Hello!
Well, here we are again in the languid dog-days of August, where winter isn’t even a rumour but a more a fantasy, and at the start of a brand new shiny Premier League season. The grass is clipped and the seats are mended; the toilets are clean and everyone ones ready as they can be.
I hope you been having a good summer and if you’re English enjoyed the Lionesses winning the Euros (with Arsenal Women playing a major part), and if not, just enjoyed the Euros. It already seems far away? If not I hope you enjoyed the scene in Happy Gilmore 2 when Happy and his sons beat the $%’!§ out of the dummy of Hal L. One of the funniest things I’ve seen in ages,which maybe shows how sad I am?
” that’s something we’ve known for ages”
As you all well know being studious, long-time, long-beard Arsenal fans of the media both established and social, players have gone or are going and others have come in, (no need for me to get into it) which has brought much scrutiny during the pre-season friendlies and discourse on You Tube where the vlog remains a good way of wasting your precious life, although I do still miss George and Shotta’s vlog as it had a lot of humour as well as insight. Except when I was on it.
Of course from this point until the nights start drawing in, every aspect of Arsenal’s game will be under the microscope. Will the Arsenal fall foul of some new rules by pedantic refs, only to watch them be more lenient as the season progresses, as we have witnessed in times gone by? Expectancy is high and the pressure with it. I’m glad I’m not a footballer! Apparently we are 9/4 to win the PL.
Friendlies and pre-season predictions mean little to me at this moment, as we have such a long way to go and who can really tell, in fairness maybe some can and they have super 24hr footballing minds and crystal balls. I don’t. Obviously I have an eye on things, and was willing Havertz to score and not make a mess against Bilbao as he would have already had the mob on his back, and I like to personally see all our players with a high level of confidence, as I’m sure you do, going into a season.
But lets face it, its great to have it the Arsenal back! John Fowles wrote in his book the Aristos that ‘sport is a receptacle for energy, and holds our attention as it has endless possible permeations’, and I’m happy to put any energy Arsenals way rather than trawling though videos on YT about political skulduggery and fear-mongering speculation. It seems odd that politic is the main source of entertainment these days? But horses for courses, some people like that, and that’s fair enough. I just wished I didn’t have to bloody fact check all the time!
Anyway, the Mighty Cannon will make a trip up to the northern marches and take on our best chums Manchester United on Sunday the 17th of August, KO at 4.30pm.
United had an appalling season last season in the PL and to an extent the EL. This must be the first time in nearly thirty years that it actually feels like we could go up to OT and hammer them. But I’m sure they will be keen and peachy to make a good start too and many eyes will be on their new boy from RB Leipzig, Benjamin Šeško. Anyway, apart from Bernie Rhodes, who knows?
I phoned our pals at statto HQ and they were over joyed to hear from me and quickly gave me their predictions: United have a 27./% chance of winning and the good ol’ Arsenal 45.%
I am also really interested what the outcome of Manchester Citys 115 charges, as this will have a big affect on many aspects of the coming season. What do you think might play out?
Well that’s it, here’s to a great season and hoping that Isak doesn’t go to Liverpool (he hasn’t at the time of writing this) and that the Mighty Cannon wins all four trophies and that pigs might fly, why I have no idea, but maybe it would be a cheap airline?
Anyway, come fly with me and wish the Gunners the best. But please, next year can we have the yellow away kit back? You know, She likes to wear it in the merry month of May. Grrrr!
Cheers to Ian and Ed for keeping the blog going this summer break, always interesting to read what you guys write.
Take care of yourselves. See you for the opener at the Emirates against newly promoted Leeds Utd.
COYG!
Mills
Positively Arsenal 
Man city are likely to get a fine and no more, something which they can break a few more rules to pay.
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spurs played in the super cup final tonight, they were 2-0 up with 5 minutes to play but the game ended 2-2 and went to extra time, with non more score it went to Penalties. PSG missed their first penalty, and spurs took the lead in the shoot out, but they missed their last 3 penalties to lose 4-3,
yet laughably I’m after hearing a pundit say this wasn’t spursy. What the hell is it with the media and their spurs love in. There is nothing more spursy than the details of tonights game.
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oh and welcome back Mills, you’ve been missed on here over the summer.
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seems Jack Wilshere will not be returning to the clubs coaching staff, he it seems wanted the U21 managers job but was only offered the U19 job, and a role in the EFL Cup team coaching staff, which combined might not be a whole lot of games. Maybe him walking out on the club midway through last season might have given the club food for thought, and would have had them concerned it could easily happen again. For me the right decision.
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Thanks Ed!
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Sorry Mills, my first comment should absolutely have been to welcome you back, say you have been missed and congratulate you on another great post
I nod my head to ED for correct protocol
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No worries Ian, and many thanks!
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Mills, you are absolutely correct that trying to predict how the league will end is absolute madness, especially as the squads have not even decided yet.
Anyway here goes,
liverpool, have improved since last season on paper and it is difficult to see past them again.
City, had their worst season for years and still finished strongly. According to their players they didn’t even try and that is quite frightening. Even Liverpool couldn’t match city’s usual relentless march in their winning seasons.
ARSENAL, we have recruited well so far this window but the same shadows of hell hang over the club, refs, Mikel’s adverse nature to take risks to turn one point to three and unwillingness to rotate, even with the improved options within the squad.
chelsea, I would of placed them higher but surely the club world cup will have a negative effect later in the season.
Newcastle, obviously they have had a nightmare window so far but Eddie is a great manager and he will steady the ship.
manure, they will not be the disaster they were last season. amorin will be able to play his own system and they will strengthen again in the winter window.
spuds, I really like frank and was really disappointed when he went there.
I still think villa will do well but their squad seems to be getting worse not better but Uni will keep them quite high.
everton and west ham should do a lot better than last season and will sit mid table or higher.
Fulham and Wolves will again finish mid table but where I have no idea. Both will have steady seasons.
forrest and palace will struggle with the league and Europe think everton and west ham will do much better than last season and think Bournemouth and Brentford will do a lot worse.
Out of the promoted teams Leeds have experience, Sunderland have spent massively and Burnley are defensively sound. I only expect one of the three to survive with the other relegation place being taken by Brentford.
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Good assessment Ian! Will be interesting to see how Grealish does at Everton, and if Isak goes to Liverpool…
But I think most teams are really up for it this year, so it really could be anyone’s? COYG!
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This is a test comment.
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Being a miserable bastard, even though ARSENAL have significantly improved the squad, I still am not confident of matching or improving our previous three second place finishes.
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looks like Dan Casey is leaving Arsenal, both Crystal Palace and Norwich are in talks with AFC about compensation package for the lad. He scored 20 goals last season for the U`18s from midfield but has so far refused our contract offer, there are suggestions that like Rosiak we low balled the offer to him, add that to the fact that despite his great season with the youths he did not get a look in with the U21 side, so he probably feels like he would have fuck all future at AFC
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just a heads up for those who follow the underage teams, Arsenal will be streaming all our u21 games live this season, starting with tomorrow evenings game v Fulham
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just a comment on the banner UEFA had on show before the super cup last night,
Stop Killing Children
Stop Killing Civilians
laughably the media are calling it controversial, yeah controversial, for God’s sake how or when did asking for the killing of children and civilians to stop become controversial. Where the hell has our humanity gone.
And how the fuck are Israel and its clubs not banned by UEFA, after all Russia was banned double quick and are still banned for far less.
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Arsenal squad numbers 2025/26
1. David Raya
2. William Saliba
3. Cristhian Mosquera
4. Ben White
6. Gabriel
7. Bukayo Saka
8. Martin Odegaard
9. Gabriel Jesus
11. Gabriel Martinelli
12. Jurrien Timber
13. Kepa Arrizabalaga
14. Viktor Gyokeres
15. Jakub Kiwior
16. Christian Norgaard
17. Oleksandr Zinchenko
19. Leandro Trossard
20. Noni Madueke
21. Fabio Vieira
22. Ethan Nwaneri
23. Mikel Merino
24. Reiss Nelson
28. Albert Sambi Lokonga
29. Kai Havertz
31. Karl Hein
33. Riccardo Calafiori
36. Martin Zubimendi
41. Declan Rice
49. Myles Lewis-Skelly
That is a full 25 man senior squad and 3 U21 players. Any sales or loans out of any of the senior players will leave room in the squad for more additions. It does seem that Hein, Zinchenko, Lokonga, Nelson and Vieira are not really wanted here by Arteta, we could probably add Jesus to that list too and if he was fit he might be moved out. Many rumors Kiwior is wanted by several clubs and that he wants to be a first choice player, so he might move yet this summer, and many reports suggest we want to move out at least one of Trossard or Martinelli and bring in maybe someone like Rodrygo and maybe Eze too.
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seems the PGMOL will this season, well for a few weeks anyway, or in AFC games, implement some new rules, an 8 second goalkeeper rule, also rules on holding at freekicks and corners, plus on diving and exaggerating fouls. For me all sounds good but we know in reality it will just be PGMOL doing more of their match fixing.
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Raya needs to start practicing penalties. We start the season against a side the refs love and historically we have had some horrendous decisions against us.
I would be extremely surprised if manure don’t get at least one penalty in Sunday’s game.
As always ARSENAL will get penalised several times before the rules die only for them to emerge mid season when we are on a good run
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As in every squad there are players that ideally it is time to replace. However injuries are an unknown quantity so we need to have a bigger squad than last season in numbers as well as quality.
Yes we have quality youngsters coming through but we all know Mikel’s attitude to playing them. I would certainly like to get Eze but I think everyone acknowledged from the start of the season that a deal for him would be right at the end of the window.
Even if we retain all our players, do we need another player who play full back on both sides. If we don’t get Eze then we need another number ten or certainly another creative forward.
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Tomorrows game is going to be very difficult, manure are not the crap they were last season. Amorin has had a pre season to play the shape he was on ta to and the team will be more in his image. The new front three look very good, something they have not had for years.
Protest have been cancelled and there looks to be a new optimistic attitude around the plac.
With the historic hate the fans have for us, the friendliness of the officials have towards the home team and our failure to beat even crap it’s sides there in previous years this is not just an opening season fixture.
If you add in our first team has only really played together once in pre season it looks worrying.
The first game of the season is hugely unpredictable whoever your playing so calling this will be awkward. At the moment our potential is way higher than our foes and if we’re on our game we should win COYG.
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reminder the Arsenal U21’s game v Fulham is now live on Arsenal.com
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HT:2-2
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reports that Arsenal have accepted bids from Fernabache for Zinchenko, just under £9M
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Arsenal u21’s lost 3-2 to Fulham U21s
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Ed, I hope those reports are true I think it would be a good move for all parties. I really like Zinchenko, he has been a great servant to the club.
He came at a time when we needed leaders and he brought a winning mentality to the team.
Obviously he brought the ability to play the inverted full back and helped set up our full back on both sides.
His experience allowed us to have a manager on the pitch.
I will be sorry to see him go but it is the right time and a player of his quality and a man of his standing deserves to be playing every week.
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ian its being reported that the fee we get for Zinchenko will be reinvested in a six foot six CB from Palmeiras,Luis Benedetti
we are also being linked again with PSG right winger Lee Kang-In, a 24 year old south korean. seems that Arteta now wants Madueke as our first choice left winger, so Kang-In would be the Saka back up
Seems spurs have bid for Eze, but well below what was his release clause. Most of the AFC favored bloggers and twitter are now claiming Eze was only seen by AFC as an option if Nwaneri had left this summer.
Max Dowman has travelled with the Arsenal first team squad for the Man Utd game tomorrow. We have to wait and see if he is in the match day squad.
Seemingly there was no sign of Zinchenko, Vieira or Nelson in the travelling group. That is not to say none of them are in it, just that they were not spotted so far.
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Academy product Daniel Ballard finally made his EPL debut today, scoring for Sunderland in their 3-0 win over West Ham. Great to see him finally make it into the EPL
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19 year old ismeal kabia has signed a new contract with Arsenal and is looking to go out on loan this season.
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Callan Hamill captained Arsenal U18s today as he made his competitive or official debut for the club in a comeback 2-1 win over Norwich, subs O’Neill and Hashi with late goals to get us the win.
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Once again COYG.
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Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Timber, Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, Merino, Nwaneri, Trossard, Madueke, Havertz
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Not in today’s match day squad is Norgaard who is said to be injured, Jesus has not yet regained fitness too, but the following players are all out of the squad and are all linked with transfers out of Arsenal,
Hein, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Sambi, Vieira and Nelson, there are 2 weeks remaining of the summer transfer window.
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HT: Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal
Calafiori with our goal, but we haven’t played well
Calafiori was booked late in the half too, so might just have to be subbed as we know how the PGMOL love a red for Arsenal
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at this point Hooper might as well put on the man utd kit, another PGMOL cunt
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Madueke on for Martinelli
Martinelli has been poor once again today, he’s not been the only one either.
Havertz on for Gyokeres, not been a very impressive debut for him, but then we have created sweet fuck all for him or anyone else for that matter.
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timber and lewis-skelly on for white and calafiori
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Raya with his second outstanding save of the game.
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Merino on for Rice who went off with a little limp.
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6 minutes of stoppage time added
we’ve had 4 players booked so far, Calafiori, Raya, Timber and MLS
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Phew! Pants, but it will do. Would it have been better to have played last years regulars initially and bring in the new boys in as the game went along? Anyway, nice to win. COYG!
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FT: Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal
Calafiori with the goal
a fantastic resulte
a shit performance
worryingly we used all 5 subs and not one of them made the slightest bit of improvement to our performance, this was worse than paint by numbers football that we have seen way too often under Arteta.
Utd had over 60% possession, over double the amount of efforts at goal, over double the amount of shots on target. We could barely string two passes together. The pgmol game manager didn’t help, but my God that was one awful watch.
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Raya named man of the match
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