Every game from now on is a must win if we want to play in Champions League next season. Losing points to Crystal Palace was a set back but it’s in the past and we have a game against Brighton that we can win and go three points above Spu*ds.
It’s going to be an interesting game. Brighton is a well drilled team defensively but lacks the firepower to score. They have won only once in their last 12 games but then, they have shared points against Leicester, Chelsea (twice), West Ham, Liverpool and Arsenal this season. We share the same problem of not having a finisher. Laca can’t score for his life and Arteta will once again hope one of the Saka, ESR/Martinelli scores today.
Team News
Thomas Partey is carrying a significant injury and will be out for few weeks, confirmed on Arsenal.com. Tierney is out too for the rest of this season with a knee injury that required a surgery. That’s two of our starters and if you consider the back ups in Lokonga and Tavares, it’s a huge concern that we are missing them.
It will interesting to see what Arteta prefers defensively. He has subbed out Tavares twice in a row and he might go with Saka at LB. This means Pepe will be back at the Left Wing and we will see a midfield of Lokonga and Xhaka. Hard time create strong men – I’m sure we will see them picking up things like they did earlier in the season.
On Top 4 chances
Asked about the belief of finishing in top 4, Artea said –
[The setback] has happened and it’s happened with nine games to go and we have to react now. We have to show tomorrow the energy, the commitment and the passion that we want to play the game tomorrow in front of our fans.
source: arsenal.com
This is exactly how I used to answer in college if I knew nothing lol. Throw in some heavy words (energy, commitment, passion) and expect the invigilator (fans) is impressed. Talk about setting up a target, in a competitive, result driven game, in your second full season, after spending 150+ million eh?
Anyways, a win today means we go above Spu*ds in the 4th place with 8 games left. A must win again considering Spurs have an easy run of games left and we still have to play Liverpool, Chelsea and United.
Irrespective of injuries I am hoping we win all 3 points and get back the confidence. We require both along with some luck for the remainder of season.
It’s an afternoon start, hope you enjoy that sunshine in the stadium. Short one for today, see in the comments.
Hi Ambarish
Really good preview. Informative and some sound, decent opinions. I enjoyed reading it. I believe Palace and Brighton play in similar styles, the key difference being Palace find the net a bit more often at the moment! They’ll be all energy and pressing today. Arteta needs to have a plan up his sleeve that is (obviously!) different from last Monday. I think we need to be heavily present in midfield to nullify any threat they might pose. 3-5-2 or a kind of 3-5-1-1 with Martinelli up top running their effective but aging and relatively immobile defenders ragged. Time for a ‘rip-roaring reds’ win as the woman at Highbury used to say.
I liked your analogy with Arteta-speak (which I can no longer listen to, so well done for having the patience) and your college struggles! A few buzzwords don’t necessarily go a long way but can get you out of short term scrapes!
Eleven cannons against a flock of seagulls. Feathers everywhere…
Kroenkephobe
Credit where it’s due, Arteta does well in beating around the bush and avoiding a definite answer .
It’s a discussion for another day. Hope all is well and you have a good evening.
@Kroenke
So true, it’s probably habit, cos it was a place to go and share our thoughts on the team we support.
You’ll notice that a lot of posters no longer post or do so very rarely. Which is a shame.
Site has lost it’s objectivity. I know Pete is invested in Tets, but all logic seems to have gone out the window. Absolutely everything Arteta does is looked on as the right choice, and anyone mentioning any drawbacks is ridiculed and told they know nothing.
And loads of wankers trying to police the blog, with impunity cos, they’re sipping the Kool aid from Mikel’s arse.
As to the Brighton game, I’m not confident cos they’re a good side and potter’s no mug. Even if their form’s not been great, Arsenal is the club that loves to give. Be it players for free or to teams who ain’t scored in ages.
With the injuries who is picked will have an influence on the scoreline.
So right now I’m just a passenger, this is on Arteta to earn his corn and get the players set up and raring to go. As it was his choice to not get anyone in January, the bed is made.
I genuinely believe that Arsenal’s pr team have reached out to influential bloggers, many seem to have lost their objectivity. Mb,you are benevolently neutral of course! Many are very intelligent but applying inconsistent, hypocritical and often totally illogical arguments. It is very frustrating because they are also in control of the red button when counter arguments are being made. As to why people keep trying to argue against this type of propaganda even when it seems pointless ,I think we have to hope that by presenting sensible,reasoned observations some will return to a place where differences in opinion are both acceptable and recognised as healthy. There will always be those who will never recognise this but there are many who just need reminding. The Internet is a megaphone for those who think arguing is a contest in shouting loudly, but if we leave them to it then I believe that not only do they win but also the problem will get worse. Keep your faith in intelligent debate, keep presenting it to them, don’t resort to insult or abuse and you may just enlighten a few. That’s got to be the hope right?
As for Brighton, I can’t see even a weakened team faltering against them. We have Esr,Saka, Martinelli, Ode et al all still available. Brighton are trusting to Danny Welbeck to get past White, Gabriel and Ramsdale. We are at home. They can’t score a goal. No excuses acceptable for me.
I used a lot if satire last year, I thought it would let me criticise/vent without making things personal. But I do recognise that I was using it to have digs at Arteta. What I said above wasn’t meant to be preachy, I was just trying to explain why I still hope that sense and logic can prevail. But I get as angry and frustrated as everyone else I can assure you.
Petty much sums up what’s wrong with the internet. Anonymity has allowed people to be an arsehole and enjoy it (reddit, twitter?).
If you search enough, there’s always opinions for/against about anything let alone sports. You might be happy with something and have two points of improvements and vice versa.
I have my bills paid till ’24, so I’m going to shout against Arteta if we loses to Crystal Palace and praise him if we play good against City. I have no intention of policing this blog except may be removing any sort of name calling.
Mb,
I appreciate there’s a fine line you have to tread. You want open,healthy debate but you can’t allow your blog to become a forum for spreading hate or worse. Hence you have to decide what is or is not acceptable. In making that call your own value system will be applied which then of course leads you open to censoring that with which you don’t agree. It’s a tricky one. I guess you just trust your instincts. Abuse is easy enough to recognise as opposed to someone venting genuine frustration. Everything I’ve ever read from you says you are a very reasonable person,I’ve no doubt you’ll succeed in this. Your take on the game today was very enjoyable, let’s hope we get 3 points from what is arguably our easiest remaining fixture.
Watching the Everton Utd game here. I don’t think Everton will go down,but if they did and we were looking to assume the role of vulture, I really hope its Richarlison and not DCL we go after. The latter is excellent I the air,something we are really lacking,but other than that I feel he brings very little to the table, particularly when you consider what he would cost.
The other thing dawning on me is that our home fixture v Utd should not be as problematic as tradition suggests. They are an utter shambles. I would suggest they are far worse than under Moyes, Van gaal,Mourinho or OGS. Unbelievable how they can spend so much and keep getting worse.
Fergie was brilliant at taking the best players from other prem teams and getting even more from them, Sheringham, Yorke,Cole,Tevez, Berbatov,RVP, Cantona, Rooney,Keane,you could go on all day. But they all had attitude,an edge that he wasn’t afraid to bring into his dressing room. Perhaps my thinking is antiquated now,but I think you have to have that edge to build a great team. We’ll never get there if Arteta hides behind his non negotiables to avoid bringing in these charismatic,enigmatic type players. I’m positive peak fergie buys Richarlison and turns him into a superstar. In defence of Arteta he may still try to integrate that type of player when he feels confident enough in his control of the dressing room, for me he needs to start getting real characters in soon if he wants to really challenge. For me the choice of the new striker and midfielder(s) will be very revealing in terms of their character and what that says about what Arteta feels he can handle.
Thank you, Almunia. Abuse is easy to recognise and nothing else needs censorship because I’m no more a fan than anyone else giving his/her time to comment on a blog.
Manure doing what they do best, bottling things. I hate them and watching them lose is wonderful even if it means Everton is not going on 😅
Ramsdale
Cedric, White, Gabriel, Xhaka
Lokonga, Odegaard
Saka, Smith rowe, Martinelli
Lacazette
Saka and ESR playing closer to each other after long, it will be interesting to watch.
Good stuff lads. This is a far superior forum in which to discuss AFC than the competition and its rejuvenated my interest. There aren’t exactly any raving oro-Artera people on her at the moment, but it can only be a matter of time. Personally, I’ll be delighted to read their stuff. Le Grove by contrast has sadly morphed into an echo-chamber (and I think it was my use of that term that thankfully resulted in my ban). I’m sticking to earlier forecast and going for a 3-1. Brighton’s goal coming towards the end. With hesgoal’s sad demise, anyone got a stream they can recommend?
Arsenal vs brighton totalsportek gives a lot of links to watch, might help.
Come on Arsenal! Let’s fucking go!
What the fuck.
I missed our goal thanks to an Internet SNAFU but hardly inspiring top 4 level football. We need to start the second half like a train and swarm all over them til we’ve scored a couple of times.
Oh fuck…
If Lacazette stays on field when the second half starts, I won’t keep any hope of winning.
That disallowed goal was scandalous. At worst it was a 50-50 and when was the last time we got a 50-50 to ourselves? 1947?
It’s the hope that kills you….. Oh, and a terrible manager and owner. Might be the death knell on our season….
Well,that was horrible. Spurs villa looking huge now.
Almunia
Hubris before nemesis again in the form of Xhaka before Tavares…. How the fuck did we manage to lose to CP and BHA so abysmally in 5 days? I genuinely fear for the rest of the season now. If only he learnt from these regular setbacks. He’s a dire manager and these kind of results will never be far from the doorstep while he remains in charge. I’m not even going to bother reading the excuses.
Kroenkephobe,
Head up, we are 13 months away from champs lge glory! The cynic in me is fuming,like you said,it’s the hope that kills you.
Watching spurs here is making things worse, villa wasting chances like you wouldn’t believe!
Now we gonna win some of the games left, we might surprise one of the United or Chelsea and then finish 5th. Arteta gets a contract extension and this sh*t show continues.
Edu or the board needs to grow a spine. Losing out to CP and Brighton, in a way we did – easy peasy – should have repercussions. Someone needs to ask Mikel what the fuck is going on.
That’s the problem, it’s like Arteta isn’t accountable. Absolute shit show, no desire, confidence or anything to show they’re fighting for 4th place.
No plan B and why is Xhaka ,Laca unsubbable???
Today is all on the idiot who decided to play Xhaka at LB, destroying any confidence Nuno had left.
Fraudeta
I like Ramsey at Villa, good midfielder. I’d enquire, not sure they’d sell tho. Still, they made an offer for ESR so I’d ask.
Lacazette should not play for us again only for the diving he does. Fuck him, fuck Arteta and fuck spursy c*nts.
I wonder if the Kroenkes are now thinking it was a good idea to succumb to the false economy of not bolstering the squad in the winter TW given the serious blow that has been dealt to our CL qualification chances. We’ve had some grim times in the last 15 years or so – this has to be seen by everyone except Arteta (not Arsenal) fans as another low. How can a team like ours be sooo badly prepared for two crucial games?
Mark,
I really like Ramsey too, seems incredibly mature already. No doubting the talent. Unfortunately Villa don’t seem to be stuck for cash at the moment.
Arteta’s new contract is where it’s at now. If he is given one I may have to check out of Arsenal to preserve my mental health. The last decade of Wenger nearly killed me!
Kroenkephobe,
False economy is right,but it’s a reality that Arteta talked the squad into taking a wage cut( bar one fella ) and then slashed the wage bill. He’s going down the Wenger route of thinking that as long as he impresses his bosses he’ll be rewarded. Fuck the fans right to a club that honestly challenges for the big titles. Anyone know where you can buy a nice watch?
Like a rat leaving a sinking ship…I’m checking out for a few days to the Costa Brava with Ms K’phobe and the twin kiddlywinks. Gonna practice my Catalan and drinking cold lager in the sun, and will be doing my damnedness to forget about N London football if I can. So excuse me for being incommunicado for a few days. I’m taking my prayer mat however in the hope that Kroenke’s golden mont blanc fountain pen is at least hovering over Arteta’s ‘Dear John’ letter. It’s tough to imagine things picking up again this season – all in 6 fucking days. Be in touch next weekend. Keep on keeping on Ambarish if you have time.
Kroenkephobe,
Enjoy the family time,hope you get some great weather. I like the sound of those cold beers…….
Will talk to you next weekend when we can go through it all again….
Almunia, I’ve already emotionally detached myself. Can’t help wanting the team to do well inside. But just know until we get rid of Arteta we’ll not get where we need to be.
Kroenke enjoy your break with the family.👍
Mark, it’s terrible really cos I want to throw myself into it,every match,scream and roar,dream and hope. I want that for my young lad too. Now I’m thinking, don’t do it, you’re only going to drive yourself insane. I genuinely get angry cos I feel like someone is stealing my club from me so I keep following and am driven insane or I withdraw and lose my club. And then venting about it all is described as not being a proper supporter but to me if you are a proper gooner you MUST be suffering because you demand what’s best for your club. It’s all very frustrating. Speaking of which,I’m going to bed,Lowry is going backwards in the masters……
Kroenkephobe, meant to say to you,that theory that it only takes 5 mins to know what we’re going to get from an Arteta team was spot on again today. You may have unearthed something there!
I hear you Almunia, no easy answers. Just buckle up it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
For all Arteta’s talk about feeling sorry for Tavares and it was only a tactical switch subbing him. He then goes on to not play him. Destroying any confidence Nuno may have had and also to not trust anything his manager says.
Not a great way to manage your players. Laca stinking out the place offering no threat, Xhaka being Xhaka, both with no threat of being subbed or dropped. What message does that send to the other players?? So clear Arteta has his favourites.
So no wonder that Sambi played with fear, not wanting to be banished to Siberia for making mistakes. As that’s how it must feel,by the way he was treated.
The part of the role of the manager to nurture and encourage their players is severely lacking in Arteta, and he will not have success until this is addressed.
You can’t just buy your way to success. Much has been made about when we buy new players in the summer etc, we’ll be able to compete…etc
Well it’s more complicated than that.
A good/great manager has players willing to run through walls for him. The performance exhibited by the players says that they don’t feel this way about Mikel ! A manager who says one thing publicly but does another.
Players talk amongst themselves, they’re not blind to how their teammates are treated, and probably realise that it could be themselves. Publicly they won’t speak out, but it has an effect. A negative one imo.
Mark,
If you listed every player that was at the club or has come into the club during Arteta’s tenure I think it would be safe to say the vast majority have regressed. That doesn’t happen to good managers. Even the success stories of last summer, lokonga, tavares, white,ramsdale and ode are all on a downward trajectory. He has given away, devalued or simply paid to leave a huge number of professional players. It’s staggering that a new contract is being offered.
This season the crowd has done it’s best to keep things on a positive level at the Emirates. It’s almost an acknowledgement that the input from the fans is now an important factor and we can’t simply rely on having a good team and a good coach and letting them entertain us as we have in the past. Along with a lot of the older, more weary heads taking a break mean it’s generally been more fun than it has been for years.
Yesterday I got the impression the crowd felt the gig was up. We’ve done our bit but Arteta wasn’t helping himself and seems too stubborn to do so. This isn’t on the players, we know Laca isn’t going to get a goal, Xhaka isn’t a left back. The manager is responsible and aside from the games against Spurs, a half v City and a half v Liverpool, the football has been pretty average. It becomes dull, backing an average manager and seeing his averageness unfold in front of our eyes.
Only total idiots championed the crazy Jan window and this game was partly a result of that.
Aitcho,
That’s a very interesting comment. Watching on the tv you could hear the groans and the lack of enthusiasm and of course see the early departures. But you have to be in the ground to truly get a sense of it. If the crowd turns,the new contract might be halted.
Almunia,
I think what you heard was a fair reflection of where the fans are. More frustrated than angry.
Fans have been energetic this season partly because we realised we needed to, the football was unlikely to get us going by itself.
I think a lot of us bit our tongues on Arteta, the FA Cup 2 years ago, the run to fourth this year bought him time. There was also that wish to move away from being that toxic entitled fanbase who hounded out managers as par for the course
But the feeling I get is even pro Artetas who were more convinced on the back of his PR and ideological grounds are finding harder to justify the support they give him. None of the people I spoke to at the ground were putting forward reasons for giving him time except we might buy more players in summer
The crowd may not turn but it may just disengage and we go back to the empty seats of a few years back. For a business that, sensibly, relies a great deal on bums on seats and match day revenue, a season of fewer games, with no Europe, or budget level Europe and fans not renewing on the 4% ST price hike might end up being a factor in Arteta’s future.
Next season will be interesting. We’ll see if the ST holders who took a pandemic then a voluntary break come back when they have to decide whether to jump back in. I have a couple of friends with ST’S who all took a break this year and aren’t sure if they actually will go back, rent or just give up those STs