Morning all.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter about the performance as long as the outcome is positive. Last night’s match was one of those times in my opinion. Bodo/Glimt were always going to make things difficult for Mikel Arteta’s team regardless of which players he selected. They did just that too. But for Matt Turner being confident, quick on his toes and alert, we might not have come away with all three points but we did thanks to Bukayo Saka and a slice of good luck.
Mikel Arteta made seven changes to the team which beat Liverpool with William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Ben White the only ones not to get a breather. Saying that, by the time the match finished, Thomas Partey, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli had all been called on. Thankfully though, all seemed to get through unscathed.
Eddie Nketiah, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson didn’t really get going and our shooting, well, it was pretty dire, as at times was our passing. Really pleased for Matt Turner and Rob Holding though as I thought they did well, Sambi Lokonga too.
Arsenal didn’t play particularly well in terms of the kind of football we’ve got used to seeing this season but as said earlier, there will be occasions when the result is the only thing which matters come the final whistle. Personally, I don’t really care how Mikel Arteta’s team got their three points yesterday evening, not when we were away from home, against a club which hasn’t lost a fixture in Europe for years and on a playing surface our players aren’t used to playing on. Bodo/Glimt caused us a few problems admittedly but we’re the club with the points on the board and on the verge of securing a place in the knockout stage. I’m pretty sure that a win against PSV Eindhoven next Thursday would see us through as group winners.
For now though, Leeds Utd at Elland Road on Sunday is the next tough test for Mikel Arteta’s team. Leeds are a strange team in my opinion. Not literally but in terms of their season so far and results. One minute they can thump Chelsea 3-0, the next they’re being hammered by Brentford and being beaten by Crystal Palace after going 1-0 up early in the game. Their last match was a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa but considering they played with ten men in the second half, they did well to hold on. Jesse Marsch will no doubt be concerned after picking up just two points from their last five fixtures.
Having read around a few Leeds websites, just to get a feeling of how their fans see this fixture going and the general, albeit a minority opinion, is that Leeds will either nick a point of get thumped. Obviously, I hope it’s the latter but in someways, playing a team like Leeds can be dangerous because I suspect Jesse Marsch and his players will know they have nothing to lose. Not many people expect them to win so it’s almost like they can go out and play with freedom. I very much doubt Leeds Utd will sit back, defend and try and make it difficult for us, in fact I’m expecting the opposite as I think they’ll come out on the attack from the first whistle.
Chris Kavanagh is the referee on Sunday, the guy who needed VAR to tell him to send Luke Ayling off last season. Still, that’s what VAR is there for. Leeds and Kavanagh haven’t always seen eye to eye this season, certainly not when he denied them a penalty after Brentford’s Aaron Hickey pulled down Crysencio Summerville in the box. Jesse Marsch complained a bit too keenly and was subsequently sent off. I read that all three Leeds fixtures refereed by Kavanagh last season, ended in defeat. Don’t get too optimistic though, I don’t think Arsenal have won many fixtures with him refereeing either.
See you in the comments.
Good morning Rico, for a player who had been praised by Arteta I was disappointed by the performance of Nelson. He never really got going and, as a result, there was never anything for Nketiah to latch onto.
Rob Holding had a good steady game and Lokonga showed a few nice touches but he’s no Thomas
Partey.
A few more games like last night’s and Matt Turner will soon be pushing Ramsdale for a starting position.
Morning Cicero.
I’m just glad we won. I think a few of our players just didn’t want to get injured, not exactly the surface for a good old fashioned slide tackle. Lol
Probably a case of keeping the hand brake on in dodgy conditions Rico.
I didn’t understand why Saka played or why players usually injured entered an artificial grass field, which, as is well known, “favors” injuries. I could have played Cedric at first.
The good thing was the result and, in principle, there were no injuries; the bad thing was the loose display, without flame and whose draw wouldn’t surprise.
It doesn’t matter how used you are to these pitches , I trained on one twice a week for about 5 years, you are never 100% of your footing and for players like Nelson and Nketiah turning at speed always has an unsure thought at the back of your mind and. even when Martinelli came on he did not look comfortable .This is not the game to make final decisions about players.
On a brighter note 3 points top of two leagues and I have a negative PCR test this morning . Hopefully I can take the bell off my neck and get back to the world of the living again.
I reckon so too Cicero.
I hated playing hockey on them Potter, going over on that surface hurts.
Excellent re the negative test, didn’t realise you had it.
Potter not sure what PCR is but any test that is negative has to be good,
Sounds a good game to miss. 3 points and on to the next one.
@Potter did you pick up the pox in Sitges? Bears week didn’t you say?
Despite what the Chinese are trying it will catch up with everybody eventually. They shouldn’t have been messing around with those test-tubes, should they?
Bears are not my thing although I an beginning to wonder if you like a bit of rubber and leather whipping fetish. I am more into Fiesta Mayor with a good drink and fireworks . Chances are we got it on the plane coming back , it seems to fit the timeline.
There are still too many loose ends about how it started and although apparently it was in China there are conspiracy theories abounding about who was responsible and how quickly the world was informed and who has gained from it.
Still it’s just the plebs that have to suffer the results and strange how the worlds economies have collapsed and China seems to have come out of it smelling of roses.
As I said conspiracy theories. Because as long as China is funding the world health organisation , they are not going to say anything.
Going back to Sitges though , I have another for you. My wife and I were in town for carnaval which took place about three weeks before the pandemic was announced . There are three shops there, all Chinese owned similar to our pound shops.. As you went in all the staff were wearing masks and as we left town I am told that they closed and strangely they have never reopened.
Do you think they knew something ?
Potter, have you been to the August festival in Sitges? I suspect you have but it’s the best festival I’ve ever been to in my life.
That’s Fiesta Mayor August 23rd is the fireworks with the parades days either side . This year we went to Santa Tecla September 23rd which is a junior equivalent exactly the same but smaller with a childrens parade where they build their own dragons. all good fun .
There is a lot more to Sitges than it’s gay community , the artistry and it’s history ( did you know that the Bacardi family were Sitgeans who went to Cuba and started the whole business ) and returned and built many of the large sea front houses on the Paseo Maritimo..and of course artists like El Greco and, Gaudi had there places there
Anyone that wants a bit of Spanish sunshine with culture thrown in should find it and as an added bonus it’s only 30 minutes from Barcelona by train or bus. It’s worth looking up the things that happen there from Kings in January to the wine festival in October there’s always a reason to visit.
As you know I lived and worked there for a couple of years so i know it really well , and that’s my tourist information session over for today.
Geoff, a PCR test determines whether or not you have Covid. A negative test is good news.
Absolutely agree, just like there’s more to Amsterdam than brownies and the red lights. I love the harbour especially.
We won’t be signing Douglas Luiz in January as he’s just signed a new contract at Villa.
Morning Gooners, morning Rico, I bet you used to look smart in your hockey kit Rico… 😄
Mixed feelings about Luiz, I don’t know loads about him but his profile fitted what we are doing and I’m sure he is versatile and can fill several positions. Odd that he should sign a new deal with Villa after looking set to move to the Emirates but I guess his agent did well out of it and there’s always alternatives out there?
Maybe Edu has a player or two lined up from the ‘Old Country’ on more favourable terms and transfer fee?
kia joorabchian is his agent no doubt cash has changed hands
I did read somewhere that Kroenke was hoping to bring in some more American players
We are well out of the Luiz deal imo.
Agreed. Too many tats for my taste😊
Ha ha Kev.
Morning all
New post up now