Mikel wouldn’t be happy going into the biggest game of season – the North London Derby – after losing the first leg of a Carabao Cup final to Newcastle, crashing out of the FA Cup after a loss to Manchester United (of all), and dropping 2 points to Brighton when we needed a win to close the gap to Liverpool. He would also not be happy with the injuries and certain players’ form. But he knows a comfortable win today against Tottenham would make the fans forget the shite football we are playing and give him some relief. I always have a lot to complain, but not today because of the seriousness of the game and the opposition.
It’s the North London Derby Day!
First, when we had a chance to close the points gap twice this season, we failed to capitalise. In the previous match week, Manchester United restricted Liverpool to a 2-2 draw and it gave us a chance to close 2 point gap to the league leader. We gave it away by succumbing to Brighton. This weekday has been good again for us – Brentford’s 2 late goals made sure City shared points and Forest gave their everything to restrict Liverpool to a draw while Chelsea dropped points against Bournemouth at home. It has, again, come down to us to make the most of it. There’s 7 point difference with 20 games played between us and Liverpool, and winning us today will close the gap a bit.
And, what’s better than a London Derby at Emirates. Ange do not believe in a sit back and we love that as a team. Low blocks are a problem but not the one who likes to play ball.
Arsenal v Tottenham
Well, we haven’t lost to the Spuds at home in 14 years. Ange is having a tough time with only one win in his last 8 games. There are sitting on 13th position in the table, one better than Manchester United and that’s exactly where they belong.
In the team news, we have some set backs (probably for the good, let me be blunt). Saka, White, Nwaneri and Tomi are still not available for today while Calafiori will be judged before the game. Gabriel Jesus will be out for a very long time, and that’s a very bad thing for us – not because he is a star performer but we can’t sell him yet again this year.
I’m hoping a back 4 of Timber, Saliba, Gabriel and MLS (or, Calafiori in case he makes it). We might see a midfield of Partey, Rice and Odegaard with Martinelli, Havertz and Trossard up top.
Coming to the Jesus injury, we should accept that it’s not going to work anymore. He is either injured (unfortunate this time) or in a bad form. I don’t see him winning us more than couple of games in a calendar year so what’s the point. The problem is we can’t move him now, not in this window, not in the next one.
NLD is the most intense game of the season and we are going to miss out best player in Saka. I seriously hope the young blood understand what it means to the supporters and everyone around the club, and we go on to win by 4 goals minimum. We have been on the down slope of confidence after the FA Cup loss, extra time means we would be leggy but today’s not the day to find an excuse. It’s a war and I don’t care if you die for it.
Wrapping up
I’m sorry for not being available recently. Some family obligations and travel made me miss some of our games and I couldn’t post anything. I have returned to my den now and you would be hearing from me a lot more.
See you during the game, and thank you for all the support.
Cheers.
Thanks Ambarish – lets hope the boys are angry (but not too angry just in case we pick up red cards) after their recent results. Big Ange needs this win to stave off a potential sacking so it will not be an easy win.
Good to have you back, Ambarish, but family always come first in my life. You really haven’t missed much except MA induced pain. Then posts here were more interesting than the games: the boys did you proud.
Will we get more pain this evening? I sincerely hope not. However, if MA does dropped the soap in the Spuds shower, I’m sure he’s going to be doing his best John Wayne walk for weeks after. Someone should ream him a new one.
Absolutely no idea how to call it. I called the Manure game a draw late in the day, and maybe this will be the same. Can Jorginho pull 2 big games in 3 days? I don’t think so. I think 60 minutes and he’s done.
Can Kai ban his striker demons or is he really that shit? I just don’t see where the goals are going to come from?
I’m calling it another score draw when we need a win to catch up on Slot’s draw.
TRVL
Saw in the press they are already calling Zubi the next Rodri, so we should ;lose any games next season when he starts for us instead of Party.
Liverpool were 5 points ahead at the top of the league at the end of January last season and blew it and faded with a whimper.
Liverpool’s last 3 games against prem opposition.
Forest draw
United draw
Tottenham lose
Not great is it, so maybe those very same players who collapsed last season will do the same this season.
Tonight is our most important game of the season , 3 points and we are well and truly back in the title race , anything else and the alarm bells will start to ring.
shouldn’t*
NORG
Yep, hopefully we will be the reason for Ange’s demise.
Tony
I heard the FA Cup game was shite and probably the worst game in past couple of years. Let’s see how we bounce back because it’s must today. Against Spuds, with Liverpool dropping points and chance to go closer to them? There can’t be a better day to win 4-0.
Appreciate all you guys sticking around 🙏🏻
You’ve created a LIR family, Ambarish, our version of the Wimbledon crazy gang…
You’ve always got our support blog father……..
I’ll watch the game in the morning….. Hoping for a good win.
Tony—“they” might call Zubi that, but I very much doubt that’s actually the case…he’s not nearly physical enough to be the second coming…so I guess that’s that regarding the former DM, Declan Rice…it wasn’t that long ago when he was the closest comp, now it just seems like an accepted notion that we need to sign another Rice…what a fucking joke!!! this is why we’re at best treading water
as for our resident giraffe, I just read an article comparing Havertz and Werner’s respective goalscoring records in the PL..what a fucking waste of bytes…anyways, there was one quote of note that sort of sums up our feckless tweener:
“Havertz has always had talent, the problem however has been that he has never had a defined position, and has never been consistent during his time in England”
fucking blah!…certainly not the kind of player a team on the cusp should be have been coveting
good to see you back Ambarish—that last one went 10 pages deep…was that the longest thread ever on here?
I’m with Tony
1 – 1 tonight we can’t score and the Spuddies can’t defend only way I can see any different is if it comes through set pieces.
I’m a bit more sanguine. It’s not that we didn’t create masses of chances against Manure, it was our finishing that was poor. But play like we did against the barcodes and it’ll come crashing down.
I think we’ll beat them three nil. Spurs do not and cannot defend.
Good point Marc. Let’s hope in any case that Jover has instilled in them some new set piece tricks.
Ambarish
Where else are going to go mate? This is the only place for knowledgeable cynicism! I hope all is well in your world.
So what you’re saying Kroenke is Ambarish is the only one who’ll put up with us!
Marc—you should be more concerned that Ambarish has given you a red buttplug emoticon, so maybe you’re on the outs lol
KP—I’m leaning more towards your thinking, as this Spurs side has some serious issues in their own end…the big question then becomes can we actually take advantage of that fact
there’s a bit of a late Wenger era feel to this one, in that it’s not like you want us to lose simply to up the pressure on the manager when it comes to transfers, yet you just know if we win MA will double-down on the whole I like what we’ve got narrative
right now it looks like men to boys, but what the fuck was Sterling doing when he fell to the ground when he had a grade A chance…it’s like MA has told them to Havertz whenever they’re in the box
I would make this Keeper touch the ball as much as humanly possible, as he looks to be a bag of toys right now
sadly, I would suspect that this Sterling start has a lot to do with our potential plans in the transfer market
this Spurs backline is even worse than I expected…they just might be the worst we’ve seen this season
how are we not up by 3 or 4 by now?? this could be Ange’s last match if we put a 6 or 7 spot on them
couple of great plays by both Gabs and Raya to save our blushes…can’t even imagine being a goal down against this dreadful Spurs side
I’m starting to imagine.it now…how terribly sad
Fucking hell..
Sterling is having a good game so far. Odegaard needs to be sold and we need an upgrade him.
Ambarish—that’s our season in a nutshell, dominate possession then the opposition scores totally against the run of play with the fewest of chances
Ambarish—are you drunk? Sterling’s been shit, as per, and Ode’s looked much better
how have we not made that Keeper pay for his incompetence?
finally!!! that Keeper is a bloody useless…good on Gabs…shouldn’t have been a corner in the first place though