Morning all.
Bukayo Saka on Arteta’s optimistic words on new contract: “I share his confidence. I really feel at home at Arsenal. I feel the love from my team-mates, from the coaches and from the fans”. ⚪️🔴⭐️ #AFC
“The manager is always there for me”. pic.twitter.com/7AUqaKH1RP
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 30, 2022
Bukayo Saka’s comments have fuelled speculation that he’s close to signing a new contract. Great news if that’s the case.
Not such good news is Arsenal facing Aston Villa tonight, possibly without Oleksandr Zinchenko but definitely without Thomas Partey and Mo Elneny. Mikel Arteta’s options are limited, especially if Zinchenko is ruled out too. Granit Xhaka, Sambi Lokonga and at a push, AMN, although the latter seems more likely to leave than play this evening.
Aston Villa are going through a rough patch, having registered just one win in the opening four fixtures. Fans are restless and calling for Steven Gerrard to be sacked. Do I care? Absolutely not and if Mikel Arteta’s team can make his problems greater tonight then even better. Honestly, I hope we thump them.
Whilst the Aston Villa game is the priority for Mikel Arteta today, the board really need to do all they can to get a midfielder into the club before deadline day tomorrow. The only surprise about Thomas Partey’s injury is that it’s come so early in the season. Thank goodness it’s come now though and at the same time as Mo Elneny because if anything is going to focus the board on signing a midfielder, it’s this situation. I’d like to think the club’s intention to sign a midfielder has always been there because if you and I can see the glaringly obvious problem, so can Edu and Arteta.
Rumours are going into overdrive now our midfield addition has gone from being a perhaps to desperate. NewsNow has us linked to anyone whose name has been mentioned before this summer. From Youri Tielemans and Julian Weigl, to Arsenal have submitting a £20million offer to Palmeiras for the purchase of Danilo, according to GOAL Brasil. The offer was delivered to São Paulo on Tuesday as the Gunners search for midfield reinforcements with just two days left in the summer transfer window. (Football London) The Mirror claim that Mykhaylo Mudryk has liked a post on Instagram claiming Arsenal are interested in signing him before Thursday’s transfer deadline.
So, we’re in for a busy couple of days of stories relating to Arsenal and transfers but if we only sign a central defence minded midfielder, I reckon we’ll be ok.
Lastly, there’ll be a new face officiating a Premier League game for us tonight as Robert Jones makes his first appearance in a league game involving Arsenal. If the end result is the same as the League Cup 5-1 thrashing of Sunderland last year, we’ll all be happy I’m sure. Apart from Aaron Ramsdale. Lol.
See you in the comments.
Good day Rico and all. Could we see Tomiyasu playing the DM role? Other than that, we still have Lokonga and Rob Holding could maybe an option.
Afternoon Cicero.
Isn’t Ben White capable of playing in midfield? Holding there is a no from me though, he’d get sent off. Lol
Aubameyang suffered a fractured jaw in that attack on him and his family…
Arteta seems keen to keep his back four together as far a possible, but has to bring in Tierney so moving White to midfield would further disrupt the defence. Rico, I’m just glad it’s not my job to pick the team.
I don’t blame him Cicero. No point in mending something which hasn’t broken.
You and me both re team selection although I’ve a feeling we’d have both signed a CDM earlier in the summer. 🤣
He will probably play Lokonga or drop Xhaka to DM and bring in Smith-Rowe or Vieira keeping the back 5 the same . Not much else that he can do.
Wouldn’t be Arsenal if the wheels didn’t drop off every now and again.
We may have to start ESR in the MF until our injured players come back
Could be the making of him , He’s big enough strong enough and has the talent and vision .If I was in his shoes I would play anywhere , just to get on the pitch.
God day, all.
I would prefer to finalize two out in the next 32 hours.
AMN looks close to join either Notthingham Forest, but more probably to Southampton on a year-long loan with an option to buy.
With Bellerin we seem to be abundant with suitors: besides Betis and Barcelona (who not only don’t want to splash the cash, they try to take Hector on a free expecting Arsenal to terminate his contract), now Sassuolo from Serie A is reported to got in the ring for Bellerin’s signature.
With those boys (and Pepe) out we will have a capable squad of proper size, where the fringe players are expected to have several games to challenge their first choice competition.
I won’t mind if we don’t sign new players at all. And I am absolutely against panic-buying. However if we must, I would prefer to go for Neves, Gakpo, or possibly even both of them, as I’m less keen on Tielemans, Neto, Mudryk or Danilo.
Regarding tonight’s line-up I share Potter’s view and prediction.
Since in our current system of 4-2-3-1 we no longer play with a midfield double pivot, but a holding and a box-to-box midfielder, our options are limited. With both Partey and Elneny injured IF (and that’s a strong if) Arteta want’s to stick to the system he should either recall Xhaka to be the holding midfielder, or try Zinchenko in this position. (Miguel Azeez can also play there and I predict him on the bench, but I don’t expect Mikel playing an academy lad in the PL.) In the box-to-box midfielder role we have a greater variety: apart from Xhaka, we have Lokonga and Vieira, and there is a good chance that Smith-Rowe will play CM albeit this is among his main positions. Even AMN could play there, but as he is half-way out of the door, I would be surprised if he plays or even sits on the bench tonight.
I think it’ll be Lokonga and Xhaka too.
Southampton agree loan deal for Maitland-Niles
Southampton have agreed a deal with Arsenal for the loan signing of midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
The deal for Maitland-Niles includes a buy option.
Arsenal are thought to have activated a one-year extension option in the midfielder’s contract, which was due to expire at the end of this season.
Maitland-Niles spent last season on loan in Serie A with Roma, but the 25-year-old only made 12 appearances.
I agreed Rico. Continue to let Xhaka move forward and let the CBs help Lokanga – heck he’s on the team you may as well play him. The strongest part of Villa’s team (on paper) is the midfield, Arteta can’t play Vieira as the box to box, he would get
manhandled Vieira’s strong position is a 10 or wing.
Warming up for the Arsenal game by watching PSV (3rd) play FC Volendam (12th). Gakpo with a brace, a wonderful penalty and a sensational effort at 39 minutes mark.
Douglas Luiz Is the latest name linked to Arsenal.
We’ll know soon enough Obi.
In fact the team news is, same as the weekend but Sambi in for Elneny
and Tierney in for Zinchenko.
He was at the weekend. 😜
Obi, Gakpo is on a hattrick (51st minute), and currently rated at 9.9 at WhoScored in the 62nd minute.
Maybe a goal or an assist more and he’ll get a clear 10.
By the time I was about to finish the comment Cody was substituted, so no 10 today…
Where do they get these refs?
I’m not able to watch Adam, is he another bad one?
Didn’t take Isak long to get off the mark…
PB I saw it. The best I have seen him look, abeit against a very weak opponent.
At this rate of referring in EPL, it’s a good thing that Stokes and Burnley are no longer in the league. They would’ve had a field day. Horrible referring in all of the games.
Shocking Rico.
Another 3 points in the bag. Now let’s hope for a midfielder..
Why am I not surprised Adam…
The refereeing is outrageous. Obi is absolutely right.
Which is bad news at the first glance.
But taking into consideration that we still hold the 100% record this season, we can say, that there is some excess reserve in the team display, and so is in the refereeing level.
Let’s hope it balances out on Sunday against Manchester United.
Liverpool score the winner after 8 minutes of added time. The ref indicated that 5 minutes would be added but then let the game go on for over nine minutes before blowing the final whistle. Another of Riley’s Muppets.
A win and three points but with the almost total control we had of the game we made hard work of it and should have won by a wider margin.
Having gifted Villa an equaliser we once again fought back and scored the winner. We may not be quite The Invincibles but at the moment we are The Indefatigables.
Personally, there seems to me to be a big difference in what Zitchenko brings to the team compared to Tierney (in my opinion the weakest link today). Danilo would be a great signing. At least, he is a good player in the Brazilian Championship.
What about the Indomitable’s.
Terrible officiating again, I dread to think what cheat Riley will divvy up for us at Old Toilet.
New post up now