Morning all.
Thomas Tuchel said his Chelsea’s players are “tired mentally and physically” after they drew 1-1 at Brighton last night. Bless him eh. He has a squad deeper than most other clubs in the Premier League barring Man City so if he’s not rotating his players well enough, that’s his problem. The Christmas and New Year fixture schedule has always been busy so there’s little point in crying over spilt milk. He should try managing a club with less strength and depth, then he’d have something to grumble about but funny enough, the managers of those clubs usually just get on with it.
The result was good for the clubs behind West Ham though, including Arsenal, who have 3 games in hand over Chelsea. Whereas it was perhaps easy to assume the top three was a certainty with Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City occupying the places, only two look secure as of those could easily go on a bad run. Especially whilst two key players are away on international duty.
Thomas Partey time away is over though as Ghana were beaten 3-2 by Comoros. Even if Partey and his teammates had won the game, it wouldn’t have been enough to progress as Gabon and Morocco played out a draw which was enough for both to secure a place in the knockout stage. Senegal are already through too and fingers crossed Egypt join them later today after their match against Sudan.
With a bit of luck, Partey will be ready for our fixture against Burnley on Sunday. Tomorrow’s League Cup match is probably a bit too soon. Unless Algeria thrash the Ivory Coast in their final group game, which is highly unlikely, Pepe won’t be returning anytime soon.
In transfer gossip, The Sun report that Mo Elneny could be heading to Fenerbahce. No surprise really if he goes this month as he’s off in the summer anyway and if Arsenal to sign Arthur Melo from Juventus, he’ll fall even further down the pecking order.
Out the Arsenal doors yesterday went Sead Kolasinac. Again, no surprise as he’s out of contract in the summer too. Like Elneny, his playing time has been limited with Nuno Tavares seemingly the preferred option. Kolasinac was great for us when he first arrived but things changed and he was widely reported as being one of the bad eggs within the group. True or not I don’t know and now he’s gone, I don’t care. He’s joking Matteo Guendouzi and William Saliba at Marseille so they can sit and moan about Mikel Arteta and Arsenal together.
Unlike Hector Bellerin who has nothing but good things to say about Arteta and the club. Speaking on Ian Wright’s Spotify podcast ‘Wrighty’s House’, Bellerin said:
Arsenal are doing amazing and that makes me so happy. The player they got in my position – Tomiyasu – he is doing great. No hard feelings. It is beautiful to see because I still watch every game and I want the guys to do well. It’s how football goes. You need to see when it is your time and when it is not. I was lucky that Mikel is someone who is very understanding. Mikel knew it was nothing to do with football or the club.
As people we go through cycles and it’s not because I don’t want to play there anymore, it’s just because this isn’t helping any of us. When I know that it’s not the place where I need to be at that time, nothing works and Mikel really understood that. He knows everything I’ve gone through at Arsenal, my injuries, every single episode. I was very lucky that I could be open with him and we could have a talk where he understood fully. He said, “I want to help you”. Not just as a coach but as a friend.
Refreshing isn’t it that an ex player recognises that things aren’t going well and is prepared to do something about it rather than stay put, sit on the bench and take the money. Or just let their contract run down so a bumper salary can come their way. Saying that, Bellerin will be out of contract in the summer of 2023 but at least he’s out there playing in the shop window of Spain. There’ll be a club interested in signing him in the summer I’m sure. After all, he’s still only 26 years old.
See you in the comments.
Hi Rico.. I’ve just seen that Carl Jenkinson has joined Melbourne City on loan until the end of the season…
I’m pushed for time – I’ll be back 😉
Sue, I’ll go and watch him when he’s playing my local side 🙂
Morning all/
Hi Sue, I saw that too and chuckled. I hope he’s been vaccinated. 😂
Good morning all.
From what I have read, Melo won’t be joining us until Juventus have signed a replacement. They are interested in signing Bruno Guimaraes. We were linked with him a week or so ago, why not jump the queue and go for him instead?
Morning Rico and All
Scott I hope your local side smash Melbourne City when they play them.
The problem listening to past players comments is we don’t really know how well they got on with the coach.
Lets hope our players get back soon and not injured as I am not confident we will buy any one this transfer market.
Hi Geoff,
The Mariners play City at home this Sunday 🙂
Not sure Jenks will play that game, but I’ll probably head down.
Steady on there Cicero, that makes sense. 😂
Morning Geoff, call me an old cynic but being Spanish possibly helped Belllerin.
It came to me in a blinding flash while I was flogging up and down the pool this morning doing my weekly twenty lengths Rico.
The fact that Vlahovic waved to the fans after last night’s game for Fiorentina seems, in some parts of the Arsenal Universe, that he was saying farewell prior to his imminent move to Arsenal. Alternatively, he could have been apologising for missing a first half penalty.
Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice! 😉
Either of those or he’s off to Juventus and his agent has used us as a stalking horse.
Whoever were signing Cicero, if anyone, I just wish we’d hurry up.
Very likely to be the case imo Potter
Afternoon Boosterisms, afternoon Rico, we all loved Hector, he was our cockney Spaniard and he obviously still has strong feelings for the Arsenal and respect for the manager.
It’s easy to leave a football club and be snide, just ask Dr Sogut, the appalling Ozil and the juvenile Guendouzi, Bellerin alternatively has shown a lot of class and to be fair to Emery, Willian, Mustafi, Luiz and quite a few others, they’ve been in general respectful of the club and Arteta.
Those were some thoughtful and genuine sentiments from Bellerin and it’s really nice to hear such things even if the click-bait sites will hate them as Hector isn’t being vindictive or negative and that’s the world they inhabit.
Let’s not forget Bellerin and Arteta used to be team mates.
Afternoon Rico.. Nice post 👍 Poor old Chavs hey, it’s a hard life 🤣 I’ve really enjoyed watching them drop points as all the Chavs I know were so cocksure Lukaku was the missing piece…
I wonder if our game will go ahead on Sunday? And TP hasn’t even missed a league game [all that worry over nothing!]
Bellerin is such a nice guy.. hope it works out for him wherever he ends up – even if it is the catwalk!
Scott.. Be good seeing Jenko in the flesh – bet he’ll be rusty for a while!
Afternoon Kev. Agree re Hector. Ok, his game dropped but he’s never come across as being a trouble maker.
True Geoff.
Afternoon Sue, thanks. Don’t know about you but I find it hard to feel sorry for them. 😆
Burnley could cancel I suppose, not that anyone in the media will mind I’m sure!
Villa rumoured to be signing Luiz Suarez..
The way Burnley are going their preseason will be PL games 🤣
Arteta commented about ‘defending the club with tooth and nails’ surely we’ll be going for Suarez hahaha!
🤣 Sue
Arsenal are being investigated for a dodgy booking of one of our players. There were unusual betting patterns.
What on earth has happened to our women? Shocked at how poor they’ve been of late..
Bloody hell, Brenda bottled it and the Spuds are now above us… arghhh!!!
Can’t believe Leicester gave away two goals with just minutes to go..
Al Nassr make Aubameyang loan offer
Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr have made an offer to sign Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
It is thought the offer is for a loan move until the end of the season.
Some reports have suggested the loan comes with an obligation to buy.
Sky Sports News reported earlier this month Arsenal would consider offers for their former captain. Aubameyang has 18 months left on his contract.
A departure now would represent a saving of around £25m in wages for the rest of his contract.
Aubameyang is back in London after being sent back by the Gabon national team from the Africa Cup of Nations after scans revealed heart lesions following a bout of Covid-19.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was asked about the player’s health this afternoon. He said: “He’s having examinations because we haven’t had any clarity from Gabon.
Historically, everything we have done with the player, he has never had an issue”.
Wilshere training pictures on his Instagram followed by the egg timer – interesting
Morning all
New post up now