A quick preview for another game in which only a win will suffice to keep the fans from throwing eggs and verbal abuse at Arteta and the boys. It’s a shame we remain at this knife-edge stage, but hopefully we’ll get that second PL win and climb further up the table.
It will not be easy as Burnley, who play nowadays half decent football, will also try to put their foot in and disrupt us as much as possible. The home crowd will try and make things worse of course.
So we have to field a team of men with attitude and purpose and who play a high tempo game that leave the Clarets bamboozled from the start.
If we mean business we can get those precious three points, and I reckon something like these 11 fine Gunners will bag them:
I prefer two in deep midfield for this one and really would like to see Partey and Sambi play together. The attack combines Ode and ESR, and should have either Auba or Laca leading the line. I prefer Saka to Pepe as he is the better all round footballer, but the latter has been working hard to get into the team so he would be fine too.
The back five got a clean sheet last week so let’s not make any changes there.
Come on You Rip Roaring Gunnners!!!!!
By TotalArsenal
Bergkampesque 
A lot to agree with there, TA although, I doubt that our fans who make the trip up north will throw eggs or abuse at the team if things don’t go well.
The only change I would make to your lineup would be in midfield where I would put Sambi on the left of Partey (if he’s fit enough to start). Arteta comments in the press conference didn’t sound that convincing to me. “He is there. He has been training in and out this week, his load had to be managed because it was the early stages of the injury, what he had, but he is pushing everyone like he always does and he wants to be involved. We will make the decision at the weekend of what is best for him.” So, it may be Ainsley starting with Sambi again.
I suspect that Arteta may surprise us again though!
OX10, agreed on the away fans. Unfortunately, that is only a small part of the fan base.
That is not good re Partey. I think we need him to start in this game… Start at least… 👍🏼
Hi TA
Still busy, still lurking, but… if Partey isn’t available, then why not Holding or Cedric / Soares, which would give you almost a kind of 3-3-3-1.. Weird but likely solid
Cheers — JGC
Hi Geoffski,
Good to hear from you. Been far too long!
Good shout, and there is also Chambers and White.. 👍🏼
Partey as the lone centre midfielder?
Against a physical team that’ll smash us, within the laws of the game. 🤔
I’m really not sure about that selection, it just smacks of fiddling too much – but I hope I’m wrong.
Well, Kev, it looks like that’s the selection Arteta has gone for. Looks like a 4-1-4-1.
Ramsdale, Tomi, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, ESR, Odegaard, Pepe, Saka, Auba. That is the starting line up.
Meanwhile, maybe it’s time to put that loss to Brentford in perspective as a 10 man Brentford side lead 2-0 at Wolves. Amazing team spirit too.
It’s the line up from a post a few days ago… Courageous Arteta goes all attacking. Welcome to the future BKers!! 😁 🍾 🍾
That’s a good looking line up, I hope they have the strength and endurance to handle what Burnley have to offer.
Yeah, TA.
Arsenal: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Saka, Pepe, Aubameyang
Subs: Leno, Holding, Cedric, Tavares, Mari, Maitland-Niles, Sambi, Lacazette, Martinelli.
Really happy with what looks to be our best line up since arteta took over.
Burnley
Pope, Lowton, Taylor, Mee(c), Tarkowski, Brownhill, Gudmundsson, Westwood, McNeil, Barnes, Wood
Subs: Collins, Lennon, Cornet, Hennessey, Bardsley, Vydra, Pieters, Cork, Rodriguez
GN5, if you can keep more of the ball, you reduce the chances against you. I think we need to go back to focusing on our own strengths and play our game without labouring much over what the opposition can do to us.
Brentford have only conceded 2 goals after 5 games. A joint record in the EPL. …or so I heard. As I posited earlier, is it possible that being the first team to go against them, coupled with all the COVID-19 infections in our camp, we were just the guinea pigs and they may have surprised us? They do look a well drilled side, seeing them as a neutral today.
Real shame it is not on TV for us inhabitants of the United Brexit 🤪
Yeah Eris, it was a tough game to start with in hindsight for various reasons.
Are you wearing your new away shirt, Eris? ⚽⚽
I can see the lineup a few different ways. Mostly I think it’s a brave choice to have Smith Rowe partner Partey in mf, at least that’s what I think is happening. If it goes well, this attacking group can take advantage of Burnley using talent and quickness. Arteta is showing confidence because the safe choice would be a more conventional cm with some size.
They’re reporting Ødegaard deeper, as some here have talked about.. We’ll see what it really looks like in action. Either way it’s the same risk, and I say brave because he’ll be open to obvious criticism.
I think he’s also showing faith that we will start scoring more freely, rather than being conservative and trying to fight it out on their terms. I hope we play around and through them as we’re capable of.
Lol, TA. How did you guess? Of course, I am, to the incredulous glances of my daughter.
It’s been a half that passed quickly, a bit because we obviously came with a plan to keep ball as much as we can before they give us spaces to exploit. I’d say we have restricted them to scraps, apart from one clear chance which Barnes (I think) fluffed.
Once again, other than winning the free kick which Odegaard scored from (and, perhaps occupying a couple of defenders), Saka has hardly been at the races today. Time to give him a two weeks rest and away from the team till he gets his head back right. I am not sure if it is on the coach’s instructions but it frustrates as our CBs pass it to one another and just slow down things even as players are running into position to open up things for a pass. Fair enough, it gets the Burnley forwards anxious and rushed as they try to get a steal but one slip and they would be in. What we must avoid, from a tactical viewpoint, is to let them score a goal. The roof will come down in the place and get our new CB partnership and the keeper jittery.
Clearly, Ben White is determined to be the villain today of all days. Played our keeper short there and it was only Ramsdale’s touch on that ball and the VAR that’s saved his bacon there. Second time he gets caught on the ball. I know it is an enormous effort to be the most expensive defender to Arsenal, but he’s got to stay calm and in control. Phew!
We are holding on well and should have got a second but for Pepe’s poorly weighted pass to Auba, on the break.
I think AMN May come on now, possibly for one of Saka or Pepe.
Oh dear. AMN on but for Partey. That’s a huge responsibility on the shoulders of Sambi Lokonga now. Partey has been instrumental to our play so far and will be a big miss in defending.
We need to look after the ball better. Pepe the guilty party here. Saka too. If we hold on to this lead/win, it will be a huge boost.
It’s 1-nil to the Arsenal! Battling performance, however we could have got more goals but for some poor final pass decisions.
Hard fought win excellent. Tomi you beauty didn’t get a foot wrong. White sold a dummy for Ramsdale but Rams commands his box so much. We really should get a second one in such a game.
Great comments, Eris. Sounds like a battling performance and yes a lack of quality in the final third could have been costly today. But Ode saved the day.
Phew, onto the next one.
We’ll get no credit for a battling performance because the media narrative is that Arsenal are a soft touch.
And so it continues…
You know that nobody here loves to say I told you so more than me LOL.
Me here after the Norwich game:
“Last thing about Pepe, not as positive. Watch Ødegaard videos from Sociedad, on corners and free kicks. Øde should be doing most of that for us. Pepe should be using his size instead”
We’ll all be calling for that after the Øde beauty, but if you watch the Sociedad highlights, you won’t want anyone else on free kicks or corners unless it’s prohibitively for a right footer. Xhaka and Pepe 2nd and 3rd but not even close. I don’t even know about right footers, but I noticed Ainsley hovering last week as the right foot option. I bet he has shown something in training free kicks.
No way is Ainsley Maitland-Niles taking out free kicks. Lol. He only stood around that kick, last week, as a foil or distraction for the main man. 😏
Shame, Leon Bailey has to leave with injury, after scoring one and assisting one in a blistering substitute appearance for Villa today.
I’m sure you’re right about free kicks Eris. I think Lacazette is OK at them from the right, but I don’t ever remember Aubameyang doing much with them here, or in his great years as the main man at Dortmund.
As far as Villa is concerned I don’t feel any sympathy for anything that happens to them. I watch most of their games just hoping they’ll lose. Just slightly above Spuds in my book. And no, I don’t wish Emi Martinez well. He is dead to me. Im sick of his comments about the past.. Cheeky bids for ESR really annoyed me even more.
We need to get on our scoring boots next week, and for the rest going forward. We would not beat Aston Villa the way we’re playing, and Tottenham will need to serve as special inspiration, because this isn’t good enough.
So many good things I noticed in the game today, but 0 goals from open play overrides all the positives.
Watched MotD (Match of the Day) this evening and the decisions of referees and VAR are just getting worse and worse.
Walker foul on Southampton player overruled when it was a clear foul and penalty even if the red card was harsh, how did they come to that decision, can someone please explain?
Is it just because it was Man City?
Norwich player has his shirt clearly tugged at least twice, possibly three times as he runs into the Watford box, VAR checks it and nothing is given, it was a clear tug of his shirt ffs, what is it with these officials, are they just all shit or are they corrupt?
In any other private business Mike Riley would be out on his ear, it’s a joke…
I wasn’t sure about all the hype surrounding the Brentford centre forward when they came up but he’s a real handful and I really like his ‘I don’t give a flying f*ck’ attitude or his lack of deference to the EPL big timers, there’s a look of the Ian Wright’s about him, I like him, good player…
Finally we have a goal keeper who uses his hands to intervene and command his box. Ramsdale in the two pl matches has shown all the traits that we needed. It’s a small sample size but it’s encouraging to see that he is commanding his box. Catching high balls into box neutralizes a lot of threat from burnleys big attackers. It’s been interesting to watch Ramsdale and his contrasts with Leno. With Hiens extending his contract Leno might leave during Jan window if he doesn’t paly games. Interesting one to watch though.
Evening 🌃 all, hope to watch the game tomorrow and then do a post. 🙂
Rather quote on the Blog :). Where are you all basking in the glory of 1-0 to Arsenal ? Beat the spurs next week and bragging rights back to us.
Waiting for your new post TA.
Morning all – Federal (National) Election Day in Canada.
Here are the results of our competition for last week.
1st GN5 with 4/6 plus one correct score and share of most correct predictions = 8 points
2nd PB with 4/6 plus share of most correct predictions = 6 points
3rd Eris with 3/6 plus one correct score = 5 points
4th Madhu & Kev with 3/6 = 3 points
6th Total & OX10 with 2/6 = 2 points
“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Season to date results.
1st PB with 37.00
2nd Eris with 31.33
3rd OX10 with 28.33
4th GN5 with 28.00
5th Madhu with 21.33
6th Kev with 18.00
7th Total with 17.00
“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Here are the selections for the coming weekend:-
Arsenal v Tottenham
Chelsea v Manchester City *
Southampton v Wolves
Leeds v West Ham *
Brentford v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Villarreal *
Well done Victor GN5!
Arsenal v Tottenham
Chelsea v Manchester City * 1-3
Southampton v Wolves H
Leeds v West Ham * 4-2
Brentford v Liverpool A
Real Madrid v Villarreal * 1-1
Arsenal v Tottenham – H
Chelsea v Manchester City * – 1-2
Southampton v Wolves – H
Leeds v West Ham * – 1-2
Brentford v Liverpool – A
Real Madrid v Villarreal * – 1-0
Hi Total. – You must still be mulling over your selection for the Arsenal v Spurs game?
Sorry GN5, no mulling needed, just an omissions / brain fart 😁
ARSENAL 6 – 0 Spuddies
Just remembered,, whatever happened to 17 highbury terrace? Was a great Arsenal blogger.
Not entirely sure, J. Think he never got over Wenger being sacked. He loved that man.
New Post 🙂