The current Premier League champions, The Arsenal, make the trip to Aston Villa this weekend for our first away game of the new campaign. Fresh-off a couple of 3-0 wins the last two weekends, our confidence should be high as we take on the Villa outfit, whose own confidence is surely correspondingly low after starting the season with a good tanking at Brighton. However, results taken in isolation rarely give a true picture and this is game we lost last season to Gabriel and my extreme annoyance. With the greatest respect, as always, to Fat Frank and his plucky, but ultimately mediocre, little Coventry team I think this could be a much truer test of where we stand right now. However, more of Villa anon. First up, the Champs.
Who will be front and centre for The Arsenal this week?
At the presser Mikel was upbeat on the possible participation of Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa, good to know Boss but I hope you realise you are just making my job harder here!
Given the title above I think I will start by saying Kai will be at the front and your guess is a good as mine about the centre. I am fairly sure David Raya will be at the back and Gabriel, Ode, Bukayo and Tzolis will start too which leaves us with…
Raya
??? ??? Gabriel ???
??? ???
Saka Ode Tzolis
Kai
Any two from Ben, Konsa and Mosquera will start on the right of defence and perhaps, if MA wants to prioritize defensive solidity, Hincapie over Califiori on the left. In the centre I think we will see two from MLS, Declan and Bruno G, although that is only if we assume the excellent Zubi and Merino will be on the bench with Kepa, Vik, Eze, Noni, and then whoever misses out in defence and midfield. Regrettably, Max and Ethan may be the two to drop out of the squad from last week – I suppose some will argue it should be Noni dropping out but I don’t believe the boss will share that opinion.
And what of my own guess for the little that’s worth? The newbies may come on second half and MA will stick with last week’s starting XI. Not a sentence I think many will write this season as the team will probably change from match to match with greater regularity than ever before but for now it will do for me…
Raya
Ben Mosquera Gabriel Calafiori
MLS Declan
Saka Ode Tzolis
Kai
The Opposition – Do they know who each other are?
For a venerable old club things have been positively sprightly at Aston Villa since the end of last season. Despite their Ropey League triumph against Freiburg more than half of their starting XI that day have gone or are at least on their way out the door – Digne, Rogers, Watkins, Tielemans, Martinez and of course Ezri Konsa to our very own selves. I do have to take a moment to digress here and ask has there ever been a more suitable match than Emi Martinez and Chelsea? Surely his good chum Enzo gave him the lowdown on the lowdowns? Anyway, among others Manzambi and now Suspicious Nicolas Jackson have come in up front, Zion Suzuki has joined in goal, Gomes from Wolves and Goretzka, lately of Bayern Munich, in midfield, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, on loan from West Ham, and Ruggeri, from Atletico Madrid, in defence. And last and least Garnacho from Chelsea. A very significant churn whichever way you look at it and I look at it as a very mixed bag of churn indeed. However, some Villa fans bravely chose the optimistic route – i.e. the team needed rebuilding anyway and not to worry as Unai Emery will manage the situation – but that wasn’t a take that looked too perspicacious last weekend as they quickly went 4-0 down at Brighton playing like a team that had only met at breakfast. Let’s hope they are no better this week and that we can take full advantage of their current uncertainty – by the way psst… Mikel, I have watched Suzuki in goal for Japan a number of times and he is really not confident on crosses. Fill yer boots lads.
I expect that whatever mix of old and new starts for Villa they will take Unai’s usual approach and I also expect we will be primed to go righteously for their throat. Dominate the game, don’t let them get a foothold, punish their inevitable mistakes and quieten the crowd – I am sure the lads will know the pack drill.
The Latest News
Flattery is the sincerest form of imitation or something like that and so I will happily copy Trev’s idea from last week and chuck in my tuppenceworth on a few topics hot off the now historical presses.
First-off, best Goonerholic wishes go with Reiss Nelson as he seeks pastures new. No doubt the now seemingly endless discussion on “are The Arsenal good at set-pieces and winning the PL but rubbish at selling?” will be in full flow – personally I know which ones I’d rather be good at but each to their own of course. In Reiss’s particular case, his contract was terminated by mutual agreement this week in what I assume was an acceptance of the current reality – i.e. he was not going to break into this Arsenal squad and the club had not been able to realize any transfer value. No doubt dissatisfaction has and will be expressed in places about our “selling” skills but I think the intention on both sides was for Reiss to move on a couple of seasons ago – a reasonable plan on paper but the injury gods struck and decent loan opportunities at Fulham and Brentford could not achieve the desired results. I see no reason to make a song and dance about that and instead will remember the sheer joy of his winner against Bournemouth in 2023, great goal, great moment and I wish him all the best and hopefully more great moments!
The other major news is that I have changed the name of the city of Osaka to Matt! and will now be The Gooner Formerly Known as OsakaMatt or Matt!Matt for short. It’s all the rage apparently as even UEFA would like Infantino to become the The Prisoner Formerly Known as FIFA Supremo or Prisoner No 6 for short and will ask the Swiss to oblige. Whilst Infantino is mostly certainly severely challenged ethically, in my opinion, I hope UEFA will recall he is also a slimy creep slippery and the law can be a double-edged sword that takes a very, very, very long time to swing – the withdrawal from FIFA tournaments would have been a much quicker path, albeit politically riskier and more painful in the short-term. Personally, I’d prefer a coalition of the slightly less corrupt (yes, I mean you Ceferin and your new chums) moving forward but then who cares what I think as I have only a medium-sized city named after me.
On the good news front the transfer window is nearly over. If we do sign someone, great, but to be honest my main hope is that we sort out some decent loans and find solutions for Gabriels Jesus & Martinelli as well as Fabio Vieira. The absurd nonsense that is the current transfer system has been well-covered by various Holics in the drinks and I warmly commend their thoughts on the embarrassing antics of various PL clubs – the whole thing has become ridiculous and if only we had some sort of PL Supremo Commissioner to put a stop to such shenanigans masquerading as ‘business models’.
The Result
On to the nitty gritty. As mentioned above I believe Villa are vulnerable right now and I also believe we can exploit Suzuki’s lack of confidence so I will just go for a third three goals in three weekends – at least one of the three from a set-piece. Having pinned those 3-0 colours to the red and white mast I will of course take any win away from home in the Premier League. As ever, I hope Holics far and wide will enjoy the game, whether from chaise longues at home or plastic seats at Villa Park!
Come on you Gunners!
To repeat the information given in the last drinks
OUR CL LEAGUE PHASE GAMES
All times UK
Wed, September 9: Napoli (A) 8pm
Tue, October 13: Lille (H) 8pm
Wed, October 21: Bayern Munich (A) 8pm
Wed, November 4: Slavia Prague (A) 8pm
Tue, November 24: Borussia Dortmund (H) 8pm
Wed, December 9: Real Madrid (H) 8pm
Wed, January 20: Real Betis (A) 8pm
Wed, January 27: Sabah (H) 8pm
Good stuff, Matt. I like your team selection and expect Guimarães, Gyökeres and Konsa to appear in the second half. I like your scoreline even better. Another 3-0 victory would be nice but, as you imply, every game is different and previous performance, as observed in investment footnotes, does not guarantee future results.
Entertaining as always, Matt.
I like your team. I like your scoreline. I hope to see a lot of rotation in the second half, by when I hope we’ll be out of sight of the out of sorts Villains.
Thanks, Matt, and the flattery – or even just the imitation – is much appreciated.
I think more players than Suzuki may be suffering a lack of confidence after sitting through their first or second Emery team talk. Imagine arriving from the other side of the world, complete with English phrase book, and settling down to listen to the new boss issuing you with your new game instructions. As you clear the flying remnants of last night’s dinner issued from the midst of the inimitable contortions of the bosses face, your first thoughts must surely be Agent, Passport, Home ! The realisation then hits you that no amount of English pounds can compensate for the five years up for which you have signed (grammar / word order especially for Pangloss !). Your day is made complete on enquiring as to whom you are playing ……. The Arsenal ! Oh …..
A fine read, OM. I, too, like the look of your team and scoreline, but an away win and the successful introduction of our new signings would make for an equally satisfactory day.
Marli Salmon has signed his first professional contract now he has turned 17.
He sounds thoughtful and well-grounded. https://www.arsenal.com/news/marli-salmon-signs-first-professional-contract-aB9ha2J7sCgI
Trev@4, you are surely aware that the type pedantry that forbids ending sentences with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.
Good stuff Matt. I hope it will prove accurate, but TBH, I’d settle for a nervy 1-0 secured by a disputed 94th minute penalty. I really don’t hold with this modern mania for entertaining football; I was emotionally drained by last season and have yet to recover; if there are to be games similar to last season’s I’d rather they came and went before I do.
COYG they all count.
Matt,
Thanks for your preview and welcome to your new monniker. As I write Tottnumb are struggling at home to Newcastle . That’s a big setback for a team that have spent the GDP of a small nation in the close season.
But to proper teams . Nice preview Matt . I think we will start with last week’s eleven . It will ease the pressure on Konsa and Ben White and Mosquera played well last week. I anticipate a 2-0 victory and believe Tzolis will notch his first goal for us . Safe travel to the Countrymen and any other Gooners venturing to the Midlands u
Tottenham Hotspur
Played 2
Lost 2
Points 0
Goals for 0
Goals against 5
Move along. Nothing to see here.
Arsenal have as many Premier League wins at White Hart Lane in 2026 as Spurs.
Just saying.
I’ve gone too early haven’t I?
There are going to be some very sorry-looking Predictathon scores when the MW2 leaderboard is published.
Possibly so, Ned. But they’ll be read by some very happy predictathoners (God willing).
In the past calendar year, the neighbours’ home record in the league is Played 19, Won 2.
Thanks all, and definitely not too early I think C100 @12!
Seize the day and enjoy the moment and all that…..
If all goes well on Monday night we will ironically lift the Spuds off
the bottom spot….
It was all looking so encouraging for them after putting Charlton reserves to the sword ( video obtainable from the club shop )
The new name on Berta’s phone is Kevin Schade of Brentford . If the price is ok he’d be a good acquisition
Berta’s phone may not have Jesus (or his agent) on it much longer as he seems to be
going to Barcelona for €10m
Verbal agreement between Gabriel Jesus and Barça
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dcqkk9nAhui/?igsi=cWt4bjZqaThpMmdl
Quite the compliment that Barca chose Jesus over Alvarez 😃
Over Rashford was of course a no-brainer
Berta’s had a busy day. Jesus, Martinelli (for a club record £60m) and Viera all moved on.
One more to come in? I’m easy either way.
Great preview Matt!
Billy Wyler’s “Little Foxes”? The midland muddlers are anything but foxy, and even if they were, we are the fox-hunting aristocracy …
Like your team. Like your shoreline. Tzolis to get his first goal and Max to embarrass a defender or two in his short cameo…
Come on Arsenal!
For Arsenal Yoof cognoscenti, Chuba Akpom has come on as a sub for Ipswich, his first PL appearance since his three games for the Arsenal.
The major benefit of Berta’s hard work today is that he has trimmed over £20 million from our wage bill and probably brought in around £70 million in fees . Very useful
Someone may produce more exact figures but given we have sold Kiwior ( after a loan) , Trossard and Norgaard as well as Hein ( after a loan) and cancelled Nelson’s contract our total incomings look as if we’ve saved a total of around £34 million in salaries and about £112 million in fees with those referenced previously . P
An excellent piece on Gabi M from Amy Lawrence
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7539866/2026/08/30/gabriel-martinelli-arsenal-transfer-sadness/
It’s behind The Athletic paywall but basically it shares the feelings of many Gooners I guess – a mix of surprise, reluctant acceptance and a sense of real sadness that he is going.
Thanks Dr F, in fact it was a 1944 mystery story
Strangers in the Night (no connection as far as I
know to the Sinatra song)…..I should steal the Wyler
one if we ever play Leicester again 😃
Go Gunners in Gameweek 2, and thanks OsakaMatt or whatever your moniker of the moment may actually be. 😎
Matt@27
Thanks for sharing that lovely piece
‘His name is Gabi Martinelli and he plays for ………Al- Hilal
Doesn’t sound right . That boy always gave his all for the club. He loved Arsenal and despite dips in his form he was a real fan favourite. I shall miss him
Cheers Matt.
Everyone (not everyone, a lot of people maybe?) expect us to batter Villa, but they are no Tottenham. I suspect it will be a gritty win (though perhaps the scoreline will be consequent if they get a red card, say). I’ll go for 2-0.
??? to be on the scoresheet.
So Villa signed Suzuki to bolster the engine room? Or not, shame he is a pun-killing keeper.
Thanks, baff at 24. Didn’t realise he’d wound up in Suffolk, and now I see he even scored!
I hadn’t realized that our home game against Lille means
a return to The Arsenal at 40 years young for the HFB!
Hector will be a mere stripling compared to that when
we play Betis.
Indeed Matt, and it looks like he’s started the season pretty well. Even in the second match, where he didn’t score, he got some great ratings (and two assists I think).
Having achieved a modest sales income and a significant reduction in the weekly wage bill, I would expect us to bring in another forward given that, to date, we will, if the putative sales go through, have lost 4 (if we designate the hapless Vieira thus) but only acquired one. Will it be an unknown gem from far afield or a PL-proven practitioner on the left wing? Your guess is as good as mine.
Cheers Matt for a good read. Normally the Villians away is a tricky place for us but with their decimation of first teamers it is an opportunity for us to change the theme. I expect the team to start tonight will be similar to the starting Xl used in our previous fixture. If Bruno is 100% fit though I think he may get the nod ahead of MLS. A 2-0 to the good guys will do nicely.
Not long until the transfer window slams shut – thank God. Like Bath I hope we can bring in one high level forward – 4 departing and 1 in so far leaves us very susceptible to the whims of the injury gods who have not been kind of late.
COYRRR
Meanwhile, out in the marshes, they’ve begun to think it takes time. After 65 years 4 months and 13 days and 16 hours, we might have been able to put them in the picture.
Only fair to say that it is well written and there are some observations on the changing face of football with which I empathise.
https://tottenhamonmymind.com
BtM @36. That blog is always well written and I always enjoy it.
Meanwhile farewell to little Gabi. It was the right time for him to go and we got a good price. He leaves with immense good will and very fond memories. One of the true stars of the Arteta era. We will miss him.
TTG@26: Here is my count of the outgoings:
Player/transfer fee/annual salary
Confirmed
Kiwior £14.6m/£3m
Trossard £15.4m/£9.4m
Norgaard £7m/£3.4m
Nelson -/£3.6m
Hein £2.6m/£0.5m
Total £39.6m/19.9m
Expected
Martinelli £55.7m/£9.4m
Jesus £8.5m/£13.8m
Viera £7.7m/£2.3m
Total £71.9m/25.5m
Prospective grand total £111.5m/45.4m
BtM@36: Thanks for that link. A somewhat wistful read, but an honest appraisal of the less-than-shiny state of affairs at the wrong end of the Seven Sisters Road.
Ned, Ornstein and Gunnerblog say Martinelli’s fee is £60m not £55.7m, flat fee, no add ons. We are also negotiating a sell on fee.
Good luck to the two Gabis in their new gigs. Both, in their own ways, won our hearts with the part they played in elevating the club to its current level. We should remember and celebrate that. But time is a relentless taskmaster in football, and the moment has arrived to say fond goodbyes.
C100@40: Thanks for the heads up on that. I can update the list when the sales are confirmed. An extra few bob is always welcome. One wrinkle is that FIFA/UEFA mandates euros as the currency of record for transfer fees (and payment to be made in euros or dollars), so currency conversion can always be a factor. I converted euro transfer fees into pounds just to be more easily comparable to the salaries.
C100@40: Thanks for the heads up on that. I can update the list when the sales are confirmed. An extra few bob is always welcome. One wrinkle is that FIFA/UEFA mandates euros as the currency of record for transfer fees (and payment to be made in euros or dollars), so currency conversion can always be a factor. I converted euro transfer fees into pounds just to be more easily comparable to the salaries.
FIFA’s filthy lucre just keeps getting grubbier. The Athletic reports that Infantino was negotiating a deal, without the FIFA Council’s knowledge, to bring private investment into the commercialisation of an U-15 World Cup to be staged in Florida, with $250 million in financial commitments lined up from investors, led by Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7540584/2026/08/27/infantino-fifa-u15-world-cup-private-investors/
OL’s Fofana appears to be the latest left winger we are allegedly looking at now that we’ve created space in the squad, especially wide left, and freed up a big chunk of salary. Honestly, I’ve never heard of him. If MA8 thinks he’s the man to support Tzolis in reinvigorating our left sided attack, who am I to disagree?
Villa Park is falling down! Actually it’s being refurbed. No Villa fans to our right!
If there is anything to the Fofana rumours, we’ll need to get Trev in on the medical. The Belgan missed 26 games last season because of an ankle injury and 11 the season before that because of calf, knee and hip injuries.
And in other news: unchanged at Villa Park; Bruno G on the bench:
Raya,
White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori,
Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard,
Saka, Havertz, Tzolis
Bench: Arrizabalaga, Hincapie, Konsa, Zubimendi, Guimaraes, Merino, Eze, Madueke, Gyokeres
Ned @46, he sounds like a top Arsenal player already! :0/
I like the photo C100. The only time I’ve been to Villa Park was the first(?) replay of a late-stage FA Cup tie in the v early 80s. We were stood at one end with the goal to our right as we looked at the pitch. As far as I remember the Arse went one up fairly early in the first half and kept Liverpool out form most of the second half before they equalised very late on. Lovable scamps that they are, I remember the Scouse fans lobbing a dead pigeon over the fence in our general direction.
I also harbour an affction for Newport Pagnell (southbound) services dating from that game – the ones on the M6 were packed to the gunwales so we pressed on for another 20-odd miles. Boy did we need a stop by the time we got there!
Hope you have a more enjoyable game to watch and a less-stressed journey home.
COYG
Bukayo gives us the lead
1-0 to The Arsenal
Guimaraes and Merino on, Ode and MLS off
League debut goal would be handy
Zubi for Declan
We seem sound defensively and I hope that’s not the
kiss of death. Take the three point
What’s the score McGinn you little fucker
Anyway, points in the bag and Bukayo’s shooting boots on
Well in for the half-ton, OM, and what you said @52.
Oh and the Spuds are still last hohoho
Pangloss @48
You describe the semi final second replay in 1980 where Sunderland scored in the first minute and Dalglish I think in the 90th . Don Howe accused us of scoring too early and inviting pressure!
We won the next replay three days later at Coventry and
Bath
We’ve been interested in Fofana for some time but as Ned points out the lad was hors de combat for most of last season. He’s very fast and tricky . Unfortunately Tzolis struggled tonight and Eze combined much better with Calafiori who was brilliant.
There should have been a penalty for us at the end for Maatsen’s scissor tackle . Gillett had a poor game and how VAR did not overturn it I don’t know
@55 TTG
I’m glad you stopped at “and” I didn’t want to hear the rest of the story 😂
@56 I thought that was a definite penalty at the end too, Maatsen and McGinn should both have gone really. And Calafiori is brilliant, I thought Eze did ok too but would
welcome Fofana as we seem a little short comparatively.
I was surprised Gyokeres didn’t come on at the end but Zubi was the last of our 5 subs
and did well, as did Merino.
Matt
I don’t know how that and crept in.
I didn’t go to Coventry but some of my friends did.
If I had added anything it would have referred to the fact that all the replays caught up with us at the end of that season
TTG@56: I agree about Gillett. How Tzolis got a yellow card for a relatively innocuous foul, but Digne escaped any sanction for throwing the Greek to the floor long after the ball had gone, beggars belief.
Eze gave us much better ball retention. We controlled the game after he came on in a way we couldn’t in the first half.
Ned
Digne has departed to PSG but your comments are directed at Cash and I agree with them . Tzolis’s booking was ridiculous .
Ornstein reporting that Ethan is on his way to Dortmund for a medical prior to a loan.
Seems a good chance for him at a team with CL football so I hope
it goes through
That game felt and looked much like those torturous experiences of last season. Felt like a ‘must win’ and looked too slow, pedestrian and laboured to suggest that the ‘chains of anxiety’ about finally winning the title have been shed. A wounded Villa defended like tigers and snapped into every challenge, facilitated by a permissive Liverpool-supporting referee, and made it very difficult for us to create chances – same old 4-5-1 low block – same old struggle. But job done through a wonderfully constructed goal. Calafiori and Rice were joint MotM for me.
Being reported that Arsenal will be due around £7m for the move from Monaco to Everton, for Folarin Balogun due to a 17.5% sell on clause.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>