Arsenal have a trip to Merseyside to play Everton at 5.30 P.M. today.
Given our recent results and form, this is somewhat daunting, they are in good form and we are not. And that’s being kind to us. An unkind man might say our best chance is to get a player sent off early doors, and put up the barricades in the hope of a 0-0, but not me, I wouldn’t be that unkind.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, oh no, not at all. Everton are short of two vital players in James and Allan. They might be rubbish without them? Right? They will have to be rubbish for us to win. I’m joking, I’m joking.
Ok, that was the good news, so what’s the bad news?
Well, Xhaka is out, although many fans will say that’s good news. Many fans are thick though. Partey is out injured, for the foreseeable, so I think it will have to be Elneny and Ceballos. These two have long since been labelled “not good enough” so it’s an ask for them to pull a Rabbit out of the hat today, we can but hope.
I suspect we will go back to 3 at the back, with the 5 being Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Tierney and perhaps AMN?
I also think we will see Aubameyang back on the left with Lacazette in this weird No.9/false9/No10 hybrid thing with Willian back on the right. This isn’t what I’m hoping for, just what I think will be the case.
Any kind of a result will be welcome and any sort of performance will be acceptable if we get one. Wengerball is a distant memory and Arteta dishes up football by numbers that is better called sufferball, but we are in such a desperate situation that somehow, anyhow, we have to get some points. I don’t believe we will be relegated, but if we are not careful, we could be in the mix. I said before the season started that top 4 was out of the question, after a couple of weeks that top 6 was out of the question and now I think top half is out of the question. We are in a real fight to be a mid-table team for the next few years.
But what do I know? Actually, I can answer that question, it’s Feck all. So don’t let me dampen your spirits, it might be grand in a week or three.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
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Tricky game, but aren’t they all? But do think we can get something from this as long as the players don’t do something silly and hand the PGMOL a gift. We need some sort of Pepe masterclass! , or something, Auba needs to get out of his funk as well,hopefully, his goal midweek will help him
If Arteta has, as might appear, has lost some of the players- players available to him that is, the club will have a very serious dilemma if these poor results keep on coming
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Theres an old 12th century saying: ” those that playeth the kacki football of mid-table or bottom table negative defensive style shall reapeth points like solitary crumbs left over from the feast of champions and remain humiliated like boys who leteth off stinkie bombs at a barn dance, and ever shall the stench linger!”.
Calling St.Totteringham where art thou? On yer Holidays? We want our Arsenal back!
Thanks George. Cheers!
Love from Mills x
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Sufferball indeed.
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As bad as we are I think that because the table is so crowded and concertined a couple of wins and were right back in comfy mid table.
Whether that’s with Mikel or not I don’t know but come the end of the season we won’t be where we are now.
I think the toffees can cope without James but Allan leaves a big whole. Elneny has been our best midfielder so if Ceballos, the wing backs and whoever is assisting from the forward line can support him we could do well.
The Academy lads have all done well recently so it would be nice to see them rewarded but I’m not holding my breath.
Once again we need points rather than performances at the moment although maybe we need the later before we will consistently get the former COYG.
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Andre Marriner is the PGMOL Game Manager for our match today with Everton
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Marriner oh dear, at least as bad as most. At least he might check the identity of the brown player he sends off on VAR (Arsenal one of course)
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Are there any referees in the mix that gives Arsenal a fair shake?
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No Auba, well the club are saying calf but as I said on the last post by his body language and the most depressing interview I seen given by a footballer I suspect there could be more to it.
Unfortunately Pepe is out of form and the left is not ideal for Willian.
Personally I don’t think trying to play Pepe through his malaise is wise when the team need more especially as he gives Hector and Rob no protection whatsoever.
Again though whoever plays and whatever I think COYG.
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The answer to that Q is: No.
By the data there were or are a few officials on the dodgy roster who might not be great refs but did not have an objective quantifiable bias against the Arsenal. And They hardly get any matches with the Gunners!
The pgmob is what it is. Everyone knows which clubs and agents they favour. Only the children, understandably, or man-childs are in denial.
Auba out. Though he needed a rest, like Saka and Bellerin.
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Whats up!
Well, I never expect us to win nowadays, but I hope for a win. According to some Auba is not trying hard since he signed his big contract so we will not miss him. I hope the players are not shackled by our lackluster style and play with the proverbial handbrake off.
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Leno, Holding, Luiz, Tierney, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Ceballos, Saka, Pepe, Willian, Nketiah
Subs: Runarsson, Bellerin, Lacazette, Soares, Mustafi, Willock, Kolasinac, Smith Rowe, Martinelli
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Rob Holding the captain today
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Is Willian the poorest footballer on the park in this contest?
Kia knows.
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Everton take the lead, Holding own goal, iwobi with the ball in, calvert-lewin heads it onto Holding and ball deflects past Leno
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Will Mikel survive into the new year? It turned into a pantomime when he dropped the best footballer in the football squad, lost the squad, and it’s only got worse since.
Place yer bets!
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Nketiah really should have done better with that chance
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Yeh Eds, no need to rush that shot. Too anxious.
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My skygo is not working.
Does anyone else have that problem?
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penalty to Arsenal, AMN brought down
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Pepe scores 1-1
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Part of the problem is that playing with ten men for most of the season has been a handicap.
#willian
#Kia & Edu are making monkeys out of the Arsenal
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yerri mina gives everton the lead again just before half time, a free header six yards out, leno really should have done better, he was too concerned about the EFC players in the middle
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a poor half of football from both teams, an own goal, a penalty and a free header at corner is how the goals were scored, 2-1 to Everton, but neither side has played much quality football.
our midfield is woeful, but xhaka is not there to blame. But non negotiable Willian is there, and I’d like someone to explain to me what footballing reasons there is to keep him in the team, when did he last play a good game.
Pepe and Nketiah also not good either, Eleney and Ceballos seem to think we are playing in the opposite direction
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Playing as if someone cancelled Xmas
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Arteta’s two biggest blunders in his managerial career so far
1 dropping Ozil from the squad
2. replacing him with Willian
other decisions in contention
bringing back Ceballos on loan for a second season of shite from him
not giving Saliba a minutes playing time
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Its all Xhaka’s fault
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According to the Express arteta did not want ozil be cause he could not play on the wing.
Now if arteta actually said that then he has shown himself to be unsuitable for the role of manager.
Such a statement is completed rubbish. I have see ozil play on the wings plenty of tone under wenger.
But that is hardly a reason to sideline you most expensive player.
Arteta is digging a deeper hole for himself of it is true.
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Dr. 7amkickoff
@7amkickoff
·
5m
Arteta should play two teams in practice. Then, whichever team plays best he should NOT PICK WILLIAN.
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The players are not on the same page. Pepe just played a nice pass right in front goalie are for Willian and he was flat footed. This is not a team, its 11 individuals trying to carry out a plan that does not suit them.
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Maybe if we keep the ball down and play through the middle of the park?
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63 minutes, Elneny off Willock on
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70 minutes Martinelli on for Pepe after just 45 minutes of play for the U23’s since his return from a long term injury
how the fuck is Willian and Ceballos still on the pitch
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I hope he proves me wrong but Willian must have a very interesting contract on percentage playing time
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why haven’t we brought on Lacaette yet
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Nketiah off, Lacazette on,
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Willian and Ceballos have been dire all game
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Is Willian doing it on purpose?
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5 minutes of stoppage time to be played
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Oh well, 2020, shit year, shit pandemic, shit Prime Minister, shit Brexit, shit Arsenal.
I know the narrative is that Arteta needs time, and it is not all his fault, he inherited a mess, that might all be true, but surely, Stans wallet is now twitching?
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We need goals and we are subbing like for like instead of adding attacking options.
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Square pegs just won’t fit round he’s.
No matter how hard we try.
1 W out of 10.
Makes for ugly reading. 😔
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Sadly I’m not surprised.
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Everton 2-1 Arsenal
despite lots of possession in the second half we rarely looked like we would score. Elneny, Willian and Caballos woeful, pepe poor but very isolated, and Nketiah did not impress one iota.
A Holding own goal had given the toffees the lead, Pepe scored a penalty to level after AMN was fouled in the area, but slack marking at a corner seen Yerry Mina score just before half time, and no matter how much we huffed and puffed we never really troubled Everton.
P14 W4 D2 L8 GF12 GA18 GD-6 Pts14
we are on course for 38pts this season, this is woeful stuff from all concerned
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I am pleased I was only able to see the last 25 minutes.
What i saw was dreadful.
There is no one capable of passing the ball anywhere near the opposing box in a meaningful way.
How much longer can this be allowed to continue?
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Mandy of course its not all Arteta’s fault, but a very large amount of it is, as its his job to pick the team, pick the squad, pick the tactics, and what we are seeing is pain by numbers football. Its Arteta who wanted and got Willian signed and picks him week in week out, its Arteta who wanted Ceballos and got him signed on loan, picks him on a regular basis, its Arteta who has brought Eleney back into the team, its Arteta who can’t make up his mind if we should be a 3-4-3, or a 4-3-3, or a 4-2-3-1, its Arteta who has not given a minutes football to a £27M defender, Saliba, its Arteta who chose not to include Sokratis in the EPL squad, its Arteta who chose not to include Ozil in the EPL squad, its Arteta who wanted Cedric and got him signed and seldom gives him any game time
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a simple question
can the club afford to risk spending on new signings Arteta wants in January, would it be too big a risk to bring in more of his players and then still have to sack him if results do not improve, leaving us not only deeper in the shit, but with more players the new manger might not want, after all if “its not Arteta’s players” won’t it be even more so for any replacement.
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Arteta also sold Martinez. I am not saying that Leno is not a good goalie but at present Martinez is the best in the league.
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jjgsol you are lucky, the last 25 minutes were probably our best 25 of the game.
as for the passing towards the Everton box not being meaningful, well for me that is the Arteta process, or tactical masterplan, as we see it week in week out no matter the opposition and no matter what our team selection is. Its pain by numbers football. It very much seems that Arteta has no interest at all in us playing any ball down the middle of the goal, you know, anywhere a No.10 would be and would be passing to and from. Is that his real footballing reasons for leaving out Ozil, plain and simple Arteta did not include him cos he has no interest in playing the ball to the areas Mesut would be, or would play the ball to.
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We do have talented players in this squad. They are clearly not playing as a team, either collectively or in departments. For this, nobody but the manager is responsible. If he cannot swing this around, then he is a liability to the team and club. Sadly, the writing on the wall, once faint, is now too distinct to ignore.
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