Hello and how are? Having traversed the multiverses of Yuletide gluttony, Saturday the 27th of December sees the Mighty Cannon swing back in Premier League action, this time against Brighton & Hove Albion at Ashburton Grove. KO is at 3.00pm UK time. Expected weather is cloudy with temps at 8° (feels like 1°) and 0% chance of rain.
AWOL for Areta are Ben White (hamstring), Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh or hamstring depending on which outlet you read), Kai Havertz (knee), Max Dowman (ankle), whilst Piero Hincapie (shoulder), Gabriel Martinelli (knock) look like the unlikely lads. But I have heard it whispered in the whispering gallery that Kai’s back in training, so hopefully we can see him in action against Villa?
Non-flyers for Herzuler’s heroes are, Stefanos Tzimas (knee), Adam Webster (knee), Solly March (knee), Carlos Baleba (Africa Cup of nations).
The Seagulls are in 9th in the PL: W6 D6 L5 F25 A23. City plays first tomorrow in the lunchtime game against Forest so we could be trailing again going into this one. Which hopefully we can use to our advantage.
Our chums at Statto HQ, despite having lost all their money at the Boxing Day races, handed over a crumple peice of paper with the match stas on. They give The Arsenal a 68.3% chance of winning and Brighton 12.7%.
Next up the Villains, at ours, and time for revenge. So until then, COYG!
Mills
Well Christmas cheer has flooded over our fanbase, well most of them, and the doom of City snapping at our coattails is somehow less daunting, despite it still being only a two point gap. Now I’m qwll aware that Mikel’s risk adverse physiology has many of us wit nagging doubts, especially as City seem to be committed to scoring their way past us, well time will tell. No point us crying too hard as there is zero chance of him changing, and rightly so I believe, because one must have belief in yourself if you want to achieve great things. In the end he will live or die on his decisions.
I’m quietly confident that the returns of Jesus and Havertz will add more flair and goals organically within the constraints of Arteta’s system.
Enjoy the game and the rest of your holiday period.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Hope everyone had a great Christmas and are in fine fettle.
The seasulls hate December under their current manager and are still to register a win in ten attempts. They are a team who pass well and normally enjoy lots of possession because of that. They are number one in the division from shots from the high press so again we will have to pass quickly and well out of defence. They have been more compact against bigger sides and enjoyed success without majority possession and so the first goal will be important here.
After every big side goes through a bad patch they normally come outside the other end and batter someone. Although brighton are a good side it is possible they could be caught between two stalls today and if we can score early I think we can help the goal difference and get the three points in the bargain.
Many managers say Boxing day games are awkward but with the extra day and one post Christmas training session this is a game we should be well prepared for. I would imagine Myles will be in today and I think that will help with possession.
Now our numbers in attack are creeping, I like Mills think the goals will start coming again COYG.
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Thanks for a positive post..hope we get that early goal and maybe today will be that day when the goals come.
Brighton are a tricky customer and hope Welbeck won’t come back to haunt us!!!
COYG
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Raya, Saliba, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres
Substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Gabriel, Jesus, Eze, Martinelli, Norgaard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Salmon
Calafiori was named in the starting 11 but got injured in the warm up so MLS comes in and Salmon added to the subs
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so MLS gets his first EPL start of the season, and it was an enforced start.
Timber was played midweek v CP in the league cup but is rested today so as to not over play him, Arteta is six years our manager and still hasn’t got a fucking clue how to rotate.
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Odegaardddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd makes it 1-0 to the Arsenal
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the odegaard goal
https://x.com/i/status/2004934728869453888
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we are so wasteful
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HT: Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
Odegaard with the goal, and we really should have had several more.
Their goalie should have been sent off right at the end of the half for taking Gyokeres out of it near the sideline, no real attempt to play the ball.
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2-0 to the Arsenal, an own goal, a Rice corner touched by a brighton defender and into the net.
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for fucks sake Brighton pull a goal back
we have wasted so many chances and should be out of sight and now its edgy again
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Gabriel on MLS
Jesus on for Gyokeres
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Raya brings off a brilliant save to keep us ahead, this is awful stuff from us, we have gone completely into our shells,
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the Raya save
https://x.com/i/status/2004954690484879522
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Trossard off
Martinelli on
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awful miss by Martinelli
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5 minutes of stoppage time to be played
we should have had a penalty just now, Jesus shoved over
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