Hello, and how are you? Well, it’s been a tough couple of results to digest and as they didn’t go our way at this stage of the season we’ve collectively had to wade through the unwell aftermath hangover of disappointment and frustration, especially on You Tube.
So I’m sure we are all hoping that the Mighty Cannon can make a decent come back and grab a win at the Estadio Jose Alvalade to set up a more comfortable 2nd leg before we head off into the crucial Bournemouth game on Saturday.
Sporting Club de Portugal are on a good run of form at the moment, winning their last seventeen, and the Lions are second in the Primeira Liga table. They have a good home record and have won all their CL matches there, including beating a very good PSG.
Rice, Trossard and Gabriel have all been passed ready to go, but Timber! and Saka are still AWOL as are Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapie and Mikel Merino. How much have we missed Merino?
For our hosts Ioannidis, Quenda and Santos are out and not about, while Luis Guilherme and Ivan Fresneda are doubtful. Captain Hjulmand is suspended for this match. Both the Zube and Mr Nørgaard are one yellow from a suspension…
The boys at Statto HQ have given SCP a 20.5% chance of a win while The Arsenal have been calculated at 54.3%. Next up lunchtime frolics with Bournemouth at ours, in the PL. SO COYG!
Mills
We are about to find out over the next few day if our balloon has burst or if it’s just a bit deflated and needs an injection of air. The last two results have been terrible, but the performances have been worse, that’s a worry. I fear if we stick to plan A , things wont get any better. But we can but hope, it’s the hope that kill you though.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Great preview lads and here we go all guns blazing again.
We can finally get back to picking the best side from the players who are fit instead of picking the “he’s a nice bloke and I trust him” type.
We also rested, rotated and given players minutes to wedge them into the side. Tonight we should see a real first team.
Sporting generally play on the counter against the big sides, even at home, so we should expect more of that tonight. Although we should be more solid now four of the back five are available and maybe even Mosquera will be picked at right back because of his speed.
The number ten position will be interesting tonight with a possibility of Kai, Martin O, Leo, or Max filling the space at some point.
Amazingly draw our next two away games and win our next two home games and we will be in a very good place.
It would also mean after the city game both teams would have eight games left and cities fixtures would be more cramped together.
Let’s get this one won and be very positive for the game against the cherries at the weekend COYG.
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Thanks as always Ian.
Interesting looking line up, Red Max and Havertz on the bench. Ben White starts. Noni and Big Vik starting too.
Kepafingers on the bench, Rayas back. Imagine if Arteta had started Kepa! LOL!
Anyway, COYG!
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Clean winning under difficult circumstances!
Massive win, one nil to the Arsenal. Raya saved our Arsenal.
Boy we needed that!
COYG!
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All winning teams need a great keeper and it spreads confidence amongst the defence and the rest of the team.
Tonight showed what a mistake it was to not play Raya in the final.
If we can keep racking up wins with clean sheets the confidence will come flowing back and the goals will start coming at the other end as well.
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Arseblog News understands that Swiss midfielder Geraldine Reuteler is set to join Arsenal this summer on a free transfer from Frankfurt
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Tonights CL results
Barcelona 0-2 Atletico Madrid
PSG 2-0 Liverpool
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I only seen highlights of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over sporting lisbon, and there wasn’t much highlights, Raya with a couple of world class saves, Martinelli was lively when he came on, and Havertz took his goal very well.
By all accounts it was a hard watch.
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It was what they call in football terms a professional performance.
Raya made three very good saves a week had a few good chances ourselves but generally it was both teams in their shape
We did pass through the lines but then played backwards to keep it safe.
Unfortunately Odegaard is still the slowest player ever and he made sure we couldn’t break quickly by doing his pirouettes and bringing the ball back to the CB’s.
I thought Gyorkares played well but at usual he made several intelligent runs but no one attempted to find him.
As with city and Southampton we still have a problem with our full backs and that definitely needs addressing.
The ref was an experienced FIFA ref and generally didn’t take no shit but he must of been related to their left back who fouled Noni 674 times then fouled Max 3 times in a minute as soon as he came on. For an official who had a reputation for being strict it was very strange.
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PSG looking slick and excellent, Barca asking “how did we lose this one?”. Got the feeling Barca arent out yet though…
COYG!
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Strange thing is I don’t think anyone is out of it, including sporting who are good on the counter and so an away game might actually be more fitting for them.
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for some reason today in the media there is a whole lot of Arsenal transfer rumors, even the BBC in on it, they mostly have the same names as incomings and list the same players we are willing to sell, White, Martinelli, Trossard, Norgaard, Jesus, Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, and they report we want a right back who is versatile, a central midfielder, a wide left player and that if we can sell one of Havertz or Gyokeres we’d go after Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. Livermento of Newcastle is one of the names being banded about for right back, and Anthony Gordon for left wing, with another newcastle player Tonali mentioned for midfield, but there are also several Bosman free transfers mentioned as possible signings, Goretzka of Bayern Munich for midfield, and Celta Vigo right back Mungueza
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Massive game for Arsenal this Saturday afternoon, v Bournemouth. We have the chance to go 12 points clear of Man City before the play away to Chelsea on Sunday. We face Man City the following Sunday. Its vital we win and go 12 points clear of them and put the pressure on them for Sunday, and then even if they do win we go there with still a 9 point lead.
God forbid we lose and city win, then the whole pressure will be on Arsenal in the city game.
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early team news, Eze back in training, but Calafiori, Timber, Odegaard and Saka all missed training today, with Saka and Odegaard seemingly ruled out for this weekend but may be back for Sporting on Wednesday or Man City next weekend.
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Morgan Rodgers of Aston Villa another one being linked with a move to Arsenal this summer
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Arsenal U15s are through to the final of the Premier League NEXTGEN Beijing Cup after finishing top of their group
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I can’t see us selling any of the younger three there, normally clubs only do that if they are desperate for cash.
I love Ben but I think he’s on his way out and Jesus should of gone two seasons ago.
I can’t see Kai or Victor going with Jesus leaving and with Kai being so versatile.
I would love Rodgers to come in but he will be expensive with so many clubs after him probably another £100 million + plus player.
If we sold Odegaard to pay for him we could afford it I suppose, but Mikel loves our current captain so that’s a non starter.
Livermento is a good shout as we need full backs who can play on either side.
Mikel simply doesn’t trust Norgaard and so an upgrade is needed there as well.
Its all well and good having a great squad but if Mikel won’t play the squad players throughout the first half of the season they won’t be ready or have combined together for the second, as we found out to our cost recently.
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well ian the selling of nwaneri and mls is said to be for raising funds so we can sign Rodgers and Alvarez but remain within financial rules, selling academy produced players is pure profit while selling any bought player is only the profit made on any sale. So would likely have to sell a lot of bought players to raise the same funds selling just the two young lads, or martinelli
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seems Eze is available for selection tomorrow, and that Hincapie was in training today
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HT: West Ham 1-0 Wolves
as things stand spurs are in the bottom 3
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70 minutes in and West Ham are 3-0 up
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FT: West Ham 4-0 Wolves
spurs who play away to Sunderland on Sunday are now in the bottom 3
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Rodgers has still five years left on his contract and clubs all over Europe are interested. He will be very expensive in a bidding war.
The total profit thing, for academy players, is only half the story as if you sell a more senior pro that still has value you have more room to cover wages.
The bigger clubs with good revenue streams are less affected by FFP and we shouldn’t be in the position we were a few seasons ago where we basically cleared out all our youngsters and then had to rebuild the squad.
Ethan and Miles are still very young and haven’t even reached a decent resale yet even if we wanted to.
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George sent a mini preview over. COYG!
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It’s up.
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