Let’s be honest, if we get a point from this evening it would be a surprise. Come the final whistle we are likely to be rooted at the bottom of the table with no points to our name. When was the last time we propped up the table? Only GN5 could answer that (perhaps).
Unlike BR to start with a negative as he is an optimist and always believe we will win prior to kick-off.
We weren’t terrible against City, had a couple of chances to draw level at 0-1, and could, with a bit more luck, have ground out a point but City showed why they are so good. The hope is that we can re-create their tactical pressing game.
Chelsea are also in transition but a little ahead of us – it should be recalled that they won the title a year ago. Sarri seems a good appointment. They have bought well and will be serious rivals for the Top 4.
Why they didn’t buy another striker is a mystery; will Giroud and Morata be enough firepower? Hazard is fantastic but they cannot continually rely upon his brilliance.
Giroud was crap at the WC, yet played every game (?) and won a WC Winners medal. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer bloke and I wish him well, apart from this afternoon.
In defence the Chavs are strong on the flanks and if we are to find the net it will be through pace in the cantre of attack. A few clever passes and PEA will get behind their CB’s, then a little dink over the world’s most expensive GK. No-one highlighted the extraordinary finish against City from an offside position, the man is class.
Changes to last week? Torreira has to start, he is to be our Kante (who IMO is the best player in the PL). The Hairy One should to be benched. Ramsey or Mhiki could be dropped to allow us to play two up-top. Monreal to return and add some spine to the right side, though it must be said that the Swiss bloke was very good last week.
My Team:
Cech
Bellerin Mustafi A Greek Bloke Monreal
Ramsey Torreira Iwobi
Ozil
PEA Lacazette
We will not start with this team but it is how I would like to see us line up. Iwobi is more mobile and better defensively than Mhiki (though perhaps not a better attacker). Mhiki was anonymous last week, so was Ozil – we need more.
Of the London teams Chelsea are the second best club, they may be Oilers but they play decent football and have got rid of the awful JT/Frank L generation.
Martin Atkinson is today’s referee.
I would be delighted with a point
Up the Gunners
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks BR (I presume)
So you would drop Ouzi from your team! I’m amazed.
I would also give Ramsey another shot given no AMN and the “emotion” of a London Derby.
I would also play the Swiss Nutty Boy in place of Hector to start.
Interested in next few weeks in how Soyuncu plays for Leicester. Looked like a very quick Mustafi when we were considering him.
Morning peeps.
I do like to try and guess who our manager is going to pick to start. In the 22 years that AW was at the club I got it right precisely zero times, but hey, I enjoy it.
——————-Cech
Bellerin, Mustafi, GB, Lichtsteiner
————Torriera,Guendouzi
——–Mykataryan, Ozil, Aubamayang
—————–Lacazzette
For some reason I think he is going to persevere with Guendouzi and I am guessing that Ramsey is still injured.
I’m finding it hard to get back into this season. I have mixed expectations.
I think the team looks great, I’m just waiting on Emery to start performing. I’m not yet sure about him.
Talking about waiting, when is the next Vines train trip? The season proper has not started until the train trip.
Cheers, BR.
I see what you’ve done there, setting expectations really low. 🙂
COYG
We just need to take our chances and for the chavs to miss theirs.
VP
Next Saturday for West Ham!
fred1266 says:
August 17, 2018 at 9:22 pm
Remember when Zelalem was supposed to be great
Eddie says:
August 17, 2018 at 9:37 pm
fred – not really
Morning. Now to read The BR
Micky
That was the highlight of yesterday’s football chat. 🙂
I believe Chelsea will target bellerin.He maybe a speed demon but somehow defensively he is exposed.
The other team members need to put in effort to counter the marauding blues especially William.
Then we shall see.Arsenal have a bad record against the top teams
thanks to the fms attacking frenzy leaving th barn door wide open.
If Emery goes kamikaze on the offensive,he could be exposing the rear and we know what happen.
Thanks Erik
Screw the result, we want some goals
Defensive right side: Mustafi, Bell and Ramsey???? I know what I’d do if I were a Chav.
Licht is better than Bell defensively, and Ouzi better than Ramsey defensively (mind you, so am I) although I get why Licht may start left if Nacho isn’t ready
Torreira and Ouzi for sure
Gunner Smith
“he could be exposing the rear and we know what happen.”
Yip, we do 🙂
…………Laca
…Auba Iwobi
………..Mesut
…..Ouzi Torreira
Licht Mav Sok Bell
………..Leno
Bell in because Licht to cover for Nacho, and he has the speed to cover Hazard. Mesut deeper because we need a Santi-style “connector” between defence and attack. Mav because I like the idea of a Greek CB pairing, so let’s start building the understanding now and anyway Mustafi is a blubber. Leno? Why not
shitballs, my line up picture looked better than that
thanks Raddy, nice piece
I don’t think we are behind chavs, they were equally poor last season and now they have a new boss, like us, not much difference except for expected hostile atmosphere. Bastards take our top defender, best midfielder and prolific goal scorer and not as much as an ounce of gratitude, filth.
Allegedly as reported in some rags (sadly I didn’t check the Daily Mail) Auba hates playing on the left. There, play him through the middle. We didn’t pay a fortune to waste his talent. Lacazette is not better than Ollie was.
I want Matteo and Stephan, falling in love with these 2 really fast
yeah micky
for a mo I thought you want Iwobi defending. Scrap him altogether
Eddie
You’re on a roll.
You made the best comment yesterday, and now straight out of the traps with this gem “Lacazette is not better than Ollie was”. Quality
Oh ok Eddie
Stick up you XI for today. Go on. Pleeeease
why? do you think AL is better than OG?
do you think that chavs are better than us? I don’t
look LB at 7:51, almost perfect
Except that Auba doesn’t like playing on the left. Put him top of the tree and move Lacazette to the left. He had his chance already
I like the LB team but he has Mustafi who starting crying last time he played Chelsea. Pathetic drip who should have been flogged same afternoon
ok, mav~ for mustafi. where is Kolasinac, injured?
back for the game. have nice days
Gutierrez = Mesut at pace.
Thanks Raddy …. of course we’re going to win 🙂
All of a sudden the players will ‘get it’ … the chavs won’t know how to cope and we will win 2 :1 … going 2 nil up and conceding late on to give a nervy last few minutes …..
I agree that Bellerin needs cover … hopefully Unai will have noted this. Auba is not one to hold the ball up and so Laca must play and Ozil centrally is the way to get the best out of him.
I’m very keen to see the partnership between Torrira and Ouzi develop … I hope he starts them both.
Morning all.
Raddy – firstly thank you for starting our day off with another great pre-game post – secondly the answer to your question is the last time we started off the season with 2 losses was in fact the 1st season of the EPL 1992/3. We lost 2-4 to Norwich at home and 0-1 to Blackburn away.
Thanks Raddy
I actually think we should be a closer match to Chelsea, Utd and Spuds this year than many are touting. I expect today’s game to be close across the 90 and could sway either way or be a draw. If we lose I think we will still have been “in” the game which is ok with me at this stage. I want the result, but if it doesn’t quite swing our way looking like a team that is more their equal is the most important thing. we are only 2 games in.
I have a feeling that we will have less banana skin games than we had under AW, i.e losing to sides we should put away. Even if we need this season to fully compete as equals in head to heads against the other top 5, I think we will gain a bigger points haul against the sides we should beat than we have had in recent seasons, and will potentially we will be in a better position than many predicted by seasons end.
Lose today’s game and of course the press and pundits will be all over it, but their agenda is to always sensationalise. Objective reflection that Emery still imprinting his identity on this team and that we have had the hardest opening 2 fixtures of any team, don’t seem to be part of the reflective analysis.
The manager, players and Arsenal fans need to remain calm if we lose today and recognise the tricky opening fixtures for what they are. We could easily have a 2 month winning streak after this as long as the Arsenal fraternity stay calm and confident. Pre-season indicated what we can do and opening fixtures against City and Chav’s away shouldn’t be dwelled upon too much if they don’t go our way. The bigger picture is far bigger and rosier.
I like LB’s team and would pick the exact same players but maybe with a tweak in how they position themselves to affect the game. I would like to see Ozil play more from deeper and Micki as a high number 10 behind the 2 mobile strikers, but with Ozil having licence to get forward at the right times and Micki having licence to either come slightly deeper to link with Ozil, or go forwards to support the front 2 like a deeper operating 3rd striker. Almost a 4-3-1-2 becoming a 4-2-1-3 depending on the phase of the game.
I think Chelsea have strengths that we don’t and we have strengths that they don’t. They have better pacy midfielders that can eaqually give width and also be dangerous centrally, and will likely play to those strengths. We shouldn’t try and match that and instead look at (what I believe to be) our more mobile and better goal-scoring strikers, and play to that strength. Having 2 teams with different strengths and weaknesses set up in a different way is always a more exciting prospect and harder to predict. I would just look to try and exert some midfield control with the deeper 3 CM’s and then outscore them today with a 3 man strike force.
Sorry for the crap grammer in my comment
That’s Kwame Ampadu?????
Last time I read anything about him he was a youth player himself.
Thank you, Raddy. 🙂
A point? Dont know, really, early days. I fully expect us to slip into the relegation zone before we bounce back. But somehow I feel relaxed to get two big games out of the way
Onwards and upwards! COYG.
I agree with Chas, I dislike Mustafi and think he he is a WLB when he F’s up. Sell him.
I agree with Rasp, 2:0 comfortable and then a late nervy goal conceded
GB I can’t comment as I kind of skimmed through it
I just feel like this team lacks confidence
If this team was being coached by any of the other top 4 coaches, it would probably be blitzing and everyone raving them as title contenders
Let’s hope Emery U n i can turn them in to another formidable and competitive team
COYG!
I would be perhaps more positive were it not for Atkinson.
COYG
LB
Kwame Ampadu is 47. Are you sure you’ve got the right geezer?
VP
I don’t ever remember saying I dislike Mustafi.
Someone else maybe?
I like Mustafi’s beard. 🙂
I feel comfortable with Unai and his new additions but I also feel that it will take a while for him to indoctrinate the AW players into his way of thinking and system. I agree with Arnie that it’s hood to have 2 (25%) of the games against the top 6 out of the way so early on in the season, as we will be more competitive against them later on – the next 8 games are all winnable.
GN5. Thank you, both for reading the whole post and then for your answer. 92-3, only 25 years ago!
No lacazette still
Strange team. No Ramsey. Mhiki rewarded for a poor performance. No Terrier. No Laca and another game for the ineffective Douzi.
Brilliant bench though.
Emry will be making 3 subs today for sure….
That looks like a much better balanced XI
Ain’t we supposed to be wearing a suit
Below are the points won %s for the previous 10 games against the 10 clubs we meet in our first 10 games.
Man C – H – 47%
Chelsea – A – 30%
West H – H – 81%
Cardiff C – A – 100%
Newcastle – A – 71%
Everton – H – 80%
Watford – H – 67%
Fulham – A – 56%
Leicester – H – 100%
Crystal P – H – 87%
Better balanced but I would have liked to see Torreira
I’m surprised to see Cech and Bellerin in the starting 11 as I thought that they both had poor performances against Man C, maybe Unai is relying on Bellerin’s speed and their joint EPL experience.
Cheers Raddy – your posts are always a must read.
Woo, interesting team, I had got so used to thinking I understood the logic behind the AW choices that this all seems so random.
The only straw that I cling to is that there seems to be a mindset that I am going to give everyone a chance and it is up to them to take it.
Iwobi is a gamble we will see if he takes his chance.
I thought that Mkhitaryan would be persevered with and I was right, as with Guendouzi but I am amazed that after the interview about Torriera saying that he is now ready to start etc that he wasn’t close to the top of the first names on the team sheet.
Maybe UE thinks that with Torriera and Lacazette he has something in reserve both offensively and defensively.
If we lose with that team the finger pointing will start.
Curiously optimistic……lie……actually down right worried.
Erik
Brilliant bench normally translates as picked the wrong players 😀
😀
I cannot understand the enthusiasm about Duozi though I only say him last week. To play him ahead of Torreira seems a gamble.
Anyone else heard we had a pick-up game against palace after Sundays lost
nacho
see micky, that’s why we have a manager instead of tools like you and I to know who is available
Ozil goes wide from close and sloppy defending on the counter and easy goal again. bleh
Worrying start, we are not tracking their runners. Héctor way out of position
Have a striker short on confidence, play the Arsenal, score in first ten minutes and gain renewed confidence. sheeesh
I said it last season and I’ll say it again, Bellerin can leave. He’s terrible defensively.
15 mins in and time to get Mhiki off and Lichsteiner in. Héctor is being run ragged because he has no support
FFS PEA 😕😕
Much better, more of that please.
I was just thinking that is Morata scored, who has not scored in any games recently, it was going to be a long day.
Fuck off Arsenal
Ignore my earlier comment. I refer to your title and opening line Raddy and couldnt agree more
Ok reverse that. Let one of our attackers score in first half to regain confidence. Lather rinse repeat!
ignore my earlier comment 🙂
enough goals for you Didit?
holy $h*te. Nostradamus that!
Ignore my earlier comment Raddy about agreeing with you. I couldnt agree less.
Erm…..
Ok one more time for the juju. Auba to score winning goal late.Ha
Or Iwobi…
More alcohol anyone?
Could be 2-5!!!!!
Iwobi….. 😀
Come on Arsenal
Great game and we’re improving with every minute
Love it
What an amazing half of football. We were crap and yet should be 6-2 ahead. the chances missed were dreadful with PEA’s being easier to score than miss.
Defensively we are all over the place. Bellerin is an attacking wing half not an FB. we are empty in front of the CB’s. Disorganised in midfield but …
Who cares? That was brilliant entertainment 😀
Let’s hope for more
Should be 5-2 to us but I’ll take 2 each after that start.
Agree Micky, we seemed to be caught in the headlights for the opening 30 minutes ……. much better game last 15 minutes. Come on Arsenal
Well after 19 minutes I was worried about just how embarrassing it was going to be but it turned into an incredible half of football.
We missed 4 very score-able chances. But our defense is a complete disaster Mustafi is a liability and Bellerin – well I love and hate him all at the same time. It would be fantastic if we had Litchsteiner at right back and Bellerin as a wing half.
Laca laaaaaaaaaaaazy. Gives up pass, does not follow runner, ball, dribbler, easy cross. 1 2 3 goal.. man this is just so frustrating.
Must learn to defend better ……. could have won this ☹️
Laughable down our right side. It’s going to take a while to sort that shite out. I d like to see Lichsteiner in at right back and a total change of personnel come January because our defence is a joke.
Sad to watch in the end but it was really an expected result. We could and should have wrapped in up in the first half.
Bellerin responsible for 1st goal
Mustafi for the 2nd
Lacazette for the 3rd.
GN5,
Last season all 3 goals would’ve been Wengers fault! 😂
Shit players. Need to improve the squad.
FGG,
It’s difficult to comprehend a level of improvement that would make us top 4 or even Europoa contenders right now. Our defensive capabilities seem beyond hope. If Huddersfield get a point tomorrow we will be in the relegation zone but fortunately they play Man C.
What makes it even sadder for me is the fact that our biggest problem last season (defense) has only got worse this season!!
Defenders fault?? We should have buried the game in the first half. PEA missed two absolute sitters. Iwobi one and Mhiki one.
Had we scored them, the defence could have coasted home.
I understand your point BR, but for how long have we had a defence that makes it feel like it’s irrelevant how many we score? It’s an absolute joke. Total bunch of amateurs when it comes to defending. I’m hoping that Torreira can do enough to see us through the season but until he plays 90 minutes we still look like boys against men.
I think Emery has good ideas but it will take 2 or 3 windows until we get the players capable of putting his plans into action. The fact is Wenger has left behind the worst defensive unit that Arsenal have seen in 25 years. That includes midfielders and attackers as well. Nobody is interested in defending and it will take more than 2 or 3 new additions to sort.
Raddy, we were overrun for the majority of the game but I agree about the missed opportunities we could easily have gone in at the half up 2-6 and then our defensive errors would have been masked. We should have had the momentum going into the 2nd half but Chelsea took the initiative and bossed us around.
We have a long, long way to go – it’s our worst start in our EPL history but the sun should come out in the next 8 games. We played two of the best teams too early for any of Unai’s new ideas to have any effect.
I really worry about Ozil, he looks troubled and has lost his form.
Thank you LB, now close your eyes because I’ve magicked it away
Emery has zero blame. The last 2 results are a reflection of previous management mixed with very difficult fixtures. I’ve no doubt this team will improve under the manager, but I’m also under no illusion that we will require 5 or 6 first team replacements for us to improve drastically.
Wenger nor there and you guess still blaming him for the defence steups, how about the new system is shit ,bellerin and monreal literally on the half way line
Yea ozil not shinning in new system imo
Fgg are u kidding me the man had a transfer window to bring in who he wanted why the hell you this blaming wenger
With those same defender we were beating Chelsea
With those defenders we also lost more games, conceded more, and finished lower than any other Wenger season.
People used to say Wenger inherited a quality defence and bashed him for it. I’m not going to bash Emery for this shite that he’s inherited. It’s a joke.
I guarantee that Emerys defence will not include the likes of Monreal, Bellerin and Mustafi in 12 months. The same way that Klopp and Pep don’t have the same garbage they started with.
Can’t agree with blaming wenger, we all knew mustafi poor defensively so he had right to buy another CB ,
I still think that bloody high line is suicidal why play it when you don’t have the personnel one ball over the top and both defendant to slow to catch up,
Also shouldn’t mkhitaryan made more of an effort to try and defend alonso for the first goal
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