Author: TotalArsenal

Arsenal welcome the Cottagers to the Home of Football who will also be playing their second London Derby of the season today – they will play four in their first five matches, with Spuddies and Chavs to come.

Silva’s men have started brightly with a well earned draw against last season’s runners-up, a draw away to Wolves and a narrow 3-2 home win v Brentford.

They play with both discipline and freedom and Silva clearly is a good manager. They will come to us with confidence and a nothing to lose attitude, and Arsenal are in for a battle. Anyone who has already banked the three points for this game should think again. This will be a good tactical battle and Arteta and Silva will relish it.

Mikel’s first task is to get rid of any complacency; this is a potential banana skin. Silva has a nice combo of attackers with Mitrovic a classical CF in the mould of Shearer, and the beautifully named De Cordova-Reid a more mobile, dribbler type of player. It will be good to see how Mitrovic l, three PL goals already, and Jesus, the King of goals/assists, will play in attack today.

In midfield there is also a good skill set with the likes of Palhinha, Reed, Carney and Pereira. I don’t think they will come to park the bus but will want to play passing football. Yes they will concede most likely, but they know they can score goals too. So I am expecting an open, proper modern football game tonight. Those who prefer ‘real men’ football may want to watch some old tapes instead 😅

This is of course also the battle of the goalkeepers, and Bernd should get a great welcome by the fans. Oh boy will he be up for this, and I am worried about him playing a worldy against us today.

Lineup….

Are we going to see any changes is the big question? No new injuries and they all had a week’s rest, so my money is on the same starting eleven.

We may see subs being made earlier, so the subs-police may be a bit happier today. We have another PL game midweek, so we should see more players being used this week. Maybe Arteta has a ‘squad-three-matches’ plan and will rest a few ‘first team’ players, today. White, Zinchenko, Martinelli and the Ode could for example be rested to start on Wednesday v Villa, with then Saliba, Xhaka, ESR and Eddie getting a rest. Let’s see how Mikel will approach this and the other two games in the coming weeks.

The Guardian’s predicted lineups:

Of course it is also OGAAT as the only thing Mikel can influence directly today is the game v the Cottagers.

My first ever Arsenal home game was v Fulham at Highbury. I had to watch it in the away section – the only way to get a ticket. They scored early on and were delighted for a couple of minutes… Then they realised they had poked a wasp nest; I could sense the fear. The game ended 4-1 with goals by TH, PV and Lauren. I will never forget the speed and athleticism of the Gunners that day, something you will notice so much more when you are live at a game.

Anyway, enjoy the game. CoyrrGs!

By TotalArsenal

Arsenal have drawn a Norwegian, Dutch and Swiss team in the UEFA League, and that sounds like a nice set of matches to come.

I am especially looking forward to the encounters with PSV.

The draw in full

Group A: Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Bodo/Glimt, Zurich

Group B: Dynamo Kyiv, Rennes, Fenerbahce, AEK Larnaca

Group C: Ludogorets, Real Betis, HJK Helsinki

Group D: Braga, Malmo, Union berlin, Union Saint-Gilloise

Group E: Manchester United, Real Sociedad, FC Sheriff, Omonoia

Group F: Lazio, Feyenoord, Midtjylland, Sturm Graz

Group G: Olympiakos, Qarabag, Freiburg, Nantes

Group H: Red Star Belgrade, Monaco, Ferencvaros, Trabzonspor

A lot was made of Arsenal just missing out on CL football last season, but our developing team really will benefit from playing these sort of components and, hopefully, better ones in the next few rounds, this season.

So our next European adventure takes us to the Norwegian and Swiss mountains and pancake land. Bring it on.

By TotalArsenal

Arsenals Top Seasons 1947-48

1947 was a milestone year in the life of GunnerN5, I spent endless hour’s playing football with my mates on Avenell Road we kicked a rag football (made by my mum) about using the main gate into Highbury as our goal. We were in awe of all the supporters as they streamed in and out of Highbury on Saturday afternoon’s wishing we could be inside with them. The Oh’s and Ah’s coming from the ground always left us wondering what was happening  but we knew when the Gunners had scored as that caused the biggest roar of all.

My maternal Grandfather changed my life when he gave me the best birthday present I’d  received – for my birthday he took me to my very first Arsenal game – it was November 22^nd 1947 Arsenal vs Huddersfield Town and we won 2-0. That game was the start my life long journey of supporting the Arsenal and it was capped off with us winning the League Championship.

WW11 was over but our ground in Highbury had not been spared from war damage; the North Stand had been extensively damaged by fire causing the roof to collapse plus the South Stand terracing was badly damaged and in need of repair.  The debts from the construction of the ground and the costs of repairing the war damage were a heavy financial burden, and Arsenal struggled when competitive football resumed. The war had also cut short the careers of many of the club’s star players, including Cliff Bastin and Ted Drake and sadly nine of the pre-WW11 players lost their lives during the war.

The Football League resumed for the 1946-47 season and Arsenal finished a disappointing 13th. After close to forty years with the Arsenal George Allison retired at the end of the season, and was replaced by his assistant Tom Whittaker, who had been the clubs trainer under Herbert Chapman, with Joe Shaw joining him from Chelsea.

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Arsenal kicked off the1947/48 season with a 3-1 victory over Sunderland at Highbury, an ideal start for the new management team. Leslie Compton, the previous club Captain (who had been playing cricket for Middlesex Cricket Club), returned to Arsenal and they won their next six games.  Joe Mercer had been Arsenal’s Captain in Compton’s absence but Whittaker felt that now Compton was back he should, once again, lead the team but Compton felt differently and persuaded Whittaker to keep Joe on as the clubs Captain.

They remained unbeaten in the first 17 games of the season, winning 12 and drawing 5 before they lost 0-1 away to Derby County in the 18^th game. Arsenal were the dominant team of the season and were ahead of the other final top teams from the 2^nd game of the season onward – as shown in the following table.

The Arsenal 1948/48 team consisted on many of the era great players –

Walley Barnes – (WAL) Full back    

 Denis Compton – (ENG) Outside Left     

 Les Compton – (ENG) Centre half   

 Alf Fields – Centre half    

 Alex Forbes – (SCO) Wing half    

 Bryn Jones – (WAL) Inside forward    

 Reg Lewis – (ENG) Centre forward     

 Jimmy Logie – (SCO) Inside forward   

 Archie MacAulay – (SCO) Inside Forward/Wing half    

 George Male – (ENG) Full back    

 Ian McPherson – (SCO) Winger     

 Joe Mercer – (ENG) Wing half    

 Ronnie Rooke – (ENG) Centre forward 

 Don Roper – (ENG) Winger     

 Laurie Scott – (ENG) Full back    

 Paddy Sloan – (NIR) Wing half     

 Lionel Smith – (ENG) Full back     

 George Swindin – (ENG) Goalkeeper    

 Joe Wade – (ENG) Full back     

 Ted Platt – Goalkeeper

Two of their most well known players were the Compton brothers.

Denis Compton CBE was born in Hendon on 23 May 1918.  He played in 78 Test Matches and played for Middlesex – his home county.  He was a slow left arm bowler, and cricket reports call him one of England’s most remarkable batsmen.   He scored 123 centuries in first-class cricket.   A stand at Lord’s is named in his honour. He started his football career at Nunhead in 1934/5 before moving to Arsenal, where he made his début in 1936.  He also played for England was of 38 years and 64 days; the oldest post-war England debutante and the oldest ever outfield player to début.

Leslie Compton was born in Woodford on 12 September 1912.  Like his brother he played cricket for Middlesex, but it was at football that he excelled. He came to Arsenal straight from Middlesex Schools, and played as an amateur in 1930 playing his first first-team game on 24 April 1932 against Aston Villa, just after turning pro. He started as a right back, but then when George Male took that place Denis went back into the reserves. His first medal came with the Charity Shield in 1938.  During the war he continued to play for Arsenal and, being converted to centre forward he apparently scored ten goals in one game against Leyton Orient. After the war however he moved into the centre of defence.  He missed a few games in 1947/8 because of his commitments to Middlesex (which must mean that Arsenal and Middlesex had a deal as to when he was available) he played for the rest of the season as Arsenal won the First Division title and both Comptons got their league winner’s medals.

The Compton’s are the only brothers ever to have won the League and County titles in football and cricket.

In the final Arsenal matchday programme of the 1947/48 League Championship winning season, ‘Marksman’ (aka Harry Homer), the programme editor of the day, wrote: “…my mind seeks an apt quotation with which to close this season which has been such a glorious one for Tom Whittaker, Joe Mercer and all connected with The Gunners. Shall we turn for once to Latin? ‘Victoria Concordia Crescit’. Translation: ‘Victory grows out of harmony.’”

Two seasons later and Arsenal unveiled its new crest which incorporated Marksman’s Latin maxim. Tom Whittaker explained in the 1949/50 handbook (which also included the new crest) that the Club had been impressed by Marksman’s motto and it had now been officially adopted by the Club. The new crest also featured ‘Arsenal’ in a gothic style typeface, the westward facing cannon, the Borough of Islington’s coat of arms and ermine. (courtesy of Arsenal.com)

GunnerN5

Three games gone and all is looking rosy for the boys in red and white. Of course it is early days but what nobody can take away is that we started very, very well. This is not just about the nine points from three games and being the sole TotL team right now, but a general sense of improvement in a number of key areas.

Arsenal areas of improvement:

1. The obvious one is the quality of our squad-depth. More than decent back up in defence and midfield, and we are almost there in attack. Rumours remain strong that Arsenal are after a left winger and they would allow Martinelli to play more regularly as our CF. I have said before that with Jesus we are effectively getting two CFs/attackers, as Martinelli is clearly growing under the tutelage of his ‘older brother’. Getting GJ9 was just such a clever move. I still believe Gakpo will come our way but any of the alternatives mentioned in the papers would also be an improvement.
2. Our currently ‘first-choice’ full backs may not be pure, classic ones but they are so effective in Arteta’s system. They can squeeze into midfield and form a wall with Xhaka and Partey. They can also get forward and interchange with the central midfielders, making it hard for opponents to pick any of them up. White and Zinchenko are no-nonsense defenders when it comes to it, with the only potential weakness of not being able to block out speedy wingers. Yet Xhaka and Partey are happy to help out then by doubling up. This is still a work in progress as especially on our left we have been porous a few times, as Leicester’s Maddison showed us last week. I really like the way Big Ben is developing his passing and crossing skills and he is getting better at this every week. With Tierney and Tomiyasu we have great back up and competition, allowing Mikel to rest and interchange players. It would not surprise me if Arteta will put either or both of White and Zinchenko in central midfield at times.
3. The central defence duo of Tequila and Big Gab is even stronger than the Big Ben/Big Gab one. Early days of course and sterner test will no doubt follow, but Saliba really is looking very calm, composed and decisive when it matters. This goes well with Big Gab who is by nature more explosive and extrovert. With Big Ben and Holdingho as back up we really cannot complain about our cover in central defence.
4. Our pressing has been so much better since the start of pre-season. Not only do we do it more, it is now also leading to dominance in the opposition half/box, and with three goals per game scored we are starting to see real payback from our concerted efforts. This is where Gab Jesus, and Xhaka’s presence higher up the pitch, really make a difference. Granit, Gabriel, Martinelli, Saka and especially the Ode are awesome pressers, helped very much by the likes of White, Partey and Zinchenko keeping it tight behind them. I thought Laca always gave his all when we were pressing but it did often result in what looked to me like fatigue when it came to taking his chances. With GJ9 we have a player who can press, dribble and take his chances for (best part of) 90 minutes. The man is simply electric – a turbo boost to the whole attack.
5. Goals and assists are coming from everywhere. Of course I would like GJ9 to become top scorer this season, but it is also important we don’t become over-reliant on him. We have goals by GJ (2), Martinelli (2), Saliba, Xhaka, Ode (2) and an OG (forced by Saka). We have assists by GJ (3), Xhaka (2), Zinch (1). This is just great. We have not even had any goals or assists by Saka and ESR yet, our two top scorers of last season, so there is more in the tank, much more. On top of that we have Eddie waiting in the wings who clearly knows how to find the net if given a chance.

I am fully aware that we will face some really tough challenges this season. The way Liverpool, MU and Chelsea have dropped points already against teams they should have beaten tells us this is going to be a tough season in which, on the day, any team can beat any team. That is why I believe so strongly in the OGAAT – One Game at a Time – approach. Remain humble and totally focused, see games out till the last minute, work as a unit and for each other, and celebrate every win as a huge one.

By TotalArsenal.

There’s a kind of hush all over the world tonight. All over the world you can hear the sound of Gooners in love…

Bournemouth is a beautiful town with a magnificent beach and some very friendly folk. Driving down from Taunton early gave me the opportunity for a visit to the towns best kept secret: the hidden gem of the Russell-Cotes Museum and Gallery, a walk on the pier and a swim in the sea, before making my way to the edge of town where stands the Vitality Stadium, the smallest in the Premier League hosting just 11,500 on a match day.

I had won a ballot for a seat in the Ted MacDougall (the original Supermac) stand, unfortunately amongst the Cherries fans, but close enough to the away section to appreciate and join with our red and white army who were in vociferous and feisty form. Songs new and old cascaded lovingly down the terrace flooding the ground with renditions of “O Rocky, Rocky”, The Viera song with “Senegal” changed to “Portugal” in honour of new boy Fabio, “Your only here to see The Arsenal” and, best of all, the new Saliba song, all winning the game off the pitch. GN5, I joined the chants on your behalf, mate, channelling my inner Cyril.

As for our boys on the pitch, a really dominant performance with some hugely impressive moments; Our captains two fine finishes. Jesus’ mesmerising Messiesque control and dribble leading to the first goal and drawing gasps of appreciation from even the Bournemouth fans. Saliba’s goal, so expertly laid on by Xhaka. The interesting positional interplay between Granite and Zinchenko, how are KT and Tomi going to earn their starting roles back with the form of our Ukrainian and Ben White? Nine points from our first three games. The last time we did that was in 2004. Dum, dum, dum. Hush now my beating heart.

By Stuart

After disturbing the Eagles’ nest and hunting down the Foxes, will we continue our unbeaten run today by doing some fine Cherries picking at Dean Court?

I remember picking cherries with my family on holiday in southern Germany. We picked and we ate like no tomorrow until we discovered that some had worms in them. The veritable feast turned on its head when some of us were sick. Let it be a warning for our boys today.

Well, our very own radiant Stu will be on location to oversee the process and boy is he hungry for some live Arsenal footie success!

Scott Parker is a fine manager who seems the ideal successor for the man who is happy to do a ‘see no evil, hear no evil’ at the Oily Barcodes, these days.

Parker’s hair almost rivals Mikel’s Lego head coiffure, but nobody, IMHO, dresses better than the former Charlton hero. The Cherries beat Villa at home and they will be full of confidence, and they will like the underdog role at home.

Many expect Arsenal to win and that always makes me a bit worried. The Big C of complacency could rear its ugly head today. Luckily, as All or Nothing is showing us, Arteta warns for this constantly and demands humility and focus. This is a big game, as really all our PL games are. Arsenal can stay joint top of the league with a win and let’s fight for 96 minutes to return home with the three precious points, and a beaming smile on Stu’s face.

Line up will most likely be unchanged. Maybe we see a change at full back, but I doubt it.

Saka to score. Odegaard to assist a couple.

By TotalArsenal

I finally managed to watch the entire game and what a joy it was. Here are my quick-fire 8 Observations:

1. Arsenal are so fit. It was very hot but the team played as if they were half way into the season. Leicester were well set up but eventually they had to crack as Arsenal’s tempo and pressing were too much to handle for them.
2. Gabriel Jesus, the terrible tornado, was mesmerising. Two goals and two assists and he could have had more. To work so hard and still be so clinical is the hardest thing to do in modern football, ask Laca! I feel sorry for those Foxes’ defenders: nobody should have to endure such recurring nightmares.
3. The partnership between Jesus and Martinelli is such a fruitful one, and Martinelli is blossoming under the tutelage of his older brother. Arteta bought one but got two clinical goal scorers now. Early days of course, but Martinelli is bringing home the bacon now.
4. As a team we veer to the left and this leaves Saka and to a lesser extent Ode a bit isolated. Xhaka, Martinelli, Jesus and Zinchenko form a very effective partnership on the left but on the right we are struggling to get enough numbers in the area to attack effectively. Partey sits naturally deeper and White is still finding his feet, and he is also less of a passer than Tomiyasu. So Bukayo, who clearly gets plenty of attention from the opposition, is struggling a bit to get involved in our attacks. The return of Tomiyasu may help with this but as a team they need to work on getting Bukayo better support. That way we will be even more effective in attack.
5. Arsenal hardly gave anything away in ninety minutes, yet we conceded two. To be fair the OG was just unlucky and the Maddison goal was classy, with Ramsdale a little at fault with his positioning. But we did know before the game that Leicester have very good attackers and we gave them space by being so attack minded. Still, there is work to be done in defence.
6. Xhaka was everywhere and with a goal and assist he showed another side of him. On another blogside, I recently cheekily predicted 12-15 PL goals/assists for Mr Versatile…… He may surprise even his hardest critics this season.
7. A special mention goes to the Ode. Martin may not have had a goal or an assist but boy did he work hard yesterday. His closing down and link up play was fantastic. Thanks to him the machine kept purring and for that I salute him.
8. The supporters were amazing, absolutely amazing. The support for Saliba was simply heart warming. Two wins in a row is just what we needed to get a good start to the season. Next up are Bournemouth away. Of course it is OGAAT all the way this season. Remain humble, work hard and fight for ninety minutes in every game.

By TotalArsenal

The second battle of the season is due to start in a few hours. Judging from the fellow BKers’ predictions expectations are high for a big win, but I am wary of these wily Foxes.

Leicester are a team that will favour to be the underdog and with Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans, Maddison and that pesty Vardy they have the guys to hurt us. Their defence may be their weakness with Schmeichel gone, Fofana a doubt and Evans in the heart of their defence. Our attackers will have to go for them from the start. Let’s be clinical guys!

An early goal for us would be bliss of course, but we have to be wary of their counter attacks, so let’s not be too adventurous.

Brendan Rodgers is a fine manager who fits very well with the Foxes. It looks like they have to let go of a few players to settle the books and we may see Tielemans come our way soon. As per my previous post, Partey’s right midfield position is an area for improvement and I think that is why the club have been linked with the Belgian. But that’s for another day.

The lineup will be likely unchanged. Only the unfortunate Nelson is out of contention, so Mikel has the luxury to pick and choose. Consistency is big for him at this stage and he will want this core team to grow in confidence, so there will be no change if you ask me.

This will be a big test (especially if the Foxes score first) and I am looking forward to it.

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners!

By TotalArsenal

Ahhh we are playing meaningful football again and how good is that?! Having watched the game again, I just loved our focus and hunger to see the result over the line. Arsenal were Gritty in Pink! I love the ‘third kit’ even though it clashed with the ugly (imho) red and blue kit of the home team.

Do we still have the youngest squad in the PL? If so, it did not show as we had a lot of physicality, height and athleticism in the team at Selhurst Park. Saliba, White, Big Gab and Zinchenko in front of rocking Ramsdale gave us real maturity at the back. Nobody is going to mess with those five. In midfield, we have two established, strong midfielders who will not be bossed by anyone either. Even up-front we have the matured-again Martinelli, the tenacious Martinelli and Odegaard, and a surprisingly strong Gab Jesus.

Palace positioned well and had clear instructions to contain the creative players. They managed to subdue Odegaard and Saka for a while but Martinelli used the extra space on the left very well. He really should have scored from the Jesus pinball that came gloriously towards him. The same goes for the Ode who had a few decent opportunities for which the likes of Jesus and Saka worked hard only to be wasted. Luckily, Martinelli scored the all important first goals and the Ode at least found himself in promising positions, and it is of course only the start of the season. Still, Mikel wants to push on and these two guys will have to become more ruthless soon. The likes of Vieira, Nelson, Marquinos, Eddie, and a new wing player yet to be signed, will keep them on their toes.

Under pressure, a few of our players mis-directed their passes, especially White was at fault. But Ben is getting used to an slightly unfamiliar role and he really is trying hard. In this position he is much more exposed and his passing remains a work in progress. What cannot be denied is his physicality and good positioning and I just love that look on his face after a hard tackle, a yellow card or a foul he has committed: nothing does perturb him it seems.

Saliba is so beatifully zen-like. He oozes calm and focus and for such a young guy this is extraordinary. We know all about his key stats but how do you measure such great composure and positioning? Still, as a team we need to look why the two best chances for the Eagles fell in ‘his area’. I know for the second one White was out of position and there was too much space for the Ode to cover. Eze should have done better but Aaron positioned himself really well and put the young English midfielder off. The first one was a training ground exercise from a freekick, and we almost got, as the Dutch call it, ‘a cookie made of our own dough’. Andersen head-pumped the ball into an area of space and Saliba could not get to it, whilst White just about put off Edouard to give Ramsdale a chance to make a very smart safe. It was pretty similar to our first goal situation but luckily our goalkeeper was more alert than theirs. We were the better team, had more chances and deserved our win but the above also shows how small the margins can be.

The one player who seemed in and out of the game a lot is Partey. I did not notice this the first time I watched the game, but Thomas did seem lost in space and time occasionally. I am not clear what exactly his role is in our team. The deepest midfielder, shielding the defence? I did not see him do this very effectively? On a good day Thomas is just brilliant but all too often he seems to lack the dominance of midfield we think he is capable of. One to watch going forward. I predict if Tielemans joins us at last, he will become direct competition for TP5.

Watching GJ9 – Mr Emoji Face – again was pure joy. I still believe we need an extra attacker, but Jesus brings so much directness and energy to our team. Just bliss.

Well our first game is out of the way and three precious points are in the bag. Lessons will be learnt and I have heard the words ‘we have to remain humble’ by our players enough to trust that they will in no way believe the game against the Foxes will be a walk in the home of football.

Come on You Rip Roaring Gunners.

By TotalArsenal.

Eight Observations from a pulsating win:

1. The new boys all did very well and totally seem to get how Mikel wants to play football. Jesus was a menace in attack, Zinchenko was full of good positioning and passing and Saliba was solid. They had to work their socks of and, as Kev pointed out so well in the last post’s comments, the MC boys looked totally done in as a result of securing the game only late on instead of in the first half as Pep’s team regularly do.
2. It was a cup win for us, as least that’s how it felt. We started spritely and overwhelmed the Eagles with our creativity and tempo. We could have had a couple of goals but only managed one, which kept Palace in the game. We allowed them back in through sloppiness in our defence, giving away the ball unnecessarily and allowing the crowd to finally find their voice. Especially Ramsdale had a few iffy moments and also Partey lacked the calm and precision in his passing to keep us in control.
3. The second half saw us sit back, perhaps too much. Palace were strong on the wings where we allowed them space, time and again. Zaha was excellent and we just about managed to keep him out. White, on a yellow card, just about managed to control the area, but it was Saliba who truly shone with his composure and timely interventions. Grand William was without much dispute our man of the match.
4. Zinchenko pushed up a lot which made our left side pretty secure for Palace’s wing play in the first hals. But it also led to Xhaka getting crowded out as he had less space to move in. In the second half Arsenal sat deeper and that suited Granit better but not so much Zinchenko who now had to defend as a ‘classic’ left full back. This will need to be worked on for our next games.
5. Martinelli scored the all important goal, and even though he missed a sitter before that, this really is very important for him and the team. It was a corner from the training ground and it was cleverly executed. Martinelli looked a bit more mature and he was a constant threat, one of his best performances.
6. Bukayo struggled to get into the game early on, partly due to being carefully covered by Palace. Yet he had the preassist for the first goal and forced the mistske/own goal for the second. He was much better in the second half with some good defensive interventions and releasing of pressure by being a menace up front. The partnership with White is still a work in progress. I think we missed Tomiyasu quite a bit yesterday.
7. The joy of Gab Jesus continues. He plays the Laca role really well but offers extra energy and alacrity. It’s like Laca on steroids, such enthusiasm and bite. GJ9, Mr Alacrity, will set the tone for the rest this season. What a signing!!!
8. The main things to take from this game are our fighting spirit, the clean sheet and boost that three points from Selhurst Park will bring us. We need to analyse why we sat so/too deep in the second half and thus allowed so much pressure on us. Palace are of course a well drilled and physical team and Vieira was clever in not allowing our creative players much space or time. They were well positioned and made our flowing footie hard to execute. But still, we have the players to overcome this and should not have sat so deep, inviting all that pressure. We clearly feared their ball over the top and Palace’s wing play and were left with grinding out a result. The boys did this, and I am proud of them, but a better midfield domination and balance is our main priority for the next games.

By TotalArsenal