Few weeks back, we were having a conversation about how Saliba is the best CB in the premier league. Martinelli was on fire, Eddie was scoring, Partey was bossing that midfield, Xhaka looked a version 2.0 of himself and Odegaard was compared to De Bruyne.
Today, Saliba is looking a shadow of himself after returning from the world cup. Martinelli is being subbed off for Trossard, Eddie missed couple of chances against City, Partey is out injured, Xhaka seems slower that he ever was and Odegaard has lost that magic.
However, we are still at the top with a 2 point lead against Manchester City, with a game in hand. We are 23/24 games into the season, so you can’t call it a luck. You can win 5 games when the stars align, but maintaining it for over half a season is not possible unless you are playing well. All these comparisons just to point out that even if we are not playing our best games recently, we are still managing well. I know we lost against Everton, shared points with Brentford, lost another one against City before getting on winning track by beating Aston Villa but that just 3 games where we couldn’t keep the intensity of our game as we have managed for the rest of the season.
It won’t be long before we see Ode back in form, Partey back on the pitch, Martinelli making fun of opposition players on the left wing. Premier league is tough, ask the City guys with some of the best players in the world, managed by the best manager on the planet, sharing points with Forest.
We have not won the league from god knows when. We have been out of Champions league since Wenger’s last season, and that was few years back. We have a pretty solid chance to make it to the Champions League football, and a very decent one to win the league. Lets get back to support the team and if you see any Chelsea fan out there, don’t forget to remind them that Trossard is playing better than Mudryk.
Short but a positive one today, hope you are having a good time. See you on Saturday.
Tony
Blasphemy – how dare you suggest the almighty Xhaka will be dropped.
lol, Marc, I see Arteta just can’t help himself with Xhaka.
Leicester is playing scared Backpass to all the way to back from Arsenal D.
We are winning this
Odegard as captain is trying to assert himself, maybe trying to balance Managee’s pet Xhaka?
Hey any psychologists over here?
Brilliantly taken by Trossard but stupid by White. Xhaka has been awful. ESR would be better
Hoopah, Zinchenko is captain today.
That said, Ode is a natural leader
Drab 1st half with Xhaka slowing down moves or getting in the way. ESR needs to replace Xhaka to speed our movement up on the left. Hope he’s fit for a goo 35 minutes and can change the game.
Prefer Tomi on the right with Saka.
Needed a big 2nd half last week, and now another big half to beat what looks like a toothless Leicester. Hope I’m not tempting fate.
The only benefits of having Trossard up top is that he provides us with a bit more direct intent in the final third and the fact that he can hit the target, unlike Eddie…Xhaka and Jorginho have provided very little today, minus the usual sideways nonsense…we’re fortunate that LC’s midfield is lacking any real quality because if they were healthy this game I feel that this affair would look decidedly different…LC parking the bus is nonsensical, as they don’t have the personnel to properly deploy such tactics, much like ourselves…now we must find a second before they make bring on a sub or two and catch us on the counter…we need to bring someone with goals in them onto the pitch and replace Xhaka sooner rather than later
Leicester are bringing in their heavy guns. Upto now they had nobody who would burst forward and shoot.
So they just backpassed
read the room MA, don’t just bring on Eddie for Trossard…they’re ripe for the plucking so don’t make us less likely to score a second
we might win this fixture, but the fact that we possess no managerial nous whatsoever is difficult to take in games like this…my grandmother could manage this gig, considering the lack of rotation and tactical rigidity…this game desperately called for some f0ot on the throat type tactics, but instead we get same old, same old…fingers-crossed we can find a way to get this over the line
Xhaka must have reminded MA about their “deal”, after being subbed off in the previous two matches
certainly not going to scoff at 3 points and a clean sheet, but if we’re going to play chicken shit football for the remainder of the season we could quite easily find ourselves in a similar situation as last season…here’s hoping that Jesus will be back in the not too distant future
Wasn’t pretty, but a moment’s brilliance from Martinelli won us the 3 points.
Everton and Dyche shouldn’t be a problem for us at fortress Emirates on Wednesday night.
Sorry to see the Cardiff result, K’phobe but hope our 3 points eases the hurt somewhat.
TRVL,
All Arteta has to do is keep Xhaka on the bench. He has the squad to do that now. Absolute madness, but true to form, for Arteta.
What’s the bet that Xhaka plays with Partey against Everton who has to do the work covering for the wandering Xhaka.
Time for bed here. cheers.
It’s only a matter of time before we’re exposed for playing Jorginho in a deep-lying position, in the same vein as Villa did when Coutinho was on the pitch…I bet Maddison would have been salivating at the space and time prospects, especially on the counter…hopefully Partey will be on the pitch to start mid-week, as Jorginho will get overrun by the size and pace of Everton’s midfield, which is quite a pathetic notion considering where they sit in the table…being at home, against such inferior competition, I can hope that MA grows a pair between now and then and puts out our most offensive starting 11, which should in no way include Xhaka or Jorginho…with Chenko venturing up into such advanced spaces, maybe we could even have Trossard tucked in behind Eddie, with Marts and Saka out wide…I doubt it though, as Xhaka we’ll undoubtedly get the starting nod, as per usual
after watching the incredibly leaky Villa keep a clean sheet against Dyche’s Everton, it makes me even more upset about our failure to secure a victory against that very same club a few weeks back…let’s hope that we don’t fall flat again in a couple days from now…it’s high time that we put forth a convincing performance before we totally forget what that actually looks and feels like
Morning all
I liked the false 9 Trossard played yesterday, which afforded him more space and play a similar industrious role to Jesus. Certainly, shows Eddie’s flaws as a 9 or false 9. By occupying the 2 CBs more space was left wide for Xhaka well er …….. to be Xhaka!. Now Martinelli on either flak in the box where Xhaka took up residence due to his lack of pace would have been perfect.
To reinforce a point I know is getting boring but…. Xhaka’s stats from yesterday:
90 minutes played
1 tackle
46 successful passes from 49 – most sideways and back.
1 long ball success
Is this acceptable from a starting midfielder for Arsenal? Have you noticed how Xhaka easily finds spaces because opposing players don’t deem him worthy of attention unless Xhaka’s in their box and even then he gets a cursory glance.
Xhaka creates chaos around him and Mikel thinks this is a good thing. Jorginho pulls strings and has an eye for a defense splitting ball in the channels hoping Xhaka won’t intercept such mesmerizing passes.
Jorginho is worth having the Xhaka free roll. Party is back and Trossard can be equally effective from MF or False 9. He’s not quite quick enough to be out on the wing. The old indside right/left position would also suit Trossard.
I’d like to see KT at LB and Zinchenko in MF with Ode and Jorginho.
Arteta has various interesting formation strategies he can engage now, and even more if Bolagun was recalled to give City and Manure something more to try to anticipate.
The The title will be won by the team with the strongest mental belief that overcomes tiredness and general fatigue as the last 14 games wind down. Obviously, fitness is a key role, but mental belief is at the very core of winning for every winner ever to have achieved greatness. In this case the PL title is greatness for the winning club.
Misguidedly, Arteta thinks Xhaka’s mental belief is the role model, but the reality is that Xhaka is just mental full stop. Xhaka’s nowhere near Vinny Jones’ hardness or Roy Keane for that matter. Even Vinny could play between kicking players and grabbing their nuts ala Gazza. Ditto Keane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQXEOBzl5_0 very funny Gazza account.
It’s easy to see why Xhaka doesn’t get injured, he doesn’t make any tackles where the stiff of an opponent coming in for the tackle: then up in the air Xhaka goes pulling a face that scares troglodytes perfect for the camera, which Xhaka always seems to know his best angle for the multiple broken-bones agony face close up.
Will Xhaka make it onto the big B movie screen like Vinny basically playing himself in every movie, as Vinny does?
I have no doubt if Xhaka was to grab hold of Bruno Fernandezes’ crown jewels the Internet would go into meme melt down.
Visualise this: all teeth right out of his flapping gums; bulging cue ball eyes and three Adam’s apples would be the stuff Disney would love for a future villain look. Maybe Syd mishap with Buck in Ice Age?
Be honest how many of you would want to see that on full screen close up?
Ok I’m done with my Xhaka is shite for the day. His stats proved me correct once again.
Have a good Sunday and all is well with you all.