Hello and how are you? Sunday the 22nd of February sees the Mighty Cannon go east and up the Seven Sisters road for a clash with our favourite best friends, Tottenham Hotspur FC. KO at the Lane is at 4.30pm local time. Expected weather is partly cloudy, temps at 13° (feels like 12° ) and between 1 and 6%  chance of rain.

I have nothing to add to this one, especially after the interesting posts on the blog this week, we all know what’s played out and what’s forming before us. Aspects of the media are setting us up for a fall, but I’m sure Arteta and Co have other ideas.

Missing for the Arsenal are: looks everyone’s potentially available, except long termer Merino. 

Missing for the Spuds are: Wilson Odobert (ALC) Pedro Porro (thigh), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (ACL), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Kevin Danso (ankle), Destiny Udogie (thigh), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Ben Davies (ankle) and Rodrigo Bentancur (thigh), Cristian Romero (suspended). Doubtful is Richarlison and Solanke, but I think the latter will be back for this one.

The lads at Statto HQ were on their way to a large comic con and were attired in various styles of cosplay but still handed over the predictions: Tottenham Hotspur FC, Middlesex, 16.2 % chance of winning.  Arsenal FC, North London, 60.9% chance of winning. Next up a holiday for the lads in Dubai and then Chelsea at ours. So COYG!

Mills

Our assault on the league seems to have gone from a Blitzkrieg to a Rorke’s Drift since Christmas. Kicking the proverbial out of Arteta and some of the new scapegoat players will do nothing to help our cause, but insisting the Sun is out when we are getting soaked to the bone, doesn’t seem too smart either. If anything good came from the fans and media murdering Wengerball on a budget, it’s that the horrible pain of defeat has, for me, been relegated to a dull ache. We used to play in a way that made me proud of Arsenal, win lose or draw. I know that often we were poor, but we always tried to me entertaining , brave and good. We had players that I adored, Arshavin, Cesc, Rosicky, Santi, Jack, Aaron etc. But those days are now just a beautiful memory and all the longing wont bring it, or anything approaching it back.

All we can do is support what we have, in whatever way we as individuals choose, and make the most of it. We might enjoy it less, but somehow we should at very least, try to get some joy from our hobby. If we can’t do that, perhaps it’s time of a new hobby, Knitting perhaps?

Games don’t get much bigger than this in my opinion, so enjoy what you can my friends. The run in will tell us as much about US, as it will about the team and our dear leader.

Pedantic George.

Hello and how are you? Sunday the 25^th of January sees the Mighty Cannon play host to Manchester United. KO at the Emirates is at 4.30pm local time. Expected weather is partly cloudy with temps at 7° ( feels like 1°) with 30% chance of rain.

So suddenly United are being ( in some areas) touted as a club with Lazarian qualities, a club that will save the PL from the dreaded Arsenal and bring back the title to the red side of Manchester, which as we know is the only place it really belongs, at least in the media/pundit heart. Well we shall see.

Hincapie and Calafiori were both back in training for the Cannon, but young Gun Dowman is still out of action. So almost a full squad for Arsenal.

Mazraoui  is back from the Africa Cup of nations, however Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee are missing for United.

I walked into Statto HQ and while they argued about the finer points of coding in HTML they gave me the match predictions: Arsenal have a 61.1% chance of victory through harmony, while United have a 16.5%. Next up, another CL clash, this time against Kairat at the Emirates. So COYG!

Mills

A couple of weeks ago this fixture would have been considered a gimme, Not so much now? The old “new manager bounce” is in full cry, I mean this new manager is “unbeaten”. Players that United fans well calling useless are now being touted as world beaters, A spirit that was broken is now said to be back to the real United. Mmm. Ok.

I hope they cone here brim full of confidence and have a right go atus, because if they do, in an open game, we should batter them. Shooting boots on lads , leys have a clasic display, because the media keep suggesting we will get jittery in the run in, this is an opportunity to kick that into touch.

Enjoy the game.

Pedantic George.

Hello and how are you? Tuesday the 20th of January sees the Mighty Cannon take a trip to Bella Italia and to Milano, to take on last year’s finalists, Inter Milan in the CL. KO at the San Siro is 9-00pm local time (8.00pm UK time). Expected weather partly cloudy, temps at 3° feels like 4°, with 0% chance of rain.

Within a single point of the heavy-weight rounds of the last 16, we go into this one top of the CL and with a perfect record. Inter were also Perfetto in their early games but notched up successive defeats to Liverpool (who extinguished an 18-match unbeaten run) and Atlético. Inter haven’t lost three in a row in the CL before, and with their level of pride I’m sure they will do everything they can to avoid it and the gruelling knock-out phase.

However, Inter bounced back and are five wins in eight, with a draw and one loss, with four clean sheets in the last six)leaving Chivu’s lads top of Serie A. So Arsenal are meeting Italy’s Arsenal?

Di Gennaro (hand) and Palacios (thigh), Calhanoglu (calf) and Dumfries (ankle) despite being key players are out for the Nerazzurri, but beware, Bastoni and Thuram will both be back and were rested for this clash at the weekend. We will also meet up with our old friend Mr. Mkhitaryan, whom I’m sure will take no prisoners despite being an ex-Gunner.

Merino, Norgaard and Mr Rice are all a card away from a suspension, so they will tread where angels fear to. Dowman (ankle), Hincapie (thigh) and Calafiori (muscle) are unavailable.

I reached out to Statto HQ who were engaged in an argument about the Riemann Hypothesis, and handed me a scrap of paper with the stats. Inter Milan have been given a 34.2% chance of winning and the Arsenal 37.5%. Next up farmyard frolics with Manure at the Emirates. So COYG!

Mills.

Well I suspect our friends at Statto HQ haven’t taken into account that we should be resting key players. And they need a rest because grafting is our top priority, none of this fancy Dan expansive entertaining football, that’s for the last century, apparently. Still whatever, I hope we win and my eyes stop bleeding.

Pedantic George.

Hello and how are you? Saturday the 17^th of January sees the Mighty Cannon make a trip waist-lands of England and take on Nottingham Forest in our next PL game. KO is a 5.30pm local time. Expected weather is; partly cloudy with temperature at 7° (feels like 6°) and with 1% chance of rain.

So, here we go again into slings and arrows of the misfortunate Forest of Nottingham, a team struggling, but a team that can also pull off sneaky results when they want. Most weeks we’ve agreed that the games are massive, maybe this one doesn’t feel as massive, but lets hope we don’t go into it feeling like Goliath and that they’ve changed their name by Deed poll to David.

Dyche’s men must be feel the mean reds after the FAC defeat at Wrexham, currently they sit in 17^th place, seven points clear of the more sulphurous end of the league, and enjoyed last time out in the PL, a win at struggling West Ham.

For the Gun,  Piero Hincapie (thigh), Riccardo Calafiori (muscle), Max Dowman (ankle) and Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) are out and not about, and maybe it’s time to stop saying it every week until they come back? I think we can expect some rotation, what with Inter in three days after this match?

Missing from action for Forest are Chris Wood and keeper John Victor. Arsenal loanee Mr Zinchenko is unavailable as he cannot play against the parent club, however it seems Forest don’t want him anyway. Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly return from the Africa Cup of Nations and rumour has it that Ryan Yates is back in training and will be ready to rumble when Saturday comes.

I turned up at Statto HQ for the facts and figures and found they were arguing about their favourite Ed Wood film,  as they shouted to each other “pull the string!” I was handed a note with this on it: Nottingham Forest have been given a 15.5% chance of winning and the Mighty Cannon, 61.9%. Next up mambo Italiano! with Inter on Wednesday, as the CL is back. So COYG!

Mills

I honestly have no idea what the selection might be for this game. MLS seems to be in the naughty corner so the same back 4 as against Chelsea with Raya? But in front of them it’s anybody’s guess. I had thought that with the certainty of facing a low block, Havertz or Jesus might play, but with Victor playing so well last time out, Mikel might want to keep him at it?

We are going to qualify as a top seed in the CL regardless of what happens midweek, so I hope this game and our next PL fixture take priority, should the poor fragile lads need a break.

Pedantic George.