Hello and how are you? Saturday 4th of October, will see the Might Cannon host a visit at Ashburton Grove from our East End neighbours, West Ham. Kick off is at 16.00pm (3.00pm UK time). Expected weather is 15° and windy and 24% chance of rain. This is Arteta’s 300 game in charge (58% win rate) and Saka’s 200 game. Milestones! “Great track” (1958) said Miles Davis, “have a listen”…
A poor start for West Ham this year, currently sitting in 19th position ( W 1 D 1 L 4 F 6 A 14) meant that last week they said adieu to their manager Graham Potter, and after his (odd) departure from Nottingham Forest three games into the season they now have hope of rekindling their winning ways with new manager and ex-goalkeeper Nuno Espírito Santo. Nuno’s average win rate is 48.4%. He did well at Wolves and at Forest but had a terrible time at the Spuds (which we didn’t complain about), but from what I’ve seen, many a West Ham fan seem pleased he’s at the club, having helped them to 1-1 draw with Everton on the 29th of September.
West Ham might consider themselves a bogey team for the Arsenal as we have lost only four of our last 42 home games and two of those was against West Ham. Losses in Feb 2025 and Dec 2023. “So what?” said Miles Davis. However head to head its: P 153 W 74 D 41 L 38. Our first match with them was on the 13th January 1906 and a draw at the Manor ground (att.18,000) and eventually a victory on the 18th of January at Upton Park (att.12,000) for the replay in the FAC.
George Earthy is out for the Hammers (hamstring, four four weeks at least), Soucek is still suspended following his red card against Tottenham. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham’s player of the year 2024/5, following his 15million quid move from Manchester United) will be returning.
Gabriel will face a late fitness test for Arsenal, after colliding with David Raya in the no problem 2-0 victory against Olympiacos, but even if not playing we have (now) a decent squad and decent coverage. Phew! Hincapi will be back after the International break…
Statto HQ sent over a marconigram and they dot and dashed out the message that Arsenal have a 79.7 % chance of victory, and West Ham are 6.6%. COYG!
Mills
Apparently the bookies hve made us favorites to win the league. That can bring unwanted pressure and bad memories from recent times where we briefly went favorite and as we didn’t win anything, that could go down as a failure. Still, bookies do know a thing or two, even if it’s only how to fleece gullible punters.
Salina signing a new deal is great news for the club, fans and Mikel. Although many fans doubt him, this signing indicates to me that the players don’t, and if the board feel that he is a major reason why they can keep their big assets, that’s more power to his elbow. Also, if the players truly believe in him ( I believe they do), that increases our chances of winning, because team spirit is huge.
Our captain is back and looks like he is back to his best, all be it only in one game, but his return will tell us if Mikel is prepared to be bold and pair him in the middle with Eze or will our new shiny signing be moved back to the left wing? We will see.
Until next time, enjoy the game and life.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Morning all 👋🏻
Fully expect Arsenal to go on a scoring rampage one of these days and given WH stodgy start to the season, today could be the day. Or a tense low-scoring draw? Seems unlikely – COYGs!
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COYG…Hope to see Gyokeres grab a brace today!!!
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Our recent nightmare returns, the hammers stopped us winning the league two seasons ago and with Fulham upset our rhythm last season.
Even under Potter, their away form was better than their home form. Their free stadium seemingly being a massive weight around their neck.
It seems the “West Ham way” will be disposed of once again in favour of the more pragmatic low block and fast break style nuno is known for.
We hate the low block and have for years and seening as nuno is such a specialist at it I see this game as more attritional than exciting.
Obviously if we could score a couple of early goals that would help and today a fast start is necessary.
Games after Europe can look a struggle physically however seeing as we used our squad well midweek this shouldn’t be a problem.
This could be a real marker for the rest of the season, if our new forward line and attacking midfield can perform well today then maybe we could banish not only the iron ghosts but those of all low sides COYG.
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not been a good day for Arsenal teams so far
U18’s got a hammering at Stoke
Women’s team losing 2-1 with less than 10 minutes to go, a loss will all but end their title hopes and its only 5 games in to the season.
Our U21’s fell behind to West Ham but Dowman has scored soon after to have it level, still in first half of that game.
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Chole Kelly has drawn the womens team level on 83 minutes
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Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Odegaard, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, Norgaard, Zubimendi, Merino, Nwaneri, Martinelli.
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HT in the U21 game and its 1-1
the womens team have fallen behind again to man city, 3-2, only stoppage time to be played now.
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Recent signing from Charlton, Mishel Nduka, scored twice for Arsenal U16s in a 4-4 draw with Stoke
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Thanks team leaders for this appetite whetter. Fingers crossed!
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Womens team lost, and the U21’s currently losing
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U21’s now 2-2, with 6 minutes of stoppage time to be played
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FT: Arsenal U21’s 2-2 West Ham U21’s
Dowman and Copley with our goals
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Eze misses an open goal
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Saka goal ruled out for offside, var will check
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Odegaard off injured, Zubimendi on
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Riceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee makes it 1-0 to the Arsenal against his former team
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5 minutes of stoppage time to be played
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HT: Arsenal 1-0 West Ham
Rice with the goal, we have dominated the game, but not created many clear chances
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penalty to Arsenal, VAR to check
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Sakaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa scores the penalty to make it 2-0 to the Arsenal
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as things stand Arsenal are top of the table, liverpool are away to chelsea this evening
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Saka played his 200th EPL game today, he has 55 goals and 45 assists, he is only 24
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Only just got back from work. What was Odegaard’s injury?
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Knee injury, but he walked off after giving it five minutes to try and run it off
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Thanks Ian. Can only hope that he’ll find a way back to full fitness, and be given time to do so.
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Declan came off with a small back injury, little B had a ankle injury but finished the game, Riccardo came off with a leg injury.
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Arteta said Odegaard had a brace on his knee after the game.
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liverpool lost away to Chelsea so Arsenal remain top, Crystal Palace would go second if they win tomorrow
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Top over the interlull, win the next 32 PL games on the trot and we win the league.
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Happy invincibles day everyone. Seven games in, at least we can be relaxed about that.
On the other side of the coin MO has knee ligament damage and it doesn’t look good.
Declan however can report for England duty. There was no update on other injuries.
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Martin Odegaard has been withdrawn from the Norway national team for their upcoming matches against Israel and New Zealand after sustaining a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee during the first half in Saturday’s win over West Ham United.
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I always think that GD is a good indicator of where teams should really be in the league, ie Newcastle, Brighton and Aston Villa are all better teams than manure.
The team in second place in the GD league is city…….ominous.
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Yeah I noticed that @Ian, also noticed Halaand looks to be in good form.
The only thing tho is the Midfield with Rodri looking like he has had another setback looks a bit light.
I hope we can keep up the good form till Jan cause I see our rivals adding what is missing for them so far i.e liverpool get defenders and city add steel to the midfield.
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I agree with you @Gee, so do we need to strengthen in January and if so where.
Any players coming in would surely be squad players again as the first team is pretty much there.
Have we enough cover at CB? If Odegaard and Eze are out at the same time would Ethan be able to pick up the creative slack?
Maybe we need another striker to help carry the load and replace Jesus long term?
Squad wise we can probably match anyone but there is always room for one more isn’t there?
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@Ian, it’s a tough balancing act. I was thinking Samenyo, Julian Alvarez, Adra Guler are all playing well and I don’t know I see some of them as a perfect fit for us.
But on the other hand I think Martinelli may find his best form with us as he matures (still only 24), Havertz, Gyko, Jesus are actually very good options if fit and Dowman and Nwaneri really are 2 exceptional young prospects.
I think we have to stick on some of these. The defence looks awesome. I would probably look to have Myles moving to midfield and have Hincape cover for Califori.
Fair play to the Mikel and the club for recognising we need options and then going out and getting very very good options.
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No celebration policing of Chelsea boss Enzo this week after his sprint down the touchline celebrating a late goal by Estavoua.
I suppose he has won the Conference league and Club world cup so I guess the celebration police have given him a pass on that one.
He will have to win more trophies before he will be allowed to celebrate 3 points again without the book being thrown at him for going to far over the top.
good to see justice in action
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Wembley here we come…for a bit ?
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yeah Mills it looks like the club want to extend the stadium capacity to 70,000 or even 80,000, and it would mean moving to wembley for a season or even two. Of course we could share white hart lane. I jest.
The reports are that this increasing of capacity would start in the summer of 2028, and that is why Arsenal did not look to stage at of the Euro games that summer. The outer shell of the stadium would stay the same, but the gradient of the inside would be changed and the seating changed, made a bit smaller(Arsenal did have the biggest seats in the EPL, don’t know if that has changed),
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Gabriel Arteta Bernal, the 16 year old eldest son of Mikel Arteta featured for our U17’s last week in their 3-3 draw with Watford.
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reports that Arsenal have given David Raya a big pay rise, but not extended the length of his contract
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Russo gave Arsenal Women an early lead v Lyon Women in their CL game tonight, but Lyon have turned it around and now lead 2-1, about half an hour played
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Highee gradient, smaller seats, seems like money over fan experience again.
The last Wembley experience was a nightmare with fans dotted all around the stands and not together.
The word necessary will be banded about a lot but seems shit for those at top, they may as well watch it at home.
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Arsenal Women’s poor start to the season continues with a 2-1 loss at home to Lyon in the WCL.
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well Ian would you prefer to do a ground share with Spurs for a season or two. Maybe we should just play everyone away twice.
Like you ian I’m not sure if this expenditure is even worth it, will it impinge on the team/squad build like it did the last time, even if not nearly as much, could it actually cost us titles
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Obviously a ground share with the scum is out of the question (although it would be interesting to see the state we left the toilet after we went).
One of the things the “new” ARSENAL bang on about is the atmosphere. I’m pretty sure it would be killed at Wembley, as it was last time. Wembley, also gives the opposition a massive lift.
When the new ground is completed would that create the same atmosphere as the last couple of seasons or would we be looking at a return to the Highbury Library.
Football wise I can see no reason for a new stadium and the fan experience for those extra 20,000 will be crap, the players will look like ants.
Commercially it will provide us with more money for players, after all the extra maintenance and running expensive, so the armchair fans will gain the most.
The other thing to consider is, we have the nest pitch in the world, would the extra height impact on the airation of tgd pitch.
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It seems some of the extension talk has come from some of the new additions to the board and the new stadium for Kronkes teams in the US.
Well the difference between sports and population in the two countries are worlds apart.
Islington council ate denying any knowledge of any new proposals by ARSENAL. This, at this stage, looks like a complete non starter for me.
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well Ian if I remember correctly the reason we didn’t build an 80,000 seater 20 years ago was that Islington council wouldn’t allow it as both the infrastructure to move that many fans in and out of Islington was not there, and also that local residents did not want extra fans in the area on match days. Nothing has changed with either of those things as far as I’m aware. Maybe I’m wrong and the underground, rail and bus links have all been upgraded, but if they have they are the only ones in UK to have got it.
also on your question about the gradient and the impact on the pitch, my understanding, which could be totally wrong, is that the height of the stadium would not change, only the gradient of the inside of the stadium. same overall height just steeper gradient.
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Charles Watts
@charles_watts
Charles Sagoe Jr received a call-up from Liberia for their World Cup qualifiers against Namibia and Equatorial Guinea during this latest international break. He did not accept the call and has informed the Liberia Football Association that he wants to take some time before making any decision. Sagoe Jr qualifies for Liberia through his mother, but is also able to represent Ghana who continue to monitor his progress and his potential international allegiance. The 21-year-old was appreciative of the offer from Liberia but is reluctant to commit just yet, as he is aware whatever decision he takes is a big one for him and his family. Sagoe Jr has had a strong start to the season with the U21s, scoring three times and setting up three more goals in his first seven games.
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Cheers for that Ed,
As far as upgrades to infrastructure is concerned, I have seen the vintage signs for Galespie road put up at ARSENAL tube station so that’s good.
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Arsenal in talks to extend the Visit Rwanda sponsorship deal
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