The Arsenal travelled to the Midlands to take on Aston Villa this Saturday lunchtime in the hope of a morale-boosting three points after the home defeat to Liverpool a few days prior. I must admit to a certain amount of pre-match trepidation as the last time we went down at home to one of the top two – against Man City on New Year’s Day – we failed to win any of our next four games. Would we prove of sterner mental stuff this time round?
Pre-game came news of a couple of changes, Leno for Ramsdale, and ESR for Gabi Martinelli due to a muscle injury and illness respectively. High quality and ready-made replacements fortunately but with our small squad let’s hope they are both available again after the international break, though the early news is not promising on Aaron. Villa had switched from the Ings/Watkins double attack with Buendia (remember him?) being given the start. And no reunion with Calum.
First Half
To the game itself, and The Arsenal started brightly, confidence seemingly unaffected by the Liverpool blip, with Saka getting away from the elderly Young on the right and teeing up Ødegaard, who I thought was going to shoot first time but instead slipped it left for ESR to shoot somewhat wildly over. However, the next goalmouth action was at our end when a free-kick from the left-hand side of the box (it wasn’t a free-kick by the way) flashed dangerously across our box and took a deflection off an Arsenal player for a corner. From the corner, we broke smartly up-field with a nice set-up from Øde for Partey to shoot on-target but straight at Emi. A minute later and Emi faced a sterner test when Konsa helpfully tried to turn a good Saka cross into his own net. Unfortunately, Emi was up to the task and down to the ball, helping it round the post for a corner. A bright start but still 0-0. For now! Next up was Laca. However, he failed to control another good ball in and the chance was lost. The first booking followed shortly after with a clumsy Ramsey foul on ESR, penalised with an obvious yellow. The first 15 minutes were done and we had largely pinned Villa back but the next 15 were more even with no real openings and some good defending from Ben and Cédric keeping Villa ‘shotless’.
Things changed much for the better in the 30th minute when an Arsenal free-kick wide right was worked for Cédric to cross from near the bye-line to the back right of the box, the ball rebounded aimlessly for a few seconds before it found itself booted firmly through a sea of legs and into the Villa net by the one and only Bukayo Saka. Some suggestions by the Japanese commentator on DAZN that Emi might have done better, I thought that harsh as he’d have seen it late and Saka had got enough on it to make the save impossible. Great goal and a timely one for The Arsenal.
Aston Villa 0 The Arsenal 1
The game turned fractious soon afterwards when Mings won a ball and then followed through to take out Bukayo Saka to the fury of several Arsenal players and several million supporters. Some pushing and shoving followed, McGinn just shoved Laca straight to the floor, followed by a lot of arm-waving and annoyance as the referee decided a yellow sufficient punishment for both Mings and McGinn. After a good look at the replay my own opinion was the ref got both calls right, an opinion I must admit that was not shared by either The Arsenal fans (red card) or the home crowd (not a foul). However, the ref’s appetite for Villa yellow cards seemed sated after that with the next one given to Xhaka for a nothing incident and fouls by Young (on Saka again) and what I thought was a bad foul by Cash on KT both going unpunished.
Half-time was reached shortly after that largesse, and The Arsenal went in with a fully deserved half-time lead having fashioned several presentable chances and, with the aid of some tight marking on Coutinho, kept Villa from troubling Leno unduly.
Second Half
On then to the second half, and again we started brightly, forcing an early corner, which was taken to ESR lurking on the edge of the box, unfortunately his shot, though on target, lacked the power to trouble Emi. Shortly afterwards we attacked again and Øde was unlucky to see his shot blocked for a corner after a good steal on the press by Captain Laca to set up the chance. A few minutes later Saka broke on the left and for a moment looked to be clear but the Villa defender got back just in time to block off his shot. However, from then on, bar the odd break, we sat back and invited Villa to attack. When Cédric got a yellow after Young talked the ref into it with some fake outrage, followed a few minutes later by Thomas (deservedly in his case), I must admit I started to get concerned about whether we would finish with 11.
Come the 68th minute and Villa got as close as they would when a Watkins shot deflected off ESR and then the post for a corner. Mikel made his first sub at this point bringing off Saka – who had as usual been kicked hard and often – and sending on Pepe for the last twenty. A couple of minutes later, Ashley Young simply rolled back the years with a blatant dive in the penalty area but the ref denied him the yellow his efforts had so richly merited. You’d have thought he’d be embarrassed at his age but whatever – you still got it Ashley, hope it isn’t catching!
Laca’s last involvement was a blocked shot after some nice passing before he was replaced by Eddie for the last 15 minutes. In all honesty he looked tired and off the pace today, three games in a week taking their toll no doubt and I am glad the international break will give him a chance to recharge. Villa sent on Ings in the 81stminute and he headed just over shortly afterwards (Bernd had it covered). Mikel then sent Rob on for Øde as it became all about holding on at that point. However, with Thomas and Xhaka both doing good jobs in covering the supply lines to Villa’s forwards and the defence sound behind them we saw the game out comfortably enough – well, apart from that snatched shot in the 92nd minute and Bernd’s save from the final kick of the game! The side had come through a difficult test away from home in their third game in a week and did it with guts and discipline.
Bernd did well in goal, though we missed Aaron’s kicking. The defence was solid The midfield added well to the attack in the first half and defended well for much of the second. A word on Thomas, who I thought was excellent again. It’s now reached the stage where I think he is the one player who could cause us to really struggle if he gets injured. The attack stuttered at times but nice to see ESR back – what a player he is and then Saka saka’ed and the game was won.
The game finished with The Arsenal in full voice ‘We love you Arsenal we do!’ and the not so super villans sneaking out. All in all, a very welcome One Nil to The Arsenal. Can’t get a happier ending!
A great and speedy report Matt. I thought Gerrard got this one wrong strategically, and that they might have had more joy with Ings and Watkins up top. Even when Ings was brought on Watkins came off and both centre forwards were easily muzzled by our classy centre backs. What a great win, with Partey huge and my MOTM. Let’s hope the rotational fouling on Saka, which effectively kicked him out of the game, does not become a feature.
Nice report Matt, following a splendid result.
I happened to catch Lawrenson on Football Focus earlier, who predicted a Villa win with some confidence. “It’s Arsenal. We know what happens with Arsenal. They go on a good run, then lose a game and fade away for some time before going on another good run.”
I hope you’re doing MoTD as well, Mark.
COYG
Well played, Matt. Both speedy and well observed. Agree with C100 that Gerrard got it wrong. At the same time I guess he thought that by playing both Coutinho and Buendia he would ensure more possession of the ball for his side. Nice theory. I thought the booking of Xhaka was beyond harsh, especially in light of the licence Cash was given to kick anything that moved in front of him.
Great report, Matt and super speedy too. That was the match I saw.
A magnificent win that really should have been made much more comfortable before half time with some spectacular attacking brio. Actually it was pretty comfortable at 1-0 anyway. Top performances all round until the subs came on (excepting Holding who added solidity at the back) and showed how much the quality drops when they are called upon. I hope we don’t have to rely on Pépé or Nketiah to do a jo for 90 minutes in the run in. The former was particularly dire today. The latter was true to the form we have come to expect and that’s why he has to go elsewhere to earn a crust.
I have to add that the referee was an utter disgrace. As even handed as a Horatio Nelson tribute act but with none of the integrity. Perhaps he mistook Xhaka for Cash and Cédric for Young? It’s an easy mistake to make when you’ve forgotten to put your lenses in, officer. That’s the only explanation for those two yellow cards.
Sadly I think rotational fouling of Saka has become the established way of dealing with him and it’ll be a miracle if that brilliant young man escapes serious injury during his career.
That’s where the permissive negligence of the officials generally ends. We should withdraw him from the England squad to make the point to the fat slobs in the FA.
If you watch Mings’ reaction after the foul he’s holding his head, knew what might come and wouldn’t have been surprised if the colour was red.
Well deserved break lads
A very good and fair report Matt, many thanks . It was a really significant result and a convincing performance and underlined what an intelligent coach Arteta is. A very spiky Gerrard was clearly miffed when interviewed on BT Sport . He got outcoached today and I agree with C100 about the two strikers . I also thought a really top-class keeper might have done better with Saka’s shot . My only reservation was Lacazette . We should move on from him in the summer . He isn’t someone who offers enough to be getting a new contract .Arteta suggests we will need to add about forty more goals next season. He won’t supply many of those
Fortunately Mark Lawrenson doesn’t do MOTD. It’s past his bedtime .
TTG,
Lawrenson is just Garth Crooks with more medals and a more effete voice.
Thanks Matt for an excellent and highly readable report, as always. I am not sure which Arsenal player was primarily responsible for tight marking on Coutinho but it was very effective because their biggest creative threat looked impotent, if even noticeable, all game. A good day’s work all around, always the best way to go into a stupefyingly dull interlull.
Speaking of “the not so super villans sneaking out” the tv showed one shot of a woman clad in a large “Villa 1874” blanket walking up the stairs with three minutes remaining on the clock. A demonstration of what it’s meant to be a Villa fan since 1874?*
*not a comment on the lady’s age.
Re: c100 @1. The rotational fouling of Saka already has become a feature, not to mention the serial fouling by the opposition left back which is even worse.
Ashley Young is a serial cheat and has been for many years . I saw him close up for Aston Villa at Gillingham once totally con the referee in a blatant way . We also saw Mane ply his dishonest trade on Wednesday . It was fun to see Saka give Young ‘ twisted blood’ but less fun to see him taking a kicking.
Great match report, as ever, OM. Really enjoyed reading it. We saw the same game.
Arteta is getting better and better at tweaking his basic game plan to fit the opposition. We played the way we usually play but still blanked Coutinho out of the game.
C100@1: My 2-cents is that Watkins and Ings are incompatible. Watkins is at his best as a lone striker and Ings is at his best as one of a pair. Dean Smith could never solve that conundrum and it doesn’t look like Stevie G can either.
Esso from the previous drinks: I didn’t realise you had had Covid. Hope you are back to 100%.
TTG@6: I take it your remark about a top-class keeper was tongue in cheek. I have to agree with you about Laca, though. You can’t fault his determination and effort, but the legs are just not there anymore.
Ned,
I was being rather bitchy about EMI who seems to take every opportunity to run down Arsenal. He is a fine keeper but I thought he might have dome better with that #hot although partially unsighted
Thanks for the kind comments all, it was a fairly easy one to write quickly as anyway I knew the more measured comments would come from the many astute Holics on this site.
It was a good game for MA in several ways really, tactically sound, got the three points and had the pleasure of seeing that Aaron is the best keeper of the three out of he, Bernd and Emi plus the knowledge, if we include the display of Maddison last week, that he got the best of the three out of Martin, Buendía and Maddison. Ben is a different class to Calum and so far it was right to let AMN go and keep Cedric as back-up. Coming up next will be watching Wham, spuds or both drop points.
Agree TTG, 40 more goals is a tall order for anyone! But it just isn’t within Laca anymore I think. A quick shot of him leaning forward and still living in the game after he was subbed off nicely showed his commitment to the cause. He’s been a better captain than I expected in all honesty and I wish him well this summer. 40 goals suggests MA has two 20 goal a season strikers in mind I hope😉
Lawrenson, hah hah
The ref certainly had a mixed game. On the Xhaka booking I noticed him pointing round the pitch and gave him the benefit of the doubt as though I couldn’t remember any fouls it may have been that I just don’t notice Xhaka fouling people anymore. However, on a quick rewatch I was too kind and it was just a poor decisión with nary a word I noticed to Buendia the instigator. I can forgive him the Cedric one as he simply got conned by the odious Young, he’s far from the first. Stevie G and Young are a good fit really, both disgusting.
The Midlands have been a happy hunting ground in the PL, doubles over Wolves, Villa and and Leicester, 18 very handy points.
Cheers Matt. If I hadn’t watched the match, I’d feel like I have after reading your report. Great and fair. Including on the goal, I think Emi couldn’t have done much, the camera view from behind the goal showed how late he could see the shot.
If Heineken did sporting days…Arsenal win and France Grand Slam, it was one of these…made by Guinness!
Cheers Matt!
Big shout out for Rob Holding being brought on again to protect a lead (also see Wolves away). Very dependable, very good in the air, and the back three created really solidifies the defence when the opposition only have pumping the ball into the box as a real option.
Mikel’s masterful mouthful, as reported by the BBC: “Arteta praised the “character, courage and quality” of his team as they strengthened their grip on fourth place in the Premier League with a narrow victory at Aston Villa.
Somebody already mentioned that Arsenal have taken 18 points from Villa, Leicester and Wolves this season. What’s to add is that last season it was apparently only 3 points against the same clubs which anyone has to admit is a massive improvement.
Here’s the confirmation of last season’s results. We only beat Leicester at home and lost the other five matches.
https://fbref.com/en/squads/18bb7c10/2020-2021/matchlogs/s10728/schedule/Arsenal-Scores-and-Fixtures-Premier-League
Emerging from the mire of midtable mediocrity.
Bt8
That’s a very good point re the comparison with last season. We lost to Villa, Leicester and Wolves at home on Sunday evenings last winter in that terrible run where we realised Willian was a dud. Away we beat Leicester comfortably, were very unlucky at Wolves where Leno was sent off ( and gave a pen away) for being kicked by the Wolves striker and Leno followed . Villa scored very early and held on rather luckily. We look a very different side this season
Between Cagliari-Milan (Bennacer goal, Giroud assist); Napoli-Udinese (Pablo Mari red card); and Inter-Fiorentina (Torreira goal) this story demonstrates that not a lot went on in Italian football yesterday that didn’t feature prominent bit parts by Arsenal loanees or ex-players. I guess we’ve got a lot of those sniffing around for some mortadella.
https://fbref.com/en/squads/18bb7c10/2020-2021/matchlogs/s10728/schedule/Arsenal-Scores-and-Fixtures-Premier-League
Sorry, wrong link above but here’s the right one:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60809831
TTG. You do it by benefit of your amazing total recall memory but I just looked it up on the internet. I would try it your way if I remotely possessed the faculties to do it. 🙂
But when they tell the story of this season, this particular factoid tells a big story in itself. Seldom in recent memory have we been so consistent.
Consistently and fully plugged in that is.
Aubameyang has had quite the renaissance at Barca. He scored twice tonight in El Clasico. Barca won 4-0 in the Bernabeu !
Wasn’t my best holisropeyleague decision ever to make Jimenez captain this week😂
Bit late but a gentle reminder – no spuds in your teams please gentlemen…..
I wouldn’t say it’s too late to clamp down especially when somebody has three Spuds in their Fantasy Team. 😟
Matt @32, I don’t think you are aware but it was agreed by senior members of the management group and GSD has accepted it, that a penalty of 30 points be applied to his team for playing Kane and Son earlier this month in a week where Spudz played twice. There is no way to reflect it in the published table but when you look at the table, GSD’s league position should be adjusted accordingly.
On the basis of precedent a penalty of 45 points will be applied to BtM’s team for each week that he plays 3 Spudz players and his true league position should be viewed accordingly.
In the real world, Blogs is bang on the money on that slime ball Gerrard:
Ok, thanks for letting me know Bath.
Seems a bit harsh to be honest but if it’s all agreed in the group then fine with me.
It started as a 100 point sanction ‘pour encourager les autres’ but it was reduced to 30 after discussion which was a mere 2 points more than GSD’s team gained from fielding two ineligible players. I don’t think that’s excessive. In the arseblogs league you get thrown out without appeal for fielding a Spudz player.
I will tell BtM as he has dropped out of this circle and may not care about its rules any longer.
Apologies. I should have told you as the League instigator. The discussion happened in another medium and I forgot you were no longer there.
I do not scrutinise the teams weekly – not even my own – and rely on the integrity of participants to adhere to the rule agreed before the season commenced and the vigilance of other participants. Ignorance of the rules is no defence. It was debated at length.
GSD’s penalty is the precedent. There can be no benefit from fielding ineligible players when other participants have foresworn them. Thus a 15 point penalty per ineligible player per game week will be applied to such infractions.
Therefore the current table should read as:
1) LowBar. MattM. 1677
2) RedHotChilliPeppers. Will A. 1673
3) Bigtime Bottlers. 8 ball. 1659
4) Dire Square Bathgooner. 1648
5) Uply’s & Downs. Alan N. 1642
6) Fife Gooners. Ian D. 1609
7) Game of Throw Ins. Peter L. 1600
8) Cannon Fever. Bryan CoR. 1501
9) Polonia Bytomska FC. Arthur D. 1457
10) Pangloss’s Purists. Alan G. 1293
11) Giants. David F. 1209
Bath@36: Thanks for the heads up to a very well made point by Blogs today. Heaven forbid Saka has his career blighted in the way Diaby, Eduardo and Ramsey’s were.
Thanks Bath, its a very open tussle this year and any of the top 7 could win, which makes it much more fun.
I do follow every week and had unilaterally decided to let people off with a first offense. On reflection unilateral is really not in keeping with our GHF spirit and I am glad the group made a consensus decision! A much better way to go – Thanks Gents👍
I rarely find anything interesting or worthwhile on Untold Arsenal but this article looks at our prospects for fourth place based on previous seasons . Worth a look.
Saliba has made the French squad and could join the
list of Arsenal players who played for country before
club.
Nice one, Matt !
It seems in the aftermath that Agbonlahor is saying the Arsenal players celebrated their win too much – a new bandwagon that our defeated rivals are all eager to clamber on. Five away wins on a row and maintaining our place in the top four – nothing much to celebrate, eh ? One day our endless list of detractors will run out of things with which to beat us over the head. What will the poor lives do then ?
Gerrard is also telling Saka to stop moaning about protection from referees and toughen up. It seems you need six screws in your hip and “about sixteen operations “ to qualify for the Gerrard school of hard knocks. Bravo, idiot.
By the way, “more protection from referees” was exactly what Gerrard was demanding in the press when he was manager of Rangers. One of those screws in his head must have come loose.
Lives = loves
Trev@45: One day our endless list of detractors will run out of things with which to beat us over the head.
I wouldn’t bet on it.
But we see eye to eye on Gerrard’s comment.
Trev @45,
This is very much in keeping with the peculiar anti Arsenal approach from years ago of such footballing luminaries as Allardyce, the troglodytes troglodyte, and Phil Brown, whose curious skin colour the last US president seemed to be trying to mimic. I particularly remember laughing heartily at Brown, who became known as Phil Orange, when, having been beaten by Arsenal, all he could think of to attack us was a criticism of Fabregas for not wearing a suit while supporting the team from behind the subs benches. What an utter tool.
Steven Gerrard after Rangers were kicked by Livingston last season
“We expect a certain level of protection. That is not to take away from what Livingston are trying to do because we accept the fact that that is their style, we respect that. It is none of our business how they play. But when our players are going down with stitches in their nose and 20 stitches across their head, it is my job to protect the players.”
Laura Woods rinsed Agbonlahor today for complaining about our celebrating after beating Villa . She played a tape wher he praised Gerrard for going wild after an early Villa win !
Hypocrites!
TTG@43: That was a brave attempt to connect some dots that are far too random to connect. The only thing that is certain is that if we get eight wins and a draw in our final ten games were are mathematically certain to get fourth place. Eight wins are enough if one of them is against the neighbours. Seven wins will be sufficient if they include both the neighbours and the Mancs. In short, we are a long way from being there yet.
Trev: In dong the sums for the above, I noticed that our win at Villa made us mathematically certain of avoiding relegation — certainly cause to celebrate.
Certainly cause to celebrate 🎉 remembering that after three games some were saying Arsenal were in danger of relegation. Where are those unnamed persons now, I wonder. 🤨
Steven Gerrard is a cunt.
Documented fact.
Cheers for the link bt8, made me laugh on a wet, back to work after a long weekend, Tuesday morning 😂
The crap people think up to moan about is amazing, if Villa had been that creative on the pitch we might not have been celebrating.
This weekend just about got rid of Wolves and Wham as contenders I think. Down to us, spuds and manure now.
bt8@53: 🙂
Good news: Mike Dean is to hang up his whistle at the end of the season. Bad news: He is going to become a full-time VAR
Ned@56
There was a pathetic cringeworthy attempt by Peter Walton to eulogise Dean in today’s Times . It almost forced me to regurgitate my breakfast . It praised his gigantic personality ( he meant ego). Dean on VAR full-time is a menace .
Ant he be the full-time mascot for Tranmere Rovers ( his apparent first love) – something like Trans Man would be good 😀
A superb article on how Macho Gerrard’s criticisms of Saka’s comments to the referee about protection are not only hypocrisy but dangerous bullshit (£):
https://theathletic.com/3199949/2022/03/22/after-criticising-saka-maybe-gerrard-should-consider-that-his-attitude-might-be-the-problem/
TTG@57: That all sounds very unsettling. He will be a menace. At least on the field, his ego has a stage. Heaven knows what it will do to gain attention when confined to a room in Stockley Park.
Talking of refs, here are some remarkable stats about your favourite midfielder. Xhaka has played 17 league games this season, in which he has committed a total of 19 fouls. He has received six yellows and a red, which is a card less than every three fouls. By comparison, to pick some midfielders at random, Villa’s McGinn has taken 42 fouls to get seven cards, Connor Gallagher at Palace, 48 fouls for eight cards and the Mancs’ McTomminay 41 fouls for eight cards. The saintly Rodri at Citeh has got five cards for 35 fouls, which would have brought almost 13 cards if sanctioned at Xhaka’s rate.
Mike Dean is a cunt, which will not change no matter whether he prances around the park or plants his posterior on a chair to proclaim his cunty decisions.
Ned
While I feel Xhaka’s sendings off have been his own fault the booking on Saturday was unfair and ridiculous. He is certainly, on the basis of these statistics picked upon although we must remember he got that stupid booking at Leeds which was apparently the subject of a PL investigation . It might have been entirely innocent but it was stupid . I think I’ve shared stats which show Arsenal, as a club get punished much more heavily than other clubs in terms of bookings and free kicks as well as red cards . Those namby pamby Burnley boys with their namby pamby manager haven’t had a red card during the period when we have accumulated I think it is 15!
I’d completely forgotten about that Leeds booking and the ensuing investigation. Is that still ongoing?
Be good to see the back of Dean, bt8 has summed him up perfectly.
By my reckoning, the club has to shift only half a million of these, and it will pay for a new striker:
https://arsenaldirect.arsenal.com/Football-Shirts-and-Kit/Training/Limited-Collection/Arsenal-x-adidas-by-Stella-McCartney-Bumbag-Backpack/p/AHL6546
But at those prices, not to mention that look, it may have difficulty selling even one.
14,700yen 😱
You’d better pop down to Kita, OM. Probably a better deal to be found there.
It looks like we may part permanent company with a number of players in the summer . The list could comprise Leno, Bellerin , Mari , Mavropanos, Torreira, Guendouzi , Pepe ( my feeling) , Elneny , Lacazette , Nelson and Nketiah . I’d be against Pepe going unless they get a very good offer but the others are either out on loan, out of contract or clearly surplus to requirements . Arteta is clearly not averse to major change but losing eleven players , given the size of our current squad suggests we might be left with a first team nucleus of
Ramsdale , Turner
Tomayisu, Cedric , Tierney, Tavares,
White, Holding , Saliba, Gabriel
Partey , Xhaka , Lokonga , Odegaard, Patino
Pepe , ESR , Saka , Martinelli , Hutchinson , Balogun
Doing the maths and supposing we will be in Europe in some form we will need something like four players minimum next season.Should Xhaka and Pepe leave it will be more . Assuming they do , we might expect to receive about £90 million if we can sell those players . I suspect we might be looking at two midfielders , two strikers and maybe a full back as cover . Can we buy the quality we need with the funds available ?
Arseblog has a positive take on Saliba’s loan to Marseille, pointing out the needed on-pitch experience he is gaining that he would not have gotten at Arsenal what with White and Gabriel, each of them being four years older than Saliba, doing so well that “we’ve kept as many clean sheets this season (13) as we have since 2017/18 (and there are still 10 games to go).” What will the situation be like in two years time? Unpredictable, of course but it’s good to know we have depth.
let’s not forget azeez, either.
Scruz,
I think they will try to arrange a better loan for Azeez than they did this season. He won’t get into our first team so would be better with a good Championship side where he might play . Arranging suitable loans is a big challenge and one we’ve not done well at so far . They either tank or we arrange a ridiculously low fee in advance if it works out well or they want to stay there ( Bellerin , Saliba ? ( who can tell) , Mari or they get injured .
TTG@66: Poor old Maitland-Niles overlooked, again.
For what it is worth, and maybe that is not much, the gossip does repeatedly have us linked to wingers, so perhaps Pepe’s days are numbered. A latter-day Gervinho.
The women left it to the 89th minute to snatch a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their CL quarter-final against Wolfsburg at the Ems. It is going to take a performance in the return leg next Wednesday if they are going to make it through to the semis.
Ned,
I knew I’d forgot someone ! AMN looks another who will be sold so we might generate £100 m in sales .
I saw the ladies tonight and it was a fine game . Wolfsburg were an excellent counter- attacking side and midway through the half hit the woodwork twice in the same attack. They were also highly cynical in defence! Lots of tactical fouls and body- checks and shirt pulls . When Tobin Heath came on it looked a different game and she drove a free-kick into Wubben – Moy who swept home .
I heard a story on Monday from an authoritative source at Chelsea that had Abramovich not taken over Chelsea in 2003 we had a deal set up to sign John Terry . Imagine him and Sol as your centre back pairing! Although Kolo Toure was none too shabby !
Must say it sounds like the ladies have done some exciting snatching, from all reports. And frustrating the oppo lusting after the three points too. 😍
The damned interlull is as good a time as any to look at the squad I suppose and the good news on exits is that we’ve already found homes for many on TTG’s list, others are out of contract, plus it won’t be difficult to move on Bernd and Mo I think. Not sure the latest with Torreira who looked such a good buy in his first half season. Not sure about Reiss Nelson either, he has about 15 months remaining on his contract I think but hasn’t been setting the world alight for Feyernoord in Eredivisie this season, and certainly not in comparison with a winger like Gakpo, who has double figure goals and assists. Gakpo is 22 like Reiss but would be north of 30m I guess – do we really need another winger that much? I’d rather we kept the money for CF, where we definitely need reinforcements.
On checking it seems LT is doing ok at Fiorentina and they have an option to buy at 13m (half what we paid for him?).
We paid £24 million for Lucas Torreira. His market value is about a third of that. Fiorentina’s option to buy is for £13 million and we have already got £1 million as a loan fee. It is not clear if we got a fee out of Atletico Madrid when Torreira was there in 2020-21. His permanent departure would trim £75,000 a week from the wage bill next season (his last under contract with us).
OM@74: Interesting observation about Reiss Nelson. I can’t think of any of our loanees who have done well in the Eredivisie even though it is a league you would think to be a good fit for anyone schooled in our Academy.
Just read that Mesut Ozil, who some of you may remember was once of this parish, has been excluded from the Fenerbhace squad for ‘unspecified reasons’.
Ned,
Yeah, I thought the Feyernoord loan was a good chance for Nelson too. Donyell Malan did well I suppose but we sold rather than loaned him.
Dave Seager on Gunners Town talking about Darwin Nunez, who we are being strongly linked with.
Geez. The Holic clock is fast approaching 61 years. How time flies, or doesn’t, in Spurs’ case.
Italy knocked out of the World Cup by North Macedonia!
Italy has gone downhill since Jose showed up at Roma. Italy took 32 shots but only 5 on target. NM had 4 shots, 2 on target, and 1 in the back of the net.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>