Hello, and how are you? Sunday October 27th at 4.30pm ( western European time) will mean a visit to the southern realms by Liverpool FC as they take on the mighty Cannon.
Liverpool, as you know are a team with such a vast and decorated history that needs no introduction, so I won’t give them one. There’s been endless exciting games between us both, but you know them already so I won’t go into any of it. Anyway, this ones a big fish to fry if we can, having sneaked up on the inside when nobody was particularly expecting such a manoeuvre, as the focus has mostly been on us and City, Liverpool are one point ahead. Plus I’m not sure anyone was expecting Slot to come and slot in to well, but it seem to have slotted in nicely.
I didn’t know that a slot was also the tracks of a deer, which itself comes from the late 16th century from the old French esclot: ‘hoof print of a horse’ but might also be from the old Norse ‘Slóth trail’ compared with ‘sleuth’, apparently. Its odd that we often use ‘disgruntled’, but hardly ever says ‘gruntled’? “how are you today? “Feeling rather gruntled!”. ” What did you think think of the Arsenal performance today? Well, rather gruntled old boy!”. But then Liverpool fans call Arsenal fans cockneys, which is a massive insult to us and to cockneys, as I’m sure the Irons will agree.
Head to head it be: won 83 drawn 64 lost 9. Our first duel was back in 1893, and we lost 0-5, but our last outing was a nice 3-1 win. Slots stats are not worth analysing as he’s been at Liverpool for five minutes, however his over win percentage is 63.49%. Liverpool have been given only a 29% chance of winning this game, so looks like the Arsenal stand in good favour.
Well that’s it, lots of bits and pieces that I’m sure have made you feel like going off and the reading the ‘Complete history of concrete’, 2nd edition by F.R Van Moof 1953, to escape such dreariness.
Even so, here’s to a great game for us and lucky horses!
COYG and keep on keepin’ on!
Mills
Good stuff Mills.
I don’t normally intercede in matters of previews, but this is a huge game and because the team has been gutted by injuries I feel I should point out just how difficult it will be for us to pocket the points. There comes a point where injuries and suspensions rack up to the extent that recent form and past results become almost meaningless. We have not been playing very well of late , with the favoured excuse being Odegaard’s absence. Well we could see White, Saliba, Timber, Calafiori, Saka, Zinchenko, Tomiyasu, Odegaard and worst of all Saka, all missing or at very least, some of them playing half fit and undercooked.
Due to these injuries Mikel will have to reshuffle the team which may see square pegs forced into round holes, Rice at CB for example.
Now I don’t want to be the harbinger of doom, but I have to admit, I’m worried.
So now I’ve spoiled your day, try to enjoy the game and I’ll see you on the other side.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
No you were right to do it George, my previews kack. Quite simply I was burnt out writing it, it was working out as an article every two days from the start of October and I started second guessing myself etc.
There was a massive anecdote that I cut out that was supposed to go in after the bit of cockneys but felt that endless anecdotes are too going far of the track, and what you’ve added at least goes into whats happening with players and potential out comes and puts it back into focus, something Ive been lacking since the early previews.
On my part all apologies to everyone, hopefully I can do some more later I just don’t have any time and as I said feel burnt out. And Im just not a natural writer.
COYG!
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Two previews for the price of one well that’s value for money.
Every time we play a big side there is obviously anxiety and on this occasion with all the circumstances there is reason to be nervous.
ARSENAL, however, have a long history of winning games we shouldn’t especially at home. Rice will not play at CB but the bench will not have the age of a decent wine on it.
Playing more conservatively might actually be to our advantage against an inform Scouse side, even though we are at home.
1950 cup final, the time we first wore the gold shirts, 1971 cup final our first double, 1987 league cup final destroying Rush’s record, 1989 league win in the final minute of final game of the season.
Like I said a long history of winning games we’re not supposed to and all those above were against Liverpool so why not one more COYG.
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Thank you Mills. Never apologise for sharing your wit and wisdom. You don’t know what effect your words will have on your reader, I for one value a book recommendation above all things.
I can read the bleeding obvious on every Arsenal blog published. They all they the same thing and we learn nothing from it.
So write when the muse is upon you, don’t put yourself under pressure to write when it isn’t, and never say sorry for giving freely to others.
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ah ian the 1987 littleswood cup final win, my one and only trip to Wembley, and at that time i was lucky enough to have only been in attendance at Arsenal wins,(in reality less than ten games) though that went tits up on my visit to Highbury the next season.
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Thanks Mills, entertaining as ever.
I’m puzzled, like George, as to how so many observers have Arsenal as favourites.
I reckon we’ll do well to get a draw to be honest.
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Arsenal: Raya, Partey, White, Gabriel, Timber, Rice, Merino, Trossard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz.
Subs: Neto, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Nichols, Myles-Skelly, Jorginho, Nwaneri, Sterling, Jesus.
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with their win today over newcastle, Chelsea have gone above Arsenal in to 4th spot in the table on goal difference.
west ham beat man utd and palace beat spurs
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HT: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
Saka with his 50th EPL goal gave us the lead, VVD got them level, and Merino with his first Arsenal goal put us deservedly ahead just before half time.
The ref has been a disgrace, he might as well put on a liverpool kit
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Gabriel off with a knee injury 5 minutes into the second half, Kiwior on
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75 minutes in and Myles Lewis-Skelly is on for Timber, who is either injured or just cramped up
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FT: 2-2
had the lead twice, couldn’t hold on to it either time,
squad showed it has been left short
9 games in and 9 points dropped, thats about half the total number of points that conventional wisdom says can be dropped if we want any chance of winning the title
our squad is 3 senior players, maybe 4 when you consider Tierney who is not wanted is part of it, well named in it but still injured, and far too many of that 22 is injury prone, also as we know we are reffed differently so its inexcusable to have left ourselves so short after the two seasons we have just had. Only silver lining is that Arteta is having to use myles lewis-skelly and the lad looks like he is able to play at this level, lets hope mikel gives nwaneri more of a chance to show his worth too.
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Officiating like that shouldn’t be allowed/experienced in this day and age (the age of the James Webb telescope etc), there’s no excuse for it, times have changed and there’s too much hanging on all these games, on global level? Too many inter-continental spectators, too much money, it undermines any small amount of integrity that might still be lurking around in the game?
We have the technology and the power to install and apply hi-tech systems that can cover these problems, and have proper assistance to ref mistakes/ mind-blindness/bullshit etc. Like Livercrutches players kicking the ball away to stop Arsenal taking it quickly and not getting a yellow card. Its only Arsenal players that get picked up on this misdemeanor?
But it will make for a great show on You Tube later this week folks!
With Martin O and a fully fit side, that game was ours, and we were denied a corner at the end…
Somehow Liverpool see it as a victory and we feel its a loss, says a lot. The kids were alright (again)…
COYG!
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I am increasingly disillusioned with today’s modern football. If sports washing isn’t bad enough the continued and accelerated corruption with the officials is making the game a waste of time to watch.
I can no longer believe officials are just incompetent when there “mistakes”are so obvious especially when VAR is supposed to be there to assist the officials at the game but continually forgets to look at things or comes to the wrong conclusion very strangely.
The Dick van dyke incident today was one of the most blatant straight reds I have ever seen in football. After all the controversy around delaying the restart this season the ref looking and ignoring Diaz kicking the ball away was just an insult. There can be no possible excuse for the decision other than a kick back from an external force.
There were lots of issues throughout the game, some small some large but the fact that we are all once again the talking the officials rather than the game is sickening and I am really getting fed up with it. It’s not football, it’s more like WWE wrestling, as fake as Trump’s tan.
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New post is up.
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Absolutely brilliant, this perfectly describes many of my away days up and down the country, in the seventies, eighties and nineties.
With the invention of all seater stadiums, the birth of the PL, digital ticketing (home and away) this seems to die out in the upper divisions.
You certainly become closer to the people who you go to football with if you know you have to rely on them in a mass brawl.
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