Arsenal.com
Morning all.
When an Arsenal team comes back from The Etihad with just a point and, judging by the internet, people are moaning, it tells me one thing. Arsenal FC is in a really good place.
This time last season, we were battered 4-1, this year we didn’t let them score one, let alone four. As said yesterday, one has to go back three years to find the last occasion City didn’t score at home. Mikel Arteta hasn’t finished yet either, in fact I’d go as to suggest he’s only just getting started. He still has a raft of players who aren’t being called upon during a match day which tells me, a few of them are not going to be around much longer.
The days of sentiment are over I think. Pre Arteta, we had players in the squad on massive wages. They weren’t performing whether they were in the first team or on the bench and some of them wouldn’t make it into a Sheffield Utd team yet at Arsenal they stayed just because they could. Now though, Arsenal don’t have any bad players, just a handful who I think aren’t trusted to perform at the level Mikel Arteta strives for. If I’m right, what’s the point in keeping them? What’s the point in them staying too when they could be playing football at a different club where their qualities can be put to good use.
If you were Mikel Arteta, and I thought long and hard about this, would you heavily rotate the players tonight against Luton when we’re in such a good position in the league with just nine games to go? I’ve seen a few of Luton’s matches recently and they are quite capable of causing an upset if we’re not careful.
Mikel Arteta on his memories of the win at Luton in December:
Especially how tough it was to win, and how difficult they have made it for every team. Big compliments to Rob and the coaching staff; what they have done as a club is an amazing journey. I think they deserve more credit than any other team in this league. How they have done it and what they transmit as a team and what they generate, it is going to be a really tough match tomorrow. It was really emotional and the way we celebrated tells you the difficulty of the match and how much we had to fight for the points so we know what we’re facing tomorrow.
Personally, I’d rather see a strong starting eleven, with perhaps just a couple of changes, try and get the result secured and then use the substitutes. That’s football though, easy to make suggestions from the outside but the reality is, none of us know what state of mind the ‘squad players’ are in. If they’re not ticking the right boxes in training, they won’t get minutes.
Alternative options to the eleven which started against City are: Thomas Partey, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Reiss Nelson, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Eddie Nketiah, ESR, Fabio Vieira, Mo Elneny and Cedric Soares. They are all fit and raring to go. By the sounds of it, Jurrien Timber isn’t far from a return either as Mikel Arteta confirmed during his press conference yesterday. I can’t remember the last time when in April, we didn’t have a raft of injuries.
As for Luton, well they have injuries galore which is rotten for them. Manager Rob Edwards said in his pre match press conference:
We’re likely to have 11, 12 or 13 players out, We’ll probably have four teenagers on the bench – maybe more.
I’d love to see Luton avoid relegation but of course, not enough for them to get a precious point or more tonight. After tonight, I hope Lord and Lady Luck are on their side for the remainder of the season.
Arsenal’s tactician Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme:
In recent weeks the Hatters have settled on a 3-4-2-1 formation with wing-backs pushing forward. Out of possession this becomes a 5-4-1, with the central midfield especially crowded. Luton can play good passing football on the deck, but they are usually direct in their approach. Edwards’ side make more long passes (60.4 per game) and won more duels than any other top-flight side, with powerful centre-forward Carlton Morris the regular target. We are the only top-flight team to have scored more headed goals (16) than the Hatters (14).
Their wing-backs supply plenty of this ammunition. Luton have whipped more crosses into the opposition penalty box from open play than any other Premier League side, and they’ve scored 14 goals from dead ball situations, with Doughty’s pacy left-footed deliveries in open play and from set-pieces particularly devilish. While scoring goals isn’t an issue, two clean sheets from 29 matches tell their own story, Defending set plays has been an issue, with 14 conceded in this manner, and they’ve struggled with quickly constructed counter-attacks due to a lack of pace in their back three.
So, it’s the master of set-pieces up against a side who doesn’t cope well when defending them but when it comes to their own, they can cause opponents problems. They caused us problems last year for sure but Arsenal conceding 3 goals in a match is a rarity this year. If Luton come to play football, I think it’ll be their undoing but I suspect we’ll see a lower than low block from them. No one could blame them either. In fact after Sunday’s performance, it’d be hypocritical to criticise such an approach.
This is one of those games which Arsenal are expected to win and win handsomely but I very much doubt Mikel Arteta is allowing his players to think that way. The three points on offer are as important, probably more important than any other points on offer this season because we’re into the last leg. 9 games to go, 27 points on offer and we need all of them..
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico.
Take it one game at a time and don’t underestimate the opposition. We need the three points! Start the strongest eleven available and go all out to get the game effectively won as early as possible. Then and only then, some of the starters can be rested.
I sincerely hope Martinelli his fit enough to give us sixty minutes at least, I never want to see Jesus play on the left again.
Morning Rico and all,
The problem is Arteta have proven in the past that no matter how injuried, tied or bad he is playing, if he likes them then they will not be dropped. I would drop Saka for this match and rest him and start trossard and if Arteta believes he can’t afford to drop Saka then that doesn’t say’s a lot about his trust in the bench players.
Morning Cicero, Geoff.
Totally agree, just why I think Arteta won’t make too many changes tonight.
Three changes tops.Then IF the game is on the bag wholesale changes.But,it’s rare for Luton to get rolled over despite their lowly position.So unless we score early doors,expect a scrap.
Agree Pete. They’ve caused a few sides plenty of problems including us at their ground.
Luton are fighting the drop and they will play this game like a cup final during the first 60 minutes, so Arteta needs to risk his best starting 11, and only then start substituting with the fringe team.
I am abroad but I follow Arsenal wherever I am.
Daveg, I think that’s just what he’ll do. Coming off the bench chasing a win can often do more harm than good as there’s more pressure. That’s when injuries can occur imo.
Start strong and hope we get in a position to make five changes second half.
I’d prefer to see Trossard start than Jesus,he’s the best finisher at the club in my opinion( Martinelli next best)
Expect a tough game,but hopefully we can improve our goal difference!
Luton have nothing to loose but everythink to gain, so expect Saka and Odegaard to be targeted with a few cheap shots,
I’d prefer Nelson to Jesus. 😜
I don’t think they’re that kind of team Geoff.
Afternoon rico, all. Think I’d give Jorginho a rest and start Partey if he’s showing correct figures in training. If we could get one then two ahead, bring on Nelson then ESR. Shouldn’t upset team too much with spine of Gabriel, Gabriel and Rice.
Jesus, 27 today, a goal please tonight!
Evening all.
Having just seen the starting 11, I just hope Mikel has not underestimated the Luton Town team on the other hand some of our players really do need a bit of a rest.
COYR’s
I wanted ESR and Nelson and Partey but starting all three a bit risky? Hope not. Come on, love to see the EST of a few years back.
Be like a new signing 😃
Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, ESR, Partey, Odegaard, Trossard, Havertz, Nelson.
Saka not on the bench, Rice is.
Hi Andrew, all.
Starting 11 has surprised me..
It’s funny how so soon, I feel Rice is our maim man. Just hope Partey can be the player we saw a year or two back and glue the team together. Or will Jorginho hold the team together?
Oh, no Jorginho either!
Just Partey in defensive midfield role, risky perhaps.
Odegaard, Partey and ESR look light weight as a midfield trio. Our recent defensive solidity has been built around Rice and Jorginho to rest them both seems very risky to me. I hope I’m wrong but Luton could maybe overrun us in the middle third.
Yessss, very professional first half.
Esr with a tackle and an assist
This seems a game where everyone wants to get on the scoresheet. 😂
Pleased for ESR, Nelson too. He might not have had the final touch but his pressure caused the goal.
Job done, move on. 😝
2 nil , 3 points lets go home
Good minutes for ESR, Partey, Nelson, Zinchenko. Seemed a bit jaded at end, not much created, but win is all that matters.
Two goals, a clean sheet, three points, top of the league. What’s not to like? 🔔🔔
I see City put four past Aston Villa…
Misted the match but looking at who started and the result very happy, no offence to Luton, however this was the best time to rest several top players and show trust in the interchange players, and throw a spanner in Luton’s game plan as the would have expected Arteta to field his best team.
Evening Rico and Co
Yeah I agree, just a couple of changes Rico, that seems eminently sensible – but Mikel really pushed the boat out, changed half the team and gave Saka a complete break.
What do I know – Arteta, you can’t second guess him and nor can anyone else!
It wasn’t up there with some of our recent performances, the passing was a bit off and we look disjointed but that’s to be expected after 5 changes.
The rest will do some of our players a power of good. Partey, Nelson and Smith Rowe got some valuable minutes into their legs, Zinchenko had a decent game complete with some loose giveaways and Trossard put in a good stint.
2-0 was just about right after Luton came back strong in the 2nd half.
It was a classic title winning game, that is not a great game but you get the points and move on.
Rico,
I’m not sure if you were joking about Nelson over Jesus, but I am almost there myself.
according to reports ESR got man of the match. that’s the best way to respond when given the chance.
Morning all.
New post up.
Kev, not being able to guess what Arteta is going to do is a good thing. Lol
Nigel, deadly serious..