Morning all.
David Ornstein confirmed yesterday that Arsenal are pursuing a deal to sign midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad next summer. The move for the 25-year-old has been worked on for a considerable time. Ornstein goes on to suggest Mikel Arteta is the key driver behind a pursuit that was reinvigorated in the process of negotiating with their La Liga counterparts for the signing of Mikel Merino back in August.
if Arsenal pull off a deal for Zubimendi then it’ll be some coup as it seems many other clubs have been trying to sign him including Liverpool last summer.
Right now though we need a goal scorer and probably a winger too although I doubt we’ll get both, at least not this month.
Last night, Man City, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool picked up a point in their respective matches which means tonight is an opportunity for Arsenal to gain two points on the current league leaders.
I’m kind of over the two cup defeats now. Sulk, moan, whatever, it won’t change the results. The players need to focus on tonight and the next four and a half months instead because there is still a lot to play for. The shirt for a start, the club and its fans too.
It’s North London Derby Day and I can think of a better time to bounce back after the weekends shoddy football, especially in the final third.
Mikel Arteta has made it clear that he wants everyone on and off the field to make tonight a night to remember by creating the best-ever atmosphere generated at Emirates Stadium. Well, I’m pretty sure he can count on the fans to create a fantastic atmosphere within the stadium which hopefully, the players will feed off and go on to beat Totts handsomely.
It’s probably the nicest game of the season to watch because of the atmosphere, because of what it means to our people, what it means to us and everybody involved in the game. This is something that is in our hands. Let’s create the best atmosphere that we have played at the Emirates, that’s our objective. That’s something that we control, the players, the staff, and everybody that turns up tomorrow. This is something that we can do, so let’s do it.
Thankfully, both Jorginho and Jurrien Timber had cramp on Sunday which led to both being substituted but hopefully, they will both be fully fit for tonight. Thomas Partey is likely to return to the first team having sat much of Sunday’s match on the bench and Declan Rice too. Easy for me to suggest I know but I wouldn’t mind seeing Kieran Tierney at left back tonight because he’s possibly our best left-back as far as defending goes and he’s pretty speedy too. Raheem Sterling could start on the right of a front three with Gabriel Martinelli on the left and one of Leandro Trossard or Kai Havertz in the middle. Havertz I reckon and I fancy him to score tonight.
Arsenal confirmed yesterday that Gabriel Jesus has sustained an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will undergo surgery in the next few days. Rotten for him and the club. Hopefully his survey and recovery goes well and he’s back playing before the year is out.
I think we can be pretty sure now that Arsenal will make a signing before this transfer window closes, at least I hope so. Jesus had been in good form before his injury so to lose him now is a real blow. Plus of course, he was one of the options to cover for Bukayo Saka which makes his absence even worse. Sure, he’s a marmite player but he’s a nuisance for defenders and can cause them problems.
Anyway, back to tonight.
Whilst we have a raft of injuries, so do Totts with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert, and Rodrigo Bentancur all reported to be ruled out. Ben Davies is a doubt too.
Like us, Totts had a tough game at the weekend including extra time to decide the result.
Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme:
In September’s derby, Postecoglou went with a 4-3-3, using James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski either side of a single holding midfielder. He tweaked it for the 4-0 triumph at Manchester City, stationing two orthodox midfielders in the engine room alongside Maddison, pushing Kulusevski to a right-wing berth. If Spurs go back to that blueprint, their tactics will focus less on possession, and more on aggressive duel winning, quick transitions, and counters. Pressing forms a key part of Tottenham’s high-octane style. No top-flight team makes more pressures inside the final third, and they are second only to Bournemouth when it comes to turning over possession in that domain. When we play out from the back they will hunt in packs, looking to win the ball inside our own half.
Going forward, Tottenham use the wings well. The two wide forwards are given plenty of service, supported by the wide central midfielders and full-backs. Spurs are good at creating overloads down the flanks, and scoring is not a problem as they rank inside the division’s top five for shots, shots on target and expected goals. Their risky style has been undone in recent weeks though. If opponents can play through Spurs, they isolate a depleted back four that holds a really high line. In possession, Postecoglou’s players must be comfortable receiving passes in tight areas. From short goal kicks we are likely to press hard in a bid to force errors.
At some stage, Arsenal’s fortune in front of goal will surely change? When it comes to being lucky, we as a club must be bottom of the league table but the only positive I can come up with is that although we’re not scoring goals, we’re still creating chances and plenty of them. Tonight would be a good night for our fortune to change with the chances we create going the right side of the posts or under the bar rather than over it.
Catch up in the comments.
Good Morning Rico and all
Well said Rico. Was that a battle cry??
Like you I really want Havertz to score. Ideally a hattrick will do. But that is a bit of a far stretch so a goal will do him wonders.
Incidentally…..if Kai scores a hat-trick tonight where will that put the haters and those who abused him and his wife online? what will they say now???
The best thing would be that we celebrate a win and that the goals we score come from defenders….that will convince Arteta to get a striker.
We wait and see
i can assure you this though….if Kai scores a hat-trick every game from now till the end of the season (impossible I know) and in the final game he doesn;t score I can assure you that those who abused him will be coming out to do so again.
Morning Devil, not really. I just think what’s done is done and nothing will change it. Today I just want us to beat Totts and move on. The PL race is far from over for us, especially if the club sign a player or two this month.
I think the online abuse is disgraceful. It’s not like Havertz isn’t trying, same with all of the players really.
It’s about time these social media bullies were put behind bars…
I don’t care how good or bad a player is, I have no respect for any one who abuse / attacks a players family. some players are just not suited to certain managers game plans or the style of play in some leagues.
Can’t we sign them on loan with an obligation to buy??? Like Zubimendi and Gyokeres. Zubimendi has a BP51 release clause, we can sign him on loan now and pay the rest of the money in the summer onwards. Gyokeres the same. Sesko, with his 6ft 5′ frame would be a monster unit up front.
Ditto Geoff.
We can sign players on loan from overseas Devil, just not from a PL club. Seems the obvious solution to me.
G’day Rico and all.
A fine post Rico thank you, just right for NLD pre-match write up.
Afternoon Cicero, thanks.
I’m not fond of the “must win” statement but this really is a must win. 😜
Yes I know we can Rico, but will we??? We had a loan move for Vlahovic turned down because according to reports Arteta wants him only on loan since he wants to wait for Sesko in the summer.
Afternoon Rico and all.
i too would like to see Tierney play, we miss those bombing runs down the wing or cut inside for Martinelli to have a decent run at their R + 1….or 2 others.
Is there a quota of 2 loanees only, We have Sterling and Neto already.
That’s the million dollar question Devil.
Afternoon Berg, for PL yes, but we can still loan players from overseas.
Afternoon Rico, good post and you can moan as much as you like, it’s good for the soul…
Geoff, yes I get your drift.
Dev, I suspect that the Havertz narrative is driven partly by Chelsea fans who laughed when we signed him and have had to eat a lot of humble pie since, so his recent drop in form has seen them out in force, but I’m confident that he’ll turn it around again.
Tierney at left-back looks a plan to me as well but I suspect that Califiori will return. Tbh I’d be happy with any of Myles, Kieran or Califiori, the issues are elsewhere.
Last season 23/24 after 20 games…….P20 W12 D4 L4 F37 A20 PTS 40 Pos 4th
This season 24/25 after 20 games…….P20 W11 D7 L2 F39 A18 PTS 40 Pos 3rd (with a game in hand on 2nd place forest)
So we have the same points as last year, lost less, SCORED more (still need a striker though), conceded less and we are supposed to be in a crisis.
The mind boggles.
Just read that Calafiori is not in squad. Its on FB though….nothing on official website
That’s an interesting stat, who’d have thought we are marginally better this season.
Calafiori wasn’t in the training pictures on Arse.com
Afternoon Kev, thanks – I do love a good old rant… 😜
Don’t forget though, we had four or five big wins with 5 or 6 scored. Makes very different reading without them…
In 12 of our matches we scored one or less goals.
yes Rico you are right but whatever and however goals we scored in we have the same points and have lost less games and conceded less. I did point out we need a striker and a winger to freshen things up however we have managed to make our defence and DM a solid department nothwithstanding the amount of chopping and changing due to injuries and suspensions. Remember teams used to walk all over and through us…now they sit back and park the bus because they are very much afraid of us.
Not said it doesnt Devil, just suggesting that there were plenty of matches last season when scoring goals wasn’t as easy as the stats lead us to believe.
No need to point out the need of a striker etc, a few of us have been saying that for months and months. 😜
If we had a good striker who scores the league would be over by September lol 😅😅😅 that’s why Arteta does not want a striker. He wants to keep the EPL interesting.
Yes at the moment a striker is surely needed. Mind you, I still feel that if the goals are shared and everyone contributes goals regularly a central scorer is not a need. However, as Kev and I have pointed out a few days ago its the others who are not contributing, Martinelli, Odegaard, Rice, Partey etc have not contributed as much as they did last season.
In your dreams 😜
That’s where I disagree, in a perfect world we’d have a 20+ goal a season player and the goals from other players. Not either or..
Trossard must be a certainty to start,or as close to that as you can get.
After that Partey and Rice to come back,MLS seems to be the favoured left back but who knows.
I can’t enjoy this fixture until the 3 points are safe.
Just win please.
I wondered if Trossard might start instead of Havertz, purely because of the hatred towards him online.
Maybe,I suppose that would mean Sterling definitely plays,he might anyway. To be fair he’s shown signs of coming good recently.
I’ve seen a few people say we should rest Odegaard. He is such a class player he has to play.
I think we may go with three at the back and pack the midfield with three up front.
Raya,
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel
Partey, Jorginho, Rice Odegaard
Martinelli, Havertz, Sterling.
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Trossard, Sterling, Havertz.
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Jorginho, Merino, Butler-Oyedeji, Kabia, Martinelli.
Another game for MLS is a bit of a surprise..
Well that’s just bloody typical, we fart around in the Spurs box for twenty minutes with no product whatsoever and the first chance Spurs get they score.
its happened again all over them 1 nil down .
Raheem Sterling . What’s the point
I’m guessing to take the heat off Havertz?
Do you reckon we could play Gabriel as a number 9
TROSSSAAAAARRRDDDDDDD
He started out as a striker Hobart so it wouldn’t be alien to him..
Hobart, that’s something I suggested earlier this week. 😉
That was a stunning goal by Trossard.
martinelli for Sterling in fact anyone
Terrible keeping though but I will take it
Good shout, let Martinelli loose on them early second half..
The game is too fast for Sterling, Potter you’re right, Bring Martinelli on on for him.
After some of the appalling bad luck we’ve had this season, I’ll take that first goal to the bank.
The second goal was pure Trossard from last season, good to see him back…
They do listen to us sometimes Potter, Martinelli for Sterling.
Shouldn’t that have been an indirect free kick for a back pass?
MLS really lapped that up. That surely made him a fan favourite. He showed passion. And got a yellow card mere seconds before coming off.
Phew. We made hard work of that but thank goodness we won..
Night guys.
3 points , nice relaxing drive home
Night. Got a break for once, ball came off Trossard’s knee and we got a corner, then scored. 3 points all that matters, now bring in a forward, because as much as I like Tierney, don’t see him as a left winger!
Andrew I think the ball was over the line before it glanced off Trossard’s knee. 😉
Two goals scored, one conceded, three points and back up to second in the league. Creeping closer to Liverpuddle!
I only saw the 2nd part. I’ll see the 1st part later.
We continue not to shoot on goal, to shoot poorly and to make bad decisions in the last third.
nice win, to keep the pressure on Liverpool. and the other teams around us.
The FA have instructed the Police to investigate Trossard for injuring Porro without even touching him. Sources within the FA have said that they are suspecting the use of Dark Magical Arts when Trossard turned him inside out even though he was about two metres away.
Arsenal have won three consecutive league matches against Tottenham for the first time in the Premier League era. Yesterday’s game finished 2-1, in Sept 2024 we won 1-0 and in April 2024 the good guys won 3-2.
Another fact is that in the last three NL derbies our monster of a CB Gabriel has won MOTM each time. Seems he owns the NL derbies and the city. I guess he must be licking his lips already for next season.
Good morning all.
New post up.