We want vengeance!

Well, it’s good be back. I was out of station with no laptop, and the WordPress API decided to not work at all. A lot has happened during this time – we threw away the lead against our arch rivals twice and shared points, beat Brentford in Carabao to move to next stage where we will meet West Ham, thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 in an away PL game and lost to RC Lens 1-2 away in our Champions League group stage.

Mix feeling about our September run, letting Spuds have points on us at Emirates is a bad thing. A loss to RC Lens displayed the limitation of Mikel which he will have to overcome in order to win at the grandest stage, and the Saka limping off in every game is as frustrating as it gets. Lets go one by one before we switch back to the coming City game.

First, Mikel is stubborn! In everything! Be it sticking to Kai Havertz with no real output from the ex-chelsea player, or playing Saka week-in, week-out when everyone and their WIN can see he is being overplayed, Mikel do not budge. Now, he can call it what he wants, but it’s harming us more than helping. And most important of it all his style of play. When you stick to play from the back and prioritise wing-based game, you keep the possession, you rattle the opponents, frustrate them, grind them and take up the chances when it comes. This works in Premier League because every other time tries to play the same way. Who comes on top is decided by the players quality and which team manages to keep the intensity. In Europe, it don’t work usually. Why? Because they don’t give 2 fingers about playing from the back and some of them are smaller clubs for whom winning 1 game against Arsenal or City is going to be the highlight of their season. RC Lens kept kicking ball far and away, scored from 2 individual brilliant goal and gave everything on the pitch. We, on the other hand, tried to press them but hey you can’t really press a team systematically when they don’t have a system?! We have seen this even against low blocks in Premier League. We have seen them against teams that let us keep the ball and we pass sideways for eternity. Pep identified this problem and got Haaland for those over the top balls but what will Mikel do? He does need to do something about it.

Second, use your common sense. Doctor says Saka is fit. But everyone else can see he is being overplayed. You have already pushed an injured Partey back on pitch costing us 2 months of his service, you have pushed Martinelli, you didn’t rotate Saliba last season till he picked up an injury, White towards the end of the season looked fatigued. Stop this non-sense of not having 2 quality players of each position. You always have options. Saka might even start against City – I want him for that game – but that just means couple of challenges and if his previous injuries aggravate, we are doomed.

Back to the City game now. It’s going to be most important game of this season. At Emirates, with no Rodri and Stones, that’s the best you can get to win against City. City had all 6 points against us last season and that was the difference between the winner and 2nd. If you believe you can go toe to toe against them, go for it. If you believe sitting back and playing them on counter is the best, go for it. Doesn’t matter for me for this game as long as we come out winner.

To be the best, you have to beat the best.

Saka is available as per the medics. Partey is back in contention. Martinelli remains the only injury but Trossard can cover well for him. If you ask me, I would still prefer to rest Saka because we have a lot of games coming and I would play Jesus at RW. What’s the point of all the crap versatility when players can’t perform when asked to. Put him there, demand a performance. Put Eddie up top and tell him a CF who can’t be missing chances. Ruthlessness should not only about the process (training well, running well blah blah), it should be about the end result too. I would switch back to a Partey midfield and use Rice or Vieira. Back 4 picks itself up and there isn’t much quality difference between Ramsdale and Raya so do a coin toss.

We will go into another International Break after this season, the least AFC can do it is set us up with a win for next 2 weeks.

Right, that’s all for today. I am sorting out the API thing with my hosting so at least can use my smartphone. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.