When times get tough, Don’t hide. pic.twitter.com/pWIOq9t1NM
— Balogun (@balogun) August 23, 2021
Morning all.
We go again. Perhaps we might even experience victory tonight but West Brom will be no walkover. Their manager, Valerien Ismael, will have watched our opening two fixtures and believe his team can win this one. The Baggies might be a Championship club this season, but just four months ago, they were beating Chelsea in the Premier League. They’ve added five players so far this summer, the same number as Arsenal. Unlike Arsenal, West Brom haven’t lost yet this season having won three of their four fixtures, drawing the other so it’s fair to say that they go into tonight’s game in good form.
Arsenal however are struggling. Four goals conceded in just two matches and not a sniff of a goal. Injuries, Covid, you name it, Arsenal have faced it.
Tonight though, we could see one or two return to action.
Hector Bellerin – back in training and being assessed ahead of tonight.
Alex Lacazette – back in full training and ready to play.
Gabriel – back in training with the squad.
Martin Odegaard – available for selection.
Willian – being monitored ahead of tonight’s match.
Alex Runarsson – back in full training.
Thomas Partey – should be back in training by the end of the month.
Ben White – out with Covid but could be back at the weekend.
Not for a moment do I expect to see Willian or Runasson in tonight’s squad but it’ll be good to see Martin Odegaard get some minutes. Lacazette too. If Bellerin is fit, why not play him, after all, the club are paying him.
Mikel Arteta on the chances of Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale being involved…
We will see. They’ve both been training a few days, only a few days, we just got the VISA from Martin yesterday I think and Aaron has been a while without training, but they both want to play.Is the Carabao Cup is a good chance for us to build intensity…
Yeah, let’s see who is available again. We had some knocks and stuff from the game and players that need minutes and want minutes, and it’s a competition obviously that we want to fight for. We need a win as well.
Without doubt, Arsenal need a win tonight, fans need a win too together with a organised performance. Something to make us believe players can perform as a team. Yes “it’s only West Brom” will be all over the internet tomorrow morning should Arsenal win but who cares? Sometimes it just takes any kind of win to break the cycle. If two fixtures can be called a cycle but we just need something positive to build on. Something like the Chelsea win on Boxing Day.
As said, we need a performance. A plan which is executed well. An idea of what our identity might be over the weeks a months to come. A fixed and settled first 11-13 players, and a formation which suits our players and makes us stronger to break down when up against the so called bigger and better teams.
With players beginning to return from injury and Covid, we should improve. In theory anyway.
The transfer rumours came out with a corker yesterday as various sports outlets suggested if Pep doesn’t sign Harry Kane in the next few days, he could make a move for Aubameyang. Honestly, I hope he does. Arsenal aren’t going to win the League and I don’t think Aubameyang leaving would make a huge difference to this Arsenal team either. Certainly not if last season is anything to go by. As a Flo Balogun said in is Twitter comment, when the going gets tough, you don’t hide. Aubameyang has been hiding I think. If Pep wants him, take the money and say thank you. Then go and sign someone who has more to give the team and at the same time, appoint a proper captain. Partey or Tierney perhaps.
See you in the comments…
Morning Rico and all
This is a must win for us tonight or the players confidents could hit rock bottom and the pressure will be really on Arteta and Edu.
While at the same time the get Arteta / Edu out group of fans will only get bigger and louder. Not to mention the field day the press will have.
With the way Auba has played lately if Pep wants him I would say warm the Taxi up and get him there a day early so he does not miss his appointment.
I’d let Auba go for free, honestly!
Though I hope he proves me wrong and finds his best again, if he stays.
Any time you’re feeling a little down, look at that squad.
Check the quality and the age.
The future is bright!!
Morning all.
Good Morning Rico and all
thanks for the post.
The situation regarding Auba points to nothing else except attitude. Its not malaria effects. Its not covid either. Its his attitude. End of. because if he is affected by malaria and/or Covid, the city medical team would know. And they will instruct Pep to refrain from signing him. So basically with him in the team we suffer. Put someone else in the team….because with him its like playing with a player less. Without him we know its at least 11 players.
And oh…..leave Lacazette with the kids. He seems to get a new lease of life whenever Auba does not play and he plays with the kids. And Laca is at 2 to 3 years younger than Auba so he is a better bet than the other one.
Unless we sign DCL. Then I will change my opinion for sure.
Morning Geoff, Devil, all.
It certainly wouldn’t bother me if Auba went to City.
This team only needs a CF and a RB to go with it atm. If we shift all the dead wood and we get in those two we will be in fine fettle at least till December. Then one can analyze how the team is doing and use the January TW to tweek the team squad.
Do you think Mikel will last that long Devil? 😀
Good morning all. The Aubameyang to city story is merely an attempt by them to prompt Levy into flogging Kane.
The WBA game is NOT an opportunity to give fringe and young players minutes on the pitch. Arteta needs to use it to establish some sort of structure for the team.
We’ve played two games with three right backs involved, even though one of them is left back and three different centre backs.
The manager should pick the team that he expects to play against City and not fart about changing it at 60 minutes unless force to by injury. Get them playing together, sit down and LEAVE THEM TO GET ON WITH IT.
Rico….what we read on NN with regards MA being given a certain amount of games to turn things around are simply BS written by so called bloggers who want people to click on their sites. It only serves for keyboard warriors to brandish their swords etc…..and write their drivel.
I have never in my life seen or heard Arsenal do like Chelsea do…..what goes on in the board remains there. And I dont think that they have backed him with so much money and I feel will back him more and they will sack him in October. Arsenal board stay silent and let people do the talking. They have never said anything and I doubt they ever will.
And yes..I think he will last longer than whatever many might think.
He is rebuilding the playng staff. And that takes a long amount of time. Especially when, besides Covid, injuries, overhaul of playing staff etc you have players whose attitude stinks.
I will leave my comment u people stop moaning we need a win and about selling auba your nuts when he gets his mojo back he will be scoring again u watch everyone say sell him to city he joins city he will be top goal scorer of the premier league I can guarantee that as well he’s a bad ass maybe try playing 2 at top with laca and aubs
The ten game rumour came from The Telegraph Devil, now it’s just being repeated. What’s amusing though is that the next ten games, barring City, are all winnable if Arteta can get this group of players playing like a team.
Tonight I would go with the following (even though the team played on Sunday and will do so again on the weekend….
Ramsdale,
Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Tavares
Lokonga, Xhaka
Pepe, Odegaard, ESR
Lacazette.
Saka I would rest. he is still out of sorts. Tierney I would rest as well. Martinelli I will bring on later in the game as a sub.
But I feel that Arteta’s team will be different than the above.
If White is fit for the weekend than I would love the team to be….
Ramsdale
Chambers, White, Gabriel, Tierney
Lokonga, Xhaka
Saka, Odegaard, ESR
Lacazette.
Auba will have upset bowels and every time he passes gas it comes out in liquid form instead of air. So better stay at home.
Pssst I will say this only once, Antonio Conte is in the frame as Arteta’s replacement and……a certain Dutchman to replace Edu. MO not DB.
Totally agree re the sit down and let them play. Jeeze, that would so annoy me.
I saw that too Cicero. And smiled. Lol
Gabriel is only just back training, he’s not ready to start imo. I do think Tavares will come in for Tierney though after the latter suffered cramp on Sunday.
Rico, Martinelli also suffered cramp on Sunday dare I suggest it is a fitness problem? Both players seem to be prone to minor soft tissue injuries. Worrying!
Other than the Right Back and different option centre forward we badly need a worker midfielder something that we really haven’t had since Parlour.
We are overrun by nice touch players but they do run back and they do try to press but the defensive awareness is what is lacking from the middle.
Exactly, but many seem to thinks it’s as easy as abc.
Wow, so Arteta does the hard yards. And Conte comes in to claim the spoils after doing the easy stuff.
Both need a break imo.
I think I need a break but will no doubt be watching tonight.
As much as we need a better striker than Auba we also need to find a true leader who the younger players can look to for guidance during matches.
Both 🙂
Bissouma Potter, that’s what’s missing from our midfield.
Good point Cicero, I doubt he’ll start then. Very worrying, as is Partey who before joining us, was hardly ever injured.
Just what Lampard did at Chelsea before Tuchel arrived. Lampard couldn’t get his team to gel and right now, neither can Arteta.
Rico. The Bissouma thing is a mystery to me. Why we haven’t signed him seems very odd.
And Tuchel didn’t need several transfer windows either.
Afternoon rico, all. After all the aggro coming Arteta’s way, it will be very sweet for him to look back if success arrives. Everyone who wanted him out will be very quiet then with short memories.
Notice I said ‘if’ not ‘when’ 🙂
I really want him to succeed, but the Europa Semi when we went in with no striker still puzzles me. Let’s hope it was a one off rank bad decision. Like others have said, a proper Captain would help surely.
He already had a squad with hundreds of millions.
Kane staying at Toots then…
Andrew, they’ll come out and say they were behind him all along lol
We most definitely need a leader.
Worth….
Seems Kane is staying put for now.
Adam, I can only think it’s because of the ACON. I think he’d be worth missing for 6 weeks.
Afternoon Andrew. I too want him to succeed but a part of me thinks he’s too stubborn and can’t see what’s going on right in front of him.
Rico. Will he go to the ACON?
I think Brighton said you can have one but not two , we chose the ball playing 6 foot centre back . Wrong decision in my mind.
He last played for them in 2018- it says here.
Potter. Money talks though and Brighton have a very good manager. 😀
It’s easy to swat the change in Chelsea off by using the amount of money they’ve spent but it’s more about where Chelsea were and where they reached with those same players.
Could this group of Arsenal players do better is what we should be asking ourselves imo. If asked that question, I think the majority of Arsenal fans would say yes.
I’d imagine so Adam.
That paints a different picture then Adam. Unlikely if the last time he played for his country was 2018.
Now Xhaka has extended his contract, a midfielder signing might have gone out the window.
Rico. Arsenal too had an expensively assembled squad but Chelsea were emotionally driven in appointing Frank who had a so so season with Derby. Tuchel proved once again that the manager is critical. Tuchel was ok at PSG but has blossomed at Chelsea through pure organisation it seems to me.
Bissouma is an engine room in midfield. Very Kante-like with real space covering power. I’m surprised no other club has been in for him, especially as Potter expected to lose him. I think he’s exactly what we need and have done for years.
Yep, but he didn’t have rebuild to do, everything was there so credit to Lampard for leaving them in a good position.
Did he deserve a little more time?
Probably, but then it’s hard to criticise a decision that has paid dividends.
We don’t have a squad anywhere near as good as that which Frank left, so would Tuchel win a CL with what we have now?
I doubt it.
Spot on.
Adam, I think the amount of money e club have spent in recent years gets lost. I’ve always maintained though that there’s never appeared to be a plan whereby players are signed because we need them for a particular position. Instead, imo it’s been about who the club can get rather than who we need.
I don’t think we needed White, not when we have Saliba and Mavropanos on the books but clearly Mikel doesn’t fancy either. But, the other signings are great I think and what we needed. We need more, most of us can see that but I doubt Edu/Arteta have a bottomless pit of money. Also, there are still a few to move on.
Agree, I hoped Bissouma would have been the first one through the door. Maybe he’ll be the last. 😆
Rico, name a club in the world that could NOT be doing better right now.
there’s a handful at best lol
I reckon most would agree with that.
He looks to offer exactly what we lack.
They are not of any interest to me Scott. My concern is with Arsenal.
The furore over selling Willock has quickly died down since he hasn’t scored and with each game that goes by without him scoring that £22m/£25m deal looks better and better just as the Iwobi deal now looks a bit of a peach as well as the Oxlade Chamberlain sale likewise.
I’m not sure that I totally believe the Aubameyang rumours linking him to Man City but if there’s a chance for him to move to Eastlands then you couldn’t blame him for jumping ship or for that fact Arsenal losing his wages.
The prospect of a free transfer that I’ve heard mooted on some sites would seem a bit daft to me because he can still score goals and we’ll need to replace him somehow? Also we need to be able to sell our players better and losing him on a free would make us look so weak.
Maybe Guardiola sees him as a Cavani type?
I saw some highlights from the Inter vs Genoa game on You Tube and Dzeko scored and that Turkish guy who used to play for Liverpool also scored as they won 4-0 and played some really good football, a whole lot better than us, but I also noticed no Martinez in their squad. Is he injured or what?
Rico. I’ve got a good feeling about White but he needs 3 good flanking partners. You are right though in that our buys have been scatter-gun with little evidence of a plan of any depth. Having said that, we are certainly underachieving right now.
Well as Kane is staying at Spuds, the Aubameyang to City story might have legs after all.
Let’s live in the real world, when it comes to buying players our status as a midtable club is not the attraction it used to be. Ambitious young players are more interested in getting into a Champions League qualified club than scrapping for a top half of the table finish.
Kev, guilty-I’d let him go.
The wages we’d save would help massively imo.
Obviously better to get a fee, but we could be stuck with a guy putting in as little effort as possible and running out his contract.
Sorry. I meant 2 partners
Bissouma reminds me of Wenger in many ways, in that he’s the player that everyone agrees we need, except Arteta.
How many seasons went by without Arsenal signing a proper centre half under Arsene, even other managers couldn’t help saying thatvall arsenal needed was a proper, commanding centre half and all the time Wenger fannied around with Silvestre, Gallas, a fading Toure etc. He wasted about three seasons determined to be proved right before going out and signing Koscielny, Squillaci and Mertesaker.
Bissouma is like Arteta’s version of Wenger’s centre back syndrome.
I think it’s vital we don’t lose Lacazette. His value with a year to run is 10-15m at best? The price of good strikers at the moment is so vast. Had we bought Abraham it would be different, personally I’d like Antonio So unless we have in excess of 50 million going spare, it must be worth keeping him even if his contract runs down. He commits and has never let us down in attitude and effort, in the way our other striker has.
Tonight’s team selection will be really interesting. If no Bellerin or Elneny, when would they get a game. Looking forward to seeing Odegaard again and Ramsdale. In fact, pretty looking forward to a 2nd round League cup clash as its pretty important!
I still say we did not give Emery long enough to show what he could have done if he was given the same amount of money as Arteta has been given. but at least the money is there now to improve on what we had.
Just wondering who other people like the most out of the players we have picked up this transfer window.
My Favourite player is Lokonga
He looks an absolute ripper, Geoff.
I think Tavarez will surprise.
Odegaard-well I’m a big fan.
Actually the only one I don’t have a bug opinion of is Ramsdale and that’s because I’ve barely seen him play lol
Cicero, hopefully the shedding of the salaries of Torrieira, Willian and maybe one or two others could free up funds to make a late splash before Sept 1st (or is it the 2nd).
Edu is under increasing pressure, it appears, to end the window with a splash because if Josh is still in the U.K. then he’s probably keen to tell us to ‘be excited’ or to give out a few P.45’s.
Scott we simply cannot afford to let a player like Aubameyang join Man City on a free, it would make us look pathetic.
Willian is a totally different scenario and will probably depend on him lowering his severance demands. I mean he should be compensating us!
Kev, what makes us look equally pathetic is seeing him stroll around, smiling and not raising a sweat.
Either way, we are screwed lol
I agree with Adam, White is a top top player, I’ve no worries about him and what a few no marks in the media say about him, we just to sign a few more to go with him.
Unless we have a proper striker lined up I can’t see us selling Auba.
Well as most of us Scott were broadly in favour of the club extending his contract I therefore guess we also have to hold our hands up for that, but that doesn’t change the perception of Arsenal if we let Aubameyang walk, it would also make us look like a directionless club that no ambitious player would want to join.
Adam, I’m sure that the club have targets that they could move for if Aubameyang left.
I have nothing against White but i think , if as I believe ,Brighton gave us an either or choice . We took the wrong one . Our defence was not that bad last season but the midfield has been our downfall for far too long in my opinion.
Kev. I hope so
Adam, I have too but I think his purchase just highlighted a breakdown between Saliba, Mavropanos and Arteta. I’m really not unhappy about us getting White at all. I just found it odd.
Cicero, I kind of agree but then again, look at some of the young talent around in the PL, many of whom aren’t at the top clubs.
The problem with Auba going to man city is they will get Auba mark 1 and not Auba mark2 that we currently have
Both are rumoured to be leaving Andrew so we might not see them again..
Geoff, I doubt he would have. Raul was the contract control freak with Emery. He apparently didn’t want Pepe or Torreira. Don’t know about the others.
I’ve no worries about Aubameyang going to City or any other Premiership club. He’s been on the slide since before he signed that new, expensive contract. He’d need to be Lazarus to resurrect the form of his early Arsenal years. I just don’t believe he’s capable of doing it.
Kev, we’ve been doing a pretty good job of being directionless for about ten to twelve seasons now, no need to worry about the media suddenly jumping on that particular band-wagon, it’s way over the horizon.
Yes Geoff, you could just see him strolling out for first game with City and leaving with the match ball 😀
I too think someone will be lined if if Auba goes. Might not be a big name etc, but it’d be foolish to let Auba leave without a replacement.
It’s a great shame Eddie isn’t fit for tonight’s game.
Realistically, if he went to City and found his best, it says more about the man than it does our club but so be it-he’d have maybe one great season at best left in him, it’ll hardly cost us the league so wouldn’t really do us any harm, long term.
India bowled out for 78. England 16 for no wickets.
If Arsenal can just show England’s Headingly response tonight!
78 all out, wow, warming up for the Aussies.
The bowling and fielding has been excellent. Loved it.
Every time I fast forwarded, a wicket (or two) went down!
Overton and Robinson look very promising as a duo, big lads who get plenty of bounce.
Jimmy is just amazing, so pleased I went to Lords and saw him bowl a fiver, one of a kind.
Up there with the best bowlers England have produced, if not the best.
It’s impossible to compare bowlers from different eras.
Fielding is so much more athletic than back in the day making it harder for batsmen to score runs, thus they are under more pressure to play risky shots. Notice how few threes are scored nowadays, fielders chase every ball, make diving attempts to stop a ball hitting the boundary. When a ball is heading for the boundary, two fielders will chase it one to make the dive and flick the ball back to the other who then relays it to the wicket keeper.
Forward short legs and silly points now wear not only a box but shin guards and helmets so they can field much closer to the bat.
All of which makes it easier to take wickets and harder to make runs.
He’s still good though. Lol
He is Rico, if only he could bat. 😉
England 💯 for none.
Hameed gets a half century and now Burns, when did the England openers last do that?
Really pleased for Hameed, he’s still only 24 with the best years ahead of him.
I’m really liking Burns.
He can Cicero, just not very well.. 😂
Too long Kev.
Torreira gone then and Hosh Kroenke in London to secure a big deal… 😜
https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/transfers/kroenke-seen-in-london-as-arsenal-could-make-late-move-for-barca-starlet/
I like Hosh better than Josh.
A simple statement on the Fiorentina site read, “ACF Fiorentina is delighted to announce the signing of Lucas Torreira on loan with an option to purchase from Arsenal Football Club.
“The Uruguay international – born in Fray Bentos on 11 February 1996 – spent last season at Atletico Madrid, helping the club win La Liga.
“Torreira has 31 Uruguay caps to his name and recently played for his country in the Copa America.
“The midfielder will wear the No.18 shirt at Fiorentina.Video: Le visite, la firma e le prime parole di Lucas Torreira.”
😂 Oops.
Ramsdale
Nuno Tavares
Chambers
Holding
Kolasinac
Elneny
Xhaka
Odegaard
Pepe
Saka
Aubameyang
substitutes
Leno
Mari
Maitland-Niles
Lokonga
Smith Rowe
Martinelli
Lacazette
So we have three Right Backs who are not playing but a LB is put in their place.
Incredible.
The only thing I am happy about is Ramsdale, Holding and Chambers as CBs
I thought similar. Weird team selection.
Ramsdale as GK…forgot to put it after his name. lol
Don’t miss tonight’s episode of “The Tinkerman Returns” Adults only with many disturbing scenes, moments of high drama and low moments that will leave you in despair.
Ha ha Wavy
Does Arteta use a tombola machine to pick his teams?
rico :I was right – Kola in the line up. Probably Wiiliam in the way out Corinthians, else he will be there too
Playing ourselves into trouble at the back again
Auba has scored to make it 1-0
I didn’t know you said he would be Jm.
Auba gets a goal then, hoorah.
My thought about Tavarez as RB was wrong.
The line up is Chambers at RB with Holding and Kolasinac as CBs and Tavares as LB
West Brom have some big old boys in their team.
If the score remains like it is and we dont score against City…..do you think that Arsenal.com will have the cheek to award it the goal of the month?? hahahahahahahaha
Pepe and another by Auba make it 3-0
I agree with Kevin Campbell. Auba is making a lot of runs off the shoulder off the last defender but he’s not being spotted. Saka and Tavares playing well.
Odegaard makes such a big difference, now stick Bissouma in front of our back four and bingo…
What’s so difficult about that Arteta?
He makes things look so simple. But then football is simple isn’t it, just tactics make it confusing.. lol
Amazing what happens when our attacking players do their jobs.
Didn’t people complain that Arsene didn’t do tactics?
I liked it anyway.
I enjoyed it too. Good to see Aubameyang back smiling. AMN too but then I’m a bit soft where he’s concerned. Lol
Where did AMN play, Rico?
Can Auba find his best again?
Bloody hell, he’s frustrating as the guy is a game changer when on his game.
AFC Wimbledon at home.
AMN came on and played in midfield
Midfield Scott and grabbed an assist. Lol
There was something about the way Aubameyang took his 3rd goal, I’ve not seen that assurance in his finishing since we beat Chelsea in the FACup final so maybe his mojo is returning?
I really hope so, unless he was hoping Pep was watching. 😜
Gee, it’s hard to know where his future lies. Can he do the CDM job guys?
That’s the concern, Rico.
Who knows if the rumours are true, but he’s so talented, his loss of form simply has to be mental, not physical.
Just checked the score Aubameyang scoring 3 goals looks like the rumour about Man City are true
I was hoping for a win but wasn’t expecting 6-0
Have faith mate hahaha
I just saw the goals.
No defence to speak of, but it’s a win and hopefully a confidence builder.
One of Aubas goals was a ripper and Saka’s, wow, what a beautiful strike.
He looked jaded on the weekend-how was he last night guys?
Morning all.
New post up now