Morning all.
The news of William Saliba signing a new long term contract at Arsenal could have only been bettered had the club announced Bukayo Saka had done the same but I’m pretty sure that piece of news is just around the corner. So much for all the links to Real Madrid eh and that Saliba could be tempted to move as Arsenal are going nowhere under Mikel Arteta.
Well, Big Willy is staying put for the foreseeable and I’m pretty sure every single Arsenal fan is thrilled to bits. I know I am. The partnership he has with Gabriel is one of the best in the league, if not the best. I happen to think that duo behind them are darned good too.
I feel proud of myself because I first signed in 2019, and now in 2025, I’m still here to extend my contract. I’m so happy. I feel at home. We have a good team, we have a good squad, we have good staff. The coach is perfect for me, so it’s the best place to be. I enjoy every day when I have the chance to wear this shirt. I try to give everything, and now I’ll give even more to this club and to the fans.
Many of us said at the beginning of the summer that whilst new signings were an absolute necessity for squad depth, extending the contracts of players like Saliba, Gabriel and Saka etc was crucial and Saka aside, the club has done both. Done it well too in my opinion.
Mikel Arteta’s players are back in action tonight in the Champions League. It’s our first home fixture of this season’s campaign and it’s against Olympiacos. Arsenal and the current Greek League champions have met a dozen times in European football, each club winning six times. Under Mikel Arteta, the Greek club knocked us out of Europa Cup in what was Mikel’s first venture into European football as a manager. Away goals and a shocking Aubameyang miss from five yards sent us packing right before Covid hit the world for six. The following season, Arteta and Arsenal gained revenge in the same competition.
Now though, both clubs go head to head in the bigger of the three European cups.
I’m sure if the squads of then and now were compared, very few players from the two Europa fixtures remain. Certainly in Arsenal’s case, but that’s football. It’s why previous results between both clubs mean nothing either. Football lives in the here and now and what happens in this game tonight is the only result which matters in this season’s campaign.
I get so bored during a game when the lazy pundits focus on years gone by, rambling on about Arsenal’s history instead of the game they’re watching. Or going on about the last time player x, y or z last scored a goal. Or when Arsenal last won at St James’ Park. Well at least that can be parked now eh…
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme:
The Greek champions usually line up in a traditional 4-2-3-1, while out of possession they will slip back into a compact 4-5-1 that’s hard to break down. Their full-backs are instructed to advance on the overlap and when Olympiacos do fly forward, they use the full width to create 2v1 overloads on the flanks before whipping crosses into the box, with Francisco Ortega [above] and ex-Wolves man Daniel Podence usually combining well together on the left.
This squad is packed with experienced players – five of their starting XI against Pafos were over 30, in a squad containing 10 players who are at least that age. Despite this, Olympiacos are exceptionally strong late on in matches – all 10 of their league goals this term have come in the second half, and seven in the final 15 minutes. They did labour a little against Pafos, registering just three shots on target despite playing against 10 men for over 65 minutes. They are a strong outfit but sometimes lack guile and creativity.
I’ve no idea who Mikel Arteta will select for his starting lineup tonight but that’s the beauty of having a strong a deep squad. Yes, we are missing 2/3 players, when aren’t we, but we should be too good for Olympiacos. They might be strong towards the end of a game but then so are we. We can be strong from the start too, very strong but the early goals haven’t been coming. They will I’m sure..
Catch up in the comments.
Welcome back Rico, I’m not sure that Arteta will make many changes from Sunday, he’ll want to ensure we win, but plenty of subs.
Morning Kev, all.
Thanks Kev, it’s good to be back.
I think we will start strong and depending on the way things go will bring others in later to rest legs and save any possible discipline problems . The next match is against Atletico Madrid and we will need a full squad for that one and then Bayern Munich and dear Harry.
Following our experience of last year , winning this league is not all important but doing enough to qualify is , so we need to get the points tonight to create a base for later on.
Getting the squad to sign up and supplement it is the way to go , It was always the way of the successful teams of the past perhaps that’s the one thing that has not changed.
BTW :- Welcome back Rico , just take things easy because Covid albeit not as strong as it was originally , has a habit of subsiding and then hanging around in it’s side effects .
Agree Potter, hopefully we’ll get the goals tonight as well as a positive start.
Atletico and Bayern are going to best huge tests I think.
Thanks Potter, this strain is horrid. I know a few people who have had it and it’s knocked them sideways. Put me in bed for 3 days. I will take your advice, not that I have much choice as Covid has stolen my energy.
Good morning all and welcome back Rico.
Covid seems to lurk around the corner waiting to catch the unwary. My winter flu jab and Covid booster are booked for mid October. I’m happy say neither my wife or I have ever caught the evil bug whether that’s through luck or never missing a vaccination when offered I don’t know, but not taking precautions would be an unnecessary risk.
Strong team tonight, get an early goal and run Galatasaray ragged…..I hope😉
Morning Cicero, thanks.
Until now, I’d not had it either.
Ha ha re tonight and Galatasaray..
You can bet the farm on the away section being full and very noisy tonight and most will be locals.
Can’t see that many being at an away game midweek.
All the bubbles living in the city , the kebab shops will short handed tonight.
😂
Luckily my kebab shop is run by Turks and I’m very glad about that…
They’ll all be supporting Arsenal tonight. 😉
Can’t remember the last time I went into a kebab shop. Lol
Good afternoon everyone
Glad to see you’re back Rico. Hopefully you are fully recovered. Arsenal need you firing on all cylinders at the Emirates tonight. Don’t forget that you need to lead the cheerleaders on the pitch during the pre-match show.
Off to read the post now.
My last visit to a kebab shop was about thirty years ago. We were on holiday in Turkey staying in Antalya it was July and very hot. We took a ride on a local bus to see the Kursunlu Falls. you could get cold soft drinks there and not much else and certainly nothing to eat. By the time we got off the bus, late in the afternoon back in Antalya we were hot, bothered and very thirsty.
The bus dropped us outside a bar on a very busy street, it had a couple of tables outside on the pavement. We sat down and I ordered a large beer and asked for a shandy for my wife. The waiter didn’t know what that was so explained, half beer half lemonade. “sorry what’s lemonade”? I pointed to a Fanta sticker on the wall, “no Fanta” said the waiter, at that point the bar owner came over to see what the problem was, I told him what we wanted and he gave the waiter some money and sent down the road to the local shop and he came back with a two litre bottle of it. My wife got her shandy, the bar owner and the waiters tried it for themselves and said how good it was. They then opened the window behind us, where the Kebab was cooking on on it’s spike, the smell was mouth-watering. a couple of minutes later the owner came out with two plates of Pitta bread and small slices of the kebab. He put it in front of us and with a big smile said “my gift to you, please also have another beer and shandy on the house”. We stayed there with our new found friends until later in the evening when it had cooled down enough for us to wander off and find our lodgings.
Ah, memories eh.
just made me think of a plate of Cypriot Souvla . Don’t get that in Norfolk , souvlaki yes but not the big stuff .
Thanks !
The best Souvlaki I’ve had was in Rhodes.
Thanks Devil, just left feeling I’m a 40 a day gal. 😜
Just had a lovely walk in the New Forest with the sun shining through the trees and horses/ponies walking close by..
What a great story Cicero, love it.
Mikel Arteta rotates his suqad with Saka, Eze, Timber, Calafiori and Rice all starting tonight on the substitutes bench.
Arsenal starting XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Merino, Odegaard, Trossard, Martinelli, Gyokeres
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Mosquera, Saka, Eze, Timber, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Calafiori, Rice, Dowman
Olympiacos starting XI: Tzolakis, Ortega, Pirola, El Kaabi, Gelson Martins, Dani Garcia, Costinha, Chiquinho, Hezze, Restos, Podence
Subs: Paschalakis, Kouraklis, Biancone, Kalogeropoulos, Sciponi, Strefezza, Onyemaechi, Pnevmonidis, Mouzakitis, Taremi
1-0 up
We hit them on the break. Very good transition. Martin Odegaard plays a brilliant ball through the defence for Viktor Gyokeres, who shrugs off a defender and fires a shot at goal. His effort hits the base of the post, creeping beyond the goalkeeper but Gabriel Martinelli is there to prod in the loose ball.
2 minutes later Trossard gave a cross and MArtinelli’s was there waiting but Ortega managed to head the ball away from danger
Odegaard is playing deeper today while Merino is more advanced.
And a top class save from Raya to preserve our slender lead.
We got the early goal and could have had two more. One good chance for the Greeks but Raya made a brilliant save.
More of the same in the second half, Olympiacos are already showing signs of fatigue.
Sakasakasaka!!!!-
Two goals, clean sheet three points. 🔔🔔
And that’s what matters most. 😂
3 bookings , Rice , Gabriel and Zubimendi , following the 3 against Atletic Rice , Zubimendi and Madueke .
So that’s 2 who have to tread very carefully now . Getting carded for time wasting is plainly pathetic.
I thought that the French referee was easily one of the worst I’ve seen this season, I reckon that Webb will be on the phone to him any day now with an offer.
Didn’t see the match but very happy with the result,
I was reading an article on premier leagues ref’s banned from referring certain clubs.
If you already know this give me a break i’m from OZ
Michael Salibury wigan & Liverpool — Jarred Gillet – Everton & Liverpool –Darren Bond – Rob Jones – Peter Banks All Liverpool — Michael Oliver – newcastle united & Sunderland — Craig Pawson – Sheffield united & Sheffield Wednesday — Graham Scott -Swindon town — Simon Hooper Swindon Town — Darren England — Barnsley — Tony Harrington — Hartlepool united – Chris Taylor — Droylsden – Anthony Taylor — Altrincham – Stuart Attwell — Luton Town also he has been acused of being bias towards Nottingham Forest but is still allowed to ref Forest games at the moment.
Gyokeres is a disruptive force which is something that we have lacked for a long time . Playing Martinelli on the right and allowing him to come inside gave him the support to pick up on his power and of course gave us the first goal .
I was watching his off the ball movement which causes defences to have to be careful of him and not as in the past just drop back and soak things up as we pass square and back to work the ball to wide players . Instead of being able to look forward all the time they now have to look sideways and over their shoulders. He may not be showing as a relentless goal machine as he was in Portugal but he suits this particular style of power and speed
Viktor G gives us the option of long balls out of defence and makes us a little less predictable.
A great result,yet another clean sheet,I heard Arteta say that’s the 11th clean sheet out of our last 14 Champions league games,quite an achievement.
Especially as 4 of the subs were first 11 players. When we can bring in players of the standard of Ben White,you know we have a super strong squad.
I don’t know how these things work,but Gyokeres could easily have the assist for the first goal,he was unlucky not to score himself.
I’ve seen Gyokeres be criticised on other Arsenal blogs but I’m not really sure why. His work rate is excellent and it’s not like he’s not giving 100% to score, he’s just not getting the break at the moment.
There is a new post up now, it’s a bit late because I’ve had no electricity since 8am. More to the point, no coffee either!