Good Morning .
We lost a narrow match away at Man City. You can talk about schedules, fatigue and whatnot, but it’s hard to be upbeat about going out. This wasn’t the League Cup, which you can always shrug off; no, the FA Cup is part of Arsenal’s identity.
Still, there are a few reasons not to go too far with a narrow defeat away at Man City, of all opponents. The first is that this was a horrible tie, against a team that has dominated English domestic football for half a decade.
They almost never lose at home, and picked something approaching their strongest team, even if a Man City first XI is theoretical, given all their rotation.
The other is that we made a lot of changes. Without injuries, I’d say that only four of the players who started would make our outright best XI, although that’s up for debate.
And yet we competed well. Cheered on by what sounded like a stadium full of Arsenal fans who occasionally broke into Blue Moon, we had the better of the first half. We carved out some minor chances, and enjoyed spells in which we kept finding all of the dangerous space and they looked blunt.
If you want more positivity, it’s that ITV will not cover another Arsenal match in 2022-23. Hopefully that will give you the warm glow you need to get you through the rest of this report.
I have no idea what formation Man City were playing in the first half. It looked like three at the back, with Rico Lewis playing as less of an inverted full-back than an all-out central midfielder.
Our defensive plan was to play with an even higher line and get as tight as possible to Haaland, who was their only direct threat in-behind.
I say “only”. We nullified him tonight, but his presence affects everything around him. When he’s dormant, it’s like there’s an immense celestial body that can only be observed by its gravitational pull.
Holding spent 45 frantic minutes in its orbit, in a battle that resembled a cartoon fight cloud, with fistfulls of shirts, a platinum bun and a toupee poking out of the dust. Once he got that yellow, few substitutions have been more inevitable.
At the other end, all of the space was opening up on our left flank, and Trossard was eating it up. He set up Tomiyasu for a strike, tested Ortega and later found Nketiah following a great run, Eddie couldn’t quite make the right contact.
At half-time, we were feeling good about things, knowing that Holding’s work was done, and that we had looked the more likely. Saliba came out, as expected, accompanied by Lokonga for Thomas Partey. Nobody wanted to see that. Please let this rib thing be bruising.
The bad vibes stalked us into the second half, and in those first 15 minutes things began to unravel. Sambi Lokonga deserves some sympathy. Being thrown onto the pitch cold against a reinvigorated Man City is a test most central midfielders would fail.
Just as everyone was starting to find their feet, Julián Álvarez slammed a long shot off Turner’s right post, City won the second ball, and Nathan Aké took advantage of our imbalance with a low, guided finish into the bottom corner with his weaker foot.
The minutes that followed the goal were our best of the half and we carved out our best chance. Xhaka’s cross from the corner of the area almost picked out Nketiah, but was diverted by the lightest brush from Dias’s studs.
We threw on our starters, but had lost momentum through a lack of midfield control, stuttering rhythm, and Man City’s maddening capacity to keep the ball and kill a game of football.
Clearly, Arsenal can still improve, and if there’s something we can learn from tonight’s opponents it’s in those dozens of anaesthetising jabs that put a game to bed.
Birdkamp
Positively Arsenal 
our squad is light in numbers, but high in quality, but we really do need luck to avoid any more injuries, the first half of the season has seen Jesus, Nelson, ESR and Tomiyasu all miss large chunks of it, and now Elneny is out long term
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Kido Taylor-Hart and Billy Vigar have both joined Championship side Derby County on loan for the remainder of the season.
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji has joined League One side Accrington Stanley on loan for the remainder of the season.
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Although many of those players are flexible enough to play many positions and are interchangeable the squad is still absolute bare minimum in all areas.
We will need to be lucky with injuries to get through the season especially as most of our youth talent out on loan as well.
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u16 forward Daniel Oyetunde who only made his debut for our U18’s last week, tonight made his debut for our U21’s in a 3-2 loss to Burnley
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yeah Ian, of the older youths not sent out, Matt Smith and Ben Cotterell are two midfielders that might get a look in if we lose anymore to injury, forward wise, Cozier-Duberry or Sagoe JR might be named in the subs, we have a few defenders like Walters, Awe, Sousa etc that could be squad fillers if injures hit, but it would take a major injury crisis for any of the non first team players to see any game time in the EPL, and only in an emergency in the EL, maybe second leg of ties there if first leg won well
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if the cedric loan deal is completed he will become the 29th player we currently have out on loan
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I thought the loan window to EFL was still open.
Matt Smith has been on the bench a million times and 13 year olds have got on before him. If Mikel doesn’t trust Sambi then Matt doesn’t stand a chance.
Of the rest only Zach Awe is anywhere near the standard.
The truth if we couldn’t trust the lads in the first part of the season then we won’t see them in the second.
That means the squad you posted ED, is the squad, the whole squad and nothing but the squad.
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yeah ian, the youths I listed would be merely on the bench to fill vacant spaces if seniors out injured, one thing that we have seen from Arteta is that he has his guys and once they are no longer his guy they are gone, Lokonga wasn’t even getting five minutes here or there, now he is out on loan, we seen the same with Tavares last season, in fact our transfer policy is buy them, try them and if not happy with them buy a replacement and get rid of the first guy.
Matt Smith very unlikely to get his debut, cotterell even less so. Last season omari hutchinson was a sub ten times but never got on, and people wonder why he left.
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some reports that Arsenal are going to do the right thing by Eleney and extend his contract for a year so that he can regain fitness before we let him leave.
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several journos reporting that Arsenal aim to sign both Caicedo and Rice in the summer, if we do manage to pull that off, I’d think it would mean either Partey or Xhaka would be leaving
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by scoring a hattrick tonight for Reims Folarin Balogun (14) overtakes Kylian Mbappé (13) as top scorer in Ligue 1
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mason greenwood has had all charges against him dropped, due to witnesses withdrawing from the case
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Our FA Youth Cup fifth-round tie against Watford on Monday, February 6 will be streamed live on Arsenal.com and the official app. kick off 7pm
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seems Martinelli has signed a new four and a half year contract with Arsenal
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It seems at first glance that the Greenwood situation is very much like the prince andrew and other top profile cases where people suddenly drop out. We know for definite that millions were paid buy the queen for andrew’s accuser to shut up and I would imagine that in most other of these cases the same thing happens.
It seems that in the UK the rich can buy the law and Indeed as the statue outside the old bailey suggest the law is blind (to back handers mostly)
What makes me laugh is how the west continually attacks the likes of Russia and China of being bent when actually their just not as good as hiding it as we are.
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Martinelli’s deal takes him and the club to a good place obviously in the short term but also buy then we could either give him a final contract or he will be a very saleble asset.
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I hate Everton away at the best of times. There’s always been a negative energy about that place. Every game their fans get on the ref’s back, more than backing their own team, and it’s going to be especially bad tomorrow.
This feels like a test as big as any this season. We’re going to be kicked all over the park, and they’re going to get away with it. Come out with three points, and I think I’ll start to believe for the first time.
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Yeah it’s a real shame posh boy Frankie wasn’t still in charge. This could of been a relatively easy away fixture, well as far as you could describe any away PL as easy.
Now, like you say, it’s going to be a nightmare with the three points and coming away without injures both very difficult to achieve and neither because of footballing reasons.
This is a fixture the PIGMOL will target and absolutely enjoy any affect they can muster.
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Interesting to note that Alex Iwobi, a player all the Gooner pods used to class as lazy, has the 4th most km covered this season.
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Martinelli is on his way out, now that Arteta has signed Trossard. The new contract is simply to ensure that we get a fee for him.
The same applies to Elneny. He is surplus to Arteta’s requirements.
If we sign Rice or Ciecedo or both in the summer and that will cost close to £200m, then Xhaka can certainly pack his bags.
Is Partey’s position so safe either?
Whilst Arteta believes that he can continue to buy what he wants, the academy players will have no chance.
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Mikel becomes the first ARSENAL manager to win Manager of the month three times in one season. While this is great for Mikel, the players and the squad it is incredible how Arsene didn’t.
It highlights just how much the English administration hated Arsene and the bias shown firstly against him and with that the club.
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Partey is a doubt for the game tomorrow, and ESR is ruled out
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I wonder if that would mean Kiwior would make his debut in midfield
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PL Cup: Arsenal u21s vs Reading u21s. KO: 19:00 GMT.
Team: Graczyk, Walters, Kacurri, Awe, Sousa, Smith, Ibrahim, Cirjan, Cottrell, Ideho, Sagoe Jr.
Bench: Cooper, Jeffcott, Nwaneri, Bandeira, Nichols
currently 1-1, Cirjan gave Arsenal the lead about 30 minutes in, Reading have just got level.
Nwaneri on at half time.
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ian maybe as a sub, but Jorginho would start if Partey is out.
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some reports that Mesut Ozil has retired from football, that his back injury has finally seen him quit. He had an operation last year to try and fix it but after returning to training a few weeks ago he is said to have called it quits today. One of the most talented players ever to play for the Arsenal.
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Arsenal or Watford U18s will play Cambridge United or Sheffield Wednesday at home in the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup.
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u21 game gone to extra time
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Cottrell off for Bandeira as extra-time starts
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Bandeira makes it 2-1
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Extra time FT: Arsenal 2-1 Reading
goals from Cirjan and Bandeira gives Arsenal a win and they progress to the quarter-finals.
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not as much hype for mudryk after his full debut for CFC tonight, he was subbed off at half time. CFC 0-0 Fulham
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Extremely worried about the coming game the nearer it gets, basically for all the reasons everyone has named above.
I seethe growlers presser and you can see he fully expects to stop ARSENAL playing by any means necessary.
It may have been a bit of a risk playing Partey in some circumstances but keeping the first choice eleven together has to be a good thing.
Actually I don’t think the toffees fans will like the growlers style of play so if we can turn them against him early especially with the protest against the board that would be good.
We need to get away from goodison with three points, no injuries and no suspensions.
Let’s have another electric display so I’m not shiting myself near the end COYG.
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HT: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
a very poor half of football from Arsenal, need to step it up big time in the second half, more quality and intensity needed from us.
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ah for fucks sake, Everton take the lead, a tough task just got a lot harder, need a big response to this, we have just not been good enough today
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just before Everton scored we brought on Jorginho for Partey and also brought on Trossard for Martinelli
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That should be a penalty to Arsenal, but ref has given free to Everton,but VAR cant be arsed
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Vieira on for Odegaard
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Tomiyasu on for White, 5 minutes plus stoppage time to try and salvage this game, not looking likely
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6 minutes of stoppage time to be played, come on you gooners
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FT: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
we got what our performance deserved, it was not good enough in any way
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I think a lot of people saw that one coming a mile off.
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we haven’t won at everton since wenger left
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we have two home games next, Brentford next Saturday then Man City midweek
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ref and var thought this was not a penalty
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I thought that we were going to get muscled off the ball and kicked off the park but in reality it was just a really poor performance against a very well organized side.
The stats even made it look better for us than it was. To be honest Everton had the better chances all through the game.
Yes it was 100% a penalty but if I was a neutral I wouldn’t of thought we deserved it.
In the few games we have dropped points the common theme has been against well organized set ups whether they have been counter attacking sides (manure) sides who just turned up for a point ( barcodes) or a side who would soak up pressure all over the park and then attack us very effectively down the flanks and at set pieces (toffees).
We must learn from today that against well organized sides we need to move the ball quickly and also not expect the ball just to arrive at our feet without a challenge.
Although we still have three players to come back our bench is still a little light and in games like this Vieira is not an option.
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in games like today, 1-0 down, and creating nothing, I really don’t get why we don’t throw one of our CB’s up front, even bring on one of the two we had on the bench, a big man to disrupt their defense, whats the worst that could happen, we lose. Wenger used to throw the kitchen sink at it when we were losing late on, but it seems Arteta is wedded to one way of playing win lose or draw.
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New post is up.
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