The Norwich game is only the 4th league game and It is a massive game, and genuine 6 pointer between two teams that have played 3 and lost 3 without an open play goal scored between them. A real fight to not be bottom Dog.
That said, if we were picking a team to play at home, to score our first goal against, surely it would be Norwich? I mean they are our proverbial whipping-boys, we score the goals of the season against them, we have to win and win big! Right? I said RIGHT?
The problem is we are relying on them being poor rather than us being good. I honestly can’t remember the last time we played well. And I’m not kidding either, when the hell was it?
Now before anyone thinks about opening their wrists with a rusty spoon, let me just say, I think we will win. We simply have too many good players to keep losing.
Arteta and Edu assure us they now have the tools to succeed with Arteta’s vision, what could go wrong?
There’s big excitement with Partey returning to the team. After his stellar performances last season, I’m sure he wil be a real game changer for us, he might even get his fist shot on target since he joined? With Xhaka starting the first of his 3 game suspension and ElNeny injured, it looks like he and Sambi Lokonga will be our midfield probably with Odegaard, fresh from his starring role against the might Gibraltar. Joking apart, that’s a decent midfield.
As for the front 3, I have no Idea and I’m not sure Arteta has either. It will be perm 3 form Pepe, Saka, Lacazette, Aubameyang and Smith-Rowe(if he’s fit).
I expect Leno to be in goal with Tierney, White , Gabriel and someone at right back. Who that someone turns out to be will be interesting.
When you write the names down, it looks a decent team, whether they play like one remains to be seen, but if they are going too, now would be a great time to start. I can’t think of a game that we should expect to win easily, being as important to the Manager, players, fans and board. If the worst happens, we will be the worst team in the history of the Premier League after 4 games, and we can all do without that.
So good luck everyone, enjoy the game and try to chill.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
our full EPL player list, including all youths
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I think Ramsdale might get the nod for no.1 spot tomorrow, with Chambers at right back with White, Gabriel and Tierney making up our defense. Sambi and Partey in midfield with Odegaard flanked by Saka and one of Pepe or ESR, with Aubameyang up front.
I see some of the great and good or the AFC blogger world and even some so called journos pushing for Patino to be given a starting role, laughable really, sadly for Patino with Azeez going out on loan these idiots need another kid to over hype and put unneeded pressure on. Patino is highly unlikely to even get a role in our 20 man match day squad, what with 23 senior players being in training today.
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On paper,Arsenal shd beat NC. If MA fails to do the job he could be out within
24 hours.Btw,assuming he wins the game,he shd stop tinkering.
Many a manager of high esteem have paid the price for this deed.
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COYG!!!
I expect
Leno
Cedric – White – Holding – Tierney
Partey – Lokonga
Pépé – Ødegaard – Saka
Lacazette
+ Ramsdale, Chambers, Tavares, Mari, Gabriel, AMN, Martinelli, Balogun, Aubameyang.
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Nice piece, but it’s not a six pointer Norwich will finish in the bottom four and forth from bottom will be a success. If ARSENAL have another bad season we will come between sixth and tenth.
We seem to be a bogey side for Norwich and even when they were going really well at the top of the table we would still beat them easily at home, in the sunshine, at the front end of the season. Even if we play badly we should still win.
Ed, Mikel has always been ultra loyal to Leno so I can’t see Aaron getting a chance this early. My mate who was an ARSENAL scout and get me in to Hale End, spoke to the scout who found Jack and he said Patino was the best player to have ever been through the Academy (you may have seen the tweet) but you are right they won’t let him anywhere near the first team yet.
I’m not going to put an eleven because what I would want and what Mikel will choose will be very different.
I think we will be able to enjoy a big win even if the football won’t be great and actually in the overall scheme of things won’t tell us very little.
I am looking forward to a game that we really don’t have to worry about and I can just sit back and enjoy so COYG.
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Going for a 3-1 win today, could be a nervy start though .
Know Arteta Edu and co are taking a lot of the criticism but some of these players really need to step up as well , I think eventually, they will today
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I think we should win if we are able to keep all 11 players on the pitch, and I hope that as the match develops we see some fluency. This does feel like quite a new side, so I’m trying to keep my expectations grounded and not based on what the club might have done before against Norwich. I do remember one strange game a few years ago where they began timewasting from the very start, went one-nil up against the run of play (poorly defended set piece, who’d have thught it) and then we got an amazingly freak penalty decision from the linesman who spotted Giroud hauled to the floor off the ball. We then scored twice more in the final few minutes to win 3-1 but it wasn’t a comfortable watch at all!
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I remember a game at Highbury when Norwich were top of the league and flying. It started out close but then there was a big altercation and spider picked up one of the many Allen family and through him off the pitch, although both players were booked neither was sent off ahh simpler times. We eventually ran out easy winners even with smudger hitting the post twice.
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Keeping 11 on the pitch, very good point Tim, Michael Oliver as ref and Mike Dean on VAR…..nice.
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They will screw us at the first opportunity
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Really can’t see why anyone would be nervous about today can’t see anything else apart from a easy win.
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Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Saka, Lokonga, Odegaard, Maitland-Niles, Pepe, Aubameyang
Subs: Leno, Partey, Lacazette, Smith Rowe, Soares, Tavares, Chambers, Mari, Martinelli
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Arsenal Academy
@ArsenalAcademy
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1m
A 3-1 victory for #AFCU23 over Manchester United 👏
⚽️ Balogun (1, 40)
⚽️ Patino (90+2)
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Jeorge Bird
@jeorgebird
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1h
Ft in U18s. Southampton 3 Arsenal 3. Cozier-Duberry and Edwards (2) with Arsenal’s goals.
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no goals yet in any of the six 3pm EPL games
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HT: Arsenal 0-0 Norwich
Artetaball, 10 efforts on goal, 1 on target
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Ronaldo has given utd the lead at home to newcastle
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Daniel Ballard has scored for Millwall to make it 1-1 away to WBA
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partey and esr on for sambi and tomiyasu
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finally we get the goal, saka with a good turn, pepe hits the post, then the other post and PEA taps in
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cedric on for AMN
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FT: Arsenal 1-0 Norwich
a deserved win, made hard work of it, but a win is a win is a win
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1-0 three points and spurs trounced 3-0 makes for a fantastic weekend.
Didn’t watch the match but I don’t think it’s a performance to dwell on. I think the canaries had only one real chance at the end of the game from the match reports but Gabriel put in a fantastic tackle.
Goal scoring still seems to be a problem, numerous chances went begging. This is an area Arteta needs to focus on seriously. We also seem poor at set pieces and again this is another area to improve on.
All in all glad for the win
Now win the next game and build momentum.
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Seems Cedric saved the last minute chance not Gabriel
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TFL, the match reports are incorrect Norwich had moments throughout the game and were very unlucky not to get a penalty.
Our goal was offside and considering the anti- ARSENAL officials we had on display today I couldn’t believe we got the two major decisions of the day. Maybe they think we are no longer a threat to the big sides.
If you look at this game in perspective, that Norwich will struggle to score all season and all almost certainly go down they are not a good side. We also were at home against a side that historically do bad against us.
This was not a good performance and going forward another bad sign however there were some good points. The new lads done well with Aaron distributing the ball quickly and communicating well with his defenders and the new right back doing really well winning every header he went for all afternoon.
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Mikel Arteta was a relieved man as we claimed our first Premier League victory of the season after beating Norwich City.
Afterwards, he faced the media and discussed the performance, the displays of some of our players and Takehiro Tomiyasu’s debut.
Read on for a full transcript:
on the win – and the relief of winning…
Emotionally it was a very tough game to play, after the three defeats, playing here in front of your crowd. It was a must-win game and I saw [us] straight away come out of the blocks really quickly, really aggressively, wanting to score and please everybody. We had a period after 20 or 25 minutes where we started to [look] a little bit shaky, trying to attack too quickly and giving the ball away. It was an open game. In the second half, we took control of the game again and we should have scored many more.
on how the past few weeks have been for him…
I must say, it’s probably been the best 10 to 15 days I’ve ever had since I’ve been in football. I’m not saying they were the easiest, but probably the best. You have to find a purpose for why you do what you do and why you’ve made the decision to be a football player or a coach. It’s all made sense in the last week or so. It’s about the relationship we have built. It’s about the level of trust that everybody at the club has. It’s about connections and emotionally how players react, how everybody in the team – and I’m talking about every department at the club – supports and tries to improve and be positive around the situation. You have to win football matches but, for me, that’s an absolute joy to watch, how everybody has been behaving around the context that we had around us.
on how pleased he was with the noise generated by the fans today…
What I’m describing is probably what you guys don’t see – what happens internally. I had doubts, I had question marks because I had to read and I had to understand and I had to reflect a little bit on different opinions and criticism. I don’t know how much they’re going to be affected. I think the club has been extremely open to send a message across of what we are trying to do. I had a question mark, I have to be honest. But I just saw incredible fans trying to inspire a team, trying to tell them ‘we are ready to suffer with you and we’re going to support you’. The rest, it doesn’t matter. I’m extremely grateful and I got pretty emotional to see that because I think it’s pretty difficult to see in football. People are maybe expecting something or they want to go down other roads and try to transmit hate or whatever, and it wasn’t the case at all – so thank you so much.
on fans singing ‘we are staying up’ – and if it’s funny…
I didn’t hear that but if it was done in a funny way, you have to accept it.
on if he’s starting to see his vision come together…
I started to see signs many months before. Today you saw a different team, with different names, with different qualities – just different. We want to change things, we want to improve things and we know what we want to get. Today was just another step.
on Aaron Ramsdale’s performance…
I think he was terrific. It is not only what he did on the technical side, it is what he transmits, his energy, his chemistry with the backline, how he reacts, his body language… I think it was top. We have two fantastic goalkeepers and never forgot what Bernd has done for us and what a good goalkeeper he is. I had to make decisions and I felt Aaron was the right one to do so and like in any other position, and that is what we decided today.
on whether he plans to rotate the goalkeepers now…
I want to see how they perform. Now we need performances and we need to win football matches, so whoever gives better performances and whoever transmits more confidence and is more reliable will play.
on Tomiyasu’s performance and why he took him off…
Really positive. Just the first impression when you met him, it was just joy and happiness and good energy. The moment he steps on the pitch he was really focused, determined, he understands the role really good. He was cramping. Obviously he only trained a day and a half with us, he had to travel, and emotionally it was his first game and we had to take him off.
on whether he had tears in his eyes at the end of the game…
No I didn’t. I was so pleased we won the game, and that’s it. I think everybody inside themselves.
on our aspirations this season…
We want to be up there with the best in this country, and be the best like when we have been one of the best in terms of performances and trophies. That is our only aim.
on Sambi’s performance…
Thomas wasn’t fit enough to play the 90 minutes and we didn’t want to take another risk with him. Sambi came in from Belgium with a tight hamstring and only trained half a day. The way we wanted to play, we didn’t have options because players were injured or suspended in midfield and we were really short because Emile wasn’t available to play either. [Sambi] made a big effort to play here and that is one of the reasons when I tell you how much these boys want to do it and nobody is hiding in difficult moments, they just want to get over the line and he showed a good example.
Copyright 2021 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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Ian that sums up Arsenal under Arteta.
We just cannot impose ourselves on weaker teams and be clinical
That you say Norwich had chances says it all. And I wager it’s the inability to translate our superiority when we are into into goals that gives teams a belief that they can hang in there are guaranteed chances of a gift from flakey defending.of course the better teams simply brush us aside
Well at least it’s a win,let’s roll on to the next game
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will need to improve for the game next Saturday away to Burnley
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Not the most convincing win, but a win nonetheless. And nice to see Paddy keeping his hoodoo over the noisy neighbours.
In fact, quite a good day on the sporting front, finished off nicely by a remarkable young woman in stunning, unprecedented fashion this evening.
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Mikel is still picking players on names, once again Auba was awful today missing two big chances that would of settled the team early on and giving nothing to the team around the pitch. Pepe also still can’t beat players, he got several corners today when a less technical player would of got a cross in. As the game went on Norwich gave him more and more space especially after they went behind and he produced nothing.
While Mikel keeps picking these players we will not produce a decent amount of real chances and cause trouble in the final third.
While I am trying not to always compare modern ARSENAL with Arsene’s ARSENAL sitting back and inviting weak teams on to us and then lobbing the ball over the top just makes me sad and I’m sure the boys from Brazil and the Dutch total football wizards that had heard about ARSENAL must be thinking were a different club and maybe we are.
I think instead of us singing it’s just like watching Brazil we should be singing it’s just like watching paint dry, it’s certainly not how I want to see ARSENAL win and the fact so many fans are willing to accept it shows just how far we have fallen down the football heirachy.
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Pepe seems to always get picked on and singled out. I get it for 72 million he would be. But he seems to me to be a victim of artetaism more than any other player.
I like Pepe , he is a wonderful and naturally gifted footballer ,and when he is enjoying himself his game flows.but even when he is having a bad game he always has that ability to create something . He made the goal yesterday all by his skill and tenancity. Auba just had to tap it in.
I think if he finds his form of last season and starts scoring again, gets his confidence going he could be some player
I imagine Pepe in a team like Dortmund and he would flying.
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Pepe’s decent TFL but he’s not at the same level players like Maherz and others from the French School who simply have better and more consistent techniques.
The club payed triple what he is worth and there’s no slur on the player in being able to appreciate that he chose to play for the Ivory Coast and not France because he would never get close to the French squad. But let’s not tell this little secret to the expert see you next Tuesday blaggers that lauded his transfer when it happened and haven’t been able to call out the people who signed of on it since. He’s the poor or in Josh’s case gullible man’s Ousmane Dembele.
The great thing about this blog is it cuts through all the bullshit that surrounds the spectacle. We can appreciate new signings like Albert and others as highlighted by Tim, whilst acknowledging the appalling and damaging management of the club.
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Ian,
It’s a tricky call picking the CF in this squad.
Auba is not an all round player but he’s a better striker to have on the pitch then Lacazette, for me. I know George thinks Lacazette is the better forward but for me Laca was never as good as Giroud or others. Which is why he was never able to replace Giroud in the French squad.
For me subjectively I prefer to see a fit Auba over Lacazette. I think it might be a month or two before Auba’s fitness recovers from his challenges from earlier this year and don’t expect anything close to what his best form of would be at this stage of his career till mid-season.
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Pepe is certainly gifted but that’s where it stops with your analysis Tfl.
He didn’t make the goal that was Saka receiving a standard pass and turning his man and giving it to Pepe in loads of space, he should of scored but managed to hit the post twice before Auba scored a goal which in any normal circumstances would of been ruled offside.
As the game went on and Norwich pushed forward he got more and more space and produced nothing.
Watch the game again did he actually beat anyone once throughout the 90 minutes no, he gets loads of corners but never actually beats a player on the outside and crosses the ball well.
Brian Marwood wasn’t half as gifted as Pepe but would cross the ball without even having to beat the man as did Beckham.
It’s about end product and he has very little and remember this was against possibly the worst side in the league.
It’s not even if he could help the team in other areas as he daydreams and like Auba stands in no man’s land allowing opposition to pass round him. Tommy will find out how difficult it is playing right back with Pepe in front of him.
It’s not to do with the unbelievable 72 million we wasted on him it’s the chasm between ability and end product.
I understand how the two minute video editors love him but watch him for 90 minutes and you’ll be crying.
I would say he is normally good at taking corners and free kicks but yesterday he was below par with those as well.
Good grief Charlie Brown good grief!!!
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I didn’t watch the 90 mins only the highlights and it look like Pepe did alright. As I said I like him, though he is not a 72 million player for sure. And he could have had a goal if it was not for great defending too.
As centre forward I think on current form I prefer lacazette. Auba is a talented player but appears to have lost the magic dust a little bit. Lacazette for me holds the ball better and brings others into the game. And he works pretty hard upfront. Not a 20 plus goal striker but good enough for 15 – 20 I feel.
I wonder how maitland niles got on in Midfield and how he fared when he moved to right back?
The little I saw for Takehiro it seems he will be the default right back. And with Sambi and Partey fit I don’t see Maitland Niles getting into the team other than as a back up right back or in midfield if we have injuries.
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Its a start…a work in progress on so many levels.
Definitely different from what we’ve witnessed since MA took over.
Ianspace2014, even the mighty Brazil went through a few odd transitions.
Our very young team will evolve hopefully into a tighter bunch.
The enthusiasm and individual skill is there. Time should tighten things.
We just absolutely need the older players to step up,guide and lead.
Like when Partey came on yesterday, roles became clearer, the spacing between players improved.
Ødegaard alone cannot orchestrate this team like Mesut.
Xhaka is still crucial. As is Partey..and Lacazette.
I believe we now have a decent second 11.
All in all there is genuine hope.
Finally.
COYG!
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TFL, as always highlights are just not realistic, Pepe is one of the most frustrating players I’ve ever seen. He has plenty of talent but that’s not good enough.
As far as strikers go with a team set up to grow together why pick one who has been out of form for a year and a half and is on the way down.
I thought last year we should have given Eddie a proper run of games and that would be the same for Martinelli or Balagon or even Laca if we are going to keep him.
Aman, it is all very well saying give the young lads time but Edu has had five years and started this young policy this window and other teams supporters can’t understand why we got rid of Martinez and more recently Willock.
If this buying young players and adding them to our own was started as soon as Arsene left I still wouldn’t of agreed with the players they shipped out but I could of seen where we were headed but this seems like we’ve tried everything else so the youth policy is a last resort and I don’t trust Edu with it.
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Eduardo: I was interested before the game by your confidence that Ramsdale would start. Was that inside knowledge or intuition? And were you happy that he did?
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Reading 0 Arsenal Women 4 (Beattie, Mead, Miedema 2).
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Marcelo Bielsa would work wonders with the current Arsenal side….
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Tim I was surprised by Eds call with Aaron and couldn’t imagine any situation that he would play other than Leno being injured.
I obviously rubbished it before the game and then see the team selection with egg on my face.
It seems to be an admission of the mistake selling Martinez.
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foreverheady I had the feeling that with Ramsdale not being on international duty he had the ideal chance to get the nod from Arteta, as we know our boss places a lot on how guys do in training. That AR was able to train for the last fortnight with White and Gabriel gave him a great chance, and I’ve said all along that the fee we paid for Ramsdale indicated he would be given his chance sooner rather than later.
And as for how I feel about him getting his chance, well he did what he had to do, well enough, but its far to early to predict we have a new Jennings or Seaman on our hands. Leno is a fine shot stopper, but I don’t care much for his aerial work, and his passing is not top notch either. I think we will next summer be for the third year in a row looking for a new back up keeper.
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well its only taken 4 weeks for the mad decision by the PGMOL to ignore fouls for the soundbite of letting the game flow to come back and bite a players career in the arse, Harvey Elliott the poor lad to suffer a major injury in just week four of the EPL season.
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A very impressive goal from Patino, apparently the defender turned inside out there was ex England international Phil Jones?
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yeah mandy and the keeper was england international dean henderson
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Wow that is some skill by Patino. I just watched the highlights against Swindon I think (I know highlights done tell the whole story) but the kid looks like he has that magic gifted touch and ability. I hope he isn’t rushed and ends up like Wilshere. It would be good if he was integrated into the cup games and be around the first team with the aim of stepping up in a couple of years.
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New podcast is up
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