The stats and the score line do not match for PSG game. We had only 35% possession but we won 2-0. A goal each from Havertz and Saka in the first half made sure we are picking up our first win in the Champions League. Kai’s header of a Trossard cross was a brilliant one and to beat Donnarumma for it in the box is some achievement. Second goal was Saka and some luck. Saka took a free kick from near the box and couple of Arsenal players tried to get some touch on it but failed. It failed so bad that not one Arsenal player, nor the PSG GK was able to get a touch on it and we got our second goal.
It’s a concern that Mikel had to replace Timber with Kiwior in the second half, we have a partnership developing between our back 4, and the introduction of Calafiori on the left is helping Martinelli. While attacking, we have 2 solid CBs covering our ground and both the fullbacks are part of the attack causing Chaos in the opposition half. They are good, both defensively and in attack, they are fast and they recover back very well. With Zinchenko, we had the problem that he was poor defensively. With Kiwior, we lack the recovery speed and he isn’t that good in attack. Ben White has been phenomenal and he will be part of the team and with proper rotation Mikel can keep everyone happy. But the Timber/Calafiori on either side looks very promising to the way Arteta sets up.
Merino made his debut in Arsenal shirt and the time frame was too small to judge him. We needed him though, that midfield should only have one of the Partey and Rice.
Right, lets get back to Premier League where we are playing Southampton at home tomorrow. It looks to be easy one but when you consider the fact that we dropped 4 points against them last season, it’s NOT. Southampton were relegated at the end of 2022-23 but they made us suffer in both ties. We had 1-1 away in the first leg and shared points again at home in a 3-3 score when we were trailing 3-1 till 85th minute and braces from Odegaard and Saka made sure we didn’t lose at home against a relegation fighting team. They are back in Premier League this season, and we should remember what they did to us.
Are we going to see Nwaneri in the starting line up against Southampton tomorrow? Remains to be seen, but we fans have been waiting for it. There is some excitement when we see an academy player get into the team and perform. Perhaps, Wenger ruined us all when he used to get results with 17-18 year old Wilsheres and Walcotts. Saka is one of the best winger in the world and comes from the very same academy. ESR/Nketiah made name for themselves but fell short for a title winning team; earned us some money while serving for years when needed though. We are in a title challenge and we can’t afford to drop points so playing a youngster gets riskier. There is a learning curve with young guns and that curve sometimes costs you points. Nwaneri’s case is different in the sense that he looks ready and from whatever we have seen of him, he looks to be a part of that team already. Let us see what he does when he gets his ‘game’ and whether he will sort out the Odegaard situation for us.
Right, a short one today. I took my laptop to service centre and got to know I have burnt the RAM. Got it fixed and I don’t have to watch another game on a mobile phone like the PSG one. Hope you have a good Friday and I will back with a match day blog tomorrow.
Cheers.
Tony
City are winning but don’t seem to be in their usual don’t need to get out of 2nd gear for most matches thing.
Outside of the missing players the other question is is the court case causing some distractions behind the scenes.
Doesn’t make good reading….
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13915093/Man-City-defeat-Premier-League-Sponsorship-Rules-Unlawful.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13916133/How-Man-United-Liverpool-Arsenal-plot-fail-Man-City-Crosshairs.html
strangely enough, with Rodri shelved and KDB seemingly on borrowed time, this might of been the year when a readymade striker and proper Ode-like 8 would have done the trick…isn’t it just like MA to flip the script at the exact wrong time…that doesn’t mean our new set piece-dependent/bully-ball tactics won’t work, it just seems so apropos for a manager who always appears to be a step behind…on a more positive note, maybe our lack of off-season expenditures will afford us the luxury of being able to right these wrongs next summer
We live in hope TRVL.
Marc
Agreed City look below their usual selves and can be got at. I think they will finish 2nd and Pool will win the leagues.
A supercomputer in the DM predicts we’ll finish 8th. We thought 5th or 6th, so……
Hi Tony
Did the same supercomputer make any predictions about Arteta’s job if Arsenal finish eighth?
Hey KP
I Think that would be SuperStan’s juristriction predicting the payoff….
Saka injured in a pointless ingerland defeat against Greece? Fucking brilliant if true.
can someone tell me why I can’t swing a dead cat without hitting an article praising our resident non-Striker Kai Havertz?? it just seems a little peculiar considering the other potential storylines…don’t get me wrong, I think his more recent performances have been some of his best…in fact he actually scored what many would deem as a Striker’s goal, but nothing he’s done thus far is worthy of such unfettered praise…maybe he’s bankrolling this PR effort, as he certainly has the means, considering the ridiculous wages we gifted our gangly German tweener…so while some might call this a savvy piece of business, if this was proven to be the case I’ll be fucking disgusted (just wanted to get that off my chest) Cheers
TRVL
I hear you and it’s the same with El B.
Everyday on my PC when I go to Bing or other search engines El B is being canonized for his par excellence except he’s still alive and hanging in there.
Read Ode has had a new set back, now would that be our feret faced manager rushing him back too quickly because he knows we’ve had some very scrappy and fortuitous results this season?
Sweating on Saka now after he limped off.
Finally, RM are dick swinging over our Willie…….. Starting to stroke Willie’s resolve as it’s no secret he wants RM.
El B will not be happy or will he? Now has his chance to get rid of the player he never wanted because he didn’t buy him and was forced to keep.
Whether Willie S is in the top 5 CDs globally will not matter to El B. Did Emi?
Look how much that has cost us………
Hang in there TRVL, KP, Marc, and our Indian gooners only one week to be back to well….. er…… something better than internationals.
How better remains to be seen as a Gooner……….
KP
Can you share your football fix as …… Enjoy where ever you and your tribe are……
TRVL
I hear you and it’s the same with El B.
Everyday on my PC when I go to Bing or other search engines El B is being canonized for his par excellence except he’s still alive and hanging in there.
Read Ode has had a new set back, now would that be our feret faced manager rushing him back too quickly because he knows we’ve had some very scrappy and fortuitous results this season?
Sweating on Saka now after he limped off.
Finally, RM are dick swinging over our Willie…….. Starting to stroke Willie’s resolve as it’s no secret he wants RM.
El B will not be happy or will he? Now has his chance to get rid of the player he never wanted because he didn’t buy him and was forced to keep.
Whether Willie S is in the top 5 CDs globally will not matter to El B. Did Emi?
Look how much that has cost us………
Hang in there TRVL, KP, Marc, and our Indian gooners only one week to be back to well….. er…… something better than internationals.
How better remains to be seen as a Gooner……….
KP
Can you share your football fix as …… Enjoy where ever you and your tribe are……
And then there’s this.. another star we let go…..
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-nathan-tella-bayer-leverkusen-33861070
God I’m bored and hate international breaks.
At least we can look forward to Kroenke giving us his overview if Starmer’s first 100 days in office and all of the triumphs he’s achieved.
Marc
Triumphs?
Marc
Once again you confuse me with a Starmer’s Labour supporter. Ideologically, Starmer and you share much more political common thinking, e.g. fucking over poor people, supporting fascism in Israel, and bending over backwards for neo liberals, than he and I do. I guess you’re a massive fan too of that fucking cunt Jeremy Vine who talks the same level of bollocks although far less humourously than you.😁
If anything, I should be the one making barbs because you put him there with your blind adulation of the right. You voted right and got it, albeit a slightly more watered down version of the last shit show. If that lazy, selfish arsehole Farage stopped acting like a pound shop Trump, he might be your next nazi poster boy.
But reading between the lines…Yes, I’m also as bored as a rat after another disruption in real football.
I drove the season ticket holders and stewards bus to Carmarthen on Saturday for our disappointing nil-nil draw against Connah’s Quay. 15 die hard fans! Other results mostly went County’s way so we’re still second. Massive storm on the way back which was making the van go sideways almost.
Community activity mate and volunteering….You should give it a try.
Much more wholesome than worrying all the time about Starmer being a red under the bed (which he isn’t, although he kind of used to be decades ago).
Shots fired albeit rubber bullets had me laughing in my home office.
KP you and Marc make politics fun to read about.
I envy your wind assisted drifting in the van I can imagine how the wind rips though the valleys from rare excursions in to Wales that went further than Cardiff.
I’m grateful we only have 5 more days to being back in the mix. I just hope the next run of games we are going to at least win them convincingly with some quality football.
Am I asking too much? Bournemouth away won’t be easy.
Hi Tony
Bournemouth away WILL be easy, I guarantee it. They’re lightweights and we no longer are. I think Arsenal will be carrying some injuries but these games are all winnable. We should have beaten City after that heroic second half and our record shows we are seriously hot shit away from home e.g. Villa and Spurs. No lapses in concentration and we win three nil I reckon.
KP
I agree the 3 points should be ours playing a team where our bench probably cost more than the B’mouth first 11.
Andoni Iraola is a very savvy manager I rate above El B. Not difficult I know, but there it is. S’hampton and B’mouth have always been tricky away ties even back in Arsene’s days. Brighton, too, embarrassed us from time to time.
B’mouth are a place above Manure on 8 points at 13th on 7 points.
On paper it’s a no brainer even with Ode, Saka, Tomi and Marts out, we should take the points comfortably. However, let’s not forget the elephant in the room: El B!
El B can’t seem to pick the right teams these days; it’s why we are scraping wins. Tactics are shit where the City game was an anomaly for me with the sending off. City were there for the taking without Rodri and KDB where El B fluffed his lines again to hang on for a draw.
RM are in for Saliba, we’ve taken the ‘no way stance’ like the Hammers did with Rice. Fat lot of good that will do for us, as Saliba’s head will be turned, and I doubt Willie has any love for El B with the El B treatment he got over 2+ years.
Ode, Saka and Marts will probably follow Saliba to Spain or Brazil if El B is trophy less again this season like RVP, Overmars,, Cole, Fabregas and others who departed for the Chavs, Manure and City no longer believing in Wenger.
I see this happening with El B and our stars who we cannot afford to lose.
The supercomputer has us at 8th this season; my prediction was 5th or lower, which TRVL and Marc have concerns about as well. If we keep scraping lucky wins, then I feel the super computer will be vindicated with ts predictions.
Keep the local stories coming I’m vicariously there with you albeit a couple of days later lol.
We have the following:
B’mouth away
Shakhtar home
Liverpool home……. and away in our run in that will be hugely influential.
Preston away
Bar Codes away
Inter Milan away
If we can draw with Pool at home, as they are the form team plying attractive Slot football, I’ll take that point. Draw with Milan away, we should win the remaining games in this batch.
These game could come back to bite us as they have done for the last 3 seasons in our run ins.
B’mouth home
Liverpool away
Newcastle home
Southampton away
Three winnable games if we can take 6 points from Manure and the Chavs in the last 2 weeks of March. Equally, 3 banana skins where history has shown we throw titles away playing teams we should beat comfortably.
Who knows, KP? We can only hope with this cretin in charge……
Tony—lots of good stuff in there, but just to clarify I very much doubt we’ll finish outside the top 4, unless something catastrophic happens on the injury front and/or we shit the bed when it comes to getting results against our closest competitors…even with their injuries, I still think City is the favourite, at least for now, with Pool and us battling for the silver and bronze…I think Chelsea is a year away from a top 3 finish, as they still need to shore up their backend, but they could surpass us next season if we don’t get a bona fide Striker and another Ode-like midfielder…remember that our new bully-ball approach is far more about not dropping points against the bus-sitters than beating the best and brightest, which should prove fruitful in the business end of the season when we’re facing lesser lights…my biggest concern is that we appear to be far more fragile this year than last, which could be our undoing, considering our obvious managerial shortcoming…Cheers
Hi Tony
Away game tonight at a place called Brixton Ferry, just a few hundred metres from the glorious M4. They were promoted this season and are finding the change in pace a bit of a challenge. Nestling somewhere between the thriving metropolises (sp) of Swansea and Neath. Formerly deep rugby country but steadily coming round to the greater joys of round ball pursuits. The closest team in our league this year, a mere 60 miles away. I’m hoping for something akin to the game against Bournemouth this weekend, ie calm business-like, early goals win that’ll keep County second behind a surging Penybont (Bridgend).
The big drama in the Cymru Premier this year has been the apparent demise of the one English club in our midst, the New Saints. They’re in the Europa Conference (amazingly) are are struggling to balance both competitions,much to the joy of just about every other fan of Welsh football. It might be too early to write an obituary but it’s huge fun while it lasts.
Fucking autocorrect – Briton not Brixton of course.🇯🇲
Brixton Market is just around the corner from Ferndale – good food at half time
Just like last season this season also will have two leagues with 5 spots for the Champions League. We just need to hope that the other EPL teams don’t crumble and finish in the bottom part of their respective competitions.
Just like most of you, these interlulls are are a PITA and ruin ones daily routines. Glad to be back to real football but not that it matters much with El B calling the shots. The Athletic had an interesting piece on him and his time at Man City.
KP
Sounds interesting with the form and aspirations of the clubs there.
Looks like the game had its moments with the red card. Good win for Haverford a great night out image. Great stuff, KP. Now 3 points from B’mouth Saturday and we’ll be up there or on top depending on results with City & Pool.
TRVL
For me winning the trophy is the only option for El B. two 2nds we should have won does not give El B room for excuses any more.
My thinking is: win or fcuk off to some other poor club.
No excuses, where I was heartened when Ambarish said the same at the beginning of the season albeit not as forcefully worded.
I see the logic in your top 4 finish, just that the start to the season has been so iffy throughout the games. We don’t control a game once in front. We have too many lapses during a game to let other teams score.
We are disjointed at best. We should lose the cohesiveness we had that kept us at the top last season.
This is because selections are poor again – look at the selections since Ode was injured. Very poor midfield calls.
Add that to our run in is difficult, at a time we traditionally capitulate and I have big concerns.
We just have to hope El B get’s it right from here on in, but I’m not holding my breathe.
Kilroy
Amplifying your thinking above and agree I detest international breaks.
I imagine with Toucal now the England manager wanting an out and out attacking play going forward the press are going to have a boring heyday but hopefully they will stop blowing smoke up El B/s and Jai’s collective arses.
I’m really looking forward to the rugby next month. My time is coming to an end in Thailand, so will live in a 1st world country again: Australia or America are my choices with guaranteed visas.
Are you from the States? Have to say I hope the next president is a better leader for the country or Australia will be a better optic to take in even if they do piss off the Chinese. lol.
like with El B I’m not holding my breathe.
Tony—don’t get me wrong, I totally agree with your managerial assessment…for me, MA is our weakest link and I would like nothing more than for him to hit the bricks, but we do have a top 3 squad…this has little to do with his tactical acumen or his eye for talent, as neither rise above a pedestrian level, but far more to do with whom he inherited and the seemingly bottomless pit of money he was gifted by our absentee landlord…I can’t help but think what might have been if a far more tactical astute coach and a Dein-like DOF were afforded the very same luxuries…Cheers
“the Athletic reported that Havertz was convinced to join Arsenal in the summer of 2023 by an hour-and-a-half video call from Mikel Arteta. The Arsenal manager had a bespoke presentation to show the striker, including words from family and previous coaches, pictures of his dogs, and a general message that he would be a long-term signing for the Gunners. Arteta stressed that Havertz would have a caring and nuturing environment in place for the player to express himself, having lacked that kind of support at Chelsea”
not sure if this says more about the lengths in which our little manager needed to go in order to convince even underwhelming players to come to North London or the sad state of player entitlement in this day and age…regardless, I’m not impressed…frankly I wouidn’t be surprised if this was leaked by MA’s PR management team in the hopes that it would be lapped up by all the usual suspects or a total fabrication meant to deflect attention away from the real reasons why he made the move, the exorbinant wages and unjustified assurances
maybe instead of endlessly trying to convince us of the genius behind a move that both failed to meet the requirements of the original brief, to find a suitable replacement for Xhaka, and stymied our ability to acquire a world-class Striker, he should spend more time looking in the mirror…after all, his first move out of the transfer gate saw him make a concerted push for Sesko, a more traditional number 9, which was quickly rebuffed by the player in question (maybe his little video montage dark arts routine wasn’t up to snuff on that occasion)…so if he was so convinced that our gangly Bavarian was the answer to our Striker question, why oh why would he be sniffing around Leipzig in such an aggressive manner…just more house of mirrors bullshit!!
Brilliant TRVL excellent posts on Havertz and our squad potential.
Before coming to LIR I was winding Pedro and his bots up that we had the squad to land a trophy with the top sides all rebuilding bar Pool and City. I remember you also feeling similar because of the drop in form of some in the to six. Pedro had no answer to that. I said that we’d win nothing that pissed Pedro off to ban me, but the El B obsessive has been proven wrong as with most, if not all of his El B predictions. Not surprised but there you are.
It makes sense as I totally agree with your thinking process that we have a top 3 squad – 3 years later: I just feel the repeat mistakes by El B we have witnessed this season are going to continue, and we’ll eventually hit a slump big enough to slide out of the top 4.
I hope I’m wrong but you but you & I have nailed our predictions and why the last 3 seasons.
Do I want to slide out to 5th+? To get rid of El B I’ll take it hoping that Josh and daddy wake up and smell the managerial coffee.
I doubt they will because there is too much P fcuking R blowing smoke up El B’s arse with his decisions and tactical prowess et al.
My gut says Slot will lift the trophy, but rightly or wrongly I’ll make a more finite prediction after Xmas. I know you feel differently with Slot being new, but are an admirer.
We’ll see buddy. I hope you prove me wrong. 🙏
TRVL
You have to wonder if it was the presentation that put the 9s El B wanted off. Only Havertz bought into it with nowhere to go anyway and then be top highest paid player.
Was the ridiculous pay deal at the beginning of the presentation one has to wonder?
If El B is looking for a new 9, it just pours scorn on Havertz’s presentation one season later.
Was the continued 9 search program part of the Havertz player tactics talks?
Jack Wilshere took another step up the managerial ladder this week and has succumbed to the delights of Delia’s home cooked fare. The locals are keen to see what he can do and more importantly if he can prise away any disgruntled young starlets.
Hi NORG
I doubt Jacko will cut the mustard (geddit?) in Norwich. I can think of nothing less appetising than a country supper (!) chez Delia and her perma-pissed husband.
He’s a little enigmatic our Jacko. He always came across as someone intent on diminishing his own talents, not solely because of his self styled bad boy image but also because of the recklessness with which he played. I admired him at the time but in retrospect I can’t help thinking he conspired along with Wengo (who over played him at times) in his own demise. Moreover, he’ll never possess the gravitas and heft to become a top manager.
He could go a lot worse than Norwich however. A fine city as the signs say and a good solid club, notwithstanding the mediocre celebrity chef nexus. How do you see things going against the 🍒🍒🍒 tomorrow?
Hi KP
Clearly Jacko is doing well with the U18’s but dealing with ‘adults’ is a different ball game. He will never be a top manager but a good No2 is probably what he hopes to achieve. Olivia & Co are keeping the family name going and her red haired Irish mate is also living locally – hot stuff.
Tomorrow could be trickier than most believe. Their manager likes to attack whilst we have the best defense – that normally equates to a draw. We could catch them on the counter but Martinelli is doubtful and breaking fast to Havertz means the first meal of the day.
You seem to be fully embroiled in Welsh football at this time – do you still clamber for foreign shores?
NORG
I do. Nearly 5 years have elapsed since I secured residency in Spain but the dream transfer remains elusive at the moment.
I’m a little more sanguine about Bournemouth despite the murky injury picture. A couple of early goals, no lapses in concentration and it’ll be OK.
Back from BKK driving because most 4 and 5 star hotels have hard beds, so I take my own topper.
Got my first reminder of hours of monsoon rain driving today, as I’ve been luck last few drives.. In such countries it’s not only the rain that you need your wits about.
Anyhow, I enjoy driving so all good.
Made the start of the Hammers v Spuds at 1:1 start of the 2nd half.
Fulham v Villa could be a fun game unless you are continuing to enjoy the Manure debacle. That it must be pissing off old red nose is a nice bonus.
Can Franck grab points at OT? Would make me 😊
Spuds 2:1 Bissouma netting from 12 yards.
Spud’s fans delirious being 4:1 up playing Ange ball.
To the Spudettes it must be like winning a trophy. 🙄😂
If and when we’re fully fit it will be interesting to see who MA views as our best 11…with questions regarding both backers and all 3 midfield positions, there’s plenty to be sorted out…for me it’s rather simple:
Raya
Timber Saliba Gabs Calafiori
Ode Rice Merino
Saka Havertz(I wish it were otherwise) Marts
So ESR has managed to appear in every match this season for Fulham and has averaged 70 odd minutes per match.
So either A) Arteta’s a cunt and his training was responsible for ESR’s injury problems B) Arteta’s a cunt and was lying about the extent of the injury problems C) Arteta’s a cunt and it’s a bit of A and B.
Either way Arteta’s a cunt.
Reports Saka hasn’t made todays squad – fucking international football should be banned outside of tournaments.
Funny as Marc laughed at that one.
Leno and Emi playing well but Ollie Watkins with a bullet header leaving Leno no chance.
Great game end to end stuff.
TRVL
Agree with your selection let’s hope we see it deployed.
Ollie Watkins is such a good fit for us.
Morgan Rogers looks a player, too