Daily Bits and Bobs

Tough challenge, tough performance needed.

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Burnley’s Connor Roberts, Kevin Long and Dale Stephens miss today’s match through injury.

Arsenal have Thomas Partey back fit but whether Mikel Arteta will risk him from the start against what’s expected to be a physical battle with Sean Dyche’s team remains to be seen. The last thing anyone needs is to see our midfielder return, only to pick up another injury. However, with Granit Xhaka suspended and Mo Elneny injured, midfield options are limited. Rob Holding remains on the sidelines too.

Last season, Burnley took four points off us. This season, they’re yet to win a game. Dyche will probably see this fixture as being the one to turn the tide. It’s not like Arsenal have done that before is it? Yes I know, we have been the gift which likes to keep on giving recently.

The draw came in March of this year and at Turf Moor. Aubameyang scored early before they equalised just before halftime. Arsenal had a number of good opportunities to put the game to bed but woodwork and poor finishing cost us in the end.Xhaka hadn’t helped our cause by being involved in gifting Burnley their goal.

Four games in, one goal on the board, it looks like finding the back of the net could be a struggle this season too. Certainly if the Norwich game is anything to go by. But at least we finally created opportunities and as the confidence grows, hopefully more goals will come.

The team which drew against Burnley earlier this year was:

Leno, Chambers, Luiz, Mari, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Lacazette, Willian and Aubameyang.

Very different to the one we’re likely to see at 3pm today. No Willian, Luiz or Xhaka for starters and it’s unlikely that we’ll see Chambers, Mari, maybe not Leno or Lacazette either. Even the subs bench will look different to what it did back then.

Bellerin, Gabriel, Ceballos, Lacazette, Holding, Pepe, Elneny, Ryan and Martinelli.

Ryan, Ceballos and Bellerin gone, Pepe and Gabriel are likely to start and  Elneny and Holding are missing through injury.

That’s what a good summer in the transfer does for a squad. Whether we win, lose or draw today, I hope we see a performance. Burnley will be tough, physical and ready to go to war. Metaphorically speaking of course. Arsenal need to match them in every department. Better them in every department. Do that and our quality should win on the day but turn up in the same frame of mind as the opening three fixtures and Burnley will beat us.

See you in the comments.

 

 

 

 

 

rico

53 thoughts on “Tough challenge, tough performance needed.”

  1. Cicero says:

    Looking at yesterday’s training ground pictures it seems the squad were full of fun and enjoying themselves. I’m not sure that’s the best way to prepare for any game let alone one against a very physical Burnley side.

    I want to see 100% commitment from the entire team, nothing less will do.

  5. Wavy says:

    Afternoon all.

    I’d say that today’s team is the first choice eleven I don’t see where Xhaka fits in!

    I just hope we see fast, one/two touch football and not turgid crab soccer. It would be nice if we could get a resounding win. Good enough to kick off motd in first showing, it’s been a while.

    Here’s hoping we get our Arsenal back.

  9. Aussie Geoff says:

    Afternoon Rico and all
    We should have started todays match with the same team as our last match, or if any changes drop Auba and replace him with Laca

  14. Devilgunner says:

    Good afternoon Rico and all.

    Its the classic 4-3-3 from Arteta today. Exactly the way Italy played all throughout the Euros. When defending it transforms into 4-1-4-1 but when attacking it goes from 4-3-3 to practically 4-1-2-3

    Odegaard and ESR in front of Partey while Saka and Pepe manning the flanks. Interesting

    Tierney has already had a shot on target while we have the lion’s share of possession. Burnley have had 3 shots off target. And we are the favourites according to the bookies.

    Let’s hope we win and keep a clean sheet

  21. Devilgunner says:

    We might win. We might lose. But we are seeing how Arteta wants his team to play. We are still the poor man’s Manchester city style but we are on the right track.

    As Geoff pointed out…we need to improve in the second half. We should have scored at least another but I am happy with what I saw. And no they weren’t all over us as the commentiid suggesting. We have better possession, we have had nearly twice as much passes, 84% successful passes compared to their 74%, and more shots on target than them. And whatever they three at us we dealt with.

    Fingers crossed we score another to silence them. And hopefully keep a clean sheet

  25. Devilgunner says:

    YESSSSSSSSS

    1-0 to the Arsenal. Another clean sheet

    If Ramsdale doesn’t get MOTM I will eat Kev’s old socks 🤣🤣🤣🤣

  28. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Only victory was saved.
    The team is fragile, physically poor, slow, with very predictable football.
    With a numerical advantage up front, he doesn’t accelerate, he always decides badly, he has little appetite for a goal.
    They have little confidence, they don’t play like a block (because they are physically bad), they cover poorly in the 1st phase and they have a central striker who is never anywhere.

  29. rico says:

    The reason I don’t like managers like Dyche and Pulis is because they don’t have the pitch cut and nor do they water it which is probably why our passing game was off. Their bullish and dirty football would be better suited to a Sunday League.

  31. andrewh1313 says:

    Afternoon all. Tough listen on 5 live. With the professionalism of Neil Lennon, ‘who is Sambi Laconga, Did he come through the youth system?’ You would think a co-commentator would do a little research on the teams he is employed to give analysis on? And the excitement of the pair as Burnley started playing better 2nd half, could see where their loyalties lay.

  34. Potter says:

    Hard fought 3 points. Three forced substitutes not good with Spurs on the horizon.Sad to see Southgate there because Saka needs a rest he is looking jaded.
    Ramsdale however my MOM could get a call up and seal Leno‘a fate

  38. Devilgunner says:

    I simply love Ramsdale’s antics when we score and at the final whistle. Pure joy.

    Finally I have found my favourite keeper

  42. allezkev says:

    I really enjoy these kinds of victories because they trigger the haters of which there are many.

    If Chelsea give the Scum a good beating tomorrow then that sets us up for a 6 pointer NLD next weekend.

    But first we need to do a job on Wimbledon, especially as I’ll be there… 😃

  44. potter says:

    RIP Jimmy Greaves. I knew he was a bit special when I saw him at Stamford Bridge play Wolves who had 7 England internationals including Billy Wright . It was 1958 and Chelsea won 6 -2 Greaves scored 5.

  45. Aussie Geoff says:

    Good to have 2 wins in a row but the problem is still the lack of goals we get. Makes it hard to compete with the middle of the table side’s

  46. Devilgunner says:

    Good afternoon Rico and all

    I am still thinking how to cook your socks Kev. Hopefully I will make a decent plate. Do they go down well with mayonnaise do you think? They havent arrived yet.

    Rip Jimmy Greaves. I dont have any memories of him but Pa tells me he was one of the top players in his time.

    Yesterday we won 1-0 again. However, evident again was the lack of goals from our attack. The opposition have sussed out Auba and are nullifying him. The difference between him and TH14 is that he is only one dimensional….when the opposition thought that they had TH under control the latter upped his game and produced another gear. TH had too much options in his armoury…..Auba I feel is limited. We need to find an all round striker fast because once we have that striker it would mean the opposition crowding him and leaving the wingers with an option to shoot.

    Granted…like the previous game, yesterday saw ESR, Saka, Pepe all take shots. On a better day they would have gone in. But this time they didnt. That is why I feel that Arteta needs to do finishing and shooting practices during training. Not just passing and movement.

    I was impressed with the way the players responded to the formation tactics yesterday. when defending it was 4-5-1, then upon possession it materialized into 4-1-4-1 going to 4-3-3 in attack. It still needs few tweaks expecially with movement however the foundations are already there.

    I was very impressed with the defensive set up. Would I want to change the defence?? No. I dont think that any reserve we have can improve on it. Tommy looks better and it seems he is dovetailing perfectly with the others. He is hard as nails as well. I think that Arteta should look at the Italian serie A for another defender who can play as RB or CB because I feel that Soares and MAri will be gone next summer. Holding will remain unless another English CB comes in. Ballard may be promoted to the first team and maybe maybe Saliba (?).

    Partey was immense yesterday in front of the defence and behind ESR and Odegaard.

  48. Devilgunner says:

    yes Geoff….lack of goals will surely cost us. However, if we keep on winning 1-0 against the other teams then the story will be vastly different. That is why Tammy Abraham of Calvert Lewin would have been a good signing. Its a pity that Laca or Auba could not be shifted.

  49. Rick says:

    Good afternoon Rico and the House
    RIP Jimmy Greaves a very special player.

    Its turning out t6o be a very good w-end for the club.Yesterday beside our win at Burnley the U18s won at West Ham by 2-1
    Edwards scored his 7th goal in 5 games.
    As I type our U23s are thrasuing Chelsea U23s 3-0 after 20 mins.
    Goals Balogun 2 and Biereth.

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