I’m afraid the new blogging season is off to an inauspicious start, with our mercurial maestro, Stew Black, out with a slight niggle. So rather than Stew’s beautiful prose you are stuck with my wit and repartee.
I have no idea what sort of an atmosphere will be generated for a Friday night opener, but surely, free from any negative hangovers, it should be good?
The notable absentees are of course Santi – goodness knows when we will see him again – Laurent Koscielny (suspended for 2 more games) and Sanchez (tummy niggle). I’m led to believe that Per trained yesterday, so I expect he will come in for Laurent, partnered by Holding and Monreal.
It appears that Hector is going to be first choice as right wingback so that leaves Arsene to decide between AOC and our new tank, Sead Kolasinac. I believe he will go with Sead.
In midfield it will be Xhaka and ElNeny. Rambo was the standout player in pre-season but has had a slight calf strain, and although he too trained yesterday, I think Arsene will be ultra careful with him.
And now to the front three. Well your guess is as good as mine. It could be any number of combinations. Perhaps Ozil behind Giroud and Lacazette? Or Ozil and Iwobi/Welbeck behind Giroud/Lacazette? Or….. well AOC could feature too…….oh God, I give up.
Anyway, its Arsene’s problem and he is the best placed to choose. Whoever it is, I can’t wait to sit down and soak it in. I’m hugely looking forward the the new season, and although I hope Arsenal can win the league I will savour every game regardless of previous results of ours or our competitors.
Oh, we are playing Leicester City, and lest we forget, they were champions the season before last, so any thoughts of a cakewalk should be banished right now.
I look forward to seeing you all in the comments section regularly throughout the season. Please make the effort, because without you, the blog is nothing. Well, almost nothing, there’s still me in my splendour, but you know what I mean.
Andy will be here tomorrow so its back to the comfort zone.
CARMON ARSENAL CARMON (we miss you Frank).
Positively Arsenal 
How can Wenger look at that defensive display and not think we need another CB?
what you mean kos is back game after next, and mustafi is almost back to full fitness, and per’s cut eyebrow will heal, and gabriel has returned to training, and chambers is available too.
what’s all that got to do with it, not like they are CB’s is it now.
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P.I.M.P. @PoznanInMyPants 42s43 seconds ago
Kolasinac bullied Mahrez backwards up the line for 40 yards, with his hands above his head.
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AFC — LCFC
4 goals 3
27 shots 6
10 on target 3
0 saves 6
9 corners 4
72 possession 28
now can someone explain to me how in God’s green earth LCFC deserved anything from the game, as the media and the ASB are saying, really, how is that idea being put out there.
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https://player.arsenal.com/video/first-game-it-was-top-quality-game
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What a fantastic game it was! The defense will get better when our actual first team CB’s return to the team; the attack on the other hand was just a joy to behold. Some of the inter play involving Ozil, Welbeck, Laca, Elneny & Xhaka left the Leicester defenders chasing shadows. True definition of Wengerball.
#coyg
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Thoroughly mad start to a season. Would love to see a paragraph from John Cross explaining exactly why we didn’t deserve to win/ Leicester didn’t deserve to lose.
‘Arsenal may have had 27 shots to Leicester’s 6, overwhelmingly controlled possession, always looked to play football, played the vast majority of the football, put together many times more quality moves than Leicester, but…’
I knew throughout that one game is one game- 3,1 or 0 points in a long season- that we were missing key defenders, that our punishment was extreme on their chances, that whatever happened we’d done a lot of good things in attack…but I am so damn relieved we won anyway.
No denying I would be worse than gloomy if we’d lost, whereas I feel great and hopeful after the win.
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New post up
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