Remember, Remember the 5th of November? A few short weeks ago on that very day we welcomed Molde FK to The Arsenal on the back of an enjoyable victory at Man United. You might even say a roseate glow gleamed across the golden Goonerverse as we sailed serenely through seas of sunken Solskjaers. How I miss those days. Now, on the back of some woeful finishing, we haven’t scored since and choppy waters threaten to engulf us in another season of mediocrity. A short jaunt across the water to take the spoils in Norway may be just the order in the circumstances. On that halcyon bonfire night when we last bothered the scorer, we knocked in four with OG chipping in two plus one apiece from Pepe and Joe Willock to round off what was in the end a comfortable enough 4-1 win after conceding a slapdash goal for the Norwegians opener. What to make of the return leg?
Molde FK
Though Molde FK may possibly be a different matter at home and will no doubt strive vikingly to provide a wholehearted test on a chilly November night in Norway there is no reason I can see that the game should not be won. Well, no reason other than the aforementioned inability to stick the ball in the net of course. Most of you will have seen the first leg, and my commiserations if you didn’t as it was a veritable bonanza of goals in these net-straitened times, and so will know that Molde are what they are – not a bad side, but not at a PL Level. They will be without their first choice striker, Ohi Omoijuanfo, who is apparently unwell – Leke James will attempt to plug the gap. Apart from that I think we can expect a similar line-up and approach to the first match.
The Arsenal
A twenty strong squad has travelled to Norway with the usual mix of youngsters and first team squad members to the fore. I believe our starting XI will fairly similar too though Runarsson may start this time – I hope so to be honest as the more games we can give him the readier he may be if shove comes to injury for Leno again. I expect we will continue with a four-man defence as I do not see Mikel abandoning the switch after one game and will suggest this XI accordingly. I believe Cedric must be fit and ready to start by now, if not then questions really must be asked as to why we gave him a contract. I also assume AMN will fill-in as left back given that Kola is hors de combat, Saka nursing a knock and KT due a rest. The new father of a bouncing baby girl David Luiz (congrats David) will I think form the CB partnership with Mus. I don’t to be honest know if Calum has travelled but it would be nice to see him get a few minutes at some point if he is indeed in-country. There are three youngsters ready to join the party, Folarin Balogun who has already played a few minutes in this competition plus two midfielders Ben Cottrell and Miguel Azeez. With Elneny and Partey both out and Xhaka and Dani having a tough game at Leeds we may well see a youngster as we are certainly short in midfield. In the circumstances AMN is a little unlucky really that a left-back shortage should have arisen at exactly the same time. It seems likeliest though that Joe Willock will partner one of Dani or Xhaka. Joe was excellent in the last tie against Molde, his performance enough I think to earn him a starting spot at Leeds after our Villa woes and Thomas Partey’s injury. Encouragement perhaps for other members of the Europa gang – perform well and you can get a chance in the PL. Apart from the obviously absent Elneny and Kola it is reported that Saka, Willian and Partey have also been left at home to nurse any knocks, tweaks, twinges, pulls or strains. The good news to leaven those losses is that Saka is expected fit for the weekend, which is a welcome smidgen of good fortune. With Willian and Saka out and Joe W required elsewhere I have some real hope that ESR will start for the first time in a wee while.
Up front, Pepe is available to start after making a fulsome apology as below
“ Yesterday I have let my team down at a crucial time of the game and there are no excuses for my behavior” and going on to say “I am deeply sorry and would like to apologise to the fans, my team-mates, my coach and everybody at the club”
Well said sir, that’s enough for me and other than making a mental note of the name of the second-rate ham from Leeds the matter is now forgotten. The other starting forwards are a little trickier – in general I would think Laca starts with Nelson out wide. However, that means no place for Eddie, who also had a good first leg against Molde. I hope MA will not solve the problem by starting Eddie wide as having seen him play out wide twice now I think the middle to be place for him. Mikel may well choose to shoehorn both Eddie and Laca into the side; regardless, I would make a tentative stab at the starting XI below
Runarsson
Soares, Mus, Luiz, AMN
Joe W, Xhaka
Pepe, ESR, Nelson
Lacazette
The Holic Pound
I do not see how we can fail to score again! Unduly optimistic given some of our league performances this season but we have scored nine in three games so far in the Europa and so the Holic Pound is pinned firmly on 2-0 to The Arsenal. Available at around 9 or 10-1 it represents fair value for a game in which I expect it to be fairly tight until around the hour mark after which I think our class should start to show. Early redemption for Pepe perhaps as well, he should certainly be motivated for this game. Unless of course Mikel decides further punishment in order I would expect Pepe to be looking for a goal to brighten his days. Let’s hope he gets one or even two to brighten our days too.
The best of luck to Gooners everywhere and I hope we all enjoy the game!!
A very nice preview Matt. I would play Eddie, rather than Laca but apart from that I like your team. A reminder to everyone that’s a 6pm kick off (GMT). I would be very surprised if we didn’t win this comfortably and in style.
An excellent preview OM. I like your team and hope mA8 reads your preview before his final decision. Soares needs to prove he can play football and it is long overdue that we saw AMN and ESR start a game. Laca needs a run out too and both he and Pepe could do with a goal or two under their belts. I also hope KT3 finally gets to put his feet up for a whole game tomorrow.
I agree with you 100% about Pepe. He was suckered by a piece of shit and will benefit from the experience. Now he simply has to serve his ‘sentence’ and get on the goals trail with a new sense of determination. In truth I think Willian’s trip to a Dubai restaurant was far more egregious than Pepe’s crime.
RIP Diego Maradona
I saw him play in 1979. I have just learnt that I saw his first goal for Argentina in that game. The Hampden crowd were singing ‘Argentina, Argentina, Argentina” in the second half. in appreciation of the visitors’ quality.
Will still read this blog lads but done with the WhatsApp group. Bag of shite.
and here’s one I prepared earlier;
Great to see some music back in the bar Esso!
Great preview Matt. Cheers for that!
There was a former poster to Dave’s bar who said this would be her epitaph; answers on a postcard;
Love Siousxie Sue! Takes me back to 79 and living in Highbury!
One for CBA – RIP Geezer
One for Diego;
Its allright I’ll shut up now.
Great stuff Esso. Feels like the old days.
Oh God. Now I’m in Norwich, doing my first degree. And my next door neighbour has a habit of putting this on at 2am.
We’re only making plans for Nigel
We only want what’s best for him
Oooh, music night?
Great preview Matt.
I’m with C100 re the swapping of Eddie for Laca but your team is spot-on otherwise and I think a 2-0 victory for us will ensue . They struggled with our pace in the second half at our place and hopefully they will again
Thanks C100, Bath, Esso and
TTG.
I guess MA would like to give
all of Nelson, Pepe, Eddie and
Laca some game time.
Good looking team, Matt and that scoreline would do nicely. I hope to see Azeez and Balogun at some stage in the game but perhaps that’s hoping for too much. Enjoy.
A very happy thanksgiving to all of our US based goonerholics today.
Seconded @21. Enjoy the turkey but stay safe, guys.
Thanks for the preview Matt. Hoping it’s a good run for the youngsters out in the cold, mixed in with a few of the more seasoned youngsters such as the ones you mentioned. And then, and only then, a well seasoned holiday meal and set of libations for all as who’s partaking. Even you old worlders if you feel the urge. 🙂
A very enjoyable preview Matt! Hope the quality of the game lives up to your writing.
One tricky thing about this match is the artificial pitch on which we will play. That is why I think the team traveled a day earlier to practice. Hope they adjusted to the feel of the pitch and the bounce of the ball in the last couple of days.
We should still have enough to win. If not handily, but win.
I have a suspicion we will see Laca play as the most advanced midfielder behind Eddie and flanked by Reiss and Pepe. ESR replacing either Laca or Eddie around 60 minutes.
Runarsson, Cedric, Mustafi, Luiz, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Xhaka, Nelson, Pepe, Nketiah, Lacazette.
Subs: Macey, Hein, Bellerin, Tierney, Ceballos, Holding, Smith Rowe, Balogun, Azeez, Cottrell
May I follow C100 in wishing all of our US friends a Happy Thanksgiving !
Pepe roving 10 central role? 4-4-2?
pretty good guessing the team, matt. and an otherwise excellent preview.
happy thanksgiving from the west coast, where it’s warm enough to host the friends that took us in during our evacuation outside and at a buffet-table’s distance. just gotta blow the leaves off the deck between bastings of the turkey.
COYG!
c100@26 willock, i think, with xhaka holding. reiss and nelson dribbling them mouldy.
Thanks Esso @24. That’s a strong enough team to achieve qualification with two games to spare if they play to their maximum. It would be nice to be in a position with 30 minutes left to give those talented tail end Charlies on the bench a good run out to lift the chill
Good call from OM on the selection with 10/11 and excellent call from Dr F on Lacazette’s role. Is Dr F our new ITK? Good point also on the artificial pitch. Blogs couldn’t work out why we flew out 24 hours early but you’ve almost certainly explained it.
Tension rising. A win tonight would be excellent. It’s about time these players played to their potential and produced a landmark performance to change the ambient mood.
Ticketing details from Rapid Vienna on
https://www.arsenal.com/news/ticketing-information-rapid-vienna-h
I think Laca will be playing in a 10 role tonight.
He was spotted in training in this role . I’d rather we gave ESR that shirt but he may not be to do 90 minutes
Some interesting players on the bench
Boxing Day game with Chelsea is a 5.30 kick-off on Sky Sports
C100
Thanks for that
That’s an amazing stat not least because of some of the lads joining at 4 and 5 .
I’ve never seen him play but I hear good things about Cottrell. If we could get a couple of goals up tonight we could give some debuts and then use the last two games ( esp Thursday before the NLD when they have to go to Austria ) to play a very young side
c100@33, that’s really cool. if half of those guys end up with us in the premier long term i will be thrilled. and we are very nearly there.
agreed ttg@34, lets let the kids play!
no goals against in the first few minutes please. COYG!
We’re playing on a 4G pitch!
cute by amn after nice work all around.
4G?
This ref’s a bit fussy.
Artificial Scruz. It’s more advanced than astroturf and very common in Sports Centres. Plays quite differently to grass.
gotcha c100. i thought it was a cellular pun i was missing 🤣
has reiss bulked up or just grown up?
What a chance to Reiss! Scuffed the shot.
great move forces a good save from nelson’s shot.
fine save by leno.
Great save but a real let off
molde missed a sitter and turned it into a leno save. smh.
It’s not Leno it’s Runarsson
we just can’t get that final touch on a pepe move from the left.
Pepe just sat two men down. We are looking creative round the box
doh! sorry alex!
luiz puts a free header wide.
Thanksgiving drinking starts at breakfast in California!
Great move. Pepe looking sharp, although could have done better there.
ha, very nearly. any arsenal game day though!
It may be the pitch but we are moving the ball quicker tonight
nelson sharp too, laca just couldn’t reach it.
tight offside.
Absolute class there from Nelson. Grealish like. Eddie was onside, despite call.
the linesman got it wrong.
I think Karen Carney must fancy Pepe .
He’s had no end product at all from some good positions but she won’t hear anything against him . Nelson is the only forward player who looks threatening
we are startlingly easy to disposses at times.
Runarsson is very good with his feet . No idea if he is any good with his hands 😃
Why does Laca not hit that? Two chances to get a sot away!
we are putting together strong moves around the box. nelson needed to put that one on target.
lucky there: no one takes the man at the edge of the box 😳
great nelson cross, almost eddie for a goal. corner.
i keep forgetting mus is on the pitch. which is a good thing.
This team need to be funkier and more inventive in the final third. Only Nelson seems to have that quality tonight
We’ve been OK. Nelson and Pepe playing well for me. Whole defence pretty well organised. Granit sweeping up well in front of them. Appreciate its ‘only’ Molde. But dont care looking for a committed efficient performance and so far getting one.
Good summary Esso
Pepe’s twin brother who has come on in the second half has been brilliant !
Beautiful second goal
What a difference when you move the ball forward at pace !
Well that’s all fine and dandy. My pizza which turned up at half time has done the trick. Two really fine goals.
Mrs TTG provided a delightful chicken casserole which enabled me to watch the goals without disruption.Its only Molde but we are playing as well going forward as w3 have this season
Why put Kieran on? Surely he deserves a week off? Glad to see ESR on. Thought Joe did well.
Very glad to see Balogun on. Then he scores!
Really good turn. Natural strikers move.
Very satisfactory performance. Now can we take that form into the Premier League?
Good result. Good performance. Happy with that. Thought Pepe’s attitude was superb.
I’m doing well at Keown bingo.
“You can only play who’s in front of you”
“He’s got that quality”
got behind due to dinner prep, just finished. great goal by balogun! not sure if reiss or pepe my motm, really ran and tracked and played sharping all game long.
well done arsenal!
We seriously have to think about a 4-4-2 going forwards. If we wanna score goals with the squad we currently have available.
Entertaining game. Well deserved result. Balogun looks like a killer.
Keep winning, Arsenal. Play better.
So we have Eddie and Balogun, Martinelli in full training and, of course, Auba. I would sell Lacazette in January. His legs and sharpness have gone.
Feel for Laca, thought he tried hard tonight and would have been brilliant if that second half chance had gone in. Firm believer in the ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’ mantra. Just not sure he will ever find his form. Again.
Did Balogun hear my prayers?
“Bertie Mee an expert in sweet peas”
That’s not what Charlie George said about him when I did the Legends tour.
Bill Shankly said to Don Revie …
have you heard of the North Bank Highbury?
Don said no ..,.
Call and response obviously not a big deal in here!
Love you all. Night night.
“Bertie Mee an expert in sweet peas”
That’s not what Charlie George said about him when I did the Legends tour.
C100
The first double team didn’t like Bertie . Frank called him Captain Mainwaring and reckoned that credit for what that team achieved was 90% down to Don Howe. I got a similar impression from Charlie when I did the tour.
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