Ladies and Gentlemen, we took another trip around the Sun and celebrated like it’s the last one. But it’s not, and we have to get back to business in our personal, professional and football world. I will let you deal with the first two, but lets talk about football. We are playing Brentford today on their ground. It’s going to be a tough one because Brentford had a great home run in 2024, they are very well coached for set pieces and we have an injury to our best player.
It shouldn’t deter us though, we saw what happened with Chelsea after a great run and there’s a very good chance that Liverpool will have a bad phase sometime soon. We need to remain closer to them to take advantage of the situation and we need to win today for that.
Team news
Bukayo Saka is out injured for a long time. Sterling is suffering from a knee injury. Ben White and Tomiyasu have not recovered from their injuries as well. But there’s a surprize today in the lineup which we have been asking since long.
Here’s the line up to play –
Nwaneri starts at right wing. Timber and Calafiori are back in the defence so MLS has to sit this one out on bench. Declan Rice gets some rest for Merino with Thomas Partey anchoring that midfield, while Nwaneri and Martinelli starts on the wings and Jesus plays in the centre. There’s no Havertz today, not sure about the reason but I don’t have anything to complain.
We certainly are going to miss Bukayo but lets see what Ethan offers in his first ever Premier League start. I would have loved to see him play in midfield but if he benefits from Saka’s absence, he will have a big claim for that midfield position once starboy is back.
Right, I will keep it short today. Hope you had a blast and lets see out the first day of the year on the positive note with a massive WIN. Liverpool are not backing down and are probably in a place where they will go ahead and win this, but there’s always a chance and a win today will make sure we remain in the mix.
See you during the game.
Marc
Never a penalty. The same old incompetent, biased cunt, Anthony Taylor.
Ambarish
It wasn’t even one where you can say “I’ve seen them given” just poor refereeing.
Guys it’s in the penalty area and just like a mistimes tackle this was a missed header and Saliba clips Jao pedros head. it’s a foul inside the area. It’s a penalty not a stone walled but one that is as per the letter of the law.
My simple theory is that if Arsenal as a football club really believes that they are not treated fairly by the ref, then they should grow a pair and register a complaint officially. If not we should accept that it’s part of the game and just move on. You talk to any fan they will always complain that the club get wrong decision the most.
Madhu
You find a similar penalty in a top flight division and I’ll agree with you. If it’s a reasonable decision there should be dozens if not hundreds of them.
Effectively 11 points off Liverpool at just past the halfway point of the season – with the injuries we’ve got and squad limitations that’s us out of the PL race.
Marc how long will we keep complaining and bitching about refs. We either do something about it as a club else shut up and move on. If we are a big club then we should have the power to influence. You talk to a Wolves fan and they will bitch but then throw their hands and say that they are a small club so nobody cares. This discussion on refs have gone on for decades. Either something should be done else suck it up like grow ups. That’s life
Really poor second half. Passing and movement terrible. We were never going to see score a second goal. Shit.
Madhu
I think we did last season, and PGMOL accepted the mistake. But what did it do for us? We didn’t get back the lost points, and we didn’t get a rematch.
Martinelli got 2 yellow in the same playing, no one has seen that in past, and it won’t be seen again. Today’s penalty is just another of those decisions.
Madhu
I don’t moan about every decision given against us – there are times when its bad luck, naivety, you’re just plain wrong etc but you won’t see that decision given again.
My complaint as always is lack of quality and consistency with refs.
If you want to see some incisive attacking football check this from today’s County win against Briton (not Brighton!) Ferry.
There’s even some bonus footage of Kroenkephobe getting wet in the second half.
https://youtu.be/AzdhfEu0QjY?si=LikFrsFaAjaYRyfN
We looked toothless, leggy and if the players had picked up the wrong size boots.
We’ve got 7 matches between now and the end of the month and a limited squad to be able to rotate.
Ambarish – yes and if after complaint nothing has happened then there are only two possibilities. Suck it up as it’s same with everybody else unless you can come up with evidence that Arsenal suffer the most or go back again and register a stronger complaint. Get together with other clubs and lobby for what you think are improvements to be done. The problem is that the issue with refs are mentioned by virtually everyone.
Since I am avid Test cricket watcher and played at a decent club cricket level I can tell you this narrative is there at every game. But whatever you say about ICCI the cricket governing body has solved the umpire issues once and for al. Earlier the sub continent umpires were derided and accused of being completely based against the visiting sides. ICCI then introduced neutral umpires then that issue disappeared. Then with technology they bought in referral model and the wrong decision narrative is completely removed from the narrative. Now it Arsenal and other clubs should lobby and suggest how referring can be improved in PL. If the clubs put pressure and threaten non cooperation I wonder why PL governing body not make improvements
It’s a as much a competency, setup and organisation issue than a biased or corrupt referees.
Good morning all
When I heard what our midfield was going to be, I went to bed. The Spud’s game had been entertaining enough, where I just knew we’d struggle, and looks like we would have lost had Ethan not netted.
Your commentary above tells me sleep was far more interesting than watching us labour through 100 minutes of artic football.
Penalty or not I’m in Madhu’s camp where things even out in the end.
KP
Cracked me up you complaining about others complaining. lol I sent you a song that might be appropriate now.
I had a feeling after consulting Pumpkin, who’s sadly leaving today and who I’ll never see again the than pics when we leave, and got my inspiration for one or zero points from the BHA game.
Were or are you watching country this weekend? Or has the snow cut you off? Looks a bad one so thinking for you and the family and not losing essential power.
Marc
MA is just being true to form or his form. We’ve got away with some decisions, especially fouls on opponents keepers’ for set pieces. I see it as dangerous play being the letter of the law. Refs have been good to us lately.
To be fair it was a 50/50, but if it adds a nail to MA’s coffin, then, I’m there front and center with a FBH (fcuking big hammer).
We are a real mess and will continue to be with MA’s usual chaotic tactics because MA can’t win using bench players because he bought badly.
We are a 13 man team. Leicester needed a 15 man squad for their PL trophy win.
LIR
Slot will be itching to get at Manure as will his players be licking their collective lips, I still see pool winning by more than 3 goals.
We’ve got a tough run in and as was said earlier 7 games to play with injuries and a clueless manager in charge of the TW.
What could possibly go wrong?
Over to you TRVL can’t wait to read your thoughts on this weekend…..
To be fair I think both managers got their selections wrong…the very fact that Mitoma didn’t get the start, especially knowing that Timber was unavailable, was simply baffling…speaking of which, can you imagine any team with top 6/European aspirations being so reliant upon Danny Welbeck that their form drops off a cliff with his absence…Hurzeler is really starting to feel the weight of the task at hand, he’s a bit like an Arteta in the headlights nowadays…yet somehow they still managed to finagle a point
as to the manner in which they ultimately tied things up, I simply refuse to engage in any further ref conspiratorial nonsense until something inexplicable occurs…this was not that…I must say, I seen something very similar called on numerous occasions, but more often than not, that hasn’t been the case…the fact that it wasn’t overturned by VAR suggests that it was well within the letter of the law, although maybe not so much so when it comes to the spirit
as for MA, he was somewhat limited, from a selection standpoint, due to some sort of illness, as Havertz wasn’t available again and Ode was apparently on a minutes restriction…not sure I’m buying the whole Ode illness narrative…it seems to me if you really wanted to rid yourself of whatever malady that was going around, you would simply isolate anyone who was under the weather…I guess it’s possible that the medical staff felt he wasn’t endangering others, so he could dress, but he wasn’t fit enough to start…on the other hand, it just might have been another greasy maneuver on MA’s part to explain away an absence in a manner that would draw the least amount of criticism, even if it had far more to do with his preferred bully-ball tactics or load management…it certainly wouldn’t be the first time MA has used the “unfit to play” card, only for it to be subsequently debunked (Auba, Willian, Marts, ESR etc…)
sometimes I feel as if MA has purposely never shown all our cards, so if things go awry he can always sell the notion of a better future…how else could one possibly explain why we’ve never seen all 3 of our most creative players, Saka, Ethan and Ode, on the pitch to start a match…but I digress
as for yesterday’s match, maybe Ethan took a knock in the first half(wink, wink) and that’s why MA felt it best to replace him with a wrong-footed Marts, but if that didn’t occur, he should have never taken off the player most likely to score a second goal at the midway mark…to me this decision was all about two decidely problematic issues that continue to plague our club, MA’s overtly defensive inklings and his desire to cater to Rice’s preferred positional script
as to the former, he clearly didn’t like Ethan’s play inside our own end, which I agree wasn’t the best, but I think it’s important to note that he was sewered by some bad service on a couple of occasions…regardless, this alone shouldn’t have warranted his exit, as all teams sacrifice some defensive zone coverage if the offensive up-side justifies the risk…if that wasn’t the case Tross would likely never see the fucking pitch…why not instead have Marts come in on his best side, keep Ethan on the right, so as to stretch their backline, which would have in turn provided Ode with more space in which to work…even if MA was determined to give Tross a go against his former club (“revenge game”), put Marts on the right, to shore up things defensively a bit, then move Ethan over to the 8 and simply sub Merino, who was only playing in order to help with corners/set pieces and provide some defensive coverage help for Jorginho and Cala so that Rice could functionally replace Ode…WTF
this brings me to my second point, the Declan Rice dilemma…what are we doing here?? so let me get this straight, we sit the slow-footed Jorginho deep, so that our 100+M DM can be deployed as.our final third pivot…no wonder we gave up the ball so cheaply a fucking gazillion times in their end and why they found it to easy to navigate through our midfield at times…it’s like we’re handcuffing ourselves on fucking purpose…winning with bullying tactics or set piece dark arts might be fine for those with a limited budget and/or exceedingly lowered expectations, like Everton or Dyche’s former club Burnley, but why the fuck are we engaging in this sort of fine margins football…the whole thing is fucking embarassing considering the length of MA’s tenure and the monies spent…I wonder if MA’s tune about the January window will take a decided shift after dropping more points??? Cheers
decidedly
TRVL – fabulous post. The Rice conundrum is barking to say the least. He is neither creative nor has a reliable shot from distance. He made his name as a central defensive mid and we paid 100M for that position I presume. Why then MA at the slightest available opportunity will deploy Rice in ana advanced position. My assessment is that MA wants to play with 2 pivots but deploys the second one as left 8. He wants 2 defensive minded midfielders to presumable gain more control with Ode as creative hub. He will not play to save his life with Rice as center and two creative players flanking him. It has to be either Merino or Rice or Partey for 2 positions in the midfield. He will even play Kai to break up plays than any creative players along with Ode. Iam not sure he doesn’t just deploy a 2 pivots and just allow Ode to roam around with 2 players protecting him behind. This charade of 433 is not serving our purpose it’s better suited for. 4213 setup.
We will never be more creative I think with MA. It’s strange that he doesn’t have confidence in his defence to stop counters. With 4 seasons of playing together I would presume Saliba-Gab and one of the full backs are good enough protection. It’s bizarrely conservative setup for a team hoping to win the league. Even for bottom half teams he is loathe to setup in a attacking way. Brighton yesterday was by far performed worst in all the games that I have watched them. They have lost so many players like enciso, welbeck, sonny marsch, can’t remember an young center mid without these players Brighton was very conservative, yet we couldn’t break them. With better finishing Brighton may have snatched a victory. We are boring to watch and the lack of thrust / energy in attack leaves us short inany matches.
As I was expecting from you both great posts TRVL & Madhu, some real truths for all to see that make brutal sense.
MA’s uttering today was that he’s never seen a penalty like that before. Maybe he should learn more about the game, just a suggestion…….
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mikel-arteta-arsenal-brighton-nwaneri-34420149
The S.o.B appears to be gloating at Ethan injury like it was another God sent excuse for ESR treatment.
We would have lost yesterday if not for Nwari goal