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Just four goals scored in the last three PL games and still 9 points. The reason for this is of course our mean, lean defence-machine. Open up the Arsenal laundry cupboard and you will see where Raya and co have been squirrelling away their treasured clean sheets. Make sure you’ll put sunglasses on, though, as you may be blinded by their radiant whiteness.

The depth in defence is just incredible. I have not seen Hincapie in action much, but I sense he will be awesome too. We have double cover in all five positions (including goalkeeper) and that’s so different from our squads over the last twenty years or so. The king of the defence and Set-Piece FC is Big Gabby, and Arteta needs to try and keep him fit for the whole season as he is quite irreplaceable at the moment.

The win against Palace was a vital one for which the team had to dig deep. Fulham, Atletico Madrid and Palace in just eight days was challenging, but three clean sheets and set-piece magic saw us through. There is a lot of talk about the strength of our squad, but not much is said about the fact that we have been missing four internationals for quite a while now: Madueke, Havertz, Jesus and Martin Odegaard. That is a hell of lot of creative/fire power unavailable to Mikel. I thought Bukayo and Viktor looked a bit jaded, and Eze, despite his beautifully taken goal, also lacked spark and concentration yesterday.

The Eagles are a solid team with both strength and penetration up front, and I thought the boys managed them very, very well. The Gunners won three very important points in the PL and many should now get a rest for the Brighton cup game. The next big one is on Saturday in Burnley. We don’t play that many games in the North-West any more; remember the days when we had to go up there a lot to play the likes of Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn (and Stoke)? It was never easy, was it?! If Arsenal push through now a nice gap with the likes of Citeh, Pool, Chavs and MU can be obtained. It is my experience that during the busy December schedule teams more or less gain and lose the same number of points, so now is the time to make the gap as big as possible. Burnley will be no push-overs, so our focus needs to be on that match.

Having said that, I do look forward to the Brighton game on Wednesday. This is a great opportunity to use the wider squad against a very good team that will give us a tough game. Fabian Hurzeler loves to get one over Arteta, and this competition is a great way to win some silverware for the South-Coasters.

What do you think will be our line-up?

By TotalArsenal

Momentum is such a crazy phenomenon; it can be both positive and negative, just ask Liverpool fans! I am writing this as Arsenal are flying high and have as much momentum as Max Verstappen in F1. It is all going swimmingly well but the end of momentum will come at some point, whether it is a negative or positive one. It is hard to predict when the swing will come and to know how to either avoid it or make it happen. Momentum is an untameable beast; only values, principles, discipline and humility have some control over it.

For me it is clear that the Premier League has become even stronger this season, and almost any team can spring a surprise. Look at high flying Sunderland or Brentford beating the Chavs and Pool yesterday, for example. Underestimate an opponent at your peril.

Luckily, nobody who follows football believes that Crystal Palace are an easy three points for Arsenal today. The boys will have to play at full strength and intensity to get over the line. With the 51 year old Glasner they have a very good manager who seems to make his team excel against top opponents. Yes they played and lost on Thursday but this fixture, in which they can see themselves as underdogs with something to prove, they will be up for it.

Palace are just six points behind us in the table and they will want their PL-momentum to swing back after a very strong start. In fact, over the last five PL games they gained as many points as we did, so let there be no doubt that this is a very tough encounter. This will of course be a very special game for Eze. He is still finding his feet in our team, but we can all see the quality that he possesses, and once he is settled in I think we will really benefit from his experience and maturity. I am sure most of the Palace fans will serenade him today, as not many will begrudge him the move to this Arsenal team.

The lineup has been announced, and there are no surprises (and there is of course a midweek game for the League Cup to use those who will be disappointed not to start today). Starts for Calafiori and Trossard, and the rest is as expected.

Starting Lineup:

Raya

Timber – Saliba- Gabriel – Calafiori

Rice – Zubimendi

Eze

Saka – Gyokeres – Trossard

Bench:

Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Hincappie, Martinelli, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Merino, Lewis-Skelly.

That is indeed some bench there!

Anyway, enjoy the game and here is hoping for three beautiful points to move us to new heights.

By TotalArsenal.

1. Saka is truly back: Bukayo is always effective but it is fair to say he has not been his usual self since returning from his long injury. Today he was in his element again, though, and that for the whole game. By far the best player.
2. Arsenal control games these and I never felt that Fulham would score unless somebody would do something magical. That Wilson fella tried – and I like him – but the boys at the back were not to be turned.
3. Away games after international breaks are notoriously hard; usually only one or two of the 10 PL games end in an away win. Fulham are a settled and well-coached team, and they made it very, very hard for us. Winning these sort of games is vital for winning a championship, and i loved the way the team achieved this today. To play with this level of focus so soon after the international break is quite something.
4. Legall correctly wrote in the last post that we are very reliant on Bukayo for making things happen. Against a low block team like Fulham we missed Martin Odegaard and Madueke quite a bit. I felt this was also a game for Ethan Nwaneri, but he wasn’t used… Has he lost Arteta’s confidence in him temporarily?
5. Eze and Gyokeres are still finding their way into the team, but for now their work rate and passion compensate for a lack of ‘final product’. I love these guys.
6. it’s really interesting how Trossard and Martinelli are not guaranteed a start in most games, but either of them continue to make the hard difference game after game whether they start or come on as a sub.
7. How close was Calafiori to a goal today? He has a good sense for where he can be at his most dangerous and was so unlucky for his superb goal to be ruled out for off site.
8. Final observation is for that triangle of calm force and grace that is Raya, Big Gab and Big Will. They never panicked and just formed the base for another clean sheet. We are so lucky to have all of them on brilliant long contracts.

By TotalArsenal

The hardest games for Arsenal have often been the ones that beforehand were believed to be easy. West Ham, although victors at Ashburton Grove in recent years, are feeling low and our boys are on a high, so there was a risk of this game being seen as ‘easy’. Luckily Arteta and the boys never treated the game as such, and a professional AND passionate performance led to a clean sheet and two goals to the good guys.

I am a huge fan of Nuno, one of the most gentle and capable managers in the PL who is often treated badly by club owners and chairmen for some reason (I can give you one but that would not be suitable on this blog). Let”s hope he is allowed to settle in in East London as the fans will no doubt come to love him just as much as they did in Nottingham.

Unable to watch the 3pm kick-off game on Saturday, I opted to listen to Arsenal.com’s radio commentary. The commentators did a fab job as always albeit it bit more negative than usual, I thought. As a result, when I finally got to see the whole game on Monday, I wasn’t expecting too much. But I was actually pleasantly surprised about the quality, intensity and passion of our football.

Four Observations:

1. Full Backs with wings and freedom to roam: Timber and Calafiori had total freedom to go were they liked, it seemed. Very late on in the first half, there was an attack were Timber was in the box to aim at goal and Calafiori was right behind him to have a crack at goal himself; and he was unlucky not to score! The Italian and Dutchman were totally involved in our midfield and attacking play and I don’t think the Hammers knew how to deal with them. The link up play with their ‘wingers’ was impressive throughout the game and I look forward to seeing more of this in coming games.
2. Something up with the Norwegian Viking. It was another sad sight when Martin had to leave the field because of injury. I do worry about the lad; he has not been looking well for quite a while, so gaunt and white looking and playing without his usual smile (except for the game v Olympiacos). Something is not quite right and I wonder whether the various injuries he has suffered in recent months are the cause of it. Let’s hope for a swift return to both fitness and happiness.
3. Your castle will shake to the core on all corners and at its heart! I loved the way we used both wings v the Hammers and how hard Gyokeres worked to keep both CBs busy and create space for his friends in red and white. Our right wing is certainly our strongest when Saka plays, but I thought Leandro had a fabulous game on the left. The Belgian is slowly starting to develop a relationship with Gyo and together, with the help of the likes of Calafiori, Eze and Rice, they can make our left wing as strong as our right one. I noticed how we did not move the ball from right to left and left to right all the time but opted sometimes to play with sustained pressure on one wing for a longer time than usual. Our first goal came exactly from this approach: it looked like we had given up on the right and were about to move to our left, but then we went right again and there was space and enough players to then hurt the Hammers. It was a fabulous finish by Declan who is getting better in every game.
4. Odegaard out, Zubi out – no problem. It is said that Arsenal have no weaknesses anymore, and I think this is almost true. What Gyokeres is doing for us is amazing and I don’t think anybody else can do this except for the still injured Havertz. He cajoles, sprints, harasses and creates chaos and space for 90 minutes and it is making a real, huge, massive difference (and don’t worry about his goal count). What was amazing is that when Odegaard had to go off we did not suffer much at all. Zubi came on and calmly took control together with Rice and Eze. The Spaniard had both pre-assists for the goals we scored (one leading to the penalty), and I still cannot believe he picked us over Alonso’s Real Madrid. In previous seasons, when it came to creativity/making things happen from midfield, our opponents would focus on just Odegaard and maybe Rice when he was played in a more advanced position. But now we also have Eze and Zubimendi in the mix, and then the crazy, free as the wind full backs will also join in…. It’s just magic.

Four Questions (assuming 4-3-3 lineup):

1. Who are your ideal three players in midfield (1-2 or 2-1) when we play the top teams, and when we play weaker teams who will opt for a low block, and why?
2. Who are your ideal three players up-front when all are fit and available and we will play a crucial game against a top PL or CL team, and why?
3. Which three Arsenal players have impressed you the most until now, and why?
4. What is your ideal-11 combining the current squad with those of the Invincibles?

By TotalArsenal.

Wow what a win for Arsenal late on Sunday that was! Playing our best, ferociously attacking football of the season so far, it still looked for a long time that Arsenal would have to leave St James without a single point to show for it. It would have been criminal if that had been the case, but the big boys stepped up and leaped high among the giant Barcodes to claim a sweet victory at the dead of the game. Ooh to Be!

Eight quick observations:

1. Starting just two of Rice, Zubimendi and Merino seems to give the team a better balance in midfield. Positions and tasks are clear and Rice and Zubi quietly and efficiently bossed the midfield. And this they did against one of the best midfields in the League. That’s what made the big difference. Eze was free and linked up midfield with attack very well; he was also there to shoot from around the box and was unlucky to not score his first Arsenal PL goal. We really looked like an attacking team that was still very secure at the back. The balance was spot on.
2. I loved the ferocity of our play. It was always going to be a battle of mentality and power, and to outdo the Magpies on this at St James’ Park, with the away-fans disrespectfully pushed high up in the clouds and the home crowd happy to collectively whistle when the opponents have the ball, is some challenge. It was a very physical game at a high tempo, and as such it was a cup final and that in September. Arsenal won that physical/mentality battle and this for me is of enormous importance: to win a championship it’s simply pivotal.
3. Every player did their bid to outmuscle and outperform their opponent. The only one a little below his usual calm was Mosquera, and I think he was subbed for that reason. Timber was outstanding on our right: what a battler this guy is! And then there was Gyokeres. The man never stopped to be a nuisance and battle for every ball and bit of space amongst the giant Magpie CBs. I absolutely love him for that.
4. The front three of Trossard, Gyokeres and Saka with Eze behind them in a free role was the right pick by Arteta. Madueke has done a great job for us until now and we are lucky to have Bukayo back at the right time. These four players can play as a unit – and they will get better the more they can play together – but each of them has the quality to do something out of the blue of high quality, and that is exactly what we need up-front. It did not pay off this time, but I was glad to see Saka, Eze, Gyokeres and Trossard all getting close to scoring. Arsenal had 20 shots of which 7 were on target with an xG of 2.05 (Newcastle 8,3,0.49). The attack is getting there, the only thing missing is getting it in the net. Pope did a great job for Newcastle in goal, this has to be said as well.
5. Despite all of the above, Arsenal were still behind for 84 minutes. We should have had a penalty. In fact, we got one but then VAR decided that somehow Pope had not fouled Gyokeres which was obvious to everyone everywhere. The ball also fell to Saka in a good position to score, but in the end we got nothing. And then the Magpies scored and it all looked like this was just not going to go our way, once again. Everybody is tired of the inconsistency, the gamble-element of VAR. If you cannot make it consistent and fair, get rid of it for Frank’s sake.
6. The bench held the answers of swiping the Barcodes, once again. In the past, Arteta just could not take players off as he knew the ones on the bench were unlikely to make a difference. But when he can bring on the likes of Martinelli, Odegaard and Merino (Lewis-Skelly and Saliba) in a match like this, he knows he can make a difference with his subs. Merino’s header was a thing of beauty and left Pope stranded at the altar. It reminded me of the sort of goals Dick Nanninga used the score for my boyhood team Roda JC and that fine Netherlands equaliser against Argentina in the final of the 1978 World Cup (but that is not for everyone to remember haha).
7. It was brave to take off Zubi and put on Odegaard. To play with both Eze and Odegaard in support of our attackers made all the difference in the end: the pressure just became too much. It is so good to have Martin back and a couple of his passes were just a joy to watch.
8. In the end the player who embodied the Arsenal spirit perhaps the most yesterday ensured that all three points would be travelling down the A1. He fought all game tooth and nail and was involved in many critical moments. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to play with the spirit of really, really wanting to win. I saw this all through the team, but it was no surprise to me that it was Big Gab who in the end leaped to victory with a brilliant header and devour all the Magpies in one big gulp. King of Brazil we salute you.

By TotalArsenal

Arsenal 1 – 1 Man City

Eight Observations:

1. Six games played, 10 points, two goals conceded, 10 scored, highest goal difference in the league. Yet Arsenal are 5 points behind Liverpool, and in two games from now we play the Magpies away. This is such a tough start to the season that salvaging a draw against the best team in the league over the last ten years or so still makes us experience a sense of loss. Yes we needed to win today to keep the pressure on Pool, but we need to keep things in perspective. The red Scousers will start dropping points and then Arsenal will start the chase. We have the team and spirit for it, and the latter was confirmed yesterday – that’s the most important thing to take away from the game.
2. Arsenal conceded a typical Haaland goal which is very annoying. The Norwegian is a beast in the box but he also loves storming onto goal in acers of space, just like his Berserker forefathers used to do on English beaches over a thousand years ago or so. William was caught in two minds but I think he should have gone with Haaland rather than try and stop the pass, but also Timber was a bit at fault for not confronting Reijnders in time. But ultimately it was a well taken goal and one MC will have trained for prior to the game. It is the sort of goal Arsenal will concede now again because of our desire to push up high if and when we can. Big Gab was high up when the turnover developed and had no chance of catching the pony-tailed attacker.
3. It was then game on but Arsenal/Arteta struggled initially to enter plan B. Attacking with (even) more risk would leave us vulnerable to more counter-attacks, so I respect Mikel’s cautious approach and allow the team to settle into the game during the remainder of the first half. Then he spoke to the team and made a couple of changes, and the second half showed us all how good Arsenal can be. The blue oilers defended stoutly but Arsenal kept probing the walls in front of them. It looked like a matter of time before we would get our just reward, even though MC had a couple of decent chances themselves from counter-attacks and turnovers. The boys attacked with ferocity and invention, and even more attacking talent was added during the second half. Somehow Man City kept us out until a Bergkampesque pass was met with a Bergkampesque touch and a chip of the highest DB10 standard finally broke the Mancs’ staunch resistance. Donnarumma knew he was beaten and he appeared to make a small bow of respect for such a formidable, audacious chip from Martinelli.
4. Talking about Gabriel Martinelli, I must say here that I have been critical of him many a time, but he has been brilliant this week. Two very important goals, both helping us over difficult mountains. Is he supersub material? Should we play him more through the middle, especially later on in the game when space opens up?
5. It was criminal by Man City to push up high so, so late in the game. But Eze’s intelligence to spot Martinelli’s run made all the difference. Yet there was a lot to do and Gabriel took his opportunity extremely well. And here is the thing with Eze: he works hard and may go under the radar during a game, yet he has two assists in the last PL games. Like Bukayo he has that great ability to be efficient, calm, calculated, and make a difference for a team. I love that about both of them. I will say it again and again, Eze reminds me of Pires; the Frenchman had a similar ability to be efficient and calculated.
6. The most critical question remains regarding the balance and personnel in midfield. Do we get the best out of Declan, Zubi and Merino by playing them together in midfield? I don’t think we do. If we play two of Zubi/Rice/Merino in the base of midfield then surely we could play a nr10 in front of them?! For football’s sake, I hope Arteta will get this balance right soon.
7. The great news is that both Saliba and Saka are back in the team, and they both did well during the game (Bukayo as sub). Much has been said about Liverpool’s attacking options, but Arsenal have nothing to complain about, especially if and when Havertz and Jesus return as well. I loved the way Arteta bamboozled Man City with adding attackers at half time and during the game. Arsenal are just so much more unpredictable in attack this season compared to the last few ones.
8. On the basis of what I have seen of Man City against us and against MU last weekend, I think we need to count them in for the title race. Last season, I and many others – but not JNYC I seem to remember – made the mistake of counting Liverpool out and believing it was going to be between MC and us for the title. Oh how wrong we were. I think Guardiola is desperate to compete for the title again and has adapted his philosophy significantly to do so. If he continues to be prepared to do so then I think he has the players to go a long way, despite their poor start to the season. I certainly will not count them out.

By TotalArsenal.

Manchester City come to town and whether we like it or not – and I don’t like it – this is a pivotal game for our season, even this early on. Of course it is just three points, but there is a big psychological risk attached to today’s game, and that goes for both teams. Citeh cannot afford another beating; Arsenal need to win to keep the gap with Pool, who have had an easier start than us, to a minimum of three points. Apparently a programme on a laptop, belonging to that lovely FA chap who originates from the North-East and is responsible for PL match scheduling, decided Arsenal had to play at Newcastle away before the next interlull, and that after already allocating away games to Arsenal in Manchester and Liverpool within the first seven games. And so Arsenal need to win today to keep momentum going and avoid headlines like ‘Arsenal could be out of the title race come beginning of October’, and whatever else will be thrown at the club and the manager.

If Arsenal can get through these tough first seven games within a 3-5 points-gap of Liverpool, we have a great base to win the title this year. Winning today could either be easy or really hard. It all depends on finding the right balance in midfield. Our defenders know how to defend but don’t want to be exposed to tons of space with the Norwegian Berserker and co running at them. The attackers know how to score but need to be fed decent balls and not be too isolated.

A theme is developing this season: against tough opposition, Arsenal play Rice, Zubi and Merino in midfield: an additional wall to protect the defence that is almost impenetrable. This protects a clean sheet but also makes us less fluid, and therefore less dangerous, in attack. The likes of Odegaard and Nwaneri move and pass between the lines better than either of the beforementioned midfielders, and it is also much easier on the eye too. Against less ferocious competition Arteta appears willing to start with a typical nr10 and bench one of the three deeper positioned midfielders.

It is fair to say that with the new signings needing to settle in – and they are doing a fine job at it for all I can see – Arteta is still finding the right balance to get the maximum out of his team. It would have been much better to have an easier start to the season as to settle in the players, but it is what it is and Arteta will have to find a way to win today. It may not be beautiful and the game may well be decided by a set-piece, a stroke of genius or a bit of luck; let’s hope it will go our way.

No doubt patience will be required and the home crowd need to understand this. Against Bilbao the Wall of Zubi, Rice and Merino did the job of protecting and keeping the home crowd quiet – and didn’t the supporters provide a magnificent background in the San Mames for the game (I want to play Where’s Wally!)? A couple of supersubs made the difference eventually, and the job was done. Could Arteta have played with a bit more flair and risk? Certainly, but this is not the season to be too sentimental about beauty and audacity for Arteta (and indeed for us); he knows he will be judged on what he will deliver at the end of the season, despite all the incredible progress he has made since he joined us.

So how will Arteta lineup against the light-blue Oilers?

Raya

Timber – Mosquera – Big Gab – Calafiori

Zubi – Merino – Rice

Madueke – Gyokeres – Martinelli

If Saka is fit – and Arteta may well have planned all along for this to be his first game back – he will play, and that will really frighten Man City. However, it is more likely that Madueke, who is in fine form, will start. I have gone for Martinelli after Goonereris mentioned the possibility in one of his comments on the blog; I think he is on to something here. The Brazilian will be boosted by his fabulous goal midweek, and I think he will be in the right frame of mind. I also think he and Calafiori can develop a strong partnership on the left, and as we all know this is really needed this season. Eze, and hopefully Saka and Odegaard/Ethan, can come on at some point to reinvigorate the attack. William Saliba may also start if fully fit, but Mosquera has made such a great start in what already looks like an established defence that I feel the Frenchman may have to wait a while longer.

I will say it again: this is a big, big game for Arsenal. Man City are a wounded animal and seen as the underdog; they will be up for it and need a result. We need the three points, and it will be a huge test of the boys’ maturity and desire to win the title. Bring it on!

By TotalArsenal.