Hello and how are you? Saturday the 13th of December sees the Mighty Cannon host a visit from the west midlanders Wolverhampton Wanderers. KO is at 21.00pm Central European time (8.00pm UK time). Expected weather is and temps are 8° (feels like 6°) with 1 % chance of rain.
As we head deeper into Yuletide, perhaps Abner Brown is still seeking out the box of delights, and we are told that the wolves are running… and at this moment, down into the Championship. Poor Wolves are struggling like perhaps no PL side before, with only two points from fifteen games and on a n,n,n nineteen game losing streak.
I’m sure Rob Edwards boys aren’t looking forward to a visit at our camp, especially after the glorious-goals victory in mid week over Club Brugge?
Although we all enjoyed the tonic of winning, our euro excursion was an interesting game to watch for the new combinations possibilities and risky eccentric substitutions and returns to the starting eleven. Some of which we may see again this Saturday?
Historical heads of Arsenal and Wolves smashed together has resulted in: P 126 Arsenal wins 66 draws 28.
Max Dowman, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Cristhian Mosquera will sit this one out for the Gunners, and Trossard, Timber! Young Willie and Mr Rice may all miss out too depending on last minute assessments and Artetas sly and secretive selective gambits?
Bellegarde is a doubt for Wolves, as is Rodrigo Gomes (groin), Marshall Munetsi (calf) and Daniel Bentley (ankle). Fer Lopez looks like making a full come back and Joao Gomes is back from suspension. Kay Harker may well be on the subs bench.
Statto HQ gave PA a gift wrapped box for Christmas, and inside were the stats for the game: Arsenal have an 84.4% chance of winning and Wolves 4%. After this, a trip up to Merseyside and a visit to Everton and their shiny new stadium. So COYG!
Mills
The meltdown if we don’t trounce Wolves will be epic. Me? I’ll be happy with a comfortable win, 2 or 3 nil and let’s see how the other results go. Enough of the squad is playing for a starting spot to stop any sort of casualness creeping in. So there’s not a lot to say about this game as it “should be a regulation 3 home points.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Firstly, great read lads.
I understand what you say George about the extremes of fandom however why shouldn’t expect our goal difference to be massively boosted. The media all say ARSENAL don’t do goal gluts but, unusually and rarely, I do think we should expect it here.
The gold and black hate playing us and they have sent better teams to us and been well beaten, even Xhaka unlucky to miss out on a hat-trick in a 5-0 thrashing in his farewell home game.
Edwards love to go for it and that could play right into our hands. Although they revert to a 5/4/1 when they haven’t got the ball they average 47% possession, which is unusual for a bottom placed side.
Thet also use the high press and are near the top of the division for high turnovers although have only scored one goal from this.
If they play this way then short, crisp, quick passes through the lines will tear them apart, there is no need for Hollywood passes.
If we are quick and clinical this is a side our second eleven could score an absolute hatfull against so Make me Happy COYG.
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Thanks Ian and great insights. COYG!
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Raya, White, Saliba, Hincapie, Timber, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Merino, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, Madueke, Jesus
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this is not a good performance, over 20 minutes in and not a shot on target, and only 2 shots at all.
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wolves have had a shot on target
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White off injured
MLS on
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4 minutes of stoppage time to be played.
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HT: Arsenal 0-0 Wolves
that was so bad it had Adrian Clarke yawning during commentary
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Odegaard, Merino and Trossard on
Eze, Martinelli and Zubimendi
surprised that Gyokeres wasn’t taken off as he has been piss poor again today, he really needs a goal to get him going
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we are an hour in and still haven’t had a shot on target.
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these guys don’t look like they want to win the league
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1-0 to the Arsenal, an own goal from their keeper, a Saka corner in hits the post and hits the keeper and in. Come on Arsenal
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Gyokeres off
Jesus on
For me Gyokeres was poor again today, he really needs a goal to get his confidence up and get the supporters confidence in him up too.
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this is a poor performance from Arsenal, and we have sat back since we took the lead and are letting wolves attack
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1-1, usual fucking shite from risk averse arteta team, we are getting what we deserved, there is no title winning mentality in this team, and certainly not in this manager.
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Jesus is our savior
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2-1 to the Arsenal, Saka cross in to Jesus who powers a header into the back of the net.
Although the commentator is saying its an own goal
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its an own goal, that is both our goals are own goals. We have got real lucky here.
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FT: Arsenal 2-1 Wolves
2 own goals get us out of trouble, not sure I can say we deserved that win, we didn’t have a shot on target till after the hour mark. Once we took the lead we sat back and allowed wolves to attack us, and we got real lucky to get a second own goal. Arteta needs to grow a pair and let this team go for it.
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we got lucky, last week v Aston villa we sat back after scoring and allowed them to attack us and paid the price with their late winner, today we sat back and invited wolves to attack and an own goal bailed us out. Arteta needs to get a douse of bravery. I said a few weeks ago that only thing that will stop us winning the league and maybe even more is ourselves. We have the team, we have the squad, we need a manger with the guts to go for it and for us to own the favorites tag, not be shrinking violets. We’ve cost ourselves 2 or 3 league titles in recent years from a lack of bravery and today and last week all the signs are that this cowardice is still in the manager.
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White’s injury is a hamstring
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Arteta’s says after the game that its great to have a free week so that he can drill the defence. That sums him up perfectly, defence first, defence second, defence all the time. And people question why Gyokeres is not scoring more goals. drilling attack under Arteta is an after thought.
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Considering their place in he league, I expected a bit more from Palace. Did you guys?
I hope we get a good rest this week, look at the mistakes and see what can be rectified. Feels like it could be tough up at Everton, but a week to prepare might tip it in our favour? They still seem a strange mixture of good and bad results and like us only three draws.
Did you think that Wolves defended well? I thought they looked pretty stubborn, perhaps knowing its super defending (no attack as part of the plan) is their best hope and trying to grab a goal if possible? It nearly worked out but the kami of own goals were with us. On we go! COYG!
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City with their most impressive and important away win of the season after after a poor start away from home.
I think most neutral betting men would be putting their money on city to league now rather than us.
After a poor run of form recently the Everton game now becomes both massive and worrying considering Mikels record up there.
The run in starts on March 4th and we play city away on 18th April. Before then we have negotiate everton, brighton and villa to bring up the half way stage and the end of 2025. Then February, historically a bogee month, which sees us stay in London for games against sunderland, brentford, spuds and chelsea.
We need to go to city knowing a draw will be fine because the team who has to win will be under emence pressure.
All teams go through a dip in form at some point during the season and we just have to hope this was ours and we start to look unbeatable again.
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Ian, fancy doing some of the previews? You write well and have great insight into other sides, and a wealth of experience with AFC home and away…worth thinking about? COYG!
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Arsenal’s attacking play is way too slow, far too many touches, constantly allowing opposing teams to get their defence in place. We circulate the ball, backwards, sideways, possession for the sake of possession. Its Arteta ball, he is not an attacking coach. There is not a freedom to our play. Gyokeres is being labelled a flop, but he is not missing chances, he is not being supplied with chances. Look at yesterday, Eze started and it was sideways from him most of the time, that is when he didn’t lose it, he was replaced by Odegaard, and absolutely nothing changed, he took up the same positions, he played the same passes, about the only thing that changed was Odegaard took shots that he shouldn’t have been taking. Gyokeres is not being supplied. He is not a fast nimble striker so he relies totally on being supplied, someone like Jesus has the fleet of foot to dribble and make a chance for himself. But I think Arteta doesn’t see a CF as such in our system, Jesus is the sort to go wide, Havertz is the sort to drop deep, and either of those suit Arteta ball more cos that gets them in the game, but that is not Gyokeres game and Arteta hasn’t a clue how to get him in the game, cos slow slow quick quick slow does not suit a CF who wants balls in when he makes his runs.
Arteta basically said yesterday that this week he will be drilling the defence as he believes that we should have just seen out that game 1-0 yesterday, that is his mindset, we were playing at home to the worst team in EPL history and Arteta wanted a 1-0 win. This is the very attitude that has cost us at least 2 titles under Arteta. Will it cost us the title this season too.
Everything that was wrong with our performance and attitude and tactics yesterday were the same problems we have seen in the games v Sunderland, Chelsea and Aston Villa, and its all on Arteta. He needs to grow a pair and embrace the quality we have in attack. Saka, Madueke, Trossard, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Odegaard, Eze, Nwaneri, Jesus, and when available Havertz. I honestly don’t think we’ve ever had such an abundance of quality attacking players, We’ve had better, but never such quality in such quantity.
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Ed, fancy doing some of the previews? You write well and have great insight into other sides, and a wealth of experience with AFC home and away…worth thinking about? COYG!
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Ah Mills no one can match your fine previews
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Thats kind Ed and I appreciate the compliment, I just think you and Ian would write some great pieces. Anyway, worth thinking over?
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there are reports that KSE are closing in on appointing Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Matt Wells as the new manager of the Colorado Rapids, it would be his first senior managerial role.
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Gentlemen lets stay positive we won the game ….dont be hard on Arteta.
A bit of perspective check how buyern munich performed at home 2-2 draw at home to a bottom of the table team including a penalty.
I also hate it when people always push the big press narative of man city are this raging jaggernaut that will hant Arsenal down…well guys you are playing into the pgmol /press hands because when they start fuck*ng Arsenal whilst propping City up.. the narative will be fulfilled.This is not a City of 4 seasons ago!!!
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Too much negativity after winning a game.
Every one could see we are not at our best right now and there a load of reasons behind it.
It did look like the team themselves were not happy with the performance and the manager also addressed the performance.
I think the team and the manager esp is aware of becoming complacent with this season challenge which shows with the managers interview at the end of the game.
We are not that good a team that we will swat away all competition without a problem and from what I see the premier is highly competitive.
As far as Man City, well they should be favourites and expected to win season on season, nothing changed there.
It’s interesting that up untill a few weeks ago Man city were being talked about like a team in transition to now being some people favourites.
It just shows how much the situation can fluctuate over a few weeks. Liverpool were threatening to run away with it with 5 games gone now they are in transition.
if we drop off at all the narrative will be bottlers or we are being held back by something or someone.
We will see how it all plays out, narrative make it interesting in a way I suppose.
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Regarding the attack .
We have not had a full set of attacking players for about 2 seasons now.
Last year we lost pretty much all our attacking players and still finished amongst the top scorers in the league and this season we are near the top again.
Arteta has added to our defensive responsibility but to say we are a defensive team to me would not be accurate.
The best attacking team in Europe got spanked by us 3 -1, I don’t remember the team being defensive then.
i agree we are more rigid , structured and less free flowing but I don’t agree that we are defensive or overly negative. The way Califori plays is an indicator of that and if the manager was not happy with his movement then he be gone. Our fullbacks are amongst the most attacking in the league. So either they doing against the managers wishes or they are playing to instruction.
And Gyko needs season 2 to adapt to premier league, he is not ready yet. His hold up play is weak, his link up weak, back to goal weak. It may be Arteta tactics, but Havertz,,Merino and Jesus make us more cohesive whereas Gyko goes missing for me. Early days but I think he will be better once he is used to the league after a year. His form has also béen bad for Sweden.
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Ben Whites out for 4-5 weeks. Click bait headlines making it seem worse…4-5 weeks is normal for hamstring. COYG!
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Arsenal U18 team v Mansfield in FA Youth Cup: Porter, Hamill (c), Onyekachukwu, Chapman, Ogunnaike, Murisa, Julienne, Hashi, O’Neill, Zecevic John, Bailey-Joseph.
Subs: Ranson, Pedro, Owusu-Gyasi, Stachow, Marciniak, B. Phillips, Thompson
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Arsenal U18’s currently 2-0 up, Hamill with the opener and Hashi with a penalty got the goals.
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HT: Mansfield U18’s 0-2 Arsenal U18’s
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ZECEVIC-JOHN!! makes it 3-0
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Mansfield pull a goal back but a minute later Bailey-Joseph makes it 4-1 to Arsenal
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FT: Mansfield 1-4 Arsenal
Arsenal are through to the 4th round of the FA Youth cup where they will be away to Man City
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It is great to stay positive and that is something held high on this sight and has done for over a decade.
We do however have to be realistic, just as the team are being, judging by the reports of the after game meeting they had.
The comments are not specific to wolves or indeed the poor spell we have been going through. Indeed some of the problems are still the same from the first season of Mikel’s tenure.
The fact we won is irrelevant as we should always comment on performance not results as it is that which will get you through the next game.
On city they might not be the city of previous years or indeed they might be. Historically city always get better in the second half of the season even in the last one when they were awful in the first half. I thought they would struggle away from home so that’s why the palace result scared me.
We have been unlucky with injuries in the same area’s. We have gone through a bad patch, as all teams do, and are still top of the league. The last time our team had a after game no holds barred meeting was after we lost at home to Blackburn and we went on to win the league that season.
So yes I am still positive and I think we can get back to frightening the rest of the league bit there are caveats.
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Arsenal U21 team v Enfield: Ranson, Nichols, Salmon, Sweet, Washington, Dudziak, Copley, Agustien, Ferdinand, Sagoe Jr, Kamara. Subs: Nygaard, Owusu-Gyasi, Clarke, Marciniak, Stevens, Oyetunde
1-1 at the moment, Copley with our goal
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I agree @Ian at keeping a level of realism and not going overboard with the negativity , nothing is ever clearly black and white and there is always nuance.
We live in an age where every thing is about the now and sensationalised beyond parody( so and so brutally exposed, you won’t believe what so and so said about so and so, Arsenal flop hits back at… )Are some of the headliners and click bait you get for articles and video regarding the club.
Also the narratives that are spun are some of the reason I visit this site regularly to hear some alternative, balanced views that you do not often get from mainstream.
Mikel still got L plates on (I wanted a more experienced manager at the time) he is going to make mistakes, I’m hoping he can learn from them.
The things I didn’t like about him (not playing youth, rotation of the squad, and dire football) to me at least he has tried to adjust from his earlier days so hoping he can learn to fix these issues.
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gee has Arteta learnt anything, has he really changed in regards rotation and dire football. And on playing the youth, he has this season almost totally ignored MLS and Nwaneri, our two oldest youths as such. Which also shows in MLS case that Arteta still doesn’t know how to rotate. He brought on Calafiori in the CL game after stating pregame that the guy was carrying an injury and said it was something he had for a while now, again MLS not seeing a minute of game time while the man he could replace plays with an injury. We also had the Ben White situation, he was fit and available but not used, then Timber got a niggle so White has to be thrown in for 4 starts in a row and he gets injured, which is not a surprise when you go from no game time to 4 starts in a row.
How many fucking times now do we hear from Arteta, after a player gets a big injury, that the guy had been playing in the red. There is a report out this week that in the last year Arsenal have had 100 injuries. When you look at the list of injuries its all guys who were ran into the ground.
From the first game in charge all the way to now Arteta has played his best 11 in every game possible, we played a league one side in the CC last season and he started Saka and Rice. Take a look at the players who have had big injuries and they all played non stop till it happened, we also had the rushing them back and getting injured again, Havertz, Jesus and White come to mind.
Arteta has an amazing squad, and he still seems to have to be forced into rotation.
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its subjective , personally I have enjoyed some of the football at times over the last 3years when we have made a title challenge. Its not all been great but its not all bad either.
I am not sure how many debuts he has given youths but the fact is MLS, Nwaneri have played a lot of games having only made their debut last season. Add to that Dowman and Harrimon anous.
I am not behind the scenes to know who is out performing who in training and who is in good form, manager is prob best person to decide so he plays who he sees will get him the results. it is what it is.
Injuries happened to Arsenal player before Arteta was in charge.
Said above that he is still learning his trade so maybe he may adjust maybe not , see how it plays out.
like Pep, Arteta has put together a squad that puts up a challenge, for me I give him credit, if he can get this squad over the line excellent, if not may Kronke will give some one else a go.
Either way, what can I say I have been excited to see it play out.
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reports that Enfield Town are considering a potential loan move for Arsenal U21s midfielder Harrison Dudziak, Arsenal played Enfeild yesterday in a friendly, finished 2-2
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Arsenal Women won 3-0 in the CL tonight, Smith, Mead and Foord with the goals.
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I often think we play good football until I watch old footage from Arsenes era and then I stand there drooling at the swift style of entertainment we used to be served.
71, 79, 89, trophy winning sides were all based on youth and Arsene regularly played youth based sides. Mikel record with youth players is not great and in Nwaneri and Max cases he played them just to get them to sign contracts so they wouldn’t go to other clubs for a nominal fee.
If you look back at comments in Mikels first season on here and then in every season since, the points raised ate the same.
I like Mikel, I like the atmosphere he has created within the squad and with the fans but I think he is a better coach than a manager and worry that he still struggles when things don’t go right on match days.
We are good enough to win the league but with the money we spent we should be. I am still optimistic about winning this season.
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@Ian.
can only speak from George Graham era onwards and if I were to rank the style of football and level of entertainment, I would say it’s Wenger, Graham, Arteta, Emery and Rioch.
Some of Graham’s cup runs were win at all cost football, I still loved cause we won, do I go back and watch the games no. Some of Wengers football got us nothing but I still enjoy watching replayed highlights from that time. Even the team that contained the biggest bottlers in Cesc and Van Persie are still very entertaining.
I’m not going to speculate on what Mikkels intentions were behind playing Lewis and Nwaneri, I have not seen any interviews or anything written about it.
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I sometimes think what kind of impact social media and the digital age would have had on the George’ Graham era?
My guess is it would have split the fan base as these things seem to do, especially through the rough yrs.
In my opinion it played a major negative factor in Wengers era and he had the most success with the club.
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