Happy New Year everyone. It seems crazy to be playing another game so soon ……. the guys who fought so hard on Sunday have to find the energy and inspiration to go again.
I’m pretty certain Arteta will be inspired but does he have enough willing bodies to carry out his instructions.
It’s not healthy to feel so sorry for ones football team but honestly when are we gonna get a break? The injury to Callum Chambers has piled on the pressure. Saka may also be missing and so we’ll need to juggle someone else into the left-back position …… who is there left?
The defence is a walking disaster now, where’s Flamini when you need him? Forgot to mention him yesterday 😉
Torreira will have tired legs but boy do I want to see him play and Xhaka was in training so maybe he’ll play.
Up front maybe Pepe will get a start with Martinelli returning and Aubameyang in the middle. Ozil behind probably.
All this angst for Manchester United at home. We’re not the old Arsenal and they’re not the old Man U but even so we’d like to get the better of them. There have been some great games between the two sides over the years, Arteta and Solskjaer will know how much a win will mean to both sides.
Performance over points? I’d be happy to watch more of the same, as in the opening 30 minutes v Chelsea, it was brilliant to watch us play fast moving football again. But 30 minutes won’t win us the game unless we score 2 or 3 goals ……. let it be so.
Happy New Year to you and all of yours.
peachesgooner
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks Peaches – excellent pre-match that catches my mood precisely.
I’m pleased this game has come round so quickly, notwithstanding our injury problems. I reckon the team will be feeling a little bit cheated after Sunday, knowing that the three points were there for the taking.
They’ll also know how well they played for long periods of the game.
With a bit of luck ManU will be on the receiving end of a rebound reaction.
But as you say Peaches, we really need to catch a break, a bit of luck that goes our way.
Although the way we play is already looking better under Arteta, we really need a statement win to get the ball rolling and get the confidence growing.
So I’ll take any win tonight, regardless of performance…
Subject to injuries (is Saka a serious doubt?) I think the line up will be:
Leno
AMN Sokratis Luiz Saka
Torreira Guendouzi
Ozil
Nelson Lacazette Aubameyang
Happy New Year, by the way!
There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done
One is called Yesterday and the other is called Tomorrow
So Today is the Right day for Arsenal to win 3:1
Dalai Lama New Years Day message 2020
So HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone on AA!
Onwards and Upwards
Great work peaches … with the Steeden stamp of approval already.
We can’t say much more after the last game. We saw an impressive improvement in the chavs game … if we can improve on that we’re in for a treat today.
It seems an odd thing to say, but in many ways the result is irrelevant since top six is a pipe dream … it’s improvement we need to see and so far Mikel has produced. I’m very pleased to see the home fans giving enthusiastic vocal support. That support is most needed when things aren’t going our way.
I sometimes feel that when we’re playing well and in the driving seat the fans goad the players into continuing to go all out attack when keeping shape, conserving energy and seeing the game out would be the best strategy.
Morning, Peaches. Happy New Year to you!
We’ve won more games on NYD than any other team (9)…
I’m thinking because this is Arteta’s 3rd game in charge, it’ll be third time lucky 🤪
Can’t believe we’re on at 8… along with the darts final and an hour long Eastenders!!!
Should be a belter!! COYG
Happy New Year to you VP, hopefully your valiant firefighters will get the blazes under control and the rebuild can start in 2020.
Hi Rasp
We drove up from Melb to Sydney today for holiday.
Driving through the midlands, especially around Yass the smoke was intense. For 5 hours of travelling at 110km/hr we were surrounded by smoke and could only see about 500 metres ahead.
The breadth of the fire is so hard to grasp. They are saying the burning area is greater than Wales in size.
Hoping that all firefighters, residents and animals stay safe.
VP
Damn, the clock’s moving slowly.
8pm seems a long, long way away.
45m release clause for Grealish… I’d love to see him in an Arsenal shirt!
Happy New Year…
Ceballos and Holding on the bench this evening?
Yeah Sue, I like Grealish, he’s a really good player.
“Fast moving football” yep, more of that please.
Thanks for the read Peaches.
Peaches,
Thank you for another write up-everyone on here really puts in a lot of time and effort on this site.
VP- wish everyone well over there, and may you get some rain or cooler weather soon. Live in Norcal, and my brother’s family had to evacuate 2X in the last 5 years and they have a dairy farm with animals and a vineyard, frightening stuff.
Rocky,
With that lineup we will be fortunate to lose 3-0.
Saka is out, Left side is completely unbalanced. Would rather Xhaka than Guen at this point, but not with Ozil in the squad.
Mikel is going to be extremely limited with his defense and midfield options, never seen it so lean.
Need some bodies in January as only 5 points from bottom as of today.
Just do not want to see a massacre at home today, that is all I am realistically hoping for.
Optimistic going forward IF Mekel gets support, but not counting on it as stan the maN does not truly spend.
You’re being too pessimistic Aaron. Win for the good guys today.
I used to live in SoCal – the area on outskirts of LA where we lived has a massive fire the year after we left (all our friends evacuated etc).
Scary.
The following summer a mountain lion moved into the town park.
Scary.
Ha! Defeat for the Spuds.
This could turn out to be a good day…
Thank you, Danny Ings! Oh when the saints…. 😜
As it’s a New Year I won’t get too dramatic(well i will) just to say all Kroenke’s franchises are losing hundreds of million pounds, Arsenal showing a dramatic loss worse in the next accounts in May 2020, but he never sells as he doesn’t need to, being a multi billionnaire and married into The Walmart family but he is essentionally a property man and no idiot. If we were relegated which I sincerely hope not, he wouldn’t sell but on the otherhand millionaires and billionaires are addicted to keep on making money.He did release very reasonable funds last Summer but look at the table and I question some of the buying.. We always have injuries as do other clubs and I won’t go into the “Wenger should have gone X number of years ago” but in the last few years Gazidis has been the snake.He bought Perez from Deportivo for £17 million, he hardly played and was sold for £3 million to West ham, hardly played and lasted one season as a bit part player but the majority of buys these past 3 or 4 seasons have been bad expensive buys and now we can’t get rid of them or loan them out and Arsenal are the second highest payers of wages in the PL,Kroenke employed the wrong people or was advised to and even compared to household names that didn’t move with the times with the starting of on line buying, no establishment is immune from administration. The damage has been done and now it appears we continue cost cutting instead of really getting a top coach who will take no shite from the players, a job Arteta will try but every season it needs more money moreso right now..It’s more than transition it’s a really complex situation and players like Auba will leave by June maybe followed by one or two others. one can’t be blind to these facts.This window must see us move out some sub standard players even at a big loss even if their transfer price is marked down yearly in the accounts. We saw improvement for part of the game against Chelsea and hopefully it will continue tonight. Finally I am not being negative just looking at the reality.of our situation. Arteta needs a magic wand IMO., hope he gets it.I don’t expect everyone to agree with me but it is an almighty mess at our iconic club.
West Ham are demonstrating how you do the New Manager Bounce!
Hello Kelsey and Happy New Year to you and yours.
That’s a thoughtful and heartfelt analysis. I can’t really argue with much of it except that I feel a bit more optimistic than you that we can get in a groove sooner rather than later.
The Kroenke thing is a worry. There’s a real danger he’ll use Arsenal as a slush fund for his massive NFL stadium build project in LA, with loads of debt dumped onto us. If that happens we’ll need a real fan campaign to get change, the way the Scousers did with Hicks and Gillette.
Thanks RL I think Arsenal are collateral to some or all of his franchises.A Happy new year to you.
Kolasinac 😍 and Pepe start COYG
Leno
AMN Sok Luiz Kola
Torreira Xhaka
Ozil
Pepe Laca Auba
Perfect timing for Kola to return (I hope they’re not rushing him back before he’s fully fit).
Is this the game where Pepe really announces himself?
late kick off over there but over here its a perfect 7am. I am going to have a lovely breakfast with pannetone whilst watching the game. It might be a bit awkward when my wife wakes up as its our wedding anniversary today but…
Lets go Arsenal
Ha! Happy anniversary VP. Let’s hope you can celebrate it with a win.
Ceballos and Holding among the subs, which is encouraging
time for the “Glide” to start trending upwards, 1, 0, 3!
Fred.. Eddie’s coming back!
Hi Everybody — and a top Post, Peaches.
I enjoyed your excellent analysis, Kelsey — good to see you have not lost the skill.
Hope you and the family are well, and I hope 2020 will be a happy year for you.
1st game of the new decade, the roaring twenties, COYG.
I expect much better analysis from everone this year now that you all have 2020 vision
VP 😀
Come on!!!!!!!
I just looked at the table…..not often I say this but tonight is a must win to get us back in top half of table. You are right Peaches in that we don’t seem to be able to catch a break.
Really felt for Leno on Sunday tonight will tell us if he is more Lehman than Manninger.
such BS, how was Matic tackle not a yellow, it was worse
Boooooom!!!
Has anyone else seen the Untold Arsenal articles about our fouls-to-yellow cards ratio?
Basically we get more yellows per foul than most other PL teams.
We saw an example on Sunday when Jorginho was not booked for a tug back despite Arsenal players being booked for identical offences.
Now we’ve had the same thing in this game already: Kola booked for a deliberate foul to prevent an attack; a minute later Matic does exactly the same – no card.
It’s getting pretty blatant now.
Yes I’ve seen them, Rocky. Very blatant, I’d say!
Can already feel the ref preparing the lube and getting ready to screw us.
How many foul will United commit before getting a yellow
Same old same old Fred. Refs really don’t seem to like us.
Need this second goal
What makes it worse it we getting that treatment at our home
Come on boys – remember Chelsea – let’s get that second one.
Thank you boys.
Thank you Sok
Get in there!!!!!
WHAT A HALF 👌
Let’s have a bit of game management now. We don’t need to keep chasing goals but they have to come in to us.
We should soak up pressure without sitting too deep and hit them on the break.
Need to maintain this level now for the first 15 minutes of second half. We can’t be doing anything stupid to let them back in (like Kola getting a second yellow). Fabulous half and how good is it to see all our attacking players on the field and working like defenders. How much easier does that make it for our midfielders to hold their position? And then how much easier does that then make it for the defence? It’s so easy when players work hard and close down as a group and stay in shape. This is all we’ve all wanted for the last 10 years!!!
Average half of football 🙂
Hahaha GIE 😂
How come Eddie coming back Sue
In seriousness, has any United player been booked? If not why not?
I do like the way we are pressing enough pressure when they are facing our goal that they can’t pick an easy pass to spring the high line, and all at them when they are backs to goal and rushing and no set shape. I’ve always said pressing when players have option and shape isn’t all about running in full pelt, I know that’s what Guardiola does but he also employs the foul if beaten, we would be down to 6 men very quickly with that tactic.
Now I only have one criticism and it is Maitland-Niles, he seems to have a serious case of Gibbsitis, wherein even when he receives the ball on his right foot able to open up and play forward he chooses the pass back to Sokratis. It may be because he is too far up the pitch when receiving the ball or we have decided Kolasinac needs that width to push PEA in.
All in all good solid half, and the thing I liked the most was Torreira smiling when he did that beautiful shimmy and just missed. When players have a smile on their face at near misses you know their mindset is in the right place and enjoying their football.
We’ve put so much effort in we’re bound to tire in the last 20.
That’s when smart game management needs to come in.
Maguire should have had three yellows by now 🙄
Lacazette’s work rate is phenomenal
It should be after his lapse cost us against Chelsea
So saka gets a card for wasting time, that referee has no shame
David Luiz MOTM… Keown said “Dare I say it, he’s actually done some defending tonight” 😂😂😂
I was right – 3rd time lucky 😉
A clean sheet against the Mancs…. how sweet is that?! Ya gunners ya!!!!!
Ooh to be! Roll on Monday 👊
Fred.. Bielsa confirmed Eddie is returning to us… but will be go on another loan? Bristol City are interested
Loved every second of that. The work rate was phenomenal and the result well deserved. Now we have to do that again in the next game. We can’t put that much effort into every game otherwise we will have no team left by March! So we must use this confidence builder to improve our play when on the ball. We need to keep it better and give ourselves a rest in games. We didn’t do that against Chelsea and we struggled to do it in the second half tonight. I suspect nerves have a big part to play in that, but hopefully now that we’ve got that first win under our belts the players will relax a little more and keep the ball better. Excellent performance though a great step to build on.
FGG
Agree with every word.
At last!!!!!!! Brilliant win, see ….,….. never in doubt 😁
Who wants to write about this one?
Sue/Fred maybe Mikel wants cover for Martinelli when he goes off for international duty or he wants to see players he knows.
When Arteta player he always had a way about him a calm authority on the pitch and clearly an understanding of the game.
That he has got his message across in three games in a short space of time is credit to him, and I am glad in a way it wasn’t just a new manager bounce.
Looks to have put a good team around him too and probably lucky Moyes didn’t get the Hammers job earlier as I doubt we would have seen Rounds join (remember Arteta played under him at Everton so he must rate his communication and coaching).
I would have personally given MotM to Torreira or Laca, shout out to Leno who came and dealt with a few tricky balls in the last twenty.
Luiz gave one of the most bizarre post match interview
It astonishes me that Torreira has only just started to be played in his favourite position after nearly 2 years at the club. He’s been unbelievable in the last 3 games and the stench of incompetency that comes from his treatment in the previous few years is there for all to witness. How the hell can a club like Arsenal get these things so wrong?
I thought he was MOTM today and him and Xhaka were so disciplined and worked their socks off. It just shows how good that combination could be if it has strikers working in front of it and allowing them to stay in their positions. The same goes for our defensive unit. How much better did that look because it had 2 defensive shields in front of it at all times? It just goes to show how much better a group of players can look if they get the basics right.
I thought it was refreshing to hear such honesty from Luiz. It’s clear that the players didn’t believe in Emery and it’s clear that the players are nowhere near the levels of fitness required to play the intense football that Arteta wants. It’s definitely the way forward and we would finally have an identity that the fans and players can get on board with.
Great improvement, we are getting closer and closer to beating one of the big teams.
Thanks Peaches for the post. I didnt see the game, with no BT sport, so watched the darts which was very good. Will catch the highlights on MOTD but for those that saw it how is Artetaball coming along?
The snippets I am getting from you guys sound promising, not just being quicker in attack but seemingly being more organised defensively and managing situations in the game better.
Am I getting ahead of myself in becoming excited about where this young coach can take us?
My only reservation currently remains our ownership, for the reasons many of you touch on. I dont expect Kroenke to haemorrhage money but I do really hope that Josh has bought into the project in more than a pure accountancy way and that he is being left to call the shots.
After the darts I switched to Sky sports news and they had Jamie O’Hara watching the game and providing feedback. When asked at the end how he felt Arteta was shaping up he said that as a Spurs fan he was quite envious watching the improvements under our young coach. Now that was very nice to hear.
Can anyone give a bit more info on what David Luiz said in the interview after the game?
Haha LB, close to beating one of the big teams 🤣 Do you mean someone like Wolves or Sheffield United?
Hard to explain I would see if I can get the clip and post
GB
Don’t you have pubs that show football near where you live?
Thanks Fred
That really is good stuff from Luiz.
I found it fascinating that in the pre match huddle he is the one who gives the rousing speech.
He marshalled the back line superbly well this evening.
As someone said above Lacazette was a stand out; there was less frustration and more determination; he shielded the ball better than he has for a long while.
And then as many have said: Torreira — outstanding………
What a great game. We’re unbeaten in 2020 and I had the great pleasure of meeting RC78. Mikel has made the same disparate bunch of players we saw under UE resemble a decent team … and all in less than two weeks.
I’ll do the report if no-one else wants it!
As a fine visiting Frenchman would say “Soooooo happy!”
Yes I do LB but I am having a delicate new years day and it was TV from the sofa or nothing today.
Also the darts final is only a once a year thing so although I hate missing an Arsenal game, especially against Utd, I kind of reconciled this one game as I will see plenty coming up.
A bit silly sometimes the organisers of football games that they dont consider clashes with other major sporting events.
Who won the darts?
Peter Wright!!
Wait u so lucky Rasp
Hi GB.. I thought Wright would win. When you saw his championship stats compared to others, he was miles ahead in everything. So fair play to him… and to beat MVG.. doesn’t get any better than that! I’d watched every other night, but wanted to watch Arsenal… so haven’t seen it yet.
Been a brilliant tournament! I did want Price to win it though 😀
Yes Sue. Normally it’s a no contest between darts and watching Arsenal but the final was a great game and Wright really deserved it. Just going to watch our highlights now. See you all in comments tomorrow.
Granit Xhaka has given Mikel Arteta assurances that he will stay at Arsenal, according to the Gunners head coach, who gave an optimistic view of the midfielder’s future at the club.
Xhaka had reportedly agreed to join Hertha Berlin in the transfer window, with his future at Arsenal in doubt ever since he reacted angrily to being replaced during the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in October.
But after missing Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on December 29, Xhaka started 2020 in positive fashion with a strong performance in his side’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United on New Year’s Day.
Asked whether the 27-year-old had given him assurances that he would stay at Emirates Stadium, Arteta told reporters: “He did, yes.
“I think he’s going to stay. I really like him. If we get him on board, he can be a tremendous player for us.”
First-half goals from Nicolas Pepe and Sokratis Papastathopoulos helped Arteta to his first victory since taking over as Arsenal boss and he praised his side’s improved performance.
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Arteta suggested there is more to come from his players, who he said are not yet at the level of fitness he expects of them.
“Everything we tried to do against them worked really, really well,” Arteta told BT Sport.
“I think we had enough chances to put the game to bed much earlier and in the second half we knew that physically we were going to drop: at the moment we are not ready to maintain that level of intensity through 90 minutes.
“But the spirit, the commitment and the desire the boys are playing with at the moment is terrific.”
Gunners defender David Luiz echoed his coach’s comments, and indicated that Arteta’s arrival has transformed the spirit in the Arsenal camp.
“We have to be honest and humble to admit: physically we are not ready,” said Luiz. “We showed that in the second half against Chelsea, and we showed that today.
“This team is in a moment now to change a lot of things. We cannot change from zero to 10 in one day, one week or one month.
“Mikel is a great coach. He knows football, he was a great player. I believe in his philosophy and he can improve every single player and in life when you’re happy the results can be totally different.
“If you sleep happy you can sleep four hours and it’s better than sleeping sad for eight hours. If you work with happiness, believing what you are doing, it’s totally different.”
What a game! What a win! What an evening!
Ratings of the Bloggers crew tonight: 10!
Really lovely bunch I met tonight – thanks for a superb evening for my first time at the Emirates!
My MOTM – Torreira
Leno – generally good performance. Fine save coming out and smothering. Still one or two occasions when he doesn’t seem himself convinced about short passing out from the back……and yet plays the pass and we all cringe with concern. 7
Maitland Niles – Needs too much thinking time on the ball to make a pass and is closed down. Commits too many times totally out wide and if beaten massive gap appears behind. Jockey, jockey, jockey. And stop making low percentage passes with the outside of you foot, inevitably cut out. 6
Sokratis. – Solid, committed, very little wrong. Scored the all important second 7.5
Luiz – Got to admit, near perfect. Committed. Leading by example. Where have you been Daviid. 8.
Kolasinac- Fine if you dont want much intelligent defensive work. For God sake Kola, sure press the winger hard and fast and aggressively, BUT stop before you get to him!!
Fine marauding wing back going forward and even some successful final passes. 6.5
Xhaka – another of my bete noir who turned up, produced some solid disciplined positional shape. Usual handful of successful wide diagonals and very little of his normal sh** shovelling and back and side passes. 7
Torreira- What a player! Committed, intelligent defending especially reading and cutting out passes. But also gritty solid tackling, refusing to be knocked off the ball. And could easily have scored with a beautiful drop of the shoulder dummy. MOM. 9
Ozil – the nonchalant genius is finding his feet, working hard, creating panic in the opposition and looking like he will soon score himself. 8
Pepe – Thank you for the goal, thank you for some clever passes into space and feet. Slowly believing, but I think needs to take on his fullback more. Generally happy but tired as you would expect from a 19 year old. 7.5
Aubang – work rate in defence, pure quality. Attempted to play a number of final passes to team mates when he should have been selfish and taken goals for himself. 7.5
Laca – excellent work rate. Fantastic turn in box. Only criticism has lost his shooting boots. 7.5.
Subs Saka 6.5, Guendouzi 6.
RC
We appreciated your company similarly. 10/10.
A good luck mascot, always welcome in the future at the Home of Football. Safe home, monsieur.
For all the Bloggers that don’t know the core crew, you are missing out. On top of being great Arsenal fans, they are super nice and friendly. Lovely bunch. A Bon entendeur..
Am still buzzing 🎉🎉🎉
@Peachds and Rasp – I can have a post on Bielsa or the pre match for Leeds with you by Sunday.
We are the most in-form team in the competition this year!
If this continues with the same players I’d like to circulate a petition to stuff Emeri into a cannon and shoot him off into the sun.
Or better yet let him be spurs next manager
https://mobile.twitter.com/seadk6/status/1212501156318105601
Happy Birthday Jack Wilshere. Wonder whether you might have had less injuries and showed more evidence on a regular basis of the talent we saw in you youth, under a Mikel Arteta.
Perhaps getting carried away by a great night to begin our Roaring Twenties!
GoonerB 1038
Sorry, just catching up….that is the same Jamie O’Hara ridiculed on radio recently for making a point of saying he won the League Cup with Spurs…..but, John Terry like, wasnt selected to play in the final.
Morning all, match report on it’s way …….. Rocky is composing …….
The euphoria and relief last night was felt by us all and not one person could have predicted that every single player gave their all though as already mentioned it is pretty clear that a number of them had downed tools whilst playing under Emery and it was allowed to continue for far too long .That should have been addressed much quicker but nevertheless it’s great to enjoy one of our games something we haven’t witnessed for far too long .That was Ozil and Xhaka playing, wasn’t it.
Morning everyone… New Post