We have been on a great run this year. I have never seen such a winning streak with score lines ending like it used to do in my college days playing FIFA all night. Crystal Palace 5-0, Liverpool 3-1, West Ham away 6-0, Burnley away 5-0, Newcastle 4-1 and Sheffield United away 6-0. Add 4 clean sheets to this to make it even better. We have this habit of downplaying our own achievements and to give extra credit when someone else does it. Credit where it’s due, Mikel and that Dubai trip has somehow motivated the team to score, and score a lot. It doesn’t take away the fact that we need a CF but at least it’s not costing us as of now.
The title race is ON
It’s getting tough at the top. The gods are giving Klopp and Liverpool some luck since he announced his departure, Pep and City are world champions and they intend to keep it that way, and Mikel and team are trying to prove the last season’s fall is not a pattern.
If you don’t put much effort in calculating all the permutations and combinations like me lazy arse, there are 11 games and whoever wins the most of it will walk away with title. The two most important games of this season will be played in this month
Liverpool v Man City – March 10th
Man City v Arsenal – March 31st
Man City has twice the probability to go behind, and whoever beats Pep will have a better chance of winning. Rest of the games are almost against similar opponents for all three teams.
Our mantra would be, win the winnable ones and give it all on 31st March. Mikel has to beat Pep, to win… – the beauty of football but only if, he does it.
Arsenal v Brentford – Match Day
We are playing Brentford tomorrow. We always have suffered against them and it’s going to be a physical, counter attacking game from them. Mikel knows this and acknowledged it in the pre-match conference.
Every point that we left, or we left this season hurts, and that’s still there. We have a lot to play for, the difficulty of the match is always really tough. We’ve played them twice already and we suffered, we always suffer against Brentford. On Saturday I expect a really similar match.
source: Arsenal.com
Well, we expect a different result though. Nothing less than a WIN because when anyone of the City or Pool loses, we need to go to the second place. We can go top if it’s a draw.
In the team news, almost everyone’s fit and available. It’s good to see Partey back because inclusion of Jorginho has allowed Declan to play in an advance position and Thomas can do a better job than Jorginho. Saka and Martinelli took a very small injury in the last game but will most likely be available for the game. Tomiyasu remains a doubt, Fabio got back in the playing XI against Sheffield and our academy product in Emile, Nelson and Eddie are fit as well.
Expectation? A win. You don’t win titles just by beating the top 6. You need to remain consistence against all 19 you play and we have seen last season how much it can cost. I hope the players see a trophy in front of them and they keep playing like they have been in last couple of months. It’s just a matter of 11 weeks and your name would be in history.
Winning against two of the best managers in the world is going to make it even sweeter. It’s in our hand.
Right, that’s all for today. Almost weekend now, and hope it’s get better tomorrow with a win and both the City and Liverpool dropping points.
Guys, lets keep it friendly. It’s always great to read an alternative view from Aitcho and Islington Kev. And it’s really difficult to earn a fan in comments 😀
Hi Hoopah
Good advice. Maybe Tony can hook me up with an ultrasound unit…turned up to eleven.
The only problem is that the bloodthirsty little fuckers are akin to a protected species here. I’d probably end up in jail if I tried blasting their little earholes.
You checking in for the game tomorrow? How’s your local team doing by the way?
11 games to go – win them all and we will finish first or second.
Another good piece Ambarish. I reckon the players spent some quality time together in Dubai and Ode, Gab M and Declan helpfully got into the lads’ heads. Arteta was too occupied eating one of those bullshit goldleaf salt bar steaks and so the boys took over the strategic side of things. Anyhow, as you say, the trip has clearly helped. All I ever got from my trips to to the middle east was heat rash and terrible paranoia.
Brentford aren’t all that and we generally prevail, save for that awful defeat at their place on the opening night. A few years ago they were a minor team leapfrogging between the championship and division 1.
Moreover, their usual back 4 are all out suffering injuries. Match their energy, and get a semi-pissed up crowd fired up, and it will be enough.
I also have it on good authority that we’ll win. My local bookies said a barely disguised Ivan Toney was in there last night putting 500 quid on a 4-0 Arsenal win.
Bar – Bae.
💪That’s his salt-sprinkling action
Agreed Ambarish—I certainly didn’t start the fire, but I could have done a much better job when it came to snuffing it out…Cheers
KP – Bats hate light and strong odours. The authorities love bats as it means a nobody can have a real sense of power. Beware of Chris Packhams.
NORG,
Yep, if either of Pool or City wins theirs as well. I am positive for myself and not so much for them 😀
KP,
Back 4 would be disturbed a bit, since Raya is on loan and I guess he won’t be able to play against his parent club. Ramsdale coming back in the mix might create some nervousness, not because he is a bad keeper but he hasn’t got any game time recently and our back 4 are more in sync with Raya recently.
TRVL,
Thank you, much appreciated.
—
Fuck the bats man. I still have my passport with Schengen Visa stamped but didn’t visit any European country, because hey, someone ate a bat in some other part of the world without boiling it ENOUGH! How hard that could have been. I went to take back my passport in the lockdown, smh.
Frenchs never reimbursed me.
Good post MB, title race vibes are the story from here on in.
Somehow we’ve found ourselves in a title race after a relatively humdrum start to the season. And just about everyone is fit or close to it
Stuff the stats. It’s a legit three way and I think we’re strong enough to handle it now. The last time, last season apart, I was genuinely this optimistic was when we beat Leicester late on. It was ours to lose.
Brentford tomorrow won’t be the Brentford we’re used to. Toney is still finding his way back, their def is short. Even if it doesn’t go to plan, there’s time and games to work out way back in but it’s a very small margin for error if we flop. Games like this can’t afford to be our giveaways.
If it’s any consolation, that clown Salt Bae’s restaurants in NY and London are already hitting the buffers. Still so pisssed off at that idiot for his WC antics. And a bit jealous. Growing up post Taylor, my opportunities for “entering the field of play” have been limited and pretty much confined to games abroad. And there goes Salt tosser on the pitch. At a WC final.
Not sure if I’m going tomorrow. Have a game myself PM, away in Dagenham, tight. I’ve got a friend on standby. Here’s the thing. When I’ve given my ticket away over the last couple of seasons, I’ve missed some bangers.
Title race, fancy that…
Enjoy folks.
I think we should do two for ones all the way to the end of the season.
Come on board
The two for one beers that is.
We can’t do financial doping but Crowd doping isn’t against the rules
I do favour us quite heavily against this particular side, so long as we convert our early chances and curtail their ability to counter effectively with numbers…that said, if our backers get caught tucked inside on the left or up the pitch on the right too often, we could find ourselves facing some difficult 1 v. 1s, especially if we continue to have Jorginho sitting deeper and Rice occupying more advanced spaces
one thing that works in our favour, minus their obvious backline woes, is the fact that Mbeumo doesn’t appear to be quite ready to return…he and Toney are a formidable duo at times, who can create matchup problems for even the best of defenders
I would suspect that they will find it exceedingly difficult to both disrupt our ball movement, which should see our possession numbers in the 70+% range, and handle our high press, due to their aforementioned defensive injury issues
if Saka and/or Marts are unavailable for selection, our typical gameplan will have to be somewhat modified…Tross doesn’t have the pace to keep them honest out wide left, so their forwards can leak up the field more, and the same applies if Vieira comes in again for Saka on the right
I’m still fairly certain that one or both will be in the starting 11, if MA’s assessments of the two are to be believed…if it’s only one of the two, I would expect that we will overload that side then attack ad nauseam…hopefully this will provide the backside forward with some unmarked looks by making some intelligent late runs into the box
this should be a 4-1 scoreline, as we’re the much better side on paper, but if we come in expecting another cake walk. like SFU, we could get punched in the mouth…they’re a well-coached team who understands what it takes to go big-game hunting, I just don’t think they have the horses
I think some typically Arsenal-esque modest hubris is in order here. It’s only Brentford everyone. We’ve scored masses of goals and dominated against teams better than the Bees. They’ll huff and puff (I rate Norgaard but he’s no Declan) but they won’t have enough for our back 4. Ramsdale today right? What could possibly go wrong?
We will have a Waterloo moment at some point (of course) and I think that is more likely to happen away. Easy for me to say after I laid a few scatological nuggets in my bed pre Sheffield United of course. The boys are playing well, there are few injuries and so there’s healthy competition for places and morale and team cohesion seem high. A complete reversal from the mood at the end of 2023 when goals had dried up. I think this volte face in the team’s fortunes is player-led. A workers’ committee has replaced the oligarchs and dictators!
This mid-season break thing has got me thinkingof going to Dubai to see if it will improve my DIY, gardening and grasp of the Catalan language! More likely a soggy trip to Tenby awaits.
If any of you have some extra non-Arsenal time whilst on your pre-match prayer mats today, please say a devotional for Cardiff City who are home to Ipswich and could make it 13 points from 15 if they win. Atheists and people of all faiths welcome!
a lot of people I deal with are Ipswich Town supporters. My least favourite shipping line is a sponsor. Come on Cardiff – you can do it.
The sun is out and the bees are buzzing – hopefully by 17.30 they will all be thinking of bed.
Aitcho
Not sure the two for one beers is a good idea – I don’t know anyone who likes the Camden Hells they serve in the stadium – personally its undrinkable I haven’t had a beer in the stadium for god knows how long.
They only brought it in to counter the Spuddies putting a micro brewery into the toilet seat but honestly who cares?
The winter break really seems to have done Ode a lot of good he’s been a different player since. Rice looks like he’s really growing into playing for a big club (a big fee can hamper some players) and Saka is just top notch – as I’ve already mentioned England having a front three of Kane, Foden and Saka is pretty formidable.
Lads
I know this is an Arsenal blog (who wouldn’t) but fucking brilliant win for Cardiff today. 1 nil down going into extra time. 2-1 winners! Omari Hutchinson crying Chelsea tears of bitterness. 😭😭😭
Evening all currently on my travels and in Mae Sot this evening visiting friends and then down to BKK to my long overdue coronary check up.
I’m out of the loop much of the time currently but I agree Ambarish I’ll keep neutral.
KP over the moon for you and Cardiff sounded like an emotional roller coaster game.
Brentford were woeful last game and I can see another GD boosting win.
I’ve always said we have the squad since last season to win the PL.
We’re behind on points but upcoming games are going to be cup finals for the top 3.
Let the theatre unfold with hands on hearts.
Can England beat Ireland? Scotland getting turned over by Argentina was funny.
I think no, Ireland will be too much and Bothwick wasn’t inspired in his pregame interview.
Enjoy lads land of home and glory comes to mind by Springsteen.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C-m3dOB_s_g
I accidentally put on the SFU/Bournemouth match a few minutes ago and before I could get it the fuck off the screen Sheffield did more in that brief span of time than in the whole of the game against us…go figure
KP-congrats on the victory over a top 3 side…looks like our old farmhand Omari actually won player on the month in February…too bad for him it’s fucking March and things aren’t looking nearly as bright after dropping 3 points to Cardiff
by the looks of things Ipswich could have vaulted over Leeds into second place…by happenchance did Ipswich have a little spanish fellow acting in the capacity of a “make a wish” manager today? asking for a friend
looks like Marts was more injured than first thought, as he’s not even on the bench…no Jesus again, with MA’s bestie up top, and Kiwior will start on the left, even though Zinchenko is available for selection…I would have liked to see Partey get the start along side Rice, but Jorginho is in the starting 11 once more…we should still win this quite easily, I should think, but some of the concerns I raised last evening could rear their ugly heads if Brentford comes to play today
*I would have liked to have seen
good throw by Ramsdale…too bad Tross doesn’t have the pace of Marts…god only knows what Havertz was doing on that play
Arsenal is playing with lot of confidence ,(ok, after all Brentford without entire starting back 4). Also passing is crisp and with a purpose totally out of sync with the ‘ process we seen last 3 years. As someone said before ,it appears that Dubai with El B occupied with Salt Bae infantilism ,the players were free to develop their own strategy.
For 3 years we seen the ” process” consistently so this new winning style is alien to El B style of thinking. A leopard does not change his spots
1-0 Rice
good on Rice for coming in the backside a little late, as that will be crucial with the defence shifting to Saka’s side of the pitch
Hoopah—oft-times we’ve looked the part against inferior sides, especially those who’ve functionally capitulated from the opening whistle, but that certainly can still help from a confidence standpoint, so long as we show the same intent against tougher competition…just like Strikers hoping to be considered within the ranks of the world’s best, they can pad their stats against the bottom-feeders, but they must provide similar type performances against the better sides to even enter the conversation…we’re still on the outside looking in, but if we can shore up a few positional shortcomings, we could be on the cusp of greatness
Hoopah—like I said, positional shortcomings…imagine our luck that even after wasting 120+M on both Jesus and Havertz, who’s shockingly poor in front of goal, plus Eddies’s ridiculous wages, that we’ve found a way to still be in the title mix…this simply has to be corrected in the off-season
I like Tross attempting a shot from distance, as we need to keep defences honest…if they believe we might attempt such a thing, someone might come forward and open up the space in behind
Havertz is such a blunt instrument…where the fuck is that touch he displayed in his youth???
RVL
We are seeing Havertz inability to get the barn door or the goal posts too many times.
But guess El B likes the albatross for the meat maybe
Brentford are swimming in it now, but we need to make more of our chances so as to snuff out some of their lingering hope before any adjustments can be made at half
I think we know now why Ramsdale is not getting chances. He has all the chances in the world and he still messed up 1-0 lead.
Shittttt
But to be fair to Ramsdale that ball should not have been passed back
Hoopah-can’t even imagine how Jesus feels knowing that such a bag of toys has replaced him on the pitch…talk about deflating
maybe Ramsdale’s rusty…although that seems almost unthinkable considering MA’s love of rotating Keepers at times
Arunnar Ramunarsson.
It’s not like MA has picked him unless he had no choice in the matter, which must be tough on a cold backup…both Raya and Ramsdale have that sort of brain fart in them, but the former hasn’t had to pay quite so dearly for such mistakes
Raya cannot play , being still a Brentford player on lian to Arsenay.
But yesterday El B gave his sound bytes likely to wind up Ramsdale
3 back passes with seconds left in the half and the ball ends up with der koncentrationmeister himself.
Anger would depend on how it ends. Ramsdale would be praying we score couple more because at this stage, you can’t afford a fuck up as a player.
And yes, I can’t understand this infatuations with the back passes when hardly 30sec left on the clock. Old habit die hard may be!