{"id":1580,"date":"2020-10-15T21:43:46","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T20:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=1580"},"modified":"2020-10-18T13:14:33","modified_gmt":"2020-10-18T12:14:33","slug":"lets-get-together-and-do-it-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=1580","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s Get Together and Do It Again!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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That superb first goal at Wembley. Let\u2019s do it again! From givemesport.com <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On Saturday, our Premier League campaign\nrestarts with a visit to the blue side of Manchester, just the same game as our\nrestart in June after the Lockdown. These master versus pupil contests have\nbecome a regular feature of 2020 with yet another lined up in the League Cup\nquarter final later this year. Hopefully Mikel can continue where he left off\nand establish a run of pupil dominance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our last visit to the home of the Oilers\nended in a 0-3 reverse for a young team with a starting midfield of Willock,\nGuendouzi and Xhaka. The Arsenal went toe to toe with Shitteh, pressed high and\nheld their own for the first half hour despite losing both Xhaka and Mari within\nthe first 20 minutes. Thereafter, despite superb goalkeeping from Leno, almost\nconstant pressure from Shitteh, abetted by two major errors and a red card for\nLuiz, resulted in defeat for a team that was outclassed, overrun in midfield\nand lacked midfield steel, creativity and an offensive threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, Shitteh\nstarted as they had finished but after 15 minutes on the back foot, a far more assertive\nfirst half performance by The Arsenal produced a different outcome, vividly\nreported on this blog by OsakaMatt (https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=1101<\/a>).\nAfter Aubameyang gave us a first half lead with a superb goal, Matt described a\nsecond-half involving a modicum of good fortune and much stolid defending that\nwould have had Adams et al<\/em> purring. The result was ensured by\nAubameyang\u2019s second goal after 70 minutes and we saw out the match with bravery,\norganisation and skill with David Luiz to the fore. Matt also gave call outs to\nXhaka and Tierney whilst many remarked on AMN\u2019s fine contribution with\nAubameyang as outstanding as he was anonymous in the previous game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our historical record against the blue side\nof Manchester is good. We have played them, initially as Woolwich Arsenal vs\nArdwick, on 200 occasions since November 1893, winning 98, drawing 45 and\nlosing 57. As observed by a fine correspondent in the current issue of the\nGooner, we used to relish our trips to the blue side of Manchester racking up\nhigh scoring wins in the noughties before their massive injection of oil\nrevenue. However, prior to July\u2019s FA Cup semi-final we had lost 7 in a row in\nall competitions to an aggregate score of 2-20 since November 2017. Our total Premier\nLeague record at their place is 11 wins, 3 draws and 9 defeats. The shift in\ndominance took place in the 2008-9 season before which we had 10 wins, 1 draw\nand 1 defeat out of 12 PL visits with an aggregate score of 24-7. In the 12 PL\nvisits since November 2008, we have won only 2, drawn 2 and lost 8 with an\naggregate score of 16-28. It\u2019s high time we restored our traditional\nrelationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huge investment by the ruling dynasty of\nthe United Arab Emirates has transformed the fortunes of our previously\nsomewhat flaky opponents. It helped them amass a collection of fine players\nwhose efforts and trophy haul have been enhanced by Pep Guardiola and his\nerstwhile assistant. Having pulled off a treble in 2018-19, they had to content\nthemselves with the League Cup and Community Shield in 2019-20 though they\nstill finished 25 points above us, scoring 46 more goals and conceding 13 fewer.\nIt\u2019s fair to say that while their attack has remained deadly with de Bruyne\npulling the strings for Aguero, Sterling and Mahrez, their defence has looked\nmore vulnerable since the departure of Kompany particularly during Laporte\u2019s long\ninjury lay-off. More recently, they have had problems finding a reliable\npartner for Laporte, hence the summer purchase of Ake and Dias, also adding\nFerran Torres to replace Sane. However, Shitteh haven\u2019t yet replaced the energy\nand guile of David Silva who has returned to Real Sociedad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their form has been unspectacular so far this\nseason. After a delayed start they have played three times and sit 14th<\/sup>\nwith 4 points and a minus 1 goal difference. A slightly fortunate 3-1 away win\nagainst a flat Wolves team suggested normal service might have been resumed but\na 5-2 home thrashing by a rampant Lesta showed unexpected vulnerability to\npacey forwards. This was followed by a 1-1 draw at Leeds where the home team\nmerited at least a point. We must hope that rather than getting back on the\nright track, their wheels come off properly in their fourth game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I expect Shitteh to field Emerson in goal,\nDias and Laporte as their first-choice centre back pairing and Walker and Mendy\nat full-back. In midfield they have a wealth of options (literally) but I\nexpect a three of de Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo as Pep goes for The Arsenal\u2019s\nthroat with Fernandinho, Gundogan and Foden very able alternatives from the\nbench. Upfront we can expect to face Mahrez and Sterling on their flanks with\nGabriel likely to lead their line unless Aguero has recovered from injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What of the good guys? Given the challenge of a trip to the Emptihad, I don\u2019t expect Mikel to start with the 4-3-3 formation that he is said to favour. At the time of writing, the possible absence of KT reduces our flexibility in morphing between 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 as possession changes. Although Kolasinac offers similar flexibility between left-sided centre back and left wing back, he plays both roles with markedly less security than KT. Fingers crossed that The Arsenal can make the case for an immune individual with circulating antibodies not requiring 14 days quarantine following socially distanced exposure to a Coronavirus-positive Scotland team-mate. I am led to believe that the PL recommendation would be 7 days quarantine rather than 14 days as prescribed by the SFA though neither recommendation is rational for an immune individual. Given that this is a PL match, it should clearly be played under PL rather than SFA rules. Perhaps Mikel\u2019s responses in his pre-match presser were deliberately Delphic. A reported outbreak of Coronavirus-positivity in the Ivory Coast squad also raised anxieties about Pepe\u2019s availability. Hopefully he has been wearing his mask and keeping his distance from infected compatriots!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subject to others falling foul of\nCoronavirus-related sanctions, Bernd Leno is clearly our number one \u2018keeper and\nwill hopefully again excel at Saturday\u2019s venue. In the absence of KT, Holding,\nLuiz and Gabriel are our strongest available back three though may lack the\nshape-shifting potential KT brings to the party. To date, Gabriel has been very\nimpressive on the right and centre of a back three. Perhaps he is capable of shape-shifting\nversatility on the left side? Bellerin is nailed on at right wing back and in\nthe absence of KT, I would choose AMN at left wing back over Saka and Kolasinac\nbecause of his excellent performance against this opposition in the FA Cup\nsemi-final. AMN will also be doubly determined to get over his disappointment\nat his attenuated first start for England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope Mikel will have no hesitation in starting Thomas Partey at the right side of central midfield and although I would pair him with Ceballos to his left, I expect Mikel to start with Xhaka. I fully expect Partey to make a paradigm-shifting contribution to this Arsenal team and the club\u2019s future and it would be wonderful if he could make a landmark statement in this game. Given the opposition, I think Mikel will go for experience and  start a front three of Willian, Lacazette and Aubameyang with Laca dropping back into midfield to link up play and the wide pair tracking back when required. Personally, I would surprise the Sky Blues with a mobile and pacey front pair of Pepe and Aubameyang with Willian playing an advanced central midfield\/\u2019Number 10\u2019 role behind them. Alternatively, Ceballos or Saka could play that \u2018Number 10\u2019 role whilst Willian and Saka both offer an added metamorphosis to a wide left position. This would allow Aubameyang to move into the central striking position that he exploited successfully to facilitate the opportunities for our goals against Sheffield United. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summary, I expect Mikel to choose a\nstarting line-up of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leno<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holding, Luiz, Gabriel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bellerin, Partey, Xhaka, AMN<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Holic Pound <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever the challenge we face, I cannot\nbet against an Arsenal victory, though pre-match, given recent history, I would\nbe content with a point. The value bet is 40\/1 for a repetition of the 2-0\nvictory we achieved at Wembley. This will require top performances from every\nplayer selected, the creation and clinical execution of chances, stolid\ndefending and another slice of Lady Luck\u2019s benevolence at the back. Let\u2019s do it\nagain! Go win, Arsenal!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy the game, Holics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COYG.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Saturday, our Premier League campaign restarts with a visit to the blue side of Manchester, just the same game as our restart in June after the Lockdown. These master versus pupil contests have become a regular feature of 2020 with yet another lined up in the League Cup quarter final later this year. Hopefully […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"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\/1580"}],"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\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1580"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1585,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1580\/revisions\/1585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}