Morning all.
Well well, Man City dished out a footballing lesson to Man Utd yesterday afternoon. The final score was 6-3 but I suspect Pep Guardiola will be furious to concede so many in a game they could have won by a greater scoreline. But, it gives other clubs hope that City are beatable if the opposition can stop them from scoring. That’s the tough part though as how does a team stop a 6’ 5” Erling Haaland?
Seriously though, when we finally get around to playing Guardiola’s team, we’ll know more about this team/squad which Mikel Arteta has assembled. I still think we’re 2/3 players short of being able to really compete with them but in this funny old game, who knows, especially if we have a fully fit squad.
Two home fixtures next for Arsenal, the first being the Europa League on Thursday. Whilst no club should be taken lightly, I really hope we don’t see too many of the players who started on Saturday, anywhere near the starting eleven.
Thomas Partey – Sambi Lonkonga
Martin Odegaard – Fabio Vieira
Bukayo Saka – Marquinhos
Gabriel Jesus – Eddie Nketiah
Oleksandr Zinchenko – Kieran Tierney
William Saliba – Takehiro Tomiyasu/Rob Holding
Ben White – Cedric Soares/Takehiro Tomiyasu
Gabriel Martinelli – Reiss Nelson
Aaron Ramsdale – Matt Turner
Plenty of options for Mikel Arteta if he wants to make wholesale changes. Unlike ourselves and PSV, Glimt have played two of their Europa League fixtures, drawing 1-1 with PSV and beating Zurich 2-1 in the other. They current top our group. Last season they reached the quarter-final of the Europa Conference League where they were beaten by Rome so they’re no strangers to European football. Drawing with PSV last month was a good result too as they’re considered to be the team to challenge us for top spot.
Football is unpredictable, we all know that and whilst it’s easy for you and me to make suggestions about who should or shouldn’t be rested on Thursday, I think Mikel Arteta will field a strong team from the off, try and get the job done and then make his changes. Try as he might, it’ll be hard for Mikel Arteta not to think about Sunday’s fixture when he makes his team selection for Thursday. He’ll know that Liverpool are there for the taking and to beat them, we’ll need Partey, Jesus and Saliba on the pitch in my opinion. Our core.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think they are necessarily better than anyone else but they are in my opinion, crucial to the way we play. In every other position bar theirs, Mikel Arteta has a very good understudy to call upon should injury strike. Again, that’s not a criticism of Nketiah, Lokonga or Holding but they can’t quite do what the other three do. So, regardless of who Mikel Arteta selects on Thursday, my hope is that none of Partey, Saliba and Jesus are involved.
Hope that makes sense…
Under estimate Bodo at our peril . They are Norway’s top scorers and they scored 4 goals away from home on Saturday at Lillestrom who are currently 4th in their table .
Whilst we may possibly be a class above them they are full of confidence and with 60 goals under their belts they are full of confidence and know where the goal is and their top scorer Pellegrino has got 20 of them and stands at a mere 6foot4″. and it seems that they play with 3 strikers all over 6 foot.
I don’t doubt that Arteta is aware of this so i can see Tomi , White and Holding being considered to negate this but to weaken too much might prove a risky business and of course we have to remember that we go to Norway on the 13th to play on a plastic pitch.
One last thing on them Mourinho” took Roma there last season in the conference league and apparently has a deal in place to sign Pellegrino at the end of the Norwegian season in the January window.
You’ve done your homework potter.
I don’t think we should take the lightly either but it’s a balance between the PL and Europa and keeping Partey off the physio table. At least until January when we can dip into the TW I hope.
Veni Vidi Vici.
Great banner in the Clock End. Wonderful atmosphere again.
I thought Ben White was outstanding again. Kept his side of the pitch locked up defensively and put in some great attacking runs to support Saka on the wing. How Gareth Southgate can’t find space for him in the England team is a mystery.
Don’t know much about Bodo. Although Pellegrino sounds like he’s having a sparkling season.
I guess that a Norwegian team will be physical and direct in the mode of Egil Olsen?
I’m amazed White is being overlooked too, he has to be one of the best right backs in the league at present.
Southgate is a limited manager he doesn’t have much imagination . Anything that he gets right will be by accident . He hangs his hat on other peoples preconceptions . He views White as a centre back against Maguire and unfathomably prefers the United player and would only consider White as a right back in emergency.
We will as a country not go far with him in charge albeit not that I care much about international football. It used to be interesting to see the best players in the world but now they all play here either in our league or come over regularly in the European fixtures.
Morning Gooners, nic3 post Rico and yeah, change most of the team that started on Saturday, they can still have a run out from the bench if need be, no travelling so keep them ticking over. Liverpool will need to go full starting XI so we should have the advantage on Sunday.
Yes, respect your opponent but don’t fear them, our squad players are in general still superior to all our opponents in this group and should have enoughto beat them. A back four of Tierney, Holding, Tomiyasu and Walters (Soares if fit) should be capable enough.
Lokonga, Vieira in midfield looks tasty, Nelson, Nketiah, Marquinhos up front with Matt Smith probably getting his debut, either from the bench or starting.
Xhaka might be involved, he never misses a game and who knows, we might see Nwaneri again?
I’d always hoped Potter would get the England job. Graham that is. I think he’d be the best Englishman for the job.
Thanks Kev, personally, the more changes the better imo because these guys need minutes if nothing else. They’ll be a time in the season when they’ll be required and they need to be ready. Really hope Eddie gets a start.
Afternoon Rico and all
I don’t know anything about the team we play on Thursday but if they do have 3 tall strikers, we need to watch the numbers of corners we give them.
I would start Jesus and party on the bench and bring them on during the second half if needed as I see the Liverpool match more important at this stage of the season.
Agree Rico and I’m absolutely sure you’ll get your wish, Eddie is a certainty to start with a host of changes, it should be an interesting game this week
Afternoon Geoff.
I never know what’s best, start with a strong team or bring them off the bench. Still, I’m sure Arteta will pick a side he thinks can win as he’ll have done his homework on Glimt I’m sure.
I’m looking forward to both games Kev, especially the Liverpool one.
Just had a quick read up on Bodo. It’s way up North in the Arctic circle, so the return match will be chilly.
Some wonderful names in the Norwegian league: Molde, Start, Frigg, Odd, Moss & Viking.
A good friend of mine and an Arsenal supporter too lives in Skien which is the home off Odd , I have been to their stadium it holds about 13,000 . Nice ground a bit like Luton but cleaner.
I think Glimt Stadium holds about 9,000 so we won’t have many fans there.
Just a query but has anyone else experienced their comment box suddenly becoming small and difficult to type into?
I’ve only noticed this happening on my tablet as my phone is unaffected.
Mine’s ok on an iPad Kev.
I’ve messaged you Kev. I used to have the same problem.
@Potter ‘Nice ground a bit like Luton but cleaner.’
I can’t imagine there’s anywhere in Norway quite like Luton.
I remember going to Luton when it was members only for a number of years after Millwall turned the place over. I borrowed a membership card from a family friend. Arsenal scored and loads of fans were celebrating around us. Clearly the membership scheme wasn’t as tight as they would have us believe.
That makes sense Rico, I guess it’s a play on the Apple scam of slowing down your device so that you get a new one, I think my iPad mini is about 7 years old so those Californian billionaires must reckon it’s time I bought a new one…
Iv’e been slowing down for years Kev can Apple get me a new set of legs.?
I wish they could Potter because I’d definitely be up for a new pair.
Me too…
New post up now