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.
KP
“Your Olivarian contradictions have left me flummoxed.”
Here is my earlier opinion of him, nothing too controversial, just the truth….and as I predicted ,Oliver is in charge the very next game , probably sooner than I expected.
“I see Michael Oliver was on VAR for the city/liverpool game today and as per usual sided with city on every marginal and not so marginal decisions…
Oliver should be nowhere near city games as his bias has been obvious for years now, I do expect him to be involved in an Arsenal game very soon.”
Where we will miss gabriel is defending crosses into our box , corners, free kicks etc…from memory when gabriel had his spell out injured last season we did look more vulnerable from dead ball situations, although it was kiwior that came in and he was weak in the air so maybe Mosquera will be a good replacement as he’s not afraid to attack the ball and usually reads the flight of the ball well which is also vital.
We have coped with our injury crisis superbly well this season , but losing offensive players is probably easier for a more defensive manager like Arteta to cope with as his strength is organising a tight disciplined midfield and back 4 and having the same players available has made it easier to maintain that tight defensive structure.
Being without so many offensive players has its obvious downside , namely fewer options off the bench and fewer chances to rotate the squad which also leads to less expansive football as the team has often played within itself , I do expect a more expansive Arsenal with so many offensive players returning, having the quick feet and dribbling skills of jesus will give us something different as Havertz and gyokeres have a similar game , the speed of madueke and martinelli will be a telling factor towards the end of games as we look to stretch teams, the sublime skills of Odegard who will come back knowing he has to be more creative and take more risks will all give the manager options, so losing Gabriel will give Arteta a few headaches but it may mean we will become a more expansive side as we won’t be able to rely on clean sheets to see out a game .
Aha… So your prejudice against Oliver is that he’s a City fan (strange for a Geordie but ‘à chacun son goût’). So because he’s a City devotee, that means he has to be anti-Arsenal. I get it!
In a parallel universe, there’s a Spurs fan called Tony Woodatt (geddit?) saying that Oliver shouldn’t ref the NLD because he’s a City fan. I’m looking forward to the game. If we play to our abilities, don’t do anything stupid and stifle the almost non existent attacking threat of the cockerel jockeys, I’m hoping we’ll have enough. Frank will have looked at our Sunderland game to see what he can do to keep it close.
what is it with postmen. Five degrees C outside and our postie is still wearing shorts.
A new centre back pairing for the next few games with Gabriel sidelined for 3 weeks at least. Not only will he be missed at the back but also when we have corners. He has a knack of scoring crucial goals just when we need them.
Arsenal’s controversial sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda to end next year https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/19/arsenal-controversial-sponsorship-deal-visit-rwanda-end-next-year?CMP=share_btn_url
Apparently a lot of even less scrupulous countries are preparing sponsorship bids to replace Rwanda including Hungary, Argentina and arguably the worst, the US of A.
But seriously, expect something even more egregious to appear on Arsenal shirts in future.
The Fentanyl Marketing Board
The Tony Blair/Netanyahu institute for peace
Or
The Liz Truss Economic Wellbeing Council, eh Marc.
NORG
Short wearers have feelings too, although reduced slightly in this weather. I was gardening at my cliff top house this afternoon in a pair of Lidl’s finest. Windy and very parky though I have to say. Funny isn’t it but when we were kids school football matches NEVER got postponed as a result of cold or wet weather. Built of sterner stuff
” 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.”
So they’d be subsidised by someone else instead? If they are viable why do they need more money than they raise from tax?
Kroenke – I want them to have independence why are you so against it?
Kroenke
Wicksy is just looking for pre made excuses as to why Captain Fuckwit will fuck it up again (how many times is it now?).
some fucking stellar reading lately guys…love the political banter…usually I would offer up my own thoughts/insights but it’s been tough sledding for me recently…out of the blue I started to experience some peculiar and rather debilitating pain in my neck and on the right side of my head as a result of some yet to be explained brain inflammation…it was some clockwork orange meets Tina Turner Pinball Wizard shit…my scalp was so fucking sensitive to the touch that any contact with my hair sent electrical shock-like shivers through my entire body, yet for some fucking reason a hot shower was somehow soothing…since that time I’ve spent countless hours being poked and prodded and properly scanned, yet still no definitive answers…thankfully a daily regiment of steriods have eliminated the bulk of the discomfort…whether it’s just a one-off autoimmune situation and once I’ve been weaned off these drugs I’ll experience a full-bore re-set or it’s something more sinister, only time will tell…knock of wood that it’s the former
on a more positive note, having our resident tin foiler verbalizing his officiating conspiratorial nonsense and spewing about how Jesus, who constantly plays with his back to goal, will somehow lead to some more expansive football, did bring a smile to my face…as for Gab’s absence, it could negatively impact MA’s plan to set piece our way to footballing prominence, so here’s hoping there’s a plan B in his teeny-weeny bag of tricks…I like Moq, but if we’re going to rollout a blunt instrument midfield 3 of Rice, Zubi and Merino, I would rather MA deploy Cala there, along side Skelly, then let the former make some forward runs on occasion…based on MA’s history, I very much doubt this sort of backline uncertainty will embolden our gutless leader to deploy a lineup that includes our best offensive weapons (Noni, Saka, Eze and VG) at the same time then actually try to win some of our upcoming matches by taking it to our opponents for fucking once…prove me wrong gerbil balls…Cheers
KP
At may age wearing shorts is out of the question. I can remember the winter of 62/63 when we were allowed to wear trousers instead of shorts – the girls were built of sterner stuff and still had skirts.
Perhaps Vladimir will put his name on the Arsenal shirts and then he can cozy up to one of Trumps mates.
Vieira
Very sorry to hear that mate. I hope you get a proper diagnosis soon. That does not sound pleasant – take it easy.
Marc
I never know what we’re going to get from you politically from one post to the next. But as I said earlier, it’s hugely entertaining. For the record, and I’ve stated it here often enough, independence for Wales and Scotland would provide massive improvements for people in my view. England is a fucking shit hole packed to the gunnels with wanked out politicians and neo Nazis such as Farage who don’t give a fuck about anyone except themselves. Going rapidly to the dogs thanks to various shades of right wing ideology including your mate Starmer. Bend over and assume the position because they’re all trying to penetrate you and take your arse virginity! Phew, I feel better for that.
NORG
Wearing shorts at my age (61) is also out of the question! My gardening ended yesterday thanks to some serious hailstorms blowing in off the Irish Sea. Looks like we might still get the occasional winter here rather than wet and dry seasons as has been the case in the past few years.
TRVL
Mate hope you get better soon.
Kroenke
My politics are more complicated than dopey lefties who just operate on a combination of hate and envy.
Obviously I’m English but were I to live in the US I’d struggle between the Republicans and Democrats (obviously I’m talking about what both parties were before they off the deep end). I believe in reasonable gun control (who the hell needs to own an Assault Rifle outside of the military?) and abortion rights so on those I’m with the Democrat’s – at the same time I believe in strong borders and the smallest reasonable sized Government.
At base level what I believe in is what works and socialism doesn’t unless you consider making everyone poorer a success. The current crowd are taking incompetence to a level I’ve never seen in my lifetime – maybe its time to insist that anyone standing to be an MP has to take an IQ test.
The biggest problem we have with our current politicians is the advent of “professional” politicians who’ve never worked (at least successfully) in the real world.
Cheers KP & Marc—I’ve experienced a myriad of easily diagnosed and logically remedied sports-related injuries throughout my lifetime, but this sort of unexplainable shit is a whole different beast…that said, I’m not totally unfamiliar with weird-ass medical issues, like Bell’s Palsy, which really threw me for a loop some 25 years ago, so I’ve been able to keep a fairly even keel thus far…I will say this though, all that level-headedness is out the fucking window if this right-side brain madness returns as soon as the weaning process concludes…fingers-crossed
Marc
That could have been lifted from any Murdoch owned or Daily Heil editorial from the past 60 years.
Politics of envy/shrink the state/keep Britain British except for other white capitalists etc. It’s also a very transparent tactic to suggest that right wingers are the only adults in the room. It’s crap and you know it. People with views like these are afraid that they won’t be able keep everything ie money and power for themselves and thus ensure that no one else gets a look in. Hiding behind free market exploitative capitalism and suggesting erroneously that it, and trickle down economics, are good for all of us.
I’m rather good at capitalism because I understand the basic tenets of economics and I’m able to think for myself without resorting to hate rags. But it’s all on its way out and something better will emerge, just not in Britain which is rapidly reaching the arse end of its colonial influence in the world thanks to its refusal to change and the decision to isolate itself and stick to a dogma of personal greed and bigotry. Yes, I’m justifiably talking Britain down but only because you and the ruling classes continue to destroy it from within. England needs to be left to its own devices to carry it on and give Wales and Scotland a chance back in the real world.
I hope it eases Vieira and that the full answers quickly become apparent.
I’m feeling relaxed about the NLD. Both teams have quite a large number of injuries but I don’t think Arsenal players will have any problems being up for this one. I hope the fans will make it a really hostile atmosphere for the Spuds.
problem with this world at the moment – too many people.
Kroenke
You dopey fuck capitalism has lifted BILLIONS out of poverty globally. You might not like it but its a simple fact, as for lefties over here – its not the “rich” (of which I’m not one by the way) stopping you from doing better its your own constant playing of the I’m a victim” card.
I would point out of irony of a civil servant who will have a gold plated pension that’s paid for by the very people who criticise and hate but you’re too stuck in the politics of envy to even see it.
As for Scotland and Wales going their own way – will you please please please fuck off and stop stealing English money.