Morning all.
Southampton come to The Emirates today with Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal players in dire need of a strong performance coupled with a win. The south coast club, like both Everton and Man Utd, have been struggling to find any consistency this season. 16 points from 17 fixtures is not good by a long way, especially with a goal difference of -7. Not that our goal difference is much better.
On the injury front for Arsenal, both Emile Smith Rowe and Bernd Leno will undergo a late fitness assessment although Mikel Arteta did say he hopes to have our number 10 back. Gabriel Martinelli is fully fit and available.
I know Ralph and the team and they are a really dynamic, aggressive, forward thinking team, really aggressive in the high press and an important team in transition because that is how they score goals and create a lot of chances as well. A very dangerous team. – Mikel Arteta.
October 30th is the last time the Saints won away from home, their only League victory on the road this season. Yes, this has an away victory written all over it as Arsenal do like to give a struggling club a bit of a lift. Not today though, hopefully.
A year ago, Arsenal were sitting 15th in the League after the worst start to a season in a long time. This season’s start wasn’t much better, probably worse but a run of unbeaten results helped us climb off of bottom spot and into a much better place. League table wise I mean, not the level of performance and certainly not in the last two matches. This time last year when the two sides met it ended 1-1 with Gabriel sent off just after the hour, Theo Walcott scoring the opening goal before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbed our equaliser.
Aubameyang missed training yesterday according to headlines on NewsNow and is expected to miss today’s game. True or not I’ve no idea but if is, at least Mikel Arteta doesn’t have to make a decision about whether or not to bring him back into the team. Instead, his decision would be about who plays instead of him. Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, or Flo Balogun. Or Alex Lacazette in the old fashioned number 9 position. In the box, ready to pounce on anything which comes his way. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Eddie start, not after Arteta’s press conference comments. Nor would I be surprised to see AMN lining up alongside Thomas Partey.
Southampton have a goalkeeping crisis and because of it, have had to make the emergency signing of 40 year old Willy Caballero who is likely to make his debut today.
As said, Mikel Arteta needs a strong performance from his team today. We’re at home and need to get stuck into Southampton from the moment Jarred Gillett blows his whistle. None of this shrinking violet stuff if Southampton have a go at us and they will. Ralph will have seen enough Arsenal performances this season to know his team can get something from this game today because we’re frail and can be bullied into submission.
It’s about time Arsenal stood up and fought back.
See you in the comments.
Absolutely agree Geoff.
I just get so fed up with players like him and Ozil Kev.
Harsh but true
Morning all.
I’m all for dumping Auba from the PL games, dumping him permanently too in January. Also, I’d love to see Arteta give the armband to a player who truly deserves it, not just because he’s a big time Charlie. Stick him on gardening leave and get rid.
New post up now
Like I said Auba has to be stripped of his captaincy after all we took it of Xhaka
Morning Omicroners, the fight back begins!
We could be in for quite a few weeks of interesting results as the european matches take their toll on energy levels, the ACoN approaches, the holiday games kick in and the League Cup with added edge means it’s unlikely we’ll see teams full of U23’s – all this adds up to fatigue related injuries, which will hopefully not be the case for the good guys in red with white sleeves.
Aubameyang if it’s true about the tattoo, has shown a worrying degree of immaturity and we don’t really want that in a club captain, so he’s probably on his last chance before it’s taken away permanently.
It’s a tricky balancing act for Arteta and his disciplinary regime because we can’t afford to lose him emotionally from the dreaded project, not right now, but there needs to be a line in the sand and I’d leave him on the bench for West Ham and Leeds, bringing him on if we need him and then starting him against Sunderland in the League Cup, against opposition he should be able to bully and see what he produces?
Fingers crossed Burnley smash west ham
I still say I was happy with the way we played yes a bit shaky at the start. But hopefully Arteta realised that we are better with out Auba.
As for Auba I can’t wait for him to go to ACON,
Tottenham are being kicked out of the European Conference League after failing to agree a date to play their postponed match against Rennes. Uefa have awarded Rennes a 3 – 0 win.
What an idiot, all for a tattoo?
Shows how low Arsenal are on his list of priorities.
Can’t argue that the start was pretty difficult , typical of a team that’s short on confidence , as the goals went in the more comfortable we became but there was a change in attitude but they only mask things the same problems are still there especially in the central midfield.
Lots of reports coming in on the Aubameyang story most seem to say that he overstayed after getting a tattoo in “” Barcelona “” rumours now abounding and apparently he broke covid rules .
Make of that what you will.
The first 15 minutes were a disaster. Luckily the goal came and everything changed.
Partney and Xhaxa are very slow to run; Thierney is muscularly fatigued; Laca plays well but the runtime no longer keeps up with the reasoning; whenever they go out to play from the keeper, I get “hair standing”. The first goal came from the goalkeeper and everything went, luckily, well. In the first 15 minutes, against a team that is ready to win, they would be 0-2 or 0-3.
Top 3 teams all won 1 nil and all were penalty shots.
I would hate to have to mark Martinelli he is like a clockwork toy that just keeps running. What difference a centre forward that battles makes , Southampton were weak but our attitude was so much better.
Again no Auba and we suddenly looked much more balanced and attacked more.
Potter I feeling much better with this win, only problem it is 4am now.
Great win the best we have been so far, I thought it would have been a much tougher match, The more I Ramsdale play the better I like him, surprised Arteta didn’t take Party off.
Could easily have been 6 nil dam post kept getting in the way
Interesting performance after frantic start. Some much better performances in there too. Martin, Ramsdale and Gabi mentioned in dispatches.
Full time 3 -0
I reckon so too Andrew. Perhaps off it too.
How you feeling Geoff
He has been, on the pitch rico! Who knows off it? Laca is often smiling in photos with him, but sounds like he’s enjoying himself today.
Gabriel makes it Three.
So then, Aubameyang is the problem?
Think this disproves some Arsenal players in Auba corner not giving there all. On radio it sounds all Arsenal now. Two posts hit!
Just seen your update Adam, different to Sky reporter!
How’s it going Geoff? Not on tv in England. Sky report says Southampton better team, but Arsenal clinical with better players!
A bit disjointed and desperate before the goal but better later. Should be 4 up really
Andrew agree we need the top 3 to keep winning,
Going to my eyes tested I thought I saw us leading 2 nil at half time.
We look so much better with out Auba.
Okay 2 – 0 then.😉
Lacazette opens the scoring Saka assist 1 – 0
2-0 with Auba out of the picture.
2-0, Odegaard.
Auba needs striped of captaincy, nice goal Laca but we are putting a lot of pressure on our keeper
The latter I reckon Wavy.
Gabriel booked already.
Was he late for training again? Or did he tell Mikel he thought he was a tosser for dropping him?
Just asking.
Soton today? Once it would have been a home banker! Today? F*** knows.
Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang isn’t in the squad for today’s match with rumours aplenty of a bust up in training.
Asked why his striker is missing out Arteta said: “Unfortunately, due to a disciplinary breach.
“I think we have been very consistent, there are non-negotiables we have set as a club and I think we have been very consistent.”
The Arsenal boss was then quizzed on the possible length of time Aubameyang could be out. Arteta replied: “It starts today.
“Certainly it’s not an easy situation and not a situation we want.”
Don’t think VAR could say clear error Geoff.
I’ve stopped wanting top 3 to lose. We have no chance catching, so helps us them keep winning.
Just confirmed on BBC, training incident, Arteta not saying how long, just that it starts today.
Arsenal will never admit it Andrew.
Auba no lose, VAR help man c win 1 nil
Interesting andrew , more to it ?
Auba out for Disciplinary breach?
Injured apparently
Are we saving Aubameyang for the cup game? He’s not on the bench.
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Saka, Partey, Xhaka, Martinelli, Odegaard, Lacazette.
Subs: Okonkwo, Smith-Row, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Soares, Pépé, Tavares, Lokonga, Nketiah.
Man c and wolves draw at half time yellow cards for both teams now wolves down to 10 after giving away a stupid 2nd yellow card by the same player in less then 30 seconds
Not watching but it sounds contentious at the Etihad.
We need to do a eye test on all our players to see if any one is colour blind and a large sign over the goal to show our strikers were to aim for, lets hope both are not needed for todays match, LOL
Hi Cicero, we’re back to the unknown aren’t we? The performance which blew Leicester away for 45 minutes, or the slow, sideways stuff which saw us huff and puff against Newcastle. Who knows eh…
Good day Rico and all.
My hopes for today? A clean sheet and a goal from anyone. With our current strikers I certainly don’t expect them to run up a cricket score.
Will Martinelli start? He reportedly suffered a hamstring injury in the last match, they don’t clear up in a few days but he is, supposedly, fully fit.
Partey needs a rest while he learns about passing the ball only to players in the same colour shirt as the one he’s wearing.
Afternoon Geoff, I too think Saints will give us a tough game.
Afternoon Rico and All
So No excuses as Arteta said he knows how they play, but I recon we are in for a harder match than the last 2 matches.
Even if we are up 3 nil with 2 minutes left I will be praying for the whistle.
Morning Potter, all. Omicron seems to be gathering pace everywhere. Had my booster now which is a relief.
Yep, I hope we se3 some kind of response to the last two toothless performances. I’m not holding my breath though.
Morning all from a cold and crispy omicron infested Norfolk .
Just like last year the local primary school kids are dropping like flies with reports coming in of rising cases and it looks like the kids that didn’t get a proper Christmas last year are in danger of not getting one this time as well.
Still as the government love to tell us . Lesson’s will be learned except when it affects the economy . They should have shut the schools ( super spreaders ) as soon as the new strain was recognised , but there you go.
As for football , We none of us know what is happening behind the closed doors of the Arsenal . The club has never had a great rapport with the fans and real information has never been easy to glean and the rumours abounding on the internet , twitter etc don’t help.
As you say Rico , today is not about skill and tactics it’s more to do with attitude, if the players that are picked go out to win we should do so and going 1 up should just be the precursor to getting more .
But then this is the Arsenal and the team is nervous and so are the fans . The crowd will not relax until the team is well clear of Southampton because just like our cricketers we are capable of collapsing at any moment .
We need 3 nil up with 2 minutes left before I will relax.