Morning all.
The festive fixtures have been confirmed by the Premier League and for Arsenal, it looks like this.
December:
- 26th – West Ham at home. 8pm (Amazon Prime)
- 31st – Brighton away. 5.30 (Sky Sports)
January:
- 3rd – Newcastle Utd at home. 8pm (Sky Sports)
- 14th – Totts away. 3pm
- 21st – Man Utd at home. 3pm
I’m sure both the Totts and Man Utd fixture date/times will be changed for television.
Just one away game which requires travelling a distance which is to Brighton, and even that’s not a million miles away from north London. A 5-30pm kick off on New Years Eve isn’t the best time for fans to be travelling but at least they’ll be back in time to see in the New Year.
The Europa League knockout fixtures don’t start up until the middle of February but, if memory serves me right, there will be an FA Cup fixture in January and a League Cup fixture if we beat Brighton in a couple of weeks time. We also have two fixtures which need rescheduling because of postponement, Everton and Man City – both of which will take place at The Emirates.
Arsenal have six more fixtures and the aftermath of a winter World Cup to get through before the festive matches come along and there’s a lot of hard work to be done. A lot of points to be won. Ok, just nine as far as the league goes but every single one of them is precious.
Three points on Thursday would be perfect too although I’m sure we’d all be happy if we come away with one because that’s all we need and it’ll mean Mikel Arteta can rest all his first team players for the Zurich match if he wants to.
Arsenal are in a bit of a sticky patch. A fast start is followed by a bit of a drop in tempo and even after fresh legs are brought on from the bench, little changes. That’s an observation and not a criticism. I’m no football manager or master tactician but it’s not difficult to see that if an opposition team can ride out the first 30 odd minutes without conceding a goal, their chance will probably come. Unlike Leeds, Bodo/Glimt and PSV, Southampton took a chance and nicked a point they probably shouldn’t have had the chance to nick.
Saying that, it must be so frustrating, demoralising even, if as a player, you’re getting pushed, tugged over, having your shirt pulled, have an opposition player punch you in the back or perform a move better suited to wrestling all game and the officials do nothing about it. I’m not sure I’d be able stay controlled, focused, enthusiastic and energetic if I was on the end of such treatment in a game, regardless of how I much I was being paid.
I posted this clip from Twitter yesterday and here it is again.
All the mistakes Robert Jones made today.. pic.twitter.com/2LqKSSJbaL
— ta x spm 🪓 (@supremiIe) October 23, 2022
How can any of what’s shown in the above video be deemed to be within the rules of football? Yes, Arsenal are lacking up front as far as goals go and are looking fatigued as a game goes on but if the officials do their job properly, the way the game played out on Sunday might have been very different to how it actually did.
Talking of strange decisions, Unai Emery has taken the job at Aston Villa following the sacking of Steven Gerrard. I admire him for returning to the league where he was once mocked by so many. It’ll be interesting to see how he does but if the Villa board back him in a way the Arsenal board allegedly didn’t, we’ll see how good/bad he really is. The media reckon he’s a great appointment, an ambitious one – oh they are a fickle bunch aren’t they? They chop and change their opinions more often than you or I have hot dinners. A bit like the officials in the Premier League really.
See you in the comments.
Good Ebening Rico
Can’t see the Emery appointment ending well, but good luck to him, he came across as a nice guy when he was at Arsenal.
The Boxing Day fixture change is a complete joke for anybody hoping to attend the game. 8pm with little public transport running outside London. Don’t expect anything less from the Premier League who sold their soul to TV a long time ago.
Morning Pete, all.
I think Emery will do well.
Don’t think any fixtures on a BH are good for travel..
I see that Emi Martinez is the first to welcome him to their club , maybe he understands Unai’s clipped Spanish more than Gerrard’s nasal scouse.
I don’t think that he is a bad manager but it seems that with Villareal one place outside the European qualifiers it’s a strange decision to leave unless Villa have given him an offer that he can’t refuse.
The goings on at Southampton still leave a bad taste in the mouth but they are not new , we only have to think back to Riley’s handling of match 50 and it’s strange that this one comes as Riley is about to leave as the leader of PGMOL.
With all of the games now getting televised it makes you wonder about the logic of having a season ticket although from reports on various supporter sites a ticket on Exchange sells in about 10 minutes flat.
The games are still coming thick and fast , next up PSV we need a point but will no doubt do our best to get 3 because that’s Arteta’s philosophy . However I hope he has enough to realise that should we be achieving that win we could play within ourselves and not further tax some of our ever present players .
Lots happening today , so will check in later .
Apparently Jones told Jesus that had he gone down he would have got a penalty. This coming from a man that booked Saka for diving when replays showed that he was tripped.
Double standard cover up ? anyone !
Jesus did go over didn’t he? Just in the wrong direction according to ref watch.
How can a ref tell Saka you went down to easy so you can have a yellow card then tell Jesus you should have went down straight away and I would have given you a penalty, in the same game and were was VAR asleep.
Jones desperately trying to cover his tracks, but he’s a Scouse and we know what they’re all about…
Just think in 4 weeks time we will be talking more about the January transfer market, this year has gone quick.
@Potter the tickets posted on the exhange are selling in less than 5 minutes in my experience. It shows what a difference a competitve team makes. I think there are ‘bots’ at work on the site, because in my experience it’s virtually impossible to complete the purchase in under 5 minutes.
Pete , That’s one of the problems of getting into bed with technology . Whatever you do there is someone who knows more about it and are able to get round your system . I don’t doubt that exchange tickets get into the hands of the very touts that stood openly in Gillespie road as you went to the ground. Once you sell on the technology , in Arsenal’s case , to Ticketmaster you lose control and the average supporter gets cut out.
I and my son have two North Bank lower season tickets but can’t make every game especially the midweek ones . If we can find red or silver members to pass them to we prefer to do it that way rather than go on exchange where the club takes a larger fee for the process . At least if we do the other system the fee is lower and all we charge is the cost of the ticket and the clubs pound of flesh. We don’t do it to make money.
There have always been 3 clubs that play with more players on the pitch: M. United, Liverpool and Totts. So not surprising.
Note that the VAR only intervenes or can intervene in certain situations. the final decision is always the referee’s responsibility.
Good morning Rico.
Shock Horror, Harland didn’t score for City last night. 😉
Henderson / Gabriel incident , No case to answer.
The World Cup begins on November 21st and ends on December 18th, during the busiest time of the year for me and probably all of you out there?
I’m not sure that I’ll have any time to really follow it and certainly no inclination to do so as it’s clearly the most corrupt football jamboree in my lifetime – and that’s saying something.
I’ll probably listen to the England games on the radio whilst I’m at work and maybe watch some highlights when I get home but watching Live games is unlikely as I’ll be too busy.
From what I’ve read, the England squad won’t get much sleep as their chosen hotel is only a short distance from a “fan zone” where alcohol will be available until the early hours of the morning and there will be a disco and fireworks.
Great planning on the part of the FA and Southgate.
Like you, Kev I have no great interest in the WC. I shall watch a few of the games if only to see how the air conditioning works in an open-air stadium. How apt that the initials of the World Cup are the same as the term for a toilet.
Afternoon Rico and all
I didn’t know disco ‘s were still going,
I see the premier league is bringing back a referee after 4 years who claimed he was leaving only to later admit that they sacked him, for taking the piss out of disabled people, they must be scrapping the bottom of the barrel if they have to bring someone like that back
Afternoon guys, I won’t be watching the World Cup either, not unless Netflix and Prime crash… lol
The World Cup has become so corrupt that FIFA would justify playing on Antartica in winter.
It’s very sad as it’s a competition that I used to love. I’ve been to a few (USA 94, France 98, Germany 06) and the thing that stands out is the fan experience. I can’t see much of that in Qatar. I expect most people will be staying in Dubai and jetting in for fixtures.
I will watch some games, but with minimal interest.
The WC in USA/Canada/Mexico looks a much more interesting tournament…
This WC should never being going ahead imo.
Good morning all.
Zinchenko not fit enough to make even the bench for tonight’s match, he seems to be as injury prone as Tierney. Also, Marquinos has not travelled as he was feeling unwell.
As Saka is in need of a rest, Nelson should get a game on the left wing. In an interview Jesus has said he is “happy to play 50, 60 or 70 games this season”. Even so I think he should be rested and replaced with Nketiah.
A strong defensive effort is required to ensure we get at least a point.
Sorry that should be right wing, of course.
Morning Cicero.
New post up.