Arsenal are going to Old Trafford with the unbelievable luxury that after six games, whatever the result tomorrow, we will remain TotL. Yes we have struggled there often in the last fifteen years but this time we are going there without the usual pressure of needing a result. No pressure.
It’s the home side that need a result and have to make up ground on us this time round, and this has been more often the case in recent years. They will be worried to get beaten and outplayed and that their fragile momentum, much needed after two early losses, will be shattered again.
So win, draw or lose, Arsenal will be fine. Key is of course that Arsenal play well, show character and resilience and fight till the end. No shrinking, ill-discipline or flippancy please. Just play with a high tempo, pass the ball round, make them work and take our chances when they come our way. Key is for the boys to start with focus and without too many nerves. It’s normal to be a bit nervous there, especially for such a young team, but we go there as league leaders because we are beating teams whom our competitors struggled against. So let’s go for it boys and give those Ten Hags a proper game.
The Guardian’s lineups are usually close to the actual ones. They have the Ode and Aaron as doubts; the same goes for Zinchenko. It would be great if two out of three could start but the replacements – ESR, Turner and Tierney – are all capable of rising to the occasion, although Turner may find this a really big challenge if he were to start.
Emile is due a start anyway, and he will relish it. Lokonga will face a big test against this very attacking midfield but he has two great defenders – White and Saliba – behind him. No doubt, Bukayo will also help out defensively.
The two attacking Gabis will have to play really well on the left, and Granit will be key again. He needs to stay focused and avoid provocation. The new Granit should be able to do that. The same goes for Big Gab and Ramsdale, if he starts.
I am looking forward to this game at OT, which I cannot say has often been the case. A real challenge to judge our progress in a game we could afford to lose. Of course we don’t want to do that. 3-1 to the good guys. Bring it on!
By TotalArsenal
Bergkampesque 
TA, that was a well articulated preview of the game tomorrow.
With a few of our lads out injured, it is difficult to predict the team Arteta puts out, but I just feel any 11 (or 16) named would go out there and get the job done.
It will be about focus, composure and avoidance of provocation; the Ref for the day (Paul Tierney) and VAR (Lee Mason) have been known to make the strangest decisions in crucial games involving us so we have to remain conscious of that as we cope with their fans. Tierney has, in just 12 games in which he’s officiated against us in the EPL, had an arsenal player sent off three times and shown us 23 yellow cards; that’s not to be ignored. I am not comforted by the presence of Andre Mariner as the fourth official either (I know he influences little in the course of the game); he also has not spared the red card officiating in our games.
It will be a big win, when we pull it off.
The club website shows Andre Mariner is not the 4th official as initially reported. It matters not, though.
While our record at OT has not been good, overall, the site has the following excerpt:
While the Red Devils have only beaten us once in our last eight meetings, victories at Old Trafford have been scarce for us in recent times, with just one win claimed from our last 15 Premier League trips to the venue.
However, that came in November 2020 with Mikel Arteta at the helm, and he’ll bring a team filled with confidence and fighting spirit to Manchester aiming to keep our 100 per cent run intact.
COYG!
No predictions from me I’m just looking forward to seeing our guys play .. Hopefully our style, and with earned confidence.
They are a team made up of a bunch of expensive parts. Mercenaries on big money.
We are a team. Period.
Excellent piece. I’m seeing more confidence from man u fans this week online which is silly given their dreadful start followed by narrow victories vs our great performances and better results.
If the stereotype of arsenal playing better without pressure is true, then we should embrace that tomorrow. Let’s hope the team and the away support continue to do us proud.
COYG
Good preview Total, I saw a video on You Tube from Arsenal training this last Friday and I saw Odegaard running, twisting and turning with no issues and Ramsdale in goal, I also saw Matt Smith training with the seniors but I didn’t see Zinchenko.
What that all means is that our captain and our goalkeeper will be playing later today and Zinchenko will not – but will he be on the bench?
I wonder if we’ll see a hero emerge from the Arsenal substitute benches today, Smith Rowe with one of his slide rule finishes or Vieira finally hitting his straps and perhaps hitting the Man Utd net, or a Marquinhos burst into the box and finish?
Maybe all three?
I don’t trust the referee, I don’t trust VAR and I don’t trust the sinister influence of Mike Riley but there ain’t nothing that Arteta or any of us can do about their clear and obvious bias, so let’s all focus on our boys and our boys playing as they can and let Lady Luck take her course…
It was mentioned somewhere that other than Party and Elneny everyone has travelled to Manchester.
Regarding the refrees Adrian Clarke on Handbreak off podcast mentioned that there is no Arsenal bais in refrees but they are thoroughly incompetent. Let’s just hope that we have dominant performance and refrees won’t have any role to play. It would be great to win so that you can open up a nice gap with others.
On the clubsite video, I found Aaron much more lively than Martin, Kev – mightn’t his presence on it be something of a smokescreen? Anyway, as TA says, ESR’s ready
Well, off for the day – in charge of the BBQ at my grandson’s (2-y-o yesterday) birthday; looking forward to reading your passionate comments, BKers
Fine comments and a special welcome to Raheem. Yes the ref is almost always a concern and so is the VAR element. Bias, abuse, injustice and power are closely linked, so hard to get rid off. That’s why we need the Stuarts of this world to blow the whistle. People who walk in the middle of the road.
That sounds great, LeGa. Enjoy your day. Two years already – how time flies!
We are a team. Period.
Well said New York’s finest.
We also are the better passing team and that combined with hard work should make the difference.
Great news excerpt, Eris. ⚽
For the boys to chillax before the game..
Any of the outfield players would be a big miss today, but I think we probably have the strength to cover most positions. Not 100% on the keeper yet. I only saw a couple of friendlies on tv pre season, but he didnt impress then. Hope he proves me massively wrong.
I think someone may be required to kick lumps out of McTominay. He seems to leave his boot in on a regular basis, smile at the ref and get away with it. I would love to see him getting his marching orders.
And a special plea from my old ticker. If we are up by 1 with 15 to go, let’s not drop back 20 yards and give them the ball to play with. I think the term I am looking for is game management.
Wow super strong team.
Rams
White, Sal. GAB, Zinch
Loko, GX,
Saka, Ode, Marti
GJ9
Your ticker will be tested, Retsub. 😅😁🚀
Thanks T .A I think you may be correct
So will be mine, Retsubster! 😁
I think if we get a fair ref we will be ok. No dodgy penalties or. Sending offs
A little nervous about this one Sancho and Anthony on their wings could be a big task especially for Zinchenko hope he gets a lot of protection. Anyone watching Brighton where do they get all these players its unbelievable might have to steal a scout or two from them lol. That manager of theirs might be the best around pound for pound.
Marti is on fire
Never mind then VAR
Gary Neville .. I don’t that was a good tackle on Fernandez. Loved it and Neville is a lying git
Not sure why Luko was upfield and out of position
The corruption is so deep. Ref saw the play, thought it was not a foul, play on… then var re legislates the whole sequence looking to find any excuse to overturn a beauty goal.
If we had that goal, they would not have scored their goal.
Changes the whole complexion of the game..,
Well we played very well and were cruelly punished for one positional mistake. Can happen.
I have no doubt that MU would have been given our disallowed goal. Yes the foul could be given but the ref was near and allowed it, so why change the decision afterwards.
We have to stay calm and keep playing our footie. Need a bit more belief in the final third.
Touché J.
But on the other side of that would most of us not complain if we saw that replay if that had been against us.
Ok it probably a foul, but I bet if they had scored it would have stood. Proud of our 11 against there 12.
Tierney has done a good job to be fair
Makaya, of course. But to overturn it it has to be a clear error by the ref. It wasn’t…
If VAR can find consistency with the odd mistake here and there I think it is great addition but currently too much inconsistency.
And Gary Neville kicked Jose Antony Reyes off the pitch. Which means he is a lying bar steward
It’s unfortunately consistently inconsistent
A missed foul is not a clear error it is unfortunate but I initially did see that Ode ran into him first but was not sure till I saw the replay
For me I like it as a foul as long as we get the same treatment when roles are reversed
But the key thing is we have been the better team and they are scared of us. A bit of luck in the second half would be nice.
Ram’s distribution has been spot on today
Would like to see more clear cut chances created though I know they are sitting back but we are aspiring to get to those Man City standards
Big chances there that is more like it but not taken unfortunately
Very nice buildup started by Rams again
Saka giving Malacia a roasting
Letsss gooooooooo
Well deserved for Saka
Ode created the danger as usual
Punished again for lost possession
Rams got very lucky there
Dear me what we doing letting runners free and so open
Really annoying to lose to Utd again and not pass the first real examination we have had in these fixtures. I am mean lets remember now Ten Hag is has not been in charge ten games and is trying to repair a shambolic Utd and we should be doing better
Tough one to take, but the boys will learn from it. Playing such a high line is tge only thing Manure could hope for, as we outplayed them all over the pitch. Need to analyse the goals against us..
I believe Ten Hag is a more attacking coach than he is showing so far but he is doing well to adapt so I would say he had them setup to counter attack more so they were willing to give up some possession. Someone like Conte will relish watching this tape to because like Mourinho they specialize in letting you have the ball then hitting you hard on the break or press you into mistakes which we were also vulnerable to.
We have been saying boys will learn and Arteta will learn. Not seeing any learning in this match. This was peak Wenger defending. Doesn’t everyone knew that with a 2-3-5 that we play we are always vulnerable for counters. Lets see if they are able to recover and win the next game. All would be forgotten, if not this season will be a repeat of last.
First off, we were immature and that’s why we lost by that score….. but that challked off goal is the equal of giving the soft penalty to Spurs in that last game.
Absent that, we would have had a draw.. at least!
Worst for me was how we played after equalizing… that was the second turning point, and it was our own fault. We should have stayed within ourselves and kept it tight, then try to steal the win with Eddie and Emile in the final 10 minutes.
That was a Wenger (late Wenger) type performance from that point.
I think we all know that.
Positive…..
I see some magic in Vieira already. He’s going to force himself into selection for premier league games this season. Not just cups and Europa.
Wow is this stat true Arsenal 48 touches in the box only 3 shots while Utd 17 touches in the box and 6 shots.
It’s always a sad day to lose to that lot. I could not see the game as I had to go to Church with the family, time zone difference and all. From the comments on here and the analyses I have gleaned, we need to be changing the Paradigm at Old Trafford and be less adventurous right after scoring; like playing them at their own game.
On to the next game then, still top of the league table.
We played the football but they got the result. Indeed reminiscent of the last few seasons under Arsene as J has discerned and noted above. Other than the outcome, I enjoyed the game. Our lads played some lovely football and dominated possession but were not clinical with our chances, William and Martin missing two very presentable opportunities.
However, even after a defeat at OT, I feel strangely euphoric. We have a very fine football team, one brimming with skill, one full of promise and resolution; one to be very proud of.
Nice thoughts Stuart…
T.. I’m having problems getting my comments through
I was proud of our team yesterday. We bossed the majority of the game and made them look 2nd best. Maybe we were a little naive in giving away the 2nd and the substitutions were a little rash. But at the time I fullly supported what Arteta was trying to do. Then these so called critics come out and say we were outplayed. Utter cobblers.
Listening to them after the game Keane and Neville criticising Arteta made by blood boil. Those two of course had fantastic managerial career’s.
I still see too many times when we’re in good shooting positions but refrain and pass instead, eventually a pass will be under hit and the opportunity is lost, it’ll be interesting to see Eddie starting on Thursday, he needs 90 minutes and maybe our team, as good as it is needs him, someone whose first instinct is to go for goal rather than lay it off?
Great comments guys. Please repeat them on the next post.
New Post 🙂