The first home game of the season for Arsenal coincided with a national rail strike, trapping TTG in his riverside holiday cottage on the Norfolk Broads. So we hatched a cunning plan. He would drive to my home in Cambridgeshire, from whence we would head forth for North London in my car. And so it came to pass. As the air conditioning kicked in, at 10am the temperature gauge read 27 ˚C. It would reach 36˚C in the stadium. The traffic proved light and around 11.45 we parked up near the Emirates.
We were early because we were having the first meeting this season of various Goonerholics for a pre-game lunch. As we left the cool of the car and headed out, the heat and humidity reminded me of visiting Baton Rouge, Louisiana on business. It was, as we Londoners say, bloody hot. Our venue was the Alcedo Bistro and Bar on the Holloway Road. Apart from TTG and me, fellow lunch guests were Bathgooner and his son, Clockendrider and 21st Century Gooner. Over foaming pints of cold Peroni, and various dishes of calamari, halloumi, pasta and some excellent steaks, we fortified ourselves and talked and laughed and talked. To our joy, BtM, once a mainstay of this parish, wandered in briefly. I hadn’t seen him since pre-Covid and I hope he’ll not be a stranger and come to football more often instead of hitting a small white ball around the fields of Bishops Stortford. Our mentor, Dave Faber, often said that the social side of football was as important, indeed on bad days, more important, than the football. As always, Dave spoke wisely.
Off into the baking Holloway Road and the short walk to the Emirates. All around us was an excited buzz and chatter as we climbed the steps and made our way to our various gates. TTG was sitting next to me in the North Bank Lower, filling the seat of my son, who was enjoying the various delights of a lads’ holiday in Croatia (TTG is less excitable and doesn’t swear so much). As always, it was a great pleasure to greet the usual members of my immediate ST cadre. The one thing I fear about safe standing (which I am supportive of) is that it may break up these groups of people who have watched football together for many years. We stand throughout every game on the North Bank anyway.
The team proved to be the same one that had started against Palace:
Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Partey, Xhaka, Martinelli, Ǿdegaard, Saka, Jesus.
Added to the subs list were Tomiyasu and ESR, leaving only Vieira from our recent acquisitions deemed not quite match fit yet.
A chorus of North London forever and we were off. Leicester started quite brightly and the loathsome Vardy robbed Xhaka on our left side, then slipping in Fofana (what was he doing up there?) who slalomed into our penalty area and got his shot away. Fortunately, Ramsdale, not for the first time, made a key block. Then the Gabriel Jesus show started. There was a whirling interchange featuring Zinchenko who slipped the ball out to Jesus on our left wing. He beat his man and passed to Martinelli in the box. He again beat a man then passed back to Jesus who was surrounded by Leicester players. No problem. He stopped the ball dead, and from a standing start, with a very short back lift, chipped the ball over the 6’3” Ward and into the top corner of the net. What an opening PL goal for our latest Gabriel from Brazil.
A few minutes later, we won a corner on our left hand side. The ball was whipped in and Vardy (ha-ha) did his very best Steve Bould tribute act to flick the ball on to the back post, where the diminutive Jesus was there to nod home his second. God, I love it when we score from corners. Jesus was quite unplayable during this period and was to have two more chances before half time. Ramsdale hit one of his trademark clearances deep into the Leicester half towards Jesus. For some unaccountable reason Jonny Evans stood off him and allowed him to control the ball (perhaps he wants his old job back at Old Trafford and is trying to prove he can be as crap as Harry Maguire). Jesus then showed another element to his game. He shoved his backside into Evans and then spun him on the edge of the area and burst into the box. We all anticipated a first half hat trick, but a combination of a desperate foot from a defender and a block from the keeper sent the ball for a corner.
Later, a ball found Jesus coming in from the left. He collected the ball, opened his body and shot, TH14 style. On target, but Ward made a good save. To add to all this, Saka found a lovely cross to the back post where he found an onrushing Granit Xhaka who powered his shot against the post. Xhaka was consistently breaking into the box in the inside left channel, confident in the knowledge as he roamed forward that Partey and Zinchenko were covering him behind. As half time approached it was looking good for 2-0. Then a long ball found Ramsdale and Vardy approaching the ball at the same time on the corner of the area. Vardy collapsed like a deckchair. Penalty said referee, Darren England. To be fair, from my angle, it looked feasible (although TTG was less sure). VAR check, with Mike Dean (!) in the chair. England sent to the monitor. No penalty! Then they played it back on the stadium monitors. Virtually no contact. Rat faced diving little see you next Tuesday! I’m really not sure why he didn’t get a yellow card. The Arsenal faithful kindly informed Vardy that his wife was a grass, and to make sure the message had got home, repeated this bulletin every time Vardy touched the ball from then on.
Half time and a very satisfying 2-0 that could have been five. As the second half started. Arsenal looked to be in complete control. Then a chip forwards towards Vardy which Saliba, seeking to clear, headed past Ramsdale (who may have been slightly out of position) and into his own net. 2-1. At this point the crowd were immense. A roar of support went up before the ball had been returned to the centre circle. Saliba’s every touch for the next 10 minutes was greeted by cheers and support. It was not always thus when an Arsenal player made a rick.
This seems a good moment to talk about the crowd. They were immense, very loud and utterly supportive. New songs for Zinchenko (Zinchenko, Oh, Always believe in yourself – Gold by Spandau Ballet), Saliba (the tune was familiar but I can’t place it, can anyone help?) which ended the refrain with a great shout of Saliba!) and Jesus, which, in the spirit of recycling, was a retread of Giroud’s Hey Jude song, with Jesus at the end instead of Giroud. Many old favourites from last season including Super Tomiyasu, Super Mik Arteta, and Saka and Emile Smith Rowe inter alia. When Tielemans was subbed, an immediate chorus of “we’ll see you next week, we’ll see you next week, Youri Tielemans, we’ll see you next week!” went up. I love spontaneous football humour.
Back at the game, it only took 90 seconds to restore our two goal lead. The ball was crossed into their box, it seemed harmlessly. But Ward made a compete howler (tell me again why Schmeichel left?) and dropped the ball at Jesus’s feet. At they said in Pretty Woman, big mistake. He immediately rolled it sideways to Xhaka (who was in the box again) who smashed in home in front of the North Bank. Again Leicester came back. The ball broke to Maddison on the Leicester right (not sure where Zinchenko was). He made ground in the box before hitting a fierce shot through the legs of Ramsdale. He would save that 8 times out of 10, but it’s a difficult place to defend if the ball is hit hard. 3-2. Again the crowd roared their support and again it only took 90 seconds before we scored again. We broke on our right flank. Jesus collected it and shipped it on in the D to Martinelli. He steadied himself then hit a perfect, powerful daisy cutter into the corner of the net. Delirium. Gabi’s third goal in three league games. Is this his real break-through season?
And that was that. Just time for Jesus to just miss his last chance for a hat trick, but the ball was deflected to him and came very quickly. He had to settle for 2 goals and 2 assists. Good enough. There was time for cameos from KT3, Tomi, ESR and Eddie. The depth from the bench is beginning to look very impressive.
Thoughts. Jesus was superlative. So much energy, speed, close control and near lethal finishing. He also leads what was a highly efficient forward press, which made it difficult for Leicester to get out. Very good were Gabi (who is forming a highly effective partnership with Jesus), Xhaka, Saliba apart from the OG, Gabriel. Zinchenko was huge in attack, less so in defence. He had one moment in midfield where he reprised his game against Scotland for Ukraine by picking up the ball in the centre circle, beating 3 men, and then striding away into open space. He looks more of a midfielder to me and he constantly floated between left back and midfield, especially when Xhaka was making the extra third man running up top. . Saka had a quiet game, as our attack focused on the left, but still made some dangerous contributions. Top performer of the day was the home crowd. I haven’t heard support like that at home since the golden Highbury days of 98-04.
Homewards. Radio on. I thought we had tuned into a comedy channel but it turned out to be Man United getting thrashed at Brentford to the horror of the commentators. Cry me a river.
A wonderful day out. More please Arsenal.
Before the Spandau Ballet fans flame me, I am aware that the second line of Gold is always believe in your soul, not yourself.
Thanks C100, I had been looking forward to the report and it was a pleasure as expected. Glad you all had a nice time and a performance to match the occasion.
Cheers C100. Great report. Good title too, the Jesus gags may be have an endless supply.
But are you the true magical being here, reading into the future?
Gabi’s third goal in three league games.
Hooe you can keep that line next week.
Hah! He scored in the last league game of last season. So next week could be four in a row! Glad you had a good day out. Let us know the next time you are over and we’ll hook up.
Aaaaah, yes! Makes sense now’ cheers. I’ll be over and overnighting for Fulham (though I am not arriving toooo much before kick-off, cue potential for more stressful travel, was well worth it yesterday!).
Great report, C100. Very much the match I saw and the meal and company I enjoyed.
The support for Saliba after his unfortunate own goal was heart-warming especially in contrast to the bilious atmosphere that was the default response from much of the crowd when I was last a regular match attender.
I hope TTG and you didn’t barbecue to the point of ‘well done’ in the North Bank Lower.
I was reminded by a tweet from Princess Gooner that Ødegaard displayed strong captaincy credentials by immediately running back to have a (presumably encouraging) word with Saliba whose head never went down and who maintained his confident style throughout. No doubt the support from the terracing helped.
What OM said @2.
Bath@7: Interesting. That wasn’t picked up by the TV cameras that I noticed (they cut away after showing Ramsdale putting an arm around him), but the applause for Saliba after the own goal came through clear and loud. I did see MØ8 having quiet words one-to-one with his teammates throughout the game. Modern captaincy. Like much of what he does, understated but highly effective.
If Leicester get the £80 million+ they want for Fofana, Saliba will look like a bargain at 30 million euros.
Well that’s the pre and intra game experience I remember, C100. Great day all round.
Super stuff, C100, always good to get your accounts of the atmosphere pre-, post-, and during the game.
I was struggling a bit to watch the game on iPad hotspotted from my phone in a sweltering Majorca. The stream froze now and then but I saw enough to enjoy some great forward play and excellent goals. The crowd came through loud and clear – loved the support for Saliba.
Superlative report, c100, both on the game and your day out. Our attacking performance gave me the best feeling of watching Arsenal play in quite a long while mow. Zinchenko’s and Jesus’ ball control skills were a joy to behold, and there is a lovely positivity that you convey in the stadium that also manages to come across on the Telly if not quite as vividly. There were some goalkeeping errors on both sides to last a couple of months ‘ worth of goalkeeping errors but let Aaron redeem himself as I expect he will. COYG
A terrific report C100. Very much like the game I saw myself!!
I’d like to thank C100 and his delightful family for their kindness and hospitality and it was a huge pleasure to lunch with so many Holics .
I joined slightly later in the ground trying to find a programme . I’m a denizen of the North Bank Upper so may not be adjusted to the lower tier but the buzz and positivity was off the scale . The stadium is certainly not a library . It was a furnace in every sense yesterday .
Jesus was superb, Martinelli almost as good and Saliba (a very big unit) was immensely impressive . The support from the crowd for him post the OG was symptomatic of Arsenal since the reset under Arteta, C100 describes Zinchenko very well.And Xhaka? One of the best games I’ve seen him have. I’ve always regarded him as a 6 but here he was a left-sided 8 , at times acting as a target man. It’s a development I wouldn’t have anticipated and credit to him. He ( and the rest of the team) worked immensely hard .
And Ramsdale ? Too early to panic but he might have prevented both goals and the second beat him at the near post going through him ( nb Jota last season).Unless there’s a deflection that’s down to the goalie. But his save from Fofana was crucial and his distribution can be inspired . I’d get him to have a masterclass on composure with Seaman, Jennings or Wilson
Loved the day. It could be a great season
A draw in the Scummer Derby is a good result for Arsenal, but both Totts goals were gifted by the officials, who had a total ‘mare.
I’m surprised it was so hot in the stadium yesterday with 60,000 fans in there 😳
Any comments on our game or the match report Cynic?
The only thing missing in the Scummer Derby were a bunch of red cards and painful groin injuries.
Didn’t see the game, very rarely read the blog for one reason. They’re usually far too long. Short and sweet makes for a good read. No offence intended.
Well thanks for your candour. Do wonder why I spent three hours writing it but hey, your privilege to just ignore it. By the way have you heard of a DVR? Means you can watch a game you missed.
Cynic
Sadly we won and played well. Why would you want to watch it? But if we’d lost ?
15-20 minutes of highlights selected by someone else hold little appeal for me, especially if it means suffering Match of the Day. Which is ironic really. Long posts are of no interest but neither are edited highlights of games. Although I can’t watch recordings of any live sports I’ve missed either, as the fast forward gets hammered and I end up watching a whole game in about 20 minutes.
I wouldn’t watch it either, although that obviously doesn’t fit the narrative.
And you lot criticise Untold Arsenal…
Cheerio!
Hey ho! Life can be a bitch, Cynic.
you really are a master of irony, cynic. unwatched, unread, and yet told. must be a tough gig.
Interesting that RyanAir posted a picture of Edu boarding a flight to Valencia this morning.Thats the nearest airport to Villarreal . We might be selling Pepe or Bellerin to Valencia of course or the news may be more exciting .
If Edu has a bird in Valencia he won’t be best pleased though
Excellent review of a thoroughly enjoyable match, Countryman! Also wonderful to know that many of you ‘Holics could meet up and share that glowing feeling.
The fourth goal was Gabi in a nutshell. He dropped back to central midfield from left wing, pressed a Leicester player relentlessly to steal the ball, immediately passed forward and kept running towards the center-left channel, and when the pass came from Jesus finished with an unerring efficiency on his weaker foot. He has always been promising and hard-working and positive, but I think having Jesus next to him has inspired him to raise his game a few levels up. Jesus was unplayable at times, both with and without the ball.
The technical quality of the Zinchenko-Xhaka-Martinelli-Jesus combination play was breathtaking, and with so much positional fluidity and brilliant usage of space that if they can maintain and build on that level most defenses in PL will have no answer.
Loved the way how Saliba himself, the crowd and the entire team reacted to that own goal. The resonating positivity all around was palpable even through the television.
4-2 flattered them. 5-1 would have been a truer reflection of the game.
Cheers Dr F. We had a blast. Hope you can join us one of these days.
Ollie @5. Could be up for a get together for Fulham but, given 5.30 kick off post game is very difficult. Pre game beers?
Maybe a 3pm pizza?
@26 agree Dr F 5-1 would have been a truer reflection; the opening 10-15 minutes apart we were clearly the better team. Leicester didn’t play badly really, we were just very good.
Feels a bit like the late 80s when after several seasons of mediocrity you could suddenly see we were serious contenders again.
Wonderful and evocative report C100 thank you.
The optimism I have at the moment is so tangible it actually hurts lol, what is so gratifying is the instant impact reminds me of an old interview with Tony Adam when he was asked how they were manging the transition from one style of play to the new dynamic style and he replied succinctly, we ain’t got time for transition.
Despite how good we looked at times you could tell we can still get better and once again we should start to worry other teams who’ve seen us as predictable and soft for so long, we have teeth again and there are plenty of others teams to destroy with them as we digest win after win, the fear good factor is back and I could not be happier.
A return for the rip-roaring, never boring, always scoring gunners!
C100, I thought maybe the match report would report on the outcome of your fisticuffs with TTG. There wasn’t even any throwing of the calimari? Well, I guess I’m glad that you managed to bury your differences.
My train gets in only at 3.30 so 3pm is no go. Pre-game beers still possible though if trains run smoothly.
C100 @28. Pre Fulham I have a table booked at the pub we went to to meet some of my mates last season if you’re up for it. Ollie, if you’re available for selection I can get you the details. Table outside in the garden, small but highly edible selection of nosh. Easy walk from H&I station. Let me know.
Depressed Gooner, glad to see you’re having fun again watching the team play. Pots, no need for the UN peacekeepers on Saturday. Although there was a moment of high tension when insufficient beers were brought to the table at one point. Managed to avoid a Wyatt Earp vs The Clantons’ stand off somehow.
I joke, C100/TTG….!
Cheers CER@34. Have to meet with a mate pre-match to give him his ticket, but could meet there or just outside the stadium with him, so your plan sounds like a good plan for me too if only for a quick appearance. Would be a pleasure.
CER/Ollie your Canonbury pub is delightful but it is a 15 minute walk from the ground. All sounds a bit tight to me if Ollie’s train doesn’t get in till 3pm (then again I’m a notoriously nervous Nellie about these things).
But this needn’t involve me and I’ll leave it to you and CER to work out.
From my side, best is probably to decide on the day, see how trains run. Think in good conditions that still leaves me time for one drink at least if all goes well.
H&I is only one stop, and if disembarking is as good as last time (though I will have a bag so ideally need to check it in if not myself at Finsbury Park hotel before the game, which adds some complication about the itinerary), it might be doable.
But then I’m always optimistic with organisation and panicking a bit for realisation…in any realistic scenario, it is still a bit tight indeed C100!
Finsbury Park is a 25 minute walk (minimum) from Canonbury. They are opposite sides of the stadium.
Not going to work by the look of it, Ollie. Perhaps next time.
I am very much aware of that, C100. Hence a lot of conditional. Definitely tricky.
If the plan to join with CER is impossible (and may be implemented on another occasion), could still meet for a beer elsewhere more FB way if you’re up for it. Anyway, still just under two weeks to go, let’s collect three more points next weekend first.
Four Arsenal players in Tony Cascarino’s team of the week in The Times. Can’t remember when that last happened (he’s not a big fan). Zinchenko, Xhaka, Jesus and Martinelli.
I’m not a big fan of beers inside the stadium, but maybe needs must on this occasion. Where are you sitting?
Not a big fan either, to be fair C100. Was thinking possibly 12 pins, but not sure how ut is these days, haven’t been since before Covid. Block 5 for that match.
Yep, I remember Cascarino not liking us much to say the least.
I’m in block 7 so very close to you. But I park close to Highbury Corner, so 12 pins no good.
For me, I should say. Others may find it easy. We’ll find a way!
Ah yes, fair enough! There’s always a way and I shall see you then and if not, then at another match.
Camden Ale which they sell in the ground is good beer but there is often a delay at payment stage as you have to take out an emergency loan from the IMF to pay for it
Palace deserved their draw at Anfield and showed how difficult it is to score against them. It shows how well Arsenal did at Selhurst Park.
Onanistic half century. Waves bat.
Liverpool four points behind Arsenal after two games. They must be worried. Tonight’s game, as Bath @49 said, puts our win at Selhurst Park in perspective.
This graphic that Peter Wood posted shows the geographical distribution of current Premier League referees. Notice anything?
https://i0.wp.com/le-grove.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/FaKHCnjXgAAqINo.jpg?ssl=1
notice anything? london doesn’t have any referees worth a damn?
Seems we have found a loan club
for Runarsson in Turkey. Best of luck
to him.
In All or Nothing, Runarsson looks like the guest at a party who knows no one and has no idea why he is there.
But good luck to him in Antalya, a pretty place to play football.
TTG@52 – I notice a lot of numbers that have no apparent meaning. I also notice 21 curcular pictures, 9 quite close to Manchester – does their placement have any more relevance? Come to think of it, does anything about the pictures have any relevance, there are only 16 PL referees.
FWIW, transfermarkt lists Taylor as born in Cheshire, Tierney in Lancashire and Jones and Bankes in Merseyside.
TTG @52. A line broadly following the Fosse Way with nowt below the line. How very random. Said nobody.
Interesting article in The Athletic looks at Tielemans’s strengths and weaknesses, pinpointing the latter as “he is not a power midfielder in the modern mould who can win duels and disrupt the opposition” makes me wonder exactly why we have been looking at him, or if he is best suited to playing farther forward than defensive midfield. Or where we thinking about him as a Xhaka replacement in the first place? All a bit confusing since Xhaka himself since Xhaka himself is now playing farther forward himself, and looking pretty decent at that role. Hmmm.
Apologies about so many himselfs in that last unedited sentence…
All a bit confusing since Xhaka is now playing farther forward …
Well in for the half-century, bath.
In other news the Arsenal Online Box Office is an absolute fucking disgrace.
Do I take it you missed out on Liverpool tix Ollie?
Marquinhos has been called up to the Brazil U-20 squad.
Nacho got better and better for us, a model pro and I wish him all the best.
Don’t know if he and Mikel are in touch but he’s exactly the sort of guy you’d
like to see on the coaching staff.
C100@62: I always had a lot of time for Nacho Monreal. Always put in a shift at left back and was very consistent in his standard of play (which was high). He was underrated because of that consistency, I would suggest.
Correct C100. When I eventually managed to get a ticket in my basket, the credict card verfication ended with ‘technical problem’ after much waiting and then my basket got emptied. Plenty of time to chance ticket exchange (I’ll wait until the date if firmed upafter CL draw though now) later but it’s a real mess. I don’t know how they manage to regress all the time.
All the best to Nacho. What Ned said.
Happy retirement Nacho Monreal, Arsenal legend.
Pangloss@56
I think Peter’s graph was developed last season . As you can see Dean and Atkinson are included. It may also include officials who only operate VAR. I note this is Dean’s new role .
I think the point about his grape might be that you would expect a much more even distribution across the country .
There are 7 London clubs in the Premiership. Presumably the message is that great referees only originate from the NW of England . 11 seem to be situated in that area
Grape ?
Graph or even Gripe fit better !
C100@68: Bonus points to Santi for using both feet alternately. I am privileged to have seen both play.
Just class @68! Thanks for posting that, C100.
I feel exactly the same, Ned @72.
Exactly what happened to me for Tottnumb tickets, Ollie @67. SO frustrating!
Nacho was great and I will always remember him for that goal at OT in the “Danny Welbeck” game. Santi is just up there in my top five all time Arsenal players. That free kick at Wembley ……
I have many fine memories of Santi .THAT free kick, his wonderful performance at ManCity, the Cup goal v the Spuds and his header against Liverpool. But my biggest memory was in a Champions League game . I can’t recall the opposition but we were well on top . In the second half he trotted down to take an outswinging corner with his left foot . It was cleared for another corner . Cue Santi to take an inswinger with his right foot!! Both were perfectly delivered.,So few players have that skill nowadays . And he always played with a smile on his face . Lovely guy- I do hope he returns one day .
As for Nacho he was a really solid citizen who never let us down, was a total professional and produced fine performances in both the Cup Finals he played in having scored against Citeh just as he did against United . A very underrated player
I saw Santi’s debut against Sunderland on a trip back to the UK and you could see he was a great buy by AW even in an otherwise unmemorable 0-0 draw. Come to think of it, it was memorable as I remember being annoyed after the game that we hadn’t rolled them over 2 or 3 nil 🙂
Pepe to Nice on loan may help us
get someone in so I hope it’s true.
He has plenty of money I assume
so he can certainly afford to live
there.
Heh Matt. Somehow I suspect it’s not more expensive to live in Nice than in London.
(Not that it would occur to me that he would financially struggle to live anywhere on current wages).
I’ve heard Nice is nice, which could mean that Pepe must pay pay.
But maybe not.
Going there on Friday, bt8. I’ll report.
On She Wore this morning (https://shewore.com), Keenos has made an interesting analysis of the make up of the squad as it currently stands, demonstrating how well Edu is doing (I know he is not getting oodles of money in from the departures) in making space for further purchases and shaping it for the future:
C100, thank you for this truly enjoyable report!
I almost felt the taste of the wine in my mouth and the good vibes at The Groves. And not least the whole game was also a joyride. We have seen the same match. It was a particular pleasure to watch our attacking verve.
About Pepe, He needs to play first-team football again even in the French league. I think we haven’t seen the best of him and in this way, he will have a chance to shine again. Saliba could earn trust in this way so Pepe might as well too.
COYG
Nacho and Santi were excellent signings. I loved them both.
Nacho was always reliable and maintained a very high-quality-defending on the right and I loved that he picked up a habit of late scoring important goals.
Santi, oh gosh… I think his injury cost us the PL in 2016. If he could avoid that injury…
His vision and technic were almost Bergcampesq.
We certainly haven’t seen the best of Pepe. In fact, we haven’t seen much of him at all. He is not the style of player Arteta and Edu would recruit now. A move to Nice, where he would link up with Aaron Ramsey, formerly of this parish, would do Pepe a world of good. If he gets regular football, he will score a lot of goals again in Ligue Un.
Ollie,
I remember when London seemed cheap to me living in Osaka as I did. Other way round nowadays. I’ll find out how expensive in October when I finally get back after 3 years!
I’d rather live in Nice to be honest….
Thanks for the link Bath, the squad does indeed look in much better shape.
Are you arund for a game, Matt?
Ah yes, I have never been to Japan, Matt, but it does have a reputation of being expensive!
See the U21s on Pravda for free tonight.
https://www.arsenal.com/news/watch-tonights-premier-league-cup-game-live
Thanks C100
It is suggested Vieira , ESR and Cedric will start
C100@88: Thanks for the link. I watched some of the game. Our U21s won more comfortably than 2-1 suggests, though Swansea was playing with 10 for at least an hour.
Forty-five-minute run-outs for ESR and Vieira (who looks like an U-21, but then he is only 22, but slender like Dani Ceballos). Cedric skippered, scored the winning goal from a free kick and played most of the game.
Zak Awe looked very composed at CB. Forlan, alongside him, looks like the archetypical Big No 5 but is a more accomplished player than his appearance suggests; I can see why he was taken on the first-team training trip in the summer. Azeez looks to have bags of talent but did not impose himself on the game commensurately. Sousa looks promising at left back/wingback and quick (and tucked inside Zinchenko style when we had the ball; the U-21s play much the same style as the first team, but slower).
Up front, Cozier-Duberry was bright and bustling. Cirjan caught the eye when he came on for the second half. Ideho and Butler-Oyedeji had their moments. Ideho scored but also put a couple into Row Z, Nuno Tavares-style
Ned, Thanks for your industry in figuring out how to watch the game and especially for reporting on it here.
If you didn’t already know did you find out how to pronounce Awe’s name?
Bt8@92: The Devil makes work for idle hands….
The commentator called Awe as in Shock and…
The OED says it is pronounced /ɔː/, which is the symbol for a long ‘a’ as in ‘saw’, if that helps.
Ah. That suggests the lad may be English rather than African then, possibly. If it had buen the latter I was thinking it could be Ah-weh (rhymes with Yahweh, in keeping with our recent Biblical theme). Oh well.
In the Ramsdale role, rolls a perfectly weighted ball vertically up the center of the field about 10 yards for a player he knows has the skill to set up a devastating attacking move
.
.
.
cba not-being available of course that player is
Sensing the danger as nobody picked up the ball immediately rushes to retrieve it himself and kicks long to the onrushing
Gabi M., who sells the Leicester full back his umpteenth dummy and sends a swirly, curly one to the back stick….
only to be shattered against the crossbar on rebound for…
Controls the rebound and back heels to…
Hello, everyone!
Well in, Potsticker. A Hollywood ton if ever I saw one.
Well in Potsticker you poacher you!
Bt8@94: English of Nigerian descent. Full name: Zachariah Olumide Awe.
Regardless of his full name the brevity of Zak Awe is not often seen which made me wonder if he could do with another syllable in Awe. Guess he’ll have to fend for himself as it were.
I hope to be around for a game Bath!
But need to renew my lapsed red membership and then have a look at the October fixtures.
Ollie – used to be fat wallet was needed in the big cities but it’s relatively cheap these days as prices have, until this year, gone up very little in 20 years.
Not many home matches on the League front Matt, only Spurs and Forest to bookend the month I think. But there may be European fixtures and possibly League cup?
Cheers on the Japanese info.
And well in Potsticker, sticking it in the pot surreptitiously.
Here’s a neat analysis of what Fabio Vieira will bring to the Arsenal team:
ollie@106, also pool the week after spurs (i’ll be there!) and city mid-month.
Oh yes, forgot about these Scruz! (Despite trying to get a ticket for pool only two days ago….). As for City, I think it’s my personal ‘no midweek’ selective algorithm that kicked in.
well, hope you can get a ticket, i’d enjoy meeting you if possible. 🙂
Fingers crossed.
Salah Eddine is leaving on loan to Hull City but to most peoples’ surprise the loan gives Hull the option to buy him if they like the cut of his jib . I’m a bit sensitive about criticising our outward deals but what I saw of him suggests he had a bright future . Maybe there is just congestion in his position and hard decisions have to be made . Hopefully we have a sell-on option .Buyback options make me foam at the mouth as we get the chance to buy our own player at an inflated price because we perhaps didn’t appreciate their potential .
If Auba is bought for £20 odd million by the Chavs or ManUre I won’t be commenting adversely. He had to leave the club and we had no option to unload him as we did . All or Nothing illustrates this well.
I have only the last episode to watch of AON .I fear it may not end well
Prime’s Arsenal All or Nothing proves conclusively what an important member of the team Granit Xhaka is. His is virtually the only voice in the dressing room apart from MA8. He’s positive, constructively critical and was clearly captain in all but name last season. I suspect that hasn’t changed. It’s easy to see why when Emery asked the team to elect the captain, Granit Xhaka was chosen. I expect that leadership is replicated on the pitch. It also explains why when fit and not suspended he’s been chosen as a starter by every manager at Arsenal since he arrived.
I’ve just finished watching the whole series (which I would commend to all Arsenal fans) .I was just about to post almost exactly what Bath has put .It is a very quiet,almost timorous dressing room .Xhaka is the only player who lifts ( or attempts to lift ) the team. Lacazette is a very quiet presence and kicks one of the young players in training before clashing with Cedric . Odegaard says virtually nothing . Ramsdale and Tierney comment but Xhaka is by far the biggest presence .
While there is a good dressing room rapport they need more devil, more leaders . Arteta is at times a whirling dervish and clearly has to hold himself in when the team fails to perform. There is no reaction to the Tottnumb result at Newcastle and Granit is by far the most affected .Team morale and cohesion is one thing but the team needs more guts and backbone if the film is an accurate representation .The addition of Zinchenko and Jesus may help but we do need more leaders
I am sure Arteta will have noted the stat about only winning from a losing position once and equalising so seldom . Arsenal DNA has traditionally contained huge amounts of fighting spirit and unwillingness to accept defeat .
It’s such a pity that our biggest influence has the turning circle of the Queen Mary in a game that gets ever faster . But last Saturday he did a great job on the pitch in this new, unlikely role
Looks like Man U may have to do an Auba exit for Ronaldo, TTG, except nobody wants him. I wonder what people will say about that.
ned@116: bloody edu (c) pangloss
As per TTG @114, I too commend the AON series to Arsenal fans, for what it’s worth. Yes, no doubt it results in some stylisation of presentation but reading between the lines also provides some interesting insights as TTG says. Xhaka seems to the only one to vocalise in the dressing room. Laca strikes me as someone who knew he’d passed his sell-by date. His tripping of young Salah in training -which is rather more of a hack- strikes me as little more than petulant bullying and then picking on the diminutive Cedric in the aftermath doubles up. Arteta seems to be working very hard to create a team dynamic and perhaps as the team matures together, this will grow more organically. It looks as though Arteta is very much the Sun in the dressing room solar system. I imagine the purchases of Zin and Jesus are based as much on their dressing room presence as their on-field abilities.
Sruz@117: 🙂
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