Morning all.
For the last goodness knows how many weeks, months even, the newspapers, football pundits, you name them and they’ve said it. Arsenal allowing Bakuyo Saka to reach the final year of his contract was a disgrace. The knives were out in a big way with their big headlines and big comments just waiting for the day he became another clubs player.
Yesterday afternoon the news we Arsenal fans have been waiting for, finally arrived. He’s only gone and signed ‘da ting’ – yes, his words!
However, I had to scroll down half a page in the Mail to find a small piece about this news. Saka’s name didn’t even make the front sports page of Sky Sports but at least The Mirror had a headline about our news, I just had to look hard for it. Positive stories at Arsenal just don’t suit the media eh. Idiots!
This is great news for the club, for us the fans and for football. Arsenal aren’t flying high at the moment yet Mikel Arteta, Edu too I’d imagine have reassured Saka that The Arsenal is the place to be. Things are going to happen and he’s going to be a big part of it. What I especially liked about the young mans interview was that he didn’t forget the coaches who have helped become the player he is today and he certainly didn’t forget Unai Emery, the coach who gave him his debut. Saka also mentioned David Luiz. All became clear as to why the club gave him (Luiz) another year.
It’s Arsenal, you know. Come on, it’s Arsenal! The stadium is great, the fans are great, the club is great. Everything about this club is great.
I love playing for Arsenal, you know. I love playing for the coach, the fans, my team-mates, I really believe in the philosophy that the boss is bringing and what he’s building, and I’m just really excited to see where he’s going to take us in the future.
I felt that it was right in my heart to extend my contract here and I feel like this is going to be best for my development.
If you haven’t listened to Saka’s interview on Arsenal.com, you’re missing out. What a humble, honest and quite charming young man he is.
Personally, I do think better times are just around the corner but how long that corner is I’ve no idea. Edu loves Arsenal, Mikel Arteta does too and they want the club to be back challenging for the league. For now though, and by that I mean next season, top four would be a huge step forwards. Securing young talented players is key to the club moving forwards. We know plenty of top clubs around Europe would have snapped Saka up in a flash given half the chance. He’s ours. For a long time. Same goes for the rest of younger players.
I’m chuffed to bits he’s staying. I really am. Now I hope Arsenal can tie Balogun down to a lengthy contract too.
Anyway, in case you missed it. Arsenal played again yesterday evening. More chopping and changing from Mikel Arteta which I totally understand. He needs everyone learning his ideas, playing the way he wants them to. All of them and not just 13-15. Also, we’re playing one game nearly every three days so rotation is needed. Yet still no place for either Ozil or Guendouzi. Nor Saka who was given a well earned rest.
I thought Dani Ceballos had one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt. The kind of performance which makes me think I wish he was staying. Perhaps he will. The Evening Standard quote Mikel Arteta as saying:
Both clubs (Real and Arsenal) have been in communication. I really like Dani and what he brings to the team.
When I joined he wasn’t available because he had a difficult injury, but he’s understanding what we’re trying to do really, really nicely and he has big personality to play and take the ball in any area of the field and give us the continuity that we need as a team to control the games better, but as well without the ball.
The running that he’s putting in, the tackles, every time with the interceptions, his desire to win that ball back and help the team, he’s improved so much and he looks a really good player at the moment.
Martinez made one cracking save on what was a relatively quiet night for him. Aubameyang notched up his fiftieth goal quicker than any other Arsenal player before him and grabbed another too, just in case someone was messing up their maths. Xhaka scored a fine goal at the end of a good Arsenal move but as far as goals go, the best of the night has to go to Cedric. What a way to announce his arrival. He’d barely warmed up before scoring our final goal of the game. Excellent.
Arsenal were good. Organised, full of running, chasing down and moving well off the ball, certainly in the first half. Norwich had a bit of a good spell after the break but other than one or two scary moments I thought we were in total control. An all round solid performance.
Wolves on Saturday evening will be a different challenge to the one Arsenal faced last night but at least the squad travel to the West Midlands club with a solid, confidence building performance under their belt.
A very good day for The Arsenal I’d say..
See you in the comments guys.
Good morning Rico.
A lovely day here in Norfolk made even lovelier by the news that Arsenal and Real Madrid are in talks over Dani Ceballos.
The one cloud on the horizon, Hector Bellerin didn’t look at all happy about be subbed and even unhappier to see his replacement score a stunner during his four minutes on the pitch. May just be the wake-up call our Freddie Mercury look-a-like needed.
Today I am just SO SO HAPPY, Saka has signed , THE most important signing that Arsenal could have made this season. & a long term one ( I could not bear it happening all over again at the end of next season) & of course the win, much needed …a REALLY hard run of games coming up, we need a lot of luck to get through these next few games. I’ll be watching the Spurs game tonight & if Sheffield can win we will be above Spurs YES YES YES
An early evening kick off and I would normally have just got back to my local for a pint or two but sadly last night it was closed and the local boys were spared my gloating. I know that were I out today they would do their best to avoid a 5 minute chat.
Did yesterday show that Arsenal have made great strides forward or did it prove that Norwich are rock bottom for a reason..
My half full glass tells me that we are moving forward because we put them to the sword and where we would have in the past struggled and just about sneaked a 1 nil.
I think Arteta is slowly getting his squad together but it’s too soon to say that an immaginary corner has been turned. The next 5 games will tell a lot , Wolves, Leicester , Spurs and Liverpool with Man City in the cup . After these we will know more but remember that in recent years it’s not been the games with the big 6 that have held us back , it’s been the points dropped against the teams we should havwe beaten. It was only 11 days ago we lost to Brighton so it’s too early to get over excited
Thanks Rico.
Yes a good day for us Gooners, but you know a bad one is always just around the corner……………..normally a bad performance! 🙂
I`m over the moon my adopted son Bakuyo Saka Monster signed “da ing” …….so now I can start “dating” fit women with my 10% cut!…………………might even get elocution lessons for my dyslexic speech impediment Parrott, it`s the reason why I am a trained ventriloquist as kids come around and expect to be entertained by him!………………………my speciallity is funerals where I like to throw my voice inside the coffin……….”let me out, I`m not dead!”………………..
Nice one, Rico👍
What a win… some superb performances… Auba motm… I’m praying he’ll sign!
And to top off that excellent day yesterday, was the hammers beating the chavs!! Bloody brilliant! I hope the Blades play as well tonight 😉
Morning Rico and all.
Drizzling like a leaky shower head! And miserably grey. The mood today is a little more positive though.
A fair display from the team, although Norwich were not very combative nor much of a threat. Nice to see a bit more fluency when moving the ball around. Lots of one and two touch football. Far more efficient. The next run of games will show us whether they’ve got this sort of urgency, commitment and ability to perform as well against superior opponents. But feeling good today.
Cedric. Ah, Cedric. Lovely goal, a slight deflection involved though. The question is will he be the new Dixon or has he shown us his inner John Jensen? Time will tell.
And, can he defend? He didn’t have any opportunity to show us his inner full back. Still a promising start. A goal scoring defender is always worth having, always!
There is no corner to be turned, it’s a dirty great sweeping bend, and it’s still a long way away 🙂 🙂
Morning all.
Great day, yesterday and I’d say a Saka signing was the highlight.
Whatever the delay, it’s irrelevant now as he’s signed and we needed him to.
I doubt there’d be a club in the world that wouldn’t take him as he’s just that good.
Terrific performance and yes Sue, worth waking up for 🙂
As for that bend, we are at least heading the right way, imo, no matter how slowly.
Hi Rico and all Scott yesterday was the first time in a while that I finally sore us play as a team so lets hope that when we get around the great big sweeping bend of your there is no train wreck at the end for all our sakes.
We are in safe hands, Geoff.
Where do we stop?
There`s calls for Mount Rushmore to be demolished!
I say we ransack and destroy the City of Bath, because the Romans enslaved the British…………………… I mean it`s not like the Romans ever did anything good for us!
Prince Charles bags £1m from Cornish people dying without a will under archaic rules.
LC watch your back
It`s ok Potter!…………I`ve left everything to the dustbin lids………….apart from my Parrott which I`ve left to Sue!…………………….hold on a sec!, I`m not dead yet!……………….sometimes the ventriloquist in me takes over!
Afternoon all. Who have we signed today…. 😆
For a club that has no money we are signing a lot expensive players!…………………how do I know this?…………………..I read newsnow! 😆
Newsnow really is full of absolute garbage isn’t it…
Nice scoreline at Bramall Lane. 😂
Is that a St Totteringham”s Day banner I can see in the distance???!!!! 😁
The blades slice up the Spuds. 😉
What a week we’re having 😝😝
But we’ve dropped a place.. ☹️
Sterling has finally broken his duck against Liverpool!! Get in there 😄
Can the smile on my face get any bigger??!!!!
Loving the way City are tearing Liverpool apart. Hope they play like this at The Emirates.
Chavs lost, Spuds lost, We win, Saka signs, Auba joint top scorer, Semi Final and Bindippers getting a pasting…………………..I think Sue will spontaneously combust! 😆
😂😂😂 Le Coq!!! I think Liverpool should give City a guard of honour after this!! 😝🥳😎🤩🤩🤩
Ox OG 😂😂😂😂 Roll on work tomorrow!!
Le Coq.. your 2.30 comment 😝😝👍
Amazing how people are saying they’ll put it down to a blip and how it’s hard to motivate yourself after the league has been won. Yet we managed it and are Invincible…yet those dippers can do no wrong! Nauseating…..
Thank you, City… that was brilliant and I’m going to watch it all over again on MOTD!!
And I thought we were hard done by VAR (we were – Chambers). But that Totts goal disallowed was hilarious/I mean ridiculous.
Morning Rico… well, I’m full of the joys of spring today (amazing what a Liverpool spanking can do to you 😄)
Ospina was stretchered off last night, poor sod, hope he’s alright….
It’s the league one play off later – Portsmouth v Oxford… will have a butchers at that… and one other thing, it’s Friday!! Yay!!!
Omg Amazon have been filming Spurs for an ‘All or Nothing’ documentary…. that’ll be nothing then!!
Does this mean we’ll finally get to see the elusive trophy cabinet?!! Nah…. 😂😂😂
Morning Sue, all.
Their film title should be ‘emptiness’…..
New post up now