Morning all.
I wrote a long piece yesterday ahead of the NLD this afternoon but binned it. So many questions were in the original like should Xhaka come back into a team which has won the last two League games, should Aubameyang start or Lacazette bearing in mind the latter was part of the team which defeated Toots earlier this year. Leno or Ramsdale and who should be on the bench ready to make an impact on the game if and when needed. I wrote about the passion needed on days like today, the rivalry and what a NLD means to the fans. But then I thought, what’s the point before hitting the delete button.
Mikel Arteta will make the decisions he feels are best for the team. If that means Xhaka comes back into the team then so be it. Xhaka can be a liability, his tally of red cards supports that but he can also be disciplined and crucial to the team’s performance. Do I hope he plays today? Absolutely not as Partey and Lokonga would be my choice all day long but if Arteta brings Xhaka back after his ban then I just hope that one of his better performances played out. The kind of game he plays for his country and not the rashness he showed against Man City. What’s often been the problem with Xhaka in my opinion, is who he partners in midfield. Alongside Partey, I think he’s been better. At times anyway.
But, if Mikel Arteta wants his team to move the ball up the pitch at speed to put pressure on Toots at every given opportunity, Xhaka is not the man because he can dawdle on the ball before deciding where his next pass is going which of course gives the opposition too much time to reorganise at the back. Also, he’s not the quickest, his recovery speed let’s him and the team down and as already said, his challenges can sometimes be late or even clumsy. Perhaps even reckless and the last thing Arsenal need later is to find themselves down to ten men although I’d like to think Xhaka knows that.
Nuno’s lot started the season brightly. They stifled City before nicking a goal and all three points. They beat Wolves and Watford 1-0 but then the wheels came off. Palace thrashed them 3-0, as did Chelsea. Kane is struggling to find a League goal but Son Heung-Min has a couple to his name. Both like to score against Arsenal. Not today eh, not today!
Arsenal’s football hasn’t been the best to watch, or at least I don’t think it is. The tippy tappy stuff goes on as the team keep possession but when it comes to the final third, the players lack zip, pace and movement. The reluctance to shoot from distance is frustrating yet we know Xhaka has a wicked left foot and Partey is finding the target this season, unlike last. Pepe too, but they’ve got to start beating the keeper. Might as well hit the corner flag if a shot is easy for a keeper to save because the outcome is the same. I know, not quite true because there’s always a chance the keeper could spill it and one of our switched on front players will be ready to poke the ball home. Yes, I’m being ironic.
I don’t think we can read anything into the fact that Arsenal have won both of the last two fixtures with or without certain players because the opposition has been different and certainly not at the level of either City or Chelsea but I do hope Mikel Arteta sticks with the same defence and midfield because they haven’t conceded goals. The young back line, including Ramsdale need to grow together, to improve and become undroppable.
Arsenal are struggling to score goals which is something I’m sure we’re all bored of hearing and reading but until that changes, it’s going to be the team’s Achilles heel. As said yesterday, dropping Aubameyang is an option for Mikel Arteta but I can’t see him doing that. Arsenal need him firing though but not just him. All of our attacking players are more than capable of raising their game. An injection of pace and movement would be a good place to start as it’s not just Xhaka who thinks too much before deciding what to do next.
The NLD matters to the fans, more so than any other fixture in the season even though it might not always be the most important. I really hope Arsenal can start strong and stay strong. Run the Toots defence ragged for 95 minutes and give them a good hiding.
COYG’S
Morning Rico and all
Just a 1-0 win is enough for me. Tbh….if we won the next 33 EPL Games with a 1-0 scoreline I don’t care. And don’t come and give me the garbage of goal average because if we win them all 1-0 we will have 105 points….and no one will be equal to us on points with that
Morning Devil, all.
That’s a nice way to start the morning, not. I’d like to think I don’t talk garbage…
I would love Arteta to go with the following line up…..
Ramsdale
Tommy, White, Gabriel, Tierney
Odegaard, Partey, ESR
Saka, Lacazette, Pepe
Deep down I know that Auba will begin though
I wasn’t referring to you Rico dear
I am stating that to anyone who tells me we will lose on goal average. Because no one will have 105 points
I’m the only one here Devil. 😂
I don’t think that midfield is strong enough defensively. Lokonga in there for me. If we’re playing Fifa 6000 or whatever it is. Lol
Good morning Rico and thanks for the post.
Just another game? In many ways it is as far as a lot of the players are concerned, they have little awareness of the history between the two clubs and rarely meet the opposition players outside of the match, unlike in earlier times when they used the same pubs and gambling establishments, they also lived in the surrounding area.
I’d happily take three points today, regardless of how we got them, not because we are playing Spurs but simply because we need a result.
I’d be happy if we started with Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel and Tierney but with a slight reservation about our left back’s fitness and stamina, Tavares could provide us with a bit more energy and variation. Partey and Lokonga in midfield are building an important partnership, no Xhaka please.
As to the rest, the only certainty is that Arteta will start Aubameyang.
Morning Cicero, I was thinking of the players as I wrote the heading because of what you’ve said. Long gone are the days when players took on board what this games means. They talk the right talk but it’s been a long time since their talking transferred onto the pitch.
For the fans today is egg shell day , we all know that one false step and disaster awaits, but for the players it is just another day . They should want to win but not because of who they are playing but because they should anyway.
When I was playing , if we lost I got the hump and it didn’t matter if the team was from the other side of London or next door , luckily it didn’t happen too often and the cat was reasonably safe when I got home.
Again for the fans a win today and we are 5 points from the top , level on points with the top half of the table and have the bragging rights .
Lets keep the defence together and get a clean sheet , that would be the start and the gradual climb up the table will continue.
I’ll be recording the match as we have a family birthday lunch at The Saracen’s Head and, on past history, they tend to be extended affairs.
Not sure when I’ll get round to watching the Grand Prix recording.
That’s what I think Potter, keep the defence and central midfield pairing the same in league matches and let them get stronger together week by week. It’s not like we have Europe to worry about..
Let us know your comments on the food and service, prices etc . We are always looking for information for guests that are looking for a bit better than “Pub Grub “.
So far Ingham Swan and Gunton Hall are getting good reviews but as Blickling is on our list of places to go Erpingham is in the same area .
Morning Rico and all
I still feel that we can win today 1 nil but only if we have Ramsdale in goal,
With the way toots are playing this is. Good time to play them.
Morning, actually afternoon all. Good report rico.
Just don’t know what to expect anymore, hope for too much and it leads to disappointment. Just give 100 per cent team please and see what happens. And ref give us a fair deal, maybe tide has turned with that VAR decision?😀
Potter, we’ve been using the Saracen’s Head for a couple of years now. The food is always good and the prices reasonable. Sundays are busy but a few days notice usually gets you a booking.
Thanks Cicero , Obviously we know the pubs and restos on the rivers but sometimes people are looking for special occasions and we don’t want to send them somewhere that we have either not tried ourselves or know someone that has.
Enjoy your meal although personally if I was there I would be on flash scores every 5 minuters.
Afternoon Geoff, Andrew. Thanks.
Absolutely agree, 100%, a bit of pride and fair officiating..
Xhaka back in team. Auba starts as CF.
Team
Ramsdale,
Tommy, White, Gabriel, Tierney
Xhaka, Partey
Saka, odegaard, ESR
Auba
Arsenal: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Thomas, Smith-Rowe, Odegaard, Xhaka, Saka, Aubameyang.
Subs: Leno, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Cedric, Pepe, Tavares, Sambi Lokonga, Martinelli.
Well we called it
Predicable wasn’t it..
I guess that deep down we all knew that Xhaka and Auba would both be chosen.
Anyway…I hope that the team plays to its strengths and commits fully to winning the game. we need another clean sheet and we score. I hope that none of the players, Xhaka and Auba especially, do something which is to the detriment to the team.
We need to shut down Son and then This match should show if we have improved or not.
Just got home, smashing meal, just need an Arsenal win to complete the day.
C’mon you Gunners!!
Now for a clean sheet
Time up ref.
game over at 1-0
Great start let’s keep it up
Auba pings another one in.
2-0
Assist by ESR
Saka drives it in for 3-0
Seems that Kane wanted to help us out….he assisted Saka. lol
Excellent first half.
yep. best I have seen this team play.
I hope that Tottenham play in the same way for the entire 2nd half.
Wow, now that’s probably best half we have played for years. Cicero, bet you glad you got home in time 😃
Better than any of us expected. Brilliant play by Saka, a superb goal and a sweet assist for the ESR goal, even Aubameyang is doing well by his recent standards, a good goal but should he have had another one?
Auba best game this season let’s hope he keeps it up during the second half, we look quicker on the break, Tommy looks like he has been at the club for a while.
Couldn’t be happier Andrew.
Do hope Kev is enjoying it.
ESR and Saka are getting the plaudits, and the team got a standing oviation as they went in for half time….but imo Odegaard is pulling the strings in midfield. He is dictating the tempo of the game.
Up till half time Arsenal are playing to their strengths. That is why Auba has discovered his mojo.
How did we get him for that price?
Ridiculous.
🙂
Start the second half believing it’s 0-0
COYG’S
40 plus to go
What a ball first half Partey to Auba, if only he had controlled it.
30 plus
I hope we keep the clean sheet now.
And if in the 91st minute Xhaka gets a red card the better. Although he has not been bad today.
But he has been flirting with a yellow for some time now.
20
When Kane’s lob went wide, I really did feel it’s our day.
20 left😀
10 and the neves go up a level
Nerves all over the place
Gone above them
Gutted they scored but what a great result. The tip into the bar from Ramsdale 👏👏
The first half was the best Arsenal have played in a long time I think.
Arteta’s celebrations were funny..
Great win but the last 10 minutes we nearly let them back in,
like the way Ramsdale encourages the back line and a great save in the final minutes.
Sensational. The platform is there to kick on and have a decent season.
So many positives. We have a right back. Auba back putting in effort. So exciting with ESR, Ode and Saka tearing them apart. Partey great, winning headers, and Kane who barged into Gabriel off the ball, still hasn’t scored!
Tomiyasu-wow.
Fortunately, no penalty was awarded on Keane.
There should have been at least one substitution around 70 minutes. We won is what matters. I hope Brighton doesn’t win tomorrow, otherwise we’ll have to play against the first…
Jm, Gabriel’s was more of a penalty..
Tomiyasu is a fabulous right back. So glad we didn’t get Royal. Lol
Not read the post or any of the comments (got a few to catch up on thanks rico)
I’d just like to say I’ve just had a Stanley moment in the pant department, cream all over the place. Can’t wait to see that grinning, jug eared, crisp selling bell end on match of the day tonight
Auba did the iconic TH14 celebration against Tottenham when he scored
And I simply love seeing Ramsdale celebrate.
You’ve lost me there Mog and I’m not going to ask. 😂
Rico I thought Stan (our Dutch counterpart was quite famous, or should I say infamous for cream in the pant department. I was only joking, but not about the bell end on match of the day tonight
Nope, not heard that one Mog. But the bloke on MOTH is certainly a chump.
Rico you can’t remember gonnerstan I’m surprised.
Bit of a legend in my book.
Ah, him Mog. Now I get it….
Yes Mog, somewhere on the globe, Stan will be creaming his pants, or he will have done a couple of hours ago.
Cicero, I went to the Wimbledon game midweek but couldn’t get a ticket for today, not that it spoiled my enjoyment.
I don’t want to seem picky, but I think we let them off of the hook in the 2nd half, I really thought we would win 4-0 or 5-0, but we can’t really complain.
This team is beginning to evolve, I think we can at last see where Arteta wants to take us and by the end of the year we could be in a very different place come 2022.
Night all
They scored when Xhaka was down leaving Son free . It wasn’t a foul but the injury might have warranted stopping play.
Kev, my earlier comment was after a three pint lunch and no afternoon kip, I forgot it was Wimbledon you went to see. 😉
We did ease up in the second half, but I doubt if we could have sustained the pace and pressing for the full ninety minutes.
I thought Xhaka did pretty well considering he is recovering from Covid as well as a three match ban.
Rico, just another game? No, a very special one. 🔔🔔🔔
Arsenal Women 5 – 0 Manchester City Women. ,🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔
That wraps up a Super Sunday for the club.
Why didn’t we start the season off like this, but I guess better late then never, now too continue
Great to see TA 6 looking so happy , His continual winding up of Sourness was a pleasure to watch. Watching him and Ledley King looking so despondant trying to put the case for their club and Tony’s big grin was just the best bit of Sky coverage that I have seen in ages.
Cue MOTD and there was Keown giving Jenas a hard time , shame it wasn’t jugs hosting the programme.
Geoff, probably because Arteta didn’t have a full squad to select from.
I loved it too Potter. Even though Tony’s dress sense leaves a lot to be desired. Lol
Sourness is one horrible man.
New post up now