Middlesbrough come to us on an unbeaten run of one. Arsenal are on a 7 match winning streak. Should be easy, never is.
The current form of the Gunners is as good as we have seen for many a year and the prospects are positive. However, it has to be said we have played ordinary teams and the real test of our potential is yet to come in November which has been crap for us for a couple of generations.
Will Mr Wenger celebrate his birthday with a gamble? Will he give Perez a run out? Will Gibbs excellent performances won him a start? Will he reward Ospina? I doubt it.
My Team:
Cech
Bellerin Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
Cazorla Coquelin Iwobi
Walcott Sanchez Ozil
Our bench is awesome and all riding the pine would be first on the team sheet at ‘Boro.
And what of Boro? Well, as I sit in an airport lounge awaiting a delayed SAS flight, I cannot really tell you. I have been to Middlesbrough and have to say it is an unimpressive town. I was staying at the home of one of the city councillors who very proudly showed me her city. For her sake I feigned interest but have to say I couldn’t wait to return to Islington. To those few Boro fans who can read, if you can move down South of Watford into the light.
We need to take the points this afternoon and many will think anything less than an easy victory will be failure. In the PL this is rarely the case, as we all know “there are no easy games at this level”, but I am hopeful.
Win today and we could go ToTL. Happy Days.
COYRRG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks very much, Erik.
Glad the flight was delayed for our selfish sake’s, but hope it’s not too long for you.
I agree with your team, although I wonder if Arsene might consider one more little piece of rotation, and if so, likely candidates would include Ox and Lucas.
Cheers, BR.
Great to have you back.
How absurd it would be to think that any victory is failure. 🙂
Thanks BR for putting yourself out on a busy day and agree with your predicted team especially as the 1st team will get a rest midweek as it is the league cup.
Loved this bit but no idea what it means “all riding the pine”?
Looking forward to another great day out at The Arsenal.
Let’s bring the level down a bit for the start of Ant and Duck!
Is Chambers allowed to play for them?
Thanks Raddy, let’s hope the game isn’t as bland as the town. We have been playing with real style – long may it continue.
No place for complacency. Theo and Mesut to score again I predict 🙂
https://twitter.com/fumbunker/status/789765641544822784
Middlesbrough makes Razgrad look cosmopolitan
Come on Didit. We need to know.
Great to see the lads on the road again. I would choose the Pilsner
Eddie, my predicted line up is at 10.50
How was the ROI, BR?
We all know that Danish beer and bacon is best.
German or Danish pilsner and bacon are superb BR
Eddie
What’s your line up for today.
AW is looking for some pointers. 😃
The train announcer just used the phrases “vestibule” and “the said items” ! Must be from Eton
Where are you missing most of the game today Mickey?
Oh where is the bearded lovely?
Tottenham are worried about Bournemouth form and of course of Jack. They tried ‘parking the bus’
more on the Tottenaham bus here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37738633
We like funny Eddie whereas Mickey likes angry Eddie!
Anyone for Kettering?
Micky
Need your help, please.
A yummy mummy with lovely baby has just got on the train and was not put off by our beer selection
Chas has just eaten his 4th pie Eddie
Did you visit Middlesbrough when you went to Burnley. Eddie?
33 comments for you BR..well done
https://twitter.com/fumbunker/status/789787447135723520
And at least 2 were not gibberish
Anyone for Mr Bedford?
Is Gooner B on the sidelines advising Arsene this afternoon?
Or are the camels elsewhere?
Artistic licence again
Anyone for Luton?
team selection…Middlesbrough are shit so it is as good a time as any to rest big players. Even Cygan would get a start if he was still available.
I notice that the Vines (have once again @10:50) shown us the correct ingredients of a healthy breakfast.
I read the post. I know it was only intended for DidIt, but hey, what do I care? Read it and giggled. Horrible northern places, do you like any of them Raddy?
I have never been to Middlesborough, is it near the Scottish boarder? But I remember them being a good team some 10+ years ago, wasn’t Maclaren in charge of them then?
ha ha ha, brilliant, Raddy. 🙂
Great Ant n’ Duck show. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks, Ant. 🙂 8 hrs behind. Jetlagged, up in the middle of the night watching the ref playing for the slimy creatures from down the road in N17.
would probably not spend my own money to stay in such a place. Stylish, very nice, but wifi in the hotel rooms is still crap.
Arsenal XI vs Boro: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Walcott, Elneny, Coquelin, Iwobi, Ozil, Alexis.
No subs, they must be a secret lol
shameful show by the ref
Hello Arnie
first Lamela now Cissokho
thanks Peaches. cannot complain. COYG. 🙂
Twitter reckon Sissoko will get a retrospective ban
On the train, massive excitement at totts dropping points 🙂
Here you go Peaches – subs as well……………….
TEAM NEWS: Elneny starts
Mohamed Elneny is named in the starting XI for today’s match against Middlesbrough.
Petr Cech replaces David Ospina in goal, with Nacho Monreal coming in at left-back.
Elneny is joined in midfield by Francis Coquelin, with Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi lining up behind Alexis.
Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are both named among the substitutes.
Arsenal team: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Elneny, Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi, Alexis
Arsenal substitutes: Ospina, Gabriel, Gibbs, Reine-Adelaide, Maitland-Niles, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lucas
Copyright 2016 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source
22 Oct 2016
happy birrthday Monsieur Venga, 🙂
Is Santi injured or just rested?
Right. Home and ready. Sofa awaits, streaming service on, lucky shirt on.
Room on the sofa for others if needed.
only first half for me. look forward to 3-0 at HT. COYG. 🙂
yes, Santi injured. 🙂
Apparently Santi had an achilles problem after Ludogorets
Where was the hotel Arnie?
Raddy. Millennium Biltmore. downtown LA. 🙂
I stayed here last week. Like you this was well above the standard of my usual fleapits
http://www.ballymaloe.ie
wow, Raddy, much more pleasant than mine. 🙂
COYRRG
Busses are parked
fecking got out of jail. what was Kos thinking?
Kos wanted to give Petr a chance to shine 😀
🙂 🙂 🙂 still smiling. 🙂
We started well but as Boro settled they improved significantly.
We need much more from our front four
Very tense first half
Subs required, we need to freshen it up, and bring on some players who want to make a difference
Ozil passing slopy so far
FairPlay to Boro they could and should have won.
We looked jaded and we missed both Santi and Xhaka.
We cannot continue to give away so many clear chances, against better teams we will be punished
well well well, just await the inevitable. 😦 hopefully, just a temporary blip.
MotM Petr Cech which tells its own story
indeed, saved us a point today
Top of the League
We can have no complaints, Boro got a well earned and deserved point.
I-4-5 has become the standard line up for teams that come to the Emirates with no hope of getting a point any other way. It’s increasingly difficult to break these defences down and in many ways it’s only by luck that we get 3 points.
We have a far better opportunity to win against teams that play football against us, but unfortunately very few teams try to do that at the Emirates.
For a change I was impressed with the support that the home fans gave to our team, for once they were urging the team on instead of bringing them down – at least that is how it appeared on TV.
GN5. That they did and the team responded. I really thought we would score in the final 10 minutes.
weird decision to play Santi against the Bulgarians, but not against Boro.
Half the team were surplus to requirements on Wednesday, the half that looked knackered.
But have it your way Brexiters, Wenger is a genius.
Nonsensical hindsight bollix – for a change.
for a change? hmmm. not for me
no, not hindsight for a change. I said it on the day – you all dissed my team selection, ha ha ha. I thought it was a good opportunity to rest some players. you seem to have developed a selective memory
Eddie,
Apparently Santi has an achilles problem, lets hope it’s short term.
All things considered that was a good point we won as Boro proved to be a real handful and will surprise a lot of teams if they continue to play to that level.
Eddie says
“I can start the team selection for you
Ospina
Gibbs xx Jenkinson Monreal
Ox Elnany Xhaka Jeff
Perez Chuba
Bench – all the stars in case they are needed”
Rewriting history just a smudge. 😆
Haven’t see any thing of the match, just a few reports that Boro setup to defend solidly and counter. Which is fair enough, teams have been doing it for a while. Surprised to see we started the ElCoq pairing but if you know the opponent is going to setup deep and you are going to ask full backs to provide width having two more deep lying to rotate play and hopefully prevent counters makes sense and is something we have rarely seen at home.
Now the bigger question does today’s result/performance/opponents setup provide reason to see why Giroud still has a role to play. After all if I was the opponent and saw our attacking height would I have any reason to worry about the ball going wide? Would I ask my defensive wide players to try and stop crosses or stay in the 18 yd box?
My answer would be “only if we lose shape” for first question, and “stay in 18yd for second”.
If Ollie was on the park, even if Xhaka was available may I have been a little more concerned about high crosses into the box and sent men to shut them down and hence create space for some of the more speedy and technical players.
A defeat would have been a bad result, if we are not going to score then not conceding ourselves is equally important we know it’s possible to lose these games, so the point is still a positive result.
Oh no! Are we rubbish again!? Oh well, fun while it lasted! 😂
On a serious note, 6 goals conceded and 29 goals scored since the Liverpool game (12 matches). Today could actually prove to be a very good thing for this team. Nothing keeps your feet on the ground like a tough draw against a team you should beat. Going into a difficult November, a bit of reality might prove to be the kick up the arse that keeps this run going.
Just realised Mike Dean was the ref. Fantastic point then! 😂
ha ha ha, FGG 🙂 are we bottom of the league, yet? 🙂
Spot on GiE, Giroud adds a different dimension when teams – luckily less and less – sit very deep and deny us space at all cost. Even the less prolific Welbeck could have added such value.
Lovely preview Raddy. All that Irish fresh air is doing you good. ⚽️
Gie – you might be right, may be it was Ollie that we missed yesterday. Or maybe it was Santi, or Xhaka. It is a pity LB is not doing player ratings today, could be fun. In my opinion only Cech and Koz deserve full points. Both keepers were amazing, some of the saves they made were unreal, not sure if Cech or Valdes was better, giants.
I’ve written a few words in LB’s absence ……….
New Post ………………….