Hello, and how are you?

 As both sides of the online political spectrum wrestle with the problem of ‘freedom from’ and ‘freedom to’, and neither seeming to be aware of what ye be if you hold both those perspectives at the same time, Arsenal take on Port Vale, at Vale Park, Stoke on Trent, on the 24th of September. KO is at 21.00pm central European time, or 20.00pm UK time. Weather expected 12° and cloudy.

I’m sure after the frustrated teeth gnashing at our draw with City there will be a sense of fear going into this game, having seen what Grimsby did to Manchester United. And that’s why these competitions exist!

Everyone except Arsenal fans will be rooting for Port Vale, who are in 19th position in league 1. Vale are so far this season: W2 D2 L5, and played in a tough scrap against Mansfield at the weekend, with Darren Moore’s lads eventually winning 2-1.

Vale Park sits 525 feet above sea level and was originally built to be the ‘Wembley of the North’ when construction started in 1944 (completed in 1950) and now has a 15,695 capacity and I’m sure it will be sold out. At its peak, Vale Park could hold 42,000, and their club record is 49,76, in a 1960 FA Cup fifth round fixture against Aston Villa.

Vale park is one of the widest pitches in the football leagues, and it has a very spacious feeling, under the pitch is clay (the stadium was built on the site of an old clay pit and also has a coal seam running underneath it) rather than sand which makes the surface(apparently) hard to pass on, but having watched the Mansfield tie, it floods badly too, and the whole pitch seemed to be really sodden, which I’m sure has caused many a problem in the past.

Head to head, its PV: W 4 D 5 L13. Our last match with them you might remember back in 1998, in the FAC; 0-0 at Highbury and then 1-1 at VP, with the Mighty Cannon coming out on top in penalties. Before that the most recent clash was in the FAC back in 1927 on the road to that infamous FAC final.

Statto HQ have sent a message to say that Port Vale have a 4% chance of winning and Arsenal 86.1%. COYG!

Mills

Thanks Mills, I suspect Statto HQ are Arsenal fans.

We will field a team that is unrecognisable to the first 11. I like that, I love some of our “reserve” players and it will be a real test of just how deep our squad is.

There is a hangover among the online fans from our draw with City, why that is might be understandable, but I think it’s all a bit over the top, and appears orchestrated by pundits who have found a new way to put Arsenal down. Whether you agree with Mikel’s team selection or not (I didn’t), he has built a squad that is so strong it put the fear of God into Pep, forcing him to , for the first time ever, betray is most cherished principles and playing style.

In the end a draw wasn’t the worst result and a silver lining might be that Arteta adopts a more progressive starting 11 going forward. One can but hope?

I’m looking forward to this game, so I hope we get a good show and are royally entertained.

Pedantic Gearge.

Hello one and all.

It looks like I’ll be doing the post game blogs this year, so I’m going to assume that everyone has seen the game, therefore I wont be going through the action because who am I to te

ll you what you have seen. So I will just let you know my thinking and in the comments you can all put me right.

There is much to be happy about and some to be less so happy about.

5-0 and top of the league after game day 2 is about as good as the numbers get. No complaints there then.

 Gyokeres scored his first goal and it looked like a typical  Gyokeres goal. He made a run into the left channel, cut in, kept good close control and slotted in through a now quit crowded box, into .the near post. The lad looks vey quick, strong and composed. Once his team mate learn to put early ball into the spaces, he could be just the ticket. He also lashed a penalty in with a confidence built on successfully scoring 28 of 29 previous attempts. I hope he take on, and is given, the responsibility of spot kick going forward.

Noni Madueke had a decent game on the left, for me doing better than Martinelli normally does, but the little spell when he moved to the right, he looked much more comfortable and dangerous. Which is good news because with the Saka injury that’s where he will be playing. The Saka injury is a worry, because if it’s the same Hammy, it migh indicate things to come. Let’s hope not, because he’s a bobby dazzler, the goal he lashed in yesterday, with his right foot no less, was a thing to behold.

Timber got MOTM for a good glancing header, a scruffy poke in and a great little through ball assits, on top of a very competent defending display. He’s quite the player too, Ben White has a job on to disloge him.

Max Dowman made his ELP debut and my wood, what a talent. There is no “over hype” with this lad, he’s incredible. 15 years old, hasn’t had his first shave, a year away from his GCSEs and playing like he owns the gaff. He won the penalty too. He’s my new favourite Arsenal player. I’ve never seen a lad anywhere near his level at that age. So exciting.

The defence and Raya look so good and with Zubimendi sitting in front of them, I can’t imagine there is a better defence in world football. Zubimendi looks quck and composed, gets passes away under pressure and I’m sure he will soon me more adventurous once he feels establish in the team.

Right, now the less good stuff. 3 of the 5 goal were from set pieces, so although they count exactly the same as open play goals, and are hugely important, it does indicate that we were not as free flowing and dominate as the 5-0 suggests. In fact until injury time in the first half, it was a tiresome game to watch. We scored of ever attempt on target, that is totally unsustainable. So I don’t think all is rosy on the carpet. But the early signs are encouraging.

Pedantic George.

Saturday the 23rd of August sees game number two of the 2025/6 season for the Arsenal and our first home game at the Emirates will be against newly promoted Leeds Utd, at 5.30pm UK time. 

Old timey rivals of ours from the 1970s and the 1990s, with a rich historical pedigree, we are sure will be excited to make the journey south in hope of another PL victory as they try to get a foothold in the PL. 

Leeds beat Everton in their first game, and were awarded a controversial penalty. They have a strong fan base and their team knows about ball control and had 63% of it against the Toffee’s. Our friends at Statto HQ(at the time of writing) have given the Arsenal a 74.7% chance of winning and Leeds have 9.5%.

Mills.

Well if it isn’t all fun and games this week? We got the horrible news that our new beefed up Havertz was out for the season, and now the word is that he will only be out for a few weeks. If ever “Expect the worst and hope for the best” has worked in our favour, this is it. I think we paid £65m for him to replace Xhaka, but that was horrible, so we moved him to CF when Jesus broke down, and it has to be said, there was some success. It worked better than expected, and he certainly brings something to that position. So even although we have a shiny new CF, it would have been a blow to lose the lad for an extended period.

It would appear that the danger of Havertz having a long team injury , caused us to revive our interest in Eze. Not only revive it, but steal him from right under the chicken’s nose. At 27, he is at his peek, can play from the left or the middle, he’s a very good player and raises the high water mark of the squad. His willingness to run with the ball, shoot on sight and pass with risk in the final third, is something we have been woefully short of. I for one am excited about this signing. Well played Arsenal.

Arteta has been backed once again with an absolute fortune, and to be fair, I think the squad is complete. Of course professional moaners will find something to grumble about, but I think we couldn’t realistically asked for much more. I’m not a big fan of Arteta’s vision of how football should be played, but he’s the boss and the club has given him the opportunity to put his ideas into action, and that’s a good thing. No excuses, as they say.

Unless someone is sold that detracts from the strength of the squad, we’re good to go. Let’s hope this is the year and these are the players to go all the way. I think we have a chance. Our defence is top class and our forward line looks much more dynamic and threatening, my only worry is the midfield, but if Martin plays at his best and Rice can better assimilate to the 8 position, it could be good enough.

Right friends, that’s it for our first edition of the new formula for the blog. Let me know how you feel and give any ideas about how to make it better. As ever, if any of you wish to write an article, either regularly, semi-regularly or as a one off, just raise a hand.

Blackburn George.

Hello! 

Well, here we are again in the languid dog-days of August, where winter isn’t even a rumour but a more a fantasy, and at the start of a brand new shiny Premier League season. The grass is clipped and the seats are mended; the toilets are clean and everyone ones ready as they can be. 

I hope you been having a good summer and if you’re English enjoyed the Lionesses winning the Euros (with Arsenal Women playing a major part), and if not, just enjoyed the Euros. It already seems far away? If not I hope you enjoyed the scene in Happy Gilmore 2 when Happy and his sons beat the $%’!§ out of the dummy of Hal L. One of the funniest things I’ve seen in ages,which maybe shows how sad I am?

” that’s something we’ve known for ages”

As you all well know being studious, long-time, long-beard Arsenal fans of the media both established and social, players have gone or are going and others have come in, (no need for me to get into it) which has brought much scrutiny during the pre-season friendlies and discourse on You Tube where the vlog remains a good way of wasting your precious life, although I do still miss George and Shotta’s vlog as it had a lot of humour as well as insight. Except when I was on it.

 Of course from this point until the nights start drawing in, every aspect of Arsenal’s game will be under the microscope. Will the Arsenal fall foul of some new rules by pedantic refs, only to watch them be more lenient as the season progresses, as we have witnessed in times gone by? Expectancy is high and the pressure with it. I’m glad I’m not a footballer! Apparently we are 9/4 to win the PL.

Friendlies and pre-season predictions mean little to me at this moment, as we have such a long way to go and who can really tell, in fairness maybe some can and they have super 24hr footballing minds and crystal balls. I don’t. Obviously I have an eye on things, and was willing Havertz to score and not make a mess against Bilbao as he would have already had the mob on his back, and I like to personally see all our players with a high level of confidence, as I’m sure you do, going into a season.

But lets face it, its great to have it the Arsenal back! John Fowles wrote in his book the Aristos that ‘sport is a receptacle for energy, and holds our attention as it has endless possible permeations’, and I’m happy to put any energy Arsenals way rather than trawling though videos on YT about political skulduggery and fear-mongering speculation. It seems odd that politic is the main source of entertainment these days? But horses for courses, some people like that, and that’s fair enough. I just wished I didn’t have to bloody fact check all the time!

Anyway, the Mighty Cannon will make a trip up to the northern marches and take on our best chums Manchester United on Sunday the 17th of August, KO at 4.30pm.

United had an appalling season last season in the PL and to an extent the EL. This must be the first time in nearly thirty years that it actually feels like we could go up to OT and hammer them. But I’m sure they will be keen and peachy to make a good start too and many eyes will be on their new boy from RB Leipzig, Benjamin Šeško. Anyway, apart from Bernie Rhodes, who knows?

I phoned our pals at statto HQ and they were over joyed to hear from me and quickly gave me their predictions: United have a 27./% chance of winning and the good ol’ Arsenal 45.%

I am also really interested what the outcome of Manchester Citys 115 charges, as this will have a big affect on many aspects of the coming season. What do you think might play out?

Well that’s it, here’s to a great season and hoping that Isak doesn’t go to Liverpool (he hasn’t at the time of writing this) and that the Mighty Cannon wins all four trophies and that pigs might fly, why I have no idea, but maybe it would be a cheap airline? 

Anyway, come fly with me and wish the Gunners the best. But please, next year can we have the yellow away kit back? You know, She likes to wear it in the merry month of May. Grrrr!

Cheers to Ian and Ed for keeping the blog going this summer break, always interesting to read what you guys write.

Take care of yourselves. See you for the opener at the Emirates against newly promoted Leeds Utd.

COYG! 

Mills