The only problem I had with Martin Zubimendi’s transfer was for the games like today. Newcastle will try to bully us again with their physicality, they will cheat, kick, slide tackle, punch, elbow you and the referees will look for that blonde girl in the stadium while it happens. We have seen Partey getting kicked, we have seen Jorginho getting elbowed, and we have seen Saka getting pushed. As much as I hate those cunts, they know we are a bit soft and they know the refs will turn a blind eye to that.
Will a midfield of Zubimendi, Merino and Rice match up to their physicality and assault? We will see.
Eddie Nketiah, the ex-arsenal who was wearing #14 later for us helped us last night by scoring a last minute goal against the luck-riding Liverpool. He scored a brilliant one, made sure the bin dippers lose the first 3 points of the season and gave us a chance to close the gap to just 2 points today. Whether we take this opportunity is an entirely different conversation because we have given up on the title 3 seasons now after getting such chances and not converting it. It’s too early for the title but three points are three points.
During my time in London, I visited a friend living in Newcastle near to the St. James’ Park. He offered me a stadium tour, I was hardly interested in visiting a club’s stadium that was mid-table at best so I declined. Since then, they had a ownership change, Eddie Howe have converted them into a serious team who are challenging everyone for European places and could beat any of top premier league teams on their day. Sure, they have lost Isak but that’s just one piece they have lost and we can’t take them lightly today, again.
In the team news, Madueke is unavailable because of his knee injury that has sidelined him for 2 months, but Odegaard could be back today. We have got Eze and Nwaneri that can do far better than Merino in an attacking role but Mikel is adamant that it’s either Ode or Merino – so I guess we would have to pray Ode’s shoulder heals itself completely. With Saka back in the XI, I hope we see a front 3 of him, Gyokeres and Martinelli today. If I was the one in charge, Eze makes it in the team behind Gyokeres while only one of the Zubimendi or Rice starts the game.
Personally, I would also allow the players to earn a yellow card each while handing them a piece of paper before the game that reads – Dee as ya telt. They would have the freedom to earn it as they want. If you are too nice and don’t have the heart to do it, you are getting replaced by Ben White, no matter where you play on the pitch.
In other news, William Saliba signed an improved contract that will keep him in London till 2030. Did you see his interview post signing it? In Paris, my mates were supporting Madrid and Barcelone while I am the real one supporting Arsenal – he said. A proppa one, we have and we have got his next and best 5 years with us. Hopefully he will win a lot of trophies with us and hopefully we break the drought this year with Champions League.
Right, that’s all for today. See you during the game.
Told ya, we have been missing so many that ultimately Newcastle was gonna out one IN.
maybe that big German would have been a better bet for MA’s love of set pieces and rando crosses into the box…Gabs maneuver was embarassing
Why did Gabriel fell like a pack of cards against a baby touch?
Had seen Waltemade header for Germany too. Only thing his legs bit spindly , bit inadequate for EPL physicality .
Built like our Bambi on Ice but has a better head over his shoulders
Ambarish—that’s the Kai/MA flop factor…who wouold ever give up that position in the middle of the box…he put that on a silver platter for their new Striker
Arteta seems to have instructed everyone to go down on any contact – that’ll just cost you genuine freekicks.
why would you ever
Marc—it’s to feed into all the us against the world conspiratorial nonsense…it’s a factory of built-in excuses
those are the kind of vertical opportunities you need to give VG…too bad there’s no one with pace around him up top…should have started Marts over Tross
And here, I thought Mikel qas going to use Ben White on midfield to go for an eye for an eye.
Trvl
Marts over Trossard anyday.
this should be 1-1 at half and not because of the penalty that wasn’t a penalty…we had 2 or 3 other good chances, especially the Tross inside of the post shot
if you believe all the officiating nonsense that would have been an easy yellow for Saka against Gordon
Now was that a foul on Bukayo?
That’s what happens when you constantly fall over – when someone is really fouled the ref ignores it.
Howe has put 2 players to put their body in front of Gyokeres to not allow him that over the top ball run..
You could just bring in Martinelli to have 2 such options..
if we spent half as much time playing good football instead of planning the next time we’ll be incensed by something that happened on the pitch, we would be world beaters by now…that’s another reason why I despise Arteta, as that was something I hated under the latter days Wenger
To have assembled assembled a squad like this and be serving up this dull unimaginative shite is unforgivable. He has to go. An absolute cunt of a manager.
After they scored we turned into a Tom Daley tribute act and the aggression and pressing just evaporated.
For the lads in India: Tom Daley was/is a British olympic highboard diver and a useless overexposed wanker.
Rice having a horrible game.