And so Aston Villa will arrive at The Emirates to find us top of the league and well on the way to our first title win since 2004 !
Manchester City are chasing us, two points behind in second place but we all know they are not going to last the race. Their two best players have decamped to North London to be reunited with their old coach Mikel Arteta, who is now almost home and hosed, as the youngest manager to win the Premier League, with only 34 games left to play.
“You’re living in a fantasy world,” I hear you say, “have you stepped through the back of your wardrobe and arrived in some fanciful land of make believe ?”“You leave me to worry about that,” I would answer, “it’s narnia business !”
No doubt all sensible people will be telling me to calm down, be realistic, there’s a long way to go, just take it one game at a time, don’t count your chickens, and all the usual admonishments that suck the joy out of early season dreams. Well, at the moment we are bang up there, all things are possible, and while they are, I am going to enjoy and overexpect the hell out of every last second of it.
The TV presenters and pundits all seem obsessed with the question of whether or not we can make the top four this season. They seem to think it is the only way we can continue on our upward trajectory – “They simply have to get top four !”, they all say as one. Anyone would think it’s some kind of trophy – the very idea !
At the beginning of August and the end of pre-season, I was challenged by TTG to include two very specific biblical references in a blog piece, in response to a few Jesus based puns which the poor fella clearly couldn’t compete with! His “impossible” references were Ecclesiastes and Nehemiah!
Well, I have to tell TTG that there has been much early season talk in the changing room about the new kit suppliers, E Cleese & Sons Ltd. Before the Fulham game this snippet was heard as final pre-game preparations were made – “Have you tried the new Elasties sock garters – they’re much easier than the old ties to put on, cos they’re just one size and all stretchy, like.”“Oh yeah, the new ‘E Cleese Elasties’ are really cool, man !”
At the same time, another player was getting a final check by the physio following the on pitch warm up, “How’s that knee feeling, Ben?” “Well, it’s not really my ‘Knee, Er, My Er’ calf is still a bit tight though.”
I think it was £20 you bet me, TTG …?
The History
Since the first meeting in October 1904, there have been 199 11 v 11 games between the clubs. Of those Arsenal have won 85, Villa have won 69 and there have been 45 draws.They were all Premier League games bar 2 in the FA Cup – of which Arsenal won both. If we draw a relatively random line from the beginning of the Emirates era, a scary 16 years ago, Arsenal have won 17 times, Villa have won 6 times, with 5 games ending all square. Maybe worryingly, by far our worst run has come since July 2020, which saw the first of 3 consecutive defeats. The two most recent games, however, saw us return to form with a 3-1 home win in October 2021, and a 1-0 away win in March of this year.
The Villa
Villa have made a really poor start to this season and lost again on Sunday to West Ham, who themselves took 3 games and 74 minutes to come up with their first goal of the season. Since losing Jack Grealish to the Sheikhs of Abbly Dabbly (c BtM) Villa have lost their threat and their shape and appear currently to be the epitome of the cliched rudderless ship. On the radio phone-ins after Sunday’s game their fans, to a man, were saying that Gerrard is out of his depth and should go. He has already lost 15 times in his 31 games since being appointed ten months ago. Many of them noted that he didn’t acknowledge the crowd at all after the final whistle and feel that he knows he is “gone” already. By all accounts he was quite fortunate to get his first big break in management at Rangers. At the time, Celtic were managed by Brendan Rodgers – Gerrard’s boss at Liverpool when the latter’s disastrous slip in the final game of the season cost the Scousers the title. Indeed, at the time of the appointment a Rangers spokesman said, “We were looking for someone with previous experience of stopping Brendan Rodgers from winning the league.” 😉
Players of note for Villa will be striker Ollie Watkins, who always seems to look pretty harmless whenever I see him play except, of course, against us when he regularly seems a danger and far too often scores. Philipe Coutinho is their quality player who, if he is up for it and on form, can be a game changer, and in defence, Tyrone Mings – but we all know that already. Personally, I would welcome Emi Martinez back to the Emirates. I know some people feel he has been a bit disrespectful to Arsenal since joining Villa, but I have honestly not heard his complaints myself. My own view is that he served the club uncomplainingly for ten years while being sent on a long series of loans. He then played brilliantly for us when called on to deputise for the injured Bernd Leno, helping to win the FA Cup and Charity Shield, and might be justified in feeling a bit miffed to have been sold straight afterwards.
The Arsenal
With only a couple of days of the current transfer window left, we continue to be linked with a number of players. Nicolas Pépé has now gone on loan to Nice, which was facilitated by the player agreeing to a 25% cut in his wages. Nice will pay 50% of his original wage and Arsenal 25%, leaving some room in the financial fair play calculations maybe for another arrival, or two? One of those is rumoured to be Pedro Neto but Wolves are very reluctant to sell and would demand a high price for the winger. If that doesn’t materialise, as seems likely, attention could turn to Jeremy Pino of Villarreal. According to The Independent, he has been linked with Arsenal all summer. “He is a forward who can play either side of the striker and is comfortable with both feet” – he would certainly be less comfortable if one foot was missing! Wilfred Zaha has supposedly been linked again in the last 24 hours too. This would be a very strange one for me, as he just doesn’t seem to fit the profile of our recent acquisitions – but what do I know?
One player who does fit the profile is Youri Tielemans, 25, and in the last year of his contract. Again according to The Independent, Leicester have finally been prompted to drop their asking price, thus bringing a deal “closer than ever”. A long shot could be Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby. According to Fabrizio Romano it would take a major offer to persuade Leverkusen to sell, but they have just signed Calum Hudson-Odoi on loan from Chelsea, so maybe 2 and 2 will add up to 4 …?
Finally, good luck to Ainsley Maitland-Niles who appears about to depart. Bournemouth, Southampton and a number of foreign clubs are interested.
Availability
Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko continue to be assessed ahead of Wednesday with respectively a tight thigh and a slightly sprained knee. Especially in the light of our opposition’s form, I would be surprised to see them for this game. Manchester United await us this weekend and there is no need to take any unnecessary risks. We hear today that Mo Elneny picked up a “significant injury” in Saturday‘s game against Fulham and is expected to be out for a “considerable spell”. (that courtesy of Ornstein)
That would mean a probable starting line-up of:
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Ødegaard, Lakonga, Xhaka; Saka, Jesús, Martinelli.
And right there is the good problem of having a much stronger squad. There are cases for Tomiyasu and Nketiah to start , especially after a great 30 minutes from Eddie on Saturday, but who do you leave out? I don’t think anyone deserves to be “dropped”, but I do think Saka needs some protection. His position is the one where there is no obvious cover at the moment, but could there be a surprise call for Marquinhos, who has been tearing it up in the U23s? Personally I think we have to move on from the idea of a first eleven and “why do we need Y if we already have X?” We start the season in four competitions and will hope to progress a long way in all of them. All our players will be needed, and sometimes changes will be made for tactical and fitness reasons. It won’t mean a player has been dropped just because they are given a rest for a game or two. We have damaged too many players in the past because we had no options. Now we have, wise choices can be made.
And finally ……
Much is made these days of Running Statistics and their importance to success in the modern game. Clearly running around like a headless chicken is unproductive and a huge waste of energy on a football pitch, but intelligent running is now demanded by top coaches and appears to really matter to the final result. So far this season Arsenal are top in the running league – and top of the actual league – much improved Leeds are second and Aston Villa, with their poor start, are bottom. So incensed was new Man Utd manager Ten Hag, after their lazy, shambolic performance against Brentford, that he went with the players on a “make up distance” run, to show them that they are all in it together, and it was going to hurt him as much as those players. Interesting tactic and they have sadly won their two games since. We will clearly have to match them, at the very least for endeavour, when we play them this coming weekend.
The Holic Pound
Over the first four games of the season, the Arsenal have scored an average 2.75 goals per game, and conceded only 0.75. Aston Villa, in almost complete contrast have scored 0.75 and conceded 1.75. Some people make a decent amount of money by relying on stats just like these, so it’s to be hoped the theory holds good for this match. The bookies seem to think so, offering a best of 1/2 on a home win, 19/5 on a draw and 33/5 on a Villa win. If you just cannot resist a bet, your money has more chance of growth going on Martinelli to get the first goal at 6/1, or Saka is at 13/2. If you favour a longer term investment, Arsenal are currently quoted by Betfred at 10/1 to win the Premier League this season. Man City are unsurprisingly 4/11 on, with Liverpool at 6/1. You pays your money …..
The officials for this one are – Referee, Robert Jones; Fourth official, Craig Pawson; VAR , Darren England.
The TV and Kick Off
The game is on Wednesday 31st August at the slightly earlier than usual time for an evening kick off of 19.30hrs, UK time. It will be shown live on BT Sport.
Whether you are going, or jumping round the living room, enjoy the game !
first, thirst, but hungry for an ice cream, too. now to read the post!
Nice one Trev. Comprehensive and amusing!
You’ve done as much as you can with Nehemiah and I applaud the effort, although I sense we may see that one heading for arbitration!
Nice one, Trev. An excellent and, to the untutored eye, comprehensive preview.
The cherry on the top is a manful attempt to work in the requested biblical references. Can you mange Ahasuerus next time?
No scoreline prediction from me, but I see every chance to be 5 of 5 come Thursday morning. I also note that Arsenal have yet to put a hatful past anyone. It can’t be long, surely?
COYG
Cheers Trev, always looking forward to a pun or two in your preview but you really had to work for your twenty pounds there.
3-1. As usual, any will will make me happy. Not sure I will be able to watch the match, only the multiplex formula here on Canal +, so bits and bobs and the goals, though with any luck perhaps my usual pub has BT sport, can’t remember if they do.
Excellent preview and top punning, Trev. You have no pier, sir! Where do you park your boat?
Given the disparity in our records this season, I would normally be quite confident of victory against Villa tomorrow. However, sadly we have a long track record of giving unexpected ‘get out of jail cards’ to teams on terrible runs and to managers in extremis. Over the years, the Arsenal has been so generous to teams in difficulty that it is astonishing that we are not far, far more popular with the media and the great British public at large. Yet it was always a concomitant of great Arsenal teams that we were extremely unpopular in many quarters so I hope we add to our unpopularity in a certain part of Birmingham tomorrow night by adding another hefty negative note to Stevie G’s CV.
2-0 to the good guys however we rejig our midfield.
Entertaining preview, Trev! I suspect we might see some rotation. Martinelli was cramping at the end of the last match so it might be ESR to start. I think I’ve also seen White with some cramping issues in a couple of matches, so maybe Tomi. I would also like to see one of Jesus, Saka, and Odegaard given a break as all three run their arses off every match and we want them to be fresh for the weekend.
3-0 to the good guys!
Just the deliriously funny, puntastic, brightens the day kind of preview that other blogs can only dream of producing. 😊
I don’t like Aston Villa, I don’t like Stevie G., I don’t even like Emi Martinez … so an old school evisceration of the midlanders would be thoroughly appreciated. But of course any win will do.
Ødegaard’s good friend scored his first (of many to come) hat trick in PL last weekend so maybe that’ll inspire the captain to raise his game even higher and score and assist a multitude of lovely goals.
A first start of the season for Eddie? With Saka rested and Eddie on the left and Gabi on the right? Or Jesus and Martinelli both rested and ESR playing on the left?
But I think Mikel will not yet rotate unless forced by an injury (which he has been already) and the rotations will come starting from next mid-week Europa fixture.
Enjoy the match everyone!
Come on Arsenal!
Great, puntastic preview Trev. I’d hate to be a patient of yours. Big two games in our season coming up. We are expected by all and sundry to win against Villa. The game at Old Trafford is the sort where we have played better than United recently but still lost. Six points from these two and we really are off to the races. I expect Jesus to make his presence felt and rack up the goals. Going tomorrow and watching from a Greek bar in Rhodes on Sunday. COYG!
Cheers Trev! Puntastic and also playful and intelligent preview!
May the boys performance7 match with it against Villa.
I’m sure there will be changes in the lineup but I would’nt risk Partey nor Zinchenko. We are strong enough to deal with Villa whatever they try.
I think we will start the strongest possible team (Jesus and the Gabriels) than change early if we can.
3 – 1 to the good guys.
COYG
Top stuff, Trev. Tutti frutti through and through. But still waiting for VAR to rule on Nehemiah.
A great and entertaining preview Trev. I couldn’t agree more that we should celebrate being top for as long as we are top, and as a matter of fact we SHOULD be top because the other guys just don’t deserve it. On the morrow Stevie G could be in for a rude awakening and let’s be ‘avin it!
Trev
Excellent report and you’ve done it on the puns . I thought it was a charity bet as you are a millionaire already. Which charity woukd you like it to go to ?
I think your team is spot on. I think we will continue our run tonight but I do hope we can cope in central midfield this season . Bit light there but no need to panic
David Ornstein in The Athletic says that when Auba’s house was robbed he also suffered a broken jaw. Even if Chelsea do sign/loan him he won’t be able to play for weeks. Sympathies to Auba.
Thank you, all !
Hope as ever it gave you a chuckle ! Oh yes, and a bit of info ….
Horrible experience for Auba and his wife. Hope they both recover fully.
Sometimes, people …..
That assault on Auba is horrifying and there appears to be a pattern of similar incidents in Spain aimed at footballers . It is likely to make the family very negative about remaining in Barcelona . Chavski are only keen to offer a one year contract and if Auba can’t play for several weeks even months it makes a mega deal for a 33 year old very unwise . But common sense doesn’t seem to appeal too much to this new regime at the Bus Stop. I would have thought the Isak deal would have been a better fit for them
I had read that Auba had been attacked during the break-in, but that he had his jaw broken is news to me. Terrible business. I hope he recovers quickly. There seems to be an increasing number of attacks and robberies of footballers elsewhere, too. Is this just because they are being reported more, or is it they are just another facet of the pandemic increase in crime?
Congratulations on TTG accepting Nehemiah, Trev. You may now slide towards the corner flag on your knees, although you, if anyone, will know the risks in doing that. It does seem a most perversely dangerous thing for anyone who makes a living from their legs to do.
The club site is implying that Zinchenko and Partey won’t be available for the Villa game. Matt Smith is in the training photos, if that means anything. Azeez would be the other candidate for a spot on the bench. Both will be hoping for EL minutes.
Your matchday trivia: Today’s referee Robert Jones will be reffing us for the first time in the League, although he had the whistle in our 5-1 Carabo Cup win against Sunderland last December. He comes from, you guessed it, Merseyside.
Very entertaining preview, Trev, take a bow.
Nice to meet you, Las.
Hello, TTG, Countryman, Bath, Ollie, GSD, Esso, bt8, Dr F and every one else from the last drinks. Always a pleasure to “see” you gents.
Barman, please, line up all the drinks I have been offered, I suspect I will need them all to get through today’s game with all injuries we have picked up in one particular area of the pitch.
I predicted a hard-fought 2-1 win in our last game, even before we knew Zina and Partey would miss out through injury. The outcome of the game suggests, perhaps, that our backups to both players are better than I give them credit for. For tonight’s game, my prediction is a 2-0 win for us, a game just like our opening day win against Palace. That said, someone is due a drubbing from us, and if Villa don’t bring their A game, they will get that drubbing.
COYG.
Hi, Ned. Not quite sure how I managed to leave you out of my list. Apologies to anyone else I left out. You’re all the bee’s knees.
Not sure, Ned @18. Break-ins into footballers’ houses seem to have been happening for many years long before the pandemic, regularly in England, France and elsewhere.
You could say I mostly heard of the ones in Paris/Marseille/Liverpool/Manchester/London and not expect it in Barcelona, but now that may be about reporting indeed.
Are they being more violent? Now that’s possible, and in some ways our societies seem to be getting more violent and extreme. The pandemic and reactions to it look like part of the whole saddening evolution.
Cheers Cent!
Re: the PGMOL’s undiversity campaign. Seeing as they have maintained a stable of white male referees who are predominantly from the north of England and in particular from the northwest, the naming of a new one of the same description, might seem unremarkable but surely they must know there are highly qualified referees, and quite likely more qualified referees, who do not fit that description. WTF?
Greetings, Cent. Always good to see you in.
What bt8 said @24.
To be noted: all Chelsea’s incomings have been signed on really long-term deals: seven years for Fofana, six for Cucurella, Casadei and Chukwuemeka, five for Sterling and even four for Koulibaly who is 31. Previously most Chav signings have had four or five year contracts. Is the new ownership preserving resale value? Hedging against salaries getting even larger as new media rights kick in? Whatever, it is a long-term £50+ million commitment on the annual wage bill for those six alone.
trev, finally getting a chance to comment on your post. your puns really reach, but they grasp, in the end. thanks for the fun and fine preview!
if we’re really without partey and mo’neny i’d like to see xhaka at the 6 and vieira in his left-sided 8 role today. COYG!
Cheers Trev! I grew up in Tamworth. I fucking hate Villa. I mean really fucking hate them. Chelsea of the midlands – all mouth and trousers.
Cheers Esso. Should be a good enough line-up. I hear you, mate. Let’s do them!
@20Cent Great to see and hear from you mate. All the very best!
One of my flatmates at Aston Uni was from Tamworth.
On the button with the team selection, Trev. Matt Smith rather than Azeez on the bench along with Marquinhos, who I rather fancy to get a few minutes. Arteta will want to have the game wrapped up by 70/75 minutes so the likes of MØ8, Saka, Marinelli and Jesus can be brought off early to rest up before the trip to the Old Toilet on Sunday.
so sambi at 6 is the only change from last game. i hope he can do the job (i expect he can).
and what esso said at 30!
Come on Sambi and Come on Arsenal. What a boost it would be to see Sambi doung the business today.
Come on you Arsenal!
Good value for our 1-0 lead so far but Villa a bit more in the game 2nd half
No way that’s a goal
COYGs – got to go again now.
Get in Gabi !! 2-1
See what people think later and soft defending at our near post but Villa goal looked blatant obstruction to me
Brilliantly quick response again though
ESR coming on Ode, who looks hurt
Didn’t enjoy the last 10 but good defending in the main and 3 more points for the 100 per centers!
Martinelli is a fucking boy.
Also thought Sambi had an excellent game.
We were so silky and so dominant in the first half but unable to reap the appropriate rewards. One-nil let Villa off the hook and left them in the game when they should have been dead and buried at HT. A flukey goal from their second corner aided by a passive referee and incompetent VAR official (Exhibit A the non-penalty when Mings wrestled Saka to the ground) not seeing Ramsdale being held by Konsa was so unjust. However our sparkling kids responded quickly with flair and aplomb.
A thoroughly deserved victory.
Onward to Old Trafford.
Not good news on Mo Elneny…
Wasn’t able to watch the match, but choc bars all round, regardless. Fifteen points from our first five games keeps on track; 18 from six wold definitely mark progress. We seem to be tempering the steel in our silk (© Scruz) to great effect. Just another 33 wins to nail down. 🙂
I met many old friends tonight including the estimable C100 and Countryman Junior . The place really is jumping now. Layth Yousif thinks it is the loudest Arsenal crowd he has heard and I agree . I’ve had three really great experiences at the three games I’ve been to . The club seems somehow reborn and it’s a terrific pleasure to sample it .
My train goes through Stratford and was full of Hammers fans who share a pathological hatred of the Totts ( they hate them even more than Esso hates Villa). They felt a draw was a fair result . Interestingly , OG was the Spuds third highest scorer last season and they’ve got at least two already this season . Can’t we sign him up ?
Another great evening in North London. We played some of the best football we’ve played for ages and could have been 4-0 up in the first half. The crowd are part of this team and it’s brilliant to be there. So many played well last night but I’m going to pick out Sambi Lokonga as my top man. We were all a bit nervous as he stuttered a bit last season but, in partnership with Xhaka, he was almost faultless, intercepting, playing the simple ball and keeping the ball moving. Also good to see Tierney play 90 mins and a great 30 minute cameo from Tomi. And what a brief performance from Eddie! Three times he picked up the ball and just ran away from defenders. Hopefully our Norwegian Captain is OK. He went to the bench, not down the tunnel and walked round the pitch at the end, waving to the crowd and was last man off.
Going home from the city centre was another ordeal, but with three points in the bag it was bearable.
Given City are going to absolutely run away with the title this season, decent results all round for us…if one excepts Liverpool’s late late late winner.
And don’t start me on VAR about last night.
Top of the table!
*adds a run for cheeky half-ton*
Well in Ollie!
>>>>>>>