Even Yorkshire’s Ecky Thumpers might find it more surprising than a flat cap on a black pudding that Sheffield Utd are closer to T’Top o’ T’League than T’Arsenal in their first season back in the top tier. I most certainly do, and when my mind turns to reasons why, the phrase ‘Good Ebening’ pops quickly to the fore.
Saturday sees the men from Steel Town forge a path to London for their visit to the white-hot crucible that is Emirates Stadium. Mikal Arteta will need to be the ‘best a man can be’ to ensure that Arsenal are red-hot and razor sharp in readiness to blunt the Blades. Every Gunner will need to put his ore in, be primed for the cut and thrust, or face the prospect of being rolled over and hammered on the anvil as they were in Sheffield in October. It’s the perfect day to disprove the notion that The Arsenal “don’t like it up ‘em”.
Arsenal may well be without both of our own men of steel after VAR kryptonite turned Superman Aubameyang’s red cloak to card, and Torreira from Fray Bentos was tin canned at Palace. These two have been key contributors to the green shoots of recovery in our fortunes under Arteta and will represent a very big loss against an in-form outfit. Replacing them will be MA8’s primary concern.
Aubameyang, who has maintained a stainless steely potency, is banned for the next three games. Completely rejuvenated and played in his best DM position, Torreira has again become an important foil, blunting and parrying attacking thrusts which earlier in the season would have seen Arsenal cut wide open, skewered, left for dead and pointless. Torreira remains doubtful for Saturday and, with Kolasinac, will need a late fitness test.
With the exception of these three, it is likely that the rest of the team that started at Palace will do so again on Saturday. Arteta will hope that they can reproduce the quality shown in the first half-hour at Selhurst Park, this time with more than one goal as a reward. He’ll be very aware of the Blades’ metal and I expect will place emphasis on attack and energetic pressing in a home game he’ll fancy he can win.
Lacazette and Pepe are likely to be joined up front by the very exciting young prospect that is Martinelli. He will be hoping he can grasp the silver lining opportunity to shine that the dark cloud over PEA presents. Should Kolasinac be unavailable, Saka will be a ready replacement and the only change from last weekend’s back five.
To win this one, Arsenal will need to withstand a physical midfield battle, and also contain the twin thistles of Fleck and McBurnie on the counter. Success here will be key to the outcome of the game. Absent Torreira, I think we’ll see Xhaka and Gendouzi provide a midfield pivot with Mesut Ozil being asked to find some metal of his own and create openings for the front three. Dani Ceballos is nearing full fitness apparently, but unless he’s shining really brightly in training, is only likely to feature from the bench.
While Sheffield United’s success derives from a high-tempo, physical pressing game and a really well-drilled defensive set up, the Blades have been honed to a sharpness that can see them cut through the stoutest defence on the counter like a hot Sheffield steel knife through butter. It’s absolutely critical that The Arsenal don’t concede the first goal.
My cooling waters tell me that Arsenal will edge a 2-1 win after a hard fought, heavy metal contest. Punters should be mindful of the success rate of Goonerholic predictions should they choose to wager their hard earned pounds!
A recurrence of the away defeat in October is likely to make Mikel wilder than Wilder and the players should anticipate the blast furnace treatment rather than the meeker hair dryer if his desires for sustained pressure and total concentration aren’t satisfied. I think they will be and so I’m looking forward to hearing the opening chords of ‘London Calling’ booming loudly from the stadium speakers tomorrow. COYG!
Wherever in the world you’re watching, enjoy the game, Holics.
Brilliant stuff BtM!
Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
First drink delayed due to ridiculous decision ti read the post before submitting.
UTA. Do it for Mikel, for me and most of all for yourselves!
COYG
blistering, btm. well done.
A shiny sparkling debut preview sir. Like a well polished piece of silverware. Here’s to a victory, whatever the score. 🥃
A blast from the past BtM – tip top stuff. Here’s to a cast iron victory and sending them back oop north with just a Yorkie bar an axe to grind.
Great preview BtM let’s hope MA8 will forge them in fire come 3pm Saturday afternoon 😀
Correction…..and an axe to grind 🙄
Well done, BtM!
The interwebs point out that steel melts at around 1,370°C (2500°F) but begins to lose its strength at a much lower temperature. Steel structures can become soft enough to lose their integrity at temperatures closer to 538°C (1,000°F) but personally I think we should aim for no less than the higher of the two figures. COYRHG
bt8, pedandtry: melts in the absence of oxygen; at about 2350F it begins to burn in the presence of oxygen. it’s why forge welding requires care and no breeze…
Thanks, folks. It just occurred to me that I missed a whole seam of potential in the form of the Greasy Chip Butty Song! Dang. Maybe next year 🙂
Anything it takes to soften up the Blades, scruz. 😉
The iron will of the new boss will forge a steely determination in the Arsenal team to melt the Blades defence, tarnish their ambitions and send their disintegrated hordes north again. Three points tomorrow will establish the foundation for a surge up the table under the alchemy of MA8.
I’ll get my coat….
just so long as it doesn’t spark them to life, bt8. i’ll be happy to see the team go at them hammer and tongs…
Btm
All the best puns have been used to celebrate an excellent preview which managed the Guvna’s old trick of combining humour with a very comprehensive preview of the match . Terrific stuff and very enjoyable. I’ve had a 2-1 win as a notional score despite the fact we are under strength and they are an admirable team. Chris Wilder coached Emery into a pint pot at Bramall Lane but our new man is an altogether different prospect and will be a much harder nut to crack . I hope those of us who are meeting after the game can celebrate a win as impressive as this preview
Puntastic, BtM.
Cheers BtM, a sterling effort.
I pray your Holic pound comes
in though I’m a bit less optimistic
than usual about this one.
Any old how and three will do.
2-1 over the Blades at home is a rare scoreline, but one that has previous. There were two games that ended up that way in the extraordinary 5th round FA Cup tie in February 1999. In the first game, Kanu, on his debut, did not return the ball to United after their keeper kicked it out of play because a player was down injured. Instead, he crossed to Marc Overmars, who scored the winner. We sportingly offered to replay the game. Overmars and Bergkamp scored in the first half, and Morris got a late consolation for Sheffield.
The only other 2-1 home win was in the League in 1955. Vic Groves scored on his debut. Don Roper got the other.
OM, your note in the previous drinks about Holding playing left back for England in a youth tournament, sent the monks scurrying back to their dusty ledgers of games past with a flea in their ears. And lo and behold, they have found six games in which he played left back for Bolton’s U-23s five and six seasons ago. He scored twice when playing that position, one a winner and the other to salvage a draw. So playing him there might not only solve our left back problem but also give us goals in Auba’s absence.
I’m afraid that the Rob Holding we saw against Leeds is nowhere near fast enough to play as a left back especially given Arteta’s preference for an overlapping full-back . He used the ball disastrously that night but that might have been an aberration. But in my view we won’t see him turning out for Arsenal as a full-back. He’s a centre back or nothing
My last sentence to OM was tongue in cheek, TTG. I agree that centre back is his position (and he has only played left back for others, not us).
I hope his Leeds performance was ring-rustiness. Regular games will be needed to get back to his best after such a long lay-off.
Right. That is Sheffield United expecting to face Holding tomorrow at left back. Confused as hell. 😉
just in case anyone is watching, the chevrons have made an appearance in the previous post…>>>
and they were copied straight from dave’s site, so there’s continuity even there 🙂
bt8 i thought united were going to be facing guendouzi at holding, not holding at left back. who’s inside right?
Outstanding from the monks
Ned, putting fleas in their ears
sounds a bit harsh though I’m
sure you know best on enforcing
order in the Order.
It was just a thought, and I fully
expect the back 5 outlined by
BtM.
I did wonder if Nelson might
start today as MA has put him
in a couple of times already.
Martinelli is a bigger goal threat
to me and should start but MA
may like Nelson from training.
Scruz: Who’s on first.
that’s right, ned. what’s on second. 🙂
Very interesting article on Reiss Nelson’s development as seen by Arteta:
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11911244/reiss-nelson-arsenal-youngster-was-confused-but-now-picture-is-clear-says-mikel-arteta
Thanks bt8.
I hope Nelson is listening, I’d love
him to be a top, top player for
the club and Mikel seems to be
a man who could get him there.
On such a Perfect Day for football in London, maybe we should take a tip from Lou Reed and drink Sangria in the park rather than Guinness at the Faltering Fullback pre-match?
@26 OM – I like Nelson but agree he doesn’t have Martinelli’s goal scoring instinct and, a bit like Iwobi, his finishes are often weak. You may be right though and Reiss may start today. If he does, Martinelli may well come off the bench for him, Pepe or Ozil if legs weaken under the pressures imposed by Arteta’s demands for 100% commitment. Blogs seems to think Kolasinac definitely out and Saka definitely in. I’d be happy enough if that’s the case.
To all folks that are going have a great day and enjoy your gathering after the game!
Not sure if I’ll be able to to watch the full game, will join you later here for the second half!
COYG!
London is bathed in sunlight and the wintry chill is just right to encourage our players to keep moving to keep warm. Conditions are almost perfect for a gemm o’ fitba’ and it’s encouraging to look forward to the football that a further week under the influence of MA8 may bring. It was certainly much easier to drive up to ‘the Smoke’ last night with a light heart and a modicum of optimism than it has been for many a year. I look forward to finally meeting some Holic Royalty this evening whose pearls of wisdom I have been enjoying in the Old Bar for a long time.
COYRHG!
It appears that Kurzawa has agreed a free transfer on a FIVE year contract in the summer. This would seem to suggest Kolasinac will be on his way for a tidy cash sum and may necessarily be typical of our dealings in the market if we don’t achieve European football. That’s a very long contract but it may give us time to bed him in before we think about selling him! I expect quite a lot of loan-related activity both ways in the next two weeks. Ideally we can shift Mustafi and sell Mkhitaryan and Elneny to fund transfers in but I doubt we will do anything too spectacular
Bath,
Likewise I’m looking very much to our post-match meal . I hope we can dine in a victorious mood following a fine match. As you say these are perfect conditions for football
Kurzawa is 27 I think so a 5
year contract with his appearance
is bold. Still, he’s coming on a
free and we may get a fee for
Kola who was also free so it would
seem we’re looking after our
mickles.
Enjoy your day all!
Kurzawa is 27 so a five-year contract is long. I wonder how it looks in Tierney’s eyes. Perhaps Arteta is planning to spare a bit of the stick he has used on Nelson to turn Kurzawa into the top performing full-back his talent if not his attitude suggests he should be. If Kurzawa isn’t coming until the summer, then I doubt Kolasinac will be going anywhere before then.
I don’t know, Scuz.
Scruz, Now I’m just hoping it’s not the Arsenal defence doing the Who’s on First routine when Sheffield’s overlapping centre backs try to draw us out of shape. Where’s my steel melter again?
Three points are essential. We have 28 and will have 31 if we win our 23rd game of the season today. We are usually above 40 points by this point. You have to go back to 1994/95 for us to have had fewer than 37 points after 23 games. We then had 28 from 23, were in 13th place in the table and ended up 12th, our lowest finish in the Premier League.
Leno
AMN, Mus, Luiz, Saka
Xhaka, Torreira
Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli
Laca
That defence.
subs
Emi, Hector, Rob, Guen, Dani,
Willock, Eddie
Nelson doesn’t make the bench.
I guess Papa must be injured.
COYGs!!!
Howe on third?
COYG
Dean sets his stall early with a
non foul on Mus.
We gift them 2 free headers in
our box.
Get in Martinelli!!
1-0.
Hard work but we’ve slowly
warmed.
Not a first half that will be
remembered down the ages
but we’re winning so….
Steel melter still at the ready.
Overlap that you blundering blade.
Great to be in front just after half time, well done Martinelli
Pepe is gaining in confidence and influence in the team.
Would have liked a penalty.
Going to be a nervy last 10
if we can’t nick a second
Mustafi defensively playing well today. We really need that second goal now.
FFS
bollocks
Another deflection on the goal!
Luiz didn’t foul him.
Come on lads !!
Nearly Mustafied
Then Xhaka’s inevitable
yellow.
last chance corner
frustration
Not happy with a draw yet again two points lost in my view, judging by the second half we were the better team and yet again we let ourselves down with some dodgy defending.
Apart from giving too many
free headers from corners we
didn’t defend too badly.
We should of got a second when
we were on top in the 2nd half.
Two points lost again as ATG says.
I liked Martinelli’s ability to be in
the right place.
Arteta has stopped them losing. Now he has to get them winning. Agree with all above who say it was two points dropped.
A very disappointing afternoon at the Grove. We really should have won that game against a well organised and hard-working but ultimately journeyman outfit.
Nonetheless we had a fine dinner to inaugurate the Goonerholics Forever Dining Club, of which I am sure there will be many a reunion. We toasted the Guvna without whose wise and generous take on the Arsenal we would not have come together but otherwise no business was done because of the sterling efforts of many who could not be present in bringing about tis new website to maintain the community that Dave established. Thanks also to Scruzgooner who generously contributed the very fine liquid refreshment (the Mara was an excellent choice) in lieu of a quick trip across to join us. 🍷🍷 You will be guest of honour when you join us, sir.
CM100’s match report has been well lubricated.
Long may the Goonerholic lum reek. 🥃
Bath, the first meeting of the GFDC was loads of fun to read about, and see the pictures of on WhatsApp, even for the unfortunate many who could not be present. Sounds like you washed it all down very nicely in the proper spirit of Goonerholic, who must have been smiling down on you. Long live the tradition.👌👌
My initial take is Arsenal deserved a 6.5 today but the Goonerholics Forever merited a 10.
Great evening among top-quality company, interesting conversation and lots of speculation and reminiscing about the Gunners . And I arrived home sober enough to pass cursory inspection by Mrs TTG .
Ah the game! I knew there was something dampening my mood. This Arsenal team is clearly improving under Arteta but given the injury list ( it looks like Nelson might be due a long lay-off now ) , the lack of confidence due in large part to the dreadful mismanagement of Emery and his impact on player psyches and the fact that the squad is nothing like the one Arteta would ideally like to have at his disposal there will inevitably be erratic progress this season . This game was a case in point.
We have several problems . We don’t move the ball quickly enough, our build-up is painfully slow ( much of this is due to Xhaka passing sideways or backwards whenever he gets the ball) , our defence never appears completely watertight and we have two very inexperienced , temporary full-backs , although both did well today, especially young Saka and Lacazette is out of form and Pepe is talented but wasteful.
Today I was impressed by Luiz who has really stepped up under Arteta , Saka , Martinelli and Torreira who is back to the player we saw in the first half of last season . We must get more mobility in midfield and more penetration on the flanks and it would be nice to hold a lead comfortably. We’ve drawn around half our games this season. If that continues for much longer we will be unable to finish anywhere near the top six .
Your view up close matched mine from far away, TTG. In Arteta’s first couple of games, Xhaka seemed to have sped up in thought and deed, but he has slipped back into his old ways, taking too long to decide where to pass, giving defences the time to get back into postion, which, in turn, often leaves him with the only options of passing sideways or backwards. We look most threatening when we move the ball forward and quickly.
Xhaka was handy on the line
at one point and generally tackled
well but same old shortcomings,
Mus was the same really, mostly
ok then could have given the game
away at the end.
I agree Luiz played well but he and
Mus did not defend crosses well at
least 3 times during the game and
it’s not a partnership I’d like to see
again.
I was quite proud of Saka – he’s
never a full back but he stuck
to the task manfully I thought
and got up and down the flank
better this time. AMN was
sound defensively and I liked
his attitude as usual.
Leno was fine, a little iffy on
passing. Overall, considering
none of them are that great
defensively as individuals it
was a good effort as a back
four !
Torreira was good today and
Ozil played well at times while
we’d got on top in midfield. He
and Laca did well for the goal
– worked Saka in for the cross
and made the space for
Martinelli to intelligently put
himself in for a seemingly easy
tap-in that was actually the
result of a good team move
well-executed.
I also liked the effort and
attitude of the front three but
they lacked composure
several times in the middle
of the 2nd half when we had
good opportunities, the
chances were squandered and
in the end we paid the price.
I know the defence will get the
blame but in my opinion it was
that poor execution up front in
the 2nd half that cost us the
points. Plenty of positives though
and I’m looking forward to the
Chavski game.
I seem to have literary diarrhoea!!
Anyway, the penalty. We can blame
VAR or Dean as preferred. But
looking at it logically, the system
worked as it should – Dean made a
decision, referred it to VAR, they
reviewed, decided there was doubt
and didn’t overturn. Umpires call
in cricket terms.
Expecting consistency on that
type of decision is probably not
realistic. I’d have given it but I’ve
certainly seen those not given.
Human opinion being what it is
there will never be unanimity.
No different than before VAR
really but at least there is now
a mechanism for correcting the
obvious mistakes missed in the
heat and speed of the game.
Onward to CM1000’s match day
report and review of the stalwart
Holic’s shenanigans.
And then the bus stop.
Torreira did very well. Mustafi relatively well (with him everything is Einsteinian). Martinelli cool, confident and capable. AMN stability personified. Arteta’s hair consistently un missed, as usual. A lot of positives today, for a home draw against a club that was recently in League One. Sorry, I fear I’m trailing off into lesser positivity …
Arteta’s hair unmussed, not “un missed” as this contraption prefers
Hey there OM. Any news of Ryo Miyaichi in the Japanese papers? His Wikipedia page says he is still with St. Pauli 2 in the German second division where he has only made 6 appearances since 2017. In the same circumstances I might have decided to go back to Japan by now, but imagine Hamburg has its delights. Hope so at least for his sake, but after all the hoopla following his signing with Arsenal he never made it as far as Saka, Martinelli, Willock, or Nelson already have progressed this season.
Hi bt8
It’s been easy to drift into lesser
positivity as a Gooner recently
🙂
On Miyaichi – I heard he came
back last season as a regular
for St.Pauli! I’ll check…..
My information (my son told me
after checking local non-religious
sources) is that he came back
last season after a while out
and played 25 games, scoring
5 times. This season played 18
with 1 goal, 3 assists.
I guess Bundesliga 2 is about
the same as the Championship
so not a bad signing but one
level too low for us.
Have you been to Hamburg? It has
a notorious red light district though
I’m not for a moment suggesting
that’s why Miyaichi stays 🙂
Some interesting stuff from our correspondent in Japan overnight 🙂
Grand day out yesterday. As for the match, we started poorly. To a more composed striker, we would have been 2-0 down inside 10 minutes. The two headed chances that came to Mousset would have been buried by Alan Gilzean even after one of his lunchtime bevvy sessions. We grew into the game and created three clear chances. Pepe created the first two, cleverly and speedily. The third involved our best player on the day, Saka, whose cross was competently converted by Martinelli.
We dominated the first 35 minutes of the second half. I thought Sheffield looked completely at sea for a while, looking troubled by the need to move from a flat back five into some semblance of an attacking force. Cheered on by an increasingly enthused crowd, Arsenal mounted several waves of attack. These were inspired by Torreira’s quick balls to Pepe or Saka’s beautiful sprints forward. Had we scored from one of these, the game could easily gone to at least 3-0. But we didn’t. We should have had a penalty, but we didn’t get it. And then the irritating wee fleck that is Fleck scored as I’d feared he might and from that point on we weren’t going to win.
Sheffield failed to make the most of the chances they had an overall it was another ‘Arteta era’ game. Team outperforms competition by a significant margin. Team’s attacking play takes the pressure of a defence which previously leaked like a sieve. Team fails to capitalise on its clear superiority. Team concedes late goal.
I like all of that movie except the ending. Time for a rewrite of the script. The brilliant ending of Tarrantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ is the kind of thing I’m thinking about, Mikel.
And Mike Dean, it should have been a penalty. It would have been 2-1. The pound would have smiled happily and enjoyed the prediction of the likely scorer of the Sheffield goal. You continue to be a disgrace.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>