Well, I don’t know why only Arsenal games are on weird timings. I prefer weekend because you don’t have to think of tomorrow. It’s a midnight one here in India, finishes by 3am and on a Monday.
But, it’s not going to stop us from watching and supporting the team. City has made our lives difficult, from now on till the end of this season, every game is going to be a must-win because Pep is brutal.
Palace won their first game against Sheffield and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The one good thing is their is no Zaha, he loved to make our life difficult and usually ended up on scoresheet. Under Roy Hodgson Crystal Palace has a brilliant track record. They warded off the relegation towards the end of last season, and during his tenure, they have managed to keep an average of 15 shots per game. They surely are going to test of defence and I hope Arteta don’t do a Arteta again by playing Thomas at RB.
Team News
Timber is out for long. Jesus is still unavailable. Zinchenko might make it today and I would personally like to see a back line of White, Gabriel, Saliba and Zinchenko / Tomiyasu depending on Zinny’s availability. Rice + Partey in the midfield with Odegaard in advance role. Saka and Martinelli on either wings with Nketiah up top. There is no need to be fancy, I understand the need to be un-guessable (if that’s a word) but putting Partey at RB hurts more than it benefits. Taking out Gabriel from starting XI means Saliba is playing on his non-favorite CB side, Partey is unsettled at RB, Midfield is devoid of Partey’s brilliance and it’s all a mess. Movement of Partey to the midfield when we have the possession is the only thing you can take it up as a positive in this case, but it makes us week in defence.
Stick to basics.
We have enough bench support, Kai, ESR, Trossard can play in any advance position, Kiwior can have some game time, Raya will most likely make the bench today. Tomiyasu and Tierney are back to fitness.
Talking of our RW, Saka scored one in the first game against Forest and it was a marvellous goal. He is best in his position in the world at the moment and has started or played as a sub in our last 81 PL games! Now that’s an unbelievable thing, maintaining that fitness and form for more than 2 seasons in a row. He plays PL, cup games, closed door friendlies and if I organize a 5-a-side in my neighbourhood, I’m sure he won’t deny playing in that too. Brilliant kid, best in the world currently, I wish him well and hope we provide a platform where he can win big things.
Mikel was particularly happy with Saka and has things to say about him.
on Bukayo Saka’s development:
source : Arsenal.com
I think it keeps growing year by year, and you set him new targets and he sets himself new targets and new demands and he seems to complete those. He’s extremely hungry and willing to learn and improve and become the player that decides the game every three days, and that’s what he has between his two eyes. He’s a very focused boy and he does everything to do that – the way he trains, the way he prepares himself, the way he lives his life. I’m very happy so he needs to keep doing what he’s doing.
Wrapping Up
Mondays are hell, but hopefully it will end well for us Gooners. Don’t forget to share your thoughts about potential starting XI and predict the score against Palace. I would love some clean sheet and 3-0 for Arsenal would make me happy.
We have lost control in the midfield. Both side of the defence is poor. I say bring in Gabriel for Odegaard, move White to RB and shift Kai in Ode’s position.
Our finishing has been poor. Eddie, Martinelli, Saka.. all of them.
There’s a plan there but it’s uninspiring at the moment. Speed of padding too slow. Not enough movement off the ball. And I worry that Saka is giving their LB too much respect. I think Alpha-tross will make a difference if he gets on early enough.
I would suggest we take Partey off, bring in Tross and have Havertz combine with Eddie as a front 2, maybe that will force us to be more directness while likewise give Marts and Saka some more space…this is starting to remind me of the Chelsa game against the Hammers yesterday, except that Chelsea looked far more threatening
be more direct
Trossard for Odegaard then. Our captain is missing today.
finally a set piece that made some fucking sense…even still the Keeper must be livid at himself considering Eddie’s first touch
Ambarish-Ode only appears to be missing because with Partey in an inverted role on the right it forces Ode into more advanced positions, which means less time on the ball…certainly not his fault…good penalty by him too
I would target whomever Ayew is man-marking in his own end as he’s one shirt pull away from a red
thank goodness Eze airmailed the shit out of that free kick
if Havertz isn’t the first one subbed we’ve got another Willian on our hands…btw does anyone want to guess what time our first sub(s) will arrive lol
That’s blatant corruption. Fuck off you c*nt ref.
that’s why you don’t fuck around when it comes to throw ins…hard pill to swallow as there was barely any contact and it was against Ayew, who easily could have been sent off for 2 yellows already
once again Marts not Havertz is off, when it’s far more likely that the former could score us a second on the counter
Partey was stupid there, but that would have been a bit harsh on the heels of the Tomi sending off
if we’re going to just absorb pressure for the remaining 20, MA had better make some more subs sooner than later…problem is who the fuck do we have on the bench who would shore things up defensively…this is why it was so hilarious when MA declared that we had two number 1’s at every position now…imagine Jorginho as a defensive replacement lol
maybe we got the benefit of the VAR doubt on the Partey penalty gig to even things out for the harsh manner in which Tomi was removed from the equation…old school even steven scenario
even the GD Hammers were more adventurous with 10 men, when given the opportunity
I guess all we needed was to eliminate every offensive player, minus Havertz of course, before we found a way out of our own end…wtf
Havertz made the ‘willian-level untouchables’.
Thank goodness we got all the three points.
See you later guys. Have a good one!
Partey MOTM today despite, or because of, being played out of position. Rice made a massive difference in there. We wouldn’t have got three points with Xhaka in the line up (assuming he wasn’t the one that saw red). Ref was crap. I think they should appeal Tomi’s red card.
Some trace elements of old school fighting Arsenal there.
as far as starts go, ours has been extremely underwhelming…I’ll gladly take the 6 points, but as long as MA’s watch is always set to squeaky bum time we will never win any major trophies…I’ve never seen a manager deploy that many defensively-minded players in a match against such a bang average and undermanned side…we had better be active in the window before it closes and acquire a clinical finisher and/or somoene who can shoot from distance or this sideways borefest will be par for the course this season…furthermore, we have one more poor side, Fulham, on the docket before things really ramp up, so we better get our shit together sooner than later
As managers go, he’s a bitter, befuddled old fucker isn’t he?
And as for Woy Hodgson…
KP-I’m going to let this one ruminate in my brain for a bit then I’ll likely vent in the wee hours…I do think what we saw prior to Timber’s injury is more reflective of what MA wants, which means Rice will spend some more time in advanced positions, but even so we somehow appear to be substanially less effective going forward and still too fragile when defending the counter…hardly the place you want to be after spending an absolute shitload
Morning all
Game was to late for me so thanks TRVL, Ambarish and KP for your match comments. The game stats don’t make good reading with now much between the 2 sides bar the goal and 62% possession for us.
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6 points from 2 poor showings from us is what it looks like. Still, we are going toe to toe with City and that’s all that counts in the end the points on the board. Partey was MOTM and is up for sale. How does that make sense?
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Have a good one LIR.
not much*
Have I even seen a player get a softer yellow card than either of Tomi’s yesterday – yes.
Have I ever seen a player sent off for 2 such soft yellows not even fucking close.
Tomi only had the ball for 8 odd seconds for the first booking – are you going to tell me that anyone who takes longer than 8 seconds to take a throw in will be booked?
The simple solution to this is if a team is time wasting on a throw in the ball should be given to the opposition to take a throw.
Terrible game but 3 points is 3 points, and I’ll take them any way we can get them. I’m not gonna comment on the starting lineup or in game substitutions as it is all subjective but I do want to chime in on Tomi’s two yellow cards and subsequent dismissal. A lot of people (including Arteta) are up in arms that the first yellow came for time wasting after Tomi took 8 seconds for a throw in. Well, it wasn’t 8 seconds though. It came after 23 seconds. If anything, Havertz should’ve been booked for taking 15 seconds prior to handing the ball over to Tomi. But he wasn’t. The ref (who was pretty bad overall, it has to be said) decided to be lenient, and allowed the play to continue. But when enough is enough? Let’s say Tomi takes 4 seconds, and decides to hand it over to somebody else? And that other person takes another 5-6 seconds. Now you’re at 25 seconds total which is ridiculous. I hate it when players waste time so I have no gripe whatsoever that there was a booking there. The second yellow is a different story but it’s easy to see how the ref was conned into thinking that Tomi deliberately fouled Ayew to prevent a counter attack. Honestly, I thought so myself in real time until I saw replays in slow motion (and VAR can’t intervene in yellow card decisions). So yes, Tomi was a bit unfortunate but in the end justice prevailed as we got the win anyway.
KP,
I don’t think the club can appeal a red card that was a result from two yellows, can they? Liverpool can and will appeal Mac Allister’s straight red card from their game against Bournemouth (and it will likely be overturned) but Tomi will have to serve his one game suspension.
Upstate
No you can’t appeal 2 yellows.
The issue on passing a throw in onto another player is often because the player closest to the ball going out isn’t the usual taker – now sometimes there’s an advantage to taking a kick throw in but if there’s not the ball is passed to the assigned taker. If the ref had booked Havertz it would have made more sense but you just know you’ll see dozens of occasions where the same thing happens with out bookings this weekend.
Easy way to stamp it out is a foul is awarded in the form of the opposition getting to take the throw.
This time wasting punishment by the refs is new and the players need to get the hang of it. But Tomi should have known better when on a yellow card you play extra cautious and don’t put the ref in asituation where he has to make a decision. Tomi should have known that he can’t get suspended since we are already down a LB because of Timbers’s injury.
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The positive from the game was the defense, it can be solid when need to be and it will make the players become a team. Eddie can make smart runs but he is Zero not a Hero in front of goal where he has to sort out his feet. Should have converted one of the two chances. Havertz still shooting blanks and he will hopefully be the undoing of the MIT.
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All in all after the two games I am asking myself where will the goals be coming from until Dec 23rd when we play Pool and Arteta has been 4 years abusing AFC.