Stay Humble, Eh?

No fucking way. No one has forgotten the last time we played City and Etihad. Man City took the lead in the 9th minute when Erling Haaland scored from the centre of the box. We took the charge and played some attacking football thereafter and Calafiori levelled up from his left footed shot from outside the box of an assist from Gabriel Martinelli in 22nd minute. We kept playing some good football till the half time. Things changed a lot in those extra minutes. Guess who was the referee? Michael Oliver!

Oliver decided to award a staggering 10 extra minutes for the first half. Gabriel Megalhaes scored a brilliant header first and just before the extra time ended, Oliver gave a very controversial second yellow to Leandro Trossard to send him off. Reason being, Trossard cleared the ball after a challenge on Bernardo Silva within a fraction of a second after Michael Oliver had blown the whistle. The same referee who had not given a second yellow to Mateo Kovacic in a previous encounter between the same teams because he didn’t want to influence the game badly, gave a second yellow for Arsenal because the player kicked the ball in less than a second before the whistle was blown. Also, we haven’t seen a yellow for kicking the ball away after that day.

We were down to 10 men and we had a whooping 45 minutes to play against a lethal attacking Man City. Mikel went full Mourinho and substituted Bukayo Saka with Ben White at the start of second half.

In the 65th minutes, Myles Lewis-Skelly got his first yellow card in Premier League without even making his debut. Imagine the hate from Michael Oliver for a player in red and white that he awarded a yellow for a player on the bench. It was not like MLS was fighting someone, or causing any trouble. He was shouting to his team mate. Yes, everyone on the touchline shouts. Every god damn fucking minute of the 90.

Anyways, it was a day of attack and defence. Gabriel gave his best while City attacking every other minute. We kept our cool, never looked nervy and with some luck, we managed to keep our 2-1 lead till the 90th. There were 7 extra minutes awarded to the game and we all knew what was coming after seeing that. John Stones scored the leveller for City in the 9th minute of 7 extra minutes and the scoreline read 2-2 at the end. Haaland believed, after the game, that he was the descendent of King Leonidas of Sparta and started giving lectures to Mikel Arteta to stay humble. After a 2-2 draw. At Home. Against a 10-men Arsenal. With Michael Oliver as their 12th man. He might be the most lethal striker on the planet, earning more than anyone else in footballing world, but that age showed in his behaviour.

Team News

We are playing City again, tomorrow. At a very crucial time when we need the win to keep ourselves in the title race. And this time, the war is at our home, and without Michael Oliver. We have not forgotten and we will add to their miseries.

Myles Lewis Skelly red card was rescinded so he is available to play. Raya missed the Champions League game against Girona with a muscular injury and will be assessed before the game. I don’t want to see Neto between the sticks, he was very poor and lacked confidence in our last game and we need David Raya back to calm the defence down.

The usuals, Ben White, Tomiyasu, Saka and Jesus will be missing out the game. Saka is the one we will miss the most, as he has been prolific on that right side and he has always been the main figure in big games. Hopefully, Nwaneri won’t let us miss him after his brilliant Saka-esque goal against Girona. I am hoping Raya starts in the goal with a back 4 of Timber, Saliba, Gabriel and Calafiori. We will most likely see a midfield of Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Declan Rice. Nwaneri should start at RW, Martinelli on the left and Havertz in the middle.

No show (yet) in transfer window?

Well, we haven’t done anything at all in the transfer window so far. Only a couple of days left before it shuts down, and we went to Aston Villa in the pursuit of Ollie Watkins with 60m GBP which was rejected. So, we have the money but we are looking for a profile. 60m and some change would get you Sesko, or Mbeumo but Arteta likes players who can do the defensive job and I don’t see him getting an outright predator anytime soon. Watkins bid was a strange one, we need it more than ever but no one would have expected Mikel would go after him after showing so much trust in Havertz.

In the press conference today, here’s what he had to say when asked about bringing a striker –

It doesn’t depend on us. We have the intention, purpose and ambition to try to help the team and support the squad to be better and to finish the season really strong, and we are actively trying to do that.

source : Arsenal.com

This confirms the club and the manager are aware that we are lacking up top. With only 2 days left before transfer window shut, we will know whether it’s just intention or if we do something in real.

Right, that’s me done. It’s going to be a great watch tomorrow, and I am pretty sure we will come out on top. We need the bragging rights for next 6 months, and I mean a 3-0 win bragging right, not a 2-2 at home against a 10-men bragging right.

Also, I am pretty sure non of those players and the manager has forgotten the child-like behaviour from Erling Haaland and the cunt-like behaviour from Bernardo Silva. I want to see them faces sulked, embarrassed and hopeless.

#COYG