Arsenal will hope to put the defeat up north at Manchester City behind them with a trip down south to the Amex Stadium for a Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion; a side still without a win this calendar year.
Good day one an all.
Mikel Arteta’s return to the familiar surroundings of the Etihad did not go t all well, with the crushing 3-0 loss also putting an end to our unbeaten 2020 league run.
We always knew facing the reigning champions in our first game post-lockdown was going to be bit of a challenge… but to then lose Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari to injuries early on and having an error-strewn David Luiz sent off just made an already bad evening even worse. But you know, we just have to pick ourselves up.
The Gunners go into this match 9th-placed in the league table, eight points off the top-four. If we want to keep hope alive of a European spot, we simply cannot afford any more of those faux pas like at the Etihad. Our failure to stay switched-on has always been more of a problem than anything else.
Brighton have become sort of a bogey team to Arsenal since their return to the top-flight in 2017/18. They lost the initial encounter 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium and went unbeaten in the next four. Two of those games ended in wins, the last by 2-1 in the reverse fixture back in December.
However, their travails since may give us a chance to exact revenge. Being the only PL club yet to win a game in 2020, has left them embroiled in a fight for survival. And with games to follow against Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd. and Leicester in their run-in, the future looks pretty gloomy for Graham Potter’s side.
It wasn’t always this grim for the Seagulls. They got home wins against Totnum and Everton, and on New Years Day held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw in front of a packed Amex. But with games being played in empty stadiums for the foreseeable future, it could be a struggle to rise to the occasion once more to maintain their good run against the Gunners.
Team news
With centerback Mari ruled out for the rest of the season, Sokratis still short of fitness and David Luiz suspended for our next two games, Rob Holding is expected to come into the fold to provide defensive cover.
Xhaka’s injury and Lucas Torreira only just returning to training after a fractured ankle, will cause Mikel a selection dilemma. But it also provides an opening for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to play in his preferred central midfield position.
That said; with the relentless nature of the revised schedule and five-sub rule, we are likely to see more rotation than usual. So the young’uns that started against City could all make way for their more seasoned counterparts.
Prediction
The league resumption may have gotten off to a foul start for Arsenal but Brighton certainly got their share of bother. So while both sides are desperate to get back to winning ways… the Gunners may just edge this to help nudge the Seagulls back to the Championship. COYG!
— Labo
Positively Arsenal 
Nice one Labo, let’s hope we click.
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Thanks G. Something got a bit scrambled up top but its not taking anything away from the gist, so no worries.
Our run out the other night may have us a bit more prepared than BHA for the empty stadium. It’s the small things…
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Thanks Labo. Expecting Brighton to make this physical , and Martin Atkinson will do all he can to encourage them in that purpose.
Going to be tough, we are used to a lot of injuries, but this is starting to get silly.
Expecting our creative dept to click into gear for this game, they need to
This is an ideal time for youngsters to make their mark
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FT: Spurs 1-1 Man UTd
we are now 6pts behind utd and 2pts behind spurs, so if we win tomorrow we would go above spurs and close to one win behind utd
Rob Holding looks the obvious choice at CB, but some are suggesting that Tierney will play CB with either Saka or Kolasinac at left back.
Zech Medley seemingly is included in our 20 man squad, he is a left footed CB, he will be 20 in a couple of weeks time, very tall, a big unit but not the quickest or the most physical despite his size. Good on the ball.
How much will Arteta rotate, nearly half a game on Wednesday a man down, Xhaka and Mari out, so at least 2 changes to the starting 11, but will we see Pepe and Lacazette come in, I’d expect Ceballos is a more likely starter than AMN for the Xhaka role in midfield,
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Has anyone any information on the teams travel arrangements? I feel that with three away games surely they have to improve on the marathon journey to Manchester.
It was interesting to hear that the United team stayed in a hotel before the Spurs game.
With so many games in succession these problems need to be ironed out as we already seem to have a mountain to climb with injuries and ‘tactical’ changes!
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THE big question for me is whether Ozil plays,Mikel’s comments suggest he won’t..I hope he does, I’m sure Aubameyang and others do too.
After the City game I made some graceless comments about flat-earthers for which I apologize.
Our…. performance..ahem..left me in a foul mood.
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Strange feeling- that could be plenty in my head- that no element of team, bar Leno, is settled at moment.
Injuries massive part of that, untimely break when we were finding feet even bigger, maybe contract issues in play, and then that very unwelcome fixture to try get back into swing; now the road again soon after. Thankfully Mikel knows his stuff better than me and has been training with group for a few weeks so has lot more insight into where we’re at.
Not ideal, though, and looks a bit ‘win or forget it’ today, so everything crossed. We need this one.
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Thanks LG,
A completely different sort of problems will be faced today and we should have slot more possession to create with. Unfortunately it looks like although Mezut is physically fit he is not ready for action and so our creation will have to come from elsewhere and obviously that’s not helped by the loss of Granit and Pablo, even Lucas can thread a pass.
Concerntrating on the players we do have Ceballos is a baller but Matteo holds on to the ball to long and tends to pass backwards alot he must take control and move quickly and forward more often to prove effective. We have plenty of of options on each flank and once again we must use that to get behind an opposition that needs wins.
At the back to have someone of the quality of Rob Holding as fifth choice CB is something many clubs would be jealous of although I know he is short of game time.
Where is Smith-Rowe is he still on loan or injured I have lost touch over lockdown but he would be ideal to fill the gap when Mezut isn’t playing.
Anyway I trust in Mikel to find the formula to return us to Wengerball and enjoyable football again COYG.
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Ian
Think loan guys stayed at clubs where could. Olayinka played in play off game other night, few had season cancelled. 99% sure Smith-Rowe with Huddersfield still and season about to resume.
At mention of Holding, think it’s 18 months now since injury so pretty concerning he doesn’t seem self yet. May well have been setbacks or complications along way, but also think it was dreadfully unfortunate stage to get injured at, not fully formed but getting there, reasonable amount of games under belt but not huge amount. Maybe harder in that situation for a centre back than further up pitch with more slots and more opportunities to get minutes here and there.
Now would be good time for him to come in and have good game to alleviate those concerns I guess.
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team
Leno
Bellerin Mustafi Holding Kolasinac
Ceballos Guendouzi
Pepe Saka Aubameyang
Lacazette
subs: Martinez, Tierney, Medley, Maitland-Niles, Ozil, Willock, Martinelli, Nelson, Nketiah
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oh so close from Saka, his power shot from edge of the area smacks off the bar
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lacazette close with a header
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Now a calmly played cross pass to set up Laca for a good chance. First big save from the home keeper after Saka’s shot off the bar.
Only Raul can stop Saka from starring for Arteta’s Arsenal.
–
Thank you LG
COYG
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leno looks badly injured
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looks like a badly broken leg for leno,
martinez coming on
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No protection for Arsenal players* or the keeper. As that was surely a simple foul and probably a yellow for going in on the keeper when he had no chance? Good to see Leno calling it out. You can’t miss it unless you are the broadcaster.
*Foul on Pepe which wasn’t given was a yellow!
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Another game, another serious injury. This club is cursed hope he is ok as quick as possible
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well fuck me the commentators are defending the brighton player for that needless challenge more than Trump defends the kkk
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martinez with a fine save
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I wish this season would just end, before the majority of the squad is crocked, the only good thing about the season is getting Arteta
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Every team seems to get away with murder. Facilitated by the PGMO crooks. Pepe surely has no chance of avoiding a serious injury he is singled out every game. Makes me sick.
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They are getting away with a hell of a lot, as they know they can against us with such a ref
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Atkinson in justabout the worst one of the lot. I expect it will be Dean next
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The PGMO are pieces of work.
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Taylor, Atkinson, Dean, that would fit, ….Dean for the Spuds game
Come on Arsene, if you are able, please make Mike Riley uncomfortable
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Couldn’t get any sicker of our players being injured by opponents by whole gamut of fouls, from cheap shots, to brutal hits.
Mentioned on twitter in early stages Atkinson prob worst of lot (or tied with Deane) in danger he poses to our players. Always pretends not to see clumps to face, late hits in air, etc, etc.
Boundless loathing for the bastard.
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Think we all know why the broadcaster can’t show the side in view of the offside there.
Now that they are using video replays to support the titling no one can deny it .
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Lovely goal
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Sadly, predictable rather way things are going
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the bastard that did Leno now scores the winner for brighton, fuck sake
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Another PGMO masterclass.
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shower of shit,
0 pts from our 2 games v Brighton
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There are mitigating circumstances there, lots of them. Atkinson plus a bunch of cloggers who knew what they could get away with for starters. Injuries. Poor form.
But that was poor, I hope Arteta has some good reasons for some left out.
That looked emeryesque To me at least . Ponderous, bad mistakes at the back, can’t hold a lead
We used to struggle against the very top, we now struggle against cloggers, journeymen. Arteta has a very big job on his hands, not helped with perpetual injuries, the contract situation, and some of those above him.
Of course , early days since a long break, but find myself asking….what has been allowed to happen to this club? And what are those in charge going to do if this continues?
This is going to take a long time, and perhaps more direction from the top than seems available
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This team suffer without Xhaka, amongst others.
Has Martinelli been a bad boy over lockdown, or is he injured or something?
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Grim. Fantastically cruel turn of events. Icing on the cake the little shit’s post-match interview.
I know it’s anathema to most of you but, when blood’s up at least, I wouldn’t mind us forgetting about football, so to speak, and just signing as many dirty bastards as possible for some nihilistic payback crusade on English football.
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we are going to have more AFC players with broken legs till we have some bad bastards in our own team and are willing to have the PGMOL send them off for retaliation. We need to cripple any cunt who takes out one of our players, and do it game after game regardless of us getting reds. Put the fear of God into any opponent thinking of leaving one on our players. PGMOL have made if clear that they will not protect our players, so time we grew a pair and handed out our own justice.
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arteta as a player would have left a foot in on Maupay at some point during the game after he injured Leno, so I’m disappointed that he has not instilled some of that in this side.
We have gone down meekly twice to Brighton this season, and went down meekly midweek too. We are running out of games to turn this season around, and nothing suggest these players are up for the fight. Arteta has to take some of the blame, we are not even trying to play through midfield, and we can’t create to save our lives, his subs today were Emeryesque
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Agree Ed. Think only way that could ever happen is if we had, well, a strong British influence behind scenes, especially in shape of former players with deep connection to club. They’d need to believe things are as we see them, and be furiously driven to address the situation, the only way the game here will ever understand and, ultimately, respect- aggressively, dirtily, with devious hypocrisy concerning the reality of what we do.
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Can’t think of many viable candidates who fit that bill, to be honest. It would also be case of, in all probability, doing as much or more harm as good. But I’ve long thought it’s the only kind of reset we can have.
Fucked up, and would effectively wipe out most of Arsene’s influence on culture. I’d be up for it though as we are effectively denied all the benefits of the great man’s influence thanks to pgmol, the media and, in short, the entire, dishonest, self-deluding culture of English football itself.
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Orbinho
@Orbinho
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54m
Referee in both games was Martin Atkinson.
Yves Bissouma is the second player to commit six or more fouls in a game against Arsenal this season without getting booked (after Jordan Ayew for Palace).
It’s only happened two times in total this season for all the other teams.
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Arteta said after the game
‘I think it’s all our fault. It’s about how you compete in a Premier League match. It’s for 100 minutes and for every ball and every action. It’s not the first time that it’s happened. It’s something that’s a must and it is non-negotiable.’
‘When I’m talking about competing, there are details when you go ahead and game management and that’s something we have to improve. I don’t want to use excuses. At this level you can’t do it.’
‘We did more than enough to win this game and we threw it again. I don’t want to use excuses.’
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Ed, confirms what I suspected that Arteta, at this time, either believes pgmol not an issue or has taken strategic decision to do nothing which suggests he thinks it is.
Surprising if former and, while I can see rationale behind it, latter obviously will never work for us.
Anyway, I’ll have to see how it goes for rest of season but feels more feasible than ever for me to jack it in.
Managed without for 3 months and can’t stand likes of Atkinson having that power over us and my emotions. Truth be told it’s led me to hate not just them but so much else besides- media, most football fans. Got me wishing harm and injury on about half the population. Not healthy.
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Rich, I agree with a lot of what you are saying, the team need to take this on. Doubt the owners will, and I suspect Raul may be a little too compromised .Wengers earlier teams could be pretty nasty, but the great man seemed to change course, Perhaps had to with fergies level of influence over refs, and what Chelsea’s money could buy
I suspect the youngsters now have not really been schooled in these dark arts, tho Guen for one looks willing, if raw. British Ex players with a connection to the club could help, though we do have a pretty tough defender from that era as coach, and a guy who coached with Big Sam as Mikels assistant.
I can think of one ex player who might be able to help, he’s Dutch, he could be as devious as he was sublime. Whether genius, even God like genius can transmit such knowledge to others in this era with these refs is a different matter.
Going back a bit , I used to know an old , rather accomplished rugby player. He told me about Code 99, back in the day ,the Lions were touring South Africa, the boks were Formidable, and apparently getting away with things with the refs. So the Lions captain came up with this 99 thing, when that number was shouted, the Lions were told to lamp the nearest bok. It worked a treat, the refs couldn’t keep up with the chaos to act, the lions got their own back, but apparently, the biggest effect was galvanising team spirit for the Lions.
Of course a different era, a different sport, And not suggesting lamping people but my point, a bit of organised nastiness might not go amiss. Wengers cultured Sporting ways are not working, we are losing games, being done by refs and losing players
But you are right might do more harm than good, as many players have found out.
I suspect ultimately, we are going to have to get so good, these tactics can be negated, or get someone within the club with sufficient power and influence to stop it, that, or Mike Riley retires and is replaced by a bastion of honesty and fair play, and that is not going to happen.
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mandy what gives you the idea that Guendouzi is willing to give some of it back, surely not his petulant after game dig at Maupay, he had close to an hour of the game to actually make meaningful contact with Maupay, but not so much as a glove did he lay on him.
Arteta as a player had a nasty streak, I really hope he gets some midfielders in with the same attitude, we really need it badly.
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earlier this week on twitter someone was lamenting how we needed a whole new defense, and my response was that midfield is our Achilles heel is our midfield, and nothing I seen today has changed my mind.
Many want Xhaka and Ozil out of the club, I suspect even some of the execs at the club want this, but we seen on Wednesday and again today, when these two guys are not there we haven’t got anyone who can thread a pass for a runner.
We’ve not won a game since August without Xhaka starting.
We don’t have anyone who can even see the passes that ozil sees let alone make them, reports say Real Madrid have quoted us £40M for Ceballos, my God 1/4 of that would be too much. But he is a youtube favorite so for many of the fans he can do no wrong, which brings me to “great for a 21 year old” Guendouzi, what the fuck does he actually bring to the team, yes he has great confidence in himself, he flutters about a lot, he will be seen at many of the games flash points, but really what does he actually bring to the team that we would miss if he was not in it.
Midfield is the part of the team that we have to sort out, now and in the transfer window. As things stand it does not do a good protection job with the defense, and it creates sweet fuck all, I really don’t know when was the last time our midfield dominated a game.
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the worry for me is that we are not creating chances, at least when we dominated games and missed lots of chances, you knew that at some point it would click and goals would flow, but now we are lucky if we have a handful of shots in any game. Was it 25 shots DeGea saved against us that time, and we had several games like that, keepers having to have the game of their lives to stop us, but now it feels like the opposition could not bother having a keeper and we would not score.
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Ed, gotta say my Ceballos excitement was all about the two u21 Euros I saw him light up with wonderful performances. Can understand not being overly impressed with him based on time here but he truly looked excellent there.
The difficulty for me is pinpointing what accounts for the difference. He was in not just a good Spain team then but one in which the players complemented his style and each other notably well, playing a slightly tweaked version of that distinctive skill, passing, movement and team play- based Spanish style which has enjoyed so much success.
He was doing that with Europe’s best refs, not pgmol, and not pgmol while in an Arsenal shirt in 2020. It makes it an impossibility to judge what his true premier league potential is let alone his overall abilities. Both are him, the one doing that with Spain u21, and the one not able to shine much in our struggling team. There’s an excellent chance he’ll thrive once in the right team in Spain.
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seemingly Leno was on crutches as he left the stadium today, he also had a very large leg brace on, reports now suggest its a bad knee injury, the ACL
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rich he was in a great spanish u21 team, he was also one of their older players, he turned 23 shortly after they won it,
he has talent, but he has done so little in his 25 games for AFC that I’m not sure that he will. Some seem to think he is the man to oust Ozil in our team, now those who say that are the same ones that say Xhaka is shite too.
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some reports that despite Mari likely to be out till November with a knee injury Arsenal are going ahead with his permanent signing, for a fee that could go to a maximum of £14M, we have so far paid about £5M for him.
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