The Foxes under Rodgers are easy on the eye these days and we are in for a great game of football. Tielemans and Maddison are a joy to watch and can score a goal from any angle. Of course there is also that much feared senior citizen called Vardy; a better personification of a fox on the pitch you cannot get. Oh how I would love for our CBs to have that wily fox in their back pockets tomorrow afternoon.
Their defence is breach able and will nder pressure it will buckle.
It is fair to say that this game will give us a good indication of where we are right now. They will not fear us and aim to win; and Arsenal will do just the same. There is the fourth spot to go for this season and a win for us tomorrow would be a big claim for that much coveted ‘price’. Oh this will be a battle and sparks will fly as both teams will play with a high tempo and focus on attack. Yet, I reckon we will absorb pressure regularly and play on the break more than them. We have the players to really hurt them and if we take our chances we could win with a margin.
Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners!!
By TotalArsenal
Bergkampesque 
I shan’t be getting much sleep tonight… Leicester away is followed by Wales v All Blacks. Here’s hoping for two away victories.
It is going to be an open game going by what transpired in recent encounters; hopefully, we take our chances. Ben White was in the last training pics but I won’t be concerned much if Arteta chooses to start with Holding. His aggressive style and touch-tight marking is perhaps what we need against the likes of Vardy, Barnes and Maddison while I’d expect Lokonga to disrupt Tielemans a bit.
Another one who’s been immensely improved for us is Gabriel. For some reason, those who do player ratings have kept him below the radar, mostly scoring him below White which is ridiculous (at least, in my eyes). He has become our commanding CB and always covers for others. Also love his reaction when we concede; always bodes well when a team is seen to be trying to get a clean sheet, along with the keeper.
A draw could be on the cards or we just nick it.
Eris, a good shout about Big Gab. He has been great and forms a fine partnership with Big Ben.
Just seen the line up, same as vs Aston Villa who also incidentally started with a back three, the referee is Michael Oliver who for me is one of the few referees I trust.
Arsenal have I think kept it low profile going into this game, this seminal game, it’s the kind of match that can have a big influence on the rest of our season, in the confidence we have and what the squad haves in what is happening and where we are going and if we win I will certainly be doing the Hakka across my living room.
32 Ramsdale
1 Tomiyasu
4 White
6 Gabriel
20 Tavares
5 Thomas
23 Lokonga
7 Saka
10 Smith Rowe
14 Aubameyang
9 Lacazette
Substitutes
1 Leno
16 Holding
17 Cedric
31 Kolasinac
15 Maitland-Niles
25 Elneny
8 Odegaard
19 Pepe
35 Martinelli
Carabao Cup quarter-final draw
Tottenham vs West Ham
Arsenal vs Sunderland
Brentford vs Chelsea
Liverpool vs Leicester
GN5, is that your wishlist pairings or have the draws been announced? Have not been checking the news lately.
Oh, seen it now. That’s a good draw for us, a dat home.
Meanwhile, Ramsdale has just pulled off a great save (save of the season contender, if you ask me). The boy loves his clean sheet. We started well and got two goals. Since then, we’ve tapered off a bit with the home side now starting to trouble our area.
We should go in 2-0 up but Arteta will need to gee up the lads at half time. Going swimmingly, so far.
….and at home**
Ainsley time?
Defeat for the Whites at Elland Road.
Premier League 2
Leeds United 2 (Greenwood 19’, Dean 34’)
Arsenal 4 (Oulad M’Hand 24’, Biereth 46’, Balogun 55’ pen, Lopez 85’)
Leeds: Klaesson (GK), Moore, Cresswell (McCarron 45’), Kenneh, Firpo (Hjelde 30’), Jenkins, Bate, Greenwood, Summerville (McKinstry 45’), Miller, Dean.
Subs not used: Van Den Heuvel (GK), McGurk.
Arsenal: Hein (GK), Swanson (Ideho 72’), Lopez, Monlouis, Rekik, Ogungbo (Taylor-Hart 22’), Norton-Cuffy, Akinola, Biereth, Oulad M’Hand (Henry-Francis 45’), Balogun (c).
Subs not used: Ejeheri, Buttler-Oyeoeji.
Mark Jackson’s Under-23s side were defeated at Elland Road in what was a match full of goals of chances throughout, under the lights.
In front of a superb crowd inside the stadium, the Whites got the game underway and were instantly on the front foot. The lively Crysencio Summerville got into the box after a nice ball from Nohan Kenneh and saw his effort well saved.
Max Dean was then the next to create a chance, as he played in former Arsenal and now Leeds United forward, Sam Greenwood who saw his strike saved.
Shortly after that, the Whites did take the lead, and it was through Greenwood’s excellent finish. The striker was free inside the box and found by Summerville after the tricky winger won the ball back, broke forward and picked him out.
Arsenal then equalised though, in their first real attack of the half. Salah Oulad M’Hand pounced on a defensive mistake and punished Leeds, curling his effort from outside the box into the top corner.
Leeds kept the pressure on though and went forward looking to re-take the lead, and found it 10 minutes before the interval.
Dean picked up the ball on the half-way line and surged forward, before timing a pass perfectly to Lewis Bate. The midfielder then controlled and slipped Dean back through, for the striker to finish calmly at the near post.
Kristoffer Klaesson was forced to make a stop shortly before the whistle and did just that, denying Kido Taylor-Hart’s powerful effort, which sent Leeds into the break with a goal advantage.
HALF TIME: Leeds United 2-1 Arsenal
Arsenal started the second half strongly and equalised instantly, as Mika Biereth pounced on a deflected ball inside the box to poke his effort over the line.
The turnaround was completed for the visitors shortly after, from the penalty spot. Klaesson came out to narrow the angle against Taylor-Hart but in doing so, brought down the attacker. Flo Balogun stepped up from the spot and sent the ‘keeper the wrong way to put Arsenal ahead.
In response, Dean continued to be the biggest threat for Leeds. Firstly he picked up the ball outside the box and tried a curling effort which struck the inside of the post. His second effort moments later was from close range and forced Karl Hein into a superb save.
As the clock started to tick down inside Elland Road, the superb crowd of 8,943 in attendance looked to support their team from the touchline as they searched for the equaliser.
Leeds did leave themselves vulnerable to the counter though when going forward and after netting earlier in the match, Biereth had two great chances to settle the game but put his shots over the bar.
The counter-attack continued to look a problem though and the Whites were punished from the next one. Balogun’s pace caused the issues as he got into the box and squared for Joel Lopez to tap home and secure the three points for Arsenal.
FULL TIME: Leeds United 2-4 Arsenal
It is a sign of good times and good things happening when the club is doing well at every cadre of competition. The ladies team are back to their domestic best; the U-18s and 23s are also doing well. The first team is clawing his way back to relevance……. someone must be getting something right.
Raise your hand if you were one of those who doubted the management when they were willing to pay so much for Ramsdale. 😜
We do have some character on our hands in young Aaron Ramsdale, folks. Two top draw saves and cheekily joining the away fans behind the goal to reverse-serenade his kick outs. Not sure I have ever seen a keeper banter the away fans behind his goal. Thumbs up to the man. His intensity has had his defenders back him with good performances too.
Chelsea are looking, sadly, relentless.
Great results for Palace and Brighton, which make our draws with them look a lot less disappointing, Graham Potter really is a very very impressive manager/coach, I do hope that he doesn’t end up at Tottenham.
A draw for Nuno and Ole will be just fine.
What a result missed watching the match. Onwards and upwards
Everything Total was saying about having patience seems to have been very valid. I thought the Ødegaard sub was good, even Kolasinac to play behind Tavares shows good options. Wanted to see Ainsley though.
Did we get Sunderland next? That should mean at least 2 more games for our B team.
My only worry right now is that I’ll like Lokonga and Tavares more than Xhaka and Tierney. I feel disloyal for thinking it.
What a worry to have!
And thanks Kev for the youth info.
Ooh to. Ooh to be, Ooh to be A Gooner!
Thanks for comments, guys. What a performance by the team. Will write something in the morning 😍
Well Stuart, you have got your double win today 👍🏼👍🏼🙂🙂
Halelujia in the highest. Double win indeed. Who needs sleep? Kev, can you upload a video of your haka across the living room floor….?
No can do Stuart as I put my back out… 😬
Clocks go back an hour so enjoy the lay in fellas… Night all
We are in game week 10; the point at which we agreed to take stock of where the team would be, under Arteta, as a basis for rating his suitability for the role. We did make predictions for each game from week 1 to 10 and assigned points as relevant. Wonder if TA will be bothered to revisit that……
Where is PB (who made the case for that small “game”, at the time) when you need him?
New Post 🙂