Hello and how are you? Thursday 12th of February sees Arsenal make a short trip over to the beehive to take on Brentford at the Gtech Community centre stadium. KO is at 8.00pm local time and weather conditions will be partly cloudy with temps at 7°
Missing for Arsenal are Havertz, Dowman, Saka, Odegaard, Merino and Trossard is a doubt.
Missing for Brentford are Kevin Schade, Reiss Nelson, Antoni Milambo, Fabio Carvalho, Josh Dasilva,
Statto HQ reckoned up the reckonings and have given Brentford a 19.2% chance of winning and Arsenal a 56.5%. Next up 4th rnd of the FA Cup versus Wigan. And for those in the know: Kölle Alaaf!
Mills
The heat is on, we go into this game just 3 points clear of City and we have yet to play them at their gaff. Key players missing only adds to the jeopardy. When the going gets tough the tough either get going or collapse like a pack of cards because it turns out they weren’t tough to begin with. Well we might find out tonight which camp we are in. Do we go there and look to play no risk football and eek out a win, or to we go with our Champions League hat on and open up? I suspect the former but hope against hope for the latter.
I don’t know just how big this game is on the seemingly endless list of big game we seem to have, but it seems pretty big to me. I was of a mind that City were not good enough to go on the kind of run that would derail our 22 year quest for glory, but the 2 transfer window additions and their recent results have shaken that confidence, and my yellow streek is on display for all to see.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Great set up lads,
So we go to the ground with a pub on in corner ( I think they’ve just changed the name but not the ground) hoping to get drunk on goals and points. That win chance % is the lowest we have had for a long time and they have a good home record in fact their home record and our away record is exactly the same.They play the old Wilkinson /Taylor % football with lots of long balls, diagonals and set pieces including a right back who is the best in the league at long throws. Kai will be missed not just because his contribution going forward but also because of his defensive prowess as well. At home we coped well with the bombardment but this in on their turf so they will know where the ball will land. We have struggled at points from simple balls over the top and so Raya and the back for will have to communicate accurately.
Brentford love scoring but also they love to concede and that’s why their games have lots of goals in them.
Our record against the bees and in London derby’s as a whole is excellent and although this will be a tough game, we have the firepower to get through COYG.
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Saliba not in the Arsenal squad for the game tonight, he is ill
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Raya, Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Hincapie, Rice, Zubimendi, Madueke, Eze, Trossard, Gyokeres.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Jesus
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Gabriel booked cos the Brentford crowd are loud and the ref is weak
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we are not playing well.
Raya makes a great save.
We need to get a grip on this game.
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half an hour in and we’ve had one shot, off target.
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Gyokeres booked cos the ref is a weak cunt.
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HT: Brentford 0-0 Arsenal
we’ve had one shot,
we’ve had one shot,
we’ve had one shot
I say again, we’ve had one shot.
sort it out Arteta, for fucks sake.
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Odegaard on for Eze who was very disappointing in the first half. He really has not been the same player he was at crystal palace. Apart from his big game v Spurs he has not been a good signing.
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Maduekeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee with a header gives the Arsenal the lead
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Madueke off, Saka on
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for fucks sake 1-1, we couldn’t deal with their long throw.
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Calafiori and Martinelli on, Hincapie and Trossard off
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10 minutes plus stoppage time to save our season
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Gabriel could very easily have got a second yellow there.
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we totally fluff a great chance to get the lead again in injury time.
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FT: Brentford 1-1 Arsenal
a disgraceful performance.
they really don’t seem to be able to handle the pressure of being title favorites.
we had 2 shots on target the entire game.
12 games left, 10 wins needed.
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we have taken only 9 points from our last 6 games, that is certainly not title winning form.
we face Wolves away next, followed by Spurs away, then Chelsea at home, brighton away, everton at home.
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Brentford make it difficult for sides, especially those at the top.
Our set up with playing slowly, kicking the ball high and long hamstring us.
We gave away lots of niggly free kicks, unnecessary throws and our passing was sloppy.
Brentford are a big side and to keep kicking it long or passing back to Raya to kick it long was ridiculous. You have to trust yourself and your football skills to beat a big opposition.
Odegaard coming on coinciding with a quickening in our football for a while but a soon as we scored we never really looked like doing anything, other than the Martinelli chance.
I always think our captain is nearly a great player. Technically he is very good but several times in a game he will follow something great with a real clanger.
Basically if you don’t shoot you don’t score and on a wet night against a team with eleven men behind the ball, the shooting from outside the box is vital.
Crossing as well was slow and high and we seem to want to beat players several times instead of the quick panic making early ball.
In the end it’s another hard fought point and we get to go again.
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our problem is that all teams know they have a fighters chance, cos we don’t go out to put teams away, we are set up to not lose and hope to win, when we should be set up to win and hope to not lose. Every sub is a like for like sub, there is nothing new for teams to worry about
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ian the problem is our playing system is the reason its far too often a hard fight. We had one shot in the entire first half, and we had 2 shots on target in the entire game.
every sub we do is a like for like, opponents don’t have to worry about dealing with a change in our tactics or formation, just a different player doing the same tactics.
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we have after 26 games less of a lead (4pts) now over city than we did in 22/23 (5pts), when city overhauled us to win the league by 5 points.
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Yep Ed the like for like is weird. We all know tactically you can tweak a system with the same players and no player is exactly the same. Calafiori is better going forward, Odegaard presses higher and faster than Eze and Saka links well with Odegaard and come inside while Madueke is more likely to take on a player get to the line and get a corner.
Essentially though the opposing players and manager are more likely to cope with those changes than a complete change on system.
Brentford are a big side so high slow balls were never going to work over the ninety minutes. Gyorkares was playing really well and won a lot of ball so playing Martinelli and Jesus close to him may have caused big defenders more problems.
Apart from the short period at the start of the second half we never really controlled the midfield. Playing a triangle of Zube, Norgaard and rice at the tip may have also given us more control, more possession and therefore more time.
We lost lots time because we gave away free kicks, needless throws and possession too easerly.
We are going to have different ways to beat teams because we need wins and not draws for the remainder of the season.
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a wiser man than me summed it up perfectly
if we win the title this season it will be because of Arteta
if we don’t win the title this season it will be because of Arteta
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Arsenal U21’s play Newcastle U21’s this evening, kick off 7pm. Game is live on Arsenal.com
Arsenal U21 team: Setford, Hamill, Salmon, Clarke, Washington, Ibrahim, Julienne, Agustien, Bailey-Joseph, Mooney, Harriman-Annous. Subs: Porter, Ogunnaike, Dixon, Ferdinand, Zecevic John
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I would of thought the likes of Salmon, Ibrahim, Bailey-Joseph and Harriman-Annous would have been included in the weekends game and not tonights.
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HT: 0-0
we have had a couple of half chances, its not been an entertaining game
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ian if any of them are taken off early tonight it might indicate they will be part of the first team squad on Sunday.
None of them would be in line to start on Sunday. Lots of senior players who need game time ahead of them.
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seems Marli Salmon is being taken off at half time in the U21 game, suggesting that he could be in the first team squad for our FA Cup game v Wigan on Sunday.
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Dixon on for Salmon
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Newcastle rightly down to 10 men, an awful and very late tackle by the toon player got what it deserved. Hamill getting treatment
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Penalty to Arsenal in the last minute of stoppage time
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Harriman-Annous penalty is saved by the keeper but he heads in the rebound. Lucky. 1-0 to the Arsenal
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1-0 win for the u21’s.
Newcastle were a very dislikable team, I thought they tried to intimidate the ref cos it was a women. Thankfully she was up to the job, although I would say she should have handed out a few more yellow cards to them.
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I certainly don’t think we have eleven players who need minutes. Saliba has been ill, Gabriel and Timber could both do with a rest. Same with Zube, Rice and Trossard.
This is a game which is a “why risk him” game. So I would leave out as many first team squad players as possible.
In the old days Arsene would make up a team of mainly youngsters with a few old pros to guide them through and be confident of winning especially as were at home.
I know this is the F.A.cup and the smaller teams are up for it but with the wolves game being brought forward why not take the chance to give players a rest and make sure they don’t get injured.
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well Ian the likes of Kepa, White, Mosquera, MLS, Norgaard, Eze, Jesus, Martinelli, even Hincapie, need minutes, and Dowman was back in full training today. Also whichever of Madueke or Saka that will not start v Wolves should be starting this game.
Saliba was back in training today
Today’s FA Cup results so far,
Burnely 1-2 Mansfield. – Thats the big giant killing result so far.
Man City, West Ham, Southampton, Norwich all won too.
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Arsenal U18’s came from behind to beat Birmingham 3-1 today, it was there first league win since September.
O’Neill with his 9th league goal in his 10 games this season drew us level, Hashi put us ahead before half time and Marciniak got the third early in the second half.
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PG, sent a mini preview over. COYG!
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Lets remember we are not playing the wigan of a few years ago, these are a side in the same division as AFC Wimbledon, Stevenage, Peterborough and are in the relegation positions.
We are at home and have loads of games coming up that a lot of those players will get game time in. Eze, Martinelli, Jesus, Madueke don’t need game time or certainly could be on the bench.
I think sometimes we have been moulded by Mikel into thinking we have to play a strong side for every game. Arsene would play the youngest side he was confident would win. Also remember he has the best record in the F.A.cup of any modern manager.
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Any manager of all in fact
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the thing is ian the likes of eze, jesus, martinelli and madueke not only need game time, they need confidence, and we know Arteta rarely selects outside his preferred starting 11 in what he sees as important games, EPL, CL, so all of Eze, Jesus, Martinelli and Madueke will not start many games if the best 11 are available, so this is exactly the sort of game they should and I would say will start. Oh and MLS certainly needs a start, many seem to expect him to start in midfield, and if he does it will be his first game for the first team in midfield.
There is nothing to suggest Arteta will throw in any youths in the starting 11, he might at a push give Salmon some game time if we are ahead, Ibrahim is the next most likely to get game time. The only other youth we might see is Dowman if he is deemed fit to play, again likely as a sub.
I expect something like
Kepa
White, Mosquera, Calafiori, MLS
Odegaard, Norgaard, Eze
Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli
subs: Raya, Salmon, Saliba, Gabriel, Hinicapi, Rice, Ibriham or Dowman, Saka, Gyokeres
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I understand where you’re coming from in regards to Mikels history and that of confidence for certain players.
The problem is we not have our first eleven fit and these players will certainly get game time. This is our last chance to give as many of the squad as possible a complete rest.
The risk versus reward has to be considered as well as we cannot afford injuries in certain positions.
We have two very important games on Wednesday and Sunday so why risk players we may need.
Kepa, Ben, Myles and Christian absolutely need game time but even then if Ben got injured we only have one fit right back.
Just by sheer numbers we are going to have to play some of the players we have both mentioned but I would definitely start Salmon, Ibrahim, Bailey-Joseph and Harriman-Annous.
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If we’re going really risk adverse I’d play Tommy upfront as well.
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you know ian that there is not a chance of arteta stacking the team with youth.
Also it seems we are getting more injuries in training than in games, although there seems to be a lot of injures happening and then Arteta saying they were carrying an injury into the game. It seems after 6 or 7 years he still hasn’t a clue how to rotate.
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New post is up.
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