Morning all.
Arsenal played a behind closed doors friendly fixture yesterday against QPR. I’m not writing anything derogatory about our fellow London club because otherwise, the very kind man who fixes HH when it goes wrong might just stop being as kind. Lol
The match was a close affair if the scoreline is anything to go by as Arsenal won 3-2. Gabriel Martinelli and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were the standout players for the team in red and white according to Football London. Second year scholars Taylor Foran and Mauro Bandeira we’re involved in the match along with those who hadn’t been called up by their respective countries.
I like the fact that Arsenal are using these international breaks smartly as unless there’s a domestic Cup fixture a lot of the squad players simply aren’t get playing time. Training is all well and good but there’s nothing like 60 minutes or so of competitive football to stay match fit. After all, who knows when any of the current non first team players will be called upon.
Out on international duty are:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon
Folarin Balogun – England under-21s
Sead Kolasinac – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bernd Leno – Germany
Martin Odegaard – Norway
Bukayo Saka – England
Albert Sambi Lokonga – Belgium
Emile Smith Rowe – England under-21s
Takehiro Tomiyasu – Japan
Kieran Tierney – Scotland
Aaron Ramsdale – England
Eddie Nketiah _ England under 21s
Nuno Tavares – Portugal under 21s
Thomas Partey – Ghana
Mohammed Elneny – Egypt
Nichola Pepe – Ivory Coast
The international fixtures kick off tonight with the Under 21 teams in action so from Arsenal that’s Flo Balogun, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe and Nuno Tavares. Portugal v Liechtenstein and Slovenia v England. Sky Sports are showing the England game if anyone is interested.
As said, Gabriel Martinelli played yesterday. So far this season he’s featured four times for the club, twice in the League Cup and twice in the Premier League. His first game, like the rest of the Arsenal team at Brentford, was a disaster. Flo Balogun started the match too. Next up came Chelsea at The Emirates and another soft Arsenal performance. Martinelli played up front but Balogun had to settle for a place on the bench. Next was a trip to The Etihad where Arsenal were torn apart with consummate ease. So much so it was embarrassing. Martinelli made the bench but didn’t come off it. For Balogun, it was pretty much back to the under 23’s although he did get a ten minute run out at the end of the League Cup victory over Wimbledon. If I’ve read the match details right, neither Martinelli or Balogun have featured in any of our League matches in which we won. Nor the Brighton draw.
Like Balogun, Martinelli is 20 years which I know I sometimes lose sight of, probably because when Arsenal first signed the Brazilian, he hit the ground running. And running. He featured in 26 matches during his first season and 22 in his second. In June 2020 he suffered an injury in training and that was him out for several months. Since returning to full fitness, he’s suffered a couple of little injuries but nothing major. Certainly nothing which prevented him from becoming an Olympic Gold winning medalist for Brazil this summer.
I get it, Mikel Arteta is always going to select Aubameyang ahead of our Brazilian if he’s in form but I do wonder why, when our captain simply isn’t involved in a game, Martinelli continues to be rooted to the bench. We know how good he is because we’ve seen him in action before and whilst playing in front of Tierney in what always looked like a strong left side. Martinelli definitely offers more to the team than just being a left sided forward. He defends too, he helps his left back out at any and every given opportunity. In my opinion, Tierney benefits enormously when he has a player like Martinelli ahead of him.
I’m not bashing Mikel Arteta here, nor Aubameyang but sometimes I wonder why when something isn’t working on any given particular day, it’s not changed more often or more quickly.
See you in the comments.
Yea, I personally admirer Martinelli’s work ethic, though his development has stagnated due to lack of minutes..it’s so alarming that Auba struggles soooo much to do some footballing basics like holding the ball, or even making a pass…
Aubameyangs strength is chasing a moving ball , nine times out of ten a ball played to his feet or chest or in the air is a give away . He likes to drift wide to the left even when he is meant to be rooted in the penalty area and cut inside to get room for his shot.
Martinelli is a different animal , I would suspect that he is just as quick as Auba and is more skillful with the ball at his feet but obviously is less experienced and his major problem is that when we need to change things if Auba is not working he is behind Lacazette in the pecking order .
Really my belief is that Auba is a luxury that we can’t afford and I belive we look a better team unit with Lacazette than we do with him .
However with his contract we are heavily invested with Auba and opportunities for Martinelli and Balogun for that matter are on short supply.
Morning Rico and all
The best thing about these practice matches is getting to see how some of our under 23 team work along side some of our first team players and getting more match practice for our injured players coming back, and our regular bench warmers I prefer Laca over Auba any day.
Morning Geoff, all.
I think any striker with a bit of pace benefits from a ball to fun onto, even Pepe but I still don’t think Aubameyang is the player we signed. Look at the through ball v Brighton. Perfect but regardless of being offside, he never looked like scoring.
I also think that, as the club scouts for Laca’s replacement, height is of utmost importance, like it used to be when we had Giroud.
Height stats :- Giroud 6 foot 4 , Martinelli 6 foot , Balogun and Nketiah 5 foot 8 1/2 . lacazette 5 foot 9 , and lastly Ian Wright was 5 foot 10.
Another reason to use Martinelli’s movement in the box.
Depends on the kind of football Arteta is looking to play surely?
My opinion: In games like against Brigton away, the ideal is to play Laca+Martinelli.
Portsmouth head coach Danny Cowley has been spotted on a scouting mission in the Under-21s Premier League Cup, with the Blues having a rare 10-day gap between matches
11:11, 7 OCT 2021Updated11:12, 7 OCT 2021Sport
Portsmouth head coach Danny Cowley currently finds himself with the rare dilemma of not facing an imminent match in League One this weekend.
Pompey had been due to face Cheltenham Town at Fratton Park on Saturday, however, they postponed the match last week following international call-ups for three members of their playing squad.
Despite a recent groin injury, Arsenal loanee Miguel Azeez was called up for England’s under-20s squad and will be part of Andy Edwards’ side that face Italy in a friendly on Thursday evening in Chesterfield before facing Czech Republic on Monday, October 11 in Teplice.
Azeez has struggled for minutes since joining the Blues, with his only start and appearance coming in last month’s 2-1 home defeat to Cambridge United, where the 19-year-old was taken off before the hour mark.
The England youth international is hoping to emulate the success of Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe, who made significant progression under Blues boss Cowley, who signed the midfielder on loan during the second half of the 2019/20 season while with Huddersfield Town, where the duo helped the Terriers avoid relegation.
After Azeez and Smith Rowe, is Cowley looking for another young hopeful from Arsenal’s famous Hale End academy training base?
With no match to prepare for until the Papa John’s Trophy group stage clash against Sutton United in five days’ time, Cowley was spotted at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday evening to watch Bournemouth host Arsenal in an under-21s Premier League Cup clash.
Arsenal’s young hopefuls, managed by Kevin Betsy, included Kido Taylor-Hart and Omari Hutchinson in their starting 11. Centre-back Omar Rekik may also have caught the attention of the Blues’ boss, especially with centre-backs being short on supply in recent weeks.
Zak Swanson had given Arsenal a first-half lead, with Christian Saydee to score late on to earn Bournemouth a point.
Group A of the competition sees the Gunners and the Cherries come up against West Bromwich Albion and Southampton in their other two group matches.
Currently we have Tierney charging down the left over taking Auba and then centering to no-one .
I think it was Martinelli’s first game when he ran across the defender and scored with his head something we see too little of at the moment.
Tierney and Martinelli used to be good on our left side, under Emery I think it was.
It was Arteta, and Edu, who awarded Aubameyang his ludicrous new contract. Neither dare to drop him as to do so would expose them to ridicule for placing so much faith in their fading star. Like Mr. Micawber, they are hoping that something will turn up, hopefully a bundle of goals. But don’t hold your breath.
There have been plenty of games that he’s been benched mate.
Martinelli hasn’t got back to 100% yet.
He’s still a while away.
I won’t be holding mine Cicero. I enjoy life too much.
He played for Brazil at the Olympics so he must be fit. He’s also played in the League Cup fixtures. Martinelli is 100% fit imho.
Rico, yes he’s fit, but he’s not back to his best yet.
It’s proven time and time again that players with major knee/ankle injuries need at least 12 months back on the pitch before getting back to their best.
Aussie Rules gets more knee injuries than any other code by far and we see it, it’s just how it is.
I hope the lad is patient, as well as the club.
As he’s not being picked for either the first team or the U23s, how is he going to get twelve months on the pitch to get back to his best Scott?
You’re moving the goal posts Scott. If a player is fit enough to make the bench, he’s fit enough to play imo.
Exactly Cicero. Other players coming back from injury who need game time have played for the under 23’s to get match fit.
We are playing a risky game with him , if he starts to get itchy feet we could get another Gnabry on our hands. He needs a few 20 minute cameos before he loses interest . That’s the only way that he will get back to his full potential.
Agreed Potter. He’s under contract until 2025 but that means little these days..
Bernd Leno has been named in the Germany squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Romania on Friday, October 8 and North Macedonia on Monday, October 11.
Kieran Tierney has been called up to the Scotland squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Israel on Saturday, October 9 and the Faroe Islands on Tuesday, October 12.
Thomas Partey has been selected in the Ghana squad for their World Cup qualifying double-header against Zimbabwe on Saturday, October 9 and Tuesday, October 12 respectively.
Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale have been named in the England squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Andorra on Saturday, October 9 and Hungary on Tuesday, October 12.
Norway captain Martin Odegaard is in his national-team squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Turkey on Friday, October 8 and Montenegro on Monday, October 11.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been selected in the Gabon squad for their World Cup qualifying double-header against Angola on Friday, October 8 and Sunday, October 11, respectively.
Nicolas Pepe has been named in the Ivory Coast squad for their World Cup qualifying double-header against Malawi. After missing the first match in Malawi, Pepe will be available for selection for the second game in the Ivory Coast on Monday, October 11.
Takehiro Tomiyasu has been called up to the Japan squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, October 7 and Australia on Tuesday, October 12.
Mo Elneny has been selected in the Egypt squad for their World Cup qualifying double-header against Libya on Friday, October 8 and Monday, October 11 respectively.
Sead Kolasinac has been named in the Bosnia and Herzegovina squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan on Saturday, October 9 and Ukraine on Tuesday, October 12.
Karl Hein has been called up to the Estonia squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Belarus on Friday, October 8 and Wales on Monday, October 11.
Emile Smith Rowe, Folarin Balogun and Tyreece John-Jules have been selected in the England Under-21 squad for their Euro Championship qualifiers against Slovenia on Thursday, October 7, and Andorra on Monday, October 11.
Nuno Tavares has been named in the Portugal Under-21 squad for their Euro Championship qualifiers against Liechtenstein on Thursday, October 7, and Iceland on Tuesday, October 12.
New post up now.