Morning all.
Well, the FA Cup certainly threw out a few unexpected results yesterday. Macclesfield knocking out the current holders was not something any football fan would have seen coming let alone Crystal Palace fans. Newcastle Utd, Sunderland and Aston Villa won the other three Premier League club clashes against Bournemouth, Everton and Totts respectively. Man City just about scraped past Exeter…
Anyway, it’s our turn today and it’s got banana skin written all over it. Portsmouth might be sitting one point and one place above the Championship relegation places but as history tells us, the FA Cup is notorious for throwing up shocks. Arsenal need to make sure they aren’t involved in another one this afternoon.
As far as injuries go, Piero Hincapie is a doubt after picking up a knock against Liverpool and all three of Max Dowman, Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera are out. Kai Havertz could return to the squad.
Portsmouth have a number of injuries with midfielder Mark Kosznovszky and centre-backs Hayden Matthews and Josh Knight are ruled out. Forwards Callum Lang and Josh Murphy miss out too. On loan Minhyeok Yang was recalled by Totts earlier in the week. Marlon Pack and striker Colby Bishop face a late fitness test.
I write that as if I know something about Portsmouth FC but other than they are based in Hampshire, I know absolutely nothing.
Mousinho likes to use a 4-2-3-1 that focuses hard on releasing his wingers down the sides, but he also occasionally plays a back five. Their young head coach may wish to opt for safety in numbers – but his side are certainly more comfortable in their preferred set-up.
In possession, they have a balanced approach, play through the thirds, and they love to get the ball to their wingers, who tend to put plenty of crosses into the box. But Mousinho’s men will also go direct at times – no Championship side averages more long passes (69 per 90 minutes) than Portsmouth.
Scoring goals has been an issue, netting just 21 times in league games – the second-lowest tally – while their top scorer is central attacking midfielder Adrian Segecic [above] who has four of them. They have also had issues defending crosses which has led to them conceding 14 set-piece goals: the second most at Championship level, while eight of the 35 goals they have let in have been headers.
Backed by vociferous support at Fratton Park, Pompey will try to upset our rhythm with fierce closing down and a well-organised shape. Known for displaying fight on home turf, they have beaten three of the Championship’s top five on their own patch this season, and as shown by the fact they’ve yet to concede more than twice in a home match too, they can be a tough nut to crack.
Defensively, Mikel Arteta doesn’t have much wriggle room unless Hincapie returns. I imagine Ben White will come into the side with either Jurrien Timber or Myles Lewis-Skelly at left back. Mikel Merino, Ebb Eze, Ethan Nwaneri, Christian Norgaard, Gabriel Jesus and Kepa must all fancy their chances of starting today. I doubt all will start but I hope we see a few who played on Thursday at least drop to the bench because we have a League Cup semifinal to play in three days time. Could this finally be the day when Kai Havertz gets further than the bench? I hope so. Not for one minute do I think he’s our goal scoring saviour but he gives Mikel Arteta a different option.
I think it will be a tough game for Arsenal. It’s wet, windy and chilly down south this morning and Fratton Park is going to be noisy.
Lastly, according to The Times, Arsenal have called in Thomas Gronnemark, king of the throw-in coaches, to help improve our own throw-ins. The Dane, who worked with Jurgen Klopp, has been working with Arsenal. Let’s hope he can help because our throw-ins are little short of dire. Mind you, so is the movement into space to receive them
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico. City scraped through all right but two of their goals were courtesy of Exeter players and they did concede one too.
Arteta has a conundrum to solve this afternoon, does he go with Gyokeres in the, maybe forlorn, hope that he can actually put the ball in the net. Or put Merino up front. I can’t see either Jesus or Havertz starting so it’s a straight choice between the two.
From what Adrian Clarke says, Pompey have a pair of lively wingers so we need our full-backs to be defensively aware so I think we should go with White and Timber, MLS is a bit too eager to move into midfield and doesn’t quite have the pace to get back in position.
It won’t be an easy game, I’m not expecting a goal avalanche, but I do believe we should win by more than the odd home goal.
Morning Cicero, I’d like to think we’d score a few at home against Exeter..
Goodness knows what he’ll do this afternoon, but as you say, we should have enough to win.
Merino and Norgaard in midfield perhaps with Jesus up front?
50 mph winds blowing around Fratton Park later.
Better that than the cold draught which will blow around Arteta should we lose.
A throw-in coach? What next a how to pull your shorts up coach? What about a goal scoring coach? Both our men’s and women’s teams could do with one of those.
Morning Rico and all, my gut feeling is that Arteta will go with Gyokeres in the hope he can score a couple of goals and build his confidence.
Today has banana skin written all over it,just get out of there and in the 4th round draw.
Kepa is a cert to come in,Havertz and Jesus hopefully get some minutes,although that’s a good shout about Gyokeres,he really needs a goal for his confidence.
I wonder if Merino,Norgaard,Eze,Madueke might play,probably too much to see Nwaneri,I don’t understand why he’s disappeared,he’s really good !!
kepa, White, Norgaard, Gabriel, MLS, Nwaneri, Merino, Eze, Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli.
Saliba not in the squad, Havertz on the bench.
Couldn’t agree more Cicero, a shooting coach would be of benefit.
Afternoon Geoff.
Limey, I feel quite uneasy for this one..
Good to see Ethan back
Two minutes gone and so has the clean sheet. 1 – 0.
Norgaard with the equaliser. 1- 1
Right now it’s hard to tell which of the two teams are in the Championship
1 – 2 Martinelli from a corner.
Super header from Martinelli, great corner too.
Bloody heck! Just hit the darn thing.
Hope MLS doesn’t appear in the second half
https://x.com/SelecaoTalk/status/2010359560272290276
Good afternoon Rico and all.
Just sat down to watch the game. And we scored the minute I sat down. After the week I had I felt thankful seeing the ball go in.
I dont like the line up much. Not with Jesus up front from the beginning. Jesus alone as a CF doesn’t cut any ice for me. I prefer Gyokeres or Havertz. Then again, my idea of a striker is a battering ram as a spearhead.
Norgaard does ok as a CB however I prefer him as a DM. Madueke and Martinelli are ok on the flanks.
We have gone down to their level instead of keeping up our level.
Arsenal penalty. Madueke to take it… and hits it wide. What a plonker!
Afternoon Devil..
MLS has got a yellow card practically every time he has been on the pitch this season. He is a shadow of the player we saw last season. Either he is pissed off as a sub/on the bench or his proper skill level is coming out (no longer being a surprise to others) or else or because he is and never will be a LB but a midfielder.
He is having a torrid time.
We should be 4/5-1 up by now. Missed penalty, two attempts by Martinelli. What more can one ask for? We should have wrapped this up by HT. As it is Pompey are still in it.
Eze needs to do more, he’s hardly in the game. I’d take Jesus off, move. Merino up front and bring on Zubimendi
We do like making things hard for ourselves . The keeper had already gone all Madueke had to do was roll it into the net.
Nwaneri out playing Eze who looks less than ordinary .
Agree re MLS, he’s regressed a bit and looks slower. He’s certainly not a left back is he..
Hope Arteta gives Eze a kick up the backside at halftime
Good post Rico.
Missing a lot of chances has been our problem all season and now it means we canrelax in this game when we should be clear ahead by 4 goals at least.
We might rue our missed chances.
Nice move, 3-1
Thanks Devil, it’s been a problem for a long time imo
Martinelli makes it 1 – 3
Martinelli has redeemed himself. He should have got his hands on the match ball in the first half alone.
A quick thinking moment for MLS and a peach of a pass by Jesus.
MLS is a midfielder. Not a LB.
Hat trick for Martinelli. 1 – 4
Martinelli gets a hat trick
We should be 7-1 at least
Great to see Salmon on…
Four goals, one conceded, Hat-trick for Martinelli. Into the fourth round. What’s not to like?
We’re through to the next round
Macclesfield at the Emirates next
Salmon got a good first tackle and that settled nerves but looked quite good after that
What to do withEze ? Nwaneri had a point to prove and did it excellently . Eze was largely anonymous throughout
How many times did Matterface mention indirectly Martinelli ‘s spat with victims f. c ? Must have been his pre match agenda .
Salmon looked cool and assured when he came on, I thought there was something of Saliba about him. Definitely one for the future, with some minutes in the cups to help in on his way.
Had the same conversation here, time and time again the Bradley incident was rehashed. Ridiculous.
I too like the look of Salmon, he’s one cool dude..
Eze a massive disappointment today. Nwaneri, well, old head on young shoulders. Very good imo.
Apparently Tammy Abraham is available on loan. #just saying..
The full-backs were weak. The defense (and goalkeeper) showed a lot of insecurity. The substitute players are either far below the level of the first team or don’t know how to take advantage of the opportunities given to them. Let’s hope better days will come.
I haven’t been happy for an athlete as much as I am for Martinelli today in a very long time. He definitely shut up the haters.
Btw, as good as Nwaneri was today, I noticed that very often he takes that extra touch that you will not get away with in the EPL. That a “young boy” thing, and that could be the reason he’s not getting playing time. At his position he needs to release the ball quickly.
How the mighty are fallen. United beaten at home 1 – 2 by Brighton. Out of the F A Cup, out of the Carabao Cup, not in Europe and the only thing left for them is the hope of a European place next season.
What’s our next FA Cup match?