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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great points Ian, especially about rotation. COYG!
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Arsenal U21 team v Liverpool: Mitchell, Nichols, Clarke, Sweet, Washington, Ferdinand, Nwaneri, Nduka, Kamara, Sagoe Jr, Stevens. Subs: Talbot, Pedro, Hashi, Sampang, Oyetunde.
It’s Emerson Nwaneri that is playing not Ethan.
Game is live on Arsenal.com kick off 2pm
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so its 2 schoolboys in midfield for our U21’s today, Nwaeri and Nduka.
We signed Nduka from Charlton earlier this season and he was sent off very early on when he made his debut in the Youth CL v Brugge for our U19’s
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sorry despite the club claiming they would show all our u21 games this season live on Arsenal.com it seems once again they are not bothering to keep their word.
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our woeful form in academy games continues, 4 minutes in and our u21’s are behind.
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ha ha ha, 5 minutes in and we are 2-0 down.
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FT: Man Utd 2-0 Man City
we now have the chance to go 9 points clear of them by beating Forest this evening.
We play Man Utd next week.
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our u21’s are now 4-0 down, will wright who we tried to sign from Salford last season, but he chose liverpool over us, gets their 4th.
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our U21’s lost 7-0 to liverpool
maybe its not a bad thing at all that Per Mertesacker is leaving in the summer, hopefully we get in the right man for the job then. There may need to be a bit of a overhaul of the Academy coaching staff and recruitment staff, and definitely whoever is in charge of loans.
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Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly, Merino, Havertz, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Jesus
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Leeds and West Ham winning and even Burnley getting a point has put big pressure on Nottingham Forest, maybe even more than is on Arsenal after utd beat man city
A win here for Arsenal will really give us some breathing space before Villa play their game tomorrow.
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we’ve got a real shit show of a ref here.
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Martinelli misses a sitter, oh my God.
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we’ve had a few chances but failed to take any of them, we really should be ahead here.
Timber booked, might be a penalty here for Forest
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VAR check for Forest penalty
no penalty, just outside the area
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Gyokeres not been good again either. Odegaard a passenger once more too.
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HT: 0-0
we need a big second half performance if we really are serious about winning the league.
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Trossard on for Martinelli
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Jesus, Saka and Merino on
Gyokeres, Madueke and Odegaard off
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58 minutes in and we finally have a shot on target
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their goalie brings off a brilliant save from a Saka header, fuck
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another sitter missed. These guys have not embraced being title favorites.
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last throw of the dice, Eze on for Zubimendi
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an obvious handball penalty not given, no surprise from the pgmol
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5 minutes of stoppage time to be played, the biggest 5 minutes in Arteta’s reign
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FT: 0-0
we’ll win no title under Arteta
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Declan Rice can be seen at full time saying, “Fucking shit, every fucking time”,
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that’s back to back league games where we went into them knowing a win puts us way out in front in the title race and we play safe, risk averse football, and end up with two 0-0 results, so instead of now being 11 points clear we are only 7, and Villa have a game in hand to close that to 4, and they play before us next weekend too.
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Well after a terrible performance yesterday, we end up gaining a point on both villa and city.
Last season when the pretenders kept failing Liverpool took the opportunity to take the pressure off and win the title early.
We will not continue to get away with poor performances and must improve in many areas.
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14 wins and we win the league title. We have 16 games to play, eight at home and eight away.
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ian there is no point hoping for performances to improve, results might, but this is arteta ball, its built on the small details, he is the billy beane of football. Risk averse, strangle the life out of a game, first and foremost don’t give up chances to go behind. The main reason for this is cos after 6 years of management Arteta hasn’t a clue how to coach comeback wins. Liverpool won the title last season cos they went for it, didn’t matter if they went behind they risked conceding again by just going for it, and when they got level they kept the pressure on and went for the win. Contrast that to Arteta’s Arsenal, once we score we don’t put the hammer down, we do what our opponents should be doing, regrouping. Its so annoying to see.
We have a wonderful squad, we have a whole host of attacking talent, but what we hear again is that Gyokeres is not the man, just like Havertz was not the man,(oddly he is now the man we need), just like Jesus was not the man, Eddie was not the man, Lacazette was not the man. Maybe its time people cop on that its the system that is the problem not the man at no.9. Gyokeres made a telling remark the other night after the CC game v Chelsea, he said that when he seen it was Ben White that had the ball in a crossing position he knew the ball was going to be crossed into to him. It was only a few minutes before his goal that he threw his arms up in despair at Saka who had refused the simplest of crosses to Gyokeres cos it was on his right foot I presume. Saka turns back on to his left far too often, Timber cuts the ball back nearly all the time as does Madueke, we do not feed Gyokeres, as crossing is way more risky than keeping possession and recycling the ball as we do.
Anyway we now need a maximum of 14 wins from our remaining 16 games.
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seems Zinchenko is off to Ajax on loan for the remainder of the season, Nottingham Forest don’t want to keep him and Arsenal don’t want him back.
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I watched villa play the spuds and they were a joy to watch. Statistically they allow the opposition more chances than any of the other top teams but their football is excellent.
After many years of going without a title most fans will want a win at all costs but its certainly a hard watch.
Watching a team 17th in the table, managed by Sean Dyche, play better football than you is frustrating to say the least.
Watching our highly talented, highly technical players hoof the ball Peter Kay style in the air is frustrating.
We are playing more like big Sam’s Bolton than Brazil at the moment and its difficult.
I love ARSENAL as a club and I obviously I am desperate to see us win the league but after growing up watching the boys from Brazil, the dutch total football and the Wenger years at ARSENAL, watching anti football is difficult.
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the ACN final has descended into farse, a penalty has been awarded to Morocco and the Senegal manager has called all his players off the pitch, they first went to the bench, but now nearly all of them have gone to the dressing room. Some Senegal players are shouting at their teammates to come back out and finish the game
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penalty finally taken, and its the worst penalty you will ever see, and the game goes to extra time
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@ianspace
You enjoyed Villa vs Spurs game ….. i guess you didnt like how we hammered the spuds at emirates with the Eze masterclass!!!
Well i am not suprised typical Arsenal syndrome…from supporters to ex players always seeing the good in other teams and Bad things in the Gunners.
lets have a look at what happened over the weekend:
●Man115 lost 2-nil to man utd.Dalo could/should hve been red carded first half
●Liverpool drew 1-all against Burnley.They given one of the softest penalty but failed to win.
●Villa lost 1-nil at home to Everton.
Arsenal drew with Forest agained a point against its nearest title contenders.
They were also denied a clear penalty….
Its all good next up Inter…COYG
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As one half of my family were from the wrong end of seven sisters road and historically I have taken stick if we lose to the spuds since I was a small boy in the sixties, I obviously enjoyed the spud spanking this season.
To suggest otherwise is frankly insulting.
Football fans generally ate fantacist, they dream dreams without a basis to back those dreams.
While I understand it was a good weekend for us, While I understand we are in a brilliant position to win the league but I also understand how football breaks your heart and if you get fooled by results rather than performances then eventually it will smack you in the face.
Even this season when Liverpool were winning every week everyone was getting carried away.
There is nothing wrong in being honest and saying we played badly. Indeed to suggest otherwise is madness.
By all accounts the ARSENAL players were angry about their performance, so are you suggesting they have “ARSENAL syndrome” as well.
As I said in the above post I love good football and I will never apologize for that. I also need the thing I spend so much of my life on to be entertaining and enjoyable.
The pots are given out at the end of the season the games happen virtually all year round. It is important they are worth watching.
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