Top of the league and top of the world.
I used to love cars. Spent a fortune on them over the years.
The one I loved the most was a 1966 MGB Roadster. I bought it in 1990, it had been restored lovingly to concourse condition by an enthusiast who came on hard times during that particular recession.
I saw the pictures of it before the chap had worked his magic. Even then it looked nice and he said it had always been reliable. But afterwards? Oh, it was a thing of beauty. Stainless steel wire wheels, leather upholstery – the whole nine yards.
Of course he might have not bothered and simply sold it and bought a nice new Golf GTi. Thankfully he didn’t. He worked with what he had and in the end he produced a work of art. Can you see where this is going?
Yes? Thought so.
Well our wonderful set of players are quickly turning into a thing of beauty. Just as my MGB was.
Even when, like yesterday, it’s just cruising around in second gear.
I thought yesterday was a very professional job. We started off totally dominant although never getting into top gear. After the Welsh Wizard scored the opener, we dropped back into second. And paid the price. Not that an equalizer had looked on the cards, but we had stopped dominating.
But what happened next?
Well we moved up into third again and wrested control back. And it looked like we could , if need be, move through the gears further if it became necessary. It looked to me that the many games this eleven has played recently meant they were happy to conserve energy and win with as little physical exertion as possible. That’s what we did.
Three points and top of the league.
I don’t want to go over the top in praise of the team, because it could come back to bite me on the bum.
However, I am as happy with this team and squad as I have been since 2004.
I love this bunch of lads and I love what I am seeing.
Happy days.
Positively Arsenal 
Georgaki-pyrovolitis
does season ticket count for cc games as well?
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This is the squad:
4 Per Mertesacker
5 Thomas Vermaelen
8 Mikel Arteta
13 Emiliano Viviano
17 Nacho Monreal
20 Mathieu Flamini
21 Lukasz Fabianski
23 Nicklas Bendtner
25 Carl Jenkinson
30 Ju-Young Park
31 Ryo
37 Chuba Akpom
40 Hector Bellerin
42 Thomas Eisfeld
44 Serge Gnabry
45 Isaac Hayden
53 Kristoffer Olsson
60 Alex Iwobi
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Based on that, my guess for the starting line-up is:
Fabianski
Jenks Merts TV Monreal
Arteta Flamini
Eisfeld Gnabry Ryo
Bendtner
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Morning Limestone Gunner, everybody.
Hunter – unless it’s changed this season I think season ticket holders have first option on buying their seat for Lgue Cup games in the usual location for a short period of time (assuming a home match, obviously). ST’s valid for all EPL and Euro matches up to the latter stages of the Euros. FA Cup I think may be same as League Cup (but not 100% sure); AFC.com always has the exact details.
Fungunner – that line up bears striking similarity to some of the sides we put out for the sadly now abandoned NexGen matches of last season. A sprinkling of experience to any of those sides would give many opponents a torrid time, for sure.
Looking forward to tonight’s game; pressure off, a good game of footie ahead of us.
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thank you andrew!
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@ AA
It’s like an open sandwich – the artisanal bread of first-team experience with a slice of Parma ham from the midfield of the NextGen and topped by the tomato that is Bendtner.
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This is outrageous…..My head gets contaminated with that horrendous Carpenters song every time I log on to PA. Somebody write something with a different title…please!!!!!
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Fungunner
I can’t stop giggling…..”the tomato that is Bendtner”….(banned laughing face)
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# I’m on the top of the world, lookin’
# down on creation
# And the only explanation I can find… #
Karen Carpenter lives! Suck on that, Georgaki-pyrovolitis! (banned smiley face)
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Priceless Fungunner!
Thinking of doing a retrospective look back over PA for Georgaki, what could I call it, oh let me see?
How about Only Yesterday?
Interesting developments in the PA header – maybe a look back at how far we’ve come wouldn’t be entirely out of order …
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FunGunner
Are you into cruel and usual punishment? How could you do this to a fellow Gooner?
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Andrew
Puting the the boot in too?
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DC @ 8.42 pm
The Prince = No.8 Arteta
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If the Ronin is carrying too much blubber then Akpom could also get some minutes.
The youngling has only impressed and I won’t be tearing my eyes out if he plays.
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FUNGUN & ANDREW
HAHAHA, I want to be CLOSE TO YOU.
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Lets just hope that some of the fans won’t throw TOMATOES at Bendy..
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Is FABIANSKI available and none injured for this game or what? ARSENE didn’t mention anything regarding him yesterday.
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GP
We have to “stop hurting each other”, but really you know “I won’t last a day without you”.
…..ohh, and Hunter13: ” Calling occupants of interplanetary craft” hehe.
Only joking H13, mate we really love you..
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GK
Wenger says Fabs may be close to being back for tonight.
Where has my Frimmy gone?
It looks like an Arteta-Flamini-Eisfield triangle in midfield. Pure Quality.
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What was his injury??
And how about, FRIMPONG ,ARTTETA & EISFELD. that would work fine too..
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Don’t toke and type.
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@ GP, AA, Goonerkam, dc
heh heh
Just a bit of Fun, Fun, Fun.
And for the record, I love tomatoes. Won’t last a day without one.
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Bentner is more hairy now than a kiwi fruit.
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Here’s Ramsey giving an interview in Welsh.
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quiet today,shall we start another fight?
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You mean like Yesterday, Once More ?
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It is the calm before the Bendtner meltdown.
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I hope Nic does well.
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Cheers, AA!
Why not start young Akpom? He had a good preseason and is likely more fit at the moment than Bendtner who can come in from the bench for 30mins or so. I just can’t see NB lasting 70+ minutes right away.
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I wish they could/would live stream the game. I’d watch all the games with the Arsenal commentators in favour of tv broadcasts now that the creep Robson has been dumped. But it is just live audio, alas.
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Lets hope if nb23 gets the call he will take his chance with more enthusiasm than the previous wearer of that number and also shows more physical energy and work rate.
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Goonerkam 6:03pm
Oh no!… you didn’t!!
You didn’t say that about AA23 to George did you?
Watch out everyone….
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LIMESTONE
looks like we jumped the gun with that petition thing to get the jerk fired. We should have just kept the poisoned mind in house and just move him to a different department so that so many wouldn’t hear him and get aggravated by him week in ,week out.
How would have thought that he might get another position along the same line and spread his misery world wide now.
I should have thought twice about requesting that dismissal movment.
AKPOM should get the call ahead of Niki b for precisely the reasons you mentioned. He probably isn’t match fit. Good call.
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I enjoyed yesterday’s exchange. Truth is, I learned lot.
Watch out for NB tonight, he has everything and some to win, and prove, and very little to lose (he was out the door, down the stairs, and getting in a taxi when called back).
Let’s not talk about the Arsenal injury curse, but the Arsenal injury luck. Everyone knows you make your own luck. Ox is waylaid, Theo has an unexpected tummy ache, Serge “announces” he is ready. Jack, Aaron, niggles, thigh strains and stuff, ah yes, Arteta is back; next week Tomas back in full training. We shall see what we shall see if Ryo plays left wide tonight.
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Saw Stéphane Sessègnon turn Vermaelan inside out last year at TNHOF on one occasion. I don’t want some of what Di Canio was snorting. But I think I’m starting to understand why they call it marching powder.
I hope that Vermaelan finds his form and overcomes what must have been a soul crushing period for any athlete. Anelka will be *coughs* up fer it, I guess that he’ll play.
He’ll make it back to that top level, just a matter of time i hope. C’mon Tommy!
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DC
hehehe. Let the cat out amongst pigeons.
I was just kidding seeing he and Anicoll were itching for another fight. George knows I love ARSHAVIN as a player almost as much as he does. I even try to catch some of his games with zenith st. Petersburg.
You think THE SACKER will be picked alongside TV or HAYDEN will get the call.
I hope its ISACC.
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Goonerkam-you’re barred.
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Hahaha. Okidokee.
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Kam, he’s spreading his poison globally but we expect it from the MSM; just really didn’t want it on my Arsenal Player and highlights. Now, of course, he’s had to eat some crow recently, for the whole wide world to hear! Silver-lining to every cloud!
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Well said ZimPaul
I re-read the exchange from yesterday, and I actually thought most points were fair.
I can understand G69’s frustration though.
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GAINS
very interesting interview. I had never heard welsh being spoken. It sound a lot like Finnish and/or Norwegian. Not at all like English.
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the line up tonight is so difficult to pick and therefore predict, as soon as we started picking up injuries early in the season I was fearful of tonight’s match away at a reasonable side with mainly kids on show. a win tonight would be a major achievement for the academy and as long as we perform well a defeat certainly wouldn’t be a disaster. I would still be depressed as I always am if we lose however I cant help thinking long term it might actually help us. Anyway no more mention of that lets hope we win COYG
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LSG
If your referring to Stewart Robson – he is long gone from Arsenal Player, mercifully for us.
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According to the boyos from North Wales the language Aaron was speaking is nothing like Welsh either GK
Don’t ask don’t ask
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a_or_b
No doubting this is a tough game, even for the First XI – It will be a big ask for the kids tonight but I feel they have it within themselves to deliver a win.
COYG!
I’m off to a sports pub with which has loads of dodgy East European satellite links, the game has to be on one of them, otherwise its going to be watching Suarez vs Evra. eeeugh.
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Limestone
I understand and it was a sore point for me too that ARSENAL was paying this idiot to slate and denigrate the organization and players game after game. I just wish I could get away from hearing him doing games now. I’m feeling cursed as he is doing many games here in the states. Every where you look. I’m almost wishing back for drake and macmananamanan.
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that’s not a bad starting line up Hayden starts in midfield rather than cb id like to see Bellerin Olsson iwobi and chuba get on from the bench can we have more than 3 subs please
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DC, yes I was and I started a petition with Matt Gooner Knight calling for Arsenal to remove him from Arsenal Player that the club responded to a couple months before he was sacked.
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I hear you Kam, but he was doing games on TV during that period as well!. In fact the game that pushed me to write to the club was a broadcast game on TV in North America, a game versus City, not one of his commentaries for AP. So at least we aren’t funding his vitriol and now he has had to admit that AW is doing well and Arsenal are playing well.
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Darke and McManaman are pretty poor too!
Does anyone know where we can watch this match–doesn’t seem to be broadcast in Canada at all!
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