Morning all.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland won the PFA men’s Players’ Player of the Year award, with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka named Young Player of the Year.He was also nominated for the young player of the year prize, but it was our very own Bukayo Saka who won that after he scored 14 goals and contributed 11 assists during the season. Four Arsenal players made it into the team of the year too, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale. Even Ian Wright picked up an award, the men’s PFA Merit award. A great night for Arsenal really, and Man City. Not entirely sure how or why Kane made it in there though… Oh yes, he’s England’s captain… Was Tripper really a better performing right back than Ben White?
Anyway, I’m chuffed for those Arsenal players, especially Bukayo Saka having already won the Football London Young Player of the Year award and finishing third in the Football Writer’s Association Player of the Year voting. He’d also nominated for both the Premier League’s Player and Young Player of the Season, before scooping the PFA prize last night. Previous Arsenal winners of this award are Tony Adams (1986/87), Paul Merson (1988/89), Nicolas Anelka (1998/99), Cesc Fabregas (2007/08) and Jack Wilshere (2010/11).
Mikel Arteta’s new tactics and team selection has got a lot of people scratching their heads. I’ve read all sorts of views from we have to suffer through what will turn out to be a great move, to for goodness sake, get back to basics instead of over complicating the game. I’m just a firm believer in playing a player in the position he’s worked hard all his career to master. I understand moving left, right or central when absolutely necessary but taking a player out of a role in which he’s previously excelled in to play in a position which so far in his career he’s not played, strikes me as being strange and unnecessary. Of course I hope I’ll be eating my words in a few weeks time but I just can’t get my head around Thomas Partey playing as a right back, just as I can’t understand why there’s such a thing a a ‘false 9’. Whatever happened to just signing and playing with a proper goal scoring striker. As for all the ‘I will pass 500 times’ before thinking about taking a shot, well, it bores me to tears.
Stats will tell us we’re controlling matches with high possession figures just as they’ll tell us we’ve recorded vast number of opportunities to score but in reality, we’ve scraped our way to two wins and a draw with mistakes allowing Forest to score once and Fulham, twice. Mistakes or positional confusion.
I don’t believe many, if any transfer rumours but the one relating to ESR being sold before the deadline is worrying. Even more so because it’s reportedly Chelsea wanting to sign him. Obviously I hope he says no, better still, Arsenal say no too and Arteta starts to play him. However, if he is on the move, Arsenal should in my opinion, stick a £100 million price tag on him, after all, he’s young, English and a World Cup winner at under 21 level with three years left on his Arsenal contract.
Tonight we’ll find out who we’re going to face in the third round of the League Cup. Totts were knocked out by Fulham on penalties last night but the biggest surprise of the night was Salford City beating Leeds Utd 9-8 on penalties.
Catch up in the comments.
Arsenal vs Salford is the next round?
Let Nwaneri, Lewis Skelly and Walters off of the leash…
I thought the draw was tonight Kev, oops.
Perhaps ESR, Nelson will get a chance too.
I think the draw is tonight Rico, good post btw.
The Champions League draw is this weekend I believe, that’s when we’ll see for sure how many midweek games we’ve got coming up.
Yes, ESR, Nelson, Jorginho, Kiwior, Vieira, Raya, Pepe (?), Lokonga (?)
I wonder what happened regarding Eddie Nketiah playing for Ghana, I mean I recall him travelling out there to meet with people in his parents homeland but nothing since, has he reconsidered and is waiting on England?
Friday for the CL I think Kev, a long and drawn out affair no doubt..
No idea re Eddie, perhaps he’s been advised to stay and hope for an England call up. Not sure that’s likely though, not all the time Southgate is manager.
Pepe and Lokonga should be gone imo, Cedric and Tavares too.
Three Arsenal players could leave the club today as Mikel Arteta continues to reshape his squad, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.
The Gunners got most of their incoming transfer business done early in the window, with Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber all arriving before the beginning of pre-season.
Arsenal then sealed a loan move for David Raya after their 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend.
But despite the early sale of Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen, deals to move Arsenal’s fringe players away from the club have been much slower.
According to Football Daily’s Connor Humm, Arteta effectively ‘banished’ seven players from the main first team group in training last week, with Nicolas Pepe and Cedric Soares training alone.
Folarin Balogun was one of the names who was said to be training away from the main group – and Romano has confirmed that he is one of three current Gunners players who could leave the club as early as today.
Fabrizio Romano reveals Arsenal players set to leave
Taking to Twitter (X), Romano has reported that Balogun will officially sign for Ligue 1 side Monaco today ahead of a proposed £40 million move.
If the deal goes through, the United States international will return to a division in which he had great success last season, having scored 21 goals in 37 league appearances during a loan spell with Reims.
And Romano has added that one more Arsenal outcast is set to leave the club on loan – while another has interest from the Premier League and overseas.
He tweeted: “Nuno Tavares will sign documents as new Nottingham Forest player today.
“Understand Mallorca have asked for the conditions of Rob Holding deal today – negotiations are ongoing. Possible solutions in PL remain after Luton Town call on Monday, Mallorca trying to find a way now.”
Romano also added that Arsenal have included a smart contract clause in the deal to send Tavares out on loan, and will also receive an up-front loan fee.
The Gunners will receive a fee of £2 million from Nottingham Forest, and have included the option for Steve Cooper’s side to buy the left-back for £12 million at any point during the loan spell.
Having signed the Portuguese defender for £6.8 million in 2021, the clause – if activated – would allow Arsenal to net a profit on a player that never truly hit top form at the Emirates Stadium.
Shame Tavares didn’t really work out, he looked like he was going to become good. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs for Forest.
Oh well, all too much excitement for me so I’m off out for a walk. 😆
Calm down Rico, have a green tea, it works for me.
Both is best Kev… lol
Thanks Rico,
I would hate to see ESR leave too,especially to Chelsea but he seems to be way out of favour so if the money is right you never know.I did read elsewhere that Arsenal need to raise money. Nobody seems to be in for Pepe,I’m sure lots of our unwanted will be loaned out in the next few days though.
Carabao cup draw tonight,Champions league tomorrow so fingers crossed.
I’d have rather ESR plays and Havertz stayed at Chelsea Limey.
We’re going to have a tough CL group I think. One of the big clubs will be in with us.
Balogun 40m euros to Monaco.
Brentfor-Arsenal Carabao Cup 25 th September
Just thinking out side the box,
I wonder if certain fringe players are making it hard for Edu to move them on as a way of paying Arteta back for freezing them out and making them train on their own.
No hint of any new signings, if Edu is in the market he’s keeping things under wraps.
I don’t fancy our chances at Brentford..
Morning all.
Good morning Rico, I don’t fancy our chances anywhere until Arteta sorts out his starting eleven and dumps his ridiculous pick-and-mix approach to team selection.
I fear that he is making a rod for his own back by playing midfielders at fullback, full backs at centre back and ignoring one of the two best centre backs in the Premiership.
A few more dropped points and Arteta will lose the fans.
I’m starting to have doubts about him. 😕
Afternoon Rico and all,
I hope Arteta sorts the team out for Man U this weekend.
Don’t think that you are alone with that .The unconditional support in the stadium doesn’t seem to be as unwavering as it was last year. The selections have been baffling and many people are not happy with the Havertz deal and are waiting for one slip to voice their opinions.
I just hope that the first games in the Carabou cup gives chances to Nelson and Smith rowe and that they can press for regular pitch time and prove their worth . If they don’t then the next line from Hale End like Ethan Nwaneri and Reuell Walters are going to start looking elsewhere after all if ESR can’t get on the pitch , why bother staying ?
It won’t only be the fans getting upset, I guessing Stan and Josh will want a big return on their investment in this transfer window and you cannot blame them.
Morning Cicero, Geoff.
Agree Cicero, or if what Arteta has planned suddenly clicks into place. I don’t hold out much hope for that though..
Hello all,
Brentford away is a tough draw,not impossible,last season our away form was best in the league. We
used to get a home draw against lower opposition ( maybe that’s just my rose tinted view of the past !)
Champions league draw later.
Eddie called up for England,I didn’t see that coming but deserved,as for Harry Maguire,that’s baffling.
Wow, I didn’t see that coming either. Brilliant for Eddie Limey, really pleased for him.
Seville or Luton seem to be Holding’s next club and Forest have agreed a deal with Arsenal for Tavares.
Just Cedric and Pepe to go then.
They can go to Arab League. The market finish there in the middle of September. But Gabriel too…
Wow Sevilla,
that’s a fantastic away trip.I love Seville.
Lots of orange juice… lol
Palhinha scored against Arsenal, took away two points and now goes to Bayern. We will see at the end how much we will miss these two points.
Arsenal, PSV, RC Lens, Sevilla.
Good morning all
It’s deadline day, as far as incoming signings are concerned, do we expect any surprises?
The Saudi League window remains open until the end of the month, so there’s plenty of time to consider which of the multitude of offers on the table for Pepe to accept.
Morning Cicero, all.
I think we’re done for incomings, just more leaving today I guess.
New post up now.