Yesterday was surprising, I was close to thinking we were going to be celebrating ‘Invincibles Day’ today when VAR couldn’t find a reason to disallow a Liverpool goal that looked off-side to me and hand them a draw against Man U.
The VAR officials had managed to ruin several managers weekends up to that point and Klopp was already incensed that Liverpool should have had a free kick in the lead up to Man U scoring. I’m sure the point of VAR is to make things easier with regard to on field decisions but there still seems to be such a lot of confusion. Hopefully we can get through this evening with VAR on our side.
This evening we travel to Sheffield United for our 9th EPL game of the season. We sit in 5th position and they are 15th. The news on the grapevine is that Tierney is ready to start, hopefully Bellerin too and Lacazette will be on the bench. Both of the wing backs will be fantastic additions to our squad and the return of Lacazette is a great boost.
The Blades have had some good results so far this campaign notably a draw with Chelsea and a win away at Everton but they’ve lost their last three home matches and won’t want that to be extended to four. Arsenal have only managed one away win so far this campaign, to Newcastle on the opening weekend but – and this is a great stat – The Gunners have won their last seven PL games in Yorkshire, the longest winning run by an away side in the county in English top-flight history 😃
After a long and incredibly boring International break it’s almost cruel to have Monday night football but here we are. Apart from the addition of Bellerin and Tierney I expect the team to look pretty much as it did before the break. The Blades are set up to defend well and so we’ll need to be a bit tricky to find space …… maybe not the night for Pepe to open his account but I’m sure Emery will stick with him. Aubameyang has scored four of our five away goals – Mr Reliable – and I’m sure he’ll be pleased to have Lacazette on the bench to come on and help out.
Our possible line-up ……..
Leno
Bellerin Sokratis Luiz Tierney
Guendouzi Xhaka Ceballos
Pepe Aubameyang Saka
I’m thrilled to have Arsenal football back, the weather forecast is good, we need a win on the road ………. COYG
peachesgooner
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks Peaches
I think that Chambers has shown enough recently to be involved in some capacity. He has looked one of our more solid and robust players while still offering a threat in attack. Maybe keep him at RFB for now. Bellerin’s injury was a bigger one and there is no need to rush him with Chambers looking solid.
In the long run I worry for Chambers. He seems to be a plug the gap player in 3 possible positions, but I feel he has shown enough to have earned a starting role in one of two positions but don’t think Emery sees it this way and will instead continue to play players ahead of him that have shown far less than Calum has.
It is interesting that we have all given up on naming a team that doesn’t include Xhaka. I guess we know it will happen anyway so why bother suggesting anything different? However, the questions remain that is he a better holding midfield option than either Torreira or Chambers, or if he is not our designated primary holding midfielder and is going to play just ahead of another holding player, (almost as a box to box player between that and the ACM), then is he a better option than Douzi, Willock, Ceballos, Ozil?
Thanks Peaches … I find these international breaks incredibly tiresome. All the enthusiasm and momentum that we supporters have garnered is destroyed and its as if we have to start all over again to recreate the energy.
We should win, we should play some wonderful football … but after the VAR decisions this weekend (the nailed on penalty that Watford were denied against the spuds was inexcusable) its clear that any game can be taken away from or given to a team through the complete misuse of the technology.
Thanks for the post Peaches.
Chambers at right-back for me, Sheffield Utd are big, strong and physical, he’ll also give us some extra height in our box.
I know it’s not likely, but I’d go with Holding as well, the Blades wouldn’t phase him as he’s calm in pressure situations, less likely to pull someone’s shirt or give away a daft foul in the box. Rob has a great mentality and he’s more technical that most observers give him credit for.
Nice one, Peaches 👍
More VAR drama tonight? With Mike Dean – anything is possible ☹
I’m excited to see Tierney…
Just saw this…
At the start of the 1990/91 season, Liverpool started off with 8 straight wins. Their 9th was a 1-1 draw, which took place on October 20.. who then went on to win the league? Arsenal did…..
One can dream, hey?!! 😜
Unfortunately only a dream Sue 😦
I haven’t always agreed with the VAR decisions, but felt most of the weekends more controversial ones were right.
The Burnley one with Evans looking to clear off the line. It was a completely non intentional clipping of the heal of Evans by the Burnley striker but I don’t think Evans feigned falling over from this, as sometimes an innocuous contact brings someone down easier than a bigger contact.
The argument then for me then is could this have altered the outcome at that moment. Dyche will argue it was going in anyway but really there was a chance that Evans could have hooked the ball up and away before the whole ball crossed the line. No-one can know but we have seen it before and while that possibility existed the goal has to be ruled out for Evans not getting that opportunity due to the illegal contact from behind.
Conversely in the Liverpool game the contact was more obvious in the foul they wanted on Origi in the build up to the Utd goal. However I would say the goal stands because it was not enough to send him down as he went down. In reality Origi’s first touch was heavy and let him down, and he could see another Utd player would get to the ball first so he dived to try and reclaim the situation that his own poor control had created.
Again I feel it should be down to whether what happened afterwards would have been altered by the infringement and be left to the officials interpretation. Utd still had a lot to do and did it well. There was no clear cut scoring opportunity exactly at that moment and in reality you can see that Origi had already lost the ball due to his heavy touch and then basically cheated by trying to con the ref that he was properly brought down.
Maybe there is an argument that this attempted cheating of the ref, as Origi intended, should be dealt with more harshly. All football fans hate seeing it. Managers are hypocritical in their very nature and will never balance their opinion one week to the next but the fans and independent pundits need to be more balanced.
That is why I was disappointed in Souness the former hardman of football. He has many a time moaned about contact not being enough for players to go down and how it is cheating and he hates it so his views in this case were hypocritical relative to his stance on this and couldn’t hide his ex Liverpool bias.
Although it was an illegal contact and foul those little contacts in football happen multitudes of times over 90 minutes. If Origi had controlled that and without the other Utd player coming in to steal the ball do we really think he would have gone down from that contact? If a player dived and you stopped the game for all of these little contacts then football would become a pretty boring spectator sport.
Having said that I think the authorities have set certain parameters and rules that are at odds with a fast paced contact sport, and have left themselves open to too much potential blame and debate about consistency with regard to offsides, hand balls e.t.c.
There are definitely certain times when a ball brushes the upper arm of a player who has his arm by his side at a speed where said player cannot stop this. I don’t think anything should be ruled for or against in this case because the attacking team had created a dangerous moment and haven’t gained anything more or less than if the ball had contacted the player 2″ higher.
Offsides to me should be about the foot position only not the body angle. If an attacker reacts quicker than a flat-footed defender and their body has eased forwards but they are not ahead in foot positioning then they have not gained an actual distance advantage.
Why not Holding and Luiz for Xhaka
What fun to have an nearly full fit squad to enable us to out think the management
Yes thank goodness we are 2 weeks older and can combine anticipation with trepidation and hopefully enthusiastic feedback
Ohhhh, good line up.
Thank you, Peaches, a very good pre-match.
I am not convinced that some of the key VAR decisions were wrong.
It is obvious to me that managers can make the most of VAR decisions that go against them, and Klop was an obvious example of this.
The rules may be a bit ‘iffy’ regarding the millimetre precision of offsides, but …….. them’s the rules not the process.
A fundamental requirement to VAR overturning an on the field refereing decision, is that the Ref made ‘a clear and obvious error’. The complaint by Klop that a foul was made by a ManU players on a ‘Pool player, was really not compatible with the above requirement, as the referee almost had his beak on top of the action, and as a foul is subjective, his call could not and should not have been overturned.
Interestingly, in the Rugby WC, a brilliant try was referred to their version of VAR because of an alleged ‘forward pass’ had been made at the start of the move.
The VAR guy said there were 2 passes that were possibly forward, the VAR Ref said he was happy neither of them were forward and the try should stand.
However, the on-field ref disagreed, and he said – “no – the key pass was forward’ and he ruled out the try.
That seems to be a missing element in football, and if the VAR official makes a call, however subjective it is, that is taken to be definitively correct, despite the on-field ref perhaps disagreeing with it.
Like GB, I thought the ‘Pool equaliser was offside, but if VAR did not call it — it is allowed to stand — that is current day football. No moaning from Klop there then.
This one is for Ozil lovers everywhere 😂
GB.. So, in other words, what you’re saying is.. Origi went down like he’d been shot!! Which is exactly what I thought 😁
Hi, Rasper,
Good to see you around — I thought you had taken a late vacation, to watch the rigmarole of the Brexit war.
😁
I am not impacted, of course, but I get confused with a lot of the cockamamie definitions of ‘democracy’ being used to do things that an outside observer would say are totally undemocratic.
How is the whole future of the United Kingdom being decided by some guy called ‘Mr Speaker’.
Brexit, or not, is clearly a very serious matter for the UK, but for all the shenanigans, and despite 17.4 million people ‘winning’ the referendum vote, it seems whether or not the parliamentary decision goes one way or the other is being decided by one little guy with a loud voice.
I love watching it — Oliver Hardy is in charge — now I’m waiting for Stan Laurel to appear and make sense of it all. 😳
@RA – not much different to the US then…..
Peaches,
Good points on all fronts. Shhhh about vaR, garbage so far, but hey humans are behind it.
Emery has a chance to get this club going, if he does not get the win today, if could be a long an slow death the next 30 days.
Tierney, maybe, Holding and Bel, nope. Make it work back there, sit Xhaka, start the kids as deany is just waiting to blow that whistle and point to the spot.
Interesting times.
Very true, Mike, 😁
But it is all done with a certain elan in the UK that cannot be replicated anywhere else.
I was commenting on my fascination with what I hear and see, which frankly both confounds and delights me, it was not a political comment, as I cannot pretend to understand what is going on!! 🥺
I can not think of anything good to say about Trump — so as my betters have told me — I will say nothing!
Hi Redders, I must admit to being unsettled by the disgraceful behaviour of our politicians who are currently proving that without any shadow of a doubt that they put their personal; ambitions ahead of the good of the country. The atmosphere is toxic and that is seeping into everyone’s behaviour – who ever thought that racist chanting would show its ugly head in football in this country again?
The speaker, like the Mayor of London has forgotten that his job is to ensure impartiality and to serve an office … instead they both politicise their positions and their decision making … they should both be sacked (I know Berco is going any way)
As far as VAR is concerned, of course the technology does not make the decisions … the idea is that VAR should make it easier for the humans to reach the right decisions. That failed spectacularly in at least 2 cases this weekend. Watford had a nailed on penalty denied them, and even though he overacted, Origi was fouled and the manu goal should not have stood. The fact that the laws don’t allow action in certain circumstances is a problem with those laws created by the human beings who define them.
What made me laugh, was Origi was ‘fouled’ yet went down holding the wrong leg 🤣
🙂 Sue … I guess the old adage ‘play to the whistle’ still stands.
That should include when an opposition player goes down ‘injured’ – surely now it should be solely up to the ref to decide whether the injury (not always genuine) merits play being called to a halt.
Playing the good guys and sacrificing a promising attacking position by kicking the ball out should not happen with VAR in operation – those officials watching the monitor and speaking in the ref’s ear should be able to alert him quite quickly if he’s got it wrong and play needs to be stopped to attend to an injury.
As I said earlier, Rasper, I cannot make head nor tail of what is going on.
I am an Anglophile and have always believed in the the Houses of Parliament being the mother of democracy — but ……..
I hope that VAR (and its rules) will be looked at again in the summer break — anything that seems subjective, alongside inadequate technology cannot be right — and will never be accepted.
I agree with you, Rasp 👍
Congrats to Auba, for being nominated for Ballon d’or…. along with Lloris 🤪 wait…what????
Here we go, got loads wrong 😂
Bloody hell, where’s Mesut???
Thank goodness the real footy is back. OK team – fewer tweaks than I would have expected.
I reckon this could be tough to watch at times but if we come out with the points, who cares?
Unai has been a bit conservative looking at the back line and midfield. Will this be the game when we get a glimpse of the player Pepe can be? He was outshone by Martinelli last time.
Steady on, Rockyfella,
“difficult to watch — come away with 3 points?”
We will be fine — we won one game away already this season!!
25% of the games gone — at the same rate, we will make 12 points this season.
Excellent!! 😜
Thanks Redders – that’s really cheered me up 🙄
As Peaches has been a bit miserly with the team info, here goes;
1
Leno
21
Chambers
5
Sokratis
23
Luiz
31
Kolasinac
29
Guendouzi
34
Xhaka
19
Pepe
28
Willock
Saka
14
Aubameyang
Substitutes
26
Martinez
16
Holding
3
Tierney
8
Ceballos
11
Torreira
35
Martinelli
9
Lacazette
The subs look good, at least.
That is probably better than last season, Rocky. 😀
Leno looking very dodgy with his distribution again … SU sitting back and waiting to put an arsenal player under pressure
At least the better team is playing in red and white so that is something closer to the normal order of things.
Saka is invisible … Martinelli might do a bit better
Their player dives = nothing … our player is fouled in the box and receives a yellow … well done Mike Dean … up to your usual standard
Mike Dean’s back everyone.
If we get points from this game it will be all down to the subs.
Pepe showing glimpses of what he can do …
Nice dribbling from him Rasp, but he really should have scored that tap in.
I am really not enjoying this game… the playing out from the back is making me nervous as hell… Mike Dean makes me sick… that miss from Pepe 😩 Guendouzi is doing alright & that’s about it!
I knew we wouldn’t be so lucky to rely on their gk for a howler!
He should Rocky … but then Auba should have scored from his cross earlier.
We need to run at them at pace in their box with the ball at our feet … we might even get a pen if one of them delivers a firearm smash right in front of Dean
It seems we are all thinking the same way.
Dean is an idiot. How can Sakha get his knee bashed from behind and pushed and somehow it’s his fault — and deserving a yellow.
Not sure what I dislike more — Dean the Incompetent, or the awful way Embers makes the team play silly buggers around our penalty area — it is called “playing out from the back” apparently. Not the words I would use.
For game to watch — but SU were the better team.
The defending at the corner is suspect and the referee is highly suspect but the reality is we are behind because we allowed them to dominate for most of that first half. Once again we are allowing, in this case a lower league, team to push onto our defence and play attacking football in our last third without much resistance.
Simply we do not win the battle in midfield and dominate from there to dictate the game and this is even against lower table sides…….yet we all feel we have some excellent midfielders so how do we explain this?
For = Poor
Pick three non defenders who do anything but take responsibility in dangerous situations, look at each other, blame each other (when even averagely talented, committed alternatives would do better), AND continue to play a central midfield player who does all of the above and defensively consequently weakens everything centrally when we defend.
Emery’s selection is the problem. We have better alternatives.
GB,
I don’t think we said ‘all’ our midfielders are ‘excellent’ especially the one who played Mousset on – but did not mark him — Pfff.
GoonerB
Lack of a DM doesn’t help.
And surely we must be getting close to seeing a back four with Bellerin, Tierney and Holding in it.
Oh Pepe….🤦🏼♂️
I’d give Willock until 60 but he’s not been involved so get Lacazette on and I’d also put Ceballos on for Saka. If Pepe’s finishing doesn’t improve then we may get Martinelli on aswell at some point.
I don’t like how much time this Arsenal side waste doing very little. I imagine it’s to do with Emery’s ‘control’ but it means that if you concede first it’s hard to switch into gear.
Also, Saka not a pen but I think a yellow is harsh.
Someone needs to explain to me why we keep passing backwards.
It’s not like we look convincing when the ball is at Leno’s feet or in his hands. That’s not necessarily his fault but more the way we are setting up to receive the ball.
Sheff United like all others are saying go on then you have it and then we will press. That should force us to go long but we are not.
Not sure many came out of that half with any credit.
Not sure Willock should have come off, he was good when he got ball just didn’t see a lot of it.
I would have removed Saka who has been quiet and didn’t like the way he tried to initiate the contact, not sure it was a yellow but do think he tried to drag his leg into the defender.
Rasp
Didn’t start watching until about 15 mins so I missed the Auba opportunity
A swede watching this from Sweden. Yes Arsenal had a quite lousy half. But listening to the english commentators I often get this feeling of loosing my sense of reality. The 100% certainty: “Saka just wasn’t fouled. Dean got it totally right.”
It’s perfect for Lacazette if they are going to sit so deep. He’s excellent at creating around the box in tight spaces.
We’re flat as anything. More subs needed soon.
Agreed FGG
The bigger problem is that we lack any kind of definition or style as a team. There seems to be no direction of development with this side. It is going to take an awful lot to convince me from now that Emery isn’t seriously out of his depth
Blimey that’s a bold sub 😁
Please let’s have Martinelli for Pepe
You get your wish Rocky
Would rather have had it come true earlier.
Side to side…shit cross.
No penetration at all. Only just realised Saka was still on. Hasn’t touched the ball for 10 minutes.
We take an age to make a forward pass. I know they are deep and 10 behind the ball but play the ball forward quickly and to feet, not just side to side. We’ve been too easy to play against tonight. It’s 1 step forward 2 steps back.
I feel I have been watching “The Walking Dead”.
With all the slo-mo in the penalty area we cannot get any pace into the game. Shambolic.
86% possession and we’ve created what exactly?
Mike Dean has given every decision as the Spuds supporting pillock we know him to be.
Not that it’s his fault that we’re losing.
Irony is that Emery will be really happy with how we controlled the game tonight…😂
Wish we’d just play with some urgency. It’s so slow that the players must get bored.
Don’t know if I’m just in a bad mood tonight but that was shocking.
Awful defending, no midfield system, woeful in attack. And a goalie with all the distribution accuracy of an angry food processor.
We deserved nothing, got nothing.
New season, new players, exactly the same ineptitude, lack of identity and lack of heart we displayed in the season run-in last year.
Right now it’s hard to see a future for UE at Arsenal.
Waited over 2 weeks for this… what an absolute joke! I’m so disappointed. This game was crying out for Ozil.. and after all what Unai said about being really pleased with him lately, I thought we’d see him tonight, but Unai is so stubborn…talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face!! Well, I’m done with him, I’ve seen more than enough of his boring football. I want him gone.. bring Freddie in.. he has more passion his little finger, than Unai in his whole body. Another chance squandered.
Fair play to the Blades though 👏
That is so unlike you, Rocky, and I agree with every word.r.a
Emery has only got himself to blame though. This group of players are more than capable of playing an exciting brand of football that would make results like tonight’s a bit more forgivable, but the fact he refuses to remove the handbrake and insists on this slow, time-sapping build up in order to ‘control’ games means the fans are struggling to get behind him and before long the players and owners will get bored of him.
It’s a results business, but a team that gets the fans off their seats can buy a manager a lot of goodwill and time. That was boring tonight and I imagine a lot of gooners will have felt some anger towards Emery after that.
The game comes back to that Pepe miss though. He should be scoring that and we should be 1-0 up. I’m getting worried about him becoming a bust. He goes past people for fun but not seeing any end product yet.
I’d say right now, we might as well have kept Iwobi… and that’s saying something coming from moi!!!
I wouldn’t go that far Sue! 😂
Headless chickens comes to mind. I struggle to see a plan ……. a plan when attacking or a plan when defending.
Pepe was actually bringing a bit of excitement when he had the ball but no end product.
Is it ok to take your captain off but not consider not starting him?
Sheffield United were a proper unit at defending though so we’ll played to them.
So ……….. anyone fancy writing something for a post tomorrow ……. doesn’t have to be about the game
😜 Their end product is the same…. I was expecting more for 72m, FGG … and I’m really cheesed off with waiting for something to happen… he does all the hard stuff, then boom.. either scuffs it to the keeper, or blasts over the bar, or well wide!!! So disappointing…
Sue,
I would’ve still taken Saka off though as he wasn’t involved. At least Pepe was getting on the ball and trying to make it happen. He’s probably going to end up scoring a worldly somewhere and then suddenly getting 10 goals in 10 games. That’s the sort of player he seems to be, but he just needs that first one.
I don’t know if there is a stat for pace and urgency but I do feel we are watching the slowest and least urgent team in the EPL. It is the individual superior quality of certain players that has kept having the top half but as a team we are playing at 65% of our potential this season and that will undo us if we dont change things urgently.
People were telling me after he scored his first goal, which as we all know was a penalty, the floodgates would open…… and we’re still waiting….I’m not very patient 🤣 Bit harsh on him I know, as he is very skillful… but nutmegs & showboating don’t win games!! Maybe things will change, now Laca’s back 🤔
Kept us in the top half even
GB,
Agree about the pace. That should improve once Bellerin and Tierney enter the team, but it was painful at times tonight. Ceballos has energy but it takes him an age to run through midfield. Kolasinac trundles forward then passes backwards, and the amount of sideways and backwards passing was high. It was how I imagine a team full of Denilson’s would play.
Unfortunately FGG even Douzi becomes part of the peoblem of the slow sideways and backwards game in this system. I always said that he and Xhaka dont play well together and stand by that. They seem to magnify the weakness in each others games
Been checking the ticket exchange every day, for the Palace game. Just had a look, surprise surprise, loads available on there now!! Would have loved to have gone, to see Wilf, but have an early start, to the airport… after that rubbish tonight, am debating whether to take one of my Arsenal tops… I’m so disappointed ☹
Any team playing with Sok, Luiz, Xhaka will be slow
Don’t give up on Pepe, he s almost there
I think we re asking too much of Saka and maybe not enougj from Xhaka…
Goal is soft, possession is not effective… Was a horrible game and confirms Emery s teams suck at playing away games.
Forget top 4 and watch us fall behind Leicester and Chelsea. Shame on us
Kola can only do well if there is someone to cross to or if the midfielder, in this case Willock, givds him an option. I thought Kola did OK today and much better than Chambers. I am hoping we will look different once we get Bello and Tierney in the team but basically the best would be to play Luiz or Chambs in the middle and get rid of Xhaka…
Leno – Bello, Holding, Luiz, Tierney – Douzi, Chambers, Willock or Ceba or LT – Pepe, Laca, Auba
Or
Leno – Chambs, Holding, Luiz – Bello, Douzi, LT, Tierney – Pepe, Laca, Auba
Something gotta change or give… Emery has a squad he kinda likes. He gotta make it work home and away. The onus is on him now to make the team click
I think I have to agree with Evra and Carragher when they point out that the team lacks personality and that it does not show improvements under Emery in big 6 games and away games…. To lose to Sheffield is a disgrace. Not to score va Sheffield is a disgrace.
If emery wants different results, he needs to change some of the personnel and let Sok and Xhaka on the bench. We have Holding, Luiz, Chambers, LT thay can play instead of them. Drop them and see if our game suffers, if our mentality suffers… Xhaka can still captain the side but from the bench…
I think Pepe will now go on to score a few goals until X-mas. He s looking more sharp so watch out for his resurgence.
I also think Saka can now be moved to tje bench with Laca back.
At Psg, Emery also struggled in away games and especially against big teams in the league and champions league
Since the start of last season, we’ve been shown more cards than any other team (7) for diving.
28 of Mousset’s appearances have been as a sub. On his 2 starts, he has scored against us! Add him to the list of players who always score against us 🙄
2 clean sheets in 24 away games, under Unai… shocking!
I’m absolutely livid….
……. I’m absolutely livid too but I think I’m more concerned about us not scoring considering who we had on the pitch 😡😡😡
Morning Sue
Good discussion here about shirt tugs and triangles …….. it seems like we’re punished when we do one but don’t gain the advantage if someone does it to us.
Hiya Peaches.. This was bound to happen.. we play like little boys on the road! And listening to what Evra had to say about us, being his babies & we look good, but he knew we weren’t going to win… and about RVP going to a team of ‘men’ …….. sickening!!
I could keep harping on and on, but you get the gist!! ☹ gutted!
Happy 70th Birthday, Arsene!
Well – good morning All, 😁
Cannot remain bugged by the Dead Men Walking strategy — onward to the next game and hope the team can morph into a proper EPL outfit.
That dreadful slow passing in and around the box means most of the team cannot get up a gallop when needed — either Emery or that so called strategy has to go!!!
Where are you flying off to, Sue?
Just curious — so don’t feel obliged to answer — “curious” is another way of saying I am being nosey. 🥺
Peaches, darling, I am trying to find the right way to say this, but as far as further pre-match Posts when we play Sheff Utd again — you are fired!! 😛
Sue,
I read that AW has intimated that he might join FIFA, in addition to his TV commentating role.
Maybe ManU will sack Olé and give Arsene the gig instead. 😀
I’ve put some ramblings in draft.
Off to Lanzarote, RA… and thinking about it, I may not be back, as on the Wednesday we play Pool… and I’ll more than likely end up throttling a bin dipper!!
No chance, it’s Ole in right now!!! Well for at least another week!
RC
Very interested in your suggested teams, as for me, it is Emery’s serious errors in selection that are causing much of the insipid, uninspired, performances at present.
I dont feel that Sokratis, Kolasinac or Luiz deserve their places at present. They are slow of thought and body and are not showing the never say die attitude evident in all the Sheffield defenders last night. (Modt know my feelings on Xhaka!!) I still believe Chambers should be given a chance at centre back alongside Holding and Tierney and Hector should be starting at full backs. Why is Terrier not playing, and holding centrally? Then play Willock (Smith-Rowe), Ceballos and Ouzi in front of him and Laca and Aubang closer together up front. ( The width comes from the fullbacks when we are attacking).
I have given up on the idea of Luiz in central midfield position and cant see Emery ever considering it. Pepe and Saka still need time to bed in and should be impact subs rather than starters for me.
The depressing thing for me is Emery seems to lack the drive to make significant changes and too many of his current selections lack commitment to the cause and seem to believe they are automatic selections. Thursday’s team will be more dynamic, I hope, but we wont beat Palace on Sunday if he selects last nights team.
My fat fingers clicked publish rather than update/save on my phone so there is a new post……https://arsenalarsenal.net/2019/10/22/let-them-entertain-me-sheffield-utd-1-arsenal-0/
If we don’t finish in top 4 thod year, it is a serious professional error given the struggled of Utd, Tottenham and the inexperience of Chelsea/Lampard. There r 2 spots and our three main rivals are struggling and Leicester will benefit? Come on…