Undefeated Arsenal welcome the better team from the Kensington and Hammersmith boroughs for a 3 pm (London time) kickoff at our not-so-craven not-so-cottage home in Ashburton Grove. The visitors are coming off a difficult West-Southwest London derby loss to Brentford, a 3-0 result that must have really stung. They are down in unlucky 13th place, on only the three points gained from their win against the grain at Goodison Park. Arsenal are level on points at the top of the table with Brighton and Manchester City, third on goal difference. We’ve two wins on the trot, in spite of the antics of a blind old Coote against Crystal Palace last Monday reducing us to 10 very well-drilled men.
In our last five versus Fulham we’re undefeated, having drawn once. Last season we did the double over them, including a 2-1 win in this fixture last August, almost a year ago to the day. Ødegaard and Gabriel scored after Mitrovic capitalized on Gabriel’s mistake; the latter’s relief when he scored in the scramble after a Martinelli corner was palpable. Contra to our recent record is that we face referee Tierney, against whom in whose games we have apparently not won since 2021, a run of four losses and one draw.
Fulham
There are two big notes and losses for Fulham as the end of the transfer window draws near. Mitrovic, their leading goalscorer last season, has taken the money and run, very quickly, to the land of the (alleged, for the lawyers) Khashoggi killers. His 15 goals will be a loss; though Fulham scored frequently enough through their midfield and wingers, having the big Serb as a target man created space and second opportunities of which they could take advantage. Recently-recruited Raul Jiménez, signed from Wolves this Summer for a very modest sum, will try to replicate the “big man in the middle” for Fulham; if not, I suppose they could always bring on Willian (if he doesn’t miss the game through injury) to try to score against us.
Their second loss for Saturday’s game is center back Tim Ream, captain of the squad, whose sending off for a second yellow during the Brentford game means he misses this game by suspension. He is the heart of a back line consisting, usually, of Robinson, Ream, Diop, and Tete. New boy Bassey, signed this window from Ajax (from the same defense as Timber, big sigh), is probably down to slot right in, though we could see the more familiar Adarabioyo instead. Marco Silva has some thinking to do, especially if he’s going to keep his standard 4-3-3 formation. Missing Ream makes the defense as suspect as the offense missing Mitrovic; we can only hope that our own Mikel Arteta has figured out how to exploit those weaknesses.
Arsenal
While we are still adjusting to the loss for the season of Timber, the possible loan of Tierney, and the probable sale of Balogun, we welcome a return by Jesús from the injury that ended his participation in the Community Sheild against his former employers. What surgery he had appears indeed to have been minor, and he is expected to be named with the squad for Saturday. Other than Timber and fellow long-timer Mo’neny, we will miss big Tomi due to his own suspension given by too-yellow “two yellows” Coote.
This should leave us with a team somewhat resembling the following:
Ramsdale
White — Saliba — Gabriel — Zinchenko
Partey — Mø — Rice
Saka — Eddie — Gabi
with Jesús, Trossard, Havertz, Nelson or ESR, Jorghino, Holding, Kiwior, and Raya on the bench.
Excepting Eddie up front, this looks to be our strongest team; given Fulham’s lack of goals and potentially porous defense I hope Mikel sees it the same way. The relative turgidity of our first two wins with Partey playing the Zinchenko role on the right has to change, and the absense of Tomi makes it the perfect game to play with our most successful spine from last season. If there’s any game we can get away with Zinchenko’s not-the-greatest-defense, this would be it; Wilson running at that side of the defense ought to be easy meat for big Gabriel. And Rice can both shackle De Cordova-Reid and prevent balls from reaching Wilson in his forays up and down in front of, and aside, Zinchenko.
Is a win guaranteed? Hardly. In Marco Silva Fulham have an inventive and thoughtful manager. We can go into this with nothing but determination and the drive to both limit Fulham’s opportunities and crush them with multiple goals. Whether we can achieve such an outcome should give us a good picture of where we actually stand after three games, as Fulham’s 13th place is probably not a true indication of their actual strength and capability. So, a bit of a beware, even as the portents are mixed-good: let us not be caught wearing milkbone knickers in a dog-fight.
The Holic Pound
Arsenal are odds-on favorites to win this one, so getting good odds require you to hope we match or beat our 3-0 win at the Cottage in March; that’s available at 7s or 8s. Not a great return, but if you back 5-0 to our Gunners those rise to 20 from the 11s at 4-0. Perhaps a punt on Declan Rice as first goalscorer? At 16s it might just be worth it.
Enjoy the game, those who go, please report in the drinks. For those in the USA the game is on at 7 am Pacific time on, apparently, the USA network.
Come on you Bloody Good Reds!
Nice preview, Scruz. Very surprised to hear that Jesus looks to be back in the squad following surgery – albeit minor- on his knee knack at the start if the month. I would be very happy to see him rested entirely and Nketiah be given the start expect that to be the case. If I were Nketiah I’d be hugely disappointed not to start. On the other hand I hope for, but do not expect, a return to a standard back four featuring Gabriel. I rather fancy that with 2 wins out if 2, although not as fluent as we might have expected, Arteta will persist with the 3-at-the-back-in-possession, 4-at-the-back-out experiment.
Unfortunately 21 CG and I will not be taking up our season ticket seats either in the pre match bar of preference or at TNHoF due to people having the lack of foresight to have birthdays during the close season and the sheer effrontery then to celebrate said birthdays. If only people could be more thoughtful.
COYG
Great preview Scruz.
Fulham have never won at Arsenal . Let’s keep it that way .
I suspect more complex selections in defence but Eddie will ( deservedly) start with Jesus on the bench . Kiwior may start and the only change might be Trossard for Martinelli.
Whatever we W should win and hopefully start to develop a positive rhythm ahead of the United clash next week
COYG!
Eddie definitely starts for me. His feet are lightening quick and at some point everything is going to click and he’s going to score consistently. Zinch for Tomi could be the only change given Arteta seems keen to carry on with the Partey experiment.
And many thanks for an enjoyable read.
Thanks scruz, an excellent review covering events past, present and future.
Let’s start with the future 🙂
After last week the buffoon Tierney isn’t too reassuring but then there really
aren’t very many I do feel confident about.
I agree with TTG that Kiwior will likely start but your other 10 look about right.
Be great to see Jesus back on the bench and Zin to come on too as I expect
both to play next week.
I watched the 2nd half of the Fulham vs Everton game and to be honest Everton
should have got 4 or 5 though Fulham showed a bit on the break. Our finishing, though
cranking through the gears currently, is certainly better than Everton’s.
3-1 to The Arsenal.
On to the present and many happy returns to your Aunty bt8 for her 100th birthday!!
And a happy birthday too someone in the CER claim 🎉🎉
And last and least in this case to the past and the thing that is Dean.
Bit late to comment but he actually told The Heil a completely different
story last year (for which they paid him 🤣) and I wonder what he will say
next year. I would say his remarks this time totally discredit him but I
suppose you can’t really be discredited if you never had any in the
first place.
Excellent preview Scruz! Thanks.
I like your line up. Even though Jesus is back fit he is likely to start on the bench.
I wonder whether Mikel will try another variation today with Rice sitting deeper, Partey not starting but Trossard playing left sided #8. Or back three with Zinchenko on the bench, allowing Trossard or Havertz to be the additional midfield player.
Come on Arsenal!
Thanks scruz – a fine job, Sir !
I like your team but also feel Mikel will persist with his new defensive shape which I personally feel looks too stretched on both wings and to the quick long ball through the middle.
We’ll see. I very much hope I will see as it’s going to be another stream hunt due to our traditional Saturday 3.00pm kick off time. Oh well.
good stuff, scruz. i think you have nailed the starting 11 and 5-0 doesn’t sound either too shabby or beyond our reach, given the frustration that must have built up during the last two outings.
is wearing milk-bone knickers to a dog fight a widely used merkinism (unfamilar to this far-travelled scot) or a scruzian fantasy produced by your widely recognised fetid imagination? i can’t begin to imagine what milk-bone knickers would look like.
ttg @2, apparently fulham have won at highbury – in the london challenge cup in 1919:
before your time, so you escape a yellow card.
Cheers scruz!
Nearing the tunnel here… hopefully there’s light too at the end of it.
A comfortable win would make for a nice change…but I’ll be honest I’m not expecting it.
Bath, NOTHING is before TTG’s time !
Well done, Ollie – enjoy, mate !
In light of Mike Dean’s shocking revelations this week that he ignored an issue while on VAR duty because he “didn’t want to make life difficult for a mate “, there is bound to be sharp focus on today’s VAR for our game against Fulham.
Referee Paul Tierney’s old bean on the screen will be Darren England. England was promoted to PGMOL’s ranks in September 2021 and a quick google search will provide controversy involving him both as the man in the middle and on remote duty as VAR.
Tierney was also the referee at Old Trafford last season who chalked off Martinelli’s goal at the insistence of VAR Lee Mason, despite personally wanting the goal to stand.
PGMOL is proving itself unfit for purpose on a weekly basis and VAR – brought in to eradicate refereeing controversy – had now been utterly discredited by Dean, who many of us believed had an anti Arsenal bias for years.
Is Dean the only official who ignores mistakes to save his mates’ blushes ? We’ll all be looking extra hard for evidence this afternoon, which will probably lead to even more paranoia – the very thing the system was supposed to get rid of.
Anyway, any doubts can be extinguished on Sky TV, after the event, by their consultant referee who is ………. Mike Dean !!
Sky appear to have hired the idiot Dean on the premiss that they don’t have a professional referee apologist whereas BT Sports has Walton to perform the hugely important role of demonstrating the mental gymnastics required to present obvious mistakes, or worse, as being correct decisions.
I believe VAR is the right thing. However if it is implemented and overseen by proven miscreants, and that is what they are, like PGMOL then it can never be anything other than a cheats charter. It’s a bit like the US bringing in prohibition and then allowing Lucky Luciano and Vito Genovese to oversee it.
A picture well painted indeed. Time to feed and walk the dogs, drink coffee and pack for my trip. Hope to catch at least the highlights. COYG and thanks Scruz for the preview
The new media star incarnation of the miscreant referee Mike Dean has just opined that Tomi should not have received the first yellow and if Coote had to book someone, he should have booked Havertz. He also opined that the second yellow was NOT a second yellow as the ref should have been aware that this would have led to a red and that these two ‘minor offences’ should not result in a red. Dean seems entirely comfortable in his new film star role and equally comfortable criticising the decisions of his erstwhile peers who may not have been as ‘close mates’ as Anthony Taylor.
CER @14, great analogy. Agree on VAR but we need a team of independent individuals, possibly ex-players but definitely not ex-referees, trained in the use and limitations of video analysis to implement that second level analysis.
Still watching Sky’s ‘The Debate’. Goodness me, what a prolix individual Dean is. Verbal diarrhoea ++++.
To respond to Trev’s question, Is Dean the only official who ignores mistakes to save his mates’ blushes?
The mind boggles, it truly does.
Nice one, Scruz. I think Arteta will persist with his three-out-of, four-in defence and that Havertz will not get dropped. But what do I know?
Quite what are milkbone knickers? Undergarments constructed of the eponymous dog biscuits? If so, certainly not the thing to wear to a dog fight.
While we’re on the subject of PGMOL another stupid rule change this season is that any player who receives treatment for injury has to leave the pitch for 30 seconds once play resumes.
I get this if the player has gone down unchallenged as it will discourage time wasting, aka “game management”. However, if a player is injured in a fair challenge, what is the need for extra time penalty ? Worse, if the player is injured by a foul challenge, surely the offender should have to leave the pitch for the same amount of time ?
Offside, handball, injury treatment, what is time wasting and what isn’t, i.e. throw ons vs Goalkeepers handling the ball beyond 6 seconds, -,does anyone actually understand the rules any more ?
At least we have Mike Dean and Peter Walton to explain. Ye gods !!
Ned, heh ! 🤣
Scruz reportedly wears his milkbone knickers while being whipped with the cat-o-nine-tails ….
Cheers Scruz!
Trev@22: 😁
Arsenal: Ramsdale, Partey, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Martinelli, Saka, Trossard
Subs: Raya, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Vieira, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Nketiah, Jesus
Tough on Eddie to get dropped, although it is hard to argue that Trossard doesn’t deserve a start. Havertz, Martinelli and Trossard to interchange as false 9s?
ESR and Nelson must be wondering when they will get some game time.
Thought Eddie might get the start but Leo it is.
Jorginho also on the bench.
for those of you who are unaware of the origin of the milkbone allusion above, i offer it’s prime source: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wxl0nJGnGSE&pp=ygUPbWlsa2JvbmUgc2hvcnRz
my paraphrase was clearly misinterpreted by those projecting their inner lives onto this humble scribe.
glad you all enjoyed the preview.
Come on you Gunners!!!
Frustrating stuff, but we have made some chances.
Their goal was so fucking annoying
Eddie on 2nd half, COYGs!!
Saka held his nerve better than me
Thank fuck for that, come on lads
Eddie!!!
Vieira has been a bloody handy sub too
Disappointing.
poor game from us. some credit to fulham but we made them look better than they are. havertz needs to sub, not start. huge difference once he went off. early days, but another pepe?
on to next game.
Yes credit to Fulham for coming back with 10 men to get a draw. Should of scored more than two.
Two points dropped, undoubtedly.
Sloppy giveaway for their first goal and sloppy marking for their second.
We have the look of a team that is still trying to find its feet.
On another day that would have been a 5 nil thumping but for the stupid mistakes and lack of potency in front of goal. Happy never to see Partey at right back again. Havertz needs to earn his starting place and at the moment he isn’t. Trossard also fluffed his lines. Eddie didn’t deserve to be dropped.
That was definitely two points dropped though Fulham earned their point. We gifted them a goal, spurned too many chances and failed to go for the jugular once we had taken the lead. Partey at pseudo inverted right back leaves nearly everyone else confused – all those automatisms on the right that worked so well last season are failing because the pass doesn’t find the player (Partey) who isn’t where he is expected to be, e.g., Saka’s pass to RB that led to Fulham’s first goal.
Trossard was a revelation last season and looked the business in pre-season but his first touch today was like mine, trapping the ball three yards! I don’t understand what Havertz is supposed to be doing and it looks like Havertz doesn’t either. If Kiwior is a left back, I’m a Dutchman. He generally arrested our attack on the left side if he got possession in the build up. Great work for the pen. Arteta’s substitutions with Vieira and Nketiah markedly improved our game as did the shift to four at the back when Zin replaced TP5. It’s not only KT3 who can’t play inverted FB as effectively as Zin.
But why, oh why did we sit back when we took the lead and give the initiative to Fulham? Basic error Mr A.
Onward. More work required at Colney.
On the bus back. Sometimes I think I put more effort in than the team…shit goals to concede.
I’ve not seen any of it, but on paper it’s a really disappointing result.
We aren’t clicking yet this season. Gotta keep improving.
And stop playing Partey at RB. Which would also mean we could play Gabriel at CB. Revolutionary, I know, but it might just work.
Novelty idea, GSD….
Hope we click but so far this season in the face of not just results but performance, we’ve just been a pretty good mid-table team…
I haven’t seen the match but what everybody else in the bar mentioned. I have to wonder if the rumors of Gabriel heading to SA true, or if he somehow got on the bad side of MA. When we are defending deep late in the game he needs to be in there.
Just seen the highlights.
Both goals are mess from us. The first is just woeful. Partey covers the CB position whilst White pushes out wide. But then Partey just runs into midfield leaving a huge space. Saka plays a poor ball without really picking anyone out, but he assumes someone will be I’m the CB position… because it would be mental if they weren’t, right?
The second goal is just awful defending.
Absolutely gutted not to hold on against 10 men when we were winning with a few minutes to go. Especially when we made it so easy for Fulham.
Areola had an excellent game in goal for West Ham against Brighton today. That guy is the tits.
I’m amazed at people going for a full English breakfast at 1.30am on a ferry…
It’s lonely in the middle of the Channel (well nearly in Calais now), so an easy half-century.
Well in for the half-ton, Ollie, but if you are lonely in the middle of the Channel, perhaps you shouldn’t have got off before reaching Calais…
Yeah, the rest of the swim was a bit tough, Ned. Just arrived in Paris.
Now that is commitment. Well played, Ollie.
>>>>>>>