Morning all.
Ok, I’m struggling now, football news is really slow. Five days to go though and we’re back in action.
I’m guilty of concentrating on the future of both Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck who can leave for free in the summer and I’d overlooked the fact that Peter Cech, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Nacho Monreal will all be out of contract at the same time. That’s a lot of senior players to leave at one time.Who knows what’ll happen between now and the summer though. All might yet stay, however, I very much doubt it.
Unai Emery is building his team with players he wants and not ones he was left. Losing them for free wasn’t his idea either, nor was allowing them to hold all the negotiating cards either and there’s little to nothing the club can do to change that now. Selling the players Emery doesn’t wasn’t to keep in January is the best option but even so, the only one who’ll bring in a decent amount of money is Ramsey. I’m sure though that he and his next club will be happy to wait until the summer for any deal to be struck. What will be will be and Arsenal will survive. Of that we can be sure.
The international fixtures are over now and the boys will probably be back in north London before you read this. The only casualty is Sokratis Papastathopoulos who was forced off at halftime in his last match with an ankle injury. Bad news but hopefully nothing serious. We need him back fit before Liverpool arrive at The Emirates early next month.
I’d love to know which idiot decided to give us a Monday night fixture in a week when we have a Europa fixture. An away one too which makes the decision even more stupid. Beggars belief, it really does.
Leicester at home, Sporting Lisbon and Crystal Palace away followed by Blackpool at home in the League Cup on Halloween. Liverpool follow those and that’s the big one. That’ll tell us a lot about this Arsenal team. To a degree, the fixture against Sporting Lisbon might too but then a lot depends on what kind of team Unai Emery selects. I don’t think we should fear either side, certainly not Liverpool because as the boring scoreless draw with Man City proved, they’re far from perfect. There’s much hype surrounding Klopp and his team but ultimately, they’re just two points better off than us right now. Sporting sit fifth in their league table, a league which really doesn’t throw out too many tricky fixtures.
Next Monday’s opponents Leicester are having a mixed season but at The Emirates, we should have enough to continue our good run I’d have thought and Crystal Palace, well I don’t really know what to expect from them at Selhurst Park. Unpredictable, that’s how I’d describe Roy Hodgson’s side.
Finally, did you see Reiss Nelson put England under 21’s 1-0 up against Scotland last night? A simply stunning free kick from long range. That’s two in two for his country and two very different strikes too. Here it is if you missed it.
Stunning!
Have a good day guys..
Good morning Rico, the dearth of right backs at the club makes it almost certain that Lichtsteiner will be offered a contract extension, and I can’t really see him turning it down, good pay and good chances to play at a top club, with a fair to middling chance at a trophy. A nice little earner, as Arthur Daley might have said.
Not all our players got away without serious injury, our Scottish international Kim Little suffered a broken fibula in the 5 – 0 trouncing of Chelsea. She’ll be out for ten weeks. I wish her all the best and a swift and full recovery.
Morning Cicero.
That’s awful for Kim Little. I’m surprised it’s not longer than ten weeks though.
I wonder what Emery thinks of Jenkinson. I don’t think any other right backs are coming through are they?
He’s a chronic injury prone player Rico, we certainly couldn’t rely on him.
Reiss Nelson’s freekick was a stunner!
Off for a swim, back later.
True Cicero. Enjoy your swim, hope the sea is warm. Lol
Sporting’s 21 UEFA fixtures against English clubs have yielded nine wins and nine defeats, seven of the victories at home including both of their previous engagements in the UEFA Europa League – 3-0 against Everton in the 2009/10 round of 32 and 1-0 versus Manchester City in the 2011/12 round of 16, the Lisbon club winning both ties.
• Arsenal have never won in five UEFA visits to Portugal (D2 L3), scoring just two goals – both, curiously, by a player called Campbell (striker Kevin against Benfica in the 1991/92 European Champion Clubs’ Cup; defender Sol against Porto in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League.
Sporting
• Sporting finished third in the 2017/18 Portuguese Liga. They suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Aves in the Portuguese Cup final, but nevertheless claimed a place in the UEFA Europa League group stage.
• The Lisbon club have been regular participants in the UEFA Europa League since its inception in 2009/10, featuring in the competition proper in seven previous seasons and the group stage in five of those, most recently in 2015/16. Semi-finalists in 2011/12, they reached the quarter-finals last season after transferring from the UEFA Champions League group stage.
• Sporting have won all of their last three European home games without conceding. They have only ever lost once at home in the UEFA Europa League group stage and twice in the competition proper, their overall record in Lisbon standing at W18 D8 L2.
Arsenal
• The Gunners finished sixth in the 2017/18 Premier League – their lowest final placing under Arsène Wenger in his swansong season as manager after 22 years. It earned them a second successive qualification for the UEFA Europa League group stage.
• UEFA Champions League ever-presents for 19 successive seasons until last term, Arsenal reached the UEFA Europa League semi-finals at the first attempt, going out to eventual winners Atlético Madrid.
• The 1999/2000 UEFA Cup runners-up won 1-0 away at Crvena zvezda on matchday three last season to make it nine points out of nine. Their away record in the UEFA Europa League is W5 D1 L2, with 15 goals scored and just five conceded.
Some stats for you Rico…. 🙂
Hi Kev, you know what I think of stats…. 😜😜
I know Rico 😉
Just putting a bit of perspective on the task we face in Portugal, it’s not been a happy hunting ground for Arsenal, mind you, our poor form in Portugal has to end eventually….
Agree Kev, things have to change one day so why not next week. I’m confident. 😀
Different manager, different attitude, different tactics, high confidence level, all makes a difference Kev.
15c/59f Rico, lovely….if you like that sort of thing, we go to a private, heated indoor 25 metre pool, temperature this morning, 20c. I haven’t swum in the sea since late August, the next time may be in November but not the North Sea, more likely the South China Sea.
Hoping fo a dip in the med this week, who knows . will be away for Leicester so anyone posting in action comments will be welcome .
Change of plan, we were thinking of going to Borneo, but November is the height of the monsoon season so we are looking for somewhere drier.
I’m off to Dorset in January, no chance of me dipping my toes…
I’m off for a paddle by the pier at Southend with some cockles.
Rather you than me Adam. 😜
They’re full of goodness Rico. 🙂
I’ll take your word for that Adam… lol
Do like my half pint of cockles from Old Leigh once a month!
New post up now.