Carabao Cup. Usually a good night of soccer and we get to see Mr Emery’s first experiment of mixing yoof with experience. We reached the final last season before getting thumped by City and it would be great if we could win it this time. Why not? It’s silverware, isn’t it?
Youth: We have not been too successful in recent years of developing world class kids; Bellerin and Iwobi are the only ones who have been through the academy (though M-N may become a regular starter in time). I guess the bar is set so high that the days of local lads becoming top players are over, nowadays we sign youngsters at 19 from other clubs( Douzi, Holding, YGB (Young Greek Bloke) ).
An example of how difficult it is to become a PL star is Brentford’s own Josh McEachran, who was once touted as Chelsea’s next superstar. Tonight he will want to show he still has the talent to become a PL player. He is a fine example to Smith-Rowe (and a similar type of player). Having rave reviews is not enough, good luck with injuries, hard work and dedication are required to become a first team PL starter.
Brentford: Without GN5’s excellent synopsis of our opponents I know little about them. We last played them in May, 1947!! They are 7th in the Championship. So, no walkovers.
Who will play? And will there be anyone at The Emirates to watch them?
The crowd at the last Europa game was very disappointing and I expect the same tonight. We will see whether reduced prices can attract fans though I suspect not.
My Team:
Leno
Swiss Chap Holding ?? Kolasinac (if fit)
Curly Egyptian Dreadlocks Nigerian Dreadlocks
Smith Rowe (Lab) Welbz
Nketiah
Given both Greek blokes have knee knack or something similar plus Kos is out, and Accident Waiting to Happen cannot play every game, we have a problem at CB. Do you remember when we always had a problem at CB? How UE solves this will be interesting Kolasinac could well be fit for tonight otherwise we are could play Willock.
I think tonight will be a struggle but a winnable one.
COYRRG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Yay, a post and something to read while one is on the beach. And a very good read it is indeed.
Leno
SC,Elneny,Holding,Youth
Guendouzi, Smith-Rowe, Terrier
Mykhit,Welbeck, Iwobi
My punt
Brentford are bringing 9,000 fans!
Leno – Lichten, Musta, Holding, Monreal – Guen, LT, El Neny – Miky, Iwo – Wellbz
3 spots with doubt: Mustafi , Monreal and Miky (ankle) so could end up with
Leno – Lichten, El Neny, Holding, Bramall – Guen, LTm Smith Rowe – Iwoib, Wellbeck, Nketiah
Thanks Erik
Me hoping to get to watch game but it’s going to be close
Your team Erik: Utd fielded a very strong team as Jose knows they’ll have few opportunities for a trophy
Brentford and Derby County are one point apart in the league
IF….Unai wants to win it, then he’d better field a very strong team
Me? No ideas at all
Can’t see Terrier starting as he played on Sunday and Douzi didn’t. Elneny. Mhiki is knacked (I think)
Bramall is an interesting choice.y was tidy last week,
Guendouzi to be pronounced = GU + EN douzi
So pronounce the GU like the G of Garage or Gun
and the EN like in the name Ken and
there you have the right pronunciation
from the horse’s mouth…..
For me, LT starts because he needs to get more playing time but who knows plus we need to control the midfield early on and stamp our authority on the game at home so I can see him start.
chas – just as I described 😛
Cheers, BR.
I was looking at all things Brentford the other day and the best fact I found was that Griffin Park has a pub at each corner of the ground.
Sounds like heaven, a pub crawl just walking round the stadium!
Looking forward to seeing Smith Rowe (Lab) at the full 90 minute hustings; Mkhitaryan, too, fitness allowing.
Yep, I understand the logic for leaving the Terrier out but I get the sense that UE will want to get a bit of a Terrier—Guendouzi thing going.
Just a quickie before I blast off
On Sky Sports this am
“‘Pogba can never be bigger than Utd’
Errr…well he is actually, and by a considerable margin 🙂 🙂
Germany head coach Joachim Loew was reportedly blocked from meeting Mesut Ozil at Arsenal’s training ground on Monday to discuss the midfielder’s fiery retirement from international duty.
Loew and Germany’s team director Oliver Bierhoff were in London at the weekend to take part in a FIFA coaching congress and then visited Arsenal’s training ground in Colney, north of London, for clear-the-air talks with Ozil.
According to German daily Bild, Loew and Bierhoff were turned away at the entrance to Arsenal’s training ground, on the orders of Gunners’ head coach Unai Emery, while the squad was put through a recovery session.
The visit had been previously arranged, so Loew and Bierhoff later met the Gunners’ Germany internationals Bernd Leno and Shkodran Mustafi at the club’s visitors centre without speaking to Ozil.
“We would have liked to have spoken to Mesut, but we have to accept that at the moment he doesn’t want to have this conversation with us,” said Bierhoff.
https://www.afp.com/en/news/207/loew-blocked-meeting-ozil-arsenal-training-report-doc-19g5ja3
Daily Star –
ARSENAL boss Unai Emery has challenged Rob Holding to take his chance against Brentford and command a spot in the starting XI.
Didit – not sure he is and it is a Frenchman speaking here. Pogba was out of order but Mourinho reacted like a silly coach. Actually, Woodward should have come out and said that Pogba has been sanctioned.
Anyways – Pogba wants out. In the EPL, he would do well at:
– Arsenal
– Chelsea
Away from the EPL, he would do well at:
– Barcelona;
– Juventus;
– Bayern Munich;
– PSG. Imagine – Pogba – Verratti – Rabiot.
My feeling is that he just wants to go to Barcelona
According to the Standard –
Danny Welbeck, Mohamed Elneny, Alex Iwobi, Stefan Lichtsteiner and Rob Holding are all likely to start at Emirates Stadium. Emile Smith Rowe, the 18-year-old midfielder who came off the bench in the 4-2 Europa League win over Vorskla Poltava last week, is set to make his full debut and Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah could also be involved.
Away from Man U Pogba would do well any where.
Pogba in the World Cup was outstanding.
Gone are the days, unfortunately, of players not being “bigger” than Clubs, of not being controlled by agents and holding Clubs to ransom, of being loyal and being prepared to play when they ” have a little niggle”, of feeling for their Club in heart and soul.
But…….we remember the good old days, and we pay the wages.
My prediction is Moaninho out at Christmas with Pogba (not even in the top 20 best midfield players in the World) staying….for the time being. If that’s bigger than the Club…….!
I think Pogba is a wonderful talent, possibly the best MF since PV4 – he is that good. Perhaps he is let down by already believing he is the best whereas PV4 was more of a street fighter.
Would Pogba do well at AFC? I fear he would do a Vela and succumb to the honeypots of London
RC
I was thinking anyone good is bigger than Utd 🙂
Just hope Maureen stays there
Re tonight. I’ll be surfing, so don’t really care 🙂 but….I’d still use this tournament for the 2nd XI, which means Brentford would probably win, but who knows
I think Pogba just wants the keys in the midfield. Mourinho should give them to him. You play Pogba with Matic, Fred and Herrera (or Lingard) in a 4-3-1-2 and you will have a good midfield.
A: Fred, Matic, Lingard – Pogba – Sanchez, Lukaku
B: Herrera, Fellaini, McTominay – Mata – Rashford, Martial
The A is very solid and the B is more than adequate cover.
Fred and Lingard will cover some grounds in the wide areas. Lukaku and Sanchez can play off each other and will also create space for Pogba to drill some goals from the center. For me, this Man Utd is really a mystery. They should really be dominating the midfield.
Their weakness is more in the back but I think it is temporary because Bailly is actually very good and I think he can be partnered up with Smalling or Jones and they will be good. At Full back, Utd is not great and relying on experienced players.
As for Pogba in an Arsenal shirt, I d take him any day but you have to play him the right way. At the WC, he played very discipline but had 2 players next to him that were helping defensively: Kante and Matuidi. And in front of him he had Mbappe, Giroud and Griezmann.
At Arsenal, he will work well with Guendouzi and LT next to him plus Auba, Laca and maybe someone like Ramsey in the griezzmann role.
If anyone departs at X-Mas, it will be Mourinho. There are 3 coaches available that Utd will look at: Conte, Zidane, Blanc
As for AFC tonight – we better win 🙂
I seem to remember that there is another manager a available who has an affinity with French players.
I also think he wouldn’t mind sticking two fingers up at us for the poor way I suspect he feels he was treated
Thanks Raddy … another London derby … let’s hope Brentford don’t do a ‘Derby’ tonight.
I hope we put out a high energy side and play with freedom … lots of goals for Micky!
Does anyone know of a reliable stream to watch the game?
At the end
Modric, Rakitic, Kroos, Isco, Busquets,Coutinho, Matuidi, Thiago, Perisic, De Bruyne, David Silva, Fernandino, Kanye, Jorginho, M Dembele, Eriksen, Keita……..let alone Terrier, Ouzi, and…..Xhaka ( no, I’m lying there!)
Rasp – if oyu come around a stream, please let me know as well
OK RC …. but I’m not the one with the savvy on these matters …..
Rasp and RC
You might find something you like here with a bit of perseverance.
https://bit.ly/2EGZVtw
Strong team fielded by Emery…and the bench is strong as well. Just missing Auba really…
The nature of the beast is such that
a) you find one that works (after much ad dodging)
b) that one is the reliable one until it goes off and
c) then you find another.
BRENTFORD TEAM NEWS
Team to play Arsenal: Daniels, Odubajo, Canos, Yennaris, Watkins, Mokotjo, Judge, Sawyers, Jeanvier, Konsa, Barbet
Subs: Bentley, MacLoed, Mepham, Maupay, McEachran, Benrahma, Dalsgaard
We got to win otherwise it s too embarrassing. Let Miky and Wellbeck close the game early with a 2=0 score at half time and let Smithe Rowe and Nketiah add two more after the break to cap a 4-1 win.
Also missing your favourite reject, RC?
We all know the drill, if we win, a trophy is a trophy and if we lose it is a meaningless competition.
How’s Javea?
Did Big Weng win the League Cup?
Meaningless
Javea is really good, I am sitting outside in a warm breeze having something to eat before going into the Arsenal bar who I have made sure are showing the game.
COYRRG
First part of your wish RC!
Wellbeck – done
Miky – next
Rowe – next
Nketiah – next
We will concede one in the second half 😦
CESC, best assist producer in Premier League of all time. Even better than Mesut.
clear penalty…cant believe the ref didn’t give it to us and cant believe Miky missed the chance earlier
LBG – Cesc is a natural at seeing the pass and at actually delivering it perfectly. A real genius. I d like to see him back at Arsenal
I have a dreadful stream but even with this I can see this is a clear penalty. Dean is a total and utter wanker
Evening all
This one is a bit shit
But a bit better than nothing
http://ripple.is/football/3341-arsenal-vs-brentford
Welbeck hat trick suit you RC?
Well done Lucas
Wellbeck twice
Love watching Lichsteiner, when it comes to the dark arts he really is the Machiavelli of defending
From what I have seen, we are playing very well, especially Welbz.
Douzi gets a horrible kicking, the idiot Dean not only doesn’t give a free kick but then warns Douzi for getting angry. AFC should ban Dean from ever reffing AFC again.
The man has an anti-AFC bias and this has been seen on many, many occasions not least at Newcastle.
Cracking goal. I love a counter attack at pace.
Don’t ban Dean; hang, draw and quarter him, and that would still be too easy on him!!
Smith Rowe has had a couple of good runs. but overall I’m disappointed. I’m watching on DAZN it’s a great picture but it costs me $20.00 a month. So far this month I’ve watched the World title fight, PDC championship, NFL, PGA and 2 Arsenal in the Europa League plus today – more than happy…………..
Perez hat-trick?
Real end to end stuff at the moment. Very enjoyable
Poor old Totteringham?
Oops. Not so enjoyable now 😟
Why have we stopped playing?
Dreadful officials ruining a very good game
it s time for a goal for us now. it s getting edgy.
LBG. IT is more that Brentford have started to play as they can. They are a good team.
Still think we will win
Iwobi is so frustrating and why did El Neny go to sleep
and why is Lacazette so out of the game
Lacatoilet today – really bad
Guendouzi has to get MoTM is we win
RC I think Iwobi has played OK
Agree about Douzi
Lethal Lacazette
Thank You Lacazette but boy did he play poorly until then
BR – Iwobi is so unidimensional tonight. push the ball and run – no trickery, no creative ideas
EASY EASY EASY!
It all changed when the Terrier came on. He steady the ship. Quality player.
A large Magno, please barman.
With a Jerez brandy chaser
I urge you all to watch Iwobi very closely next time. When he runs, his right arm goes all loose and wobbly. Most curious.
Here’s a golden tip for anyone old like me
From today forwards, do NOT go surfing, and do NOT do any stretching and strengthening exercise whatsoever for eight weeks
Then, think you’re 18 again and go surfing with your son who actually is 18.
TWAT
Morning All
Micky. Happens to everyone. Spirit is willing …
NEW POST
Hey Chas Blog Expert
My AA blogging is suffering. 90% of my commenting is before my traditional 8:30 crypto Skype meeting. That has been moved forwards. That’s bad enough, but this is on top of me having to log in every single time I want to comment
Don’t know if this is relevant, but at the top of my AA page there’s a warning “this webpage is using significant memory” Eh?
No idea about the significant memory bit.
I don’t log in to comment either – so it always surprises me when some get the ‘having to log in for each comment’ problem.
Sorry, no help at all.