Morning all.
It’s the eve of the 2023/24 season with Arsenal taking on Manchester City in the Community Shield tomorrow afternoon. No points on offer but there’s a trophy to be won along with opportunity to beat a club which Arsenal hasn’t beaten for a while.
The 2023/24 campaign will be Mikel Arteta’s fourth full season and it’s fair to say that throughout his time, he’s been backed by the club owners 100%. We’ve seen big players leave for free, expensive signings depart midway through their contract and we’ve seen a top notch goalkeeper leave for a pittance when really, he should have been Arsenal’s number one keeper. Not only has Mikel Arteta been given support through player exits, but also in player signings. I don’t know the exact amount of money the club has invested in transfers since December 2019, but it’s a lot. Hell of a lot. £600 million I read in the Telegraph a few weeks ago but in reality, it’s a lot more than that if one is to add in what was lost when Aubameyang, Ozil, Lacazette etc walked for free. (Or were paid off)
I’m not criticising the club or manager for the decisions they’ve made over the last three and a half years, in fact totally the opposite – what we were promised 2/3 years ago, really has been delivered. On paper anyway.
Arsenal as a club has been building a very good squad and right now it’s probably the best it’s been for ten years. It has strength as well as depth with at least two excellent players in every position. The striker and right wing department might be debatable but the depth of the squad gives Arteta options. I can see Vieira or Havertz in for Saka and a false 9 being deployed throughout the season.
As an Arsenal fan, do you remain full of optimism for the coming season, or has that changed to expectation? I think I have a foot in each camp.
As far as the Premier League goes, there’s only one way to improve on coming second. Obviously we can do a lot better in the domestic cups than we have in the last season or two and it won’t be difficult for Arsenal to improve their Champions League record under Mikel Arteta as this season is his first. He’s no novice to competition of course but his previous involvement has been as a player or Guardiola’s assistant, but now it’s all on him. Apart from the level of opposition and playing on a different day, is it really very different to playing in the Europa League? I don’t think so.
Logic would suggest that we’ll be better this season than we were last because we’ve lost only one player in Granit Xhaka and signed three top quality additions to the squad. Everyone else is a year older and wiser than they were at the start of last season and having come close to winning the league, should want to push harder this time. I’m pretty sure Mikel Arteta will rotate and rest his players more this season because having them fit and firing in March and April is just as important as in October or December. I’m equally as confident of seeing all five substitutes being used on a match day more frequently too.
This time of the football year makes me laugh because it’s now when pundits and ex players start predicting who will win the league, who’ll finish in the top four and who will be relegated. All no doubt based on who did what last season, who spent the most money and a handful of pre-season results. Seriously, what’s the point in even thinking about the end of the season before a competitive ball has even been kicked?
Look at our own club, what if Rice doesn’t live up to expectations, or Havertz really does turn out to be the disaster he was for Chelsea or Timber can’t adapt to English football? Unlikely I know but it’s not impossible. What if the experienced players Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City have sold has a negative effect on the way they play and results suffer badly, or Utd’s new goalkeeper turns out to be worse than Runasson on a bad day. No one really knows what this coming season will bring for any club, particularly those making wholesale changes. Plus, there’s still 27 days of this transfer window to go yet.
So, it’s only fitting to end by asking which club you think will spring a surprise this season? Ok, I’m joking…
Catch up in the comments..
So Chelsea have signed Robert Sanchez Spanish international goalkeeper for £25 million , which casts an interesting comparison to the £ 40 million Brentford want for Raya .
Currently we have a happy squad and a manager that keeps asking himself questions , His interview regarding possibly resigning after last season and the way that he regrouped and planned to continue is refreshing.
Charity shield as was tomorrow, albeit F.A books do not appear to show donations according to Untold , I have never put much credence to it and I don’t think that it should be counted as a major title but it will be interesting to see how both teams perform . We should be aware that they have had changes too and their pattern of play could well change too.
I just hope that it’s an open entertaining game and that both teams play to their potential and it’s a good advert for the game in general. The result is immaterial, it’s what we learn from it that’s important.
Agreed, I think Arteta will have learned a lot from last season. I’d imagine he’s gone through a lot of ‘if only’ moments in his mind. Far better than burying his head in the sand or throwing players under the bus as we know other managers have done in the past.
Morning Rico and all,
I am looking forward to this season more than I have for the last few years. Hopefully Arteta and more importantly the players have realized that a 2-nil lead is not a good enough lead as the competition has improved so much. In regard to expectation, I feel we have to finish this season in the top 4.
G’day Rico and all.
To be perfectly honest I don’t hold much hope of a win tomorrow, we played City twice last season and lost both games with an aggregate score of 7.-.2 and that was in our best season for years. I think our best chance of a win is if the game goes to the lottery which is penalties.
Strange or significant that the two players signed from City will both be absent through injury tomorrow?
Afternoon rico, all. I have expectations of a top 4 finish, and won’t be in doom & gloom if we are 3rd or 4th. We got on a great roll last year, took advantage of teams being in transition and Chelsea being a complete mess. Teams will approach us differently this season and Saka will be a marked (in more ways than one) man.
Hopes are for a great partenship between Partey and Rice, and for ESR to once again become the player he looked like becomming. Tierney to stay (may lose out on this one) and a cup final appearance. And someone else to rise like Odegaard and Saliba did last year, and add to the great players in our team.
Hi Geoff, Cicero, Andrew.
I too expected us to finish top four and if we don’t, I think Arteta will walk away.
https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1687802359894908928?s=20
🤣
Zinchenko starts in the charity match for Ukraine yet he’s not been fit for pre season.
Work that one out..
😆😆, about that hilarious goal at Man U, the charade “We miss David De Gea and other short stories” may have started already.
We have two left backs who are not just injury prone but nailed on certainties for long term incapacity. It looks like Tomiyasu, if he’s still here when the window closes, is going to be the back up at both right and left back. Let’s all pray that he doesn’t get injured.
There’s always Tavares… 😂
Hmm, that doesn’t make me feel any better Rico. 😕
With Raya about to sign on but not available yet, I wonder who will be our substitute goal-keeper tomorrow. Matt Turner about to be sold so I can’t see him taking part. Runnarson? Hein? Okwonko? None of them fill me with confidence, so I just hope Ramsdale doesn’t get injured or sent off.
On that happy thought, I wish you all a very good night. 😴
Interesting to see how the refs handle the new rules on time wasting, Some games in the EFL yesterday had 10 to 15 minutes added . Also the rule that approaching the ref is a warning and then a yellow unless you are the captain which explains why Ten Hag made Fernandes his captain.
1Ramsdale
4White
2Saliba
6Gabriel
12Timber
8Ødegaard
5Partey
41Rice
7Saka
29Havertz
11Martinelli
Substitutes
3Tierney
10Smith Rowe
14Nketiah
15Kiwior
16Holding
18Tomiyasu
19Trossard
21Fábio Vieira
30Turner
The other lot:-
18Ortega
2Walker
5Stones
3Rúben Dias
25Akanji
16Rodri
8Kovacic
20Bernardo Silva
19Álvarez
10Grealish
9Haaland
Substitutes
4Phillips
14Laporte
17De Bruyne
21Gómez
31Ederson
47Foden
80Palmer
82Lewis
87McAtee
Referee Stuart Attwell
Finally, we have a player who can hold the ball up top in Havertz…
not a goLscorer though
Ref is horrible.
Timber has Silva in his pocket.
And we need a striker, badly.
Nope, should have one to his name.
70 minutes no subs
What a great finish by the City youngster..
Pep brings on Palmer, 21 years old.
Arsenal have Balogun, 22 years old but not even in the squad…
got to take your chances against this lot
Afternnon all. Let’s see ESR!
Rodri cannot get booked!!
Should have been booked, regardless of what stage of the game we’re at.
What’s the point in either carrying on – just get them off.
🤣🤣
We won the lottery, 🔔🔔🔔
Ramsdale summed things up well afterwards I think..
Decent performance, and nice to see all 4 penalties in. Enjoy it Arsenal, it’s a nice day out at Wembley and gives us a reward for what we did last season. All three signings played their part and will feel even more part of the team before the big KO next week.
Agreed Andrew.
For the first time in about 5 matches with City, Arsenal matched their physicality. Rodri wasn’t bullying anyone today, just committing silly fouls. Timber was good and physical, Saliba very strong and I can’t wait to see Havertz in the midfield instead of upfront.
Get in…
Congrats Arsenal 👏🎉👏!!!
Seeing how quick the cards came out I was surprised that Rodri finished the game . The penalty was poetic justice.
It was good to see that the heads did not drop when the City goal went in, instead it prompted the best attacking period of the game. But unlike in previous seasons, it wasn’t gung ho and running around like headless chickens. The whole team stuck to the script and forced an equaliser, then the heads did drop but it was the players in blue who were distraught and that affected them in the penalty shoot out.
Looking at the three new signings, I was immediately impressed by Timber, I think we have a gem there. Rice has the class and will be an important player for us and also a leader on the pitch, a perfect replacement for Granit Xhaka. I thought Havertz did well but he is not an out and out striker, although he can become an integral part of the team. Certainly early days for all three and Timber has eased my worries about our left back position.
I guess that as Balogun was not in the squad, he’s going to be sold and that would be a pity.
If Atwell is an example of what we can expect from officialdom in the coming months there is going to be tsunami of yellow cards and I don’t think that it will help the refs in their desire for respect from the players and certainly not from the fans.
The ITV Muppet who named that kid who scored City’s goal MotM should be stood down from all commentating for the foreseeable future. My choice would have been Ramsdale for his saves during normal time and the one in the penalty shoot out.
All in all, I enjoyed the game, the result and seeing Guardiola almost in tears as Veiria scored the winning penalty.
Whatmore could I say? Luvvly jubbly! Good night all.
The muppet was no other than once our own Lee Dixon , who whilst he played for us was a self confessed Manchester City fan . So make of that what you like.
Coverage of the game has virtually disappeared from the media this morning . Can’t help wondering if had the shoot out gone the other way how many Arsenal in turmoil would we have been treated to.
Still it’s on to next weekend , let’s hold back the Turner transfer to Forest until after the game or else we can expect to be witnessing an out of his skin performance as we continue our goalscoring struggles.
Yeah true Cicero, let’s give credit where it’s due. The team was in upbeat mode even after conceding, attack after attack, and the goal, though deflected came as a result of that resilient spirit in the team, congrats to them!
Morning all.
The England v Nigeria match has taken over the headlines. Rightly so in my opinion.
Only Havertz was booked for a foul I think and it was deserved imo. Partey was booked for kicking the ball away, same for the City player. Rodri I think.
New post up