Morning all.
Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus are set for a spell on the sidelines which is rotten news.
On Jesus:
The scan shows that there is a muscle injury and we might lose him for a few weeks again. With Gabby I cannot give you any timeframe because he always surprises us, but there is something there. He felt it in a really awkward action and it’s true he’s had quite a lot of load in the last few weeks with the national team and then playing those games, which he hasn’t done in a long, long time. That’s really bad news for us.
On Partey:
He’s got a muscle injury and we are expecting him to be out for a few weeks. We don’t really know the extent of it and he has more tests today, but he picked up that injury in a training session with the last kick of the ball before Sevilla, so it was very unfortunate. He was coming from a period of absence and he needed minutes. He played with the national team and we try to be always in touch with them. Then we had two games with Chelsea and Sevilla very very close and we decided not to load him in the first game to play him in Sevilla, and then that happened in training, so sometimes it’s difficult.
Weeks often turns into months, especially where Partey is concerned. He’s managed just 15 minutes of football in our last 10 fixtures which is far from ideal. I love the player but I think it’s time he an Arsenal parted ways as he’s earning a lot of money for not playing and it’s not the first season he’s been out for a lengthy spell. When he’s fit, there’s no better sight than him in our midfield but, he’s seldom fit.
Today we face Sheffield United at The Emirates, Wednesday we head across London to play West Ham in the League Cup and then next weekend we go to St James’ Park.
Sheffield Utd have just one point on the table right now which came after their home draw with Everton. They’re rooted to the bottom of the league table and right now, look like being one of the favourites for relegation. Bournemouth, Burnley and Luton are finding things tough this season too. That’s not to say any of them should be taken lightly because they shouldn’t. Apart from the 8-0 battering by Newcastle, Sheffield United’s scorlelines have been close.with just Fulham scoring more than two goals against them. Totts and both Manchester clubs beat them 2-1. Totts needed an hour of additional time to score their two goals. Both Nottingham Forest and Manchester City scored their winning goals in the 89th and 88th minute respectively which would suggest that defensively, Sheffield Utd aren’t too shabby in defence.
It’s obvious in my opinion that Utd will defend first and foremost today because Paul Heckingbottom will know that his team could potentially face another battering if he tries to play openly against us at The Emirates. I very much doubt Arteta’s team will start the game in the fashion they did at Stamford Bridge, not with 60,000 fans behind the team.
As always, Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke has the lowdown on today’s opponents in the official matchday programme:
Usually a 3-5-2 side, the Blades only had two fit central defenders last weekend which prompted a switch to 4-4-2, but with frontman Oli McBurnie limping off against Manchester United, I suspect they will tweak to a 4-5-1 with Cameron Archer as the lone striker. If so, Heckingbottom’s team will sit off and keep a compact shape behind the ball, before releasing their pacy forward with early passes into the channels. Oliver Norwood will also be key – he drops between his central defenders to start moves and is adept at striking accurate long diagonal passes. His devilish set-piece deliveries are not easy to handle, and United also pose a threat from long throws.
With an average of just 38 per cent possession, their focus this season has been on defensive organisation. At Emirates Stadium, the Blades will allow us to dominate possession, and their approach will be direct from any transitions. Out of possession, they show a great appetite to shut off passing angles, and they have produced 92 interceptions already, with only West Ham United making more. From those turnovers they like to release the dangerous Archer, or fellow new signing Gustavo Hamer, but despite this they haven’t carved out enough chances in open play, scoring just seven times – a tally that includes two set pieces and a penalty kick.
Basically then, they’ll defend well and try to hit us on the break. Arsenal are no strangers to that approach but it’s up to our players to find a way around, through and even over the top of a compact defensive unit. The best way in my opinion is with width, speed and pace. Dawdling on the ball in possession will play into Sheffield Utd’s hands. I get the principle of playing out from the back but for it to work, our movement up the pitch afterwards, needs to be more positive, more speedy and more clinical. And be more Declan Rice in that if there’s a shot on, take it. Don’t think about it before playing yet another sideways or backwards pass, just go for it.
Goals haven’t always been easy to come by for Mikel Arteta’s men. I don’t know why but I think at some stage, something is going to click and it’ll change. Nketiah, Odegaard, Havertz and Saka – they all have goals in them, they just need the Lady Luck winds to blow in their favour. Maybe today is the day they will.
Catch up in the comments.
G’day Rico.
A traditional, Saturday, 3pm kick off. All well and good but the game isn’t live on tv.
Just have to rely on Sky Sports and its troupe of numpties augmented by ex-ref Mike Dean. I wonder who copped a back-hander for employing him.
So Partey is again injured, I would be much more surprised to hear that he is fully fit and raring to go. We’ve had this situation too often in the past, Abou Diaby and Jack Wilshere instantly come to mind but the list doesn’t end there. Is the club too loyal to it’s injury prone players? Surely it’s time to move hem on.
or even them
Hi Cicero. Better for the heart though. Lol
Trusty up against us today..
I bet Partey will be fit for the ACON in January
Just the presence of Mike Dean raises my blood pressure to dangerously high levels Rico. 😒
Afternoon Rico and all.
Looking forward to today’s match, sounds like ESR starting
Ha ha Cicero, mine too.. Thank goodness he’s out of the picture these days.
Hi Geoff.
Team to play Sheffield United:
Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Rice, Smith Rowe, Havertz, Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah.
Subs: Ramsdale, Gabriel, Odegaard, Tomiyasu, Trossard, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Elneny.
Come on Emile, show what you’re made of…
Good to see Kiwior get a start too.
Expect to see Zinchenko playing in midfield and subbed at 50 mins. Kiwior will be busy covering the left side of defence. It’s a big day for Eddie, he needs to get some goals, Brutus be prepared to defend when necessary.
Great to see ESR get to start….at last.
Brutus???? But must!!!!!
Saka with the armband today in the absence of Odegaard.
Today, it’s about winning.
Partney is getting complicated because in January it’s CAN and he can’t be counted on.
Cicero, if you get fast transport you can come and see the game in Portugal.
JM I’m on my way. 😉
Pick me up on route please Cicero 😂
Can’t believe Brentford beat Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge
Eddie, Eddie…… 1-0
28 minutes in, nice link up for Eddie goal
We controlled the first half, but still in first gear, need to lift and not let them get a early goal in the second half,
Yes Eddie second goal, now 2 nil fan lifting
Var didn’t rule it out ….for a change.
Yes Eddie got his hat trick,
Hat trick for Eddie 3 – 0
So pleased for Eddie…
Should be a penalty, yes
Vieira with a penalty males it 4 – 0
Eddie gave Viera a the penalty shot, yes now 4 nil never looked like missing
Yes Tommy gets his first goal now 5 nil
Tomiyasu makes it five nil.
Great win, and a good performance across the board, the best part was we we’re hungry for more goals
Great win and a good performance across the board, the best thing was, we we’re hungry for more goals.
Five goals (Eddie three), clean sheet, three points second in the league with best goal difference, not just another day at the office. 🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔
Brilliant result. What more could we have asked for…
Until the first goal, we didn’t have a single shot on goal despite intense control. It seems like there had to be a time-out from the coach for the team to improve. We continue to wait for Harvaertz to emerge from the shadows. ESR was also gray. Ramsdale is expected to play against WH.
Jm, maybe but let’s not forget Utd were 1-0 up against Totts until added time and they held City 0-0 until late in their game. What matters is the end result, not the score at 30 minutes surely?
I’ve just finished watching Sky’s game of the day and have to say the first half hour was somewhat tedious. Sheffield content to stay compact and defend to the death, while Arsenal passed them into oblivion. Only after Eddie’s first goal did the game come to life as Sheffield lost some of their concentration.
The second half was much more entertaining as the goals rolled in and the Sheffield defence got more and more desperate culminating in a clumsy foul on Vieria just inside the box. A scramble by the defenders at an Arsenal corner allowed Tomiyasu the opportunity to score with a toe poke from close range.
ESR did not look out of place and put in a very good performance, he’s well worth a starting spot against the Hammers on Wednesday.
An excellent result but the plaudits go to Eddie Nketiah for a hat-trick with three very different goals.
I am not sure that the other players are reading ESR , he makes runs but is not seen , sometimes as he bursts forward the ball goes back or square . He needs minutes perhaps against West Ham he will get more than an hour . His pass for Eddie’s third was an indication of what’s there , he needs a goal to get the monkey off his back and make him feel that he belongs again.
Today is about Eddie a hat trick is a great feat in any game but I will withhold the plaudits until he does it regularly against teams that are not likely to be relegated. However 5 goals against anyone is a good team performance that didn’t look likely after 30 minutes.
Considering how little ESR has played I thought he did well, I agree with Potter because he was running in and making a lead, his team mates just stopped. The more Arteta picks him the better communication between him and his teammates.
A bit surprised Eddie never took the penalty and tried for his fourth goal, but as said it was more about the team than him and he was very happy with his hat trick.
New post up