{"id":10777,"date":"2025-02-04T18:29:21","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T18:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=10777"},"modified":"2025-02-06T10:23:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T10:23:39","slug":"the-arsenal-are-riding-into-toon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=10777","title":{"rendered":"The Arsenal Are Riding Into Toon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This feels like a very strange preview to write. While I would never want The Arsenal to lose any game they play, I did at first feel slightly conflicted about this one. My ambivalence, if that is even the right word – and it takes absolutely hours to get one these days – was mostly corrected when we were removed from the FA Cup by North Surrey at the first hurdle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is that in this season of a crazy number of major injuries, barmy refereeing decisions, red cards, suspensions and illness, we just haven\u2019t had the squad available to take on four competitions. However, at effectively half time in a semi-final I guess we just have to go for this one. I can\u2019t for one half second imagine Mikel Arteta not being 100% up for winning this, albeit from a disappointing start point of 0-2 down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been the hardest of seasons but to look on the plus side these things have, even if of necessity, provided the opportunity for the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly to graduate from the academy into serious first team consideration. MLS\u2019 eventual position is likely to be in midfield where he has played throughout his development – although he now seems to be first choice at left back – and Arteta has said that he thinks Nwaneri has the qualities required to be a striker. And who could argue with that after his super strikes against Girona and Man City in the last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a club is in the middle of an injury crisis, one of two things tends to happen. Either your form and ultimately your season collapses or you fight your way through it, forced to bring squad players into the team, and emerge eventually with a better and more experienced squad. There has been a fair bit of criticism since the transfer window \u201cslammed\u201d shut about our failure to sign a striker. The loan market was closed to us as we already have our allowance of two loanees from the summer window, and that is really where the opportunity was lost. There is no point buying an average player now – probably for a way above average price – if it is not going to strengthen the squad in the long run and it is hard to find players as good as, or better than, we already have – especially in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine what it would have cost to sign players as good as Miles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri in those problem positions in this transfer window if we\u2019d had to try to prise them away from a Bayern Munich or Barcelona. It\u2019s tremendous credit to the job that Per Mertesacker has done with our re-jigged academy since he took over, and it\u2019s always the best feeling watching one – or two ! – of your own succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all the problems faced so far this season we still sit second in the Premier League and not nearly as cut adrift of Liverpool as some experts have been suggesting all season, and finished third in the Champions League table with a guaranteed place in the last 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great Comebacks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we\u2019re all well aware, we begin this semi-final second leg two goals down after an oddly subdued performance at the Emirates. I thought for inspiration before this game I\u2019d revisit some brilliant Arsenal comebacks we\u2019ve seen under Mikel Arteta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 0-2 down at the Bus Stop in Fulham to a Palmer penalty – surprise, surprise – and a Mudryk accidental cross\/lob, Rice and Trossard both scored to secure a 2-2 draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Emirates against Man Utd – strangely in a Newcastle style away kit – Rashford gave United the lead before Arsenal came back to win 3-1 with goals from Odegaard, Rice and Jesus. Peter Drury commmentated, \u201cthey dreamt it up, dreamt it up more and won in style. Rice Rice baby and the angel Gabriel won it right at the end !\u201d Again at the Emirates, Marcus Rashford – the man who can\u2019t really be bothered to play football but just always scores against The Arsenal – gave United the lead. Eddie Nketiah equalised before Saka appeared to have completed the comeback with a glorious left footed curler from distance to make it 2-1. However, Lisandro Martinez then flung himself at a header to force an equaliser, only for Nketiah to put the final touch to an Odegaard shot to win at the death again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, it had to be Tottenham. In what Drury described as \u201ca maelstrom of mutual antipathy\u201d Thomas Partey put the Gunners ahead only for the inevitable Harry Kane penalty to draw level. Gabi Jesus and Granit Xhaka then sank the Spuds to send us to the top of the league. So not all comebacks from a 0-2 deficit but they all demonstrate the never say die spirit instilled in this club and this team, whoever plays, by Mikel Arteta. If you fancy a look at the action, here\u2019s the link – (it\u2019s great !)
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal CRAZY Comebacks Under Mikel Arteta – Peter Drury Best Commentaries! – YouTube<\/a>


Can we do it again ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Against Newcastle in recent seasons we have often looked the better team while they have had Joelinton, Guimaraes and Burn particularly knock us about with a friendly referee and VAR in reserve just in case their strong arm, low block failed. They should be better than that and they do indeed in Alexander Isak have one of the top strikers in the world, well supported by wingers Murphy and Gordon. After our lacklustre performance in the first leg our players will surely be motivated to put that right in a very testing but doable second leg whichever tactics Newcastle adopt. It has emerged on Monday that Joelinton is a doubt for them with a knee injury that forced him off after an hour against Fulham at the weekend. Another player who always worries me is Harvey Barnes but he will also be continuing his spell on the sidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We won\u2019t have Bukayo Saka to score us a wonder goal this time but we do have his very special looking 17 year old understudy, Ethan Nwaneri. At this stage he is, of course, exactly that – a special looking prospect and not a player on which to heap reliance and expectation. You wouldn\u2019t have thought so though watching his first start in the Champions League last week against Girona, when he fired in a \u201cSaka curler\u201d with his left foot from the edge of the area. And then for good measure he repeated the feat on Sunday against Man City. Same distance, same curve, same power, same accuracy to score what was probably the goal of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while we\u2019re talking about our special youngsters, let\u2019s remember that in that same Champions League game against Girona, the relatively \u201cexperienced\u201d 18 year old, Miles Lewis-Skelly ended the night holding the Man of The Match trophy. He popped up with a goal of strength and quality against Man City too – a massive bonus in addition to his defensive abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It remains to be seen whether they will start, or feature at all against Newcastle, or their playing time will be managed. These are two precious youngsters and while we would all love to see them play, they have to be protected against stress injuries at this stage of their hopefully long careers. What is known is that the Arsenal will continue to miss Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu although he is reportedly nearing a return, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka as mentioned above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newcastle lost for the second home match running against Fulham at the weekend and they will have a decision to make. Do they come out to attack with their 2-0 lead or try to sit on it and hand Arsenal the initiative. They might be nervy after two straight defeats and if we can score first it would put a very different complexion on the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope the travelling Gooners sing up if there is sufficient oxygen to sustain them in the lower stratosphere of St James Park, support well and should we actually win, don\u2019t lose their heads, or whatever the current favoured punishment of their owners is for over celebrating in Newcastle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Toon hordes will doubtless be displaying acres of bare, tattooed, unfettered flesh on another freezing cold evening – I\u2019ve seen those Geordie lasses queuing for the clubs on a Friday night. One of them went into a local hairdresser and asked for a perm. She looked surprised when the girl serving her began to recite \u201cI wandered lonely as a cloud \u2026\u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The referee is Simon Hooper. What I hope not to see is VAR John Brooks thieving from us on behalf of the Magpies. Kick off 20.00 UK – TV coverage on Sky Sports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This feels like a very strange preview to write. While I would never want The Arsenal to lose any game they play, I did at first feel slightly conflicted about this one. My ambivalence, if that is even the right word – and it takes absolutely hours to get one these days – was mostly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10777"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10777"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10781,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10777\/revisions\/10781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}