico and all Thanks for the link to this page. Who knows with Arteta knowing the weakness of of the man city players and a better understanding of our players now compared to last time we played them I can see us causing a upset and beating man city 3 goals to 2
Morning all.
3-1 to the good guys 🙂
Thanks for the info on Okonkwo, Rico!!
Seems the lad has a future!!
I have been REALLY hoping all year that we manage to keep Balogun, & so have been disappointed that he has not got any minutes on the pitch. I was hopeful a week or so ago when reports were coming out that Laca & Eddie were up for sale and so Balogun would get his chance and stay to take it. I agree I would like to see him come on for 2o mins ( not 5) if we were losing the game on Sunday. Next Thursdays game is far more important for us now I think & we just HAVE to beat Benfica,
I would bet Balogun against Benfica. He’s a different player than everyone else.
I’m not too concerned about the game against City, because I have a feeling that it will go well.
With Benfica, I’m afraid. I have the strange feeling that we will be superior in both games and in the end, we are eliminated. Like a penalty that comes out of nowhere, preceded by the corner given by defensive ineptitude, as in the last game.
Then, because UEFA continues with the wrong rule, that in extra time, the rule of the scored goal will continue to be valid for two. At the moment, even worse, because there is no “home” factor. I hope I´m wrong.
Morning Rico and all, beat Man City eh? Take away our FACup win and our record has been pretty dire against the northern oilers, as Orbinho shows below:
Orbinho
@Orbinho
·
19 Feb
Arsenal have failed to beat Man City in any of their last 10 league games. The Gunners have only had three worse runs against an opponent without a win in their history.
12 Liverpool 1994-2000
11 Aston Villa 1910-22
11 Liverpool 1962-67
It seems that Arsenal vs Man City is a regular 3-0 win for the Sky Blues so I’m not expecting an Arsenal win anytime soon. I think that Pep was just being supportive of his friend and let us not forget that during our recent poor run and the media and social media maelstrom that was engulfing Arteta that it was actually Pep who stood up and publicly spoke up for his old partner, I don’t recall Edu saying too much or the Kroenkes….
Joaquim I was thinking that City would beat us but that we would win against Benfica & now you have given your reasons that we are not going to win , and you make sense it has happened like that before …so not I am going to worry ALL WEEK , because getting through on Thursday is just so very very important for us
Sheila, I hope we move on, especially overtaking Benfica, for several (good) reasons 🙂
Rico may be my computer or ipad but I had to use the link you attached to yesterdays story to get todays story
me too Aussie
Man City are, lest we forget, the masters of rotational fouling. They’ll be at it again tomorrow.
Hi again all.
I think, If you’re logged into a WordPress account, I think the problem will go away.
Ah yes Adam, the experts of the dark side of football. Still, Moss will be on the ball I’m sure.
Ah, fatty Moss, is that right Rico, first time for him and Arsenal this season then?
Why is it the first time we’ve had Moss when we’ve had Oliver, Kavanagh and Atkinson four times?
I have no idea and the worry is that the PGMOL don’t have any idea either!
Their’s really is an organisation of smoke and mirrors…
The way the officials are appointed is just another fault of the PGMOL Kev. They’re a joke.
I think that the first question in the referee’s interview is……..on a scale of 1-10 how much do you hate Arsenal?? 10 being the highest level of hate.
You get the job if you answer from 8 upwards.
After watching the Southampton v Chelsea game, it’s not just us who get a rough deal.
when you watch a good number of games Rico you arrive to the conclusion that it’s one of two options….either the refs are incompetent OR they are bent.
It simply cannot be otherwise.
DG, I don’t think all of the refs are bent but I do believe the majority of them are incompetent.
I tend to agree a bit Cicero…..the only problem is that we will never know who the bent ones are….until someone gets found out.
Evening Rico and the House
I have just logged on to the link you posted on yesterdays post and find no comments .
See how many there are
After login in I find I have to refresh to get up to date comments, Rick.
What a result for the Toffees!! Oh it’s all gone pete tong for Klopp and his men and I’m loving every second of it!!
Well taken goal by Richarlison.. solid performance from Everton… 👌
Pool have lost 4 consecutive home league games for the first time since 1923 😄 Dontcha just love it, Rico?!!
Portuguese press unconvinced with Arsenal star – Rated as low as 3/10 for performance
Lucas Sposito19th February 2021
Benfica’s clash against Arsenal in the Europa League is the main subject in Portugal’s sports newspapers today. The 1-1 draw in Rome is seen as a positive result for the Lisbon side to try to get the qualification in the second leg.
Local outlets reckon that by using three defenders, Jorge Jesus’ main plan was to hold the Gunners’ attack, abdicating a little of trying big things in this game and leaving the daring for later.
Now what really caught our attention was how Portuguese newspapers rated Pierre Emerick Aubameyang for last night’s performance, as it seems to be a consensus that he didn’t do well.
A Bola gives the striker a three out of ten, making him the worst among all Arsenal players who took part in the game.
‘Caught four times offside in the first half. He had two occasions that could have ended the tie. He shot to the side, alone, at 19 minutes, lost in dribbling at 75,’ they write.
His poor ratings continue with other newspapers. O Jogo gives Aubameyang a four out of ten, also making him the poorest in the Gunners’ squad, and says: ‘Unlike the last game in England, where he scored three goals against Leeds, Aubameyang was spendthrift last night, namely at 9 minutes, 63 and 75, when he had good chances to score. He also sinned for the offside plays where he let himself be caught”.
Meanwhile, newspaper Record takes it a little easier on him. They give him a two out of five, making him better than Kieran Tierney, Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe, Willian and Mohamed Elneny, as they were all given a one. Still, the striker still gets some criticism.
‘The company’s star, Aubameyang, was not short of opportunities, as happened at 19, 63 (shot to the side) and 75 (disarmed by Lucas). In addition, he collected offsides (4).’
Despite the disappointment with Aubameyang, Portuguese outlets praised the performances of Bukayo Saka, who scored Arsenal’s goal, and Martin Odegaard.
21 comments.
Its taken me a long time to work it out Rico,
but I have got there in the end and now know what to do.
Its not been a very good week for me and I have missed some very good posts and comments.
In the next few days I will try to respond to some of them if you will bear with me.
Another defeat for the u18s today 3-2 away to Brighten.
One positive Omarie Hucthinson scored both goals.
Hi all H/H members.
Have you seen the club are holding a Virtual Members quize
( by Zoom) on March 3rd
Any one interest in watching.
I gather there could be 2,000 invited
Evening Rick, work is being done to try and resolve the problem, honest…
How good it is to see Liverpool lose again.
Testing
Rick, I wonder what’s been going on with Khaylon Edwards, I thought that he was going to be this seasons ‘Balogun’ in the U18’s but he can’t get a start…
Morning all.
New post up.
https://highbury-house.com/2021/02/21/nothing-to-lose-whos-getting-the-lacazette-handshake/