Battle 2/17: Let’s Smoke Out Those Ferocious Bees and Feast on Their Honey

TotalArsenal

Ah Arsenal are back at the Home of Football and the season opener spoilers from Brentford are the visitors. They need three points, we need three points, so game on!

That defeat at the Brentford Community Stadium is still fresh in our minds. What a cauldron it was with baying, ecstatic fans feeling a sensation was in the air.

Let’s give that back to them, let the cannons roar and let’s smoke those bees out of their hives.

Arsenal are on a 17-game mission and this is our second battle. Let’s get those bees on their knees and fight them for every ball, pummel their defence from all angles and fist-pump the air when the final whistle goes and the golden nectar is ours. Victoria Concordia Crescit!

Who is going to do that for us?

Tomiyasu is not a certainty, Martinelli is sitting out a game and Leno has recovered from C19. The only real question is Pepe or ESR, and as there will be little space to run into for the Pepster, I am going for the silky Emile the Pirate (He surely was one in a previous life! 😁).

Ramsdale

Soares, Ben, Gab, Tier

Partey-Granit

Buka, Ode, Emile

Laca The Honey Badger

No TV coverage in the UK, so an old fashioned radio job for me.

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners!!!

By TotalArsenal.

64 thoughts on “Battle 2/17: Let’s Smoke Out Those Ferocious Bees and Feast on Their Honey”

  • Thanks for that Total, I’ll be working with one eye on the BBC website for the scores, our detractors will be expecting ‘one of those games’ you know when mentally we don’t turn up and to be fair we do have history in that regard. Since Wenger left we have more often than not snatched disappointment from the jaws celebration.

    I guess if Arteta is finally going to put to bed some of the disappointments of the last few years, losing the Europa S/F to Atletico and top four in Wenger’s last season.

    Missing out on top four under Emery when it was in the bag and losing to Chelsea in the Europa final.

    Losing again in last seasons Europa S/F and missing top four again.

    And losing the League Cup S/F this season – it really has to end and top four is the only antidote to a succession of disappointing occasions started off by the League Cup final thrashing by Man City as Wenger wound down…

    COYG

  • “bees on their knees”
    “snatched disappointment from the jaws celebration” .

    Boy oh boy our bloggers are getting better and better.

  • Good one T,

    If Tomi plays at all, it should be a cameo near the end, not like the mistake of starting him against Liverpool a few weeks ago. That was a dumb decision, similar to giving Xhaka 96 minutes on returning a month early from a more serious injury. We got away with that one, but we need to be wiser than that. Cedric is not so bad. Watching West Ham and not too much mention of wind affecting the game.

    Kev,
    Those recent disappointments for me, are soon to be forgotten. They come from a mess from the end of Wengers time and executive merry go round. We’re starting fresh now after a huge clearout and are at the very beginning of a great cycle.

    Every time I see a Conte interview, I watch it like football porn. What a gift he’s turning out to be for gooners hahaha! If I was one of the pathetic spurs fans, I’d be so disheartened by his comments. It’s glorious.

  • Bloody H, Kev, there is a lot of doom and gloom in your summary. Have you forgotten about the recent FA cup and Charity Shield Victories? 😅

  • 32 Ramsdale
    17 Cedric
    4 White
    6 Gabriel
    3 Tierney
    34 Xhaka
    5 Thomas
    10 Smith Rowe
    8 Odegaard
    7 Saka
    9 Lacazette (c)

    Substitutes
    1 Leno
    18 Tomiyasu
    16 Holding
    20 Tavares
    25 Elneny
    23 Lokonga
    19 Pepe
    82 Hutchinson
    30 Nketiah

  • I fully expect us to get the 3 points, but Brentford won’t make it easy.

    A fast start from our boys; just need to get the goal our early dominance deserves.

  • Other than a rare foray close to our area by Brentford, it’s been all Arsenal, probing for a way in on goal. A few half chances already featuring Laca. Saka has looked threatening but the visitors are defending well.

    Tierney has to be braver and be more offensive.

  • Laca drags his shot horribly wide after Xhaka puts him in with a chance. This was after the longest spell (1 minute) of possession by the visitors). Maybe, we should allow them come out a bit more.

  • We are racking up the corner count. Must be 5 corners to nil now. The Brentford players much taller and have dealt well with our corners.
    Odegaard let’s fly from outside the area and the keeper parris for another corner. Dealt with again.

  • Corner count is 8-0. Shots count is 7-0. But we still need to score. Cedric fires but blocked by a defender with his arm away from the body. However, VAR won’t give a pen.

  • I shall be watching more keenly as the 2nd half starts. The bees look to be coming out more now and that is a change of tactics. We have to take advantage.

    And as ai type that, ESR makes it 1-0.

  • Much deserved and happy for the young man who is our top goal scorer this season.

    It is Liverpool 0-1 Norwich, at Anfield.

  • Laca just misplaced a pass which could have had Saka in on goal. Poor execution by the captain.

  • Great to have the goal. Now let’s get the second. It sounds like they are doing all they can.

    Shame Laca is missing that extra bit of sharpness. But Alex can surprise us any moment…

  • I see Liverpool have turned it around at Anfield. Putting the pressure on City. Good for the league.

  • Laca to come off for Nketiah. Shame he couldn’t score but he worked hard, as always. I would take off Cedric or Tierney for Tavares or Tomiyasu. Just to give more players a chance.

  • Funny incident there when Nketiah came on for the captain and tried to hand the arm band to Xhaka. Xhaka refused it twice which left Nketiah handing it to Tierney who accepted it without hesitation.
    Are these things no longer decided prior to the game or was Xhaka just being petulant?

  • Ends 2-1, as Brentford pulled a goal back at the dead. It is 3 points and only downer is we didn’t keep another clean sheet.

    Our academy lads doing the process proud. 😁

  • Shame we let one in. But that’s why we needed that second goal. It can always happen.

    Really pleased with the win and we move on to Thursday for battle 3/17!!

  • 3/17 yes T.

    Eris, Amazing how opponents are now allowed to use their arms against Arsenal. If that was Klopp would’ve been a fast VAR handball pen.

  • Not doom and gloom Total, perspective mate, the FACup win was marvellous but we’ve also suffered a lot of pain and disappointment in recent seasons when we were in fact so close to a lot of glory.

    Johnno I wish I could put the defeats behind me like you but I can’t mate, they hang around me like a bad smell and I so instead want to breath in the freshness of that top four scent this season after too many fallow years. The next 15 games for me are an endurance and not an enjoyment because I can almost taste it this year, that aroma of the cup with the big ears. We need it so bad…

  • Yes, J, two very decent penalty shouts dismissed. It rankles. Well, Total, I thought your Granit was very composed today. Your tenner survives another week. My heart bleeds for all in the UK who cannot watch the games on TV. What’s the story over there? I thought Joe Willock did a good job for us today. Shame about Harry catching fire at the Etihad.

  • You describe the life of the vast majority of football fans, Kev. Even the zpool supporters complain they don’t win enough, even now.

    But you still have a point and getting that winning mentality back is key of course.

  • Long way to go for Granit, Stuart, but he did fine indeed. I predicted a 2-2 draw for the Man Citeh game, but it got worse. It was dark, cold and wet in Manchester and the Spuds feed of those circumstances. Soon the Isle will start warming up and the sorry Spuds are out of their eliments. 🙂

  • Yeah, Jync. We had two good penalty shouts for handball but John Moss wasn’t having it. Anyone else notice how he’s held on to the ball, waiting for VAR to give the goal against us. I thought he had a look of glee on his face, like happy we didn’t get a clean sheet. Okay, maybe it’s just me. 😅

    I feel by the time Chelsea and Manure start to get into the thick of the CL, they would wane. As for the spuds, they only come out to play when they are the underdogs. I would take as many slim wins now as we can manage. OGAAT. Focus on each game like it is a final; cut out errors and take the chance(s) when it comes.

  • I didn’t see the game only the goals on You Tube but it seems that Wolverhampton Wanderers were really into full simulation mode yesterday evening vs Leicester so it seems as if we can expect a 90+ minutes full of dramatic swan like falls onto the pitch this Thursday from the Old Goldies.

    I guess that Arteta has two big decisions to make pre match and that is does he reinstate Tomiyasu or stick with Soares – who has played well in the last two games and does he stick with the HaleEnders on the flanks or bring back Martinelli?

    I’d keep an unchanged team but what about you lot?

  • Referee: Martin Atkinson. Assistants: Lee Betts, James Mainwaring. Fourth official: Kevin Friend. VAR: John Brooks. Assistant VAR: Stuart Burt.

    The officials for this Thursday.

  • Here are last weekend’s results.

    For the week:-

    1st Eris & Kev 4/6 plus share of most correct predictions = 6 points
    3rd Madhu 3/6 plus one correct score = 5 points
    4th Total 3/6 = 3 points
    5th Madhu 2/6 = 2 points
    6th GN5 1/6 = 1 point
    “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
    For the season:-

    1st Eris – 144.39
    2nd OX10 – 116.06
    3rd Kev – 101.93
    4th Total -101.06
    5th Madhu – 99.66
    6th GN5 – 95.73
    “”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

  • Here are next weekend’s choice’s:-

    Brentford v Newcastle
    Brighton v Aston Villa
    Crystal Palace v Burnley *
    Everton v Manchester Ciry
    West Ham v Wolves *
    Liverpool Ladies v Arsenal Ladies *

  • Saw Jacks quote today.. speaking to his new Danish teams media interviewer. “I’ve been training with my club” MY CLUB. Beautiful to hear that. I hope we give him a job someday, keep him close.

  • Happy for Jack; too bad, it couldn’t be Arsenal, but we cannot afford to carry too many players now and it is not as if we are in Europe or in many competitions as to need bodies. Read that Roy Hodgson has had a bit to do with the move.

    I do hope he revives his career there and attracts enquiries from bigger clubs in better leagues.

  • Wow of the bottom, TA coming for you mate
    Brentford v Newcastle A
    Brighton v Aston Villa D
    Crystal Palace v Burnley * 2-1
    Everton v Manchester City A
    West Ham v Wolves * 1-1
    Liverpool Ladies v Arsenal Ladies * 0-2

  • We seriously need someone to do a Spursy on Eris. Come on you laggers, get in and make it interesting

  • I’m sure that given an injury free period that Jack will enjoy his time in Denmark, maybe it’ll lead to a longer stay in a very civilised country where he should feel at home and where there’s a substantial support for Arsenal from the locals, I wonder if he’ll continue his coaching badges whilst in Jutland?

  • Hehehehe! Bring it on, Madhu. That’s the spirit.

    On Jack, I hope he gets in touch with Nicklas Bendtner and talk about old times; you know, when Bendtner was going to be the best striker in the world😜. Also hope Jack does very well out there.

  • These do look a tricky selection, GN5. Here goes:

    Brentford v Newcastle A
    Brighton v Aston Villa D
    Crystal Palace v Burnley * H 3-1
    Everton v Manchester Ciry A
    West Ham v Wolves * D 2-2
    Liverpool Ladies v Arsenal Ladies * A 2-3

  • OhohohooooOOH, SakaAH and Emile Smith Roweooh

    Brentford v Newcastle D
    Brighton v Aston Villa H
    Crystal Palace v Burnley 1-1
    Everton v Manchester Ciry A
    West Ham v Wolves 1-1
    Liverpool Ladies v Arsenal Ladies 1-2

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