The Chavs are coming to THOF and they currently have their third manager in charge for the 22-23 season! They are in a £600m free fall and just cannot shake off the dark curse that has befallen them.
So any sadness about our mini slump should really be kept in perspective. Fat Frank has said Mikel and Arsenal provide inspiration for patience and belief in the long strategy. Success is of course fragile and subjective. There are still plenty of Gooners who have doubt about Arteta, even though he made such gigantic steps forward with this young and talented squad.
We would like, actually need, a win tonight, but we must be wary of this wounded dog from West London. There’s plenty of quality and they know that our defence will always give you a chance at the Emirates.
We can now play without much stress. Man City caught up with us and will most likely win the league for the fourth time in five years. Let them have it. I really don’t care.
I like our Arsenal and I like to focus on, and enjoy, each and every game. I like our growth and togetherness. I like our youthfulness, I like our journey and I love Arteta.
Bring on the Chavs. Let’s play with our hearts on our sleeves once more.
Bukayo to score a brace.
What iis your prediction?
Come on you Rip Roaring Gunners.
By TotalArsenal
(Peter Barany is having a blog sabbatical)
Bergkampesque 
I am not sure I like the gamble with Kiwor coming in for Holding, in a game as this. Maybe Arteta believes the pressure is off and we are in summer mood but this is a derby.
Meanwhile, ex-Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has replaced Thomas Partey in the Arsenal starting lineup while Trossard comes in for Martinelli, who is on the bench.
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Jorginho, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Trossard
Chelsea XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Fofana, Silva, Chilwell; Fernandez, Kante, Kovacic; Madueke, Aubameyang, Sterling.
Subs to follow.
Arsenal Subs: Turner, Holding, Tierney, Partey, Vieira, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Martinelli, Nketiah
Chelsea Subs: Mendy, Badiashile, Chalobah, Gallagher, Loftus-Cheek, Mudryk, Ziyech, Havertz, Felix
Thanks Total. A prediction?.. Hmmm, hopefully 3-1 to the Arsenal. Auba to have a stinker.
Enjoy the break PB. Miss your forensics, mate.
An Auba stinker is a good shot, Stu.
Eris, we needed to change something, don’t you think?
Unfortunately I will be in the air for a couple of hours now. So I am hoping for a nice surprise when I arrive in Holland.
CoyrrGs ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽
Better attack well because we look really weak with Kiwior and Jorg.
Not confident at all
I like the need to tinker but for me, that won’t be Kiwor for Holding. Unless Arteta knows something we don’t about his ability to cope. All I know of him are short YouTube clips where he looked the real deal, playing on the left side of CB.
Trossard for any of the front three is a good shout. Tierney for Zinchenko would be another for me. Partey remains a useful presence and with what Chelsea have on offer, I would go with Partey and Jorginho. But, what do I know?
COYG!
Have a safe trip, TA. I hope you get your wish. ✈️
All good points, Eris.
Kiwior is simply playing to put a smile on our very own Kiwi’s face. He deserves it, don’t you think?
Good point, Stan. Attack, attack attack
Thanks Eris
3-0 at HT in a London derby shouldn’t be frowned at, I know that – but … honestly, Chelsea have become an Unidentified Footballing Object, haven’t they?
I wish my 3-y-o grandson had had a trial for The Arsenal tonight, in any position, I really do
Wow just landed and what a nice half time score. Arteta knows. 🙂
That’s a fast couple of hours, TA. 😅
Chelsea are a shadow of themselves but we do need the 3 points and some goals to boot. So, ordinarily, we should be coasting. In view of recent scorelines, I say we don’t let up, keep at it and not give them a shoe in. Ramsdale deserves to get a 13th clean sheet in the league, this season.
Still a long half to play.
Yes there was tail wind, Eris… Or the pilot is a Gooner. 🙂
Must admit I was a trifle nervous at 2-0 after recent events, but the boys have moved with a sublime efficiency. MO8 has got his groove on, his work rate is astonishing, his passing and finishing world class. Love to see his first hattrick for Arsenal.
UFO, good one, LG.
Auba off….. 😁
We are top of the league, we are top of the league!
Yeah, we are top of the league! I am a West ham fan tomorrow.
UFO, LeGall. Love it. 🤣
Oh where is the joy guys?!
Hey Stu, what are the lottery numbers?
Try 1886’71’89’04, Kevski…
I’m on it
Lol.
GN5, here my predictions for the weekend’s selections:
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace * D (2-2)
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa. D
Liverpool v Brentford * H (2-1)
Newcastle United v Arsenal A
West Ham United v Manchester United H
Roma v Inter Milan * A (1-2)
Tottenham vs C Palace……Home (3-1)
Wolves vs Aston Villa……….Away
Liverpool vs Brentford…….Home (3-1)
Newcastle vs Arsenal………Away
West Ham vs ManUnited..Home
Roma vs Inter Milan………….Draw (1-1)
Thanks GN5.
Tottenham vs C Palace…1-1
Wolves vs Aston Villa…A
Liverpool vs Brentford.2-0
Newcastle vs Arsenal…A
West Ham vs Man U..H
Roma vs Inter Milan.. 1-1
Having watched the Chelsea game a second time, I wonder about the need to change up our team earlier when we have developed a lead. I love Zinchenko and his inverted role, but he was sleeping at the wheel when Madueke scored for Chelsea. He was also guilty of poor defending against TAA to allow Liverpool back into the game.
We attack fiercely and fruitfully from the first whistle, develop a lead but then can falter in the second half. Introducing Tierney (a more natural defender) earlier for Zinnie, and bringing on Jorginho to play a double pivot and help maintain possession earlier in the game (ideally when we have a two goal lead, which has been the case in three of our last five games), would shore us up and help us manage the game and produce more points. What do you think, boys? Shall I give Mikel a call? 🧐
Watched Brighton this morning, such a good team, I can see them taking points off City.
We might well regret selling Tierney in the summer although I appreciate that funds need to be raised to strengthen in other areas. At least if Aston Villa, Newcastle and who knows else might be interested the prospect of the transfer fee climbing towards the £50m mark may not be out of the question – and why not, he’s that good?
As for the Crystal Palace centre-back we’re linked with, that looks a sensible move and if Fresneda is brought in that’ll give Arteta both Ben White and Guehi as well as Tomiyasu as options for Saliba.?
You know I’m minded of the time Arsenal went into 1987/88 season with Tony Adams, David O’Leary and Gus Ceasar as our centre-backs – anyone who lived through that period will know where I’m going…
Anyway Arsenal reached the League Cup final and faced Luton Town Town. O’Leary had been ruled out through injury so Adams partnered Ceasar at the back in the final.
Luton led 1-0 and then Arsenal roared back into the game, scored 2 goals and missed a penalty, no worries we were cruising to a second successive League Cup triumph.
And then….. Gus Ceasar made a series of mistakes and Luton equalised and won in the dying minutes 3-2 leaving George Graham traumatised.
He never forgot losing that final and losing out on honours due to insufficient quality cover in the heart of our defence and from there he signed Steve Bould, Colin Pates, Andy Linighan and re-signed Martin Keown over the next three years leaving us with more centre halves than programme sellers – yep, George never forgot.
And maybe Mikel will go down a similar path after the experience of the last few weeks?
Brentford are reportedly sniffing around Flo Balogun which of course engineers the suggestion of a swap deal between the West London club and the Gunners involving Balogun and Ivan Toney. Now I like Toney, he doesn’t give a feck and isn’t bothered by reputations, much as Ian Wright, so he’d face up in some of those tough away games like Anfield and Old Toilet, so it’s a deal I’d support.
But I ain’t sure that Balogun would fancy Brentford, not with top Italian, French and English clubs interested – anyway, watch this space?
I would love to see Declan Rice at Arsenal, I think he’d love it and would develop into a world class centre-mid, much as Mudryk would have developed into a world class forward but now will be Chelsea’s Pepe…
All the same there is a limit on what Arsenal can afford on any one single player and if the plan is to bring in 5 or 6 reinforcements then the available funds will need to be spread out and that why I can see Rice moving elsewhere and Arsenal going for a Levia or a Caicido instead, maybe both hopefully. Tielemans is also not out of the question either if Mason Mount is stupid money?
Yes Kev, Rice would add spice to the team. You just feel he is going to come to THOF.
Good question Stu. I think you are spot on re Zinchenko. He is an opportunist and needs the tempo to be high and us push up. But once the opposite happens he struggles a bit. Tierney is much more a natural defender.
Where there’s a will …
https://www.espn.com/soccer/real-sociedad/story/4513541/real-sociedad-are-in-laligas-title-race-and-theyre-doing-it-by-developing-talent-from-within
(“Why not? Why not do it their own way? Why not be different? Why not compete like this? Why not win? Above all: Why not be ourselves?”)
The thing is LeG you’re talking about a club that’s only won the LaLiga title twice, the last time was over 40 years ago.
You are a dreamer, Le Gall. 🙂
Great article, LG. Love the ideas of “cuadrillas and sociedades gastronomicas”. The second would especially appeal to your Gallic sensibilities. While the title is now beyond them, they deserve so much respect. Youngest team in La Liga rings a bell.
Kev, I remember the Luton final. It took along time for that disappointment to dissipate. Poor ol’ Gus, his name became a byword, but in reality he was a fine fellow and a fine footballer, just thrown in out of his depth.
So looking forward to the challenge at St James. My best mate growing up in West Auckland was a Geordie boy who emigrated to NZ in 1973. He had stood on the Gallowgate End with his Da’, an experience he could never find the likes of here in Downunder. He saw Malcolm MacDonald play in the black and white before his move to The Arsenal and remembered singing, “Supermac, super star, how many goals have you scored so far…”.
Stuart, I’m in agreement that if Zinnie and Thomas start, Tierney and Jorginho should be brought on earlier if we are at least two goals up.
It’s being reported that West Ham are eyeing silly money (£100m) for Rice. If that is the case we should look elsewhere, even if I believe that he would be a great fit for us and would love to see him playing at the home of football.
Anything above £60-£70m for Rice would be over the top but you won’t blame the hammers for setting it up for a bidding war, irrespective of what the player himself wants. If that is the case, go for Romero Lavia. That kid is the real deal and would suit us as a proper replacement for Partey, long term.
It will be a difficult game at St. James’ park and we will do well to get a point out there, ordinarily. But we need a win and nothing else so, stay calm, play your game, shut the crowd up early and hold on to whatever you get in the early minutes of the game. Nothing fancy, just graft and grind out the win.
Romeo Lavia**
Looks like Gabriel would be fit enough to start. Phew! No way I’d feel confident going out there without him. The question then is: Jakub Kiwior or Rob Holding?
That is good news, Eris. BIG Gab is a bonus.
Hoping for a good day for our attackers. Oily Magpies are hard to score against and they will love running into the space we leave behind the highline, so lwe need to be at our best to beat them.
Kiwior I hope…
Interesting theme coming via Arsenal insiders seem to suggest that Arteta has been working intently on Smith Rowe in order to convert him into an alternative to Xhaka, reminds me of Martinelli when many seemed to think that Arteta didn’t like him and was freezing him out of the club.
I mean why spend millions on a Mason Mount type when you have the solution already in situ?
New Post 🙂