Fresh off success in the FA Cup and Community Shield, Arsenal make the short trip to Craven Cottage as they and Fulham get the 2020/21 Premier League season underway.
Good day one and all.
The 2019/20 season will be noted as a successful one for the Gunners thanks to our Wembley endeavours. Which really is for the best because our league run, winning just four games from our opening 13 games, was one to forget as we finished in 8th-place.
Mikel Arteta arrived midway through and had varying results, however, we picked up pace at the tail end and what a feeling it must have been to finish his maiden season with silverware. That said, there are still plenty of work to do to if we are to close in on the top-four places, let alone dream of a PL title challenge any time soon.
Be that as it may, we carried some of that positive energy into this new campaign with victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield, to again show that we are over that mental block when facing the “top sides”.
That is not exactly a genre Fulham fit into; who makes their return to the Premier League courtesy of their own Wembley glee; seeing off London rivals Brentford in the play-offs final.
Scott Parker guided the Cottagers straight back to the top-flight, however, with them not the lavish spenders they were last time, he will largely rely on the same group that won them promotion. A familiar name in their ranks is Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was the Championship’s top scorer with 26 goals. He will no doubt be tasked to carry them over the finishing line to safety.
Team news
The Gunners have been busy in the transfer window as welcome Willian and Gabriel Magalhães to the Emirates, joining William Saliba who returned after spending last season on loan at Saint-Etienne. With Saliba and Willian in line to make their competitive debuts, today’s match may be too soon for Gabriel who started training just recently.
Dani Ceballos is also back for another loan spell and is set to continue the solid partnership he has formed Granit Xhaka in midfield.
There has been no official communique regarding the future of Emi Martinez, but it’s reported that he has been withdrawn from the tomorrow’s squad.
As far is injuries are concerned, David Luiz hurt his neck in training and joins Skhodran Mustafi, Pablo Mari, Gabriel Martinelli and Calum Chambers in the treatment room.
Predictions
It’s always difficult to know how teams will fare in their opening game, but Fulham have lost each of their last five matches against Arsenal, with their last victory all the way back in January 2012.
So with the Gunners’ superior head-to-head record they should be expected to make a winning start to the new campaign. COYG!
— @LaboGoon
Positively Arsenal 
Sacked with a £25 m payoff, He has quite a good way of approaching these things
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Arsenal now being linked with Dijon reserve goalie Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson, in a £1.5M deal, seems the Iceland international used to be coached by our GK coach Cana
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a little bit concerned to hear Arteta site language problems as one of the main reasons for Saliba being left out of the squad yesterday. The lad signed for us last year, surely he should have been learning the language since then.
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some reports saying that Martinez chose to leave cos Arteta told him Leno was starting the season as first choice and that he(Arteta) does not like to rotate his keepers in the cup, so Martinez was only really going to have training to force his way into the team.
Aston Villa said to be paying £16M plus a possible £4M in add ons
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Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson may be a replacement for Matt Macey who is said to want to leave for first team football too. David Raya reported to be still our choice to replace Martinez
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Paris Saint-Germain 0 – 1 Marseille
seems like this was a bit of a game, PSG received Six Yellows and 3 Red cards, while Marseille received 8 Yellows and 2 Red Cards
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many expecting Aubameyang contract announcement tomorrow, maybe at 14:14. He and his family/reps were at the Emirates today, along with our club photographer Stuart McFarlane, and Ian Wright
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3 weeks left in the transfer window and Arteta says we need to bring in more players, sell some players and loan out some players, so I suppose that means lots of transfer dealings for AFC upcoming
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I think it’s really weird Arteta saying he will not rotate keepers in the cups.
It’s a common practice that the 2nd choice keeper plays in the cup games .
If Martinez was agreeing to stay on the basis of cup games Arsenal have done the wrong business imo.
Also what is logic of forcing Ozil out.He is the most creative player at the club maybe in the whole league.Why you want to sell him?
I am happy that AMN is hopefully staying but selling of Martinez and the Ozil saga is a big question mark on the club’s transfer activity.
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Ed. The game was ludicrous. Pretty bad advert for football. Absolute miracle they got through 90 with no reds. Five yellows first 13 minutes and it didn’t let up from there with strong fouls, spite, endless cries of pain and strong appeals to ref, incredible rolling around, clashes, pushing, some off ball stuff. Don’t know if I’ve ever seen a tougher game for a ref.
Highlight was when a guy took a pretty nasty fall and landed badly, but then rolled at maximum speed a number of times, writhing like electrified fish, before stopping and holding his neck. I’m sure not a single person in history of world with a genuine neck injury would do that.
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