I have had a busy week at work and I spent whole of my Sunday sleeping but I’m back right on time, for one of the biggest game of this season. Win it, and we keep our Top of the league badge and certainly in the mix of title contenders. It’s not an easy one, we are against an injured opponents who is looking for blood. But, we are not going down today. Saliba and Big G are going to keep that Liverpool’s front line in check, Tomi will end up pocketing Salah and Martinelli will show Klopp how much he LOVES scoring in Red and White!
Stats wise, it’s not pretty for an Arsenal fan. We have won only once against Liverpool in our last 14 Premier League games. They have beaten us last 2 times when they visited Emirates and we haven’t managed to keep a clean sheet against them in last 13 games, conceding 39 in the process (yes, you read that right).
Team News
There is one surprising change to our playing XI. Mikel has preferred Tomiyasu at Left Back in place of Tierney. Zinchenko is out for the game but Tierney would have been a go to choice. Tomiyasu can play at both sides but trying it out for the first time in a big game against Liverpool, where he has to contain Salah would be a big challenge for him. I have no doubt about his capabilities and I am pretty sure he would end up pocketing Mo though.
We have stuck to the usuals in all other positions.
Klopp preferred Nunez in place of Firmino. Frankly speaking, I think it’s good for us, Firmino never misses a chance to score against us. We are playing probably the weakest Liverpool in recent couple of years and at Emirates, we can certainly be hopeful to grab those 3 points, one at a minimum.
About time for the game, I am expecting a 2-1 to the boys, Martinelli and Jesus scoring couple of beautiful goals. It’s very important that we see our spine in Xhaka and Partey showing confidence and keeping their forms of last few weeks.
Jesus and Odegaard have to beat VVD for any sort of advantage and it’s going to be a test not only in terms of football but also how tough we have grown mentally. Under Wenger in later years, we failed to deliver against big teams, it’s time to kill that notion.
Hope you are keeping well and the Sunday evening ends with a win to Arsenal.
Come on you Gunners. Lets go!
Martinelli showing Luiz Diaz who is the boss..
What a goal that was… Now, lets go and smash few more.
And Tomi pocketing Salah… Lololol… Fuck the bin dippers.
Saliba is just super. Simit effect like when VVD burst on the scene. Someone has been so perverse nit to have noticed. Read his outstanding nous was noticed even before Arsenal signed him
I hate to see Firminio coming on. Time to start getting some control back here.
Saka has radically improved since International. Hope not marketing. This goal 2-1 has been really good, although Martinelli cross been very accurate
In fairness,that Liverpool defence is a shambles.
Martinelli is one of those players whom you hate to play against.
Saka was brilliant for the tap, timed himself. Lets score couple more in second half to finish the game, this is not good for my heart and I have only turned 30.
#COYG 🔴⚪
Hoopah,
Completely agree, Saliba has the VVD’s composure of last years’. And, when he is 5-7 younger!
The way Martinelli checked that run and created all that space to cross to Bukayo. Fucking sublime. Let’s hope they can screw the nut in the second half. Hi Ambarish – I’ll look at your post later. Just so you know I’m not ignoring you!
Almunia
I was happy not seeing Firmino in starting lineup and then Nunez scored. Talk about my disappointment lol
Sorry
Mistyped Kroenkephobe in all that excitement.
The way Martinelli checked that run and created all that space to cross to Bukayo. Fucking sublime. Let’s hope they can screw the nut in the second half. Hi Ambarish – I’ll look at your post later. Just so you know I’m not ignoring you!
Re posted to save you the bother Ambarish
Evening chaps. Need better for the 2nd half and boss the mid field.
Pretty shortly in the 2nd half I’d add Marquinhos to play RW and move Saka to play Xhaka’s position.
Saka tried hand of God technology
Liverpool getting into physical intimidating. Now more dirty play artists coming on. Gomez was the start
Xakha into a scufle. Fortunately behind ref’s back
Saka gets the penalty in clean in spite of Allison stunts to raise ghosts of the past
Oops, Tierney escaped in the box. Fortunately Liverpool youngster didn’t raise Cain
Sorry guys, I have had to shut up after our third goal. Whenever we score and I leave a comment here, we concede 😐
Loving the three points.. Emirates giving Klopp their own medicine, so loud he would find difficult to sleep tonight. Loved the enthusiasm, fight and of course the WIN.
Xhaka – take a bow lad for standing up for Gabriel.
I think except Hoopah, everyone was just me… lol.. don’t celebrate anymore till the game is over.
Feels like the first time in over 10 years we’ve come out top in one of those wide open games. Very happy. We’re on the up and Liverpool are in some state of decline.
KP
That’s the thing, we beat them and we were, for a good amount of game, not really up to our own standards.
We will only go UP from here.
I wouldn’t want to be one of Almunia’s bin dipper brothers this evening. They’re in for a torrid time as he goes into full satire (ie piss taking) mode.
Hey Ambarish
Stop working so fucking hard mate! Grab a Cobra and take it easy. It’s going to be an interesting ride this year.
We definitely don’t want any mid season burnout! 😁
I really think (if he doesn’t get injured or sold) that Martinelli, more than any other forward,could join the pantheon of Arsenal greats. He’s ahead of Saka for me though that shouldn’t be interpreted as a slight,Saka is a marvellous player also. Add Saliba in there and we have such quality players at our disposal. 3-2 was deserved yet we had the benefit of the close calls tonight. I still feel Arteta is too cautious,too quick to put the shackles on. He’s not as guilty of it as Southgate for example,but it is his instinct to hold what we have. Perhaps he’ll grow to trust the players more as they continue to churn out the results. Or perhaps he feels they need to mature more before he changes his game plan. Regardless that was a cracking result against a real bogey team. Klopp has a lot of work to do on his defence. TAA was awol again at times and Gomez is nowhere near the required level. Matip and VVD no longer can contain the opponents forwards so more help is required from midfield but that’s not how Klopp sets his teams up to play. Even Henderson and Thiago look like they have too many miles done.
January is going to be fascinating as clubs reveal their hands. What will utd give ten haag? Are Newcastle going to move up another level? Will Arsenal smell blood and push the boat out? What money will Potter be given? Will spuds woo a soon to be out of contract Conte with some spending money?Above all,will Liverpool green light a rebuild to keep Klopp beyond year 7? The premiership landscape is shifting but it’s not clear what it will look like over the next few years. Thankfully it looks like we are going to be in the conversation for the foreseeable.
Completely agree with you Almunia.
TV money was always going to eventually level the playing field for the PL. Buying smart and a club’s well run youth set up with a quality critical thinking DoF and then a manager who can deliver with the players he’s asked for. Basically, that’s us in the future.
Mikel and Edu have a decent chance to keep our trajectory firmly upward. which seems to be the case for the start of this season. Certainly, a lot of rough edges still there to be rounded with those 2, but the signs are good for now.
Junior said to me early in the game Xhaka is playing false 9, 10, 8 & 6 getting into big chance situations and fluffing his lines. I mean wtf? His supporters say ‘oh bless’ he tries ever so hard.
Tomi can play across the back line, so maybe pair him with the superlative Saliba. Calmness personified.
I’d like Mikel to address the withdrawn periods where we look ragged. Last 15 in the 1st half v Spuds and Last 22 minutes in the 1st half against L’pool. It kind of seems like we know three game plan meticulously and then when the opposition changes tactics we’re left chasing shadows and giving the ball away far too easy in bad areas.
Mikel still has some kind of in-game management hang up. When we were looking like we could give up goals at 20 minutes, Mikel should have acted decisively: Xhaka should have been replaced with Saka. Marquinhos could have replaced Saka on the right. It would have given Klopp and his players more to think about than just attack repeatedly. I’d have also played holding replacing Gabs.
Instead Mikel did nothing and we hung on with Saka scoring before half time.
Anyway, it was a good win – a long overdue win, now lets do it again in their back yard.
Tony,
There are still a lot of questions to be answered regarding whether or not our current management have what it takes to deliver the titles that this club should aspire to. They are undoubtedly moving closer to competing,something I didn’t think they were capable of,but then again I presumed they would be working under the same type of financial restrictions that every other manager of this club has had since WW2. It is this incredible financial support that has led to my countering claims of Arteta’s ‘magnificent ‘ achievements. He has had the scales tipped heavily in his favour. I also don’t like how slow he is to learn from mistakes,particularly regarding in game management. But the strength of the squad and the momentum created means he deserves credit and the time to see if he can finish this job off. Many people believe in him now and although I’m not one of them I wouldn’t doubt that he has restored hope and pride to a fanbase that was bereft for well over a decade.
Almunia
I had this conversation yesterday with someone at the match – after spending £300 odd million (he’s cost us far more with piss poor dealings) I should fucking hope we’re playing better but there’s a simple truth that’s being overlooked. The wins we’re getting are either against teams we should beat or with the more difficult matches teams who put out really poor performances. Palace had a fucked up pre season so it was a good time to play them, the Spud’s were so negative it was a joke and Liverpool yesterday were a shadow of the team we’ve seen in recent years.
The teams who clinch top 4 will be the teams who manage the fixture congestion and injuries after the world cup.
Hi Marc good to see you posting here. Great win but a long way to go.
This will probably be my last post on LG so posting here before it gets pulled.
Nigel you’re wasting your time on me.
You, Positive Pedro-Pete, TeeCee, MarkeyMark and all Mikel’s & Pedro’s sycophants will never have a bearing on my Arsenal thoughts, because particularly like Bertie Mee I’ve followed The Arsenal for nearly 60 years. You belly griping bunch of 12 year olds, as that’s how you seem using your playground talk, as smack talk and none of you are good at that. More like creche playground talk.
This blog has gone down hill in the last 10 years and since Mikel rocked up. 90% of the good posters are gone. Fed up with Pedro’s trolling and his merry bunch of dipshits playing police blogging and telling people how to support a club. Maybe you should write a book.
The book of How to be a Mikel and Pedro Sycophant 101. JohhnyGunner thinks he’s a comedian so he can do the jokes one a blog. Mathew seems to the the knowledgeable one who makes sense all of the time.
Now JohnnyGunner is coming down on what he sees is negative Mikel or club talk. Still he is a joke.
The biggest racist here: Un, DON and about 30 other monikers is welcomed back with open arms and he’s still a racist tosser with jab as a mate. Most countries have guns, but old Toilet Brush plumber still jabs. He’ll find dodging bullets harder than punches. Turn left at the UK into Europe and the further west you go the more people have guns and ;little care for life.
Pedro’s moral compass is all about money these days and continued trolling and woke as fcuk.
The difference here is Junior and I live happily without LG where as the Sycophants can’t.
Weagle, Northbanker, Bob, Graham, Andy1886 (MIA) Topside, Tom, Luteo, MB, Mr Serge, Freddie, Marko and many more please don’t take the above as a dig at you, I’m not. I respect you all and you Luteo we’re all different and I like your intelligence. ES you’re still a bit condescending, but you make make sense these days without redundancy. .
What you sycophants don’t realize is, we’re only starting to show signs with the games won thus far. It’s a long season and the smarter fans will see and look to be proactive with their thoughts. To the stupid and uneducated anything that looks like negativity is jumped on – every time as well.
When Mikel tells certain players post game they were bad at this, and did that wrong are the players going to say you’re being negative Mikel we and I’m not listening to you. Tell us some thing positive?
That’s how you all act being Pedro & Mikels sycophants..
All this and Pedro wants paying for this rubbish kids playground stuff.
The really funny thing is Mikel has won nothing of note and having his best season so far after nearly 3 years of rubbish. He may never win anything other than a local league/FA tin cup that a team wins on the way to a title.
I hope he cleans up and wins the lot and does the quadruple, as a full blooded Gooner. It won’t bother me that Mikel made it all happen. I’d be happy for him and the club. Doesn’t mean I’d like his personality and his game playing with players careers – not playing them. His treatment of Saliba and Martinelli and others has been childish and spiteful to kids.
I want the club to win I really don’t care who the manager is, as they come and go and when gone there are mostly forgotten.
As for the sycophants Mikel will be gone in the future and you can clean socks ready for the new Mesiah. Probably Paddy.