We bagged three points at home against a limited yet brave N. Forrest team.
Besides a few minutes to get the engine roaring, our team took matters in its own hands in the first half and really dominated N. Forrest in all areas of the pitch and it was only natural – and fitting – that our academy product Nketiah scored our and his first goal of the season…Our star academy product Saka then produced a moment of magic with a wonderful goal…Arsenal 2 – 0 N. Forrest 🙂
In the second half, we struggled a bit more especially after Timber’s exit due to injury. We conceded a soft goal and then somehow held on to victory.
Arteta sending a signal to the EPL that we have more options now by playing Partey at RB and Timber at LB…Worked well in the first half but to be honest, I d be happy to go back to our usual line ups and to put Havertz on the bench…
Ramsdale – 6
Partey – 6
White – 6
Saliba – 7
Timber – 7
Rice – 6
Ode – 7
Havertz – 6
Saka – 8
Nketiah – 7
Martinelli – 7
Gabriel, Tomy and Trossard: 6
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– Timber – a good game at LB but unfortunately injured. Let us see how we integrate Tierney to the mix now…
– Partey seemed more comfortable back in midfield…
– Rice had a good game defensively but will need to step up his game going forward, especially his shots and last pass.
– Ode seemed a bit lost at first in the new set up but eventually took the measure of the game.
– Havertz is still working hard but outputs are still limited.
– Martinelli had a good game, just missing a goal or an assist. It is good to have Trossard on the bench though as he is adding not only competition but also different skill set. We are covered at LFW.
– Nketiah – is he underrated? He does score goals for us regularly when playing. I am still not 100% convinced he can lead our attack but it s good to have him in the squad.
– I hope Ramsdale deals well with the increased competition with Raya and also hope Gabriel does recover his full form because he seems a bit more insecure than usual since the beginning of the season.
– I would not mind bringing in another CM (K. Thuram from Nice for example) to the team to be honest and reintegrate Balogun to the team.
– I am still on the fence for F. Vieira…
COYG!
Ramsdale – White, Saliba, Gabs, Timber – Partey, Rice – Ode – Saka, G. Jesus, Martinelli
Raya – Tomy, Kiwior, Tierney, Zinchenko – Jorginho, K. THURAM, Havertz – Trossard, Nketiah, ESR
Win is labrador
Timber out for months as operation is required to fix the ruptured knee ligament…What a disaster for him and Arteta’s plan…Tierney we count on you 🙂
Don’t think timber was brought into play LB so we should be good once Zinchenco back
Weird how tomyasu plays
LB over Tierney wonder what mikel don’t like
Still a mystery Fred…I always liked Tierney…He always showed a good attitude on the pitch, has a great cross in him and is not poor at defending…
Only thing I could think of is the inverted role he doesn’t do that well but weekend partey was inverted so why didn’t Tierney get it
Really hope he gets back in
Maybe…I think Tierney is just a tidy bit soft defensively and he cannot take part in the game through the middle of the pitch like Zinchenko…Let us see…It d be sad to see Tomyasu at LB…If it is the case, then let us sell Tierney to the highest bidder, we have to be fair to him too…
We still have a lot of players that need to leave our Club (Cedric, Tavares, Lokonga, Pepe…) by the way
Meanwhile, Neymar left PSG few weeks after Messi…
—————Donna——————–
– Haki, Skriniar, Marquinhos, Mendes –
——–Ugarte, Verratti (?) ————-
—————- ? ————————
– Dembele, G.RAMOS, Mbappe
Subs: Navas – Mukiele, Perreira, Kimpembe, Hernandez – Ndour, Ruiz, Vitinha – Z.Emery, K.Lee – Asensio
Don’t be surprised if PSG goes in for 2 midfielders (if Verratti leaves) and at least one more striker…
Watched some Ligue Un highlights on TV and was amazed to see the programme sponsored by Uber Eats, I mean, of all countries France and Uber Eats..! The worlds gone mad.
Huge blow to lose Timber for the whole season in the first game. Got to feel sorry for the lad. I just hope it doesn’t affect his long term development with the club. The quicker we get Zinchenko back the better, because i don’t think Arteta is overly keen on Tomiyasu or Tierney to do what he wants them to do in that LB role.
Let us see…We have Tomy, White, Partey (somehow) for RB apparently and we have Tierney, Tomy at LB still so we have some options…
Huge blow to lose Timber though since he was our only addition to the backline and we are now stuck with Kiwior and Holding as back up to Saliba-Gabs…
Saka hasn’t been playing very well at RW so maybe we could use him at LB again…. 😂
Guess Tavares has no future either
Edu, Arteta and company better not be risking the clubs fate to a defense that consists of Tomi (has he even played 1 entire game since his injury), Zinc, Tierney and a still not 100% Saliba, and the rumor of Garbriel leaving?
What a recipe for averageness or a late season collapse.
Better sign 2 defenders, who have never had a surgery, and can play actual games!
Fred, if the rumours are correct we migh5 get a decent fee for Nuno?
Ok think forest je going ent
Timber had never had a surgery when we signed him. Same with Tomiyasu.
I guess what you’re saying is that Arteta and Edu should be able to predict the future in order for Arsenal to succeed? Or is it that you think the club should buy 2 players every time 1 gets injured or is rumoured to leave?
I think if we went with that tactic then the ‘fate’ of the club would be bankruptcy…..!!!
Unfortunately Aaron we can’t always just buy our way out of injury issues. I agree that we could maybe use 1 more body in there for this season, but I think a loan would be the most likely scenario, or a cheap buy. Personally, I’d like Arteta to have a word with Pep and see if we can get Laporte on the cheap or for a season. Can cover that left side and is still good enough.
The other thing we need to consider is that actually this isn’t a LB issue at all, and is more of a loss to our RB options. Our first game saw White playing CB with Saliba, and it’s possible that Arteta has seen what most fans have seen which is that Gabriel can be a little bit rash at times and maybe the White/Saliba pairing is first choice. The fact Partey was preferred to play that inverted RB role rather than White being pushed out there also gives some credibility to the idea that White will be the CB option. This would suggest then that Timber was actually going to be playing RB, and was only being used as cover for Zinc in the short term. If indeed Arteta’s preferred back 4 was going to be Timber/Saliba/White/Zinchenko then actually we need to be looking for some RB cover, or at least a versatile defender who can play across the back line. When you actually look at the squad, our LB area is better stocked than RB in terms of numbers and quality…..
LB Zinchenko/Tierney/Tavares/Kiwior/Tomiyasu
RB White/Tomiyasu/Cedric/Partey
IF Arteta wants to continue the Saliba/White partnership then in reality we only have ONE credible RB in Tomayisu (with Cedric likely to leave and Partey used in midfield). If that’s the case then it’s going to be another season at full back for White, or we dip into the market for another body.
We were heavily linked with Ivan Fresneda before we opted for Timber. He’s a younger, cheaper option and may be the player we turn to now that Timber is out long term.
Hmmm, plenty to think about there Slim, Fresneda is a good call.
Saw him link with Chelsea
FGG,
Forgot to mention that we could possibly promote from within too.
Let’s be real too, Cedric and Tavares will never likely play another game in the shirt.
Is Tomi even the same player he was before the knee injury, and has he even played 1 full game since his surgery?
Zinc will get an injury some time during the season that is without a doubt, also because Arteta never rotates and subs before 75 minutes; sound familiar?
Saka and White got played into the ground last season.
Jesus got a serious injury at the waste o time world cup and has not since recovered.
Tierney can’t full be expected to last a full season as a starter either, along with Partey.
Timber had no time to be even assimilated to Arteta’s practices and the rigors of the EPL.
Yet, Arteta was going all in on the 22 year old, and putting him back out in the second half of the Forest game was beyond stupid, I do not care what the medics and player said, he is a $40million player who could be integrated like Viera, but actually contribute something to the team.
Our offense is stacked, but our defense will most likely collapse during the last 8 games of the season if we are even in the running due to the schedule AFC has this year.
Man City are already pulling away from their competitors with only Brighton staying the pace, for now…
I think it s official…Arteta does not rate Tierney…Tomy playing at LB…White at CB and Partey at RB…I still think it is made to play Partey at RB…and Tierney not even on the bench
Arsenal starting XI:
Ramsdale – Partey, White, Saliba, Tomiyasu – Rice, Odegaard, Havertz – Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah.
Subs: Raya, Gabriel, Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Trossard, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Zinchenko.
I think it this new system with the FB going into midfield so it kinda makes sense that you have a CM actually in midfield
But yea putting a RB over your actual LB kinda weird
Just hope we keep a clean sheet and win convincingly
What are your thoughts of having rice further forward
Did you notice the formation at the end: never mind all the new arrival nonsense, you lot get out the way the whole back line was last seasons stone wall. We found our solidity as soon as White went to RB
I don’t think Arteta is certain of his formation yet; he seems to be trying to shoe horn, Rice, Partey and Havertz into the team.
I think things complicated cause of no zinchenco as yet cause it can change once he starts games