Sunday 31st of August will see Arsenal FC against Liverpool FC, at Anfield on Merseyside, kick off is at 4.30pm UK time. This will be match-day three of the 2025/6 season.
OUR HOSTS.
Liverpool need no introduction, unless you’ve been living in the Kuiper belt for the last hundred years or so. One of the true forces in the PL to be reckoned with, and favourites to win the PL 2025/6. They are on their good days, a truly excellent team and are unbeaten so far this season, but have allowed in four goals in those two.
At the time of writing this Isak still hasn’t signed for them and there’s still time, if so and with him, they may become an unstoppable force. But what happens if they meet the unmoveable object? Hopefully that object comes the form of a cannon.
If Isak to Liverpool happens or no, this one will leave a bitter legacy at the Toon and has already spilt a lot of speculative ink in the press and hurt voices elsewhere. Liverpool have reinforced themselves this summer with Wirtz, Kerkez and Ekitike with rumours that Guehi is on the way too.
Having kept an eye on their first two games I would say they are beatable, but one seconds worth of a concentration slip-up and yer doomed. Anfield has never been much of a happy hunting ground for the Arsenal, although I liked the effort and resilience we showed last time up there.
According to some AI-head its nearly four thousand days since we beat Liverpool at Anfield. Although that seems a strange deception when we only ever play them on Merseyside once a year, its not as if we could play them on any other days except at Ashburton Grove for the home-tie. That win came on the 2nd of September 2012. Trouble is AI- head forgot to include our Carabao Cup win back in 2020.
The first game ever with the Reds at Anfield was on the 1st of January 1894. Over all its 83 games won by the Arsenal, 66 draws and 93 wins by Liverpool. Last season it was all square at two a piece in both games.
Our chums at Statto HQ have given Liverpool a 42.5% chance of winning and the Arsenal 28%.
Mills.
I can’t remember such a pivotal game coming so early in the season. I don’t think the magnitude if it can be exaggerated. A win up there would put down a marker to end all markers. Liverpool have not looked great , despite 2 wins, but then again, neither have we. Let’s not pretend the United game was awful stuff, and for 45 minutes against Leeds, it wasn’t much better. The 100% record of one of us has to go.
Here is my best guess prediction, if we score 2 goals , we won’t lose. It’s been a Donkey’s age since we conceded more than 2 goals, and that’s the sum total of my logic and guess work.
The team sort of picks itself, with Odegaard’s fitness being the big question. If he’s not fit I think Eze will make his debut as 10 at 10, with Martinelli on the left. If he is fit, maybe Eze will be the starter on the left.
It’s not the end of the world if we lose, and it’s not conquering the world if we win, but it might feel like one or the other at full time. For all our sanities sake, a draw would be a good result, and I’d take one now.
I understand results are everything in circumstances like this, but wouldn’t it be great to watch an entertaining game of flowing football as well as getting a positive result? That’s my wish anyhow.
See you all come Sunday,
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
7 of those who left us this summer, be it loan or permanent were Arteta signings
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Ed, so only Reiss, who came from the acadamy, is not an Mikel signing.
In the modern game players are moved on quicker but this does seem to have fully ended the buying potential policy that the club had adopted.
We now only buy players who are proven in the big leagues and compitions. This is obviously a lot more expensive, especially when you consider the pitence, in comparison, we are receiving in sales.
How long we can continue with that policy is surely going to be difficult.
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I thought we played well against Liverpool in the first half. To have the majority of possession, more shots, shots on target, touches in the box than the opposition in any game would be good. This however was Anfield, this was the home of the champions, this was Liverpool and this was on paper our hardest away game of the season, making the first half even more of an accolade.
Everyone knew a reaction would come and the second half started with the home side in control. After 60 minutes you could see minor adjustments on the field would not be enough to stem the tide and something more substantial would be needed.
Mikel, unfortunately, always has other ideas and as long as the game stayed all square then the need to act seems unessacerry to him.
We had totally lost midfield and although Zuba, will prove a massive hit eventually, he is just not up to PL speed and lost the ball or put his teamates in trouble many times.
If we truly have a complete squad, then this should have been rectified. Norgaard is injured but shortly Rice could have played in a more withdrawn role. Mikel brought on two attacking players but still played in a defensive formation and still conceded the midfield.
Once they scored they retreated and we opened up but never really threatened.
As I listed above this was our most difficult away game so a one-nil defeat doesn’t look bad, however when you consider the difference between the first and second half displays, the managers inability to change things in adversity and also his acceptance of a draw then it is extremely worrying.
When we should be looking at one of the best half displays at Anfield for a long time, actually we are looking at the same problems we have had for the whole of Mikels reign and the likelihood of another nearly season.
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Oh and did anyone else notice the Liverpool players being less than two metres from the ARSENAL wall. Obviously if that was Palace or Fulham that would have been disallowed.
Different strokes for different folks eh.
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ian I think the 2 meter thing is an optical illusion, the photo from behind made it look like the LFC player was in the middle of our wall, when its viewed from the side on he is actually the 2 meters or more behind our wall.
and on the topic of the wall, should a goalie have a wall at all when the free kick was so far out, all the wall is doing is blocking his view of the strike
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Ed, I was thinking of the player to the side of the wall who runs towards it. By the time the ball is kicked he seems very closr, although like you say exact stills it’s difficult to tell. Maybe I was just clutching at straws.
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There was a point in time when Wenger was in charge, I read some where or seen someone speak about how the analytics team had a major input with some of the signings that were made that particular summer ( not including the role of the sporting director in signing these signings).
Can we call players signed under Sanelhi and Emery era as Emery players?
Do we call this new current crop Arteta signings even though we see a difference in the signings of Edu and Berta being involved?
What role do the sporting directors have in transfers?
Do sporting directors have a say in the style of play, philosophies etc. What was the big deal in getting Berta? and Why was Sanheli considered a flop as opposed to the other two?
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So levy has quit, seeing as he has presided over 25 years of failure and sacking lots of good managers, then I’m not sure its a good thing.
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Arsenal Women’s team doing a lot of out business on last day of their transfer window, Lia Walti has left for Juventus, and a whole host of young players have gone on loan. No in coming as of yet, but rumors of a move for a midfielder from Frankfurt, window closes at 11
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Maldini Kaccuri made his senior international debut for Albania today in their 1-0 away friendly victory over Gibraltar, he played the full game and got booked.
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Arsenal Women opened up their WSL campaign today with a 4-1 win at home to the London City Lionesses. After going behind to a penalty early on, Arsenal dominated the game, played some great football and deserved to win, in fact it should have been by a much bigger margin.
A fantastic long range strike from our £1M signing Olivia Smith got us level, Chole Kelly made it 2-1 before half time, and subs Stina Blackstenius and Frida Mannum scored a goal each in a matter of two minutes to seal the deserved win.
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London city have spent bog on both numbers and quality. They will undoubtedly be a force later on on the season. Opening games can be difficult anyway, but considering the unknowns in this game, this was a fantastic and important win.
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the amazing thing about the London City Lionesses is that they are an independent club, they are not linked to any mens pro club
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reports in France suggest that Saliba will be out for up to 4 weeks with a badly sprained ankle.
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The football world is strange and continues too roll on. Nuno is sacked and Ange immediately replaces him. The old addage it’s all about results not applying here, with the manager going out having a better record than the one coming in.
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Cant see forrest changing their style this weekend. After possibly the worst Europa finals in living memory, ange knows how to sit and dig in. So we will see the usual forrest, compact and fast on the break.
Patience will be needed, but still playing with high intensity. When the opposition does break we will need to get back quickly and in numbers.
It will be interesting to see what players are available and who Mikel puts in the starting eleven, bearing in mind the stresses of international duties and the traveling it involves.
Whatever the side, whatever the style of the opposition, let’s see the Gunners fly COYG.
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New moan is up.
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