Hello one and all.
In this podcast we go ott on a fantastic result and game to watch. Almost everyone gets praise lavished on them and a new dawn is celebrated. Who cares if it all goes wrong a little farther down the line, I’m filling my boots while it lasts. WE ARE BACK IN BUSINESS.
Pedantic George
Positively Arsenal 
Morning all, we are trying to turn the good ship PA around.
LikeLike
Good work you three. Nice to have a positive result to talk about positively.
LikeLike
Not getting carried away of course but just to point out we are 4 points clear of Liverpool.
LikeLike
Great pod again guys.
It is absolutely fantastic we are all feeling so positive about ARSENAL at the moment and the win against Leicester was totally enjoyable.
However despite everyone saying they wouldn’t of been disappointed if we lost playing like that I think everyone would, but it wouldn’t of been the gut wrenching gloom we have felt after losing or drawing after playing so stale as we have done under both Uni and Mikel.
I said before the season started I fully expect to win our first five games and be top of the league when the window closes and nothing has changed my mind. That was partially because our state of the squad and preparation and partially because of the other sides preparation.
The fact is we have been given five fixtures in which our team can play with a few risks, make a few mistakes and still get the wins we need.
LikeLike
The player ratings are always subjective and hugely based on personal opinion, some based on bias before the game starts but generally we know who played well or not so well.
So without going through every player I agree Partey is a bang average midfielder and cannot see any loss to the team if Mo was in there adding his energy.
It is harsh giving Ben low scores because we have to remember he is a CB filling in at full back I would also imagine Mikel knows the right side is more potent and so he is given less licence to attack and to balance the team.
So to Oddegarrd, while there is obviously something in the theory of him being a player being asked to perform a slightly different role and taking time to adapt to it, I also think he hasn’t connected with Jesus and we have previously seen him drift out of games and he could simply be out of form.
Now Saliba is indeed a very good CB for his age he cannot be talked about in the same breath as our previous Legends because he simply isn’t there yet. He has the potential to be that good but he is making mistakes in every game and I think people are getting carried away at the moment. That’s not to say I think we have a real gem.
LikeLike
Now Jesus is our saviour at the moment but I have a warning.
The first goal was sublime an absolute peach and somebody put on twitter a gif of this goal and an Alexis goal from the same spot and they were identical.
Now my worry is that they have alot of the same traits both excellent players, hungry for goals and the ability to pull of the extraordinary.
My worry is like Alexis he tends not to pass in situations when his teammates are better placed. Against Leicester he failed to role the ball a couple of yards to Saka for an open goal and his shot was blocked.
Like Alexis he will drop as far as he thinks he needs to collect the ball and in games where we are struggling this could actually work against us. We all know football is a team game and in the end that’s what done for Alexis and I really hope Jesus doesn’t go the same way.
LikeLike
Ian, I said the same about our first 5 fixtures, however , it’s been a while since I expected to beat ANY 5 teams on the spin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Although I think we will be top of the league when the window closes I still think George’s band of third to sixth is a little wide.
City, Liverpool and Chelsea will finish above us and manure will improve in the second half of the season but it won’t be enough so I think our band is fourth or fifth.
I am being pessimistic and saying we will finish fifth but fortunately I am often wrong.
LikeLike
Yeah George you are absolutely right the fact we can look at fixtures and be confident of three points shows there is absolutely no denying the improvement this squad and the coaching team has made.
Surely the most anti Mikel fans must accept that.
LikeLike
Yes, my problem is that Artetasexuals insist we have to LIKE Mikel and accept that he hasn’t made ANY mistakes up until the new improved position. I strongly disagree.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So here we are two games into the season and Mike Dean already admitting he got things wrong in the spuds favour.
How long before football realise Dean and his organisation are complete fuckwits and need replacing with something better.
LikeLike
It looks like Auba may be back to haunt us.
LikeLike
Are we still paying his wages?
LikeLike
Officially he is still on loan so we are still paying a percentage of his wages. If he comes back to the PL on a permanent deal then the payments will stop.
LikeLike
reports that AFC are willing to pay part of Pepe’s wages if he joins Nice on loan for the season and that we are still in talks to terminate Bellerin’s contract, and the Times reports that Edu is determined to get AMN out of the club this summer
has Runarsson gone on loan this week
LikeLike
I didn’t realize Aubas move to Barca was made permanent. So Barca will make 100% profit on any move
LikeLike
So with a fully fit squad the twenty players today are first choice. If you are not in the twenty and are not a youth player you are history.
LikeLike
Think it is the right move for all concerned that Pepe and Maitland-Niles look set to continue their careers elsewhere as its been apparent for some time they were not really in Arteta’s plans. Be interesting to see where they end up.
LikeLike
Hope the players are feeling more positive than I am after that lot’s sneaky lunchtime win!
LikeLike
Ramsdale, White, Partey, Magalhaes, Saka, Odegaard, Jesus, Martinelli, Saliba, Xhaka, Zinchenko.
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Rowe, Nketiah, Holding, Tomiyasu, Vieira, Sambi Lokonga, Elneny
LikeLike
1-0 to the Arsenal, Jesus does fantastic feeds in martinelli and when his shot is saved it falls to odegaard to tap in
LikeLike
2-0 to the Arsenal, white to saka to white to jesus, his loose touch sees Odegaard fire home
LikeLike
HT: Bournemouth 0-2 Arsenal
Odegaard with both goals, no more than our domination has deserved
LikeLike
bournemouth not had a touch in the arsenal penalty area and not had a shot, and just 27% possession
LikeLike
3-0 to the Arsenal, Saliba with his first Arsenal goal
LikeLike
jesus goal dissallowed for offside, very very tight
LikeLike
ESR on for Odegaard
Tomiyasu on for White
Nketiah on for Martinelli
LikeLike
Tierney on for Saka
Lokonga on for Xhaka
LikeLike
FT: Bournemouth 0-3 Arsenal
Odegaard x2 and Saliba with our goals, top of the league as things stand. A totally dominant performance, really should have been 6-0
LikeLike
ARSENAL top of the league fuck of tiny tottts
LikeLike
That was very accomplished. Barely broke sweat after a whirlwind first 15 minutes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There could have been several TV Man of the Match, but I was slightly surprised by Alan Smith picking Jesus. I think I would have gone for Zincenko.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Arteta comments
on the performance:
I am very happy. It’s really difficult to come here and win 3-0. So credit to the boys, the way we played, especially the way we started the game and continued to play. It’s not easy and we have a good example when they played Aston Villa how different the game was and how different the game became in some parts of the second half as well. At the same time, we have to look at ourselves and in many areas we can still get much better.
on being top of the table:
It’s just three games. It doesn’t mean anything, there any still other teams that have to play. What it means is that we have managed to win three games, that we are scoring goals, keeping clean sheets, the team is playing and performing well, competing really well, but it’s about Monday, start training again and start to get better at the other things that we have to do as well, and focus on Fulham.
on Granit Xhaka playing higher up the pitch:
The way I want to play, there are certain spaces that have to be occupied at all times, and as you can see, there is a lot of rotation in that unit, with Alex, with Martinelli, with him. But he has the ability to do that, he has the capacity to do that. He arrived today in some really good positions again, and it’s the evolution of the player.
on Alex Zinchenko’s role:
He gives us the flexibility to attack in different ways in relation to what the opponent wants to do, wants to prevent and makes spaces that we want to exploit. It’s something good to have in the team.
on what Gabriel Jesus has brought to the group:
New confidence, a new spark and that winning mentality that he has and the way he competes for every ball and the way he transmits his energy and his quality to the rest of the team, and you could see that again today. He was involved in the goals, he didn’t score, but he had a goal disallowed, but he was involved in the action.
on Jesus’ attitude:
Yes [he will keep people grounded], because he knows how hard it is to win in football, how much you have to put into it. He knows he’s still young, but he has experienced it and I think he is a really good role model for the rest of the boys.
on William Saliba’s goal:
We’ve been training that all week! It very much surprised me. Individual talent, a moment of quality – I don’t know how you’re going to call it but I don’t think anybody expected it and it was great. I’m so happy for the boy.
on whether Zinchenko was telling him not to shoot:
Probably! Don’t shoot with your left from there – it was probably better to stay mute!
on whether the start to the season takes the pressure off the transfer window:
We don’t like reacting, we like to get the players we want and we believe will make a big impact on the team and if we can do that, we will try to do that. If we cannot, we will stay with the players and the squad that we have.
on there being no fan pressure to get more players in:
It hasn’t changed but we know where we are short and where we have to add more firepower. If we can do it, we will do it.
on Saliba’s all-round performance:
He got a clean sheet as well, which is the most important thing for a defender. If you score a goal, that’s a bonus but they’re doing what they need to do, to keep that clean sheet every game.
on whether he’ll be singing his new chant on the way home:
The boys are already singing it in the dressing room!
on potential exits:
There are a few players that we have to leave out of the squad, unfortunately. It’s painful but we’ll try to bring the team and the squad that is in the best condition to give us the chance to win the game.
on seeing the progress since his first game in charge at the same venue:
It takes time to get something. From the players that we have today to the players that we had at the time, it’s been a massive massive change, and I’m happy. Everyone feels more attached to the team, the club and the way we’re playing, and we’re winning football matches.
on whether it has taken longer than expected to reach this point:
I’ll keep that to myself!
on three different players wearing the armband today:
They are the leaders I decided to name captains, and they’re the ones the team decided should be in the leadership team. I’m delighted we have very different characters, different ways of being and ways of thinking and I think they all represent the club in a really good way.
Copyright 2022 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.
LikeLike
That was a strange game dominant for the whole of the first half with all eleven of Bournemouth’s players average position in their own half although after the first twenty minutes we didn’t really create anything and the second part of the first half quite dull.
Ironically Bournemouth started the better team in the second half yet we scored our third and then Bournemouth made lots of changes and made more of the chances yet again we come closer to scoring.
Although it is correct it was the sort of game we should have finished six or seven nil we never really had the chances to reflect that.
LikeLike
couple of transfer rumors,
West Ham trying to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Arsenal trying to sign Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea
LikeLike
leicester city left Fofana out of their squad today, and Tielemans out of the starting team, with Rodgers suggesting both have been unsettled and in the wrong frame of mind to play due to transfer rumors
LikeLike
An impressive start to the season overall.
Zinchenko really looks a bit special, as do others. High quality ex city players given their chance to shine, along with some other very talented players in the squad.
Early days, but very pleased with what I am seeing
LikeLike
While yesterday was all very comfortable I wonder if at times it wasn’t almost too comfortable. It would have been nice to have upped the pace a little more and created more real chances in the first half. I suppose the argument is that by playing within ourselves once the game is effectively won we reduce the chance of any injuries, but it would have been nice to pad the goal difference bit more.
LikeLike
We saw that this squad could score goals in December 2021, what a month that was amidst the post AW goal drought and arguments in the dressing room that all could note save our darling Expert blaggers sorry I mean internet marketing gurus.
With the three quality players coming in two already on good terms with the coach it is good fun to see the goals flying in again.
And watching Zinchenko it looks interesting in that midfield. at one time he was over on the right hand side. There was one nutmeg that was very enjoyable.
I agree, a more progressive better footballer on the ball then Partey, like Elneny, could increase the goals for frequency.
LikeLike
Great to see one of our biggest rivals for the top four getting beat
LikeLike
Top in our own right, only team with maximum points after three games it’s all good
LikeLike
Well, who’d a thort it?
LikeLike
Without blowing my own trumpet both George and I said we would have maximum points and be top of the league when the window closes.
LikeLike
some thoughts on what we might see regards the rest of the transfer window
I think its clear that Bellerin, Pepe and Maitland-Niles are not wanted by Arteta, and they don’t want to be here either. All 3 very likely to be gone by 1st September.
Others that might see the door too, depending on his injury status, Nelson is in the same boat as those above. There are some rumors that Lokonga wants out, be it permanent or on loan, he is not happy with lack of game time.
We have an interesting situation with 3 of our defenders, Tierney might just be second choice left back, will he accept that, and on the other side with White being used ahead of him, despite Tomiyasu being out, Cedric might want to leave for game time. Arsenal should keep him for this season and hope that a loan out to the Championship will see Norton-Cuffy ready for a squad role next season and Cedric can be ushered out then.
Then there is Holding, he has White and now Saliba ahead of him, is he happy to stay on very limited game time, he got very few starts last season, Saliba might see that cut way down this season. There are rumors all summer that Arsenal want to sign a left CB to make it two for each side, which again puts Holding out of the picture.
Lots of rumors that Arsenal want a right winger to back up Saka, and maybe even another striker to add options there. Also for midfield we keep getting linked with Tielemans,
We are sure to see a few more of our youths go in the coming weeks too
LikeLike
I see there is now a strong Ornstein rumour that we are trying to sign Pedro Neto. I shall immediately scout him on YouTube and let Edu know whether we should proceed.
LikeLike
New post is up
LikeLike
Some truly excellent information, Sword lily I noticed this.
LikeLike