Hello and hope you’re doing well? Sunday 21st of September, will see the Mighty Cannon host our recent rivals Manchester City at Ashburton Grove. Kick off is at 17.30pm Central European time ( 4.30pm UK time), the weather expected is 15°c, and cloudy.
Perhaps this is less the game it was several seasons ago, and we go into the match as favourites, but City are no push over, and certainly have a sense of pride when it comes to playing Arsenal and now that for every club in every position every point is totally important this game has the potential of being a classic.
There’s been much talk about Pep being washed up, but that seems a bit foolish considering the team he has, and his vast experience as a manager? They seem to be more a sleeping giant and if they wake and drink an expresso, then we all better watch out?
Liverpool are now on 15 points and we (in third place) have 9, and a loss for us today leaves us (again) chasing Liverpool by two games, so its important to keep that pressure on. City are in 12th: W2 L2 D1, so a poor start for them, but a win would mean a huge leap in the standings.
Like the Gunners, they played well in mid-weeks Champions League game, beating De Bruyne’s Napoli 3-0, and looked the most comfortable they’ve been all season.
However, Marmoush Nouri, Cherki and Kovacic are ruled out by injury, Stones has started training again but might not make City’s starting squad. Rodri still not 100% fit played 60 mins against Napoli.
I’ve been informed by a friends at Statto HQ, who know all about such things, that Arsenal have a 50.4% chance of winning and City 24.2%. So COYG!
Mills
Well now, this is a game that brings so mixed emotions to me.
EXCITEMENT – I’m excited about the prospect of watching a huge game that is almost a must win for both clubs just 4 games in and because of Liverpool’s 5 game winning start. It seems ridiculous that a game of this magnitude is here so soon.
FEAR – I’m fearful about the prospect of watching a huge game that is almost a must win for both clubs just 4 games in and because of Liverpool’s 5 game winning start. It seems ridiculous that a game of this magnitude is here so soon.
Get my drift?
DREAD – I’m dreading the reaction of the online fans should we lose, the overreaction will be mad, no matter what the circumstances of the loss are or how well we played.
Dread – I’m dreading the reaction of online fans if we win, no matter what the circumstances of the win is or how poor we were.
Recently we have defenders on better form than they have, while they have attacers on better form than ours.
The old saying that “Defences win titles” will be put to the test this season, because if it’s true, we will be lifting the trophy come May. Liverpool have been riding their luck so far, but as I always maintain, the results will eventually be reflected by performances, so we need to hang in until that happens. I’m hoping they don’t improve and reap the rewards of their early good fortune, but I worry they might. As I said, so many mixed emotions brought up by this one massive game.
COYG, as Ian keeps saying.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Madueke, Trossard, Gyokeres.
Substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Saka, Eze, Martinelli, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly
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well we got exactly what most of us knew we would get that first half with the team selection Arteta put out. risk averse bullshit.
Arteta is sticking with Merino in the team cos a journalist had the temerity to suggest picking him v LFC was a defensive move, and Arteta’s ego could never allow such an insult to pass unchallenged. Its 6 years of Arteta ego refusing to allow him to drop his signings, or anyone questioned by the media or fans, Willian, Haverts in midfield, and now Merino.
Arteta is way more Moyes than he is any other manager he played under or worked with
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Merino and Madueke off, Eze and Saka on. A bit odd that he took off Madueke who was our most dangerous attacker, could easily have put him or saka to left wing
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Timber off, Martinelli on
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Trossard off, Nwaneri on
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7 minutes of stoppage time to be played, and we still haven’t created a damn thing
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Martinelliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii makes it 1-1
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the Martinelli goal
https://x.com/i/status/1969815880038027610
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Mosquera on for Zubimendi
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FT: Arsenal 1-1 Man City
wasted 45 minutes with artetaball at its sterile worst. Changed things up the second half, but created so little as city had parked the bus, but thankfully Martinelli came up with a brilliant finish from a great Eze through ball got us a point.
Arteta has to stop with this negative tactics, for fucks sake go for it, we have the players, we have the squad, let them loose
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If my grandma had wheels etc, but would have been interesting to see how that risk averse line up might have grown into the game had Harlaand not been so brilliant so soon. And it did happen on the break with our players pushing forward. Once they had secured that goal it was indeed going to be tricky, but no complaints about the amount of attackers thrown on. Madueke had a busy international break and has been quite high intensity in all his games si ce then so can understand he was substituted. It’s going to be a long old season, and even though Liverpool are points clear teams like the one we played today aren’t going to just roll over and give up before they start.
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feels disappointed to drop points against City (not long ago that would be a good point) but feels like they are not the same city side as old and still in rebuild phase.
Still I have never never seen a pep team play like that. When he took Haaland of with 15mins to go and flooded midfield, I had to double check who we were playing. Onto the next.
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once we got level we took off a midfielder to bring on a defender, if that doesn’t sum up Artetaball nothing does.
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I get that Arteta can be negative and some /most don’t enjoy his methods or tactics or him, fair enough but the constant need to criticise and the negativity from the media is a bit over the top.
Jaime carragar saying we don’t create enough chances….. I’m sure we scored the most goals in the league so far this season and added to that think we have been amongst the sides that have scored the most goals over the last few years.
gets a bit tiresome. Yesterday was not the best result but the reaction to the results and the past results this season is well over the top.
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seems Madueke was taken off on Sunday due to a knee injury, its hoped its not an ACL injury, he will be having scans to find out the full extent of the injury.
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Arsenal play Port Vale away in the league cup on Wednesday. These are the only two clubs of the 92 league clubs in the top 4 divisions who are not named after actual places.
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what team might we see start for us on Wednesday, we should be able to rotate massively, maybe use all of yesterday’s subs, bar maybe Saka as he is just back from injury, then add in Hincapie, and young Dowman and we have a strong 11
Kepa
White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly
Norgaard, Eze, Nwaneri
Dowman, Martinelli, Trossard
we can stack the first choice guys on the bench
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Not sure if he will go with that CB pair.
He may go Saliba plus one of the two .
Midfield looks light, maybe he plays Merino, Norgaard and Eze.
Saka starts, Dowman Nwaneri 2nd half subs.
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Arsenal U21’s beat Newport in the EFL Trophy tonight in Wales. Newport took an early lead, Harriman-Annous won and missed a penalty, then 5 minutes later won and scored a penalty, and in the last minute of the game Sagoe Jr scored the winner for the young Gooners.
Arsenal U21’s: Setford, Nichols, Salmon, Clarke, Washington, Ibrahim, Copley, Dudziak, Ferdinand, Harriman-Annous, Sagoe Jr.
Subs: Mitchell, Sweet, Hamill, Agustien, Kamara, Murisa, Bailey-Joseph.
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Madueke out for 6 to 8 weeks
Hincapie is out of tomorrow’s game
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former Arsenal youth striker Billy Vigar (21) received a significant head injury at the weekend while playing for Chichester City, he collided with a perimeter wall. He was placed in an induced coma.
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PG, sent preview over. COYG!
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It’s up. Cheers my friend.
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