Morning all.
I watched Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference yesterday and he seemed pretty upbeat. He looked like a man who’d just had two weeks holiday.
Anyway, not only was he upbeat but the injury news he shared was positive too.
On Bukayo Saka:
It’s not a serious injury. He’s evolving really well. He’s done a few things in the last two days. He wasn’t fit enough to play with the national team the second game but we are hopeful. We have a training session this afternoon, he did some bits yesterday, so let’s see if he can make it on time.
Kai Havertz:
He had a few issues and we’ve been dealing with that. He’s been absolutely brilliant, he has very good communication with the national team, with the manager. They understood the situation, we modified everything that we could do here and again if he trains well today he’s got a good chance to be fit and available.
Gabriel Martinelli:
Yesterday he went outside to do a little bit and see how he’s feeling. Again today will be another step to understand whether we want to take the risk if he’s fit because I know what the player is going to say – ‘I’m going to be fit for sure’.”
Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Oleksandr Zinchenko:
They are quite close, the three of them. Again today we’re going to have to try to push and see how it is because obviously we are getting stronger with the numbers, especially in our right side, but hopefully we have some positive news today and we have some players back for tomorrow. (Today)
Takehiro Tomiyasu:
It hopefully doesn’t look like a long period [out], but we have to see when he comes back and how he reacts to the load and to the impact on the pitch as well. We really need him, he’s been incredible. The work rate, the amount of hours that he’s put in to get back – he did it – and was in great shape and then picked up something. We’re all behind him, he needs our support and hopefully he’ll be fine.
Lastly, Captain Martin Odegaard:
I think he’s not going to be fit for this game. Next week will be a different story, but again, in that later stage of rehab where he is at the moment, because he’s doing already a lot of the stuff, he needs to clear some markers, he needs to clear certain things, he needs to be comfortable doing things especially with the ball. I think next week will be crucial to understand how close he is.
Remarkably, we’re in the middle of October and Thomas Partey is still fit for duty and I for one hope he stays that way.
Today we face a Bournemouth team who’ve had a mixed start to the season at The Vitality Stadium. Against Chelsea they held on until the 86th minute before conceding what proved to be a winner from Nkunku but they have beaten local rivals Southampton 3-1 and held Newcastle Utd to a 1-1 draw.
Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke has a word of warning for Mikel Arteta’s players:
Playing out from the back is always fraught with danger when you come up against a team coached by Andoni Iraola. His style of play is built around ferocious, well organised pressing. This is why no one has had more shots from high turnovers (18) than Bournemouth so far this term, from the second highest tally of high turnovers (75). Care will be needed inside our own half. The Cherries are very hardworking across the pitch, so this is a contest where we must work hard to win the physical battle. Rarely out-ran, they will test our resolve with their high-octane approach.
Arteta himself said in his press conference that today’s challenge will be a tough one which to be fair, one could say the same ahead of every league game these days because it’s true. We made hard work of beating Southampton in our last match because they defended so well. Mind you, so did we late in the game. .
Antoine Semenyo is their danger man regardless of whether he plays as striker or winger. He’s strong, has oodles of pace and can score goals.
Just over a year ago, Arsenal went to The Vitality Stadium and thumped Bournemouth 4-0. It was a special day for Kai Havertz, who it’s fair to suggest, had been struggling to find form since his big money move from Chelsea. When Odegaard was brought down in the box and Arsenal awarded a penalty, our captain gave him the ball and the German buried his spot kick to make it 3-0. I think he’s done alright since do you?
Zinchenko, Jesus and Nketiah started the game last season and Semenyo was on the bench. Neto, ruled out for today, was between the sticks for today’s home team. We go into this fixture with a stronger and deeper squad than last season in my opinion but Bournemouth are stronger too despite selling Solanke. As Arteta said yesterday, they are better than their results suggest.
Enjoy the game guys.
Catch up in the comments…
These are the games that either win or lose titles . Everyone looks at Bournemouth and thinks we should win in a canter but it will not be like that unless we are at 100% from the first to last minute .
Rob Jones has the whistle and Gillett is on VAR. Make of that what you will.
Absolutely agree, the way Arteta was speaking yesterday, he knows it too. I can’t see him taking Bournemouth lightly at all.
Good day Rico, it’s an old cliche but a true one, there are no easy games in The Premiership.
But that cliche applies to both teams. I suspect that Bournemouth will be just as anxious, if not a bit more so, than Arsenal.
I hope Ben White plays as he has such good rapport with Saka. I’d be happy with either of Timber or Calafiori at left back.
With Partey, Rice, Jorginho and Merino all fit Arteta is spoilt for choice in midfield.
Jesus will be comfortable on the bench, hopefully for the full ninety minutes.
Afternoon rico, all. Heard White is fit, be nice to see him again! Roll on 5.30
Afternoon Cicero, I’m hoping Timber and White are fit too, they complete our strongest back five in my opinion. Not sure Martinelli will be starting though so as Kev suggested on th old post, a start for Sterling perhaps.
Our midfield options are strongest it’s be or years imo.
Spuds 1 – 1 Hammers half-time.
Afternoon all,
first game after the international break is always tricky,we always seem to get an away game as well. Bournemouth will be hard opponents too. They definitely fall in the category of teams in a false position.
That’s a good shout about Raheem Sterling,he hasn’t shown much yet but it must be difficult getting a few minutes here and there,he probably hasn’t had a run of games for 6 months.
We go top of the league with a win,mind you all that matters is being top in May.
Spurs winning 4-1,I can see the West ham manager being sacked soon.
COYG
4 – 1. 7 mins of added time. Can The Hammers come back? Not in a million years! 😉
That result should keep Ange in a job for a few more weeks… 😂
Bournemouth: Arrizabalaga, Kerkez, Cook, Senesi, Scott, Evanilson, O. Dango, Tavernier, J. Araujo, Semenyo, Zabarnyi.
Subs: Travers, Huijsen, Brooks, Christie, Adams, Smith, Sinisterra, Kluivert, Enes Unai.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Partey, Merino, Sterling, Trossard, Havertz.
Subs: Setford, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Lewis-Skelly, Jorginho, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Jesus, Kabia.
I like the bench:
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Partey, Rice, Merino, Trossard, Sterling, Havertz
Subs: Setford, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Jorginho, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Kabia, Jesus
Brighton winning 1-0 at Newcastle and thoroughly well deserved.
Come on Arsenal!
I’m in front at TV set.
Results at Fulham and Old Trafford surprised me..
Earwig Ooh
Took me a few seconds to work that one out. 😜
This will be a red…
And Nwaneri can’t get into this team? No type of creative.
So now Saliba misses the Liverpool game..
Stupid, bleedin stupid!
what part did webb have in that
I saw him watching on, phone in hand..
Why would Saliba even take that chance?
What I don’t get is White was more than capable of getting back.
Still, stupid of Saliba to get the officials a decision to make..
Instinct I guess..
Trossard is having a stinker, get him off and put Martinelli on. We need something up front.
In all honesty Saliba had no other option, Raya was way of his line and the goal was open to a lob.
cant do another City must have an out ball
Howard Webb furiously texting Jarred Gillete to ensure that Saliba gets sent off, it’s all so corrupt it stinks to high heaven…
And I don’t like that kit, it makes us look too much like the 115 charges mob.
And Merino should have scored
Difference is we’re not protecting a lead with ten as we were against City.
Martinelli’s pace up front might help.
Could take Tross off, both Merino or Rice can play further up the pitch when needed. If ever needed. 😜
Interesting Drone shot from above chances are that White would have got to him as the ball was curving towards him . But Webb couldn’t see that from where he was sitting .
I wonder if we’ll appeal the red.
Martinelli will come on with about 20 minutes to go I reckon…
We’ve got nothing to loss Rico, but they’ll not change their minds after changing it once.
I don’t think it would be overturned either Kev.
Isn’t it just a one match ban for Saliba, a cynical foul.
Havertz is working like a Trojan
Not sure if it’s one or two games Rico, it was a straight red.
I’m not sure either Kev. Hopefully it’s just one..
Martinelli should have buried that chance.
What a rotten day for Arsenal…
thought it was 3
If you are Arsenal with title ambition, no way you should be losing to Bournmouth, even with10 men.
Team selection was wrong from the start. No creative and no pace. If you are Merion and Rice are on the team, allow Nwaneri, they will give him protection. Partey, Rice, Merino, Calafiori and White are similar. Then Steeling and Trossard. They were struggling even before the red card.
70% of the time when Trossard starts he struggles. He’s better as a sub.
So did I for a moment.
The starting 11 was fine imo, it was cat and mouse in an away game. A game we would possibly gone on to control with 11 v 11. The sending off changed everything imo.
I’ve seen that Saliba gets a 3 match ban,which means he misses Liverpool and Newcastle,also Preston which he might not have played in anyway.
I thought only bad tackles etc resulted in a 3 match ban. Cynical fouls as his was today, is just a one match ban I’m sure.
Absolutely right,the sending off changed everything,however I thought we looked flat anyway(zero shots on target before the sending off)
When you think about it we were already without 3 attacking/creative players,Odegaard,Saka and Martinelli,and when you add Saliba that’s our 3 very best missing.
If it had remained 11 v 11 we probably wouldn’t have conceded,maybe even nicked one.
That makes sense Rico.
It’s an intriguing case because when Tossard plays initially he is completely inefficient and when he comes on as a substitute, he is a completely different player.
I didn’t notice Kwior entering. It’s one thing to be winning or playing against a superior team (e.g. M.City) and another to miss so much time and give up on winning. Afterwards, Arsenal ended up having 3 defenders playing with the left foot and having to move Kwior to central defense on the right side. It seems to me that it would have been a better idea to have balanced the game in midfield and have 2 attacking players covering the flanks.
I continue to say that Stirling adds nothing.
It was noticed that the players were muscularly tired. They play basically the same and the squad, as I’ve always said, is very short. Are the 2nd line players on the bench just to fill up?
There are already 3 expulsions, I add unnecessary. where points were lost.
That’s what I think too Limey. It was a rusty start, possibly typical for a post international break and I’m sure we’d have improved. Still, the sending off ended any chance of winning imo.
It’s entirely clear the Sterling brings little or nothing to the table, particularly as a replacement for Saka. We should have started with Martinelli, instead of Trossard and played Nwaneri on the right wing.
A red card no clean sheet, no goals, no points. Another bad day at the office.
With Saliba out for three games and Kiwior not up the the required standard, White must play alongside Gabriel with Timber at right back. With Jesus the only other option, we must hope that Saka can be back and fully fit.
Well, I suppose the pundits and the media will be writing us off and predicting a Liverpool win next weekend? I hope so anyway…
Rice summed it up post match by saying we’ve got to cut out the mistakes and he should know. Yep, cut out the avoidable mistakes because we’re making too many and being punished to the full.
Tuesday should be interesting, Arteta now has the leverage to make changes without anyone complaining too much. Trossard can’t really do the Martinelli job on the wing, inside forward, No.10, false 9, he’s fine at them. He’s also the best super sub at the club.
Tomorrow I will be a Wolves and a Chelsea fan but I’m not holding out much hope…
Not Calafiori Cicero? Timber could be back for Liverpool as well. Odegaard too.
I really like Trossard and think he’s getting unfair criticism after today. Yes, his ball was awful but it was Saliba to blame for getting himself sent off.
No one is mentioning how dodgy Raya looked today too.
Had Martinelli scored at 0-0, we’d probably be having a different conversation.
Yes Cicero, we’ve had a reasonable amount of Raheem Stirling so far to judge and give an opinion and I’ve not seen anything from him that makes me think that he still has anything left in his legs to be a game changer. Martinelli came on and besides not scoring when he should made an immediate impact and looked dangerous just as Trossard does when he come on, Stirling comes on and/or starts and it’s all a bit underwhelming.
I guess taking Stirling for a year, on the cheap, was worth a punt as we couldn’t get Sesko over the line but he’s going to leave next summer and most Arsenal fans will forget about him very quickly. I mean Benayoun on loan made more of an impact…
Sterling will be ok for the domestic cups and coming on in games we’re well ahead in, if there are any… Same with Zinchenko, Jesus and Kiwior.
Afternoon Rico and all,
Didn’t see the match fell asleep about 3am match started at 3:30am.
It sounds like we had a shocker but then again as the pre-match commentators said the best time to play the top teams is straight after the international matches.
We can blame the refs as much as we like but at the end of the day, they put 2 past Raya, and we failed to score which seems to show how much we really miss a dedicated striker.
On the bright side if you’re going to have an off day this is the time of the season to have it.
A typical cameo from Jesus, come on, fall over in the box, claim a penalty and look shocked when it was waved away.
It’s okay everyone, the Howard Webb interference with the Var decision on Saliba’s red card has been explained. He was listening to the conversation between the Var and referee but could not speak to them. That seems to clear up the controversy, doesn’t it? Not in my opinion as Webb was using his phone not to speak but to send a text. Just what was so important that at precisely the moment the decision was being discussed he had to text someone.
Perhaps there is a perfectly innocent explanation, ordering a halftime Pizza? Booking a taxi to get him to the station? As Victor Meldrew would say “I don’t believe it!”
Morning Cicero, Geoff.
Would Webb be so stupid to involve himself in that incident and more to the point, appear to be blatantly getting involved? I’d like to think not but it certainly looks like it..
New post up.
might have been placing a bet