Well, we were on a happy run before a sh*t Everton decided to bring in Sean Dyche, who made them play like they have never played before, this season. We not only lost 3 important points in the title run, but also went into a bad run of games where we dropped points against Brentford and lost to City. Martinelli started dropping stinkers, can you believe it? So yeah, it’s time for the payback. Everton tried to derail our title run, lets make sure they remain in the relegation battle after today’s game.
Lets talk about Arsenal. Aston Villa was a thrilling encounter which kept us off our feet for the complete game. Going behind twice and then winning 4-2 against Emery’s side was sweet. Against Leicester, it was a boring 1-0 where we made sure we have the control of the game and the score line do not do justice. I am more of a ‘get me a boring 1-0 win’ than a thrilling encounter which can go either way. We need to control the game, we need to cut down the errors and our CF needs to bury the chances they get. We did the first two against Leicester, we didn’t bury the chances we should have though.
There are some positives, Partey is back in the mix, ESR is making to the bench, Trossard looks really mature and Martinelli scored in back to back games now. There are talks of Saka agreeing to a deal to extend after Martinelli. Fabrizio reported earlier that Saliba is happy with Arsenal and a contract extension will be agreed soon. So, we tie up three of our best players who are in their early 20s and have at least 10 good years in them. Brilliant!
Coming back to the game, Mikel tried a Trossard + Martinelli which we had asked for. It didn’t prove to be a miracle but it was the first game where they both played together. I think it was just a temporary arrangement, once Jesus is back it’s either Nketiah or him at CF. Bring in Balogun in the mix and we have two potential strikers and Jesus.
I have been complaining about rotation from Mikel the whole last season. However, I don’t want to see it now. We had nothing to lose last season, we needed to give game time to every players for their growth. Today, we are in a situation where a mistake can cost us the title. Lets play to our strength, make rotation only when it’s necessary. These 11 players have gelled in perfectly, and you can mix things up at 60th minute with Jorginho, ESR, Tomiyasu, Tierney on the bench.
If you ask me, I will say it’s a 4-0 win for us. Nketiah proves every one of us wrong today, with 2 to his name. Saka and Martinelli scores one each. I am happy this morning, so I am only wishing 4 goals for us. It could have been worse, after what they did to us and our title challenge.
Anyways, we are still at the top, and I can’t finish my article without the custom – it’s very lonely at the top and I am loving it 😉
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Hi Ambarish
I hope all is well with you.
I want something very simple tonight. Not a win, but an absolute annihilation. 4 goals or more, Dyche’s pressure cooker head to explode and for those dirty bastards to get at lest 2 red cards. If all that happens, justice will be done and we can look forward to Bournemouth.
Hi KP,
Hope everything is alright at your end too.
Yes, minimum 4 is what we need for tonight. Dyche’s head exploding would be the cherry on top, after what they did to us.
Really good piece. Your comment about just winning even if it’s a 1-0, makes you a fully paid up old school Gooner. The Toffees will waste time from the off but unlike other low level teams, I think they’ll play out more than many who come with a parked bus. 3-nil for me.
Just watched a bonkers ODI between Bangladesh and England, the latter just winning by catching a total of 209. The wickets really turn there don’t they.
Everton should regret today that he played well but should not have played with us..!!
We all are ARSENAL…!
as I stated in the previous thread, we need a dominant victory on our resume in 2023, so let’s hope today is the day we get things righted…just two points about the above article, I too can appreciate a 1-0 scoreline, but only when it’s fitting, whereas I would much rather we risk a higher scoring affair against those squiads who clearly don’t have that many goals in them…it’s important that a squad has the requisite confidence to impose their will on teams who’re clearly inferior, much like City versus Bournemouth last weekend, as that’s what’s required when your ultimate goal is to win the chip…as for the whole Trossard with Marts comment above, I don’t count that last fixture, as Trossard was playing as a false 9, and not in wider spaces, which would be the case if Eddie was up top and Trossard was playing in the more advanced Xhaka role…this isn’t splitting hairs, as these are two completely different sets of circumstances…time for a foot on throat effort today!!!
TRVL
Yes I would love a battering but I meant it more in a way like we controlled the Leicester game and no where in the match it felt like we will lose.
Against Villa, for a good part we all believed we gonna lose some points, although we made it 4-2.
Good for the heart too.
DK
Yep, they should regret that. Everton is in 18th position, fighting the relegation battle and they should remain there after todays’.
What a chase n save !
No much of a great game is it
Saka to the rescue, what a beautiful and powerful strike that was.
My prediction going right, Saka and Martinelli scored. Come on Mikel, bring in Eddie now for the other 2.
If our new world order includes Jorginho and Xhaka as regular starters, for offensive purposes no less, then we’re truly living in Bizarro World…this has been a fairly pedestrian performance thus far…great finish by Saka, maybe his best ever with his weaker foot, so I very much doubt that will become a regular gig, then the second was a gifting of epic proportions…time to put on the throat crushing boots and wipe these lightweights out, but I feel like some deep-sitting, sideways passing nonsense could be in the offing
Trvl
I guess Mikel realised that too, and got Partey IN at half time.
Jorginho was meh.
Ambarish—I think that had far more to do with the 2-0 scoreline, as Partey is light years ahead of Jorginho from a defensive capacity…I know I have to keep reminded myself that the 3 points matter most, but I’m very concerned about some of MA’s maneuverings…it reminds me of when Arsene would shoehorn in some of his new players, regardless if it made sense, simply for egoistic purposes…I’m not a big backer of Eddie, but he should have been leading the mine tonight after not starting on the weekend, as Trossard isn’t a natural Striker…meanwhile, I wouldn’t be surprised whatsoever to see Jorginho starting for Partey on a more regular basis, which is a ludricous notion, unless the latter is injured…just think about it, today the offence was being directed by Jorginho and they literally had 2 set pieces designed specifically for Jorginho to shoot from distance…besides his very fortuitous strike, which was an own goal, against Villa, this has never been a part of his toolbox…as such, this tells me something about what’s happening on the training pitch
Makes you wonder why we couldn’t beat these wankers at their place a few weeks ago.
Lack of TV coverage is fucking depressing.
I’ve talked for years about Xhaka’s propensity to pass to his teammate’s back foot instead of leading them in a more direct fashion…with our 3rd goal you can see just how important that little nuanced component is in the build-up of play, as his leading pass was what gave Trossard the open laneway to advance into the box…that said, Everton looks bereft of ideas and we should be angling to pot a couple more goals…larger leads are what allows our rather fearful manager to provide some much-needed minutes for our bench players
Trvl
Probably he was just protecting Partey. Saw us 2-0 up at half time but we needed control, which Partey is doing.
KP
That’s sad, 3-0 up and as the commentator said, Sean Dyche is pulling his ‘whatever the fuck is left’ hairs.
KP—this has turned into a FA Cup affair against a 2nd or 3rd division opponent
Nketiah missed one now. God damn, we need the fourth.
One thing I have liked is that White has tried on a couple occasions to make longer direct passes, which I thought was one of the main reasons why we rolled up the Brinks truck at BHA
I’m likewise really pumped that Marts has scored in back-to-back affairs
goal differential matters, so keep the train rolling against this swiss cheese defence
this looks so bad on Everton that Dyche might get fired for Big Sam
If, if, if… But it would be sweet if we do get success and its accompanied by a relegation for Everton.
And the spuds and their foul purple kit out of the FA Cup. I might be tempting fate but no way they win the CL either. More trophylessness.
Morning all
Too late for me at 0245 this morning but Junior stayed up with Pumpkin and loved it.
Good call KP that will help our +GD.
It’s been a very good week for us home and away so Bournemouth should be a formality at the Emirates Saturday. Assuming we carry form from this match and rest Xhaka.
Have a good one.
Tony
Big ups to junior and pumpkin. 🐯
You, on the other hand, sound like you’re turning into a plastic fan!
You’re spot on about Bournemouth (and Palace). Needs to be more of the same – plus some rotation with those Portugeezers on the horizon.
Team started with the handbrake on and, in fairness, so did the crowd. Maybe collective nerves.
Not so long ago, the crowd would have been on the team’s back way before we scored the first goal. We’d have probably let in one on the counter in our anxiety
.
In the words of Benny White, “it’s different now”
Icings on the cake, oles on about 70 and hopefully sending Everton down. They started brightly but quickly realised it wasn’t going to happen twice. From their racist fans back in the day, to perma relegation battles clogging up good Premier League space, Lampard, Dyche I’ve been sick of that team for going on 30 years,
Aitcho
I noticed it too, for first few minutes they were singing Saliba song but around 6-8th minute, couple of mistakes and nervousness crept in..
Happy to see both crowd and players coming out of it, and we grabbing all there was to grab in our pursuit of the title.
Hi Aitcho
Very well put. We have a shared antipathy of Liverpool’s third team (behind the reds and tranmere rovers). Did you ever read that book ‘out of his skin’ about when Liverpool signed John Barnes. Evertonians treated him appallingly despite having their own players of colour at the time. I’m also convinced that brown envelopes stuffed with cash swapped hands with Wimbledon that time they were 2-0 down at Goodison on the last day and set to drop, only to score 3 goals in the second half. Their fans are also shit – I was up there a few years ago watching Cardiff and the place was like outer space – devoid of atmosphere!
Good win last night. They need to start against the cherries with the same second half intensity from last night.
K’phobe
I caught the highlights this morning before a zoom meeting. I’ve ordered a DVR DVD recorder just for the Football and rugby. Oddly enough your summer time is better for us even though it’s only an hour. 12:30 am KO become 11:30 finishing at around 1:20am. With the customary 2-hour wind down from our earlier heroics and you soon get the picture.
Recorder solves all that. 🙂
Great win! I looked at Xhaka’s stats and they were almost exact as the last game. 41 passes 1 tackle ………. surely ESR or Trossard can do better as our 8?
Tony
The DVD recorder is only 1 piece of the puzzle my friend. Swap the dope for some speed or MDMA and you’ll be in eye-popping business. If we’re top by the end of the season, we’ll all be partying like it’s 1999 anyway. I’m not getting ahead of myself but 14 games to go…