Morning all.
West Ham’s Soungoutou Magassa scored in the 83rd minute at Old Trafford to take a point off of Man Utd on Thursday night. Apparently, Amorim had been talking about how he’d stolen rival managers ideas on how to score from set-pieces which was ironic really as West Ham’s equaliser came from a corner.
To think that had Utd held onto their lead, they would have gone 5th in the league shows just how bizarre this season is. Liverpool have been dismal yet they are just 11 points behind us with 24 fixtures left to play. 72 points to play for yet the media think it’s Arsenal’s title to lose. Bonkers.
Sticking with the set-piece theme, Villa’s big midfielder Amadou Onana scored one of their four goals to earn three points against Brighton on Wednesday night. 2-0 down but Villa fought back to win 4-3. Getting maximum points from our game at lunchtime is going to be a tough task.
Mikel Arteta has talked to the media about player fitness although as usual, he’s not really clarified things.
Well, let’s see. We have another training session in the afternoon. Every hour is going to be very important to see the availability of the players. After that, we’ll decide which ones. It is a matter of days with those two (Saliba and Trossard) for sure. After the training session, we’ll know more. (Mosquera) That’s the more complicated one, but again, we have another test today to see where we are with them. We need to know, because the feeling that we had after the game and yesterday, we need to corroborate with what happens with all the testing that we do today.
In other words, wait and see who is in the squad in a few hours although I’m pretty sure we can rule Mosquera out. Gabriel and Havertz too but the rest, well, things are kind of looking ok, assuming Rice is fit of course. Villa are going through a really good patch having won their last six matches. At home, they’ve lost just once at home since we beat them 2-0 back in August last year.
Emery has mostly used a 4-2-3-1 this season, so it would be a surprise if he moves away from that. We do know that his side will be well organised and aggressive, and when we have possession, they will crowd the middle third with bodies. Villa do hold a high line, and that offside trap could be an area we look to target using runs in behind.
Villa have shown a real liking for netting long-range goals in 2025/26 as nine of their 17 league goals have come from outside the box. That’s a division-high, with an impressive 15 per cent of their attempts from distance finding the back of the net. Some of those blockbusters have come from direct free-kicks, so giving fouls away within Morgan Rogers’ and Emi Buendia’s shooting range might be problematic.
With three goals and three assists, Rogers is unquestionably their dangerman. He has played at No.10 or on the left wing recently so we can’t be sure where he will be deployed, but in the corresponding fixture last season, he showed outstanding power and pace from central areas so my hunch would be that he starts behind Ollie Watkins.
Chance creation has been an issue for our opponents, who rank 15th for expected goals and big chances created, but we must not be fooled by that statistic. Charging up to third in the table, they are playing with lots of self-belief, and they are a seriously tough nut to crack in front of their own fans.
Officials for today’s match are:
Referee: Peter Bankes
Assistants: Eddie Smart, Blake Antrobus
Fourth official: Adam Herczeg
VAR: Darren England
Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes
Both clubs had midweek fixtures so why this fixture needed to be given a lunchtime slot I’ve no idea, not that a few hours would make much difference but there’s bound to be a few tired legs on the pitch. On both sides I hasten to add. On paper it should be a cracker..
Catch up in the comments.
This is NOT a tough match. Look who they have played for that winning streak. Look at their scheduled next 5 games….they could be in lower half by new years day
I feel you’ll be eating your words later…
I like your optimism Crispen, let’s see how things turn out.
Good morning Rico, not blown away on your early dog walk I hope. 😉
Morning Cicero, not been out yet and might not if these winds stay as ghastly as they are. Plus it’s raining.
Like you, I think it will be a tough one although I would very much love Crispen to be right.
I like Crispins optimism but today’s game is as tough as it could be on recent form.A lot depends on who is able to return. Saka and Eze are certs,it would be a huge boost to have Saliba back too.
COYG
Arsenal: Raya, White, Timber, Hincapie, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Eze, Merino.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Lewis-Skelly, Salmon, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, Martinelli, Madueke, Gyokeres.
Apparently.
Arteta is juggling his team and is looking for a way to shoehorn Odegaard into the mix . I am beginning to wonder if the rumours about Berta and Arteta not agreeing about Gyokeres were true. As much as it’s difficult to leave Merino out while he is scoring goals , to bring in big Vik requires a change of other peoples game and it seems to be a change that Arteta is not prepared activate .
It is possible that I am reading too much into it but if you have only one goalscorer likely to regularly score more than once .
Why is he sitting on the bench ?
Very good question Potter..
I think so too Limey.
No Saliba 😕
Jesus has been on the bench recently,I wonder if he’s injured again.
Both Eze and Odegaard start? Seems odd to me and not eze to understand. 😉 k
Limey, Jesus is playing with Dowman for the u21s in a friendly against ManU today
We have no pace with the lineup. I guess he’s waiting for the second half. 2-0 Arsenal.
Seems odd to start Eze and Odegaard away from home.
Rico at 12:18. Not really, when you consider the midfield battle. Kamara Onana and McGinn against Rice and Zubimendi, Merino has to come deep to help out.
We look shaky and know we let them score too easy
Obi, I think you’re underestimating Villa.
Eze is having a stinker so far
Better finishing and we’d be ahead.
I would bring on Martinelli and Gyokeres for Eze and Merino.
Thanks Andrew,he’s been out a long time,makes sense to ease him back.
halftime we are lucky not to be 3 nil down
Merino has been invisible so far, Eze is just not functioning as a midfielder or number ten.
Martinelli for Eze and Gyokeres for Merino. Width on both sides and crosses into the box are both needed.
We could equally be three one up Geoff.
Trossard’s and Gyokeres coming on..
nice goal by Trossard, we look much better
Villa deserved the win, our defending let us down
No, we deserved a draw, gutted.
Man of the match for me was Emi Martinez. Ever reliable , ever calm, pulled off season very good saves.
Some not season
I’m gutted too. We deserved at least a draw..
Our finishing today was shocking..
Good afternoon Rico and all
Bad day at the office today. Erratic finishing, disorganized. And to lose it in the 95th minute is gutting.
We should have murdered them. More shots on target, more possession. Less percentage conversion.
Whilst I support Merino and love him for his versatility, today’s first 11 selection was not to my liking. VG14 should have been on from the beginning of the match. He gives us something which MErino and Havertz don’t. And that is a presence. Whilst Merino is the one to be played whenever the other two are injured , I feel that he is more suited to the Emirates than any other stadium. VG14 occupies 2 CBs. Merino and Havertz none because they tend to drop deep.
i would have gone with Trossard or Martinelli on the left not with Eze who is more suited to the MO08 role.
Still I feel we should have won or at least drew.
Geoff…..how come we should be 3-1 down when Villa had only two shots on target in the first 45 mins??
We had more shots on target than them. We should have at least been 1-1.
Geoff, confusing colours but you sure you watched the right team😂
If there were any doubts, it seems evident to me that Odegard and Eze cannot play at the same time in the central area of the pitch; Merino plays because he identifies with the “role” that Harvartz played in the game; Gyokeres is a player who needs space because he is a player of explosions and likes to run for the ball when launched deep. That is rarely Arsenal’s game; the defense trembles completely without the usual two central defenders. The whole team, from the goalkeeper to the last player, feels that the security is not the same; contrary to what was posted, I think this victory would have been very important because a) It reinforced the lead when there are opponents in progressive ascension (e.g., Manchester City or Villa (who have 6 consecutive victories)) b) It restored confidence playing away when the last 2 games did not result in victories (in my opinion, 2 points lost and in another playing against 10) nor in good performances c) It erased the image that Arsenal’s brilliance was ending.
It seems crazy after just one loss but it feels like we’re in a blip right now. We have dropped points in our last 3 away games,conceding first each time.
I hope we play a second choice team at Bruges,they are a good team but that result doesn’t matter,a few players badly need rest.
Afternoon Devil, I too would have preferred Gyokeres but we don’t know how fit he is. Still, it’s better to start a game and come off imo. Eze and Ode away from home seemed odd to me but hey, I’m not a manager. Again one has to wonder why Norgaard didn’t come on when Arteta tried to preserve the draw.
Not trying to underplay the result but maybe this will give everyone at the club a kick in the pants..
Agree Limey..
One for Wednesday is Calafiori as he will be suspended for the following game against Wolves.
Kepa, White, Timber Hincapie, Calafiori, Norgaard, Odegaard, Merino, Nwaneri/Madueke, Gyokeres Martinelli
A late goal is a real killer,few positives but I thought Hinchape was superb,a warrior.
I’d like to see MLS, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Eze, Jesus, Gyokeres, our young defender and young striker in the squad but no Rice, Zubimendi, Saka or Timber..
Hincapie was brilliant..
I think fatigue beat us today, we competed until the last 10 minutes and added time, third time we’ve conceded late in an away game this season costing us 8 points…
I agree Rico, I thought that Hincapie had a really good game, sadly our substitutions didn’t have the required effect except for Trossard and to a lesser degree Gyokeres, I don’t think that Martinelli, Madueke or Myles added anything and that’s worrying.
I’m not saying that Nordgaard is the answer to everything but surely having him in our defensive third was better than having Martinelli on the wing?
My thoughts too re Norgaard Kev. I’m beginning to wonder why he’s not getting minutes. When Madueke came on I thought he’d cause problems for Villa but he looked lost..
“A late goal is a killer” Just ask Liverpool, Leeds get a 96 minute equaliser. 3 – 3.
Congratulations to Joe Root on finally scoring a hundred in Australia, sadly in the second innings he scored a miserable fifteen. He may as well come home now, in his last several test series he has made just one decent score in each. I would bet against him making more than thirty in any of the six innings left for him in this series.
On current form is Stokes worth his place in the team, woeful batting, poor bowling and doubtful physical fitness.
Joaquim Moreira says:
If there were any doubts, it seems evident to me that Odegard and Eze cannot play at the same time in the central area of the pitch.
100% agree.
When Eze went off Odegaard improved , I reckon had it been Odegaard off EzE would have got better . the two together didn’t work.
I have taken time to think about it and really it seems that Emery has the same sign over Arteta as Mourinho had to Wenger.
But , Despite building a squad it’s hard to quantify for losing 3 of your back four and to have commentator continually stating that it’s the best defence in the league.
The way that Villa played us in the first half , they gave us no time , they ran us off of the pitch , which brings back the question I asked earlier .
Did Arteta want Gyokeres or as was rumoured at the time Watkins and would he have been a better fit at Arsenal and was Watkins like Emery all geed up with something to prove.
As always teams seem to raise their effort against us and we have them again at our place 30th December however they are at Chelsea on the 27th .
I wonder which game will be top of Emery’s agenda.
Suggested the same when the team was announced, Eze and Odegaard was a strange pick, away from home especially.
Gyokeres started every game until injury hit so it might just be a case of playing it safe with him..
I did watch the same match, and I still stick with my opinion and that Villa deserved the win, the other thing I don’t get is why bring on Trossard and then take him in off after he scored and the team lifted when he was on the field.
I don’t think that Arteta intended to bring Trossard on until about 60/65 minutes, if at all, but because Eze was so ineffective and he wanted to change things he brought him on in the hope that he could do enough to give us the lead Geoff.
The team next Wednesday will be interesting because we need to rest Timber, Rice and Saka, but I’m not sure that Arteta will be able to rest Timber unless he gives Salmon his debut?
Morning all.
New post up.