Arsenal.com
Morning all.
Arsenal women kept their chance of a WSL trophy intact yesterday by beating Totts 1-0. It was a frustrating performance because they struggled to find the net in the first half. Right after the break, Alessia Russo tapped home a sitter after some good work from Beth Mead.
Not one Premier League result over the weekend did us any favours. Liverpool fluked their way to a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Aston Villa scored late on to beat Luton and then yesterday, Man City beat Man Utd 3-1. Oh, and Totts won their game too. Still, at least Reading won…
As it stands, we’re five points behind leaders Liverpool and only three points ahead of fourth place Aston Villa so the pressure is on Mikel Arteta and his players to win tonight to win.
Arsenal have been very good on the road since the turn of year, beating Nottingham Forest 2-1, West Ham 6-0 and Burnley 5-0. At Bramall Lane, Sheffield Utd have been struggling, conceding five goals in each their last three games. But, before we get overly confident about another potential high scoring away victory, our record against Utd isn’t great. One win in five isn’t brilliant but I know, much has changed since the last time we played them let alone the previous four fixtures.
At The Emirates, earlier in the season, it took half an hour for Mikel Arteta’s team to break the dealock. Eddie Nketiah scored the goal before nabbing himself a hat-trick. The best of the three was his third, a stunning 20-yard strike from distance. Substitutes Fabio Vieira scored from the spot before Takehiro Tomiyaso made it 5-0.
Team news:
Thomas Partey could be in the squad tonight and if he is, it’ll be for the first time since October. Both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu are close to making a return, but despite returning to training this week, it’s far too soon for Jurrien Timber.
Chris Wilder has a boost as Ben Brereton Diaz and George Baldock are available for selection again but Mason Holgate is suspended. Cameron Archer and Anis Slimane aren’t expected to return until after the international break. John Egan, Chris Basham, Max Lowe and Rhys Norrington-Davies are out for the rest of the season. Daniel Jebbison remains out too.
What can we expect from tonight’s opponents?
Wilder is well known for his affection for a 3-5-2. On the ball, he likes to use the full width of the pitch with his wing-backs looking to combine with the two wider central midfield players. The Blades are likely to spend much of this contest out of possession though – they average a division-low 36 per cent share – so their system will look more like a 5-4-1 for most of this match.
They try to congest the middle third rather than adopting a low block, but against top teams Sheffield United can get pushed back but they are abrasive in their approach. Defensive midfielder Vinicius Souza has won more tackles than any other Premier League player, and the Brazilian is not alone in showing aggression. Looking to upset our rhythm on the ball, it will be a surprise if they are passive.
Counter-attacks will be their main source of attacking hope, so it is likely Will Osula or Rhian Brewster, two quick forwards, will lead the line. Target man Oli McBurnie is their other option up top, but Gus Hamer and Manchester City loanee James McAtee are the Blades’ most creative performers. Both midfielders possess a goal threat from anywhere inside the final third, while McAtee has a terrific left foot and will be dangerous coming in off the right or playing in central pockets behind the striker.
Perhaps Vinicius Souza is a player to keep an eye on. Brazilian, 24, a 6’ 2” defensive midfielder who if Utd get relegated, might fancy a move to a different Premier League club. Just saying….
Utd need points and lots of them and whilst I don’t believe they’ll get any from this game tonight, they will be out to make it very difficult for whichever team Mikel Arteta fields. Mind you, I thought West Ham and Burnley would put up a fight too. As Adrian Clarke says though, Wilder’s men will be out to try and stop Arsenal from settling or finding any kind of rhythm so it might be a night for being patient. We’ll see soon enough..
Officials for tonight’s game:
Referee: Sam Barrott
Assistants: Simon Bennett, Dan Robathan
Fourth official: Anthony Taylor
VAR: John Brooks
Assistant VAR: Marc Perry
Catch up later…
Good morning Rico, bright and sunny, after overnight frost and early morning mist, here in Norfolk. Outlook for tonight in Sheffield? An unchanged side, Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Rice, Jorginho, Havertz, Saka, Trossard and Martinelli. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Morning Cicero.
It’s a tough one isn’t it because ideally we’d see the same eleven, especially as the players have had a period of rest but I reckon Jesus will start tonight with Trossard on the bench.
Ideally, we’ll score a few early goals so that Arteta can make early substitutes but I don’t think the game will be as easy as that.
Blades fan here, why all the caution and hesitation? If you score less than 10 it will be a decent result for us!
If anyone had told me before the season started that Luton would make a better fist of it than us I’d have laughed you out of the stadium, but alongside Burnley we’re bloody awful and you lot are flying. We’ll be lucky to get Nil!
Hi Tom, I’m always cautious when it comes to Arsenal. 😜
Afternoon Rico and all,
We should win as longs as the players don’t relax too much in the first half, as I think fitness will become an issue for them the longer the game goes on, and a few long passes on the break by Raya, should get the job done, but as we have seen before we can struggle with lower teams.
Really good post Rico. Adrian Clarke is one of the best analysts out there. Much more insightful than SKY or BBC pundits. As a matter of fact we can even see better match breakdowns and tactics from some youtubers and podcasters than the more famous, but brainless ex footballers.
Hi Geoff, never like to count my chickens….
Thanks Nigel. I too like Adrian Clarke and his pre match views. I’m not a big watcher of football, a bit like Ben White, so it’s good to know what to expect.
Arsenal team news
Team to play Sheffield United:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Substitutes:
Ramsdale, Cedric, Vieira, Partey, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Trossard, Jesus, Nketiah
15 mins in and it’s 3-0. Wow!
Amazing. What a shame this isn’t against Porto!
That one’s to come Andrew. Lol
Saka has improved so so much this season. Great to see him going outside his man as well as cutting in on his left.
Yes rico, defenders now just don’t know where to turn! Gives Saka so much more, you wonder why he didn’t do it earlier. Maybe confidence on his weaker foot?
Need to get out of game without injuries now as they started losing their heads. Pullback on Martinelli disgraceful not a booking.
I guess he wanted to master his left first Andrew. lol
Agreed, that was a cynical foul deserving of a booking..
I don’t like saying this but Henry is a boring pundit..
I would substitute Odergaard who has run the show and Saka after 55.
Tierney didn’t know the rules against Liverpool (giving benefit of the doubt rather than alternative) so no match this weekend. What shall we do with him? Oh, VAR for Arsenal v Brentwood of course!
I reckon we’ll see Jesus, ESR, Trossard and Partey on. Maybe Vieira too..
Good evening all, what a nice score line to wake up to.
Never count my chickens too soon Rico, as some have taken off too soon.
Nice win and really helped us to stay ahead in the goal difference
Attention to F.C. Porto.
Yesterday they won 5-0 against Benfica.
It’s going to be a very difficult game.
Six goals, a clean sheet, three points. 🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔 An exceptional day at the office. Pity about the injury to Martinelli, hopefully it’s not too serious, at least he wasn’t taken off on a stretcher.
Partey showed why he hasn’t been missed, in the short time he was on the pitch he gave the ball away three times around the halfway line. Against a better team that could have been costly.
I read this morning that Arteta has set up what is called a swarm defence, when we lose the ball everyone has the responsibility to win it back as quickly as possible. The new system worked very well until the subs came on, then the pressing became a little less intense. Tiredness may have exacerbated the situation.
If Porto were watching tonight’s game they will be worried.
Good night Gooners, everywhere. 😴
Ha ha Geoff, should have clipped their wings..
Excellent result. Don’t know why I worried… 😜
Night all.
Hi Tom (Blades fan) in case you return?
I’ve got relatives in South Yorkshire so I’ve just apologised to my cousin in Aston who is a Blades fan.
Arsenal are as good as at any time I can recall in the past many years and I can remember Tony Currie playing for the Blades, so you was on a hiding to nothing. It’s what you do against the teams around you but I’m a bit surprised that you’ve not done better this season. All you can do is support your team at this time and stick together for next season.
Evening Rico, evening all.
Porto beat Benfica 5-0 yesterday, a real change in form, I wonder if their manager is going to attack us next time out?
Kia Havertz is really becoming one of my favourite players, do we really need to spend loadsa money on a shiny new centre forward – I’m not sure we do?
I’d rather spend what money we have on an another centre-midfielder and give Biereth a chance to replace Eddie.
With PSR really biting into clubs’ confidence in terms of spending and the rest of europe unable to afford the wages we pay our players, the market for the players we think we’re going to sell might well be a lot more limited than we imagine.
For example, how many clubs are going to be able to match the wages Arsenal are paying Ramsdale, Nelson and Nketiah AND to be able to pay us a transfer fee? So getting transfer fee value might be problematic. We might have to lower our expectations from a transfer fee prospective in able to move these guys on, or we keep them and try to improve them?
A nice little run out ,Jesus and Partey got rid of a few cobwebs , We were sensational for 40 minutes closed everything that United tried to do. However once we did the subs it kind of slowed down. Certainly once we had Saka and Martinelli off we were less effective and as much as I can see why he did the subs he did it does seem a shame that Saka was not replaced by Nelson who like ESR must be feeling left out of things .
I also think that the rest of europe is going to suffer from a much reduced injection of funds from the Premier League, maybe the days of the inflationary fees european clubs can demand of English clubs are going to dry up?
You probably get better value when buying from another English club anyway, particularly in terms of fitting into the level quickly.
Among the euphoria of Arsenal’s record breaking goal scoring, let’s not forget that we have the lowest goals conceded (23) in the league. The excellence of our defence is the basis on which our success further up the field relies. I won’t single out any one of our regular starters as they are all equally dependent on each other.
A strong reliable back five is a prerequisite for a successful side, a fact that Arsene Wenger never got to grips with when George Graham’s group retired.
Well said Cicero.
New post up.