Before I begin, I want to thank you all for sticking to the blog. This is the 300th article on LONDON IS RED. I started this in March 2021 out of frustration; fans saw Arteta as the next Arsenal God without anything to back up those claims and I wanted a place where people can be critical of the team they support without being told off. We have celebrated the wins, we have criticized the losses and we will keep doing it. There’s no agenda here and we don’t worship any manager or player but the club.
The beauty of Champions League is that there’s a better wanker out there than you. Arteta loves to control the game and sometimes, it comes at the cost of boring, uninspiring football where you see your striker defending in your own box. Well, he gets to play someone who does it better and been doing it for much longer. If the rules permit, Simeone will jump on the pitch himself to add an extra defender. We are going to see two of the most defensively drilled teams play together in the Champions League today and you shouldn’t expect an exciting, goal laden match.
However, it’s a home game and with 2 wins in first 2 games, you have the advantage of going for a win. Atletico are one of the worst teams to play against. They crushed Frankfurt earlier with 5 different goal scorers and almost made a comeback against Liverpool at Anfield after going down 2-0 in first 10 minutes which they lost ultimately, thanks to an extra time goal from Van Dijk.
Team News
Both our midfielders in Zubimendi and Rice has earned 2 yellow cards in first two matches, and if they happen to receive another one, they will get a one match suspension. Playing them together will have the risk of missing out on both in the next game, and hopefully Mikel is not that foolish.
Without Odegaard, we would have to rely on a midfield of Eze, Rice/Zubimendi and Merino. Yes, Nwaneri is not going to get his starts anytime sooner and both Rice and Zubimendi shouldn’t be on the pitch, which leaves us with Merino. Against Atletico, I would be tempted to start Martinelli, he is in goal scoring form and can run through their defence.
Saka-Gyokeres-Martinelli up top does the job for me. Defence will pick itself, with Timber and Calafiori on either side and the best CB partnership will start.
Wrapping Up
You can’t relax against them. You can’t think 2-0 is enough. You can’t try to dictate the game because they will be tough to break and you simply can’t park the bus hoping for a set piece goal because that’s what they have been doing since 2011. What’s the way then? Attack.
We should go into the game with a positive, fearless mindset. We have a solid defence and with an attacking midfield, we could create them some problems. The game will not be played in the middle, so the onus lies on Saka, Gyokeres and Martinelli/Trossard to convert whatever they get in the opposition penalty box.
Also, we will get to know who the master of dark arts is. See you during the game.
Arsenal Goal scorers list is out for this season and I am updating it regularly. We don’t have the desired results from the front 3 so far, with Timber an Zubimendi in top 3 in Premier League; Champions League stats looks okay though. Take a look –
Aitcho
Unfortunately El B never excited me when he played and he hasnt lit the fire as a manager. He has at least accepted the two CB’s that were forced upon him are the DB’s. Fine tweeking is required and no shoehorning of his favourite players ahead of much more gifted players then we could achieve something in the Premiership.
Aitcho
Arteta did everything he could to try and force Saliba out – it’s a miracle he’s still with us.
Before anyone starts comparing Arteta’s defence with Graham’s maybe look at how many players and how much Arteta spent to get to where he is.
Marc, big lol.
He didn’t do a single thing to force Saliba out. Are you still flogging that ‘Saliba has some resentment towards Arteta because he went on loan for a season’ bunk? There’s not a shred of evidence for this apart from some crank commenters making up stories. The type who waffled about Nwaneri being miffed at Artetabecause he supposedly believed Arteta would neve give him a chance because he never gives young players a chance, apparently. Like Saliba, he just signed an extension too.
Give it a rest, Creating fairy tales only makes your position on Arteta seem even more irrational and cult like.
Graham’s defence didn’t keep record breaking clean sheets in Europe’s top competition. Let’s compare. And salute Arteta on buying such great defenders. Not getting flashbacks at every cross, corner and counter attack is a long hoped for breath of fresh air after the best part of 10 years being a soft touch. You can thank Arteta for that too
Norg, big lol, Nobody forced those defenders on Arteta, you’ve got to stop making things up.
Tweaking, fine or less fine is always required, for any team, this isn’t unique to Arsenal and simply describes and element of management.
That wasn’t insight my man.
What you’re saying is you want your favourites shoehorned in rather than the manager’s. A bit dopey while we’re top of the league.
We’ve done lots in the premiership except win it, the numbers don’t lie. We’d all like to win it but claiming we’ve done ‘nothing’ is akin to those morons who called Wenger senile for not winning the league, a little hysterical for my liking.
EL B didn’t excite me as a player but if your suggestion is we’ve had no excitement during his management, you’ve really not being paying attention to football while you carry on your anti Arteta circle jerk on here. What he did as a player is neither here nor there and the sort of facile comment I’d assumed you’d be bored of making in the years since I last commented.
Marc & Norg—that’s why you don’t feed the animals
Ah Vera, I mention facile comments and who should arrive but our resident know nothing in chief. Is your sidekick with the pretend son still doing your warm up for the clown show?
I expect you’re still making insightsful comments along rhe lines of ‘winners win’ and suggesting winning strategies along the lines of ‘growing a pair’ or ‘pulling on big boy pants’ as the key to success as opposed to smart recruitment and tactics?
This is why youre not taken seriously wherever you post. At some stage you may recognise that verbosity is no substitute for actually knowing what you’re talking about. But that would need to you want to learn and grow as a person.
Big lol
Cheers
This week in the champions league.. Arsenal score 4
Liverpool score 5
Chelsea score 5
Man city and Newcastle win at a stroll.
Conclusion , the premier league is way ahead of the rest of Europe when it comes to strength in depth in their respective leagues.
Of course that doesn’t mean that an English side will automatically win the champions league as we may see a club like PSG (last season)have an exceptional season, but what it points to is the English clubs are likely to dominate all the European competitions as I expect at least 2 English clubs to reach the semis of each competition.
As for the premier league it is still way too early to get carried away by a team going through a rough patch like Liverpool or The Arsenal’s consistent run of results.
The title looks like it will be a shoot out between Arsenal, Liverpool and City, and the next few weeks may be pivotal when you look at the next run of fixtures.
Arsenal ….
palace at home
Burnley away
Sunderland away
Tottenham home
Liverpool….
Brentford away
Villa home
City away
Forest home
City ….
Villa away
Bournemouth home
Liverpool home
Newcastle away
City have a very tough run of fixtures that will test them to the maximum.
Liverpool have city away plus Brentford look a half decent side who may give them problems this weekend.
Both teams have Villa who are coming into form after a sluggish start.
As for Arsenal, 4 wins is a distinct possibility as teams are certainly starting to fear us if you go by the comments from the atletico manager and Alvarez who were very complimentary about the arsenal after we hammered them in the week.
TRVL
Apologies – I thought he was house trained.
Amnesia of what was being reported 3 -5 years ago would also include what Saliba said as he was exiled soon after he joined . Still remember his short introduction during pre-season when he did not do quite well , given that it was even before he could gel with his new mates . Yet El Grande Bastardo just tried to push him out . Didn’t quite succeed like with the midfielder thankfully.
And then some worms get out of the woodwork where they were apparently hibernating
Marc—the overwhelming smell of shit should have informed you otherwise…no worries, it’s not as if I didn’t contemplate putting them in their places once again, but then I quickly realized why the fuck would I waste my time on these know-nothing pissants…Cheers
TRVL
“Know nothing pissants ”
Now there’s a comment that may come back to haunt you.
Some good quality badinage on here in the past few days. It makes this site very readable because of the way it compares and contracts the modern with the past.
I saw a few overseas games in the 90s. My happiest was on the terraces in Liege for that 7 nil away victory over Standard. I witnessed the rarest of things… an Eddie Mcgoldrick screamer, all while the boys were edged out in that bruised banana jersey. And Belgian beers were allowed while watching the game. Good to see you back Aitcho. You and Vieira are big boys with thick skins so I hope you both enjoy the exchanges as much as I do reading them.
Marc – assuming you’re going, enjoy the game on Sunday. Much like Fulham, if we match them for energy, we should have enough for ‘who the fuck is’ Palace. Would love to see my main man Eze have a big game.
I’m driving across Wales to watch County take on Connah’s Quay tomorrow. Me, a minibus and 14 thirsty but incontinent geriatrics on an 8 hour round trip. What could possibly go wrong? Or should that be ‘pissibly’. 🚾🚻♿🟡🟡🟡
Contracts = contrasts
Edged = decked
Senior moments…coming thick and fast.
https://x.com/premierleague/status/1981707497590419795/phhttps://x.com/premierleague/status/1981707497590419795/photo/1oto/1
In among all the pissantry (wonderful word), I think we can agree that this makes for pleasant viewing
Fuck. Link doesn’t open. In essence, it’s a league table of results in London derbies over the past 5 years. AFC utterly dominant.
The sort of thing old chihuahua head would have trotted out to explain why he deserved more credit.
Kroenke
I’m not going on Sunday – I’ve got a small tear on my cartilage which was sorting itself out and I managed to tweak it during the weak so I’m going to take it easy over the weekend bit of cooking (curry tonight, chinese tomorrow and my version of a surf and turf on Sunday – a small Bavette steak with a couple of scallops wrapped in Parma Ham some nice potatoes and a side salad) and loads of televised sport.
Its a tough fucking life!
Ouch! Sorry to hear that Marc. I assume it’s your knee (which I know from experience ain’t fun). Get yourself a good knee support elastic thingy and keep icing it. And going out in crowds and sitting in football stadium seats is tough with a dicky knee. Take it easy mate. Good to see the culinary skills still being deployed!
Declan Rice dead ball delivery is world class, pace power and accuracy is the key and add consistency to that and you have the perfect mix, not quite up to Beckham standard though.
Compare that to what we have seen previously, namely odegaard being our supposed set piece master whose delivery lacked all of those attributes mentioned above .
If when Odegaard returns he takes over set piece duties then questions should be asked.
Declan Rice dead ball delivery is world class, pace power and accuracy is the key and add consistency to that and you have the perfect mix, not quite up to Beckham standard though.
Compare that to what we have seen previously, namely odegaard being our supposed set piece master whose delivery lacked all of those attributes mentioned above .
If /when Odegaard returns he takes over set piece duties then questions should be asked.d
That bald headed Slot’s luck has run out finally. Salah gave them a league title last season on his own.
Lost to Brentford last night who had more shots and shots on target than the league champions. One of the worst sides of Manchester United beat them at Anfield.
They lost to Chelsea, Galatasaraya, Crystal Palace and have only picked up one win in their last six games, which was against Frankfurt.
Brilliant.