Morning all.
Man City won their home game against Fulham last night so the gap at the top is down to three points. Third place Villa won their match so now it’s over to Arsenal. How will Mikel Arteta and his players respond tonight is the question going through my head.
I think this is one of the toughest fixtures for many clubs at this stage of this season because Brentford are in form. Last month, they despatched Sunderland and Everton with relative ease. This month they have beaten Newcastle Utd and Aston Villa away from home. Igor Thiago, with his 17 goals so far this season has the second best conversion percentage in the league, just 1% behind Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi. Thiago is a player I’d love to see Arsenal sign.
Brentford are about more than just the 6’ 3” Thiago though, they are pretty solid from front to back although they do concede goals as they did in their last home game against Nottingham Forest, one of only two defeats suffered in front of their home fans this season.
It’s another tough game. We know [Brentford] at home as well, the last few results they have had, the coaching staff have been amazing. So, credit to them, because they’re a top side – Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke:
The Bees unashamedly play a percentage style of football, and it is working brilliantly for them. No top-flight team knocks the ball longer, but their distribution is usually both accurate and purposeful, while a strong emphasis on set plays sees right-back Michael Kayode especially threatening with long throws.
It will be interesting to see which formation Brentford opt for in this encounter. They switched to 5-3-2 in the reverse fixture, but have been performing very well in a 4-2-3-1, a shape that allows winger Ouatarra to use his pace.
Brentford have created 76 ‘big chances’, a tally which puts them one ahead of us, and two behind Manchester City, which is seriously impressive, with Thiago working insatiably hard to put defenders under pressure. Boasting strong running power, good aerial ability and sharp movement inside the box, the clinical Brazilian has been a revelation in 2025/26, netting 17 times.
Going forward, Brentford are sure to be dangerous, but when put under pressure, their rearguard is not always watertight, and they have failed to keep a clean sheet in nine of their 12 home games.
As far as player availability goes, it’s bad news for Arsenal as Kai Havertz is reported to have suffered a muscular injury during training which not only rules him out for tonight’s game but the next few games too. Mikel Arteta didn’t mention this in press conference yesterday but David Ornstein reported it later in the day.
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka are doubts, Max Dowman and Mikel Merino are ruled out although Dowman could be back in a week or two.
Brentford forward Kevin Schade serves the second match of his three game suspension after a straight red card in the 1-0 win at Villa Park, while Reiss Nelson is ineligible. Ex Arsenal player, Josh Dasilva remains sidelined with a knee ligament issue, and both Fabio Carvalho and Antoni Milambo are out for the rest of the season.
If Havertz and Odegaard are out of tonight’s game then surely there’s even more reason to bring Ethan Nwaneri back to the club, especially with Saka on the sidelines too. Right now we’re down to Eberechi Eze as our attacking midfielder and without sounding too harsh, he’s not really set the Arsenal world alight. Yet.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, well City managed to ramp up the pressure with a convincing win over a, reportedly, lack lustre Fulham and Villa scraped three points courtesy of an own goal against Brighton. So, yet another banana skin to negotiate this evening.
I expect a cagey game against Brentford, possession will be a big part of the first half while we force the Middlesex side to chase the ball, then a second half of sustained pressure against a tiring team, with a goal or two to compliment another Raya clean sheet.
If Eze does start he needs to be on the ball right from the off and no drifting into obscurity. Time for him to show why he cost so much.
Good morning Cicero.
Set pieces and long balls are a threat according to Clarke. I think Brentford will start fast and then hopefully fade.
Agree re Eze. Apparently both Saka and Odegaard are fit.
Morning Rico,
With the Havertz injury and Saka, Odegaard and Trossard doubtful, we could be short of fire power up front tonight. Eze really needs to step up. He really feels like a “luxury” player at the moment. As for Nwaneri, with De Zerbi out the door, it would be great if we could recall him, but the agreement we have with Marseille might make that impossible.
Morning Anthony. Not sure what the agreement is with Nwaneri but if there’s a clause to bring him back, we should imo.
Agree re Eze, he’s played a bit recently but as you and others suggest, he’s played needs to start influencing games.
Morning Gooners, morning Rico, according to Charles Watts there is no get-out clause in our agreement with Marseilles. So unless Marseilles say ‘take him back’ we can’t do anything.
I guess it’s time for some of our other summer signings to show why we paid the big bucks for them; Norgaard, Eze,Madueke, Hincapie.
Maybe Odegaard, Saka and/or Trossard on the bench this evening?
In the absence of Havertz I would prefer Odegaard to Eze.
If Odegaard and Saka are available I would start them,I had read the Spurs game was being targeted for his comeback,well all games are so important now we can’t afford to wait IF he is fit. Equally we don’t want to take a chance if not fully fit. Just as well Arteta has to make these decisions ho ho.
It’s a big blow to lose Havertz,for a start we don’t have anyone like him,also he makes other players better,basically Arsenal look loads better when he plays.
I see Oxlade-Chamberlain scored soon after coming on,OK it’s only the Scottish league but I would have thought he could have made an impact,even as a substitute.
Apart from the FA Cup game,we have a few away games coming up.
The haters will be cheering Brentford on,let’s shut them up.
Hi Kev, that puts the hope of Ethan returning to bed then. Shame.
Personally, I don’t think Hincapie and Norgaard have put a foot wrong so far but Madueke and Eze, disappointed with both so far. Apart from Eze vTotts.
“ The haters will be cheering Brentford on, let’s shut them up.”
Spot on Limey..
Apparently Partey has been charged with two additional accounts of rape..
Big Ange putting the boot in…
Not a big club’ – ex-Spurs boss Ange believes there is disconnect between wage structure and ambition
Ange Postecoglou has described “curious” Tottenham as “not a big club” after their sacking of Thomas Frank.
Frank succeeded Postecoglou last summer but was unable to reverse their fortunes in the Premier League and was shown the door on Wednesday with Spurs sitting 16th in the table.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Postecoglou said: “Having been in that position now twice in the last six months, it’s tough.
“You know that he can’t be the only issue at the club. It’s a curious club, Tottenham. It’s made a major pivot at the end of last year, not just with me but with (executive chairman) Daniel (Levy) leaving as well, and you’ve created this whole sort of environment of uncertainty.
“There’s no guarantee whichever manager you bring in – they’ve had world-class managers there and they haven’t had success. And for what reason? Thomas is walking in and what’s his objective, what’s the club’s objective?
“If you’re going to do such a major pivot, you’ve got to understand there’s going to be some instability there. Did Thomas know he was walking into that? I don’t know.”
Postecoglou was sacked despite winning the Europa League, and he believes a disconnect between Tottenham’s stated ambitions and their willingness to invest in players is at the heart of their ongoing struggles.
“They’ve built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities but, when you look at their expenditure and particularly their wages structure, they’re not a big club,” he said.
“I saw that because, when we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players.
“When you walk into Tottenham, what you see everywhere is ‘To Dare Is To Do’ (the club motto), and yet their actions are almost the antithesis of that. I think they didn’t realise that, to actually win, you’ve got to take some risks.
“I felt like Tottenham as a club were saying, ‘we’re one of the big boys’, and the reality is I don’t think they are.”
He added: “At the end of my first year, when we finished fifth, how do you go from fifth to really challenging? Well, we had to sign Premier League-ready players. But finishing fifth that year didn’t get us Champions League. We didn’t have the money, so we ended up signing Dom Solanke – who I was really keen on – and three teenagers [Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert].
“I was looking at Pedro Neto, (Bryan) Mbeumo, (Antoine) Semenyo, and Marc Guehi, because I said, if we’re going to go from fifth to there [gestures higher], that’s what the other big clubs would do in that moment.
“And those three teenagers are outstanding young players, and I think they’ll be great players for Tottenham, but they’re not going to get you from fifth to fourth and third.
“But what was coming out from the club was that, ‘No, we’re a club that can compete on all fronts’.”
He later said: “I still felt like Tottenham, as a club, were saying we’re one of the big boys, and the reality is I don’t think they are in terms of my experience over the last two years.
“When Arsenal need players, they’ll spend £100m on Declan Rice. I don’t see Tottenham doing that. Maybe now, I don’t know. But not just in my history, even predating me. And again, a lot of that was, they were building a stadium, so obviously finances were a challenge.
“I guess the bit I didn’t realise was just how much Champions League football makes a difference, and I think that’s why there was always this desperation because that provided the kitty. So that means in my first year…we almost got there. We finished fifth – any other year that probably would’ve been [Champions League qualification].
“And if we did, maybe last year we wouldn’t have bought three teenagers. But I still don’t think we would have spent – it’s not the transfer fee, the wages to really attract. When was the last time Tottenham really signed somebody who you go, ‘Wow’.”
Good evening Rico and all.
Practically two post in one today. Well done and thanks. The original post and the one about Postecoglu. Feels like a post within a post to me.
Totts problem is that they look at us and see that we built the stadium and kept qualifying for the CL even though we were not able to get the best players until we paid off the debt. We only finished out the the CL simply because AW ran out of ideas with his time and he was like a dead man walking in the final two seasons. That is my opinion of course.
Soon we will know the line up. however, I dont think it will be much different to the following…..Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gaby, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Saka and ODegaard are in the squad tonight. Whether or not they are in the begining I dont know. However I would put either Eze as AM or else Jesus. I prefer Eze. If Arteta is going to start with Jesus then he would go in instead of Eze as he keeps dropping back with Eze. That is why I would prefer to play with Eze and Gyokeres from the start.
Raya, Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel Hincapie, Rice, Zubimendi, Eze, Madueke, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Saka Odegaard on the bench, Saliba not in the squad.
hmm no Saliba. Mosquera today. Trossard begins as well. And Eze in midfield.
I like the team. And have no complaints to make about the line up.
Evening Devil.
Hopefully Saliba is just having a well deserved reserved. Zubimendi and Rice will hopefully get theirs on Sunday too.
Wigan have sacked their manager today.
Evening all. Last time I said time for an assist or goal from Madueke, he got both. So tonight Eze and Madueke, an assist (or goal) please 🙏
That Andrew would be ideal, a goal for player of the month Gyokeres too please..
As long as goals are shared around, especially between Gyokeres, Martinelli and when he returns Havertz, I will have no complaints.
Madueke’s tracking back varies from not existent to pathetic..
Never a booking for Viktor
Two hands on a player in area pulling down and no pen or booking, one tap on shoulder for less than half a second and foul and booking, where is the flaming consistency?
Other than that, have we had a shot yet? Other than Raya towards his own goal!
Totally agree. Pathetic officiating.
Eze and Madueke have been disappointing.
Don’t think it’ll be long before we see Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli
I take it back, Madueke is brilliant 🤣
Noni has made it 1-0. I was surprised by that header. I think he was surprised as well
1-1 now.. wonder if Brentford will be labelled the new Stoke in the media…
Gabriel fortunate there.
Disappointing in the end as we had opportunities to win it but then so did Brentford.
Night guys.
One goal each, one point each. Nothing more to say….tonight.
Thank you Rice for getting a toe to ball to prevent a probable goal. Shame Martinelli can’t shoot with both feet, the extra touch cost us a goal. Night all.
Martinelli should have won it for us….
New post up.