We visit our one time rivals for the title in Manchester today.
Up the M6 full of swagger and confidence or fear and trepidation, depending on what side of the fence you currently occupy.
It’s not a place we have had much success at in recent years but it’s not a place they have had any success at this season, having failed to win a home game. So I suppose anything might happen?
Unless we preform considerably better than we have up until now, it could be a disappointing day.
I would like to think I could predict something insightful, but truth be told, I have no idea what sort of a set up or line up Arteta will go with.
Any success we have had since the return of football, has come from us accepting being second best, and setting up accordingly. We won the FA cup this way, so we might try that again. However, as we are struggling to find two fit centre backs, let alone three, we might play a little more expansively. They seem to struggle against pace so that could be an option. Where that comes from, beyond Aubameyang, again, I don’t know. I feel Arteta will be keen to get Willian back in the starting eleven, Aubameyang is a certainty, so that leaves one spot up top. Personally I would go with Saka, but that would mean Aubameyang in the centre and Mikel seems reluctant to go there.
In the midfield, Xhaka and Partey would seem obvious weather we play four or three/five at the back, so another may, or may not be required, perhaps Ceballos?
Let’s hope it’s a good game and we come away with 3 points and a happy fanbase, nothing much cheers us up more than win at the Old Toilet.
Ok, sorry I couldn’t be anymore illuminating, but that’s the best I can do for today.
Enjoy the game, stay safe and be happy.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Thanks PG. Not especially optimistic about this game, as I don’t believe the pgmol will allow us three points up there unless we produce a performance that negates the various officials.
Just seems yet another season where Liverpool and its are given all the help they need, another soft pen for Salah yesterday and it’s must be averaging nearly a penalty per game
But, guess you never know
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Haha good one George, I see the same plonkers who spent eons pumping out the gibberish that ozil and Ramsey couldn’t play together (after we all saw them win three FA Cups in four years!), who denied that promoting Gunedouzi over Elneny let alone any others as a starting CM in the premier league was anything other then a disaster for this club are yet again objectively exhibiting their delusional stupidity in attacking you because Arteta’s fucked the season and his own credibility in the squad and in the wilder sport, amongst his peers, with a call so bad that it has completely ruined any bounce from winning the cup, in signing Partey, etc.
All that evaporated good will and momentum is apparently your fault George! You rascal. You should be ashamed mate. Hehe.
The damage from the Ozil call is and has been unfolding in front of us. The blaggers will run. But they can’t hide from this mess.
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On top of that these same cretins are the very same people who’ve been in denial of the kicking the creative Gunner players get. Absolutely fuck all comment from the clowns on how Rodgers nullified Arteta’s Arsenal, by, nothing fancy about it: by hacking the teenage Saka off the pitch (first three yellows for LCFC for rotational hacking of Saka).
Meanwhile the donkeys are applauding Arteta mimicking of Big Sam’s behaviour with Morrison was etc. The kind of donkeys that think there’s nothing wrong with technical talent like Carrick or Ward-Prowse being constantly overlooked by the grit ball dick heads.
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Ignoring Ozil: what a mess at CB!
There is no excuse for putting a palpably unfit Mustafi on the pitch last week when Sokratis is still on the books.
Mustafi was Arteta’s form defender before his injury, but he needs weeks to get back to those levels. Meanwhile two fit CBs are not even in the squad! And the only way the team will evolve is by relying less on the Luiz who has no option but to drop back too deep with his legs going.
Eight CBs on the books? This is undeniably a self-inflected Sado-masochistic fuck up.
That defeat against LCFC at home is hugely damaging result against a rival in the table.
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I think their is little doubt in most of the selection for todays game, Leno, Bellerin, Mustafi, Gabriel, Tierney almost certain to play, be it in a 4 or a 5, if its a five the question will be is it Saka at left wingback or AMN, in midfield we will see Xhaka and Partey, with Aubameyang and Lacazette also very likely to both start, so that is 9 of the 11 certain to start, and depending on formation our final two starters comes down to choices of Saka, AMN, Ceballos, Willian and Pepe. For me it will be 5 at the back and maybe AMN at left wingback to do a marking job. Saka might get in at wide right, but its more likely to see either Ceballos or Willian in the team
Leno
Bellerin, Mustafi, Gabriel, Tierney, AMN
Xhaka, Partey
Ceballos, Lacazette, Aubameyang
subs: Runarsson, Holding, Saka, Kolasinac, Willian, Nketiah, Pepe
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a rumor that our front 3 today is Willian, Nketiah and Aubameyang
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sorry that little rumor it seems is from a fake account pretending to be a football journo
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currently Arsenal have the least goals conceded in the EPL this season, but only 4 teams have scored less, the bottom 4 in the division
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a few surprises in the starting 11
leno
bellerin holding gabriel Tierney
partey elneney saka
willian lacazette aubameyang
subs runarsson mustafi xhaka maitland-niles ceballos pepe nketiah
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It seems Xhaka will be the one always missing out for Party judging by today and the last couple of selections and subs.
I do think Mo is more sturdy and creative than Ceballos so that’s good but no place for Granit (our true captain) seems strange.
The front three will not win the ball in the air so I hope the rest of the team realize that and play through the lines.
Manure are hot and cold this year and this looks a smash and grab team we’ve put out so COYG.
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No Xhaka which is surprising but going for TP and Elneny centrally shows our mind set.
We start the game in 13th, so much for Arteta, the new tinker man
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I have watched the last 25 minutes of the first half and we have played well. Best I have seen for a long time, although I have to say I have not seen much of them recently.
However, only one real chance then when Willian hit the top of the crossbar.
Manure are being very cautious, I suspect to tp be more adventurous in the 2nd half.
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Xhaka started midweek? I think that’s the reason for his rotation, I’m guessing he has played almost the most minutes this season so far?
Expected a back three given the recent run for this game and imo it was a decent effort from the Gunners in that half with some sustained pressure which is an improvement on recent performances.
but like many I’d like to see Pepe in for Lacazette, or Saka deployed further forward.
Both teams cancelling each other out. Holding not being fully fit will tire and Bellerin will need to be savvy to that. Game could go either way. Not forgetting the pgmob joker on the pitch.
Coyg
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we’ve had a shot on target, trust the process
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Pogba takes down Bellerin in the area, VAR looking at it
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Penalty given,
Aubameyangggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg 1-0 to the Arsenal
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Nketiah on for Lacazette
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Maitland-Niles on for Willian
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Mustafi on for Aubameyang
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4 minutes of added time to be played
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FT: Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal
Aubameyang goal from a penalty sees us win in the EPL at Old Trafford for the first time in 14 years, in what was a very workman like performance.
the win brings us up to 9th
a win is a win is a win
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Great win. And we actually played well. There were some passages of reality good football. Some good attacking.
Partey was great and Elneny too. Hopefully more of this to come. Credit where is due. Good effort all around.
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Elneny probably man of the match
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Elneny was class and Partey was excellent…
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I enjoyed this performance
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Been a long time since I enjoyed an Arsenal match. Wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much of we didn’t win though. But it’s nice to see in getting a hold of the transitions.
Some of the attacks cut through United very easily. They were insipid.
No idea how much of that came down to the fact that we tested it team mid week while they played.
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Rested our team midweek.
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Mike Dean was surprisingly fair all around today as well. Didn’t tilt the playing field as he usually does.
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Looks like Liverpool are paying the PigMOB these days.
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It’s a result that might not balance out the defeat to LCFC come the end of the season but one that will boost morale and momentum after recent setbacks and events.
Still struggling to make moves around the opposition D.
we’ll have to see how things look once Partey’s had a few games but I guess given the sado-masochism they’ll need to buy in younger talent at AM then Willian eventually if things are to improve there as Saka and others are simply too young to carry the load over a PL season.
In the meantime you can admire in particular for me the game from Bellerin today. he set the tempo at times, covered for the tiring cramping Holding and was Arsenal’s best attacking option when looking for space into the Utd box, winning the penalty (we can ignore the mike dean panto).
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Thought we were very good and this wasn’t a bad Man u side we essentially bossed all game. First time I’ve seen us control the midfield like that for a while. Elneny terrific, Partey growing into it. Keeper excellent esp with ball at his feet.
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Wlll be interested to hear other takes but felt we pressed hard and looked pretty fluid and forward moving in attack. Could well have been 2 up by half time. Willian and Saka had chances they would expect to score more times than not. Willian will do so once he relaxes into the new team. I remain confident he will be a plus for us.
On the downside easy to argue that apart from a rasping drive by Partey we didn’t trouble De Gea and relied on a (fair) penalty to win, and might well have had a player (Gabriel) sent off with 20 minutes to spare.
But my overall impression is of a team playing for each other and the manager and keen to improve.
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A win at OT with Mike Dean as ref, will take that every time and delighted to be proved wrong.
First league win in a long time up there
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Agree on Elneny, Holding and Gabriel had their moments as well
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I was actually dreading opening this page because I fear some of the comments will cherrypick stuff to moan about, after our first league win at Trafford in well over a decade.
That said, I’m idiotically happy that we’ve beaten them Mancs by that famous “one nil to the Arsenal” score line.
We needed that win following recent results, that I think forced Mikel to go back to the drawing boards. We all had to crawl before we walked and like FH, I too think he’ll start picking it up.
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I’m not sure just how good we were, yes we were defensively very sound, and never looked to be in any real trouble, but we were still poor in an attacking sense, we had including the penalty just the 2 efforts on target, we had another 4 off target. I don’t think anyone would have been surprised if that game had ended 0-0. Utd are a poor team, and for some odd reason very poor at home this season, they have taken 1pt from their 4 games at Old Trafford so far. They have conceded 13 goals in their 6 games, scoring just the 9, yes that is the same as we have scored.
That was a workman like performance, the first half from both teams was painting by numbers, seen it described as, and I agree with the description, functional, and that is being pleasant about it.
It might be a very important win, after all our first win away against one of big 6 in years, first at OT in 14 years, but this is not Sir Alex’s Man Utd, they have fallen more than we have, that is all.
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we play Molde in the EL on Thursday then Aston Villa also at home on Sunday, then its another God damn interlull. It will be the 3rd interlull with clubs only 8 games into the EPL season, its bloody madness.
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Not many managers go to Old Trafford and win.
In fact, Mikel Arteta is only the second Arsenal boss to have won his first two games against Manchester United, after Herbert Chapman.
So the Spaniard was understandably proud when he faced the media after Sunday’s Premier League win. Here’s what he said in his virtual press conference:
on the key factors behind our win…
First of all, the belief that we created before the game. We wanted to come here and be who we are and be that from the first minute. I think obviously if you look at the performance, every player needed to be at their best and they were. They asked a lot of questions with the way we played, so I’m really, really happy with the performance.
on Thomas Partey…
He was really good, but I don’t like to speak on individuals because they all contributed a lot. It was really hard to pick the team and it’s getting harder and harder, but I am glad that whoever I pick, they’re ready to give absolutely everything and play with a lot of courage. This is a massive factor for me because we played with no fear and believed in our style of play.
on going 24 away games winless against the top six…
Yes, obviously there are many factors for that and obviously it’s not a coincidence, so we have to change that dramatically and very quickly if we want to be fighting with the big teams. Because if we don’t, we aren’t going to have that consistency that’s required at the top level, so it’s big belief for the players as well. To be fair, this season we went to Anfield and we played them face to face, then we went to the Etihad and we didn’t accept to lose the game, then we came here and did the same, except this time we won.
on Aubameyang’s confidence to take the penalty…
He probably had added pressure because he know how crucial it was for us to win today and how important that moment was, but I think he took it really well and I’m really happy for him because he might not have been scoring, but he’s working really hard and contributing to the team. He’s doing every other thing and today he got his reward.
on how much this result means to him…
Well, obviously I demand a lot from myself and I was really tough after the defeat against Leicester because I didn’t feel like the boys deserved that defeat, especially after the game we played at the Etihad. I didn’t want them to doubt one bit of what we are trying to do and I just asked them today, go out there, be who we are and that we’ve come here to win. You could see that from the first minute with the way we played and our aggression showed. I’m really happy for them and obviously our fans as well because 14 years is a long time without a win and they’re one of our rivals, so I’m delighted for everyone.
on whether he expected Gabriel and Partey to look so good so good…
Well, no, because I know how tough this league is and you cannot compare it to any other league in the world, but we try to pick certain characteristics in the profile of players that we want to find for our club, and I want to minimise the risk by looking and looking and making sure that they can contribute to what we’re trying to do.
on whether his gameplan went exactly to plan…
Not everything but a lot of things happened. It’s really tricky because they can change formation, they protect their players a lot in this diamond. You want to really aggressive and press them high, but the players they have only need a split second and they are through. It’s who we are and we did that really well. We didn’t have the legs to do that for the whole game so we had to defend in a deeper block, but we did that in a really well-structured and organised way.
on whether he was nervous at the end…
Absolutely, yes. In the last few minutes they throw everything at you and have some big, physical players with a lot of quality. Anything can happen. But we defended really well.
on how important this result can be…
We are creating expectations as well because we beat United and then we beat Chelsea, and then we beat Man City, then Liverpool in the cup. We want to build them all the time. These teams are in a different moment in the process than us. We want to compete in the league with them all the time. We will evolve in other things and we will get better, but we need to generate the belief that we can go to any ground and be competitive. It’s something that we’ve got already, in my opinion.
on what this win can do internally for players’ belief…
It generates the belief and it binds everyone together. Everyone’s going to feel really part of it because players who haven’t played so many minutes in the Premier League until recently will be involved. Everybody has to be ready and if we want to perform at that level, we’re going to have to use this squad. The fixtures are crazy at the moment and the physical demands are huge. Everybody has to be contributing and focused on what they are bringing to the team. That’s the question you have to ask of yourself. It’s not just on the pitch, it’s off it as well and in training. We’re looking at what you can bring to the team, how you can help and how you are contributing. I’m really happy with the team.
Copyright 2020 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source.
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Hugely enjoyable after the Leicester game.
First half was similar but second halves were years apart. The positive nature of our play was excellent, taking risks playing the ball forward even when it didn’t work was uplifting rather than the CB keep ball display we’ve had recently. When you play forward if you lose the ball it’s deep in the opposition half rather than your own and although there is obviously a balance to be struck it’s great to see the ball going forward.
Yes our front three aren’t frightening many at the moment and the real test will be when this team again have to break down teams setting out walls against us.
Since Mikel has taken over he has many good wins over teams who have had to attack but the bread and butter games will need more creation.
I really hope our positive play today will flow through all our performances and we can start to enjoy the games again and not just the odd result.
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Jeez that was nice. Very tense throughout and then epic tension for last 15 or so when we were pinned back. Everyone worked hard and a few outstanding performances in there. Gabriel looks a superb addition to team and Partey looked a little more than I hoped for on that performance. Even managed to get in and nick ball back off Pogba after Pogba had nicked it off him after Partey had initially won it off Pogba.
Elneny another with a hell of a performance
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I like the international breaks less each year and at the moment they are a colossal pain in the butt. Much prefer it when enter stretch of season where there’s none of that on horizon for a number of months.
Wonder who does actually enjoy these breaks. Never hear from anyone looking forward to them.
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Guess it’s just the league these days and where we are at but after what feels like tough fixtures so far was hoping to see an upcoming period where we have good run of winnable games.
Can’t really see one before Christmas though. After Villa it’s Leeds away, Wolves home and Spurs away. Burnley, Saints at home. Everton away. Then Chelsea home, Brighton away on 26th and 28th.
No real bankers these days. Adds to importance of yesterday’s win but also underlines that season is well and truly underway and from here in probably won’t be much margin for error if we’re going to be in top four hunt.
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One area that I have felt increasingly positive about this season is how comfortable we look on the ball and how quickly we get it under control. And that we are doing so and being so in tighter areas. The actual shots and chances yesterday don’t back this up but my impression was of increasing confidence and control. I thought we looked a good side and not just a side sitting back and hoping for break aways.
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My review of the game will be in tomorrows podcast.
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Not taking anything away from the team as it was a creditable performance but one should keep in mind that United are a loss poor side having lost to the likes of Palace and a thrashing by Spurs.
I still not see us finishing top4.
Title challenge is far away.The idiot fans who said we will win the league by a country mile once Wenger leaves can they come forward and accept their mistake.
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I know many will call me a killjoy, but I hope that we are not getting carried away after a hard-fought 1 0 nil win against a really poor manure side.
2 shots on target, including the winning penalty, surely tells us more about our progress.
I was very impressed with the defence and Elneny, who, in my view, did more than Partey.
However, our attack was non-existent and, apart from doing a lot of pressing, achieved nothing.
\Had that game had been a draw, I wonder how many would still be raving so much.
Our next match may tell us more, bearing in mind Villa have now lost 2 games in a row
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I find these attempts from Arsenal “supporters” to paint this Manutd side as the worst in their entire history absolutely childish. Because the reason it done is to try frame our win over them, the first in 14 years, as undeserving.
Manutd started their season a week later when they lost against Palace and were bamboozled by a Son inspired Spurs team.
Otherwise, despite keeping a very good Chelsea attack at arms length they were dominant in their other games, that include a win over PSG and a 5-0 trashing of RB Leipzig.
I guess this is the part where I say take a day off and just allow us to take in this win. This is reaching legrove levels where as fans we are not even allowed celebrate the small victories.
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Reporter: “It looks like you’ve spent well, doesn’t it? Gabriel, Thomas Partey as well.”
Arteta: “Yes, Mo Elneny was fantastic.”
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Laba, I did not suggest that this manure side was the worst ever, did I?
I said they were a poor side and I am sure you will agree with that.
I am also suggesting that to think that this performance means that much is being somewhat ambitious.
I am happy to celebrate a win but also prepared to be realistic in not thinking that it means more than a good one off win.
Plenty more games to go.
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11 Ajax players have tested positive for Covid 19, its not clear yet if their game away to FC Midtjylland in the CL tomorrow will be affected or not
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