Damn the coffee tastes good this morning. I had a long and wearying day yesterday, entirely missed any football related news and gossip and have woken to thin watery sunlight washing through chill autumnal air. Only one thought could kick me out of the womb like warm coddling of my memory foamed paradise; Turf Moor, sixteen thirty hours, and the return of our all conquering heroes.
There is a superstition among fans that travelling north of Watford on the weekend following a European midweek match is a tricky affair. The best we can hope for is to survive and nick the points and return home to prepare for the next game when, refreshed and rejuvenated, the boys can once again turn on the style. That mood has not so much lifted as evaporated this week.
Such is the atmosphere of joy and goodwill within the Arsenal family right now that everyone is licking their lips in anticipation, revelling in some sparkling performances and generally not coming down off their post Chelsea buzz. I’m a naturally cautious character. Having predicted a good day when Costa and co visited the Emirates I agonised over removing the offending paragraph. Terrified of hubris, of misplaced optimism, and (whisper it) being irrationally and unforgivably concerned at ‘jinxing’ the result it was a genuinely difficult decision to leave it in.
In the end the sense of gathering momentum, the hints of a joyous return to the wonders of Wengerball were so strong as to be irresistible and my inner editor waved the white flag and skulked off to sulk in the corner. Of course I didn’t ‘know’ we would trounce Chelsea and produce a performance of breathtaking superiority over Basel. I didn’t dare to even guess but I had to express the feeling, to try to articulate the warm spread of confidence that came not out of the blue but from the steadily growing assurance with which the team was playing. The signs were there against Watford, and they proved themselves true.
So now the point in hand. Can we continue the momentum against Burnley? Is this side on the verge of putting together an indomitable run or have we just witnessed a flash in the pan? A quick survey of the coffee grinds reveals nothing of note and certainly nothing pertinent to the football. Our opposition promises obdurate, methodical defence and a George Graham like miserliness whenever they take the lead. Arsène said, in one of his many interviews last week, that Sean Dyche has come up with a system for Premier League survival, honed over his four years in charge, and based around efficiency and organisation.
This suggests that we will need to be at our fast, inventive and free flowing best to bypass an obdurate midfield and well drilled defence. We have of course had plenty of experience of siege warfare over the years. Teams are alleged to have hit upon two ways to frustrate Arsène Wenger’s side; kick ’em up in the air, or pack the defence and hope for the long ball counter attacking goal. I have often seen people bemoaning the fact that we appear incapable of dealing with either tactic to which I have a one word response. Phooey.
If we were truly unsuccessful when faced with the tactical defence employed by ninety percent of our opponents then we would hardly be finishing in the top four year on year would we? While it can be frustrating to watch sometimes the team generally does get their reward. The exceptions which prove the rule of course stick in the craw and take on a distorted importance in much the same way as the single grain of sand renders the Vaseline less efficacious than one might otherwise wish.
Having said that it is a gruelling business wearing down a dogged defence and can delay the crucial breakthrough until very late in the game. I suspect that rather than going fishing and assuming all will be well on the day, the greatest coach in the Premier League spends many of his waking hours turning over solutions to the problem in that overstuffed Gallic noggin of his. I also believe we are seeing the fruits of those mental labours played out on the pitch.
A subtle shift in tactics enabled by being able to augment the squad with the right kind of players, by patiently allowing key personnel to return to form after long spells of injury and shifting others positionally have all combined to a new, dare I say more ruthless version of Wengerball. Fast direct running with simple combinations such as that which left Theo romping into the open spaces behind the Basel defence for his second goal. Lofted passes over the massed ranks exploited by lightning quick, intuitive footballers coming from all over the pitch whether nominally wide midfielders, fullbacks or strikers. All of this combined with the tried and trusted patient passing moves designed to keep possession, frustrate the opposition and draw them out from their lair has achieved a heady brew of irresistible football.
My pesky inner editor wants me to sound a note of caution now. This entire caffeine fuelled piece, he says, has a ring of triumphalism surely out of place in a preview of events yet to pass. Once again I squash his objections and counter with this. I’m not predicting an easy win, heck I’ve not even predicted a win. All I’m doing is revelling in a purple patch, enjoying the sun while it shines and gathering ye rosebuds, in time honoured fashion, while I may. I don’t predict nor expect the wonderful form of the last two games to continue for the rest of the season, that would be a fatuous exercise in trying your patience. However I do firmly believe that if we can’t be happy and enjoy the sport when our team is playing well and winning then really, we should question whether we ought to be following the game at all.
If you’re travelling to Lancashire today, wrap up warm and I trust you’ll be in good voice. If you haven’t heard from me by four o’clock, send someone round to give me a poke, it’s just possible the coffee may have worn off and yesterday’s exertions have caught up with me. I’d hate to be sleeping when the the next chapter in this fascinating football story unfolds.
Positively Arsenal 
Thanks Stew another great piece! Coffee in the Arsenal mug I hope?
Im sure that the “rosebuds” will be gathered, unless Neil’s Dad turns up and takes the snow globe away, or somebody takes Charlie Foster Kane’s sled away, or the Corleone’s get irritated and Old Rosebud ends up in Waltz’s bed or if the Hearst nick-name rumors were true? Maybe that was Lou Parsons with the wooden spoon? But I’m sure old Orson and Mr.Keating were Gooners and wish us well.
Heres to surfing the turf!
Thanks again!
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Its will be a hard game, that’s for sure.
If you have the time give this a read https://medium.com/@laurielaker/631-138-519-87-seconds-27c432cbaf98#.bqy51t40b
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Morning Steww! Great uplifting piece.
And yes, let’s enjoy the ride this season and the teams great form.
Here’s to it continuing at until half six tonight!
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I tried a different tack for a game last year. Instead of my cautious maybe’s and hopefully, I went for, ‘you know what? We’re gonna win this weekend’. Never again.
I think we’ve, wisely, placed increasing focus on getting early goals. At a stroke, they can remove most of the pains and frustrations of playing packed defences, tactics which go hand in hand with time-wasting.
Not that long ago you could afford to be a bit more patient and rely on class eventually telling, but that’s more dangerous now as if a defensive team gets within sight of their aim of a point, the defensiveness and time-wasting increases. I think we’ve made good adjustments to that.
Gray’s absence seems to leave them without much pace for counters so they’ll be extra reliant on crosses and set-pieces. Hopefully we can keep them to a minimum. Close em down quickly please, full backs. Kos and Mustafi are well-equipped to deal with anything on the ground
We’re gonna…no, we’re playing well and we’ve got a good chance.
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an interesting stat on wenger’s twenty years, in the first ten years he managed us in 566 games winning 327, in his second ten years he managed us in 563 games winning 320, by the way we scored 42 more goals in the second ten years, but we conceded 71 more goals too.
So only won 7 more games, with 3 extra games played, over a ten year period.
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now I would like to see how the stats alter if CS games taken out, as we played in 2 in second ten years, and in at least 4 in first ten years
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Morning Steww, everyone.
Lovely day for a wonderful write-up and a decent encounter in store.
Odd really but Burnley almost feels like being on a knife-edge between flash-in-the-pan brilliance and sustained long-term form elevation. Because gone up a level we incontestably have and some are thinking these are the best performances – front and back, side-to-side inside out etc etc, we’ve seen for a significantly long time.
I too was confident pre-Chelsea but the statistician inside me was chuckling away to himself so I hardly dared articulate my private optimism. And that tells its own story – feeling more optimistic rather than confident.
Games like today will cement in the confidence, regardless of Statto and the boys. Few dare mention the elephant in the room but the relative ease by which we are currently securing 3 points could have an important role in slaying our injury hoodoo. We no longer look like the speedy racer having to perform flat out the whole time. We no longer look an injury away from disaster.
It remains to be seen, but if our form pressurises our opponents for top-spot to go close to flat out themselves, then that should only work in our favour. To what extent City’s already injured De Bryne will set them back remains to be seen. But we can already see how hard the likes of Chelsea and United are having to play to stay in contention. It may only be a matter of time before they too start coming undone at the seams. Liverpool’s pressing game may come at a price. But whilst Plucky are a shadow of their last-season selves, Tottenham, like Arsenal are in an undeniably enviable place.
At this stage of the season, this is where I see our main challenge coming from, as incredible as that sounds.
Still early days yet, but what an incredible season Arsene’s 20th could prove to be.
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I thoroughly enjoyed the matchday breakfast show, a brew with Stew.
It’s Arsène Wenger’s party today and for once I’m expecting the social-media world to be in full on fiesta mode. 3 points at Burnley will be just reward. COYG
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it seems kwame ampadu is doing a fine job as manager of the u18’s and not having henry or adams as coaches is not holding the lads back one iota. Who knew.
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Beautiful. Stunning writing Steww.
Your dialog is brilliant, and I love that includes your inner dialog (editor), and you’re always Spot On.
There’s no misplaced optimism. Just a reflection of Arsenal’s Wengerball. I have to hope that the “early doors reducer” aren’t employed and that if they are, they’re heavily punished. Unlike Costa’s blatant push on Kos which “earned” Chelski a free kick, for which the linesman, inexplicably, appeared as blind as the ref in gifting it to the
m in the first place. And that happens in almost every match! PSG done it, and having re-watched the 1st half of the Basil match – they were getting away with some naughty stuff too. Stuff that Arsenal do not get away with.
Any optimism is appropriate due to Arsenal’s player’s overcoming the handicap – to the point that most of this season’s games have resulted in Wengerball. Nuh true!
Dry, dug up, insufficiently watered pitch and blind eye officials aside – a gorgeous match could well take place.
What has already taken place is that after a night of not much sleep, I’ve read this excellent article which now kick-starts my day. Thank you.
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Right on the money Steww, not over triumphant, not over cautious.
Turf Moore is the tightest of tight grounds and you can see the faces of the crowd at the other end of pitch. Our wide players will not benifit today and poor Theo probably didnt need this game on the run he is on. The last time we squashed ouselves into burnley it was Aaron drifting all over the place that made the difference and so today Mezut and Alex Iwobi will have to take up that mantal. It might even be the Ox’s day. COYG
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A cracking start to the morning stew!
Now for some French toast and fresh coffee.
Arsène Wenger has given us all fancy airs and graces, c’est ne pas?
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Turf Moore pitch 104 X 66 m.
Arsenal 105 X 68m (exactly the same as Wembley).
No doubt Dyche will have told the groundsmen move the touch line inwards by an extra meter or two, and old Tony Pulis trick.
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If George doesn’t Nick Eddy’s comment at 10:20am for Twitter, I’ll take it!!
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Thanks for that link, PG. Very good article, that.
Inside the mind of Arsene Wenger:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eAGQ8OLyvqc&ebc=ANyPxKr6a5wP6wRbB-XyEQUGU-stocW8gv023DX4xj-Vf5UbLWIGAVAFqIFwycis_RW4WYkggkmwUqs35HjvtkyK7IAXDdEFBg
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Thanks Rantetta for putting that up. Really enjoyable,funny to see the old UA banner!Classic moment,when AW says ” sometimes it is the refs fault”.
Thanks again!
COYG!
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Could be a tough game, the effort put in during the last two games this week was there for all to see. Ozil, especially looked knackered after his exertions by the end mid week….but he often does, such a lazy player who steals a living.
But hopefully, an early Arsenal goal to disrupt any negative tactics, and our boys class to prevail.
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both Maitland-Niles and Reine-Adelaide have traveled with the squad so possibility at least one of them will be involved
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OptaJoe @OptaJoe 17m17 minutes ago
13 – Man Utd have won 13 points from their opening 7 games this season; 3 fewer than at this stage of 2015/16 under Louis van Gaal. Normal.
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just seen the incident where pogba flung allen to the ground, how did he not even get a booking, let alone the deserved sending off. was it that muppet taylor as ref.
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man utd’s upcoming fixtures
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City behind at Tottenham, Tottenham getting away with one or two yellows, City struggling to pass out past the press in the opening phase of the match. But now Tottenham don’t have the same amount of puff we see City starting to play in midfield, that opening burst from Tottenham lasted twenty / twenty five minutes, can City craft an equaliser?
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Giroud and the BFG will be a miss from the squad today. Xhaka’s height should hopefully help compensate on the set plays.
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City two down, that’s five goals conceded in their last game and half.
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Burnley were top of the second tier last season, should be an interesting contest.
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HT: Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 0 Manchester City
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Pep is still a genius, right?
Because his team is chiffin’ rubbish today.
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Should have been a second yellow for Rose there.
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lucas not in the subs, 3 defenders, including 2 CB’s on the bench
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City all over the shop.
Bravo does well dancing on the goal line to deny Lamela from the pen.
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In spite of the injury to Rose city aren’t giving us much encouragement ATM.
A couple of goals to equalise, some red cards here and there and I’ll be satisfied.
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Rose not injured, just the usual diving and squealing.
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win and Arsenal would only be 2pts off top spot
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Come on Arsenal!
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I’ve missed this blog during the last few weeks..
No surprises how we are playing this season 🙂
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Our Gainsy posted on twitter:
MikeyOranje @mikeyoranje88
@shotta_gooner @OleGunner I want every idiot who ever said Arsene doesn’t do tactics to have a look at Pep’s central midfield
I responded:
City: Fernando and Fernandinho with Silva in the middle. What could go wrong? Pep should ask Pellegrini.
And Pep is a fucking genius.
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Sorry lost my manners. Bravo Steww. You knocked that out after a tiring day yesterday. I am in awe.
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COYG!
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Don’t worry about it Shotts, I write for the sheer joy of it not for the roar of the crowd.
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Iwobi with the first shot. High but well hit.
Come on the Gunners.
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Ohhhh
The deflection from Alexis’ shot off iwobi and inches wide.
Two early shots Away from home = good start.
A sniff of an attack from the home team, offside.
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tempo not fast enough so far, finding problems getting past the parked bus. Passing a little off and not the energy levels of recent games.
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vokes with a free header six yards out puts it wide
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its one of those days so far, just a tad off
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HT: 0-0
don’t think we have had a shot on target, and not too many of any kind. Energy levels not at levels of recent performances, need to step it up in the second half.
This could be a game made for Oxlade-Chamberlain, someone who can beat a man and drive at middle of their defense.
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Energy levels of the players understandably not as high as before the last two games, losing Giroud and Perez options this week is annoying, especially as Giroud offers the alternative option at CF which can be handy over 90 mins.
They’ll just have to craft an opening. Hehe.
Close on occasions, Alexis’ deflected shot still remains the closest effort as Vokes’ header was well wide considering!
Burnley going for the sit deep and counter option, defending well so far.
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Look a little tired, maybe a day for inspired substitutions
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with Lucas, Giroud, Welbeck and Akpom all injured we don’t have a striker on the bench today.
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Good determination from the Gunners at the start of the half.
Alexis again! Close.
He’s not had much joy in front of goal for the last two halves, but hopefully he’ll find some reward over the next 45.
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iwobi with probably the worst shot of the season so far, it went out for a throw in
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Ozil with contender for worst shot of the season now
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