Tornado upfront, Wall of PartAka in midfield, and the Four Bigs in defence: Arsenal Lineup/ Preview

TotalArsenal

Arsenal are playing the Whites of Leeds today and it promises to be a veritable feast of football for the eye and soul. Shame it’s not on TV.

Marsch’s team, just like Bielse’s before him, like to play intense, attacking football. It is the sort of football that is the opposite of what grim reaper, Conte, likes to serve up to the World.

Since the CL football years around the change of millenniums, Leeds have had a long road to get back to regular PL football. Bielse seemed to be untouchable at Elland Road and at the basis of the club’s strategy to remain in the PL and gradually move upwards in the table. The man with the iron knees who preferred to watch the game at the height of most four-legged creatures really seemed to fit the essence of the Whites. But he got sacked anyway and Marsch is quietly doing a decent job…. And the footie has remained a joy to watch.

Arsenal can make it a phenomenal 9/10 wins in the PL or 11/12 in all competitions. The team is on fire but will now face four away games out of five remaining PL fixtures before the disgraceful folly in the sandpit takes place.

Lineup

Ramsdale

BigB, BigW, BigG, BigT

Wall of PartAka

Buka, Ode, Marti

The Tornado (Eddie if unfit)

There is doubt about GJ9’s fitness but most other key players are available, so that is good news. Knowing how motivated Gabriel is I reckon he will start and perform his unrelenting tornado-ball 🌪 ⚽ at Elland Road. His younger soul-brother, Martinelli, and brilliant Bukayo will also create mayhem and despair in Leeds’defence.

We need the Ode to strut his finest stuff behind them and the Wall of PartAka to hold firm and press Leeds right back into their own half.

Our defence will be tested especially if the excellent Bamford will indeed be fit to start.

It will be lively and hopefully Arsenal come out on top. The media is only salivating over the Pool-Citeh game this weekend, with little or no respect to the League leaders. Well, let them have it. Arsenal just keep going and a win today will make the outcome at Anfield a trifle for us. Let’s stay TotL.

By TotalArsenal

83 thoughts on “Tornado upfront, Wall of PartAka in midfield, and the Four Bigs in defence: Arsenal Lineup/ Preview”

  • Stu, thanks for painting such a wonderfully vivid picture of the wedding you took part in, in my minds eye I could see all the dancing during the ceremony, it must have been a moving spectacle.

    Today is a day for tired and aching limbs to dig deep into muscle memory, to do the right stuff, get the points and get out of Dodge. I’m confident that Eddie can lead the line on his old stomping ground and earn us the win.

  • Daughter just turned up – unannounced – with boyfriend
    Not excessively fond of the boy, I confess (I know I shouldn’t, my son – always the white knight for his kid sister – calls me neanderthal for it, but the guy’s just too much of a chatterbox for my taste)
    If he’s still washing my ears with job gossip by 1;55pm, might just turn into an orca catching sight of a baby seal …

  • Just tell him very firmly LeG that L’Arsenal are about to kick off and to shut thy gob.

    Alternatively invite him to watch the game with you and educate him into the nuances of being a Gunner.

  • Response to comment from previous thread:

    Stuart, that was such a vivid description of the wedding. Must have been quite the spectacle. Bank note “spraying” is a Nigerian tradition at any event where dancing is involved. It looks to be catching on globally, as I am starting to see Europeans and Americans do the same. Inter-border marriages, the Internet and YouTube generally must be responsible.

    Managed to see 70 mins of the Europa League game with Bodo/Glimt. Maybe, after reading some of the analyses expressed here, I approached the watch expecting a poor performance. Well, all I can say is we didn’t look half bad, to be honest, playing at the home of a good team on a plastic pitch and with a fair few regulars rested.

    The hosts put up a spirited display and were aggressive but we held our own and frankly, if they scored a goal, we looked capable of getting another to keep things respectable. They didn’t have a shot on goal in the first half and only stirred things up in the second. The flow of the game will serve us better than if we were to have had things all our own way. Like a wake up call too.

  • Fine preview, TA. Looking forward to the game and a win. Of course, Leeds aren’t going to make it easy.

    I hope to see GJ9 upfront, even though I won’t be concerned if it were to be Eddie. He should be raring to go against his old teammates (albeit, a few changes to that side). Must keep an eye on Bamford too; he looks to be regaining match sharpness from the last game they played.

    COYG!

  • Nice preview and a very probable line-up.

    I wish Bamford would start at Leeds and Eddie leading our attack.
    Remember a couple of years ago Nketiah was on loan at Ellen road, back in their Championship time. And while Eddie showed superior results and statistics than Patrick, eventually he was mad Bamford’s deputy, irrespective of both Arsenal and Leeds supporters demanding to give more time to Nketiah.
    Today is payback time, and Eddie will ride them down like a teaser pony.

  • Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Jesus

    Subs: Turner, Tierney, Cedric, Holding, Lokonga, Vieira, Nelson, Marquinhos, Nketiah

  • Arteta’s dropped Tierney for Tomiyasu again. Let’s hope he has had his hands around his shoulder to assure him of some fair game time. That’s unnerving.
    I am surprised Bamford is starting from the bench for them. Rodrigo is also a hungry player, to be fair. Need to salience the crowd first….

  • I think it’s perfect rotation…,didn’t KT do 90 on Thursday? Hopefully it will even out enough to keep most players happy.
    Plus we’re always saying we have to be careful because of Tierneys fragility. This is how you do it.

  • Kev, you’re much more of a diplomat than I’ve ever been, mate
    Anyway, a narrow escape but … FREE AT LAST
    COYG COYG

  • Our game is delayed owing to a malfunction of Central official’s communication device.

    What that will do to added on time…..

  • LeGall, that’s hilarious. You really don’t like the man, do you? I do hope you do not let on to your daughter that you have such sentiments about her man. 😂

  • Lively game, but a wasteland of opportunities so far
    BigBill’s maturity hardly believable
    GabMart pressing hard on the brakes to spin on the outside of his right foot has been spotted by video departments, or so it seems
    Bukayo looks like the guy having what it takes to break the deadlock
    Come on kiddo

  • Our passing was off for most of the beginning.. only Xhaka at normal good level. Passing Improved as things moved on. We’re going out of our way to play out the back.. much more than any other games this season. Definitely a strategy to draw their pressers.
    Saka hot goal into the roof.

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  • Sounds like it is edge of the seat stuff for fans of our club today. Timed my trip to coincide with original game schedule. Now, I couldn’t see the second half.

    Hope we get the win. That would be two difficult games Away, in a row.

  • I love Kavanagh
    I love VAR
    I love Oliver
    I love the PGMO
    I love Bamford
    I love the Leeds fans givin’ us the finger
    I love my son-in-law
    Glo-ri-ous Sunday
    YEAH!!!!

  • They had us shakey. Saliba had an even bigger error before the handball, but Rambo saved him.

    Today proves the saying, I’d rather be lucky than good.

  • Following the game from the BBC website was purgatory especially as Pat Nevin was desperate for us to concede, the Scottish rat, but we didn’t showing again that a winning team coached properly can keep on winning even when playing below standard and now I’m going to enjoy some Singapore fried noodles to celebrate. Mon appetite. 😉

  • Thank goodness! Guess we have to expect days like this one. 3 points and still top of the league for another round of games.

  • Fabulous comments by Kev, Le Gall, Eris and New York wisest Gooner.

    Managed to listen to most of the game on Arsenal.com. Nerve-wracking but what a fine result in the end. It looks like a Sunday with few PL goals. Saka’s one means three points and another statement.

  • Ha! You guys are so funny. Great first half but the second half was “50 minutes of breathe holding” indeed. We “got out of Dodge” alright. Bukayu as a son in law, superseded at the final whistle by the boyfriend…
    Sala just scored. Wooohooo! Sleep is calling me but let’s finish the night 4 points clear. Klopp sees red…

  • I’d just thought I’d let you lot know that as of today, Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Xhaka, Saka, Martinelli and Jesus all made their 10th Premier League appearance of the season today…

    And why is that important I hear you cry in unison, well my dear fellows, it’s means that the above have all made enough appearances to qualify for a medal when we win the League…

  • Ha ha, Kev. I thought you about to write, Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Xhaka, Saka, Martinelli and Jesus are all in the running to be Le Gall’s son in law… He might have added Allison and Mo to that list.
    I had a good hour kip but had to get up to read the reports, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Not just the results but big decisions going in our favour.

  • Yes Stuart, getting all these favourable decisions from VAR/PGMOL is making me feel a bit queasy, it’s just that I can5 escape from the feeling that they’re setting us up for a big fall, hope I’m wrong.

  • Well, let’s enjoy the sun while it’s shining. I watched the highlights of the other matches from this morning. How Sancho wasn’t awarded a penalty astonishes (but pleases) me.

    I just noticed your logo, Kev. I have that cap badge. Always liked it.

  • My son just turned 5, and we had his birthday celebration yesterday. I did my best to invite the family members right after the game was supposed to end, but the technical difficulties induced delay caused me to miss the entire second half – which in hindsight might have been a blessing.
    Therefore I cannot share my own opinion about strong and weak individual performances, however I must say that people are terribly gullible, and prone to take the commentators interpretation as their on beliefs. I have read about a dozen player ratings from the game – of which I’m well aware being unhealthy – and most gave Gabriel Magalhães a 4 or 5, while he was the man of the match on WhoScored and Squawka: https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1581673026135142402

    By the way, commentaries. I managed to follow the first half in a stream of the Astro Supersports broadcast. And I have never seen me making such comments, but they were really positive and unbiased, saying only good things about players of both teams. It was an enthusiastic take on an exciting first half, which I did enjoy. And while I wasn’t shy to point out on Thursday that Saka’s goal was an extremely lucky deflection, last night not only his execution was class, but his decision making too: not many wingers would have even considered trying to score from that angle.

    Anyway, we are 4 points ahead of Manchester City, I would celebrate it with some Singapore fried noodles if I had some. Nevertheless I have some mango & white chocolate cake leftover from yesterday, that will do. 🙂

  • Yes Stu, it’s origins are from the 1930’s as many of our best traditions are.
    That one I think has 1951/52 under it.

  • Peter, I should have said Singapore Spicy Noodles but the excitement of the day got the better of me but they were a triumph.

    Happy Birthday to your son, did you get him some Ferenc Puskas football boots?

    Yes, the commentary on TV is the bane of my life but it’s quite good when listening to a language you don’t understand and probably makes as much sense as the dimwits commentating in English

  • Good morning all. that was a real squeaker but we were resilient and favoured by VAR. This really is the coming of the new Arteta style Gunners!

    I just scanned through the comments and two things struck me.

    Firstly I’m shocked that you cannot get live EPL games in the UK – surely there must be “boxes” available, like Chrome cast or Bee Link that carry the games (may not be too legal – but frankly who gives a hoot).
    Secondly the game commentators completely spoil a game for me – so most times I mute the sound.

  • Here are last weekends results from our competition:-

    For the week:-

    1st Stuart with 5/6 and bonus for most correct predictions = 9 points
    2nd Total, Madhu & OX10 with 4/6 = 4 points
    5th Eris, Kev & GN5 with 3/6 = 3 points
    8th Le Gall with 2/6 = 2 points
    “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
    Season to date:-

    1st OX10 with 46.8
    2nd Kev with 45.8
    3rd Total with 37.33
    4th Eris with 36.13
    5th Stuart with 35.00
    6th Madhu with 32.80
    7th GN5 with 27.33
    8th Le Gall with 25.8
    “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
    Well done Stuart big week with 9 points and moving up one place in the seasons standings.
    GN5 & Le Gall are both lingering far off in the background trying to get out acts together!

  • Here are next weekends selections:-

    Everton v Crystal Palace *
    Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion
    Chelsea v Manchester United *
    Southampton v Arsenal
    Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United
    Real Betis v Atlético Madrid *

  • Thanks, Kev, for your wishes.
    I have to admit, that my son is not particularly keen (yet?) on football.

    He used to watch some parts of the Arsenal games from my lap, but I assume he preferred watching the monitor more than the match as he doesn’t join me for afternoon games any more. (He is restricted to 45 minutes of display time [TV/monitor/tablet/phone] a day, which he usually spends on Paw Patrol, Fireman Sam and the YouTube channel Coilbook, so he enjoyed some extra minutes back then, but apparently Martinelli is less exciting as saving Adventure Bay.) In the kindergarten he is not keen on ball games either, especially when there are options involving bicycle or sandbox.
    Maybe in a few years I can tell him about Saka, but currently we are far from a Puskas boot.

  • Hi, P.
    Hope you and your family had a great time (sure you did; what’s the typical magyar menu on such a day?)
    Gooner kit by the birthday cake? (1970-1971 home and away, my all-time favorites)
    Say happy birthday for me to your Big Boy

  • Everton 0 Crystal Palace 1
    Manchester City Brighton & Hove Albion H
    Chelsea 1 Manchester United 2
    Southampton Arsenal A
    Tottenham Hotspur 1 Newcastle United 3
    Real Betis 2 Atlético Madrid 2

  • Hadn’t read your answer to Kev, P.
    At that age, my son wasn’t very keen on ball games either; then came teen-age, and he turned out to be a very good basket-ball player, and now he coaches BB professionally
    You never know …

  • Happy Birthday to your son, PB. I have three sons, none of whom have retained an interest in football. I took two of them to the Emirates, coached their junior teams, bribed them, explained patiently from the bible to them that football is next to godliness. All to little avail. They do, however each have Arsenal shirts hanging in their wardrobes, engage with me in our meal time convo’s about the Arsenal, and know not to show interest in the fortune of other clubs, unless they are misfortunes.

    Thanks GN5. Did we award points for the predictions for the first 10 games?

    Everton v Crystal Palace * D 1-1
    Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion H
    Chelsea v Manchester United * H 2-1
    Southampton v Arsenal A
    Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United D
    Real Betis v Atlético Madrid * A 0-1

  • Just glancing through NewsNow as ya do and ignoring 95% of it, as ya do, but I did notice a couple of headlines stating ‘It’s a joke’ by Richard Keys which I of course didn’t click on as that fat slug Keys suffers from ‘Arteta derangement syndrome’ and never says anything worth listening to, but I was pleased that another Arsenal win sent him over the edge and long may that be the case…

  • That Saka goal was awesome. Imagine scoring one like that with your weaker foot!

    Big Gab is worrying me no end. And also the fact that we do not have a left footed proper replacement for him.

    Resilience of the team is so good.

  • Everton v Crystal Palace * 1-1
    Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion H
    Chelsea v Manchester United * 2-1
    Southampton v Arsenal D
    Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United H
    Real Betis v Atlético Madrid * 1-3

  • Total, I’m not too worried about Gabriel myself, yes he makes the odd mistake and he does get emotional but that’s because he cares and he wants to win, Tony Adams made mistakes, Laurent Koscielny made mistakes, Xhaka makes mistakes, it happens, he’s still young in centre back terms, I bet that at 24 that VVD made mistakes, Arteta will straighten him out.

    We do have a couple of players one yellow away from a suspension though and that’s a worry.

  • Kev,

    Yes Big Gab makes mistakes and his youthfulness is a valid excuse. It’s his lack of calm and reaction to being winded up that worries me. And the fact that we do not have a suitable replacement right now.

  • I guess the home game v Nottingham Forest is a good one for sitting out a game, so another tactical yellow v the Saints may not be a bad thing. We need the full team v Chavs.

  • Good morning all,

    I apologize if I’ve not responded to folks over the last little while but I’ve been preoccupied with medical appointments – all favourable results so far.

    Stuart YOU were the clear winner of the points prediction competition for the first nine games, correctly predicting eight out of nine games and predicting twenty five points with the actual being twenty four.

    But no extra points were planned to be awarded to the winner. Personally I feel that awarding extra points would distort the overall results, but I’m open to letting the majority of BKers decide if we should and how many points would be awarded – but regardless the first nine games are done and dusted.

  • Nice one, PB. Do extend my birthday wishes to your boy, at 5. Like LeGall posits, you never know; at least, not at such an age. He could turn out to be a keen baller by 9.

    GN5, great work with the report on the predictions game. Glad to hear about your positive medicals too. When you are as active as some of your posts infer, the result is great health. So, carry on GunnerN5! 😉

  • Nice going, Stu. Really big week for you. I am just starting to get warm now, so here goes, with my predictions for the weekend:

    Everton v Crystal Palace * H 2-1
    Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion H
    Chelsea v Manchester United * H 2-1
    Southampton v Arsenal A
    Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United H
    Real Betis v Atlético Madrid * A 0-1

  • PB, Belated happy birthday to your son.
    I coached my son in junior football, unfortunately he was devoid of eye foot coordination. However but put a tennis racket or a set of darts in his and he simple incredible. He shot a perfect game of darts when he was just 13 years old- 301 straight in double out (180 – 60 – 11 -Bullseye). He scared most of his junior opponents as he would switch hands mid throw – completely ambidextrous. By the time he was 18 I found it very difficult to beat him and I was no slouch myself.

  • Thanks for all the kind wishes, guys.

    Le Gall, I have to admit despite – or maybe because of – being born and raised in Budapest I’m more cosmopolitan than traditionally Hungarian, at least when cuisine in concerned.
    So even for such occasion we didn’t opt for local dishes, but my wife cooked French onion soup (with homemade Parmesan croutons), while I tried to adapt Jamie Oliver’s harissa chicken recipe to the gorgeous piece of pork belly we had at home. But the evening turned out great, partly thanks to the boys at Elland road. 🙂

  • Thanks for sharing the good news, GN5. And for getting my saliva glands working, PB. Reads like quite a feast.

    Here it is Bro Eris. The second instalment in our salute to the sixties.
    It’s dark, very dark, a profound cry for help in the midst of a world going mad. It’s from the summer of ’69. Play it loud.
    Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the Rolling Stones…

  • My prediction sorry a bit late you can ignore the ones done already if midweek games are here.
    Everton v Crystal Palace 1-2
    Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion H
    Chelsea v Manchester United * 2-1
    Southampton v Arsenal A
    Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United D
    Real Betis v Atlético Madrid * 0-1

  • If Arsenal reaches the final of the EL I’ll be there in the Puskas stadium (hoping for a revenge on Barcelona for the famous CL final). Maybe meeting some of you in the process. 🙂

    Thanks for the recommendations, Le Gall. We use red onions for the soup, too, but I assume not all red onions are the same, and Roscoff should be the top of the chart, like Kobe for beef. Unfortunately I found only a few Hungarian results on the search, and mostly processed products available, including a Roscoff and algae confit (for €18 / 100g), but at least I’m aware of it now.
    I keep the Parisian restaurant in mind to taste that onion soup. When you are not paying for the food itself, but for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, then price becomes secondary.

  • Great video Stu, I’ll give it a 9 considering that it’s aged so well, the song reminds me of the Viet Nam war and The Goodfellows, I’ll give the song a 9, always liked the Stones even if I was more of a Beatles man.

  • Interesting to see Omari Hutchinson citing the success of Saka and Smith Rowe as the main reason he left Arsenal for Chelsea, stating that they blocked off his path to the first team, is that so? The report also states that:

    The report adds that Hutchinson is also one of the best-paid players in the Blues’ youth setup after their offer trumped Arsenal’s. However, it wasn’t a deciding factor for the exciting attacker, who is hungry to soon cash in on intensifying calls for him to receive a senior debut.

    ‘Cash in’ maybe is the the salient point methinks?

  • Everton v Crystal Palace * H (1-2)
    Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion H
    Chelsea v Manchester United * H (3-1)
    Southampton v Arsenal A
    Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United A
    Real Betis v Atlético Madrid * A (1.3)

  • My own personal journey began with this:

    1971, The Stones and Charlie George, that’s how you end up teaching English to French students!!
    Disturbing relevance of the text in 2022, but then again Jagger might be the most underrated lyricist in rock music
    Thanks, Stu …

  • Good bit of intel, Kev. Maybe Martin Keown should be invited into the home dug out…
    Let me know if you can get tickets for the final, PB. I may well be back in Europe next year and Buda is one of my fave haunts. Your cooking sounds like its worth buying a ticket for, too.
    9 is a worthy score, Kev. The song sits up there with the much misunderstood “Sympathy for the devil”, a song which lyrics make for a good sermon.
    That’s a good call, LG. 1971 is perhaps history’s finest year for songs (and for cup final winning goals). And the Glimmer twins are up there with John & Paul, Paul & Art and Elton & Bernie as the greatest ever song writing duos.

  • I agree a 9 is just about right for the song. As for the video, (which doesn’t look like a music video, to be fair) being from the 60s and just for the Kaleidoscope of moving colours, I would give an 8.

    Never listened to much from the Rollings tones, but have great respect for power of their lyrics.

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