Of the many lessons my eight years of active-duty army experience taught, one of my most valuable kernels of wisdom, is the importance of footcare. Trust me, after you have endured seventy-two-hour continuous operations in a water-logged GP-medium tent, the last thing you want to worry about is trench-foot. I tried myriad preventative measures, but the first bit of helpful guidance on the road to proper footcare came from my platoon sergeant (all the real wisdom always comes from our cadre of noncommissioned officers) who early on took a look at my standard-issue cotton socks and mused, “Sir, part of your problem here is these sh*t cotton socks. You gotta invest in high-quality wool socks.” Boy was he ever correct. The wool wicked moisture away from my skin keeping my feet cool and dry in the summer and warm and dry in the winter. On a wet, early Saturday kick-off in the East Midlands, Mikel Merino, much like my woolen socks, wicked the moisture from Arsenal’s damp-squib attack and proved all the difference as we attempt to make this year’s league title race a competitive one.
More on that anon…
The Lineups.
The clairvoyant Ned and his industrious monks nailed the Arsenal starting eleven, though, as he quite rightly pointed out, the team sheet basically picked itself. I had come across some more “adventurous” proposed set-ups in the various nooks-and-crannies of the Arsenal media landscape; some advocating a box formation to accommodate a Merino start. But, our gaffa, being a generally conservative manager, made selections designed to minimize disruption:
Raya
Timber—Saliba—Gabriel—Lewis-Skelly
Ødegaard—Partey—Rice
Nwaneri—Trossard—Sterling
Van Nistelrooy, in an effort to arrest a four-game, scoreless losing streak at the King Power Stadium, went with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation:
Vardy
DeCordova-Reid—El Khannouss—Ayew
Soumare—Ndidi
Kristiansen—Okoli—Faes—Justin
Hermansen
Truth be told, the first sixty-five minutes or so of this match were an assortment of nearly-moments. The odious Jamie Vardy and Jordan Ayew played their standard roles as pantomime villains, buying fouls and undeserved restarts, while slyly grabbing, pulling and, on occasion, committing various and sundry battery across the pitch. Justin, and, later, Coulibaly kept an aged and lackluster Sterling under wraps; while Okoli ably shielded the error-prone Faes. Despite Arsenal’s relative dominance in possession in the first half, Ndidi asked the most pointed questions of Raya, including forcing saves from a tenth-minute volley and a forty-ninth minute header that, on another day, might’ve nestled into the bottom corner of Raya’s net.
In many ways, we were the source of our own frustration. Any team forced to play without its four most threatening attackers will find scoring difficult (By the way, how good was Marmoush for Citeh? Blimey, in sport and “real life” it appears the most iniquitous are the ones most often smiling.) But, for the better part of seventy-minutes, senior Gunners (full grown men) were making silly errors while a seventeen-year-old was (unfairly) shouldering the creative burden. As much as I had hoped for a Sterling remontada, I fear he is, as the young folk say, washed. Raheem had more offside calls than he had successful dribbles or progressive carries/passes. He just has the look of a player who knows he has lost his only offensive threat, explosive pace, and now he has to cheat that extra half-yard. Leo never stopped grafting, but, against the gargantuan defenders fielded by the Foxes, his diminutive stature suffered. He immediately improved after assuming the left attacking position upon Sterling’s substitution. Things just didn’t seem to click for Ødegaard in the first half—miscontrolled touches, errant passes, and running down cul-de-sacs, but his second-half form rebounded as he took more responsibility for advancing the ball and making incisive, splitting passes.
However, as we are becoming accustomed to, our Hale End Boys continued to make a salutary impact. Myles Lewis-Skelly made perhaps the most important defensive action of the match when he toe-poked a dangerous Ayew cross away from the lurking DeCordova-Reid to keep the scoreline level at nil. (A lackluster Partey had given the ball away for that Ayew attack by the way.) And what more can we say about the precocious Ethan Nwaneri? Even before Merino’s introduction in the sixty-ninth minute, Ethan was the sharpest blade in the Gunners’ satchel. Whether cutting the ball onto his left foot or driving on his right to the by-line, Nwaneri had the better of his defender (and at times multiple defenders). His intelligence, pace, and preternatural self-belief was the bright spot of this period, and he lifted his game to even higher levels after Merino entered the fray. Ethan accounted for six of Arsenal’s eleven shots, successfully completed six of his seven dribbles, and had an assist. What we are witnessing from these two boys cannot be overstated. Bless ‘em.
Leicester 0 – Arsenal 1
On either side of Merino’s substitution, both Ødegaard and Nwaneri increased their influence on the match. Martin did so by dropping deeper to collect the ball and passing with more sharpness. Ethan did so by, well, donning a superhero cape that remains perhaps a touch too large…but only a touch. In the sixty-first minute, Ethan received a sublime and inviting pass from Ødegaard and, wait for it, cut the ball onto his lift foot just outside the “D” leaving four Leicester Force defenders on skates. With the confidence of an attacker several years his senior, Nwaneri’s impertinent left-footed shot just kissed the left angle of post and bar. Shots fired. Undeterred, after Calafiori replaced Lewis-Skelly in the seventy-sixth minute, Nwaneri received an excellent pass on the edge of our attacking third from a rampaging Rice, drove at Kristiansen, and caromed a venomous right-footed effort off the right post. I hadn’t seen that shot from him before, and the keeper was dead-to-rights. The third time, however, was the charm. In the eighty-first minute, after a spell of Arsenal attacking domination, Ethan, staying alert and onside in the eighteen-yard box, accepted an inviting pass from the sturdy Timber and, with a coolness usually only found on the underside of the pillow, clipped an inch-perfect pass to the far post. An imposing figure clad in the stately red and white rose with commitment to meet the ball and nod it past the hapless Leicester keeper. Was it a bird? Was it plane? Was it a Havertz? No, it was our Spanish wolf in sheep’s clothing…Mikel Merino. Cue limbs.
Leicester 0 – Arsenal 2
Although it was likely down to several factors, Merino’s inclusion revitalized the Arsenal attack. He kept popping up in various places across our front line, wicking away moisture here, threading together possession there, and, generally, making a nuisance of himself against the tiring Foxes. Rice and Ødegaard found more pockets of space to attack, and the team’s overall timing and speed-of-thought improved. Trossard moved to the left and was immediately more dangerous. Indeed, after an impressive, lung-busting, twenty (or thirty)-yard carry by Calafiori, Leo received the pass and rifled a precise, low cross to a galloping (wait, who was that man?) Mikel Merino. His first-time, left-footed finish into the bottom right corner of the Leicester net would have flattered any veteran striker. Even, dare I say, Vardy himself looked on with envy. An eighty-seventh minute brace for Merino and a welcomed three points for the Arsenal. Tasty.
FT Leicester 0 – Arsenal 2
As the fourth official indicated a minimum of four additional minutes, a curious and long-missed song rose from the dedicated traveling Gooners. “Stadiums are empty everywhere we go. Stadiums are empty, everywhere we gooo, everywhere we gooooo.” Oh, how I have missed that song. None the worst for wear, with mere seconds remaining, Merino wove another counterattack by playing the ball out wide to Ødegaard and sprinting to form a four-on-three with Rice and Tierney. With the goal mouth looming, a slightly errant pass from Rice was cut out by the weary Leicester defender. (Ok, ok, I’ll get me coat.)
Conclusion
An electrifying win for the Gunners will likely spark a lively debate for the coming week. Should Arteta keep faith with Sterling? Will Merino start matches as our Number Nine? How much of a burden can Ethan shoulder? When (if) Saka returns this season, does Ethan remain in the starting eleven? So many questions and so much fodder for Arsenal pundits and content creators. I do know this—we’re not yet drinking cider in the park…we’re still here. For another week, we’re still here. Now, it’s over to the Scousers (Where are those FA charges for failing to control their players or abusing the referee? Oh, silly me, I forgot.) With any luck, the Wolves will bring their own wool…
Have a nice one, ‘Holics.
MCMBD.
(Stay humble, eh?)
Can I just post this reply to TTG’s post @43 in the last drinks about our unimpressive summer business…………
I would just mention our summer signing won us the game yesterday and another summer signing played an important part in the build up to the second goal.
The assist for the first goal came from MotM Ethan Nwaneri, one reason he is playing now is that we created the space for him by taking the tough decision to let ESR go to Fulham last summer. Oddly, no one mentions that when reviewing our summer business.
In some respects our summer business was impressive wasn’t it?
Having, tongue in cheek, said that I would also say that of course TTG’s point about Bieroth is reasonable but we are never going to get everything right and we can’t keep everyone.
Now to read the words of the runaway leader of the Holics Ropey League…..
Great stuff, Lonestar !
Nothing to disagree with here but a bit of a bugbear of mine is surfacing in other places after today’s display and especially the performances of MLS and Nwaneri. That is
it’s very odd that this season has highlighted in stark detail how important it is to have a quality squad and yet as soon as a new option comes along everyone starts asking “then where does x or y go if z is going to play ?”
The whole point is that if we are going to avoid any of these overuse injuries then there is a place for x, y, AND z – just not all at the same time. Rotation without a big drop in quality has to be the name of the game especially in a demanding system like the one employed by Arteta. If not, this current situation will not be the last time the team is decimated by injury.
Thanks LG, great stuff,an excellent and amusing review of a game that I saw pretty much as you did.
Be great to see the Wolves thrown to the Sheep for a change next week. Or in other words Merino must start.
On Sterling I didn’t feel it was a case of couldn’t be arsed more a case of just can’t. He made himself available for the ball well in the first 30 minutes but couldn’t do anything much once he had it. For me he has to be used from the bench if Merino is our new No 9.
One small point was I think Liverpool / Everton have been charged for failing to control their players haven’t they?
Outstanding report Lonestar on a great away win in difficult circumstances, many thanks indeed. By the way, who was that handsome stranger wearing the Merino wool?
I could have sworn I recognized that man …
Cheers, Trev. I agree with you, and I am often exasperated by the intellectual inconsistency of certain fans who argue both sides. Have a squad that’s too thin, and they slate the manager for grinding their players into dust. Obtain some emergent talent, either through development or purchase, and they slate you for not declaring in advance how Player Y will fit when Player X returns. It’s a no win situation.
Also cheers OM and bt8. Matt, you are absolutely correct. I did not clock that the FA had charged all the miscreants involved in the Merseyside Derby fracas, and they must respond no later than Wednesday, 19 February.
https://www.thefa.com/news/2025/feb/14/everton-and-liverpool-charges-140225
bt8, Jonathan Goldsmith played “The Most Interesting Man in the World” from 2006 to 2016 as part of a popular (at least Stateside) Dos Equis beer advertisement campaign.
MCMBD
Very enjoyable report LG and very much on the money .
We got there in the end . I don’t get why people felt it onl6 worked because we brought Merino on late . He would have given us shape and threat when we had neither .
Re Matt’s good point I wasn’t criticising the purchase of Merino and Calafiori ( both good players ) it was our prioritisation of resources . Who would you rather ( in hindsight ) Sterling or Biereth . We won because of a good substitution, a solid team performance and some exceptional work by our young tyros who are quite brilliant .
It was maybe a turning point . But please start with Merino in future he’s more than a super sub
Superb and entertaining review of the game, LG. Afraid I only saw the highlights as I was being royally entertained at everybody’s favourite second team, Leyton Orient ,yesterday. If anyone is at a loose end and Arsenal aren’t playing I’d definitely recommend a trip there.
Merino always looks good for Spain and perhaps has been unfortunate this season with injuries otherwise we’d have seen more of him. Both his finishes were clinical, the result of excellently timed movement and with the second perhaps having a degree of difficulty which would preclude the likelihood of Havertz from scoring it.
With Chelsea, Forest and Nice Eddie’s Barcodes all losing this weekend, this result and those two goals in particular were just what the doctor ordered. I hope Mikel gives the players a day off this week to relax, especially as both the Hubcap Nickers and C130y are in action midweek. It’s nice when the enemy has a fixture pile-up. May they be cursed to wear cotton socks.
Thanks Lonestar,
I expected us to win but not in the late manner of the day. At this stage, any win will do.
I agree with Trev at #3, let’s worry about who plays where when we have that choice to make.
Next up, the car thieves have a tricky run of games (Wolves, Villa, Citeh). Let’s hope at least two of them can do us a favour.
UTA
Excellent report Lonestar. Funny, perceptive and neatly woven!
There’s a drink on the bar for you. Cheers.
Thanks Lonestar for an excellent and entertaining account of that match. The toothless hour underlined the work that Havertz does every game to provide a linking focal point for the attack.
I agree 100% with your observation that Sterling remains willing but no longer possesses the burst of pace that used to make him a potent force. I suspect he will still have a place this season either to spell tired legs or to work defenders to prepare for a late game surge – Arteta in his post-game interview implied that might have been yesterday’s strategy in bringing Merino on late in the game rather than starting him as I had wanted. It worked – who am I to argue. Trossard looked a different player when he was moved wide rather than being kicked to bits in the centre by two monsters.
I’m with Trev on the foolishness of debating how Saka and Nwaneri (what a left peg, that lad possesses) can play in the same team. There’s no way Nwaneri will not be a starter next season when fit. He’s got all the attributes required to play anywhere on the forward line and if he’s not a starter, you can expect him to be lured elsewhere while still a teenager. If you’re that good, you start. Others will be providing him back-up and 20 minutes with his feet up in games that have been won already.
Come on you Wolves, Villans and (gags) C130zens!
BTW Lonestar, do you still wear wooden socks in Texan summers?
Nice and detailed report Lonestar. That was, ultimately, a great away day. We like Leicester. It was where my son went to University. We were up in the Gods, the very back row, but like Villa, there isn’t a bad view in this ground. It doesn’t, however, have safe standing (with the rail in front of you), only the second ground this season not to have this important feature. The other was Preston North End. Arsenal, of course, has not yet put this in, at least where I stand.
We spent the first half doing two things: purring at Ethan Nwaneri; and muttering about Raheem Sterling. He was utterly useless. He tried hard, and showed for the ball, and received it a lot, often in an offside position. But every time he got it, our move came to a shuddering halt. He is utterly bereft of pace and confidence. The Arsenal travelling faithful is always uber positive and when he was finally hooked he got a quiet round of applause, but we were all glad to see Merino come on. Trossard immediately showed us what a left winger could do.
Lewis-Skelly produced a wonderful piece of defending to prevent Leicester scoring. A true sliding doors moment. MLS again had an excellent afternoon.
Ethan hit the bar and then the post. What a player. Every time he got the ball Leicester were soiling themselves. He can beat a man right and left showing equal skill, pace and power both ways. Then he got the ball on our right, in front of us, and arced in a perfect cross to find Merino with a free header into the corner of the net.
The world went mad. All the frustration of the last week after the injuries to Kai and Gabi were released in that moment. Bodies went flying. Strangers were hugged. A new song for Mikel Merino arose. On a cold wintry day in Leicester hope arose anew for those wearing red and white. Moments like this are why I go to football.
Five minutes later it was 2-0 and we could enjoy injury time. The away end had been quite magnificent all afternoon and never stopped singing, even during a turgid first half. At the final whistle Merino’s song rang out long and loud while he was being interviewed on the pitch.
Not the best of games (we had that against City last time out), but one of the best of days. So proud to support this club and this team.
Cheers MG. A good win in the end though it was hard to stay awake for the first hour or so.
I shall consider the wool socks advice, though I survived Stockholm without trouble (good shoes I guess) and it’s still freezing in Paris, but that should change next week apparently.
I am refusing to (openly…as usual, the heart says something else) countenance the idea we are still in a title fight after the Havertz injury, but at least yesterday reassured me that we should be able to be in the top 4 relatively comfortably.
And I’m with bath @ 11 on his various players analyses.
LG not MG, obviously.
An excellent critique by Sam Wallace of C130y’s legal challenge and a vision of the consequences (£):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/02/16/manchester-city-demolish-financial-controls-premier-league/
Ollie
Liverpool looked like a team whose bottle was departing . They scraped past Wolves but were hanging on . Don’t give up on us
As for Nwaneri etc I hope those with businesses do proper forward planning . If we have £200m to spend I think we need to know if we reserve £50m of that to buy Nico Williams or we can put an extra £ 50m to a striker . So it matters exactly where we see Nwaneri playing next season and whether Max Dowman might be stepping up as well .
My sense is that we are looking at Sesko , Williams and Zubimendi. But if we don’t go for Williams could we afford Isak? It’s the way a big football business has to plan nowadays
I loved C100’s report and thought our support was as magnificent as ever . I’m intrigued by the demand for safe standing . I gave up standing at footbal, in the early 1990s and can’t see the attraction but it clearly generates much more vociferous support
The next big decision for Arteta is whether to persist with starting Sterling or to bring him off the bench. Either way he offers little. Merino was a great Plan B but that’s not going to work every game. Maybe Marinelli & Saka will be back sooner than we think and we can reshuffle the front three.
Long term, I’d love to have Isak in our team. Hopefully Newcastle fail to make it into Europe and he agitates for a move.
L’pool were not going to get rolled by Wolves today but their next two games are away to Villa and the 115ers. A chance for us to close the gap but we have a tricky visit to Forest after WHam.
TTG. All my football watching is done standing, the Norh Bank lower always stand as do away fans. I find it much less tiring than constantly getting up or down.
Yesterday’s seats were the classic danger when you stand. Narrow aisles and the seats in the row in front of you at shin height. TheEmirates has wider aisles and the seat in front at mid thigh level and I have never found it a problem.
I’ve taken two nasty tumbles in the last ten years when it was like yesterday, at Burnley and Old Trafford. OT now has safe standing as do most other Prem clubs. I much prefer standing at football, because I am an oik. The sooner it comes in everywhere the better. You sing much louder when you’re standing!
Excellent match report, LG. Amusing and perceptive, topped off with there not being a word to disagree with.
On the question of Merino starting, I will repeat a point I made in the previous drinks. He came on after the game had opened up. He didn’t have to confront Leicester’s defence when it was still maintaining a disciplined low block. That is not to say he couldn’t deal with that, but it is a consideration to weigh. I feel sorry for Sterling, and as you suggest, you can’t fault his willingness, but he just doesn’t have it anymore. Surely, Butler-Oyedeji or Kabia couldn’t be worse alternatives at this point.
Trev@3: Spot on. Citeh in its pomp and Liverpool now have two first-choice players for every position and rotate within, not between games. The starter and a backup model is done. It is the only way elite clubs can deal with the playing load, keep the full squad engaged and blood the youngsters in a measured way.
If you recall the Amazon documentary on Arsenal a couple of seasons back, there was a scene where Arteta and Edu were discussing rebuilding the squad. In the background, there is a whiteboard visible with two names or a question mark under every position. It is safe to say that two top-quality players for every position is Arteta’s ambition, too, with the added twist of having players flexible enough to cover more than one position.
C100@19: It’s old school, but standing up is the only way to watch football.
All the flowers for Ethan Nwaneri were thoroughly deserved. He has a younger brother in the Academy, Emerson, also a highly regarded prospect.
C100
Excellent riposte but you’re not the only oik mate . Common as muck me .
What matters to me is how well you can see the pitch and the game. At the prices we pay I want to know what happened . I also like to reflect on events with those around me I did the jumping up and down fifty years ago. My seat which is very close to Bath’s has a great view and where I sit the local inhabitants ( which include the estimable Bath ) know the game inside out . I don’t like to finish a game feeling like I’ve played in it . But I do love the vocal support our standing fans provide . It takes all sorts !
Also, for GHF Predictathon players hanging on the latest update to the leader board, a quick reminder that Match Week 25 concludes with the Villa-Pool game on Wednesday. Contain your enthusiasm in the meantime.
Also while I’m disagreeing with everyone ( in a collegiate way) can I fundamentally disagree about Merino . We are utterly wasting our time playing Trossard as a nine ( partly because it means Sterling starts ) . Merino didn’t come in to tidy up after Leicester had flown forward. They dropped deeper to secure a point . He notched two in the six yard box . Did we get in the six yard box before? And Trossard was revitalised out wide .
Having a bigger 9 ( it needn’t be Merino but his audition was damn good ) gives us a shape and a variety of options playing a smaller player doesn’t . It would be madness to go back to that starting three after you’ve notched twice in twenty minutes .
I aren’t look at the prediction league
I’m 100% in accord with TTG at both 21 and 23. I also prefer the perspective that one gains from a high vantage point.
Fine post match report Lonestar.
Like another Chelsea reject before him in Willian, sadly Sterling is a ghost of his former self.
I watched him closely yesterday, and every time he received the ball, either his body shape was wrong, or he was facing our half of the pitch rather than the opposition, and he seemed clueless when he did receive the ball with room to move.
His reactions were very slow, inviting tackles and falling over hoping for free kicks, rather than find a teammate.
I realize like everyone, that we are cactus up front, but we cannot be playing with 10 men from the kickoff if he starts.
As TTG and others have pointed out, Leo is too small to play through the middle against big lumps of defenders.
He can be erratic, [ I still haven’t forgiven him for the mad hospital pass that cost us Willie and points at Bournemouth ], but his good bits, work rate,2 footedness, and his passing, witness the sublime one for Merino’s 2nd, keep him on the right side of the ledger.
The underrated Calafiori impressed me yet again with his surges through midfield into the attacking half, which completely discombobulated the Leicester defenders, and his pass under enormous pressure to Leo which culminated in the 2nd goal, was one very few defenders could have made.
He has also contributed 2 very important goals for us, and if he stays fit, he will be a major threat in the final exciting third of the season.
I must also comment on TTG’s post from previous drinks re Biereth, who like many other young guns we have let go, sometimes at prices that seem low, is thriving in a much lesser pressure environment in the 2nd/3rd grade European leagues after leaving us.
To me, that is because they are playing at their right level.
Eddie Nketiah, sadly, hardly plays at lower level Crystal Palace, and ESR much as i liked him, is in his element at mid table Fulham where their main ambition every season is a good Cups run.
To make it through the ranks at a top club like ours, you have to be a tier one junior, witness Sakha and MLS, Ethan in recent times.
You have to have that certain something in your character, desire/ fearlessness in all circumstances, sublime technical skills, that shouts so loud from the rooftops a message that the Manager and coaches cannot ignore.
That is the way it should be, so those that have been let go, you just wish them all the best for the future, and if the occasional one that leaves goes on to be a major success somewhere else, that is a price i am happy to live with.
Unfortunately the reality is that we are going to have to use Sterling until Martinelli and Saka are back to allow for some rotation in the front line. In particular, we don’t want to run Nwaneri into the ground – he’s already had one injury. After watching the match and seeing how much effective Trossard is on the left, I would play Sterling up top when we have to play him. We would then have attacking threat on both sides of the pitch.
I wonder if Arteta will be rotating various non-forwards up top later in the match to see what sticks best. With White back healthy maybe we could slide Saliba up there since he started his football as a striker. Rice, Calafiori, and big Gabi are the other possibilities.
If we get a couple of early goals in a match, then maybe there is an opportunity for one of the youngsters to get some Premier League experience.
Clive@26: Excellent post.
There are plenty of products of our Academy who have gone on to have decent professional careers, including in the PL without having broken into our first team — as should be the case for any elite club’s Academy. Yet, it is hard to think of many, if any, over the past decade or so of whom you’d say regretfully that they were ones ‘who got away’: Serge Gnabry, possibly Oguzhan Ozyakup, maybe Donyell Malen. But that’s about it.
Ned @ 22. I had forgotten about that match in Wednesday but as Liverpool played yesterday, I couldn’t match it with your statement.
And for a good reason: that match is not part of Match Day 25, but put forward from Match day 29.
It’s difficult to keep abreast of all the quirks of the rearranged calendar, but your monks, if it is them, led you the wrong way.
@22, 29. Confusingly the Fantasy Premier League are including Liv / AV match in Week 25
Clive @26 – super post, Sweeper 👍🏻
Sterling was absolutely hopeless on Saturday.
Trossard at left wing yes – definitely not in the middle – too small, control not tight enough and got kicked from pillar to post. I’d start him at left wing and replace if not going well, or cream crackered, at 60 / 70 with Calafiori or Tierney.
Merino gave us immediate presence up front and took his two very different goals with excellent technique and timing. Anyone watching him for the first time would not have guessed that he’d never played striker before. He’s already scored a couple for us from set pieces and I’ve not been as doen on him as some others from the start. His Arsenal career began with a broken shoulder and two months out injured. With more playing time he would certainly have developed the consistency some seem to think he lacks.
I wonder about Merino’s ability to press as a striker. Without the ball, Trossard was making those curving runs to press while cutting off passing lanes that Havertz is so good at. Trossard wasn’t much with the ball against Leicester, but without the ball he is our closest Havertz analogue.
Without a striker who presses, much of our off the ball excellence falls away and this fundamentally changes our game, making us work harder whilst still being easier to play through. Does Merino have the mobility and know how to do this through a game? He’ll definitely need some coaching.
I’d consider starting Sterling up top as he makes good runs and can finish (and wouldn’t have to beat a man if he’s running onto the ball) but I have the same reservations about his ability to press, although with him it is his stamina that concerns me.
Sterling looks ineffective, but he is trying hard and that counts a lot for me. He’ll keep getting my support, even if my expectations for his performances are lowered, and i hope he gets at least one important goal for us and we get to celebrate a big moment from him.
aaah, cheers Matt @ 30, that explains it (I’m not doing any fantasy football this season)!
Also re Sterling, it seems he is offering a lot of support to Nwaneri and MLS, and taking them under his wing. He’s been through a lot of the challenges that await them in their young careers and I’m pleased he’s dug in and made the effort to help out and give everything he can whilst he’s at the club.
Obviously, this doesn’t improve his performances on the pitch, which are the most important thing and have given us very little so far. But it does help explain why he appears popular and definitely to have the support of the team.
Trossard had two touches in the opposition penalty box on Saturday in the first half . That is not providing the presence we need upfront . A midfielder knows how to press and Merino has an excellent record of winning individual duels – both good qualities to have upfront
We’ll see what Arteta does, and I hope you are right TTG that Merino proves effective up top. My point is simply that I can see potential downsides to that plan when it is given a longer tryout than the excellent twenty minutes we’ve seen so far.
I have the same concerns as GSD @37, but fingers crossed it all works out either way.
Ollie@29: The PL clearly lists Match Week 25 as including the Villa-Liverpool game on Wednesday, even though it will be both clubs’ 26th game. Go figure.
The monks are rarely led astray — or at least not in any ways they will admit to…
Ha! Cheers Ned. That deserves, maybe, a beer of the Trappist variety.
We’ve been fined 65k for our players’ reaction to Michael Oliver’s sending off of MLS. Fine. Let’s draw a line.
We can now use this decision as a benchmark to see the fines handed to Everton and Liverpool for behaviour far, far worse than anything our players did. Presumably they will be penalised appropriately.
Cheers for the compliments, all.
Baff@12, I now only wear cotton socks with tennis shoes. The rest is generally wool (especially when I’m wearing my boots, with or without my Stetson 😉 ).
Clive@26, fantastic summary mate. What I wouldn’t give for an away day with the traveling Gooners.
GSD@41, I’m not holding my breath. I still don’t understand why Slot was permitted on the touchline for the Wolves match. I thought he saw red against Everton?
MCMBD
Lonestar. Slot was charged but has a few more days to appeal. His punishment cannot begin until after the deadline for his appeal has passed.
Ned @28
As an interesting footnote to my post @26, 2 young recently departed Gooners in central defender Heaven, and striker Obi, who the Club wanted to keep and offered contracts to, but opted for greener pastures elsewhere, were on the subs bench for Man Utd against our NL Neighbors on Sunday.
Obi made his debut, coming on for the last few minutes.
Utd apparently have very high hopes for both of these in their words,
” exceptional young talents.”
Obi is scoring plenty of goals for their juniors, and interestingly, we will see them back at our place soon when Utd come to visit in the next round of the FA Youth Cup.
Trev @31 and Lonestar @ 42
Thnks for the kind words.
I have been absent the Bar recently for various reasons, but hopefully like the returning Benny, I’ll be back regularly for what hopefully will be a cracking final 3rd of the season.
A £55,000 fine for our players showing their displeasure at a wrong, unfair dismissal of their young, teenage teammate. How very dare they !? If there’s any justice and relativity Liverpool, Everton and Arne Slot are all going to be working for nothing for a couple of years.
Trev@45: In your dreams…
Clive@44: Early days for both those two, so we’ll see. Obi-Martin coming off the Red Mancs’ bench when he couldn’t get near ours probably says more about them than him.
Very interesting take on the Leicester game from MM on Gunnerstown.
I’m sure one of the usual suspects can post it in the bar.
Ned @47
I just remembered another young impatient striker in Omari Hutchinson who decamped to Chelsea a while ago, but i have a feeling he has now been loaned out somewhere else. ?
I think Balogun at Monaco has been injured for a while, but wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire beforehand.
The list goes on.
Wonderful report of a slightly nerve wracking game LG thank you.
As to my results recently, well the scans showed damage to my brain from the last stroke and a referral to the stroke team is forthcoming, problem is that the best chance of recovery and rehabilitation is 1-3 months after a stroke, my last was in 2023.
Dr thinks it explains my worsening cognitive state and balance issues and now I’m awaiting contact from the stroke team, no idea what comes next.
Here’s hoping for a Liverpool upset on Wednesday eh?
Good to see you all.
Mike McDonald’s views on Leicester
DG @49
Sorry to hear that the updated news on your ailments are not good.
You really are going through the wars.
All the best for some positive news from the Stroke team.
Fingers crossed North London’s finest can keep winning and give you some joy in what is clearly a very challenging situation.
@48 Clive
Hutchison did decamp to Chelsea but couldn’t get in their team and signed for
Ipswich. He is playing regularly for them but 2 goals, 2 assists in 23 games
isn’t great production.
I noticed Daniel Ballard is playing for Sunderland these days, played more
for Northern Ireland than Arsenal but seems to have found his level similarly
to Hutchison maybe – Championship / lower end of the PL. Fantastic really
to make it so far but as you say the final step is very difficult.
@49 DG, yeah it would be a great time for Emery to do us a favour.
And Liverpool are looking a little nervous recently. Fingers crossed
for them (and as always for you too)
@52
Thnks for that update Matt.
Leaving the Monks in your slipstream is no mean feat.
There will be an inquest at dinner time at the Monastery tonight.
Could be no hot water bottles at bedtime as punishment.
Clive@54: Hot water bottles? Don’t give them ideas…
Chuba Akpom would be another one for the list of not-quites. He had a dozen senior appearances for us, then bounced around the Championship and Europe. Now 29, and on loan at Lille from Ajax.
Issac Hayden is the same age. Two first-team games for us, sold to Newcastle when they were in the Championship. Had five seasons with them in the Premier League but played only 118 PL games, was sent on loan to Norwich in the Championship, then to Standard Liege, then to QPR in the Championship and is now on loan at Portsmouth in the Championship.
Both have had respectable careers, but as OM says, they are at the Championship/lower end of the PL level, not elite.
Going back further, there was Seb Larsen, three first team games for us, before being sold to Birmingham for £1m. Went on to play nearly 300 PL games for them and Sunderland and then more than 100 in the Championship for Birmingham and Hull. He also got a ton of caps for Sweden, but I doubt he would have played 300 PL games for us.
Ned
The Monks have redeemed themselves.
They must have been on afternoon siesta while Matt was busy doing his research.
I’m pretty sure our long long list of nearly not quite juniors, would probably extrapolate out to most top tier clubs.
Well in for the half-ton, TTG.
Clive@56: Producing players for sale has become a business model at many elite clubs’ Academies as much as it is a necessity as there is never going to be room in senior squads for every graduating youngster.
Reiss Nelson, on loan at Fulham, has undergone surgery for a hamstring injury. Cue a chorus of ‘Arsenal forwards get injured wherever they go’.
HEH @ NED @58!
Marli Salmon, a defender who has just made his debut for our U-21s, is a name to note for the future. He is still a schoolboy, and only two of our own have played a PL2 game for the U-21s at a younger age: Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri — none too shabby company.
Ned – a defender with a good leap on him, no doubt. Is he English, or a Finn perhaps ?
Depressed Gooner
Thanks for your update . Medicine is moving so fast and throwing up so many new treatments that there is always the possibility that you can be helped . Let us hope the Arsenal can provide a tonic for you and Liverpool start to struggle
This bar raises a glass to you and hopes for good news and positive healing for you .
I was very unhappy about the incredible bias and attitude displayed in the Arsenal v Newcastle Carabao Cup game. I wrote to the Head of Sky Sports after the game 5th express my disapproval. This was their reply
Thank you for your letter to Mr Licht concerning our coverage of the Newcastle Utd v Arsenal match on 5th February.
I am sorry to read that you were unhappy with our coverage.
We do try to make sure that our commentators provide our viewers with a balanced and informative commentary.
Sky Sports often receive accusations of bias for and against each club on our football coverage from our viewers. Considering the repeatedly conflicting nature of the feedback that we receive from viewers; we believe this is a sign that we are striking the right balance.
However, viewer feedback is always welcome and thanks for taking the time to share your views with us as this helps us gauge how our customers felt about the coverage.
These have been logged and passed to the Sky Sports football team for their information.
Kind regards
Jan
Sky Viewer Relations
I am neither surprised or mollified
DG@49: Adding myself to the good wishes being sent to you by others above. Stay as strong as you can. All here will be hoping some of the team’s resilience will rub off on you while it brings you some joy.
TTG@63: Sounds like Mr Licht scribbled ‘Send him the all-fans-think-we’re-biased letter’ on yours and handed it to an underling.
A response which throws more heat than Licht.
CER – 😀
It does suggest that their view is that their raison d’etre is to upset all fans equally rather than provide a nuanced and balanced commentary that takes an unbiased view of a match.
I noticed in the Athletic today a writer complaining that in his role on Sky Jamie Carragher had morphed from summariser to Liverpool fan with Sky’s acquiescence . Martin Keown is the usual suspect when an Arsenal voice is required but Merse is often recruited . I do think a more objective view of a game is desirable rather than having two cheerleaders arguing with each other and as far as a commentary is concerned it must be balanced and fair
Ned @65. How very generous of you to assume that Mr Licht actually read TTG’s letter.
DG. Best wishes as ever, I’m sorry you’ve got it so tough. As others have said, I hope The Mighty Arsenal give you cause for lifted spirits
Depressed Gooner – good to hear from you whilst always sorry to hear of your continuing travails.
Even though you have missed the optimum period of recovery from your stroke, don’t give up. Do keep trying to fight to improve every kind of physical task and activity you can. Tiny improvements do eventually add up although difficult sometimes to appreciate at the time.
Also, try to challenge yourself mentally to help improve your physical function. Simply put, try doing things in different orders, use the “wrong” hand to perform habitual tasks, or lead with the “wrong” foot when starting to walk, even if just from room to room. Try walking backwards if you can attempt that safely with available support. Use a knife and fork in the opposite hands to usually. Etc etc
It’s all about trying to rebuild neural pathways – and you might even find it fun !
I’m only a sports physiotherapist and osteopath but Barhgooner is a medical consultant.
I’m sure he’ll put us right if he disagrees.
All the best.
I can’t find the Athletic article TTG alluded to @67 but I did find an excellent piece on Miguel Azeez. It doesn’t paint Arsenal in a particularly bad light but neither does it cover us in glory. I love the ethos of our youth setup and my knowledge suggests it to be a wonderful programme, however, it is not perfect and there may still be lessons to be learned and feedback to take on.
To be clear to anyone who doesn’t read it, Azeez has absolutely not gone in two footed on the club (not even close), he’s just been honest about his experience and how he felt at times, suggesting he didn’t always fit in and felt somewhat judged for non-football related issues.
I found it an interesting read. Certainly, I wish him well and hope he rises through the divisions again as he has a lot of talent, and football needs people who are willing to be themselves, even if they don’t quite conform to the usual (outdated?) expectations.
DG, I like all the regulars, am sorry to hear you’re continuing to experience difficulties and hope that your medical attendants can come up with strategies that will help improve your circumstances.
Trev, as ever, is hiding his considerable light under a bushel and he is far, far more qualified to offer rehab advice than I am as it is well outside my narrow area of expertise. However I know enough to endorse his suggestions @69 as bang on the money. Each of those recommended actions will seem impossible or at the very least extremely difficult on your first several attempts but don’t give up, stick at them, and you will slowly recognise small improvements in your ability to perform them (and your more normal counterparts) if you persist. Practice makes permanent.
Meanwhile, I hope Villa give you and the team a major lift tomorrow.
TTG@67: Rule No 1 of media these days, especially online, is that disagreement drives engagement and the more extreme the divergent views the greater the engagement. You can draw a straight line between engagement and media companies achieving their business KPIs.
Trev@61: 🙂 I’m sure he’ll make a splash.
GSD
The comment re Carragher was in the comments section on one of the pieces covering Arsenal. Sorry I can’t be more precise . But I did read the Azeez article . It was the first of a series that Jordan Campbell one of the regular writers who covers Arsenal , is going to write about Arsenal players who didn’t achieve a big career at the club- and where they are now . I think a number of us had high hopes for Azeez but the article explains why he didn’t fulfil his potential. It would be interesting ( for balance ) to get a club perspective but Arsenal wouldn’t quote formally in a situation like that .
I did hear from someone who is a big Portsmouth fan that his loan spell there was affected, how do I put this very diplomatically , by his wanting to enjoy a large amount of extra curricular activity in the town . This may be totally unfair but it was clear that a lot of people at Portsmouth didn’t like his attitude . Certainly it’s really hard to find a pathway through to our first team nowadays – another indication of how exceptional our two young stars are
For those of us (including me) suggesting Gabriel, Saliba or Calafiori up front……
https://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2025/feb/18/chris-whyte-experiment-arsenal-played-centre-back-mikel-merino
I had completely forgotten about this and about Cartwright, but now I remember that Villa game and the sparse crowd. I never thought Whyte a good match at CB with David O’Leary but he wasn’t a bad defender.
TTG @75, we’ve recently had several confirmatory examples of the truism that emerged in the late nineties, that a self-indulgent, hedonistic lifestyle, such as many sportsmen, as well as you and I, may have previously enjoyed, is totally incompatible with success at the top level of football. The Hales End graduates who have featured in our first eleven would appear to have no problem in that regard.
OM
Thankyou for bringing back the memories of Chris Whyte upfront ( and John Cartwright ) which I have tried so hard to shut out ! Cartwright was a friend of our sports master and I saw him play at the end of his career . He was hugely rated within the game but we played awfully while he coached us- very long ball . There is mention of Paul Mariner there – Ann England centre forward but he once played centre back at White Harry Lane in the NLD because of injuries- and we won!
In my early days as a football supporter I was in awe of John Charles who played CF and CH ( centre half) for Juventus and Wales. We signed his brother Mel for a British record fee and he had the ability to play in either position but he was not a huge success . More recently Sheffield Wednesday had Paul Warhurst who was equally good in both poisons .
Bath @76- how very dare you !😀
I’d like to think that my wilder excesses – which in reality only lasted from say 1969 – 2010 – 41 years in the blink of an eye , were the reason I didn’t make it big in the game .
Sadly I think ability – or lack thereof had a bit to do with it
@77 yeah, Cartwright was dire but we did get a better Wright from Palace a few seasons later…….. I liked Don Howe very much, an Arsenal man, but I felt he did tend to the long-ball philosophy later in his coaching career. When it works fans are forgiving for a while but once it doesn’t the end is near.
Just watched once of our potential last 16 rivals Feyenoord come through, quite fortunately, against AC Milan. No easy games etc etc but I’d have preferred Feyenoord to Milan given the choice.
Can’t find anything on the Arse website, but Arseblog is reporting that Tomi had surgery on his dodgy knee a few days ago, and is now commencing rehab.
Good luck to him, he has had miserable luck with injuries since joining us.
We have certainly missed his versatility this season.
Clive@80: These days it is only news when an Arsenal player isn’t having surgery…
Too true Ned.
Interesting financial analysis of Arsenal’s 2024 ledgers:
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/what-arsenal-fc-financial-results-mean-b1212104.html
Get yer wallet out, Stan. We need at least $300MM spend this summer (this should get us over the ton 😉 ).
MCMBD
Well published LG- those figures are hot off the press. While I was driving at lunchtime I heard a quick analysis of some disastrous figures from ManUre , I haven’t seen the full figures yet and having done many Harvard case studies I will be interested in Swiss Ramble’s take and any cunning ratios they have not pulled out but we appear to have got wages as a percentage of revenue into a very satisfactory position.
Disposing of Auba, Ozil and Pepe has helped enormously
To my eye, the highlights of the financial results for the year to May 31, 2024 on a quick first read of https://www.arsenal.com/media/472382/download is that the bottom line loss has been cut by two-thirds to £17.1 million.
Playing CL football and finishing second in the PL last season was a big boost to revenue, especially to broadcast revenue, as was a renewal of the commercial arrangements with Emirates and the Sobha Realty deal for naming rights for the training centre. Player sales and loans were up more than fourfold from £12.2 million to £52.4 million. All in all, revenue for the year was a record £616.6 million, a big jump from 2023’s £466.7 million.
All that offset a jump in the wage bill, which is primarily players’ wages for the men’s and women’s teams, the club says, to £327.8 million from £234.8 million, in amortising transfer fees, up to 171.1 million from 139.1 million, and in a near tripling of financing costs to 18.4 million from 6.2 million, although half the increase in financing costs is notional accounting on transfer fees being paid in instalments.
The commentary in the accounts is clear that deep runs in Europe are key to being financially self-sustaining. It also says the club continues ‘to be compliant with applicable financial sustainability regulations put in place by UEFA and the Premier League’. How much headroom that leaves us for summer transfer spending I will leave to Swiss Ramble to calculate.
Just to clarify, the loss of £17.7 million pounds is before taxes and exceptional items. There were no exceptional items for the latest financial year, but the previous year included £18.1 million for getting rid of Auba and Ozil, etc., Disregarding those, the loss has been roughly halved from 2023’s £34.0 million.
The wages-to-revenue ratio edged up to 53.4% from 50.5% on the base numbers. There would be some tweaking to do to make them match the UEFA and proposed PL rules, but to TTG’s point @84, we are in a very satisfactory position in that regard.
Very helpful commentary Ned. If we can get ( at the very least) to say the CL semi-finals , qualify for the CL again and sell Zinchenko , Kiwior and Nelson, I would imagine we might have something like £200-£250 million to spend although that’s a simplistic calculation because of wages . But when you consider how hamstrung ( sorry to mention that ) Man United , Chelsea and Newcastle may be and that C130y may have a transfer ban we are very well placed in relative terms .
Good to see Watkins showing why we bid for him 😄
Thanks Ned / TTG for the explanations. Seems we are recovering from the indigestion caused by swallowing unpalatable contracts and the knock-on costs of doing some bulk replacement shopping. It will be important to maintain contract renewal discipline so we don’t face the sort of Salah/ Van Dijk / Arnold type cliff Liverpool look likely to fall off at the end of the season.
Still in the game boys. Well played Villa. Eight behind with a game in hand. Next up West Ham.
Having just watched PSV outplay Juventus with some very good football in the CL knockout tie, i am of the opinion that it will be much less stressful if we get Feyenoord in the round of 16 draw on Friday.
Quite agree Clive. Feyernoord were a bit lucky and look eminently beatable. Bad year for Série A in the CL, four out of five teams are out before the last 16.
I enjoyed the play-off round though it was completely contrived, the Benfica vs Monaco 3-3 was a great game. Mostly I am glad we weren’t in it!
Even better Matt,
Was watching Real toy with an abject City team.
Re Title battle,
I thought a draw was a fair result in Villa/Pool game given the chances both sides had.
Can only hope City can rouse themselves against Pool this weekend, although I’m not hopeful.
Of course it will mean nowt if we don’t see off the Hammers to keep the pressure on.
I hope the monks are beavering away on updating the Predictathon…
I’m afraid I hold out little hope for Cheaty 115 either, they have looked mostly dire recently.
Unless the new guy repeats his Newcastle hat-trick performance…..
Though I doubt Liverpool’s defenders will be as abject as Trippier.
First, lets hammer the hammers (again)
Potsticker@94: Rest assured, the monks have beavered, and the results dispatched to those of a technical persuasion who handle publication to the site (and deserve flowers for their tireless efforts in that regard).
Lumps it up the pitch…
Sprints down the pitch and brings his own lump down and threads a pass to the right…
Mistimes his jump, the ball cannoning off his shoulder into the path of…
Tail whips the ball into the back of the net.
BOOM!
Beautiful stuff, mate.
Medical update re Tomi on Arse website.
Knee surgery rehab started, but sadly not expected back till towards the end of the year.
He is one unlucky footballer.
Cheers Pagloss, hell of an assist!
And a big shout out to ecg who was instrumental in the build up. Well played lads.
Sorry Pangloss. I appear to have left you an n short @103. My apologies!
Nicely worked ton there gentlemen
Sad news on Tomi, best of luck to him really.
Hopefully he can regain his fitness and get his career
back on track next year.
The latest GHF Predictathon leaderboard has been posted. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t make pretty reading. You know where to find it…
Well in for the ton, GSD.
Congrats on the century, GSD!
I am still the most, erm, ‘consistent’ performer in the Predictathon, the Southampton of the GHF league.
Ollie@109: Not to worry. The GHF Predictathon is a Super League. No relegation. 🙂
To all, my thanks for the kind words and wishes, Villa nearly did it for us, Still happy with a draw though.
@69 Trev & @71 bathgooner
I can promise that despite the nickname I have never given up or in to anything so I keep pushing on even if my gallows humour is not appreciated by all (my dad didn’t seem to like asking for my Birthday present now instead of September just in case – we don’t actually do presents anymore btw) I actually do a lot with my right hand now as I have to and due to my left hip having holes in it I’ve been leading with my right for a while too, the walking backwards thing has no chance though, standing straight and still is tough enough lol
Been having some pita chest pains for almost a day now but almost completely convinced its not my heart so finally and reluctantly called 111
BTW my biggest physio advice was Lego believe it or not, the instructions for the cognitive side and the actual building for manual dexterity and coordination, works a treat but so bloody expensive that its an occasional purchase when I need a treat a few times a year.
hahaha, true, Ned @ 110. Cheers!
Good luck, DG, hope you will get better.
hang in there, dg. you can come back, at least part of the way. and you’ll learn to make adjustments to how you live, ones that should make it at least easy to watch arsenal and enjoy it. be well, and get better. and take care of that holy hip, sounds like something for ned’s crew to investigate…
btw, dino, a fine strike of the tail, as it were, for the ton.
DG@111: Good to hear you are not only hanging in but fighting back. Stay strong.
Re CL
Doesn’t get any easier if we get past either PSV or Feyenoord in round of 16.
Looking at the brackets for the Qtr finals, we will have to play either Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Athletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
Well in for the ton, GSD. Nice build up too, chaps.
Keep working on positive waves, DG.
Clive @116, it comes with the territory. If we want to win Big Ears, we need to meet and beat the best.
Merino, being the predator that he is, is feeding on his prey ey. In case you needed a status update.
>>>>>>>