The best part of this new Champions League format is that, you get to play against 8 different teams in group stages and while some of these games might be boring, you will also play some of the best teams from other leagues. The earlier version where a group consisting of 4 teams, 2 out of those were minnows would always give us some taken-for-granted games. With the new format, we don’t need to wait till the knockout stages to see some exciting games.
We had a tight fixture list in Sep where we played Tottenham away, City away, Atlanta away, Bolton and Leciseter in last 15 days and we passed the test. We were without our Captain, there were some injury concerns – Ben White, Timber, Saka, Raya; some decisions didn’t go our way and we still managed to not lose any of those games. October is no less and needs the same level of commitment from us.
We are playing PSG in our next Champions League fixture. An exciting game ahead, Oct 2nd is an Indian Holiday and the game happens at midnight. Perfect set up for us Indian Gooners for a game at Emirates.
The injuries woes continues for us though. Odegaard and Merino will not be available for the PSG game while Calafiori is a doubt and will be assessed later in the day. A back 4 of Timber, Saliba, Gabriel and Calafiori looked brilliant in last few games and I was hoping we continue with that, at least in the big games. White has done a tremendous job but putting Timber at the RB allows Calafiori to play in LB position, which allows Martinelli to play freely. We have been heavily relying on attack from the left due to a non-competent LB and Cala fixes that. At any point in game, we can switch side and there would not be a drop in attacking quality. Plus, Martinelli gets some support and his games improves.
Midfield is a concern. We need Odegaard because a combination of Thomas Partey, Rice and Trossard is not doing justice. Odegaard’s presence makes Saka’s game lethal and his vision of passing open up game. Partey/Rice are doing exceptionally well but both of them shouldn’t be in the same midfield because of the nature of their game. Ode + Rice/Partey + Merino is what we need to get to full functioning of that midfield.
Top 3 has no concern except that goals are drying out. Yes, we scored 4 games Leicester and 2 against City but goals against City were scored by 2 defenders and Kai Havertz’s goal against Leicester was pure luck. We need more end results from both Martinelli and Kai if we want to win something this year. Trossard is a very handy rotation for Martinelli but CF position is a bit concerning. Either Kai picks up his goal scoring form or we need to do a make shift because Gabriel Jesus doesn’t have goals in him.
I’m expecting a win for us and if Calafiori makes it, a clean sheet as well. A 2-0 win at home would do for me.
What do you think? Do you expect a different line up and a different scoreline? Let me know in the comments.
Cheers Vieira
Sounds rather promising. Declan and TP are big lads but I’m looking forward to seeing Merino boss a few people around. I hope he gets a run out against Southampton this weekend.
Hi NORG
Agree that some of the alternatives to official channels are more than suspect. I’ll just have to put my money where my mouth is if there are loads of games on TNT. The whole thing is a maze.
Unai Emery schooling Bayern with a Harry Kane. Told ya, he is still a Gooner by heart
Offside sigh
My daughter just reminded me that we have Amazon Prime which means I cdve watched the game live last night. What a fucking idiot and all round technophobe.
Haha KP – there is a small hack I have been using from years to watch any game, any sport. Just search the game and add totalsportek in Google and the first link gives you a lot of link.. never failed me
Arsenal vs PsG totalsportek.
Atletico losing to Benfica 4-0, Bayern to Aston Villa, and Real Madrid to the giants Lille.
I am liking this new format. 8 games against 8 different teams will surely produce some set baks to the best ones and on a beautiful day, the best team wins.
KP
https://www.reddit.com/r/torrentday/comments/dvwghn/the_iptv_service/?rdt=42612
This will solve your steaming issues for I think £10 a month.
TRVL
Agree with your thinking tactically. We do seem to be going backwards using older tactics, such as Mourinho’s bus parking.
I’m cautiously hopeful at this stage, so will keep things balanced here.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-thierry-henry-unai-emery-33807944
100% with Henry on this and have been since poor Emery was dispatched. I never wanted El B where I’ve been proven right from the get go and would have rather not.
With The Arsenal under El B hope is where the heart breaks or certainly aches. Had we kept Emery with the backing we gave El B we would have won the last 2 titles in my mind.
Anyone think differently?
Tony—not sure I agree with your 2 title supposition, but given the same financial backing and personnel input, I do think he would have found a way to win at least one
as for our potential new tactical pursuits, I do think they make some sense, considering MA’s missteps, even though I would much prefer a very different script…it reminds me of what’s transpired in the NFL recently…as the NFL became a more pass-friendly league the only way defences could matchup is if they became physically smaller and more athletic…teams started to draft/acquire more and more CBs and safeties in order to better cover these relatively new 4 and 5 WR sets…logically it wouldn’t take long for a select few teams to opt for an alternate course, as defences were now more vulnerable to those willing to buck the trend, bulk up and run the ball with super-sized and ultra-athletic running backs (it must be noted that the teams who usually made this decision were generally known to have the most frugal spending practices)
in a similar vein, MA, with the help of our analytics team, might have come to the conclusion that this sort of approach just might work in the present climate, where some top sides have started to construct smaller more agile squads…just look at City’s recent recruitment practices, minus Haaland, the PSG side we played the other night or even the last couple CL-winning Real lineups, who’s biggest player, not including the Keeper, might have been Benzema…unfortunately, I don’t believe you can win with set pieces and strong-arming tactics alone, so I hope we don’t totally abandon the beautiful game entirely….furthermore, I’m displeased that we’ve spent such an exorbinant sum on a shitload of essentially half-measure recruits, with nary a clinical finisher, in the last two windows, which btw is likely the main reason for this out of left field shift
of course, I could be totally fucked up and his recruitment model this summer had nothing to do with some sort of Brobdingnagian masterplan and far more to do with his almost childlike Euros recency bias and a severely limited budget
Manure….ooh fuck.
Looking ahead to the scummers game, we need a LOT less emotion and stress in this match. Arteta needs to install in a defence like ours that, once they get ahead, they stay ahead. No psychodrama. Just achieve a two goal lead, keep calm and maintain possession as Soton come out and look to equalise then put them away. We ought to have far too much for a team like them.
Instill
New post.