Morning all.
The one thing we can pretty much guarantee today is plenty of goals. City’s injuries in defence has caused them all sorts of problems. For Arsenal, injuries haven’t helped either, but even if every player was fit, with our weak midfield, we’d still be vulnerable, especially against a top attacking side which City are. But for once, City are vulnerable too and if our front players turn up in the right mood instead of going missing in a big game, we have a chance to get something from the game.
I’d love to see Martinelli in the side and I reckon he will be. His energy and hard work, as well as his ability to score goals is excellent. He’s consistent too which can’t be said of many of those around him. Whilst our defensive problems are clearly evident and receive much criticism, our attacking unit often fall under the radar. Our conversion of chances created to goals needs to be better.
Pep Guardiola won’t bring his City side to The Emirates to park a bus I’m sure. He’ll know our weaknesses and he’ll be out to exploit them. For once though, City themselves have weaknesses and Freddie needs to exploit them too. This group of players shouldn’t need motivating to perform against one of the best teams in England but it’s our interim head coach’s job to make sure they are. If he wants the job on a permanent basis then coming out on top in fixtures like this will certainly help his cause.
City are without Sergio Aguero, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Leroy Sane. Ederson and David Silva are both doubts too.
We have injury problems too. Both Pepe and Bellerin are doubts but Holding, Ceballos and Xhaka are unavailable this afternoon and Tierney, well he needs surgery and then at least three months to recover. Hopefully next season will be an injury free one for him.
Pep’s side are all but being written off for winning the PL this season by the media because they’re so far behind Liverpool in terms of points but with over half the campaign remaining, I wouldn’t write them off just yet. Anything can happen for them, Liverpool and Leicester City of course.
And Arsenal. Much can change for us too, or at least I hope it can. I’d snap anyone’s hands off if they offered a draw before kick off but I truly believe we can win, just as Utd did when the two sides met at Old Trafford. Rashford’s pace and directness and keenness worked a treat. He’d spurned two very good chances to take a two goal lead before being fouled in the box and converting the resulting penalty awarded via VAR. Martial grabbed a second soon after by simply taking a chance on the edge of the box. Like Pepe against West Ham albeit Martial squeezed his shot inside the near post unlike our forward who curled his top and far side.
Note to Pepe, Lacazette, Martinelli and Aubameyang. Ozil too. Pace is what’ll give us the best chance of breaching the makeshift City defence. Pace, directness and taking shots on goal. Ederson is a very good keeper, but even the best can be beaten. A fast start is key is imperative. Show intent from the off and don’t give City a chance to settle because give them a sniff, they’ll take it with open arms.
Another area of weakness our opponents possess is defending set-pieces. Their defence of them is nearly as bad as our taking of them as Norwich proved early in the season. Corners and free kicks need to be stronger, delivered with more height and pace. Ozil’s are too soft, too floaty and lack purpose.
Yes, our defending is poor, our midfield is weak and it’s likely that City will play the possession game anyway, and if they do, we’ll just need to dig in deep, put bodies on the line instead bottling challenges and then hit them hard on the break…
I’ve just dreamt we win 4-1. If only dreams came true eh…
See you in the comments guys…
New post up now
Metro sports claim that Freddie blames Lacazette for part of the loss and warns him that he will on the bench more and then Freddie claims that playing Lacazette and Aubameyang together makes Arsenal more Vulnerable Defensively.
HI All did not bother to get up early to watch the match and from I am reading on this site I did not miss much I have lost faith in Freddie he is far to soft and as for Aubameyang as I said before I would sell him calls him a strike and still less than one goal per match. These players need to eat some concrete so they will harden up
Everton (a)
Bournemouth (a)
Chelsea (h)
Man Utd (h)
I reckon we’ll take 3points from that lot.
Therefore our FACup tie with Leeds on January 6th should be a pleasant change from our impending battle against dropping into the relegation zone in 2020.
Sweet dreams…
At half-time I thought we were going to get a spanking. Lucky for us the City players were more Intent on getting De Bruyner his hat trick than running up a cricket score so we managed to draw the second half.
I really liked Freddie as a player, but sadly this job is way beyond his capabilities. The senior players know he’s not going to be around long and are just not playing for,him, the club, the fans or themselves.
Aubameyang chucked the towel in on about sixty minutes,
Ozil never had any positive influence on the game at any time from the first whistle to his petulant kick of his rolled up gloves as he was hooked off. Frankly I’d be in favour of paying him off off in January just get his lazy attitude out of the club. With him should go any of the management still around who went along with paying the obscene salary of £350,000 a week. He should be ashamed to show his face at The Emirates, he has wasted the wonderful talent he was gifted and is now a liability and a a drain on the club’s finances.
I’m disappointed with Pepe, he started by running at the City defence but after copping a couple of tackles he just got rid of the ball as soon as he could, not the attitude of a £72 million striker.
The only players to come out of the game with any credit were Leno, who singlehandedly stemmed the goal avalanche, Martinelli, who never stopped trying and did more in defence than some of are defenders, and to a lesser extent Guendouzi if only for his 100% commitment.
Saka, Smith Rowe and Willock were bit part players but at least tried to inject some energy into the team.
I’m sorry folks for a pretty depressing take on the situation, but that’s how I see it.
On that sad note let me wish you all Good Night.
Mike, we need a hard nut, imo.
Someone willing to stand toe to toe with the players and tell them what’s expected.
These guys can all play so I do think the right man with the right attitude will improve then greatly, but with the big spend last summer and the fact we are paying players off for a few years, the new man must work with what he has, as we won’t be buying many for a while.
Don’t know what manager could do anything with this lot really.
We need a clear out to get rid of the mentality that most of the players have.
Just look at Everton at the moment, Ferguson has got them fighting for every ball. We have pretenders.
Hands up who honestly thought we would get anything from this game ?………………………cant see any hands, so none of us is in the least bit surprised!
CFG are a great footballing side like we used to be and they have a co coach who would have loved to have been coach at The Arsenal, but was stupidly over looked in favour of a greasy haired vampire, lets hope he doesn`t hold a grudge if asked for another interview.
I would like to try it out: put Arsenal’s attack on Arsenal’s defense and check the end result. I never remember having (much) more goals conceded than scored.
Limey,
The poor guy must be punch drunk atm lol
He can hold his head up, no question.
You have to feel sorry for Leno,playing with that lot,he kept the score down yet again.
22 points, 7 above the drop zone, 7 below the top four. Position ninth, which is about where I expect us to finish.
Stats :-
Possession. 42% – 58%
Shots. 6. – 14
On target. 1 – 7
Corners. 3 – 3
Fouls. 9. – 24
Yellow cards 1 – 4
Things just keep getting better.
Leadership too. Throughout the club.
I make you right JM
Arsenal is missing, among other things:
a) Identity
b) Confidence
c) Security
d) Team
Not all bad, we just had a shot at goal. Well wide but hey!
Says it all Micko, it really does.
Thank goodness for that!! I hope he never plays for the club again the lazy good for nothing sulky lump!
rico, don’t think it matters who wears the armband in this squad, we’ve had something like 7 captains in the last 18 months, it’s like pass the parcel.
City does wan’t change De Bruin from Ozil?
We played with 10; when we played 9, it was 0-3. Nº. 10 does not know what to defend, does not want to defend, does not speed up, does not change speed, throws back and side at 10 o’clock, requires all players to disengage and insist with him on the pitch. It is wanting to lose and force the remaining 9 to extra effort. Are we always required to play with this nº 10?
Aubameyang captain? Why? He’s gone missing again, always does in the big games.
Weirdly, I think going forward we’ve looked quite good at times although lacked an end product but from a defensive point of view, awful.
I hope when Ceballos is back, he replaces Ozil, or ESR because he gives us very little in any department imo. He should be doing what KdB does for City…
City are masters of the tactical foul .
Boos at half-time, there’s a surprise.
Cicero, you were warned…………plenty of goals today !!!
0 – 3 this is going from bad to worse.
A record defeat could well be on the cards.
Still don’t much matter we won’t see kola for a few weeks and Guendouzi wrong side for two goals
He’s off now injured, Saka to play wingback.
Didn’t like the first one but without the deflection he would have had the second
He might have got a touch had he jumped but he didn’t bother, pathetic.
Then he stood and watched a cross go past h straight to Sterling who had a completely open goal 0 – 2
Afternoon all. AMN last week, Kolas this, whoever we play in defence ducks! I don’t think he would have got to the ball anyway, but what exactly was his thinking ducking if there was a chance of stopping the goal? Pathetic mindset.
On a positive note, what a lovely run by Martinelli in first minute.
Should not, that ought to read.
Well if there was a plan, it’s gone down the toilet already.
Good start
We are a team of whimps, Kolascinac actually ducked his head out of the way of that shot. Chicken hearted and should be wearing an Arsenal shirt .
Everton hold Manure to a draw.
Then lose…
Wolves equalise against S***s.
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Team to play Man City:
Leno, Maitland-Niles, Chambers, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Torreira, Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli, Aubameyang.
Subs:
Martinez, Luiz, Saka, Smith-Rowe, Willock, Nelson, Lacazette.
Cold I’d imagine Jm..
Entertaining match at the old toilet…
Afternoon all!
How is the weather in London?
Afternoon Kev. I still can’t believe Cresswell got away with that one. There was another on Pepe before too I think.
I’m afraid that even a weakened Man City will probably be too strong for Arsenal.
Even having Kieron Tierneys 2nd cousin as our referee won’t make any difference.
I’d be delighted if we got a draw.
Afternoon all, thanks for the post Rico.
All VAR has proven is how poor English referees in general are, take for example the assault on Pepe by Cresswell at the Olympic Stadium.
Dean got it wrong – no surprise there – and then the Stockley Park Blind School followed that up with an equally dumb review.
If Riley retains his job next season then there is no hope, he is useless, but he is easily manipulated by those in charge at the Premier League and any influence Arsenal had with them left town with David Dein.
Right! Time to get the Christmas Tree down from the loft and to get on with decorating it. Back later.
With every passing game I’m becoming more and more disillusioned with VAR.. There are just too many glaring incidents of errors and misuse. Teething troubles maybe, but there seems to be little appetite among the officials to make the necessary changes. The use of pitch side monitors must become the first option for the referees, VAR should only come into operation after the ref has made his own check or has not seen the incident.
Morning Cicero, agree with all of that. Don’t worry about Sterling, VAR will be on hand to check his diving skills.. lol
Don’t want to see Pepe, Lacazette, Ozil or Guendouzi going to ground with ease either..
Good morning Rico.
If any time is a good time to play City, this is it.
Injuries have taken their toll and their confidence has taken a knock. Also, they are under pressure to keep in touch with the Merseyside Unmentionables.
It’s a big game for referee, Paul Tierney, he needs to keep an eye on the media’s little darling Sterling who has a proclivity to “go down” a little easily. Whoever starts at right back will need to be on high alert and jockey him off the ball rather than dive in with an attempted tackle.
If Pepe starts we need to utilise his pace with quick passes out from the back played along the ground for him to run onto, No lofted balls as none of Aubameyang, Lacazette or Pepe are that good in the air.
Freddie has hinted at the lack of enthusiasm in our supporters, the way to get them onside is a fast start with less farting around playing possession in our own half of the pitch.
I hope somebody has had a word in Guendouzi’s shell-like. Cut out the theatrics and keep his hands to himself.
Confident of a win? No but hopeful.