How do you compensate two weeks of no Premier League football? By resuming it with a North London Derby between two fierce rivals, one of which has been pretty successful and the other one has won fuck all since I was born. Overloaded with the sense of entitlement for ‘reaching’ to a Champions League final has not died down for the visitors but hey, it’s a free country and some people believe earth is flat.
It’s a Saturday afternoon game for you, and an evening one for me. I have already reserved my table for the poshest sports arena here, and I’m pretty excited for another win. Seeing Conte’s frustration after a loss would just add to the happiness.
Team News
We will see Arteta drop a press conference today hopefully where we get to know if Partey can make it. Only confirmation is about ESR, who underwent surgery to fix his groin, and is expected to return to full training in December.
Saka looked lethal against Germany, coming from the bench and earning an assist. It’s mind boggling that we fans have been saying he is not in his best form yet he delivers a 7/10 performance every week. I am pretty sure he is as pumped up as us for the Derby. He might not have his best pal along side him but he can score couple to dedicate to Emile.
We have always dominated Spu*s at home, only losing once in our last 29 Premier League games (winning 17, sharing points on 11 occasion).
It’s an interesting battle between Conte and Arteta too in my opinion. We have to be very careful on the counters, that pri*k Son never misses to score against us and it will be hell of a challenge for our CBs to contain both Kane and him. Can we say it’s a Saliba v Kane too? We will find out who comes up top.
We have our own saviour in Jesus. We have recently seen Arteta opting out for a high line and aggressive press and it will test him whether he wants to play the game in his own way. There is no reason not to, we have a defensive calmness with addition of Saliba and aggressiveness in front 3 with Jesus, Martinelli and Saka.
Right, short one today. I will come up with a match day post tomorrow. In case it escaped your mind, we are still sitting top of the table.
Cheers!
First time reading, have to say it was some of those pricks writing you off on le Grove that made me read haha. Good job mate.
Having a blog isn’t a competition, duno why some of those guys were making it out like you’re not allowed your own blog. But Cheers for the read, I’ll make sure to come back
Up the Arsenal!!! Keen as for an earlier kick off Melbourne time. 930 is brilliant for me instead of 2am haha
Thanks Goober. I hope its not labelled as another attempt to lure readers here 😂
Thanks for stopping by. It’s just an attempt from a Gooner to express his opinions. And it’s exciting irrespective of what others say.
Cheers.
Hi Mb
Well done for establishing your own blog there are so many shades of ‘Red’ among Arsenal fans across the internet, it seems as though even the slightest disagreement can make an individual the worst, most despicable person ever to grace the earth.
Having read quite a few different blogs, none have really captured the essence, and delve into the history that has got us here today.
History is important, because it adds context to the way the club operates and behaves. Pedro is a great writer, with many intelligent people commenting on Le Grove, but he never writes about Arsenal’s history. He likes to present Arteta as a new Dawn, as if somehow the past has been erased and Arsenal have learnt from their litany of mistakes, when the reality is that the club are acting as they have always done postwar, and through a lack of intelligence, yet again gambled on a rookie.
I’m convinced that Arsenal’s early season good form is down to Pep holding Arteta’s hand by letting him have Jesus and Zinchenko, (not Raheem Sterling though, who must have had a closer relationship with Arteta, who was credited with massively improving his game).
And a kind fixture list, so far.
For us to find some belief in this project, a win tomorrow is imperative, anything less is same old.
Having watched Arsenal largely disappoint and underwhelm for 60 years, I’m at the apathy stage where I just don’t expect anything from them anymore because they refuse to change the habits which have handicapped and held them back in the past.
I hope you have many years of successful blogging, Mb.
Nice one mb always good to have alternative views and discussions.
You’ve attracted quality posters with honest and intelligent eye-test views.
Poor Positive Pete is beside himself telling posters to do something starting with f and then it gets a bit weird as the poor chap either needs to go to spec savers or do an alphabet revision.
Be good to catch up with K’phobe, Almunia and Marc.
Kudos mb
Mb,
Your articles are always fresh,honest and entertaining, feck the begrudgers. The idea that a blogger must conform to a certain style,or worse, a certain opinion is anathema to me. Hence I enjoy coming here. Keep it going man,your efforts are very much appreciated.
Hey Tony,great to read your opinions here, hope all is well with you and yours.
Herb,you have always an enlightening perspective, would love to hear your take in detail. Mb is always looking for readers to contribute if you ever had the time.
Great to hear from Goober, Herbsarmy and Tony. And thanks Ambarish for a top piece that whets the appetite for tomorrow.
LiR is definitely not LG and is the better for it. Differing opinions exist on here too but the temperature is far lower without the usual agents provocateurs and none of us face arbitrary ‘justice’ for speaking our minds! Moreover the topics tend to be wider than just transfer gossip and player values.
Goober – Nice Saturday evening timing. If things go well, you’ll naturally want to keep the evening going. Lose and its bedtime I guess. My feeling is we’ll seize the upper hand and be ahead by h-t. They won’t know what’s hit them by the time Jesus, Saka and GM are in their stride. I can easily see the recent trend being bucked by Spuds picking up a red card for a change. Conte’s wig glue is also going to come under serious pressure.
Herbsarmy – Great point about our history not being paid sufficient attention on LG. To my mind, and as I get even older (!), it means more and more as we continue to miss out on the big trophies these days. I’m a big fan of your stuff. There used to be a guy on ‘The Gooner’ called Ron (and Robert Exley of course) who also wrote about Arsenal’s history. I think I can certainly speak for Almunia as well when I say there’s a demand for it.
Tony – Wotcha mate! Good to see you on here. I hope you and the family are well and that BKK is still treating you in the manner to which you’re accustomed. All well here in sunny Wales and the move to Spain is slowly drawing closer. My catalan is gradually getting there too.
Tony
By the way, Positive Pete IS Pedro. The clue’s in the name of course but a couple of months ago someone asked Pedro a procedural question about content and he slipped when he used his positive Pete account to answer it.
I think it’s a shit thing to do and it eliminates trust and integrity. He’s simply not good enough to get away with it.
Great to be among you all again, especially Herb who, I, like K’phobe and others, appreciate your knowledge that’s hard to keep in the memory banks once past 65. You bring those memories back for me and I appreciate your posts.
Goober always good to be around the same time as you, and I hope more gooners from where ever they may be come to post here. It’s not a rival blog; It’s a Gooners’ blog and all that comes emotionally with being a Gooner, which sometimes get the better of us through our affectations when posting.
K’phobe, I thought PP was Pedro and was why I used him as a punching bag this last week to see if his facade broke. Great to hear all’s good and the family’s well. Spanish is a great expressive language. There are 5 ex kingdoms I believe and you’ve learnt one of the 5 versions of Spanish, is that right?
Thanks Almunia, I hope eventually MB leaves a comment section open for us to chat outside of main posts or games, as I visited a few times but the comment section was closed. The posters you have here including me just want to talk The Arsenal where it be in a negative way that’s justified or with more positive views. Banter is the way of football when said humorously, such as Almunia’s legendary satire.
Marc was happy to see you posting here. I en joyed your earlier times on LG. Hope you’re well and enjoying being back at the games and The Tolly.
I’ll come back with something about the game later as busy day with the family.
Herbs
Glad to see you here. Web is big enough for everyone to have a slice of it.
As Almunia pointed out, we would love to host your articles with credits if you get some free time to yalk about club’s history.
Appreciate all your presence guys, and the motivating words. As always, LiR is open for all kinds of views.
Tony – that might be because comments are turned off after 30 days. Every fresh articles allows commenting.
I felt Mikel was all about misinformation during the international break, as managers do particularly in big games and derbies.
Gamesmanship to the full.
Providing Mikel has us playing to our full potential of high tempo pressing football where our off the ball game is equal to our possession. Spuds will play a pragmatic game striking with counter attacks as they have all season. We need to be sure we don’t lose the ball in dangerous areas., such as Ode/Xhaka tackling in and around our penalty area or in midfield.
We have far more threat up top now with Jesus, Martinelli & Saka with Viera and or Ode finding them with precision balls.
What concerns me the most is Spuds MF where if we’re missing Partey, we need to to have a plan for stopping Perisic and Son on the left & Emerson and Richalison on the right. We’re going to need big games from Lakonga/Zinc with KT if all fit.
I’m quietly confident regarding our back 4 or 3 if Mikel uses wing backs. I’d prefer Tomi at RB as White is more likely to succumb to the physical bullying Persic and Son bring. Possibly White to play DM?
Some very tough individual battles are going to be played out in the 98 for so minutes at the Emirates, as was seen at WHL at the end of last season. Yet I feel we’ve learnt to kick back and get in the faces of players winding them up instead of the reverse.
A home game against perennial losers with an empty trophy cabinet collecting dust for proof, which probably isn’t helped by rumors of Conte eyeing up Juve at the end of his reported one year contract. Regardless of fact or not it’s destabilizing to the squad he’s supposed to be building.
If Saliba is a calming influence on Gabs at the back and we don’t give silly balls away, we’ll limit the Spuds attempts while I’m looking forward to Jesus turning Dier inside out with Martinelli and sake in support. The goals will come for us and the day will be ours. London will still be Red. That’s my prediction.
I truly believe we will reek the revenge for last season. We are stronger, and for most another year together. That was shown since the start of the season although we failed at our first big test against United thanks to Mikel thinking too much.
Let’s hope Mikel has got his thinking right this time along with tactics to stuff there Spuds. That and a perfect in-game management and I’ll be a very happy Gooner.
See you at KO guys.
Fair comment Ambarish, MD Gunner told me about your blog but I think I was late to the party. I only read LG before, so I’ll add LIR now, as it is a fresh style for an Arsenal blog.
I’m conflicted. I needed a football fix today so I’ve decided on some of the real thing rather than just TV. So I’m heading to Cardiff for the 3pm game against the wrestlers of Burnley. Hoping for sone new (caretaker) manager bounce with our 2 strong Irish signings. Hoping to get in a pub beforehand to catch the game. This doesn’t get close to attending an NLD but it’ll have to do. Have a good one lads.
Tony
Great news mate. My hearing continues to deteriorate so I may need some more of your sterling hi-fi advice again. Oh, and your erstwhile musical connections may inspire us all to get back to writing more of those awful fucking songs we dabbled with last summer.