Hello and how are you? Saturday the 31st of January sees the Mighty Cannon take a trip to the Western marches of Yorkshire to take on 16th -placed Leeds Utd at Elland Road. KO is at 3.00pm local time. Expected weather is partly cloudy with temps at 7° (feels like 2°) and 11 % chance of rain.
So here we go again, back in the PL, and up to our old 70s /late 90s rivals Leeds. Although Leeds have struggled away from home, they’ve turned Elland Road into something of a fortress, with only two losses all season. Of course, much expectancy is now resting on Mr Havertzs’ shoulders, and if he plays as well as he did against the lads from Almaty, Leeds better watch out?
We really could do with a win after the draw at Forest and the high-blood pressure loss against United. One thing I personally got from the United game was that at this moment I wish we could have some clearer laws (handball-ball/offside/ and holding at corners), the more unclear elements are, the more we have discrepancies, game to game and the long inquisition from VAR.
This creates too much bitterness and tension, plus don’t get me wrong, VAR is important and there will always be problems with how to interpretate fouls/cards etc but in some areas by changing the laws to make them more simplistic might make for easier judgements? What do you think? In the days of yore, it would have made an interesting article / discussion?
Secondly, if you’re reading this via a server or on twitter etc and not a regular on the forum, can I ask you to please drop in and leave some thoughts, a blog without an diverse interactive forum is like taking a leak in the sea to make it deeper, absurd and pretty much a waste of time. So please come on with your thoughts about the Gunners this season, it really would helps us keep going and in recent weeks its been a really struggle, with PA demise looking likely, something I’m sure many of us don’t want?
Looks like Young Gun Dowman is the only one missing for us, but I’m sure we will have a massive amount of changes after the Kairat game. Leeds played without Daniel James, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Jaka Bijol in the 1-1 draw with Everton, but James and Gudmundsson aren’t ruled out of this one.
I headed over to Statto and they left a note on the door saying that the Arsenal have a 61.9% chance of victory, and Leeds have a 15.5 % chance. Next up the return leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea. So COYG!
Mills
We need a win and a good performance, and not mostly for the fans, the players must not start doubting themselves of the system.
Arteta and the players have had a “clear the air”, just what that will achieve is anyone’s guess, I suppose it will have been Mikel insisting that he wont change anything and the players must score more from the limited chances our system coughs up. Now that might sound like a moan up from me, but it’s not at all, Arteta will ultimately stand or fall on his convictions, just like Arsene did before him, so why ask him to compromise, we should accept that this is him and hope he’s right. Our league and CL standing suggest he could very well be.
We can be critical, want something different or yearn for the liquid football of Arsene, but we should never undermine the players, manager or club, in any way that could make things more difficult for them or create an atmosphere that becomes toxic. There will be pleanty of time in the closed season for we armchair experts to show our genius to all and sundry.
Enjoy the game.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Max Dowman has agreed his Scholarship contract which includes an agreement for him to sign a pro contract when he turns 17 in December.
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bit of a surprise that Arteta has dropped Odegaard, with Havertz taking his place in the team. Myles Lewis-Skelly not in the squad
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Calafiori, Mosquera, Odegaard, Eze, Madueke, Martinelli, Jesus.
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no room in the squad for Norgaard or Merino too.
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Merino has a foot injury
Rice makes plays in his 300th EPL game, he is the 5th youngest player to reach that milestone
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Will Sweet has gone on loan to Dagenham & Redbridge, seems its youth loan, but that still allows him to play for their first team.
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Saka doesn’t start. Injured groin, that will be a few weeks minimum.
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Saka injured in the warm up, so Madueke takes the starting slot. I presume Norgaard gets on the bench.
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COYG.
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Zubimendiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii makes it 1-0 to the Arsenal, Madueke with the assist
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should be a red card for leeds, but can’t see gillett giving it
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2-0 to the Arsenal, a Madueke corner goes straight in, might be put down as an own goal by their keeper
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HT: Leeds Utd 0-2 Arsenal
Zubimendi and either an own goal or Madueke with the goals, need to keep the foot down and put these to the sword.
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the second goal
https://x.com/i/status/2017624208910524717
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Odegaard and Martinelli on
Havertz and the injured Madueke off
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Nice! I thought Leeds would give us a really hard time today, considering recent games etc. but we did the business. COYG!
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FT: Leeds Utd 0-4 Arsenal
Zubimendi, an own goal, Gyokeres and Jesus with the the goals that put us 7 points ahead in the league, befroe city and villa play tomorrow.
Madueke assisted for the opener and it was his goal bound corner that their keeper flapped into the net for our second, he then went off limping.
Gyokeres goal means he is now our leading scorer in the EPL with 6 goals, and our leading scorer in all competitions with 11 goals.
The down side of today was Saka getting injured in the warm up, some reports claim its a hip injury.
As things stand Arsenal need a maximum of 13 wins from our remaining 14 games to win the title
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west ham currently 2-0 up away to chelsea, it may be important that they win that game as it would put spurs only 5 points off relegation places, and with them playing Man City tomorrow and Man Utd next week they really will have to get good results or they would be right in the relegation mix.
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chelsea with a 3-2 comeback win, we play them in the second leg of the CC semi final on Tuesday
Liverpool gone from 1-0 down to 3-1 up v Newcastle, only a few minutes left
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Madueke has been awarded the second goal yesterday by the EPL. His first EPL goal for Arsenal
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FT: Leeds Utd U21’s 0-4 Arsenal U21’s
Agustien x3 and Julienne with our goals, although there is a doubt about the second of Agustien’s goals as Salmon may have got a touch to his corner
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reports that Arsenal have had a bid of £1 million rejected for Blackburn Rovers forward Igor Tyjon
Tyjon is refusing to sign a pro deal with Rovers and looks set to leave them for compensation in the summer. How much that would be is anyone’s guess as its set by an independent tribunal. Arsenal tried to sign Tyjon last summer. He has played 3 times for their first team but has not been near their first team squad since he made it clear he wants to leave them and won’t sign a contract with them. He turns 18 next month.
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Another ARSENAL weekend, we are getting closer.If we win the next eleven PL games on the trot city could only beat us on gd.
Obviously it is more likely that everyone drops points so we just have to match everyone for the rest of the season and it’s ours.
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12 wins and a draw maximum wins us the league title
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its confirmed that Merino has a bone injury to his foot and will undergo an operation which will see him out for an extended period of time, but hopes to be back in training before the end of the season.
some rumors that Arsenal are now trying to sign a midfielder before tomorrow’s transfer deadline. some suggestions that it will be an U21 player, so as to not effect us re squad rules.
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Arsenal Women have won the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, beating Corinthians of Brazil 3-2 after extra time.
Smith, Wubben-Moy and Foord with our goals. The game had ended 2-2, after Corinthians had came from behind twice, the second one an injury time penalty. Thankfully the Arsenal Women prevailed in the end.
In the womens super league Man City are odd on to win the title after thumping chelsea 5-1 to take an 11 point lead, Arsenal can go second if they win their game in hand, but would still be 10 points back if they do win. But its very important to get top 2 as that means straight into the Womens CL.
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Arsenal Womens goalie Borbe had to off in stoppage time in extra time with an injury, hopefully it aint too bad and she has been playing very well recently.
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the January transfer window closes at 7 tomorrow evening
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I think “extended period” means out for the season. Although ARSENAL are saying he will be training before the end of the season I think the likelihood he won’t be match ready until pre-season.
At this stage of the season injuries are more and more likely to be season ending.
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Arsenal confirm the sale of Zinchenko to Ajax
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yeah Ian when I seen the wording about training before end of the season I sort of felt it meant he would not be match ready till after season ends.
Arsenal are being linked with a move for 18 year old St Mirren midfielder Evan Mooney for a small fee, but it seems he would be for the U21’s not for the first team yet.
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Arsenal goalkeeper Anneke Borbe was stretchered off in a neck brace and with oxygen before the end of extra-time in her side’s FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final victory over Corinthians. The game was delayed for several minutes so that Borbe could receive treatment
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Borbe was named Goalie of the Tournament and Maanum was named Player of the Tournament
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Mooney has played 15 games this season for St Mirren and its reported that the fee would be £400K up front, and another £400K in clauses, plus a sell on clause.
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its been confirmed that Agustine did get a hattrick for the U21’s today v Leeds U21’s
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George sent the preview(if you can call it that) over. COYG!
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Mikel turned up late for his presser (which apparently he never does and although repeatedly posed the question about the depth of his squad and not needing any new signings he refused to rule out any new arrivals.
This has sent the media wild with speculation that we are about to do something.
Personally I can’t see anything major happening.
Ed, Kamarra has gone to Blackburn on loan so do you think that will have any impact on them releasing Igor Tyjon.
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