Morning all.
What better way is there to return to domestic football than a North London Derby at The Emirates Stadium? This is the fixture both sets of fans look for when the seasons fixtures are released, this and the one at Totts stadium.
Arsenal have been good at home, Totts good away from home. “Here comes the Arsenal wobble” – I read on Sky Sports. Let’s see eh..
Frank’s post press conference confirmed Solanke, Maddison and Kulusevski are ruled out and Bissouma is unlikely to feature too. Not a long injury list but he has a number of players who are returning from injury for this game.
Arsenal will be without Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Kai Havertz but Mikel Arteta did hint before the last international break that, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, and Noni Madueke could be in contention for this match. Hopefully, Riccardo Calafiori is fully fit.
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme:
Frank has flitted between a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, but a desire to see summer signing Xavi Simons in his preferred No.10 role has seen the Dane veer towards the latter recently.
In that framework both full-backs are encouraged to push forward, but the central midfield pairing often sit deep to protect the defenders. However, in 11 matches, they have committed a league-high 14 errors that have led to a shot, and three of those have cost them goals.
A little creativity has been sacrificed under Frank in a bid to increase steeliness out of possession, and put under consistent duress, Spurs’ opponents average just 10.1 passes per defensive action, the second-lowest tally in the division.
When they have the ball, their ratio of long passes has risen from 7.3% to 10.7%, indicating a clear tactical shift. Mohammed Kudus has been in superb form down their right, however only he (15) and Pedro Porro (13) have created more than six chances from open play.
The Arsenal squad were asked to describe todays north London derby in just one word.
My one word? Nervous……
A north London derby is no different to any other fixture in many ways because win, lose or draw, the point system doesn’t change but for the fans, this is one of the biggest games of the season because of what it means in every other way.
We are not only fighting for points but bragging rights too. Mikel Arteta will want to maintain his good run against this lot in front of our own fans and you can bet every player will do all he can to ensure he does. Arteta has assembled a group of players who know that “no shirking is allowed”. Doesn’t matter who we play or who plays, only 100% will do.
The Emirates will be full, 60,000 Arsenal fans in full swing vocally. North London Forever will get the ball rolling and hopefully, both the fans and players will feed off each other to make it an early evening game to remember.
Putting the local rivalry aside, Man City dropped three points yesterday against Newcastle, Liverpool were battered 3-0 by Nottingham Forest at Anfield but Chelsea and Crystal Palace have crept a bit closer to us. Brighton too so we cannot afford to slip up, not at home.
Michael Oliver being appointed for this fixture is not entirely surprising but we cannot let him dictate how this game goes. Everyone at the club should know by now that give him an inch, he’ll take a mile. So give him nothing!
Let’s hope for a great Arsenal performance, fair/consistent officiating and a massive three points added to The Arsenal’s tally.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico,
It’s a sad state of affairs when a team has to take into account who the referee is.
Nervous? Me? Never! 😉
Good morning Cicero, it most certainly is.
Strange how Oliver returns for this game having not officiated one of our fixtures since the Wolves game and his major cockup.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13473668/mikel-arteta-interview-arsenal-manager-reveals-influence-of-arsene-wenger-on-his-career-as-he-prepares-to-face-spurs-in-north-london-derby
4-0 ARSENAL
I like your optimism 😂
Morning rico, good preview. Oliver was made to look stupid by 95% of pundits and writers, even those that dislike Arsenal. So be interesting how he reacts, especially if MLS plays. But then didn’t he send off Martinelli for two bookings within seconds. And Trossard v City, most dubious ref out of all of them.
Morning Andrew, he did. With City losing yesterday, he might want to give them a helping hand.. Awful referee he’s become, just awful.
It was interesting to watch Rubin Dias and Pep whining about the officiating yesterday. Lol.
I really think that Arsenal will not give the referee any opportunity to make a decision to change the game, no matter who he is. The frustration we had after Sunderland game, will be taken on the tiny totts. 3-0 Arsenal.
Four nil, three nil. I’ll settle for one nil, if I have to. 😉
Afternoon everyone,nervous is right. This is a horrible fixture at any time,a fantastic feeling if Arsenal win. The nerves aren’t helped by us being so much better. It’s a cliche but form goes out of the window in these games.
My Chelsea supporting kin has been bantering me,saying if we lose today then the winners next week go top. Equally we could be 9 points clear of Chelsea and 14 points clear of Spurs by next week.
One game at a time,let’s mash some spuds first.
I agree, the NLD matches are like a cup fixture, a final even. Frank will make it difficult I’m sure.
Good afternoon Rico and all
I am always nervous before any NLD against the spuds. I think even if the under 6 play them I will be. I simply cannot stomach any loss with them even a draw against them feels disappointing.
Whether we win 1-0 or 10-0 (I would love that but only if it was an end of season match….players will become relaxed after such a win), its 3 points imo. If we were to win 30 games 1-0 I would take that hands down. Nothing beats that. At least the pundits would have something to talk about to earn their money no?
We need to set the tone from the 1st whistle and dominate them. How much we score is irrelevant provided we score 1 more than them and don’t concede. i think Hincapie would be playing instead of Gabi today as Arteta is my same mindset….play the proper footed players in defence and midfield according to their position in the pitch. In attack its different. In the creative department its the same. That is why may coaches love Santi….he was double footed so to him it didnt make any difference.
Mentioning Santi and in the same breath with him Rosicky…..it would have been awesome having them coming on as subs in the NLD. I cant begin any of them over Zubi and Rice and Odegaard, however imagine Santi coming on for Zubi and Rosicky for Odegaard. Dream on Dev.
I hope we dont give the ref any decisions to make. if we manage that we will win I am sure.
But still……I will always be nervous.
afternon all
To calm down, I’m going to do a sudoku…
Afternoon all, after a morning with the grandkids the NLD is a doddle.
I’m hoping for some positive vibes via the return of some of our absent players, this game is made for a Madueke cameo.
North London is Ours…
Afternoon Devil, all.
Hincapie in, Martinelli on the bench.
Arsenal team
Starting XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Trossard; Merino
Subs: Kepa, Mosquera, White, Martinelli, Norgaard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman
No Odegaard, no Gyokeres.
Perhaps Arteta is saving them for Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
An excellent interview with Saka on the BBC sport (football) website.
If they’re fit, surely they’d at least be in the bench today.
I read it, he’s such a down to earth young man..
I missed Noni back on the bench. Excellent
Who is Eze? he asked
Now he knows as Eze made it 2-0 after trossard got the opener
Only Raya, Saliba and Hincapie have yet to score this season from today’s starting eleven.
Fingers crossed they will not disappoint us
This Arsenal team will not be bullied, will not even be intimidated. Richardson is making no impression on our back line.
Eze makes it three 🔔🔔🔔
Just wonderful!
Eze has been pure class,and Gyokeres,Odegaard and others to come back too. Looking good.
I do wish Raya would stay on his goal line.
After Eze rubs it in by scoring another Richarlison pulls one back
That’s why I am nervous everytime we play that lot
Hat trick for Eze. 4 – 1
Not 60,000 Arsenal fans in the ground Rico, a few hundred tourists and fewer and fewer Spuds every minute. 😉
Yep. That should shut up Frank’s mouth. Eze rubbed it in
I wouldn’t bet anything on Arteta making Eze listen to Frank’s pre match comments.
4 goals scored, 1 conceded a hat trick for Eze, 3 points a special day at the office. 🔔🔔🔔🔔
4-1 win. No injury. Lead at the top increased. A great day at the office
When was the last time an Arsena number 10 got a hat trick?
Wow! What a win.
Eze… 👏👏
Tbh I am annoyed we conceded. I would have preferred a 2-0 win. But still putting 4 past that lot feels GREAT
Ha ha Cicero…
6 goals conceded so far. 3 in the last two games. Half…
The passing assist from Merino was simply superb
https://dubz.co/c/cdd9ba
https://dubz.co/c/16554f
https://dubz.co/c/974fe7
https://dubz.co/c/a3a120
who was most at fault…..Zubimendi or Raya??? Answers on a post card please
https://dubz.co/c/f81262
4 goals from open play.
It means that whether it is open play or a set piece we can always SCREW teams
Tomorrow the pundits have to scratch their heads since we didn’t cause the ref to brandish a red card and we didn’t need to score from a set piece.
Any thoughts with what they will come up?
Zubi, he should have released the ball earlier.
We are on the same wavelength then Rico. Took too many touches imo. Maybe he was complacent because he thought that Richarlison wouldn’t score from there and there where two defenders between him and goal. tbh I dont think even he thought he would score from there. But he scored.
Zubi is a top midfielder and anyone can make mistakes. But in that position he should have released it earlier as it will always be too dangerous, especially with Raya outside his goal.
I doubt he gave Richarlison scoring a thought Devil. He was just closed down and took one touch too many. I doubt he’ll do that again though..
We have Bayern next, I think Mikel will surely mix up the starting eleven with Chelsea away next weekend. I see the latter as the bigger game imo. For me its the league over the CL
Thank God that a mistake like that by Zubimendi came in a game which we won comfortably. I think Arteta will have a word in his ear about it.
Arsenal win FOUR North London Derbies in a row for the first time ever in Premier League history. Not even Wenger’s invincibles managed that. That’s 10 games for Arteta as a player and manager in which he has never lost against the spuds
Evening Rico and the house.
Very upset, Roast Spuds on the menu today
and I cannot have them.
Evening Rick, good to see you here.
Ha ha re the roast pots…
I was surprised he didn’t use more subs today Devil.
Yes me too Rico….especially as they came late on in a game which we were dominating. We have BM on wednesday and Chelsea on the weekend. A game at a time yes, we have players coming back but Arteta should have used the subs earlier and more subs.
Martinelli was coming back so that is why maybe he didnt put him on today to allow him three more days recovery. I think he will begin against BM
I guess some of them had a bit of a rest whilst on international duty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0OMGLT8FRU
I did notice that Piero Hincapie was limping as he came off, may just be a bit of cramp or tiredness. He had a good game, neat and tidy and some good passing too.
Good to see Madueke back on the pitch.
Kudos to Trossard he set the ball rolling….into the net.
What a great weekend, with results from other matches going our way then us smashing Toots,
watched replay several times and my opinion, I would blame Zubimendi 90% for toots’ goal as he should have passed or just cleared it knowing he had 2 players on him, while Ray 10% for being a bit too far out of goal, and inviting toots to take a chance on a long shot.
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en-GB&hl=en-GB&client=ms-android-samsung-gj-rev1&sca_esv=fab6fc4241e92914&q=alan+sunderlands+hat+trick+against+spurs&docid=xMwRXIZjuMDqMM&ibp=video&shndl=41&shmd=H4sIAAAAAAAA_zWOzUrDQBRGaZd9BFd3VUF0Jm0pTQoiEaT-FKEkEFyOk-nM4GQmzb1tGle-QN_DhQ9pCbr4FocPDmd0Go4upzM-mfJJsogB8kCkvBEVPAbCet_AAdIGlRfuwhiiGpecKy-briZV3tC7j5hGEmQlk6HithJa4d3u9vws09cyWck8O36s9GeZFXJTLFI_nz9U3UuSd-vMZ1JTnop2vYne4qeomN0_p2O82uUBWkHSgHQC0UqoejJWG3ceIYxhu3cOnEW6Bh2AAmNs9F-IlhQyHYJ2qu86WNVy3cTbEKj7k_ZOhdyESh1_hl-D78Ev5OiHxRABAAA&shmds=v1_AdeF8KhKA_T289lyE36jlR5AlZl0pryKxopxp6r7B_KrhquEQg&shem=bdse,dacl,dimg2,vstil,shrtsdl&source=sh/x/vid/m1/4&kgs=3382b7dd6ddbb708&utm_source=bdse,dacl,dimg2,vstil,shrtsdl,sh/x/vid/m1/4#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:d33081fe,vid:AlzXO5xK8iQ,st:0
The last hat trick , over shadowed by Brady’s goal however I am pleased to say that I was at both of them.
I was in the main stand above The Shelf towards the Paxton Road goal where Alan Sunderland scored his first two goals sitting with my Dad and my uncle, it was one of the most amazing football memories I have, unfortunately I missed the Ted Drake hat-trick. 😉
Interesting to see how ineffective Kudas was in yesterday’s game, he’d actually looked their best player in recent weeks but that’s not saying a lot.
Good to see the word coming out of Arsenal is that none of our players, young or otherwise, will be available for sale or loan in January, we’re going to need them all as you never know what next week will bring and more injuries are bound to follow before this season is concluded.
Sad but true…
Good morning winners who take it all
Arsenal have never lost a game across any competition when Leandro Trossard has scored for them.
DDWWDWWWWWWDWDWWWWWWWWWWDWDWWWDW
32 games
Arteta about Leo, his display and summer exit talk:
“Yeah, for me, no, because for me it was forbidden for him to leave. No chance. I know the player that he is, and surrounded with the players that we have, he’s a player that is going to make a difference for us.”
And as Kev pointed out above no one is leaving in the January transfer window. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
I wasn’t surprised by the scoreline. When this Arsenal team takes the handbrake off, many teams will be easily dismantled, hence that’s the reason Pep plays 5 defenders.
They shouldn’t have scored. Sure Zubimendi gave away the ball, but Raya takes his role as a sweeper to the next level. He’s always way out there even when we are not playing from the back. On corners and set pieces he’s nearly at the half way line. There was no reason for him to be so far off his line yesterday, and he was slow getting back.
Morning all.
Result, performance aside, the best sight was Gabriel jumping up and down in celebration which suggests to me whatever injury he might have, isn’t serious.
To be fair to Raya, he was probably expecting/anticipating an earlier back pass from Zubimendi.
New post up.
Wasn’t it nice to see football shirts that were not walking advertising hoardings and just look at the cages on the The Shelf and Paxton end .
Memories.