Hello again.
After what looks like a very good window we are off and running with a valuable 3 points in the bag.
In many ways we dominated the game and for all but the last 15 minutes we looked in complete control. However, we ended the game stumbling over the line with a lower xG than them. Although we dominated possession I felt it was all a bit slow and safe. I think all the players had a reasonable game with no one being outstanding and nobody having a bad game, although I didn’t think Partey made any impact in the inverted right back position.
The result is welcome but in all honesty, I was hoping for a much better performance.
The bad news is the injury to Timber , who has been massively impressive in preseason and as I write this there is no news on how serious it is.
So here is the podcast with a more detailed discussion about the game.
Blackburn George.
Positively Arsenal 
do not know why arteta messed about with the lineup. the team that beat man city should have started. no more silly lineups please.
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We need ‘silly lineups’ if we are to win the league or any cups. Pep doesn’t play Kevin DB, Rodrigo or Haaland every game. Their best players played far less minutes than our best players last year. We tailed off dramatically the last 2 seasons. A home game vs. relegation candidates is as good a game to tinker.
We dominated possession – largely because it was gifted to us – but we lacked the urgency to get the 3rd goal. I felt like the player were confident they could save some sweat and ease the last third of the game. Rice was outsprinted downfield on their goal.
Eddie worked tirelessly but I feel we missed Jesus’ urgency. More than Odegaard, he really sets the tempo in the final third.
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Great listen that,all the stuff about Partey was on the money-no more shoe horning players in,play the best 11 that suits your opposition.
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Gutted about Timbers injury he was looking really good. Hope it’s not a long term one
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Thank you all for the pod
& for the post match comments/reviews.
Saka starting where he left off for England.
The first goal was the goal of the match for me
if Martinelli didn’t have that impish selfish streak I’m not sure he’d have made that move and everyone enjoyed it. Players can be selfish but it’s a fine balance, I agree with Ian’s previous comments that with other teams improving they’ll need to be less selfish.
Rice stood out with his interceptions and presses for West Ham in the late season game earlier this year. It hopefully seems that for games against tough opponents the two CMs will pair up in the middle but in most Home matches etc. that it’s understood there’ll be no need.
Losing Timber after he looked so good against City is a blow & a fail for this physio team.
A good thing Tierney played in pre-season. Tommy needs careful managing after his injuries so fingers crossed there. In an ideal world however brilliant he is for 65 mins you don’t want Zinchenko closing out close matches.
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Thanks to all for the pod & post match comments!
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Shotta loved the graphs how times have changed just under a decade ago City were buying up Arsenal players left right and centre whilst the Xhaka hating Arse-blaggers blamed the coach/manage.
Now here we are hoping the club has managed to catch up to where it was a decade ago (which were allegedly the dark days!) with City and Arsenal the two top football teams in the league.
hopefully the club has survived the spend spend spend on Pepe. And now has as close a signing policy to the old gaffer’s as anyone could hope (yes he would spend when he was allowed) as seen with the Odegaard and Trossard signings.
Given the horrific Fail on Timber call from be physios which will be a blow to the squad and coach they might as well suck it up and bring back the Lewins. Along with the original Gunnersauros heh.
As BK said there’s lots to enjoy on the pitch. fingers crossed for no more big injuries and plenty of exciting footy ahead.
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Stu, it’s very much horses for courses and City are a very different horse than Forrest.
City will play football and allow areas of space if you turnover the ball. Forrest, on the other hand were away from home and playing three lines of block.
This time last year the new players were bedded in and we had a very stable eleven going into the new season. This time around were not quite there yet as proved by the experimental back 3/4 and the Partey position.
Philmar is right, this season we can’t just stick to the same eleven and pad them out with a few extra players. It’s going to be a squad effort especially if we are successful.
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Apparently Timber has a small ACL tear, he will still be out for months but the rehabilitation might be a little shorter.
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I wonder what Trossard has to do to get a start?
He scored twice last night in a behind closed doors run out.
I totally agree with the issues of keeping two top goalkeepers happy although maybe the loan deal reflects this.
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16 year old Ethan Nwaneri scored a hattrick in Arsenal U21’s 4-1 win over leicester city u21’s this evening
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Alex Runarsson has joined Cardiff on a season long loan, as his contract at AFC has only one year remaining on it, that is another Arteta signing ushered out the door for nothing.
Latest reports suggest both Spurs and Chelsea want to sign Balogun, but that Arsenal are quoting both of them a much higher fee than they are other clubs, if true I think it stinks of pettiness, there should be a fee we are willing to sell him for, no matter who the buying club is. We don’t want him, we are willing to sell him, he clearly sees no future for himself at AFC, so set a fee and sell to whoever meets that price, and if more than one club meets it let the player have his choice. Don’t be small minded about it.
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Arsenal launched the third kit today, the throw back to the wimbledon ballboy kit of the early 80’s, think it was the 82/83 season, green with blue sleeves, I was keen to buy it as the first AFC shirt I bought as a teen was the blue and green one, but then I seen the price is £95, for fucks sake that is daylight robbery.
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Ed, I happened to be in the club shop yesterday and I’m sure I saw the shirt for a meager £80
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ian that must have been the kids size, as adult at arsenal.com is £95
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ah ian now on arsenal.com its £80 but the authentic 3rd shirt is £110, what the fuck is a 3rd authentic shirt and how does it differ from the 3rd shirt
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Team:
Ramsdale
Thomas
White
Saliba
Tomiyasu
Rice
Havertz
Odegaard (c)
Saka
Martinelli
Nketiah
Substitutes:
Raya
Zinchenko
Kiwior
Gabriel
Jorginho
Smith Rowe
Nelson
Vieira
Trossard
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Another start of season game where the points outmatched the performance but as the last two seasons have shown that’s better than falling away at the end.
After Mikel had talked of the importance of keeping up pressure and intensity after going in front in all of his pre match interviews, it was extremely frustrating to see us fucking about immediately after going in front.
At the first of the time wasting goal kicks I said to my boy this could come back to bite us in the arse but I didn’t realise just how quickly it would happen.
It didn’t look like it was something the players just took on so you have to wonder what is Mikel’s thinking.
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Three beautiful points. Encouraging to see 15 mins of Jorginho when needed, hopefully more to come. Encouraging to see others take some pressure off Saka. Not just an ego boost for the Captain this smart move takes some scoring pressure off him too.
Trossard not used with the defenders piling on off the bench. There’ll be games to come as the fixtures pile up but it’s true he looks in top form right now.
I don’t expect Arteta to master the CL & PL rotations in his first season. Hoping for better then last. Guessing that the coaches after those leads against Liverpool etc. wanted to trial some games heh after taking a lead. A win with ten will be good for morale.
–
Perhaps City will benefit with Pep watching from behind a bank of monitors for a few weeks. maybe not.
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Everyone watching this team understands what they to do when they calm down & hold onto the football. Tempting to quote Emery never mind Harry Enfield. is Emery a lost character from The Fast Show?
When the pressure is on you take Partey out the midfield. Put Jorginho on.
Or just start Partey as a non-inverted non-modern clunking RB hehe. TBF Partey is better at passing the football then Kolasinac.
I’m sure Partey will start again in midfield. sometimes. But everyone is sure Rice should be the sole CM when playing two 8’s. Arteta’s actions really do place into the correct context the bleatings of the arse blaggers who spent years slagging off Xhaka etc. & proclaimed Partey to be world class. By the evidence & record the Arseblaggers might know how to run a website/podcast but they don’t know much about the Football.
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World class is used far too easily nowadays. Even our own Captain has been described as world class but can you really be world class when you predominantly only use your left peg.
The two number eight system looks like it’s failing at the moment but I think that’s more to do with Odegaard struggling with form and Havertz struggling to adapt to a new side. Certainly both players were amongst the weakest in our initial two games.
As we settle in we may well see the system bear fruit.
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Still lots of things need to happen with our squad. Even with Flo and Keiran going that still leaves six players over the top and that doesn’t include youngsters who are no longer classed as U21 for this season.
It seems a bit of a stretch for anyone thinking were still going to add to the squad considering the amount we have to get out the door.
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spot on ian, we still have at least 4 of this 7 to move out in the next week, okonkwo, cedric, holding, tavares, elneny, lokonga and pepe as well as complete the moves of balogun and tierney, and there is a whole host of young players that need to be moved along too, maybe arsenal will be glad that the saudi league transfer window does not close for several weeks after the epl window has shut
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Jesus back in the match day squad tomorrow.
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tyreece john-jules has joined derby county on a season loan, hopefully he can have an injury free season, as he has had terrible luck with injuries for a couple of years now, really ruined his loan spells so far
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arsenal behind to fulham after just 2 minutes, and have struggled to get in gear so far.
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Gabriel once again left out of the team, with reports that AFC are willing to entertain bids for him. Was a bit concerned that we might after Arteta comments yesterday that there was no move on or him “at the moment”
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odegaard goal ruled out for offside
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HT: Arsenal 0-1 Fulham
lacking composure and not been sharp enough in attack
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Nketiah on for Trossard
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Zinchenko on for Partey
Vieira on for Havertz
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penalty to arsenal, vieira brougth down
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Sakaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 1-1
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Eddie Eddie Eddie 2-1 to the Arsenal
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nottingham forest down to ten men, and now man utd get a penalty to take the lead
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final score say that the utd penalty was as clear a dive as you will see and that VAR should have not given it, but in light of what Dean said is anyone surprised that PGMOL give utd a penalty at OT
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Fulham down to ten men as Bassey gets sent off for blocking Nketiah when AFC on the break
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Jorginho on for Odegaard
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for fucks sake with 3 minutes left 10 man fulham make it 2-2, unmarked header at a corner, disgraceful defending
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jesus on for injury time
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FT: Arsenal 2-2 Fulham
2pts thrown away
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Game littered by mistakes mainly from Mikel compounded his errors at the start by again trying to sit back and defend a lead when the opposition had their neck exposed.
He still hates players who have come through the academy
He still plays players who are not in form, or this seasons case not gelled in the side yet.
In most cases substitutions are too late and are wrong (obviously today he was forced into early subs)
He still is over cautious and if he carries on this policy against the smaller we are suffer.
I was annoyed when I see the team sheet and I am annoyed now this was a game where we handicapped ourselves.
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When I saw Manure had won 3 2 I immediately guessed it would be a pen and laughed when I opened up to see that indeed it was. The fact it’s a clear dive even more predictable.
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well Markyb for me the penalty at OT today was a very clear response from the PGMOL to the revelations of Mike Dean, they were making it clear that they don’t give two fucks that people can see, at the very least, how bias they are, or at worst, how corrupt they are. They fully intend to keep doing it.
Nothing changed when Mark Clattenburg, a couple of years ago revealed he ignored major fouls cos he didn’t want to be given any blame for a spurs collapse. Nothing changed when a couple of pgmol guys revealed that they would not when on VAR overrule a mistake by the ref cos of fear that said ref would when on VAR go out of his way to show them up.
There is a massive ego problem in the PGMOL, its been there for years. They laughably claim that they get over 98% of decisions correct. This claim alone shows that they don’t believe they make mistakes so nothing has to change, they are infallible. From day one they have been opposed to VAR, and only want to use it to confirm the on field decision, even if VAR shows the ref got it wrong. They refused to implement semi automated offside this season, again their ego will not allow them to be shown to have made a mistake.
There is no will at the PGMOL to implement the rules of the game, no desire to use tech to help get more decisions correct. For God’s sake the replaced the inept Mike Riley with the inept Howard Webb, why would anyone think that this would improve the standards.
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I am still wondering why Havertz is still starting our matches….the Partey fullback position is not working and if Mikel continues on this path i foresee us dropping from the top 4 this season.why did he substitute Trossard instead of Havertz? Honestly am starting to think our performance last season was a fluke and Arteta is a fraud
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Tierney gone on loan for the season has been confirmed, and it seems Balogun is off to Monaco, reports suggest he underwent his medical in Monaco today.
The transfer window shuts in five days, Arsenal currently have 2 players out on loan term injuries, Timber is likely out for the season, or at the very least near the end of the season, and Elneny is probably out till the new year so just how many players can we afford to let go in the next few days.
Well we are permitted a 25 man senior squad (players aged 22 or more), currently we have yesterday’s 20 man match day squad, plus a third choice keeper, likely Karl Hein, the suspended Tomiyasu. That’s 22 players right there. We have the two previously mentioned injured players, Timber and Elneny, but to include them is really wasting places.
Then we have Okonkwo, Cedric, Holding, Lokonga and Pepe who all seem less than wanted by Arteta. I still would not rule out Gabriel as a surprise exit. How many can we let go without bringing in a player or two to not leave ourselves short, or only an injury or suspension or two to feck ourselves up.
Latest rumors is that we are after a loan deal for Eric Garcia from Barcelona to cover for Timber, this might only be conjecture cos he happened to be a young player at Man City when Arteta was there.
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Arsenal’s U21 game tomorrow is being shown live on Arsenal.com, kickoff is at 7pm
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Thanks Ian and Ed’s can’t add much to the above
The new CB wasn’t that great at LB end of last season same as Partey on the other side. It’s a shame.
Zinchenko was in and out with injury first third of last season and it seemed to me that Tierney was not just good backup but often a perfect selection against certain opponents.
Not just me. That’s why there was confusion at the lack of rotation with Tierney in the run in and now with Timber not looked after properly it’s easy to state that letting Tierney (& Balogun) go doesn’t look so smart to me.
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New podcast is up
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