Of course I can’t miss our season opener. Friday evening against Crystal Palace with Gabriel Jesus at CF and a good pre-season, I’m excited. This is a crucial season not only for Arteta but for the club after throwing away Champions League qualification last season. All our rivals are considerably weak, except may be City and Pool and we have strengthen our team after buying Zinchenko and Jesus. Saliba is back too, meaning we won’t miss Tomiyasu since White can be shifted to RB and Saliba can play centrally.
Team News
We have an almost fully fit team. In the press conference, this is what Arteta had to say
Three out of four of those players [Tomiyasu, Smith Rowe, Tierney, Vieira] are going to be training this afternoon and if everything goes well, they will be available for selection and in the squad. Hopefully, we can start to recover because they’ve been missing a lot of minutes and time in pre-season and they are really important players for us.
source : Arsenal.com
I’m guessing it’s Vieira still doubtful for training but we have enough coverage in that area.
I’m also guessing we will see the playing XI featured in our last pre-season game against Sevilla. A back 4 of White, Saliba, Gabriel and Zinchenko with Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka in the midfield. We will have then Saka in the RW, Martinelli in his favorite position at LW and Odegaard dictating play in the centre. Gabriel Jesus is expected to lead the line up front.
Get in…
Truth be told, I don’t care about the playing XI, at least not today. I am just excited football is back! I had my phone sending me memories about last year’s pre-season game against Chelsea on August 1st, when I was at Emirates and didn’t know it was last time I will be watching live, kinda made me sad.
Another exciting season where I have dumped last 4-5 years of anger and keeping my hopes high. Arteta will be judged on the results and I hope we have more happy days than frustrating weekends.
We are in good state, we had a few good game last season which we need to see more often. We have covered two of our weaknesses on the field (LB, CF), and I’m sure both of them brings a winning mentality in the dressing room.
Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park is going to be tough. PV4 managed to restrict us on a 2-2 score at Emirates last season and we lost 3-0 to them at their home. On top of that, first day of the season always goes out of the way to prove upset people with results. I’m not taking a loss today though, if we want to be a recognisable team this season, we need to beat teams which we are expected to.. and give a fight against the top 6 whenever we play.
Wrapping Up
Right-o, that’s all I have to say today. I’m excited for the game, can’t wait to see a Premier League Hattrick from Jesus in Red and White.
All or Nothing : Arsenal first three episodes were out. It was fun to watch, though if you are going to watch it for footballing knowledge you will be disappointed. It had more drama, but then Amazon is doing it for commercial purpose in a world where making money is everything.
Hope your weekend starts on a positive note. See you during game.
Oh, and don’t forget to join our Fantasy League – https://fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto-join/0r2hme
Hi Ambarish
I have us down for a 2-nil win. There’ll be some hairy moments but we’ll match them for energy and have too much skill.
KP
2-0 would be a delight, with Jesus and Martinelli scoring.
Palace away is a tough match and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 1-1 draw.
On other matters that fucking twat Pedro has done a piece on likely finishing positions for the top 6 and describes Ten Haag as being in his first big job – since when were Ajax a nothing club? He’s also predicting 3rd for us, personally I can’t see it.
Just imagine how excited we’d all be if Vieira had just walked out to give an interview as our manager?
Well, atleast I was right about the team selection.
Ramsdale
White – Saliba – Gabriel – Zinchenko
Partey – Xhaka
Saka – Odegaard – Martinelli
Jesus
Ambarish
Where’s ESR? Not even on the bench.
Sky’s pre-game preamble as shite as ever. Zzzzzzzzzz
Ms Kroenkephobe is about as interested in football as I’m interested in house renovation (her hobby). She doesn’t call what footballers wear a ‘kit’. Instead she calls it a costume. To that extent, it looks like we’re wearing the pink costume tonight. I’m sure that’ll add to our preparedness for a battle as Tets reprises his heart/brain/fan diagram in the dressing room in a few minutes’ time. Pink, and a wishy-washy version, at that. Heaven help us.
Ambarish
Ramsdale
White – Saliba – Gabriel – Zinchenko
Partey – Xhaka
Saka – Odegaard – Martinelli
Jesus
Based on what we know (including Tets’s weaknesses) that team probably picked itself. Imagine the uplift and extra confidence we’d be feeling if the list said Milenkovic-Savic instead of GX…
Kroenke
What ever happened to the yellow away kit?
I like the yellow away kit.
That team cost over £300 million with Martinelli being a pittance and Saka home grown, if you take their values as £25 million for Martinelli and £50 for Saka it’s “worth” almost £400 million – no excuses.
Nice of those sarf londoners to welcome gooners with a replica of ally pally. 😀
Palace? Palace? Who the fuck are Palace? Dodgy club with a confected rivalry because they’re too scared to take on Millwall.
Our kit is so pale, we look like sp*ds
I hate this pink one. Couple of over balls to RB… PV4 targetting White tonight?
They have cut out balls to Saka. Martinelli should have scored that one
Boo whenever Partey is touching the ball. Cunts.
Martinelli scored 👌🏻
Yes! My kids hate his barnet but I’m rather fond of Martinelli
I claim the prize for first spotting Xhaka falling forwards onto the ball for a foul.
Zinchenko with a David Platt special.
Hahaha Xhaka was world class in that ‘falling forward’
Marc
Yes it’s worrisome ESR can’t even make the bench. No one wants to see a repeat of what happened with Wilshere.
Looked a bit shaky towards the end of first half. Hope the boys regroup and come back stronger.
I would love 2 more Brazilian goals or a Xhaka boom 💥
Why the fuck are we not using our subs?
Fans in the ground absolutely terrific.
Unlike the soppy cunts online
If you miss Le grove so much why don’t you grovel to Pedro or more sensibly just accept you’re not coming in tonight. Nothing worse than a bitter ex girlfriend always talking about you…
Rampedro
You’re back, you miserable fuck. I thought you’d be talking shite on your podcast with Matt and Johnny. Get back to running LG and fluffing Arteta. Plastic fan that you are.
Solid result and I don’t like making judgements on players until they’ve had a run of matches but can someone please tell me after tonight that we’d have been worse off going into last season with Holding and Saliba as partners for Gabriel and used the £50 million we spent on White plus the £20 odd million we could have gotten for Xhaka on a real CM?
Rambinho
I’ll let you guess which one of either you or Pedro I think is the bigger cunt.
Actually it’s a draw – you like Le Grove and Pedro so much? What the fuck you doing here?
Marc
White was ordinary wasn’t he? That WS got motm represents a serious indictment on Arteta. That he and GJ have made the greatest impact and are both relatively new arrivals makes you wonder whether their form will nosedive as Tets, Round and Stuivenberg get their grips on them.
We made heavy weather of that second half didn’t we. I thought Palace were poor.
Kroenke
We should have scored at least one more, could’ve scored one on top of that, Palace should’ve scored at least one and could’ve scored another.
Nothing is won or lost on the first day of the season, what we did see is classic Arteta of going back into our shell and inviting the opposition on.
White played out of position but Saliba looked better at CB than I’ve seen White all of last season. How will Arteta deal with that when Tomi is back?
Carragher compared WS to a young Ferdinand you don’t build that in one extra loan period. So, with WS in our side last season it would have been CL at least.
Well Tets finally is seeing the light. Good start on building hopefully a decent run. Was funny to hear the crowd singing about Vieira wonder what kind of effect that had on the generational one? He surely knows if he doesn’t produce there is next AFC manager.
not sure if this bunch, under this trick-and-a-half pony, can challenge for anything of consequence until we properly address our midfield concerns…no team relying on Xhaka and Ode in the middle of the pitch, especially in the final third, will ever win, place or show in this PL
nothing I witnessed today, minus young William, who looks to be a proper CB, looked vastly different from what was on offer last season…as such, I totally appreciate the 3 points, I like the upgrade of Jesus over nevergoals Laca and I quite enjoyed the industrious efforts of Marts, but this 4-2-3-1, with a very boring twist, is still a real clunker of a tactical scheme, which relies too heavily on attacking from the wide positions and has little to offer from a direct attacking standpoint
under the current “tactical” incarnation, Jesus has to come deep far too often, then works his ass off to get up the pitch, only to receive little to no service in areas of import, which suggests that the leash loosening of the pre-season was likely only a ploy by our MIT to quell the logical concerns of those within the fanbase who still believe he’s ill-equipped to handle the inherent managerial pressures that come when the games really matter
tbh we still have work to do before this window closes; if not, let’s pray to God that our most direct midfielder, ESR, gets some significant minutes and that Vieira is a revelation of sorts
PS—for fuck’s sake can we actually dedicate some time on the training pitch to shooting!!!
Killroy
I should say in the interest of balance that, towards the end, Gooners were blasting out a paean to Tets as well. There’s no accounting for taste! I remember when I was going home, away and Europe in the 90s under GG and AW, it gave you a deeper bond with the club… But it also made you the harshest critic when things went awry.
not to mention, how is it possible that their newly acquired CB had more quality stretch passes, from deep-lying positions, in one game than we’ve produced since MA’s arrival
KP
Rugby Championship starting Saturday Bokks vs ABs in SA very tasty 11am for me and ARG v AUS at 15:00 for me. My Saturday is set.
TRVL
Their CB (Anderson) was pretty remarkable for his long ball accuracy. Each time I saw him pop one from CPs half, I thought one of our defenders is bound to intercept this but no, the majority seemed to cone off and put Palace in a threatening position. Some skill, although they were a bit over reliant on it as a tactic.
GJ was shit hot to start with, but service withered on the vine as we stopped passing accurately and the energy dropped.
Hi Killroy. Ooh, cheers mate, I might check the 🏉 out.
Can’t disagree with any of the above comments. I think Palace’s pre season has been fragmented and we played them at a good time.
We’ve added some good players but as TRVL says we still haven’t sorted what every else thinks has been the biggest priority for years now in CM.
Can see this season being a lot tougher than many think.
Well proof that Arteta’s a schmuck – the clowns on Soccer Saturday are talking about him being a good manager.
Marc
You’re right, Soccer Saturday is shite. Sort of thing you’d only watch if you have a hangover and can only open one eye.
Good result for the Cottagers. Liverpool normally win those games even after going behind. I wonder when the last time was that we were above them in the table – at any stage of the season.
Yesterday’s game was not a great curtain raiser. I think it’ll only be safe to judge the importance of it after 3 or 4 more Palace games. They were a pale shadow of the team that mashed us last year. Far less energy and goal threat at Selburst. We matched their effort and got over the line with 2 scrappy goals.