You couldn’t be any happier as an Arsenal fan. Well, there are some caveats but if you look at the overall picture, we are having a heck of a time. We are sitting at the top in Premier League with a 4 point lead to 2nd place Bournemouth and 6 points over Man City whom we can consider the competition. We have 3 wins in 3 games in Champions League, one of them was 4-0 against the Simeone’s side. We qualified for the Quarter Finals in Carabao Cup with a team that started a 15 year old and will face Crystal Palace and not one of the City, Chelsea or Newcastle. Our FA cup run is yet to start, but everything else looks fine so far. In fact, much better than just fine.
However, the road to success will get much tougher as we move forward, other teams will figure out their mess and every game will get decisive. All we need to do, is keep our head cool, perform the best we can, challenge each other for the starting place and prove why you deserved it and we can win something of value finally. We have got some of the best players in Premier League on bench. We have the best defence in the league and the opposition is struggling to put a shot on target. We have 15-year olds challenging Brightonions and we have players that are making history with the 15 minutes they are getting. The hunger is there, the team has fallen 3 years in a row after getting so close to the title and they surely would have that pain in their heart. I am pretty sure they don’t want to feel it again.
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Right, lets get back to the game. We are visiting Burnely today, and they aren’t in a very good condition. With only 3 wins in 9 games, they are fighting a relegation battle and the three wins they have were against Wolves, Sunderland and Leeds. We are surely the favorites and a win today will either keep the lead to 6 points against City or Bournemouth can do us a favor by beating them tomorrow. But, in any case, we can’t afford to lose our focus today.
Gabriel Martinelli picked up an injury against Brighton mid week and will not available for today’s game. Mikel is starting Trossard mostly in Premier League anyway so it should be fine. William Saliba remains a doubt after coming off at half time against Palace last weekend but we have Mosquera who can fill in his place. He had one bad game but you can expect that from a 21-year old CB trying to fit in the shoes of the best CB partnership in the world.
I am hoping a back 4 of Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel and Calafiori starting today with Raya back in the goal. Both Rice and Zubimendi are expected to start with Eze playing the no. 10 role. Saka, Gyokeres and Trossard will keep their places.
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I am bit sorry for Gyokeres. That lad thought he is coming to Arsenal to bang in couple of goals every game but is being surrounded by 3 defenders every game and is not getting the freedom he was otherwise getting with Sporting. The league’s tougher than anything else and with Arteta’s style of play, where your CF needs to go back in his own penalty box to defend, he will have to work harder to get his name on the scoresheet. However, it’s allowing Saka, Martinelli, Trossard more space on the wings and is ultimately improving our game in the final third so it’s not a bad thing as long as we keep winning.
Also, I hate to be overly dependent on set pieces and winning games 1-0, but 3 points are 3 points. Would I love some David Beckham free kick goals from Eze? Yes. Would I love Gyokeres scoring a hattrick with bicycle kicks? Fucking Yes. Martinelli picking the ball in his own half courtesy to a Raya’s pass and then beating 3 defenders to score a solo goal is a mesmerizing thing, but if you come at me calling the club a set piece club, I would show you the 3 points and the league table. If you happen to be a Liverpool fan, I would also ask you fuck off.
Right, that’s me done. See you during the game.
Kroenke
You say Starmer isn’t the worst in recent memory – the UK is spiralling the drain and he or his appointees are making it worse. I was of an opinion that he’d be gone after the May elections but the way things are going he’s not going to last that long – his replacement will make Starmer look like a solid PM.
KP Unfortunately we are all in the soup at this time. Marj appears to know there is evidence in the Epstein files and wont give in – perhaps there is past history between them other than politics.
Trump is like BoJo and cannot keep it in his trousers as well as having insane haircuts.
Trump must wish he had Putin’s power – if he did Marj would have been seen falling out of a 16th floor window by now.
Marc
Come on mate. Truss…lasted less time than the lettuce after financially fucking the entire country. Bojo’s corruption, chaos and COVID mismanagement. May…unable to get a commins majority for anything. Sunak…an effete hollow cunt in an ill fitting but expensive suit.
Starmer is/was as poor as Cameron, yes. And he almost succeeds in making Blair look better than him. He’s blown labour to pieces and they fucking deserve it for choosing him as their leader.
NORG
Not sure I agree. I think Randy Andy is up to his over privileged neck in mulligatawny. And while all these fuckers are finally facing a little (and only a little) justice, I’m quite easily able to separate myself from all the horror in the world right now, not least because I’ve caused none of it. Stateside, I’m beginning to get a sense that Trump’s grip on that awful place is starting to diminish.
Randy Andy is an arsehole. will his snorkel save him as the gooey mess covers him. He wasted so much tax payers money on flights alone just so he and his cronies could play golf on foreign shores. Once he had a golfing weekend in Paris with 18buddies. He had forgotten his clubs and another aircraft (private) was used to fly out his clubs.
I have a randy Andy anecdote too. On a visit to the US in the 2000s (possibly one where he ‘met’ and didn’t sweat in the presence of that unfortunate young woman), he called into the British Embassy in DC for the briefest of visits (presumably to justify a gargantuan expense claim). I have a photo of me and randy – a team shot if you will – flanked by various colleagues who worked in my section.
I only found the photo recently and thought in light of his horrendous crimes, it might be fun to frame it with the caption, ‘one is a grim sexual predator and paedophile, the other one is a highly esteemed member of the royal family and the queen’s favourite son’. Geddit?
Kroenke
Truss screwed up – she tried to do too much too fast but she was also a convenient scapegoat for the BoE’s failure over LDI’s. Her basic ideas were good the implementation and presentation were the issue that were compounded by the BoE being beyond incompetent.
Bailey is a clown and its a miracle he hasn’t been fired.
Norg
I don’t think Trump has anything to fear in the Epstein files – he’s a lot of things but I haven’t seen anything to make me think his sexual preferences include underage girls.
MTG comes across as a loon and an ignorant one at that.
KP
I didn’t say starmer is thick, I said he deliberately acts thick…..
I’m not sure how or why anyone would be triggered by a such a trivial remark, especially as starmer will be gone before Arsenal are crowned league champions in May….what a perfect scenario , Arsenal league champions and Starmer sent packing…
I may be mistaken but it appears that Labour are fast becoming the racist party with their anti immigration rhetoric….talk about playing into reforms hands, what a cock up .
I may be mistaken but it appears that Labour are fast becoming the racist party with their anti immigration rhetoric….talk about playing into reforms hands, what a cock up .
You are not mistaken. They’re a collective shit show of cunts desperate to maintain power. Marc – I told you after the election about Starmer’s right credentials didn’t I? That’s why people on the right ought to be celebrating that no matter who wins elections in the UK, they always have their bidding done for them. It also emphasises the point that Wales and Scotland need independence because people on the whole think differently and are less bigoted than the ingerlish lumpen masses
The worst of it is that they’re using a woman of Asian descent to push their racist agenda. Self hatred oozing from her while Starmer and his white mates hide behind her and breathe a sigh of relief that they’re not on the podium. Utter cunts…the lot of them. Racist scum.
I don’t think Trump has anything to fear in the Epstein files – he’s a lot of things but I haven’t seen anything to make me think his sexual preferences include underage girls.
Wow…do you really believe that?
Kroenke
The girl who died recently (can’t remember her name) who has destroyed Andrew said Trump never did anything to her and she was willing to accuse anyone of anything.
We’ll see what comes out but I’m not sure this is something Trump is guilty of – Clinton on the other hand?
Kroenke
Don’t confuse what Mahmood is saying with actual actions and results. Labour are saying what they need to say but it just won’t happen.
As for Welsh and Scottish Independence – I can guarantee you a win in a referendum no problem. Let the English vote on it the 30 odd billion £ the English will save in subsidizing both countries will go down very nicely. How Scotland and Wales would survive is a question but fortunately not one the English would have to worry about.
Mate
Your ‘rightwing-ometer’ fluctuates and ebbs and flows with the weather. I welcome the vacillation.
But it appears that someone (yourself perhaps?) has set it to swivel eyed batshit crazy in the past 24 hours!
I blame the international break which appears to have put the zap on your febrile political world view. Although ‘blame’ possibly isn’t the right word because it’s very entertaining and not to be taken too seriously. What Vieira might call over- imbibing on the Kool-Aid
Keep it coming mate.
Wicksy
Have you seen who’s reffing the NLD? No other than your old Geordie mate, Arsenal hater and lifelong revolutionary socialist Michael Oliver.
Given your impeccable ability to predict the outcome of games, I’d be fascinated to hear how you think Oliver will fuck us over this weekend. If he has a decent game and/or actually does us some favours, aspersions will be cast mercilessly…
KP
Oliver will be fine because city are not involved, not directly involved anyway.
It does seem a rather strange choice by the pgmol to put a referee in charge who has previously given Arsenal 8 red cards (city none), it’s as if the pgmol are looking for trouble, especially after the controversial decision last week involving Oliver on VAR who refused to overturn the “offside” goal after giving the goals in very similar incidents involving city (see my previous post for evidence).
A lot depends on Oliver’s state of mind going into the NLD, will he do his utmost to avoid controversy or will he just say fuck it , I’ve given them 8 red cards , another one won’t make a lot of difference..
Either way I can’t see anything other than 3 points for the Arsenal , especially as we should have a number of attacking options available from the bench , Tottenham have also suffered from injuries .
Your Olivarian contradictions have left me flummoxed. I can’t make head nor tail of that, particularly given your earlier opinion of him. Does not compute!
In any case, good to hear of your optimism for the NLD.
Kroenke
Not sure where I’m being indecisive? On Trump I’m someone who takes an interest in areas of current affairs and the Epstein thing seems to be a lot of talk for not a lot of actual facts – there are certainly plenty of wealthy / powerful people who have have something to hide on this I’m just not sure Trump is one of them. I’ve no issue with information coming out that shows this to be incorrect – I’m not a Trump supporter I agree with some things he does and disagree with others. Do I think he’s a better option than Sleepy Joe or Harris? Fuck me yes but that says more about their lack of ability rather than Trump being amazing – personally I find it shocking that the party of JFK, LBJ, RFK etc have run these as candidates in the last 2 elections.
On what Labour are doing re immigration they know what the public mood is but their own back benchers (neither will Hermer for that matter) won’t allow them to really implement what they announced yesterday. Its all noise to distract from what’s going on.
On Scottish and Welsh independence – I 100% believe in the right to self determination. Its why I believe we should support Ukraine, why we were right to defend the Falklands, why the BREXIT result should be respected. If Scotland and Wales want independence then I have zero issue – what you don’t like is my beliefs extend to the English having the same right to self determination that means I want English Independence. Scotland and Wales are of absolutely zero use to the English they just cost a lot of money to subsidise and expect the English to be thankful for doing it.
The fact that both Scotland and Wales don’t have viable economies without the English subsidising them isn’t something those pushing for their independence seem to be able to process but that really wouldn’t be my problem. Its the same reason the Irish are all for unification until they realise the size of the tab they’d have to pick up for N. Ireland and that’s before either the EU or Trump fucks them on their corporation tax set up.
The fact that both Scotland and Wales don’t have viable economies without the English subsidising them…
Err, evidence? I suspect that if independence were to come around for Scotland and Wales, they would rejoin the EU and, like many other similar sized countries, eg Baltic States, Slovenia, Malta etc. actually do pretty well economically. Anything else is fear mongering, perpetuated by the Unionist parties. You clearly disagree with them so I humbly suggest you reject their flawed ideology instead of being a cheer leader.