Morning all.
I read the news on the clubs official website yesterday afternoon and leaned something new. Mikel Arteta has never lost a north London derby at home, not as a player or manager. That’s quite a record and one I’m sure he’ll want to extend on Sunday afternoon.
The Spaniard’s love affair with home north London derbies began in February 2012 when he lined up in midfield alongside Alex Song and Thomas Rosicky, and his cross for Bacary Sagna led to us coming back from an early 2-0 deficit to beat our neighbours 5-2. When Totts returned the following November, he played his part in us recording the same scoreline, and after helping us to a 2-0 FA Cup third round success and a 1-1 draw in 2014, his final north London derby appearance came in November 2015 when he appeared off the Emirates Stadium bench for the final 13 minutes to help us secure a 1-1 draw.
He would find himself back in the same dugout on derby day in March 2021 but this time as our manager, and recorded a 2-1 success over Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham team as Martin Odegaard’s first Premier League goal and a penalty from Alexandre Lacazette completed a comeback. Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte’s sides were then both beaten 3-1 in September 2021 and October 2022 respectively, and while Ange Postecoglu did earn a 2-2 draw 12 months later, our 2-1 success the last time we faced off in N5 in January stretched Mikel’s unbeaten home derby record to 10 – five with his boots on and five without.
Another thing I didn’t know until I read it yesterday is that back in 1967, on September 16th, our then young player, George Graham got married to Marie Zia at Marylebone Town Hall. No party followed, no honeymoon either because later that day, he and his Arsenal teammates were to lineup against Totts in the first north London derby of the season so off they went to Highbury. Graham played a blinder apparently as Arsenal won 4-0. Late in the game, Graham nobbled Terry Venables, the guy who just a few hours earlier, had been his best man. lol
Imagine that these days, top players getting married in the morning before playing in the afternoon, it just wouldn’t happen. No, lavish wedding days, an enormous bill followed by a couple of weeks spent on an exotic honeymoon which in total probably costs less than a week or two of their wages.
How football has changed eh and not all of it for the better.
Mikel Arteta holds his pre-match press conference this afternoon so we should hear more about Gabriel’s injury and who if anyone is expected to return to the squad for this weekend’s match.
Catch up in the comments.
Good evening Rico, been out all day so just catching up. A bit of history is always welcome, but it is just that history and as such has no bearing on Sunday’s match.
Arteta was his usual uninformative self at his press conference, I expect nothing else.
We must just wait until Sunday afternoon to learn who starts, who’s on the bench and who is ruled out altogether.
Evening Cicero, not a lot of catching up to do. 😜
Arteta seldom gives much away although my cunning theory has been proved wrong. Gabriel is injured…