The Arsenal travelled to Leicester today seeking a happier ending than our last three visits in the PL (we lost them all, in case your memory fails you) and also looking, I would hope, for a measure of revenge for a particularly annoying home defeat this season. Before the game Leicester were in the top four and umpteen points ahead of us, although to be honest that baffles me as I don’t think they are particularly good. Still, it would obviously be a difficult trip just after the Benfica win in midweek and before the game Mikel rang the changes leaving out Belly (sorry) and bringing in Cedric as well as Marì, Elneny, Pepe, Willian and Lacazette. A more cynical man might have concluded that we had decided either a) we were not going to reach the CL via the PL or b) Mikel agrees with me that Leicester aren’t very good and any XI will do. I am not that man and figured Mikel picked a side that would keep the game tight and not overly commit forward as well as taking into consideration the need to rest a couple.
As it was, I was looking forward to the game, as always, and also hoping that players drafted in would be keen to make the case for a more regular spot.
The game kicked off and after six minutes of absolute nothingness Willian and Xhaka combined to lose the ball on the left hand side of midfield and it came to Tielemans who ran unchallenged into our area and placed it past Leno into the far corner of our net. I honestly do not know what to say about that goal, I do not know why Marì didn’t go across – perhaps he saw Xhaka chasing back after Tielemans and thought he would catch him, perhaps he was looking for KT. Whatever the reason, we were one down against a Leicester side that like nothing better than to sit back with a lead.
Leicester 1 The Arsenal 0 6’
We nearly gave away another a minute later when Leno passed to Vardy who, on first watch, I thought looked so surprised at the free gift that he didn’t punish us. However, from that moment on the first half was more or less all The Arsenal, apart from a couple of long-range efforts from Barnes and Iheanacho.
“Penalty!” I screamed in the 12th minute when Pepe was brought down by Ndidi. “Penalty!” said Tierney and pointed to the spot. Alas that nasty Mr VAR pointed out that the foul was actually just outside the box. After that we probed down both flanks with Pepe giving the young Leicester full-back a tough time. KT was also getting some dangerous balls in from the left but things weren’t really dropping for us in the area. Our best chance was when Willian pulled a shot wide after a nice ball in from Xhaka.
The next incident of note was when Tierney stopped the game after a possible head injury to Evans from a corner, The Arsenal players looked miffed as they had the ball on the edge of the opposition box at the time but I thought the referee was exactly right.
We had continued to push for an equalizer and it finally came when Thomas was again forced to foul Pépé (he was finally booked) and we scored from our usual well-worked free kick routine. Luiz cleverly delayed his run, Willian spotted it and delivered the ball perfectly for Luiz to flick into the far corner despite an off-puttingly high boot beside his head. A well deserved equaliser and a well-deserved punishment for Leicester for their generally negative approach and frequent fouling of Pépé.
Leicester 1 The Arsenal 1 39’
However, a more worrying development a few minutes later came when ESR pulled up with an injury (at the time of writing I do not know how serious it is but he didn’t look in any distress and fingers crossed it is not too bad). Ødegaard came on to replace him.
However, a tonic was to follow in the waning moments of the half when, after an excellent surge by Willian, the ball came to Pépé whose shot was deflected away by Ndidi. “Penalty!!” I didn’t shout, as in all honesty I didn’t see it and neither did Paul Tierney. Fortunately, that nice Mr VAR pointed out that Ndidi had blocked it with his raised arm and penalty it certainly was. Lacazette slotted it home calmly and the good guys took a deserved lead into half-time.
Leicester 1 The Arsenal 2 45’ +2, pen.
The only change at half-time was the hooking of the unfortunate young Thomas for Albrighton. Probably, a wise move on Rogers part given he was on a yellow. Further problems came for Leicester when Barnes went down with what at first looked a fairly routine injury but may be worse as he was finally stretchered off after treatment.
The half had started with Leicester moving to Plan B of pressing hard and trying to play some football. Why wait until you’re losing?
In fact, that pressing was to prove Leicester’s undoing a couple of minutes later when Pépé broke forward at speed on our right and slipped the ball to Ødegaard in the centre. He passed it across to Willian arriving at the far stick and his simple ball into the middle was tapped home by Pepe. A fine goal and a pleasure to see us do it away from home in a tricky game.
Leicester 1 The Arsenal 3 52’
After the thitd goal Leicester huffed and puffed and we had chances on the break. A few sloppy passes aside (yes Ødegaard, I am looking at you), we tackled and blocked well in the main and then moved the ball forward well when the chance came though the execution was not at the level of the third goal. Elneny was substituted around the 65th minute to give Thomas a run, I assume, and Auba came on for Laca for the last 10 minutes, nearly scored too after a nice jink into the box from the left. Unfortunately, his trademark shot into the far corner was just the other side of the post.
The game ended with us doing the right things – defending stoutly, wasting time to annoy the Leicester players and denying them even a consolation with good shot-blocking in the closing minutes of the game.
Overall, it was an excellent performance after giving a ridiculous goal away early on. Willian, Pépé, Xhaka and KT all played well as did Lacazette working hard up front. No one played badly, just my opinion of course and I look forward to hearing your own. The only possible blip is the injury to ESR and we await reports with fingers crossed.
A good day and good game my fellow Gooners, hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!!
First!
Well done Matt and I’m sure you enjoyed watching the game at a civilised hour for once, unlike the Californian Gooners whose complaints were long and loud. I’ve seen most of the games between these two sides, home and away, in the last few years and it makes a pleasant change to get the better of them. I probably rate Leicester higher than you, but there was a Maddison shaped hole in their midfield today that enabled us to be the far better team and deserving of the win.
I thought Pepe was terrific today – he terrorised their young left back in the first half and kept it going in the second. Luiz was also very good I thought. There used to be a book and a film called “The Arsenal Stadium mystery” and today we had a revival. Who was the player in red and white wearing 12 and what had he done with Willian? I mocked Arteta in the last report for praising Willian to the skies but he was, I have to admit, excellent in his willingness to run forwards and take men on.
Now for a week’s rest before playing Burnley, who are currently being duffed up by Spurs. COYG.
Cheers Matt!
Matt,
That is an express report which captures the essence of the game perfectly . My phone filled up with despair ( some of it from concerned Holics ) when the team was announced . I got the distinct impression that not many Gooners rate Willian !
Well that might change now ! I was delighted with the last 84 minutes of that game . As Matt points out the ultra-defensive Rodgers like teams to come on to them but Arteta had his number here and after a slow start Willian played his part with two assists ( he leads us for assists in the PL this season !) . I thought it was a good , resilient performance. The team all performed well and I particularly liked the full backs ( Cedric is markedly superior to Hector) and I thought Luiz had a fine game . Pepe had their left side on toast all game and Laca’s movement was very impressive .
A fine effort given the problems in preparation with the flight back from Greece
A swift and very fine match report Matt. Nicely summarised.
A very good performance from Arteta’s team showing character and resolve as well as a considerable measure of skill and nous. A pity about the lapse in the sixth minute but a well managed game thereafter and very nice to see the prodigals coming into form.
That is an important test passed. With flying colours. Now let’s build on that. Not fritter away the progress and points.
OM, an outstanding match report, you are clearly good at this stuff.
Not sure Luiz scored from our “usual” well-worked free kick routine though. Unusual, more like. As for the players I would praise on today’s performance I refer you to TTG’s fine post above. Also, Arteta’s clearly effective man management of Willian. Mari did okay after his bizarre backing off that made their goal easy as a daisy, but I missed that one due to the 6am kickoff, getting to the sofa after 12 minutes had passed, so would like to go on record as only having seen us beat Leicester 3-0. An excellent early morning’s viewing on the front buttock, just as Arsenal were on the front foot.
A trio of interesting trivialities to tell about:
1. This was Arsenal’s first away victory against a team starting the day in the top three of the table since January 2015 – they were winless in their past 14 such games.
2. Pepe has equalled his league goal tally from last season of five but in 13 fewer appearances.
3. Leicester next play Burnley in midweek, but Arsenal also next play Burnley, in the early game on Saturday. Alarm clock half an hour earlier this time for me.
Matt, that’s a very high quality report completed and published in an impressively short time. You are setting up a high bar for the rest of us to achieve, especially me as I take a day to write this stuff up. :–) ‘Holic would have been proud.
I wish Tierney’s brilliant side footed volley had nestled in instead of just flying by. He deserves goals like that for the positivity and fearlessness he plays with and inspires in his teammates. What a player!
And very happy to see Willian finally finding some form and showing signs of the player we saw at Chelsea. Mikel has put a lot of faith in him which given the career he has had can be justified, but his performances until now for us has mostly been so devoid of the brightness that marked his career most Arsenal fans (excluding the morons who attack him on social media) had good reasons to be concerned: but if he keeps this up and continues to contribute significantly that feeling will easily turn to positive. If he can get back to the player he was even in his last season at Chelsea that will be fantastic.
Pépé tormented their left side all match and glad to see his off the ball awareness and defensive workrate is getting so much better. As I had mentioned in the preview he and Bellerin do not always work together because both prefer to attack the box and hence become predictable. Cedric was excellent today in combining with Pépé and interchanging their runs outside of each other, he almost had a goal towards the end. That’s the 8th goal for Nico this season, equaling his last season’s tally (and three assists compared to last seasons 10 assists), and hopefully he will get more chances to play and score. The exorbitant price tag attached with him hasn’t done him any favor but just as he showed towards the end of the last season, a consistent run with a well-structured plan brings out the best in him and inside the box he is an efficient player.
Cedric has really proved his doubters — including myself — wrong. A very good performance down the flank.
Luiz, with Mari next to him, looks a much more composed player and less prone to the odd streaks of hair-raising moments. Mari too is turning out to be a good acquisition. Good defensive awareness and very good technique on the ball too.
2: The number of league matches Burnley will have played in six days since Arsenal defeated Leicester. Their match against us will be the third.
Still buzzing. Thanks, OM, for a quick match report that I enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed watching 70 mins of the match. Missed the first 20 mins.
I was a bit apprehensive before the match but our players rose splendidly to the occasion and gave the Foxes a right roasting. Leicester, for once, were totally outplayed and we looked clearly the superior team. That we are so behind them in points is a shame and a surprise given our performance today.
Everyone played well and Pepe provided great fun the way he terrorised the Leicester full back. Our defence was well organized and our midfield was adequate to start with but improved after Partey came on. For once we looked assured at no time did we worry that we would concede a goal. For once, Willian played really well ( Arteta knows something) and has started settling in. Laca was good too. All in all, a great outing and this is how we should be in all our matches.
Looking forward to Olympiacos match to see if today’s performance was a fluke.
Burnley have been “sucked into the relegation dogfight” (vortex?) though, so I expect they will be a difficult opponent, especially after they rolled over for Spurs.
I’m not watching the Chavs-Red Mancs but see Hudson-Odoi is playing. How is he doing? Any comparisons tp be made between Tuchel’s man management of him with Arteta’s man management of Willian?
(Considering Tuchel replaced him after 20 minutes last game, on a “tactical substitution”)
He’s hooked him at half time bt8 , but he does have strapping and ice on his knee
Felling pretty chilled and khusti. Wishing everyone else the same feelings, xxx
We always seem to have a tough match against Burnely but Totts had an easy time today. Can’t figure out why. This time, however, we should beat them as they would be a bit knackered after their two extra match exertions.
Arteta has managed Willian really well whereas the jury is still out on Tuchel. He appears to be a bit petulant and entitled and I haven’t seen a great deal of change in Chelsea’s game under Tuchel except that they appear to be defensively more organized.
A swift and spot-on summary, OM.
Another little thing with big consequences that Arteta got right was to play Mari, not Gabriel. Mari played Vardy calmly throughout, never giving the Wilfrid Brambell-lookalike an opportunity to practice the dark arts at which he excels. That may not have been the case with Gabriel’ more robust physical challenges.
We only conceded three fouls all game — a lesson learned from the second Benfica game, perhaps.
The side is starting to play effective Artetaball for longer and longer passages in games. Once they can sustain it over 90 minutes, they are going to take some stopping.
Wonder what the Chelsea brass thought of Lampard’s ma management skills. Not enough, apparently.
ma = man
Lampard’s ma management skills are quite irrelevant I would say.
We are also becoming a come back team as we won both against Benefica and Leicester after going behind. That shows a lot of character and confidence in the way they play. Our passing is better more assured and movement faster and we look less ponderous and more creative. If we have a good transfer window in the summer we should be challenging for a top four finish next season.
One for Countryman;
Hah. The Times match review includes this. “The referee decided that “an extra from the Thriller music video did not constitute a natural body position” and pointed to the spot.”
I was delighted with our performance today and very pleased that Willian did much better BUT I’d want to see him producing performances of this level consistently before I would suggest he is integrated into our set-up fully . Arteta has been managing him through the media since he arrived .
I watched some of the Totts game and Burnley were appalling in midfield especially early on . They apparently have a very bad injury crisis but I’m not aware that they have many good players to be injured ! Their best three are Pope , Mee and Tarkowski who were playing . To me our defeat at home to them was our nadir this season .If you lose to a side managed by Sean Dyche all is not well. We were not helped by Xhaka getting sent off stupidly and Auba netting an own goal . I hope we stuff them on Saturday. I think I might give the lads a couple of days off this week after their schedule . Sadly Harvey Barnes has had a knee operation today which will keep him out for some time . He is an excellent player and I hope he returns before the Euros
I am happy
Life is good when Arsenal Win
Its quite straightforward you cunts
Soz about the language – govner would have let me off
More a Steely Dan man Esso but cheers anyway! My boy would love it!
Fine summary of an enjoyable game, Matt. Excellent rotation by MA8 and very pleasing to see the players given a chance to shine doing so and those deserving a rest enjoying one.
Eight points off 4th. The six points lost unnecessarily at Wolves and Villa would have made a very big hole in that gap.
Odegaard is a talent. I suspect that RM will not be tempted to sell him. Pity.
Dr F.@8: Good shout-out for KT3’s screamer of a volley. It was technically excellent. Deserved a goal.
BtM@27: Marca, which is a mouthpiece for RM, is taking up Ødegaard’s future there, so your fears that we won’t be able to buy him may be well-founded. Apparently, he had no pre-season to talk of because he was recovering from tendonitis in his knee. The loan to us is apparently a way to play him back to match fitness.
Ødegaard’s one-touch pass to Willian to set up Pepe’s goal was peak-Ozilesque.
I agree with TTG, these surprisingly exemplary performances by several of our players now need to be produced consistently.
Let’s do it again, fellas:
Esso’s on a roll tonight! The official GFE DJ!
Interesting table . Arsenal are ;
4th since Christmas, joint level with United
2nd best defence
3rd most goals
As Btm says we were robbed at Wolves and should not have lost at Villa . Those points would have made our position very interesting. A squad is emerging. We need another left-back , two midfielders and probably a back-up striker. That will constitute a very strong unit then .
A good read OM, thanks. Sadly otherwise occupied all afternoon so didn’t see game or follow it in anything like real-time,
COYG
TTG@36. I think also a backup right back and a second backup striker.
I fear for Tierney’s long-term fitness, the lad does seem to be injured distressingly often, and if we use Cedric as cover at LB, we’ll need someone to cover Hector as well (more and more, I suggest).
As I’ve said before, I think a lot of our goalscoring problems this season have been because Aubamayang (in particular) and Lacazette haven’t been able to carry the team as well as they have for the last couple of seasons. Gabigol is a potentially good option, but you need >3 strikers to get through a season, and I don’t think PER and Laca will both be available and on form through the whole of next season.
If we hang on to one of the Real Madrid loanees, we’d only need one more midfielder.
That said, I agree we have the makings of a strong unit, but I think it will be another season before it emerges.
Excellent stuff Matt. Cheers.
Not much to add really. A great all round team effort. I thought we had a fantastic attitude today. The only real negative was ESR going off. I hope it’s just a bit of rest that he needs.
Their goal was a defensive disaster. Just a total shambles. But after that we were head snd shoulders above Leicester.
I’m always concerned when we make so many changes. Today, it paid off. Along those brought in did their job admirably. Willian certainly had his best game in an Arsenal shirt. Pepe was also excellent, and made big contributions all over the pitch. I also would stick with Cedric at tight back.
Big mention also for Luiz. I’ve said it several times now, we are a far more organised side when he plays. We are certainly more organised at the back. I thought he was excellent today.
Some interesting chat above about the squad and potential additions. I like the way the squad is shaping up. It would be fantastic to see a few more make it from the academy. I did look at Leicester today and they are not the same without Maddison. Now, that would be one hell of an upgrade, in my opinion.
Keep the faith.
Re Maddison I’ve been saying that for two years Steve. But Leicester are not a poor club and we would need to break our transfer record to get him.Every time I’ve watched Leicester live he’s run the show. Top quality.
Pangloss
I was looking at where we are this season.
To drill down a bit more I don’t rate Bellerin as a first choice fullback and would sell him .but Cedric is a decent back-up . He is not an option at LB in my view . So we need a first choice right back next season.
Also next season –
We need a first choice partner for Partey . Ceballos is only good enough to be a back-up and is too expensive for that .
Ødegaard hasn’t yet convinced me he is worth the sort of fee Real would demand .We looked much better with ESR centrally and Ødegaard has caused him to play wide . My views on Xhaka are well-known but he might be useful as a back-up . So I’d look at somebody like Bissouma to start and see if we could promote from within possibly with Azeez or Cirjan.
Striker wise we ought to try to keep Balogun . Laca isn’t getting any younger and has just over a year to go so I’d look to move him on . We don’t need two expensive front-line strikers in their thirties . I might look at the Brentford lad Toney who is a very natural goalscorer and wouldn’t be too expensive .
C100. I know you have, and I’m very much with you. He may be the one player worth spending the money on, if he would make the move??? Him in midfield with a fully up and running Partey? Looking up at the likes of Saka, ESR, PEA, Laca etc. Could certainly be the way forward.
I certainly wasn’t upset in the slightest that he wasn’t playing today.
Cedric not an option as 1st choice RB, TTG?
I’d be delighted to see another academy graduate or two come through, but I fear that we will all become overexcited by the emergence of Saka and ESR, and start to think that we’ve cracked it and we’ll get another gem every year – I’d expect a reversion to the mean of one every three or four years, but would be delighted if events make me look very silly with that downbeat prediction. There’s another really exciting prospect apart from Azeez isn’t there? Bissouma and Cirjan aren’t names I recognise – ah, thank you Google – what’s happened to Charlie Patino?
Pangloss
I recommend you follow the writings of Jeorge Bird. He will give you chapter and verse on the progress of academy students. You will also find highlights of U18, U21 and U23 games on Arsenal.com from time to time. Well worth a study.
Cedric is an adequate squad player, no more. We need an elite right back to match our elite LB.
Countryman@44: exactly. Jorge follows all the players with special focus on those who have been clearly identified as the most promising.
A lot of our next year’s planning will depend on if we are in Europe at all. I am guessing Miguel Azeez will find some playing time in the first eleven next season, especially if we are playing Europa.
TTG@41: I agree that Bellerin and Laca should be moved on in the summer. I think Bellerin’s best years may be behind him, or at least his best years in an Arsenal shirt. Laca still has plenty of good football in him but is of an age where his next contract will both likely be expensive and cover the arc of descent of his career. We should be able to get a decent fee for both in the next window. If Laca goes, Balogun has to stay, and especially if Nketiah moves on, as he may to get regular football. His development seems to have stalled this season, though that is tough for a young striker not playing regularly. Auba, Martinelli, Nketiah and Balogun would be a decent roster for next season if a little light on experience.
As for replacements, I am more open-minded about Cedric that you. He has come on a lot of late, and may get better yet with a run of games in his preferred position. A right-back that is demonstrably a better first choice might be too expensive (unless we are back in CL football next season) and the funds better deployed more urgently in other positions. But we definitely need either that or a back-up that can challenge Cedric for a starting role.
A back-up for Tierney is absolutely a priority, for the reasons you mention.
I suspect Arteta will be happy with Partey and Xhaka as his double pivot for at least one more season. I am not convinced Ceballos is the long-term partner for Partey, but perhaps one of the youngsters you mention can breakthrough (or AMN can return, honed to perfection by Big Sam, to take the role). I think Real Madrid will be happy to sell Ceballos to us, however, but not Ødegaard, who is being talked up as important to RM’s future (and will be more so if/when Zidane is sacked). I would like Ødegaard to stay, even if it is just for a season-long loan, as competition/cover for ESR as a no 10, so we don’t have to play ESR into the ground.
So while we definitely need at least one midfielder in the summer, what midfielder we buy will be a difficult choice — Xhaka’s long-term replacement or cover/competition for ESR? I doubt a player of Maddison’s quality would come to a club where there was a star in the making in his position.
Pangloss
I think I would echo C100 and slightly disagree with Ned in that Cedric has proved an admirable deputy for Bellerin . I think Pepe’s improved performance today was partly due to Cedric’s support down that flank. His support run for our third goal today was admirable . I don’t know if you’ve seen it yet?
We need a right footed KT3 . I think we have options with Lamptey at Brighton or Aarons at Norwich . I also join C100 in commencing Jeorge Bird whose insights into the Academy and reserves are brilliant .
Cirjan is a Romanian midfielder who looks very interesting. Patino is a similar age to him but he is more of an attacking midfielder possibly a no.10 . Azeez and Cirjan can play slightly deeper . Azeez has already debuted in Europe and is one of those players whose first touch is sublime . Some players make you purr with delight when you see them on the ball . He is one who has that effect
Bissouma is a box to box midfielder with Brighton ( and is an Arsenal fan) and could play with Partey or be the driving force if Partey is absent. I worry that when Partey is absent we have to change the way we play . Xhaka has zero pace and reverts to a very negative mindset too often .
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of half centuries.
We never used to give them much credit back in the day. But, since they seem to be popular nowadays, I’ll lay this one on a plate for…
Thanks GSD, unless of course
I was too slow
oh I wasn’t, a willian like burst
of speed😁
bto above not intended as a reference to Bachman Turner Overdrive but come to think of it …
TTG@48: One stat does not a season make, and all that, but Cedric’s Opta rating in the league this season, at 100, is higher that of any of Bellerin (49), Lamptey (47) and Aarons (63).
My main point was that we could sell Bellerin and still be as well or better off starting Cedric, and get the bonus of him combining better with Pepe than Bellerin does. If we could find a right-footed KT3 in the summer, that would be fantastic but we would be fine with Cedric if we can’t, and that would also give us the option of prioritising spending what funds we have on a KT3 understudy and a midfielder.
We also seem to have a bit more depth in the Academy at right-back than we do on the other flank, although no one is being talked about as a wunderkind.
I would also agree that Jeorge Bird is essential reading for keeping up with the youngsters coming up through the ranks.
I thought Cedric very good today, and quite good the last two months with the exception of that one bad back pass that led directly to a goal. There’s a professionalism and conviction about his play that Hector sometimes can’t summon, not to say that Cedric is the very best thing since aioli or anything.
As if we didn’t know that goals come in bunches, so do assists apparently, as evidenced by the three of Willian’s five assists over the entire season having come in roughly his last 100 minutes of play. Maybe that trip to Central Asia, or wherever he went, did him more good than we thought?
Thanks all for the kind words.
C100/bt8
One man’s 6AM kick off is another
man’s civilised 9PM start😄.
I wonder if the PL fancy 10AM
UK time kick offs in future🤔
It would’ve been 4am kickoff for Scruz I suppose. No wonder he said he was going back to sleep at the final whistle.
In the BMBD department, the Mirror reports this: “Leading Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta has his sights set on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as the club’s next manager.“
I guess Laca will be sold come
summer but it would be a big
risk to go with Eddie/Balogun
or even Gabi as back ups.
Of course Saka was a risk too
so who knows.
If Ødegaard is not for sale then
I agree an AM is the first
priority.
Anyone worried about reports saying Barca want Arteta, who was a junior ranks player there for three years, to be their manager after Koeman?
The link to it was a Daily Mail piece so
a) It’s probably BS
b) I wouldn’t insult drinkers here by bringing that publication into the bar.
Ned
Very fair point re Cedric . He’s certainly been a worthwhile acquisition and probably better than Bellerin this season . I think making him our first choice is setting the bar a bit low . But he’s a valuable squad member and your data is interesting
C100
I guess it’s a risk with a manager with Barca, Man City and PSG DNA that he will become a sought after commodity if he succeeds with us . I genuinely think he sees Arsenal as a project which he is committed to . His ability to persuade players with other options to join us is some evidence of that . I don’t think he’s yet a stellar enough name in the world of coaching to be top of those club’s lists but Guardiola may see him as a successor and I think that’s the biggest risk . Barca elections are full of bullshit claims ( like political ones!) and I’m not certain he would be a big enough name to win LaPorta the election . But it’s a risk if he’s successful with us and obviously we want him to be successful
He’s lived in the U.K. for a long time (since 2008 if we ignore the years at Rangers before he went back to Spain) and all three of his children, all school age, have been born here. As we all know, while the men take the important decisions (should we apply tariffs to the EU, do we go four or five at the back) it’s our wives who make the small calls (how many children do we have, where do we live etc). I think the Argentinian born Mrs Arteta likes it in London and that may be important.
I would think (and hope) that Xavi would be ahead of Arteta in the next manager of Barca stakes and that the incumbent, Ronald Koeman, will stay awhile. But Barca’s internal politics are febrile, so who knows what will happen?
If I were Arteta, I would see my career trajectory as four seasons at Arsenal, learning the managerial craft and honing my playing philosophy (much like Pep at Barca). If I had returned the club to the top table in that time, I would have my pick of the elite clubs if I wanted to move on.
I wonder if Arteta would want to succeed Pep directly anywhere. I get the impression he sees himself as his own man.
Ned/ C100
Good drinks . I make the decisions about how many we play at the back in my garden(1) but that’s about it.
Xavi is a more compelling name for Barca fans than Arteta at present . Koeman is a bit of a prat in my view but I suspect Messi may call a lot of the shots in this election
Pangloss,
We mentioned Jeorge Bird’s review of events in the U23s and U18s .
This is his latest edition. It’s well worth checking into
Defensive concerns for Arsenal U23s – Rekik’s debut is much-needed
C100, Mrs A was raised in San Sebastian, having arrived from Argentina when she was one year old, and went to school over the border in France. Two of the couple’s three children were born in Spain. I don’t know if any of that is relevant to where the Artetas want to live. I wonder, given both parents speak fluent French, whether their boys go to a Lycee Francais, which would make their education portable.
Good points Ned.
More from the BMBD department including progress to be reported this time: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56236872
The best part of that story is “ the task of restoring Barca’s ruined reputation for being ‘more than a club’ is equally enormous.”
Thanks for the link bt8.
Abysmal though the behaviour
is by BMBD I am not sure what
law they’ve broken? Though I
must admit I wouldn’t know a
cybercrime if it byte me.
It is Barca presidential election time. There is always skullduggery afoot.
Song for Barca. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BmFvK4WjeiE
Thanks for that, Matt,
If Japan was any further ahead of UK time, the report would have been out before the match ended.
I’ll have to read the drinks tomorrow – hopefully not impaired by Jab No 1 🤞🏻
Good luck Trev.
In jab time, UK time is about 4
months ahead of Japan 😉
Sad to hear this morning of the death of Ian St John of Liverpool. He was a massive player in the 60s and when he retired went on to be a presence on TV, with his Saint and Greavsie show. It was in his autobiography that I first saw the story which I’ve seen repeated ever since about different players.
A Baptist Church near Anfield had a big sign outside saying “What would you do if Jesus came back?”. On which someone had written “Move St John to inside left”.
RIP Ian.
That’s very sad news.
ISJ was a great player and a nice man.
Saint and Greavsie became a national institution and trancended tribal boundaries.
There was another version of the church near Anfield story. Outside was a large sign that said, Jesus Saves!, under which someone had scrawled, ..but St John knocks in the rebound.
RIP a great footballer on the pitch and foil to Greavsie in the studio.
Lovely piece on gunnertown on what it means to be an Arsenal fan
https://gunnerstown.com/arsenal/2021/03/02/proper-gooners-see-and-feel-things-those-in-it-just-to-make-money-will-never-see/
A lovely piece by Darren Berry in Gunnerstown. Thanks for the link c100.
If you all can check out the open mic of Leno from the Leicester match made available on Arsenal website (or app). A vocal and proactive organizer throughout the match, giving precise directions when needed and words of encouragement when needed. The silly goal conceded early didn’t make him lose his composure … I guess things all expected from a top level goalkeeper but still quite satisfying to see in action.
Regarding Mikel to Barca, I think Arteta’s ambition is matched by his intelligence and given that there are a few Barca (still a fan owned club lest we forget) favorites — Xavi for instance, maybe if Puyol fancies management, was a great leader as a player — that will be much better tolerated by their fan base than Mikel who isn’t a Catalan and not someone who even played for the first team. They are now a nearly bankrupt club with a crumbling stadium and the last of their Mohicans is nearing an exit. Griezmann or Dembele aren’t players you can build a revival on especially when the fans have become used to winning titles. Mikel will probably find the support, relative stability, and freedom to work on his own and learn in the process offered by Arsenal much more valuable at this stage of his fledgling managerial career.
Mikel is also a PSG man, and close to Pochettino who was his captain and later inspiration in PSG. 3-4 more years in Arsenal and then he might even find himself recommended to take over at PSG from his mentor. How things stand now PSG is a much more attractive proposition to a manager than Barca.
I meant someone who hasn’t even played for the first team.
A delightful read, C100. Thanks for the link. It is true. It is in your blood, or it isn’t. I always know there must be a reason that blood is red.
Dr F@83: Well put, and in line with my own view expressed earlier. Four seasons with us, and if Arteta has made a real go of it, he can then have his pick of elite clubs.
There does seem to be a trend among the top managers not to stay too long at clubs, but to build a trophy-winning team and then move on. That way they avoid the hardest task in management, which is dismantling a title-winning team and building another.
Thanks Ned@86. Arteta I am sure realizes that he has a golden opportunity to improve both his reputation and his managerial skills without excessive weekly pressure in Arsenal. As you rightly pointed out rebuilding a team back to excellence generates great credibility.
You are right that managers no longer stay for long at a club. I maybe wrong but I think Pep’s tenure in Man City is his longest until now? Barca I think may find themselves back in the pre-Cryuff mediocrity …
Pep had five seasons with Barca, if you count his year managing their B team, and he is in his fifth with Man City.
C100
I think I’d like Darren Berry. He gets what supporting our club is all about . Sadly I don’t think I’d like many of those on ArsenalFanTV, Le Grove , Just Arsenal News and Arsenal Truth ( an oxymoron- in fact there are many oxymorons on that site all spouting rubbish )
Thanks for attaching it
St.John was a terrific player. Very good foil for Roger Hunt and he scored a Cup winner against Leeds. You have to like that. He was in a terrific Scotland side with the likes of Law and Baxter. He may also have been in the one we beat 9-3 but I won’t mention that in deference to Bath and Btm …oh
Ian St John did play alongside Denis Law in the infamous 9-3. No Jm Baxter that day, though. Greavsie got a hat-trick. Three Motherwell players in the Scottish side, including St John.
Ned
In the interest of balance the Baxter reference was to the 1967 side which beat England. ( world champions but down to 10 men) 2-1 . That was possibly the best Scottish team ever. Scotland produced some marvellous players then . Law, Gilzean, Bremner , Mackay, Baxter, Johnstone , Henderson , Caldow, Graham , McLintock, McNeill , St.John, Yeats , Stevenson and Ure of course . Btm will no doubt chastise me for not including all those of Dundonian origin .
I know I am off topic some here, but…
I just recently realized that I have not seen any minority refs officiating PL games, except for perhaps one caucasian lady. What is up with that? Are there no qualified minorities to officiate these PL games? We have minority officials galore in the NBA, NFL & MLB.
TD
That is a very important point . I can’t remember a black PL ref since Uriah Rennie. Sian Massey ( think she’s married now ) is one of the best assistant refs in the league . If there is an area which does not fill me with confidence it is the PGMOL who control our referees Your observation should concern the authorities even if it may be that minorities don’t follow a well-trodden path to a PL refereeing career for other reasons. We should be encouraging and facilitating their progress
Thanks TTG.
A comment this evening in Bergkampesque
‘ I know that many will not agree with this but right now there is no better deeper laying midfielder in the league than Xhaka. Combine him with the right player and he will become the nerve-center of the team: he holds us together and translates Mikel’s tactical instructions on the pitch to a T. Like all deeper laying midfielders he will now and again make a mistake as they are under so much pressure these days, but focusing on this would be besides the point’
Really Granit must stop getting his Mum to ghost columns
Better deep-lying midfielders — Fernandinho , Rodri , Hojbjerg, Kante, Henderson , Allan, Rice,Douglas Luiz, Reed, Bissouma,Fred, Matuc, Berge, Phillips. I’d literally prefer any of those fifteen to Xhaka . The hype around Xhaka after a few good games is ridiculous. The deeper he lies the more dangerous ( to us) he is. His best games were when he pushed forward more vertically and actually passed forwards.
“Really Granit must stop getting his Mum to ghost columns”
😂😂😂
Nice heartfelt piece, thanks for the link, C100 @81.
I’ve got to get ahead of Willian on the assists. Go on someone, bang in the ton
Countryman@100 Much to agree with in Darren Berry’s piece, although I’m inclined to forgive sh*t losers who have a financial motive.
COYG
Wheels away in delight.
Pangloss@100. What like AFTV? Totally disagree with you there. Match going fans hate them. The only people I know that enjoy them are the fans of other teams. At Everton away last season, the away fans section rang with “Arsenal Fan TV, get out of our club”
C100
AFTV film some of their loathsome spots on the stadium side of the Ken Friar Bridge which I pass as I leave the stadium . I was once asked if I’d like a comment after a match but I said that I don’t normally hang around with hyenas. Shocked them a bit . I saw similar pond life poking Gazidis in the chest at some of the AST gatherings .
Darren is spot on about the modern supporter . They have a loyalty quotient that is almost non-existent , short-termism is rife and frankly if Arsenal acquires many more fans like that on match days I won’t be bothering to go.
Interesting to hear of that song from away fans who tend to be the die-hards and regulars. Travelling that far requires commitment and stoicism , commodities that seem largely absent in AFTV . Robbie Lyle might be seen as a man of influence but I think it’s largely a malign influence
Countryman100, no, not really. Just my usual line that I prefer people who are behaving as they do, for reasons I understand. I am even less comfortable around pillocks who are doi g it because they are just… you know… pillocks.
Maybe “forgive” was overstating it. What’s the French quotation? “Comprendre tous, c’est tous pardonner”, something like that. Where’s Dr F when you need him?
Allez les rouges
Pangloss
Are you saying it’s alright if you are spreading negativity about the club if you’re making money out of it but not ok if you’re just being negative ? That’s a distinction I’m struggling to understand .
I finally got around to watching the last two EPL matches on arsenal.com. My take away is that when I’m in a work zoom meeting and things aren’t going well, I’m going to fall to the floor clutching my head and hope for a concussion sub.
@96
😃 TTG
Though I might disagree with one
or two names on your list the point
is well made.
@106
a cracking idea ecg😃. I hope your
acting skills are up to the task
A few of us are putting together a tribute to our first Double winners details of which will emerge shortly . During those discussions with past players one very clear thing has emerged to me — the importance of a great captain .
If you look at all our great teams ( I can only speak from 1970 onwards although I think Parker , Hapgood and Mercer ( particularly ) fit the bill , great Arsenal teams are driven by a captain who commands enormous respect and who clearly took the job very seriously .
Our three double teams were skippered by McLintock and Adams and the Invincibles by Vieira . Talking to people within the club at that time the influence of the skipper was enormous. He wasn’t just someone to toss a coin and wear an armband.
I can’t help but feel this is an area we haven’t got quite right in recent years. I’ve seen games where the armband has been worn by three different players.
The impact of Jordan Henderson and Vincent Kompany at other clubs who have been really successful underlines the point . Perhaps the starting point of a great side is to find a great skipper rather than give the captaincy to someone who is going to be picked every week ?
Great point, TTG @108. I couldn’t agree more. Actually I’m not convinced we’ve had a proper captain since TA6.
I would like to nominate Kieran Tierney, pride of Glasgow and pride of North London. A future Arsenal Captain if ever I saw one.
C100
I couldn’t agree more . The lad is made from the same stuff ( and hails from very close to the birthplace of ) Frank McLintock. Even Frank wore long sleeves at training though!
Wasn’t it Frank who began the tradition (now sadly lapsed) that whatever length sleeve the Captain wore the rest of the team followed suit? If we began that again under KT3, half the team would freeze to death!
Mikel’s pre Burnley presser transcript.
https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/mikel-arteta-arsenal-balogun-nketiah-19954379
Add Charlie Buchan to your great Arsenal captain’s list, TTG.
Another aspect is the relationship between a captain and the manager, which is more like a partnership with a great captain than that of boss and senior player.
There is something amiss when a team has five captains.
Also, well said @94 in reply to Tapera Doma’s excellent points @93 about the blanket whiteness of Premier League refs.
Hear Hear Ned . My Dad brought me up to almost recite the catechism of Arsenal captains and he spoke glowingly of Charlie who really put Arsenal on the map for the first time, Tom Parker , Eddie Hapgood and my Dad’s big favourite, Joe Mercer .
In 1952 we lost two men to serious injuries ( Daniel and Barnes ) in the Cup Final against a very good Newcastle team . Arsenal’s nine men fought heroically but ended up losing
1-0 to a late goal. I remember a quote from Joe Mercer, the Arsenal skipper. He said something like, ‘ I thought the greatest honour of my career was to win League titles or to captain England, but I was wrong, The greatest honour was to be captain of Arsenal today’ What an inspiring quote that is . He led us to the title in the following year and the following year was carried off with a broken leg at Highbury . The whole stadium lapsed into silence while he was treated and then gave him a standing ovation as he waved from the stretcher as he was carried off . Everyone knew that was the last moment of a wonderful career .
Please add my name to those above who object to the exclusively Caucasian world of Premier League refereeing, where in my humble opinion more than one thing stinks.
Hoping Burnley do very well today against Leicester because the odds are they won’t be able to do it two matches in a row. By the same token since Leicester lost their last one, to us, they will probably win.
Now I see the game is nearly over but 1-1
Tapera Doma
My sense is that all right-thinking Holics would support your views on the lack of diversity among PL referees and officials . You made me ponder the issue afresh because I must confess I had ( amazingly ) not taken enough notice of it.
I have an extremely low regard for Mike Riley and his merry men. I thought Riley’s incredible propensity to favour United during his refereeing career was one thing but this is far,far more serious . It is the sort of thing the Athletic might usefully investigate . Why don’t we ask them to do just that ?
We are joint third for goals conceded. If we had been able to stick in a few more ourselves who knows how much higher we might be at this point. (Keywords: joint and higher) 🤫
And only six teams in the PL have lost more games than we have, bt8, a list, remarkably, that does not include one of the bottom-three sides, Fulham.
@121
yes, a few of those defeats were
deserved but a few we should
actually have won and a quick
look at the PL shows how costly
they were.
We put the Leicester one right
last time, bring on Burnley and
the Spuds in the near future.
Just to clarify we are joint third for the fewest goals conceded, suggesting that we lost many games due to ineffective attacking play.
Not only was our attacking play markedly ineffective for much of this season until the December addition of ESR but it was also awful to watch. Watching someone hanging wallpaper offered more thrills and spills, not to mention the prospect of success.
The neighbours have had their forthcoming EL tie reversed because UEFA has a rule that two clubs from the same city cannot play in that city on the same day. Both Spurs and we would otherwise have been playing Round of 16 home legs on March 18. But it means that we travel to Athens for our first leg three days before the NLD, whereas the neighbours now get to play at home. Perversely, as we have the more senior standing in the competition, it is Spurs that have to make a change, not us.
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0267-11b187e265ef-db799ea6eb72-1000–spurs-dinamo-legs-reversed/?iv=true
If we had scored just once in all nine league games in which we didn’t score, that would have turned all three draws into wins and five of six losses into draws, yielding an additional 11 points, enough to put us fourth.
when the fans can actually
watch or travel that UEFA rule
does make some sense. In the
current situation it seems pointless
but on the other hand I do prefer
the away leg first.
However, on the other other hand
that didn’t help us against Olympiakos
last time
There is an interesting article in The Athletic (fee-restricted), “Is it really that easy to influence a referee?” The article is nuanced and quotes many retired referees but to give a hint as to the answer to the title question, the correct answer is not a straight yes or no.
Speaking of Fulham not losing, Ned, I wonder who they might not lose to today. 🤫
bt8 @129.
Absolutely fucking no-one.
Grrrrr
Bt8
I think the ‘nuanced ‘ answer is probably about 5 grand .Unless it’s Arsenal when they will do us down for nothing .
We are now six points behind Liverpool, with a game in hand.
C100
Sadly that may not mean very much . They are the most busted of flushes
https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/13/RefereeStatistics/England-Arsenal
Paws off, rather than on, Arsenal, please.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>