Hello and how are you? Saturday the 17th of January sees the Mighty Cannon make a trip waist-lands of England and take on Nottingham Forest in our next PL game. KO is a 5.30pm local time. Expected weather is; partly cloudy with temperature at 7° (feels like 6°) and with 1% chance of rain.
So, here we go again into slings and arrows of the misfortunate Forest of Nottingham, a team struggling, but a team that can also pull off sneaky results when they want. Most weeks we’ve agreed that the games are massive, maybe this one doesn’t feel as massive, but lets hope we don’t go into it feeling like Goliath and that they’ve changed their name by Deed poll to David.
Dyche’s men must be feel the mean reds after the FAC defeat at Wrexham, currently they sit in 17th place, seven points clear of the more sulphurous end of the league, and enjoyed last time out in the PL, a win at struggling West Ham.
For the Gun, Piero Hincapie (thigh), Riccardo Calafiori (muscle), Max Dowman (ankle) and Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) are out and not about, and maybe it’s time to stop saying it every week until they come back? I think we can expect some rotation, what with Inter in three days after this match?
Missing from action for Forest are Chris Wood and keeper John Victor. Arsenal loanee Mr Zinchenko is unavailable as he cannot play against the parent club, however it seems Forest don’t want him anyway. Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly return from the Africa Cup of Nations and rumour has it that Ryan Yates is back in training and will be ready to rumble when Saturday comes.
I turned up at Statto HQ for the facts and figures and found they were arguing about their favourite Ed Wood film, as they shouted to each other “pull the string!” I was handed a note with this on it: Nottingham Forest have been given a 15.5% chance of winning and the Mighty Cannon, 61.9%. Next up mambo Italiano! with Inter on Wednesday, as the CL is back. So COYG!
Mills
I honestly have no idea what the selection might be for this game. MLS seems to be in the naughty corner so the same back 4 as against Chelsea with Raya? But in front of them it’s anybody’s guess. I had thought that with the certainty of facing a low block, Havertz or Jesus might play, but with Victor playing so well last time out, Mikel might want to keep him at it?
We are going to qualify as a top seed in the CL regardless of what happens midweek, so I hope this game and our next PL fixture take priority, should the poor fragile lads need a break.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
I was actually talking to a Nottingham Forest fan today, yeah there are one or two of them in Ireland, the legacy of the Brian Clough league and european cups wins of the late 70’s early 80’s, and his warning was that Forest this season have put in their best performances against the big clubs, but not always got the result that those performances deserved. Says they have been woeful in some games, thinks that the players have a big time charlie type attitude, but for AFC to take nothing for granted
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our U18’s are now 2-0 down away to Man City in the FA Youth cup, it will take a big turn around if our cup hopes are not to end tonight.
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our youth team have fell apart, its 4-0 now, just before half time
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looks like Marc Guehi is joining Man City for £20M. Arsenal were said to be interested, but wanted to leave it till the summer when he would have been a bosman deal.
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O’Neill scores a penalty to make it 4-1 in first half stoppage time.
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Arsenal U18’s are out of this season’s FA Youth Cup, they lost 5-2 to Man City, O’Neill and Bailey-Joseph with our goals but once again our defence is a mess at this level, we haven’t been solid in the youth ranks for a long time now. Lots of talented ball playing defenders but basic defensive skills lacking and they far too often seem like a batch of players just thrown together at the back and not any sort of real unit.
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Arsenal haven’t won the FA Youth Cup since 2009, that really is a disgrace. Maybe its not a bad thing that Per Mertesacker in the summer is leaving his role as Head of the Academy
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Although it is strange to say, that a game against 17th in the league is more important than Inter Milan in the champions league but it absolutely is. We must put out our strongest eleven (plus bench) against forest and rotate in midweek.
We know dyche’s teams are compact and love to battle the big boys. This team he is currently in charge of are lightning on the break and are third in the league for completed crosses.
Where they have been lacking is creating and converting chances from those breaks and crosses.
We know we probably will need to score first to upset them although we will probably will need two to make them change their style.
On Myles, I think he looks like he has lost a little bit of speed, as if he has been carrying a knock for a while, it might be broken minutes have affected his confidence and form.
Going in to the game we will know how the manc derby has gone and so will have that pressure of a must win game again against a stubburn side.
A balance will be needed between patience and the ability and willingness to move the ball quickly to shift the home side out of their shape.
Ironically, for an old gravel voice side, they have been statistically really bad at set piece situations and that is another area we can profit.
Obviously I don’t care how we score goals as long as we score loads COYG.
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