Grand, because we have not seen Premier League football from 3 long months and the opening match between Man Utd and Fulham was shit. So, forget about what happened yesterday and treat this as the opening of the season. I can guarantee much more excitement, enthusiasm, the eagerness to win and the quest for the title begins for Arsenal.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the best club in the world plays football today. Arsenal takes on Wolves at 3 PM BST (7.30 PM IST), at Emirates. We have a almost everyone available to play, Fabio Vieira and Jurrien Timber missed the Emirates Cup but they are mostly likely to be available today. Whether they will play is a different thing, since Zinchenko is most likely to start in that LB and midfield is full. Tomiyasu and Tierney are the only two players who will not be available for today’s game but we are not going to miss him at all.
Team selection will be a headache for Mikel, since we haven’t got Merino and if he tries to fit in Havertz along side Rice, the CF position will remain open. He can alternatively play Havertz up top and have a midfield of Partey, Rice and Odegaard. I am expecting to see Martinelli on the left, the rest of the squad picks itself up. Wolves are a bit in a mess after selling their captain Max Kilman to West Ham and Pedro Neto to Chelsea. Two very important players for Wolves missing out today, and we need to capitalise on it.
Mikel Arteta was very positive about today in his press conference –
We are really excited. We’ve been missing the competition for many weeks, it’s too long for us. We are so willing to start and so enthusiastic about it.
source : Arsenal.com
We have got a pretty decent track record against Wolves. We have won our last 6 games against them, we have won our opening games in our last season and before that. We have at least scored once against Wolves in our last 33 games and that’s some achievement.
There are a few things I am expecting to see as the season folds. Timber will slowly take up the space Zinchenko plays in. He showed promise when he joined us in pre-season last season before his injury and there will be some time before he is match fit. It remains to be seen if Arteta takes his time or rushes him back in the team, but it’s going to happen.
Havertz, moving to the CF position for final. Kai had 14 goals and 7 assists last season, mostly playing up top and I am sure Mikel is in the mood to make him permanent in that position. Primary reason why we are looking for midfielder than a CF. Now, would I loved a traditional CF? Yes. Is it going to happen? No. So, lets hope Kai have a great season, ends up 20+ goals this season and become a main character in our winning season!
Third, Calafiori. This one is a mystery to me. I believe he is a back up / competition to Saliba and Gabriel and not brought as a LB or RB. Saliba played every minute for the club last season, and there is always a probability for injuries / sickness / form loss. We needed a back up, we had Tomi and White but Mikel never tested them so yeah, lets see how much Mikel uses Calafiori this season.
Right, I won’t bore you much today. We have an exciting team, an exciting season ahead and we hope Mikel delivers a trophy (or 2 I won’t mind). Don’t forget to share you predictions, expected team and anything related to Arsenal in the comments.
Inspired subs TRVL. 🤔
personally I would love to see Timber and Saka on the right together, especially knowing that the both will cut inside and out in the final third
beautiful finish by Saka…we need that sort of decisive finishing from him this season
To be fair White has been largely ineffective with his final 3rd work. Timber by far is the more skilful player.
Need that from Havertz but doubt we’ll see it. Havertz main effort went way wide. Havertz had time.
Ode is finding new telepathic levels
Tross comes in, as expected, then pushes Marts to the right…that’s not a good sign for Marts, in that if he doesn’t take his chances as a starter, he will quickly become more of a cover piece option, like at the end of last season…Tross makes more sense with Havertz up top because he likes to tuck inside more, but I think Marts would be far more effective with a better Striker and LB on the pitch
not even sure what the fuck our formation is now
Maybe we could sell Eddie to the Wolves…they could really use a poacher-type with PL experience
always good to get a win and a clean sheet, but far from routine
Good run out for our first game. 3 points on the board and got the fans singing.
Wolves offered more in the 2nd half but Saka’s magic sealed the game.
Havertz scored and zinchenko still needs to be sold.
Will Merino be up next?
TRVL
Agree with your Trossard and Marts thoughts wit different 9s.
Saka took a twist to his knee and not had my preseason or real rest, so El B did the right thing taking Saka off.
The usually indestructible Rice hobbled off so hope it’s a one off. Last thing we need is Rice succumbing to niggling injuries.
I’m a bit glass half empty after that for some reason. I thought Arsenal were very ordinary for large parts of the game although the result was never in doubt. Maybe they were blowing the cobwebs away. Raya looked the absolute business when called upon and I thought Ode was terrific. All in all, a positive start – a win despite not playing that well.
Everton already bottom of the league so that augurs well.
Who do we have as RW back up? Reis was that very sparsely. I can’t think who is our natural Saka replacement?
Hi Tony
I think Rice’s problem was cramp so some glucose tablets, heavily salted chips and a pint (!) should see him right. Partey started like a train and looked great, Rice was fine but not one of his best performances
I think a lot of Artetites will lean into the whole notion that Havertz scored, so fuck anyone who dared to question MA, but it’s far more nuanced than that, which is likely why they don’t get it…it’s not as if I think we’ll come in 10th or even 5th as a result of playing Havertz up top…he will get some goals, maybe even upwards of 20, as he will be provided with ample opportunities, but he’s not a natural finisher, far from it in fact, which I still believe will come back to haunt us when it matters most
Tony—I wouldn’t be surprised if Marts was Saka’s primary cover, which we saw at times at the end of last season…not a fan of that situation, as Marts will struggle to find goals on that side of the pitch
Pool was rather disjointed in the first half, but looked far brighter in the 2nd…just wish we had more of their directness in our tactical toolbox…with a proper pacey Striker that could be easily achieved, to great effect I might add
I feel for Lopategui, as it’s going to take quite some time to exorcise the dire tendencies out of this Hammers side…what a horrible watch for anyone without skin in the game…good on Emery for knowing how to navigate this sort of match, especially on the road…once again some timely subs on his part
TRVL
It’s another final 3rd position we need the right cover for so agree not idea for Marts. I feel for him as without a decent 8, he’ll never find again the electric form he arrived with.
I hope Havertz can hit 20+ PL goals but as you say he’s not a natural 9 so needs more chances, which as you outlined he should get.
All the expected teams bagged 3 points where hopefully the Chavs can win at home or at least draw.
Read yesterday City could well be docked enough points to be relegated but will it happen this season?
Tony—at one point it was almost fashionable to “wish” for some early season struggles so as to provide Wenger with the necessary impetus to get some business done before the window closed…what a ridiculous charade for everyone involved…obviously no one wants to return to those days, but if MA continues to ignore what’s glaringly obvious to most everyone else, that sort of thinking could eventually rear its ugly head…if you want to change the culture you simply can’t continue this sort of inane and totally counter-intuitive behaviour…our hunt for a real Striker, or lack thereof, can’t become synonymous with Wenger’s unwillingness to acquire a proper DM, following Veira’s departure…you just can’t be a top-level outfit when there’s a fucking elephant dead smack in the middle of the locker room…so their paid hacks can voraciously espouse our manager, his tactics and our supposed “Strikers”, but that doesn’t make it real…regardless, I’m elated that we took all 3, even though we made it much harder on ourselves than it likely had to be…just don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining
Hi Tony
If there’s any justice to be had if City are proven to be seriously bent, it needs to be much more than a single season points deduction. The length of time that the transgressions have taken place is germane, as are the financial losses (and relegations etc) that teams suffered all the way down the table as City cheated. This ought to cost City’s owners billions and may also have reach into Europe. I want the very worst for them. The club needs to be ended as a sporting institution trusted to play fairly against their opponents. Cheating cunts.
Hi Vieira
I got to that point with Monsieur Tete de Chihuahua years ago, ie actively hoping he’d fuck up so he’d be fired. The first part regularly came true – it took Trump luvvin Kroenke far too long to realise my second ambition. I wasn’t proud to do it, and it led to a serious schism on Gooner online, but it was my only way of coping with the steep decline.
Ambarish
You were asking for some ideas the other day.
Seeing as we all avidly watch games, how about choosing players for certain categories after games? E.g. Arsenal player of the game, most disappointing performance, worst bit about Arteta’s performance, best performing defender, midfielder and attacker etc. Just an idea.
I’m curious on people take on the match and did they see the highlights or the whole match because my take from being there to the MOTD highlights is they could have come from a different match.
KP
Seems like a good idea to me and could be fun and possibly attract new posters.
Yesterday’s game didn’t offer any glimpses of a new identity even with Partey and Rice starting. Rice simply isn’t an 8 or final 3rd player or note. Neither is White. They look unbalanced at times, and with Zinchenko’s walk abouts getting in the way or slowing play down, particularly down our poor left side, which is a recurrence of last season, the whole game was Saka centric.
Whilst I appreciate White’s positional sense, his execution is RB or CB level where good chances are going to be wasted.
Ode was on fire having no Euros to contend with. He looked fresh and firing on all 60 cylinders. It’s scary to think he so young and will continue to pull up trees all over the pitch. His vision seems telepathic at times. MOTM for me. He never tires or gives up; a true great in the making if he stays with the club with perhaps a statue. We have to pray Ode doesn’t get a lengthy injury because Jorginho isn’t the idea replacement with his lack of pace or speed on the ball.
Wolves created some lapses in concentration at the back where top 8 sides will punish us this season. Like we’ve said all said there will be more teams in the various mixes they play for, especially a European place and relegation being the usual suspects. We won’t get many Wolves’ level game in the remaining 37 PL games.
Anyone else see something new tactically?
Marc
The above is how I saw it, what were your views?
I didn’t MOTD highlights, but I imagine they put all the visually cool moves in although only 2 came to fruition with Sake’s individual brilliance. I hope he does, but I think he’ll be getting the rotational fouls very soon.
didn’t see MOTD but watched the whole game.
Tony
Our play was pedestrian and that’s being polite. Rice was off the pace and looked like he was carrying a knock / struggling but it took Arteta far too long to sub him. The defence did its thing, Saka had a decent outing and Raya pulled off a couple of great saves but the rest of it was really hard work.
Subterfuge or realisation no none wants Jesus and no decent strikers don’t want El B thus far or likely to in the next 12 days.
Mirror says: Arteta plays down Arsenal striker talk
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta all but confirmed the club aren’t in the market for a new striker this summer.
“I have faith in [Havertz], we have faith in [Gabriel Jesus]. [Leandro Trossard] has played in that position,” Arteta told talkSPORT.
“So we have different qualities in there and the best thing we can do is trust the players that we have and try improve them.
“They are so good and so willing and that’s what we focus on.”
“the best thing we can do is trust the players that we have and try improve them”
Is that we we are losing our best young talent? Then what about applying this to ESR?