Charles Sagoe Jr, Reuell Walters, Ismail Oulad M’Hand, Jack Henry-Francis, Jimi Gower, Bless Akolbire. Khayon Edwards, Lino Sousa and Amario Cozier-Duberry were all involved in pre Lens training.
Look who else was involved….
From Arsenal.com
What a massive boost it is for the club to have Thomas Partey back in the mix. I just hope there are no plans to stick him back in defence. But, if that’s what Mikel Arteta thinks is best for Arsenal, I guess he’ll be back at right back before we know it. Can’t see it myself though as we’ve been pretty good without him there. I’d still like to see him and Declan Rice together in midfield, certainly this weekend against Man City if Thomas Partey is available. With Rodri suspended, those two could really take control of the midfield and possibly the game.
But, that game is a few days away yet. Today, it’s Lens in the Champions League.
The good news keeps on coming though….
And coming…
I reckon that leaves just Gabriel Martinelli and Jurrien Timber on our injury list now and the way our medical team seem to be working miracles, even the latter might be back before the bells ring out on Christmas Day…
Whilst Arsenal were beating PSV 4-0 a couple of weeks ago, Lens were in Spain, playing Seville. The game ended 1-1. Domestically, they’ve not had the best of results having been beaten by PSG, Monaco, Metz and Brest but they have won their last two fixtures against Toulouse and Strasbourg respectively.
I’ve no idea how they play or what their strengths and weaknesses are but what I do or don’t know matters not. What matters is that Mikel Arteta does, which of course he will.
Talking tactics with Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke:
Lens head coach Franck Haise likes to use a 3-4-2-1 formation. Within that shape their two attacking midfielders will drop into narrow positions when they lose possession, helping to form a solid four-man unit inside the engine room.
Well organised, they can be difficult to break down. Lens ended 2022/23 with a phenomenal defensive record of just 29 goals conceded in 38 matches. They are not a high tempo pressing side. Instead, Lens prefer to drop into a mid-to-low block before applying pressure to the man on the ball. From there, they’re capable of springing attacks at pace.
During the current campaign the direct speed of their attacks is averaging 1.98m/sec, the third fastest in France’s top-flight. On the ball look out for their wide central defenders, especially left-sided Facundo Medina, travelling forward with the ball at their feet. They like to be progressive in their play and will link up regularly with dangerous wing back pair, Przemyslaw Frankowski and Deiver Machado.
In attack, new striker Elye Wahi was brought in this summer from Montpellier, where he scored 29 league goals across two seasons. Still just 20, he has sharp movement, good pace, and the ability to score with either foot, or his head. Overall I’d describe Lens’ tactical approach as balanced. They can play patient possession football but are equally capable of striking quickly on the counter attack.
Arsenal on the other hand are a high pressing side and I doubt we’ll see change from that tonight despite being away from home. We as a team are no strangers to opponents being swift on the break either because that’s football these days, especially from a team organised in defence. Adrian Clarke mentioned a Lens low block, so Mikel Arteta’s players will have their work cut out trying to break through them.
Mikel Arteta said he expects a huge battle tonight but to be fair, he’s hardly likely to say anything else ahead of any game. Only a fool would go into a game thinking it’ll be a breeze.
Lastly, WordPress seem to have changed the comments box. It’s a pain but I’m hoping they’ll revert back to how it was but in the meantime, if your comment goes into moderation, I’ll get to it as soon as I can…
Enjoy the game guys..
Hello Rico and all, thank you for a well thought out article. I expect it business as issue, press them to submission. Arteta will also be thinking hard about the weekend’s game.
Excellent piece! I agree with you- Partey is a midfielder not a defender. Playing him at right back at the beginning of the season and benching Gabriel made no sense at all. Sorry Mikel, but it didn’t!
Personally, Rico, I would be happy with Saka starting on the bench and staying there up to the final whistle. Rice and Partey sound like a solid midfield duo.
I think Arteta has seen the light, White at right fullback and no more nonsense about playing midfielders in his position.
It’s no hardship, Rico, logging in each time to comment but I prefer the old way. 😉
It will be interesting to see how soon the PGMOL even things up in regard to the Tottenham/Liverpool shambles. I think the game should be replayed.
Hi all, not all have names now. 😆
Thanks Anthony.
Me too Cicero, not 9ish Saka. In fact i the team which started at Brentford started tonight, even better…
Agree with you all. Hope Arteta stops his experiments. Happy Partey is back and look forward dor more playing time for Smith and resting for Saka
I’ve just listened to the VAR from Liverpool v Totts. It’s shocking…
Arsenal team news
Team to face RC Lens: Raya, Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Trossard.
Subs: Ramsdale, Hein, Partey, White, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Cedric Soares, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Elneny.
well thats the keeper question answered . How long before the offers for Ramsdale start coming
About three months…
Brilliant from Arsenal. Soak up the lens pressure, one chance and it’s 1-0
Quality equaliser. What was Raya up to though…
More to the point, where was our left back for both of their goals? He just goes awol.
Harvaetz played a good game again…
So, Raya’s distribution is better than Ramsdale’s?? Sloppiness changed the course of this game. Arsenal were cruising and then they were not! Raya is an excellent gk but I believe Ramsdale is better, more commanding and more agile. I suspect he would have got just enough on the ball to divert it. And possibly would have got to the second as well.
Why was Saka playing at all? Another bizarre choice. Arteta is showing dangerous sign of latter day Wengerism. Insisting that his choices of team are near perfect when there seems to be a chorus of agreement by the bulk of the fans that other players should plat too not just sit warming and polishing the old subs bench. Give Nelson ESR their chance have a little faith in them. Let us have a view of how things will be when Saka and Martinelli can no longer be wheeled out because every full back in the league and Europe have all taken significant lumps out of them to the point that they are unable walk any more!
Lord knows who’ll play on Sunday one has to wonder what unbelievable team will emerge from the tunnel in the hope of winning against a wounded citeh who will be well up for teaching us and our apprentice manager a salty reckoning!
And on that cheery note I’ll bid you a very goodnight.
Comment from the online gooner , cleaned up
“”
Arteta has taken a well oiled machine and rearranged the parts so we now resemble a Lada with a lawnmower engine. He’s currently sticking go faster stripes on it plus a spoiler. Totally pointless.”
That was me potter
I didn’t get to see the match, but it sounds like Saka needs a dam good rest before he burns out or gets a serious injurie that will make him miss a lot of games.
Played with 10 men tonight , Don’t think Havertz is going to make it here, Doesn’t offer anything just seems to foul players all of the time. There is no back up for Odegard within this squad, Could do with a quality target man with a great first touch and can play with his back to goal. bring in some youth and blend them in when we are winning to give them experience.
Stevo
I wouldn’t replay the match between Liverpool and Tottenham, how many times has VAR made the wrong decision that has helped Liverpool win a match and do we replay matches that cost Arsenal point last season that may have helped us win the title.
Var controversies are going beyond
Inconsistent VAR decisions are killing football especially in England.
Saka has no good replacement. When he suffers an injury, it becomes costly to the team. Buy another good winger in January to support Saka.
Wavy, totally agree re Saka, he should never have started last night. It’s one thing to be fit, another to be match fit and strong. Saka right now is neither imo.
I’m also in agreement re Raya v Ramsdale, the latter is my preference. All this inverted left back stuff is fine when it’s working but the gap Zinchenko leaves all too often is crazy. No doubt Guardiola will be well aware of that.
Guys, don’t forget to add your name to the comment. No need for email etc etc, just a name. Otherwise we’ll all be anonymous 😄
Some Arsenal fans got attacked before the game yesterday and although I don’t know the circumstances I’m pretty sure if the English fans were to blame we’d have heard all about it.
Allezkev:
I visited Lens twice in the late 90’s and early 00’s and found the locals in both Lille where we stopped for a break and Lens friendly, delightful people, so I don’t know what has changed in the last 20 odd years?
Demographics perhaps, gangs of young men hanging around looking for someone to mug?
Allezkev:
Can you imagine the media furore if a group of Arsenal fans had caused some trouble – our media would have been all over it. But Arsenal fans get attacked and you get a few lines in the Sun, a mention on the Daily Cannon and silence from the rest.
The British media really are a bunch of dishonest shitbags.
Cicero
Arteta needs to stand Saka down for complete rest, I believe he has played in 87 consecutive games for Arsenal plus those for England. The problem Arteta has is that he can’t afford to rest him until Martinelli has recovered sufficiently to return to the left wing. Being without both would be a major handicap
potter :-Being without both would be a major handicap
……….
That sums up last nights problem , our system depends so much on those two that once Saka was taken off we completely lost our pattern . If Rice and Saliba had not been there we would have been overwhelmed. We have all been crying out for plan B and last night proved that we don’t have one.
A deep block, in the present parlance ,without our wingers leaves us exposed because without the little diagonal passes and wide players overlapping we have nothing through the middle . and we don’t have any way to keep control of the ball and also the game. Many of us queried buying Havertz when we needed a central striker . The thought that he adds height to our forward line has been proven not to be the case . The going got tough and he went into hiding, mind you he wasn’t alone in that.
Testing
Newcastle beating PSG 4 – 1 was a surprise.
Gosh, what a job Eddie Howe is doing and in such a short space of time really…
Morning.
Afternoon all.
Well well, my WordPress login is now working and saving…
Is the blog already working?
I can’t subscribe to posts
The problem was with the comments box Jm, details not saving from 9ne comment to the next but that seems fine now.
still can’t get on without going through email
Several reports that Arteta and the England manager still want to play Saka instead of letting him rest and heal, if true I can see him having a short career due to injuries and burned out.
Well Southgate has announced his squad for England’s next two games and has included Saka despite him having come off in his last game with a suspected hamstring injury. But no need to worry, Southgate has said he won’t use Saka in Friday’s friendly against Australia but will consider him for the qualifier against Italy next Tuesday.
Arteta needs to put his foot down with both Southgate and Saka and make it clear that the player will not be released for England duty in the current International break.
Arsenal need to be smarter with players going off with their respective countries. Other clubs are…
Arsenal play Man. U. away tonight in the WSL, live on Sky 8pm kick off.
I’m on it Cicero, big game..
What could be called a “seesaw” game, excellent breakaway goal by Blackstenius, two goalkeeper howlers gave United 2 – 1 lead and a 90+3 stunner by Lacasse earned us a well deserved draw. First point of the season and the women are looking better as a team already.
Agree, our second was simply stunning.
New post up