Hello and how are you? Tuesday the 23rd of December sees the Mighty Cannon in action again, this time we host a Christmas bash at Ashburton Grove in our QF Carabao cup game against FA cup holders Crystal Palace. KO is at 8.pm UK time. Expected weather is 7° (feels like 0 to-1°). Partly cloudy and 19% chance of rain.

As the Gunners top domestic and euro leagues we now go in search of silverware. Of all the competitions that we can take part in the League Cup is the one we have the oddest relationship with, one certainly we’ve not really excelled in, at least in comparison to other clubs? It would be great of we could lift the Carabao cup and lighten up the Arsenal barracks. Palace come into this one having been trounced by Leeds, their league form has been dropping off a bit (but in touch with Europa League chances in 8th place), winless in three, with nine goals conceded, so I’m sure they are hoping to turn things around and go further in this competition. Previous meetings: 59 Arsenal wins: 36 Draws: 17 defeats.

Gabriel Magalhaes,Cristhian Mosquera, Max Dowman and Ben White are Christmas-crocked.But it will be sure interesting to see who Areteta picks.
For Palace, Ismaila Sarr, Daichi Kamada and Daniel Munoz will be absent and aren’t glad all over, neither are Rio Cardines, Cheick Doucoure, Caleb Kporha and Chadi Riad who will also be absent. Theres all sorts of speculation about Mateta (and his on-going knee injury) and Eddie being dropped, but to be honest I haven’t a clue, so we shall see.

Statto HQ stopped and looked up from creating extensive lists about the possiblities in advanced vectors and gave us the stats. The Arsenal are at 60.6% and Palace have been given 16.1 %. Well thats it, wishing everyone at PA a great and safe Christmas. And of course, COYG!
Mills

Top of the PL and CL at Christmas, no one, and I mean no Arsenal fam is unhappy with that. However, a good few are unhappy with our style of play. It’s slow and safe for the most part. Now, that wont matter a jot if it brings us silverware, but if it doesn’t, people will bemoan us not trying to score more than one goal in tight games. Our tendency to hang on has already cost us dear at Sunderland and and Villa then almost again against an awful Wolves team, it could have happened again at Everton. We are skating on thin ice. This is how Arteta wants us to play, control possession and be ultra solid in defence. we have to accept that, like it or not, but what I can’t accept is the players getting blamed for it.

Now, I’m not moaning, just pointing out that it’s our risk adverse manager insisting that the players follow his risk adverse instructions.

Anyway, I expect a good few changes tomorrow and a more open game that should lift us before we all dig into our Turkey and mince pies. Which I hope you all enjoy.

Pedantic George