Good morning to you all and welcome to 2022! I hope it brings better times than the year we’ve said goodbye to. Let it be a year when Covid fizzles out somewhat and infections and deaths are nowhere near the numbers they are today. We can but hope.
The transfer window is officially open now and Mikel Arteta expects the club to be active:
We are expecting some activity because of a few players, and we have a few loans that hopefully we will have to complete. But it depends, as we all know it’s a very complicated market, and it’s a short window, so we’ll see what happens.
Covid 19 has struck Mikel Arteta for a second time so he’ll not be on the sideline today. Even so, we live in a digital world so his plans for today’s game will have been got through to the players and whoever stands in for him. Mikel Arteta will be watching on just like many of us will be, through the cameras of BT Sport. Whilst stomping around his living room no doubt.
So, the best team in England, perhaps even Europe, take on Arsenal at lunchtime today. Can we beat Man City? Of course we can but I’m not expecting us to do so.
Back in August, when Arsenal travelled to The Etihad, we got thumped good and proper. 12 minutes in and we’re already 2-0 down. By half-time, it was 3-0 and to make matters worse, Granit Xhaka has been shown a straight red card for a naughty challenge on Joao Cancelo. Playing City is hard enough with eleven so with ten, it was not great surprise to concede three goals after Xhaka had walked the walk of shame. 5-0 by the end, 20% possession and just one shot on goal and even that was off target.
But, Arsenal looked a different team back then, literally. Covid and injuries made sure of that.
Out of the team has gone: Bernd Leno, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Cedric Soares, Calum Chambers, Sead Kolasinac and Rob Holding, although the latter was back in the team last weekend for the fixture against Norwich and I suspect he’ll play again today.
Gabriel Martinelli, Alex Lacazette, Aaron Ramsdale were on the bench back in August, whereas now they are first choice. Gabriel and Ben White weren’t even available and neither was Takehiro Tomiyasu. How things have changed eh.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, Cedric Soares and Callum Chambers are all ruled out through Covid but Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Sambi Lokonga could be back in the squad. Mo Elneny, Thomas Partey and Nicolas Pepe are still available to play but Aubameyang has already joined his international teammates in preparation for the ACON.
As said, I don’t expect us to beat Man City today but I do expect to see a very different performance to the one we saw back in August. Keeping eleven players on the pitch would be a good place to start!
We all need to see Arsenal get at City, show that we’re a team which can match the best and not just beat the rest. It’ll be a tough challenge but if we’re tough, disciplined and competitive, we can get something out of this game.
Happy New Year to you all and thank you for the last 365 days of commitment you’ve shown to Highbury House because without you, it wouldn’t work.
Here’s to 2022 being a great year for you and your families. 🥂🥂
A great year for Arsenal too..
See you in the comments.
Morning Rico and all and happy new year to all.
I’m glad Auba as all ready left for ACON so the media can stop talking about him.
As for Man city anything Is possible and we are a totally different team to the one at the start of the season, we just have to keep trying tonight and not give in.
Morning Geoff, all.
I doubt the media will stop talking about Auba, not whilst the transfer window is open.
Seems we’ll be busy loaning players out for the rest of the season.
Happy new year Rico and all fellow Housers.
Let’s hope for a much better and less troubled year in 2022, in every area which we inhabit.
Todays game? I think we should all hope for the best, a win, but be ready for the worst, a defeat, just not by too many!
Let’s hope that the Arsenal’s year is a prosperous and successful one, starting today, and that the club go from strength to strength.
I just want to see us give them a proper game Wavy. Plus a home win of course.. lol
Good morning Rico and all. A happy and healthy 2022 to you all and to your families.
Not only our own fans will be urging Arsenal on today, Chelsea and Liverpool fans will be praying that we can knock the City juggernaut off the rails and keep the title chase on track.
Can we do it? As Bob the Builder would say “YES WE CAN”.
Good morning and an happy 2022 to you all!
It was fun to win today!
Morning Cicero. If Arsenal bring their A game to the table, anything is possible.. 🤞
As I said earlier, there is no reason why we can’t beat Man city, the team we have now is totally different to the team we had at the start of the season, let’s hope that our players don’t give up if we go down 2 nil early in the match.
Let’s give Arteta a get well present with a win over Man city
It’s still had it’s sloppy performances Geoff.
Jm, you’re optimistic then. Lol
I don’t anticipate a win but a draw would be nice especially if it was gained by going at them .
Trying to play a defensive negative game and we will get caught out.
Today we have to stand up and be counted
Totally agree Potter.
If we go into our shells, City will just pick us off.
With Kolasinac out with an ankle injury, Tomiyasu, Chambers and Cedric out due to Covid I think we might see the following starting line-up:- Ramsdale, White, Holding, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli and Lacazette.
The only one of our African contingent not available to play is Aubameyang who has already flown out to Dubai to meet up with his international team-mates.
I expect to see ESR get on after an hour and score the winning goal.
Good Morning Rico and the House.
I wish you all a happy and healthy new year.
May we see us start 2022 as we finished 2021
4 straight wins
Tomiyasu is back…
Morning Rick. That would be a great start to the year, however… 😝
Arsenal team news…
Team to face Man City: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Lacazette.
Subs: Leno, Smith Rowe, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Soares, Pepe, Tavares, Lokonga, Elneny.
The current ‘A’ team then. We shall see.
Just missing ESR.
I understand Arteta will be watching the game in a large room specially equipped with a high level camera view in order so see the match with a different perspective. The large room is to allow him to move around freely as he says he could not watch while slumped on a sofa. He will be in constant touch with the dugout.
Time to go and watch the game. C’mon Arsenal.
COYG’S!!
Afternoon rico, house, thought we had a pen😩
Afternoon Andrew, I’m still not convinced it was.
Rico, depends on camera angle.
Yessss, Saka!
Saka, Saka, Saka.
Fabulous goal…
What a lovely goal.
How much improved has Partey been? Although so many good performances so far.
Great start great goal
It does Andrew. I thought Odegaard caught Emerson but then my eyes aren’t the best. Lol
Today we’re seeing the real Partey. Just as he’s about to leave..
Tomi amazing first half, Gabriel, Ode, Martinelli.
Really really good first half.
Excellent first half,
WOW.
That was one brilliant half of football.
We must follow it up and run out the 90 minutes in the same fashion!!
Happy New Year everyone!!
The first Premiership goal of 2022 scored by Bukayo Saka. His name will be in the history books.
On the penalty, I thought it was one, but I hate the rules so aren’t that upset it wasn’t given.
Unless, of course, Campbell or Grealish are given one for their normal antics in the second half 🙂
Campbell Scott? You mean Sterling?
Deservedly Cicero.
That’s a fucking joke.
Same VAR guy who screwed us over last season.
Send him back to Australia.
Looks like pep put lunch on for the refs,
The wheels have come off now…
Stupid from Gabriel.
What a fooking waste of that first half. Wrong of Gabriel, but he felt the injustice of looking at one pen and not the other.
My only complaint is that one went to the monitor and the other didn’t. Imo, all penalty decisions which are 50/50 should be referred to the monitor.
Cheated by the ref again as always. Such a better performance when down to 10 men. We didn’t roll over and play dead.
We don’t deserve that!
This ref has f..k this game rigged
Utterly robbed, but those lads deserve a standing ovation.
What a performance.
Ps-can anyone explain why Gundogan didn’t cop a second yellow at the end there??
Almost identical challenge to Gabriel’s.
Why wasn’t Rodri booked for taking his shirt off after scoring?
Scott we don’t need him in Australia I recon send him to ACON with out any health protection
He was, according to the commentator I was watching but I didn’t actually see it, Cicero.
He’d bloody better have been lol
Despite the inexperience of our squad, if feel that the first time, this match was spoiled by poor decisions from the man in the middle. Also think Mancity’s penalty was about soft
Geoff, yep lol
Twice he’s got us already and I commented when he went over to England how good he was.
Pfft.
Ah well, the performance is what we should focus on and it was sensational imo
Such a shame to concede at the death as the guys really deserved better.
Scott the Aussie ref has shown his colour I bet you he a Tottenham fan
Very frustrating, Geoff.
A great game spoilt by dreadful match officials.
Very proud of the team today nobody tipped us to win but it took the refs to cheat to help city
Sweet and sour taste.
In my opinion, it gets lost again by refereeing skills. duality of criteria in the sampling of yellow cards, in the decisions of faults, in serious faults, etc. Ramsdale didn’t make a save and conceded 2 goals; Partney played a giant game; Martinelli showed why it should have been an option longer ago; Xhaka played a wonderful game and was punished by a penalty when he had already covered the space and Bernardo wanted to pass (and force his way) where he could no longer; Saka was huge, etc. Wonderful game in my opinion of Arsenal, superior when they were 11 v. 11, well organized and committed to the game and scorer of the 1st goal of 2022.
Gabriel Magalhães, gunners central defender, was sent off for a double yellow card (57 and 59′), against Manchester City. But it wasn’t just any red card…
Since the founding of the Premier League in the early 1990s, the London team has been the first to reach 100 expulsions. Everton has 99 and Newcastle 89.
Yet again it came down to a Xhaka brain fart .was it a penalty? Probably yes . It was soft Silva was already going down but Xhaka grabbed him and the game turned on it .
13 fouls called 5 booked 1 sent off at home in a competitive game which waited until the dying embers before the incompetent referee showed one to City. As has been said if he looks at one he should have at least looked at the other. Can’t help but feeling cheated.
And a brain fart from Gabriel.
It’s just getting worse, the referee obstructing Martinelli and now Spurs winning in the 97 th minute .
Happy new year gooner !
And all the sports writers are on Arsenal’s side. Who’d have thought it…
Rico, on our side because they make a living out of the game, and once it’s a given that City are champs, interest wanes and so do their readers.
Oh I am cynical. Probably because I hate injustice. A draw and everyone would have been reasonably happy.
I feel utterly miserable about the result Andrew, what should have been a 95 minute fantastic game was ruined by the officials and naivety…
Yes, it’s easy for the writers after the event..
Decisions influence games and they can decide games and influence where you finish at a seasons end. Imagine if we miss out on 4th place because of this game because if we do it’ll be Mike Riley celebrating.
If we get the penalty and we go in 2-0 at half time, does that change the City penalty? Probably not but at 2-1 does Gabriel lose his cool and get sent off? I don’t think so, therefore another big result for Mike Riley.
We’ve been here so many times before and yes Arsenal have had a lot of sendings off but is that because Arsenal are penalised more severely than other top teams and their players?
Maybe we should ask Harry Kane?!
So proud of this team, I so enjoy watching them, Arsenal are a proper team, we’re no Ponzi scheme, there’s no artificial transfer business despite the wealth of our owners building this team it’s been done by smart recruitment and thoughtful coaching.
Our fans were brilliant again, they can tell when something looks right and this team is made of the right stuff with young players who are buying into the ‘process’ and that’s why the Saka to Liverpool lies are just a pile of excrement, Tomiyasu and Partey were fantastic, brilliant performances, the best two players on the pitch..
Guardiola knew he was lucky.
Our referees are a fucking disgrace!
Hiya Kev,
Yes, I know it won’t be the case, but I’d hope all fans can see we are headed the right way.
Changing the culture of an entire club is no easy feat but it’s been done and to say the Emirates rocking regularly now is fantastic!!
@DailyCannon
Stuart Attwell has refereed 17 Arsenal games. Arsenal have won just 6 of them.
Opponents: Cityx2, Newcastlex2, Liverpool, Leeds, Everton, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Southampton, Wolvesx3, Brighton, Swansea, West Brom, Bolton
Wins: Newcastlex2, Leeds, Everton, Swansea, Bolton
@DailyCannon
Stuart Attwell has been VAR for 8 Arsenal matches, more than any other side. Arsenal have won 3 of them and received 3 red cards in those games.
Only 1 other red has been issued with him on VAR [total].
But this next stat is gonna tickle you…
@DailyCannon
Stuart Attwell has been VAR for 118 games in his career. Those games have seen 4 red cards. 3 of them went to Arsenal.
@DailyCannon
·
As referee or VAR, Stuart Attwell has done 25 Arsenal games,. Arsenal have won 9 and received 4 red cards.
Still peed off Xhaka made another stupid mistake by holding the shirt of a diver how ever There keeper should have been penalised for his attempt in the goal square on Odegaard as the picture shows he got Odegaards boot not the ball but for some cheating reasons the ref never went to the monitor.
Is it time for a VAR change, maybe when ever there is a issue in the goal square the 4th official should automatically check the monitor.
On their penalty, what happened to taking away soft fouls and diving? How can someone pulling a shirt when the guy is already vertical cause him to fall? Surely pulling it would hold him up more than falling.
Ref’s have been so bad in so many games. Klopp tells the ref he’s shit, no response. Viera tells the ref he’s shit, gets a yellow.
Common denominator is the poor refereeing if so many managers are complaining how poorly they are doing their job.
Makes me think how much money was made when a bowler was told to bowl a no ball on that specific ball.
Bradley the reason why Viera got a yellow card is simple his ex Arsenal.
The sad part is the people running the premier league don’t care what the ref’s do.
Xhaka needs to smarten up, This is not the first time he has given away a free kick for holding the players jumper.
Morning all.
New post up now