Imagine when Jesus got injured that we’d dipped in to the market and bought a striker who had just scored 6 goals in his first 6 games for us. That’s what Nketiah has done since the restart.
Goal v West Ham
Goal v Brighton
Very nearly got the winner v Newcastle
2 goals v Oxford in the cup
Could have scored a couple v spurs
2 goals v Man U including the 90th minute winner

If this was a new player he’d be an absolute hero to the fans. I think Nketiah is getting the credit he deserves now from the fans but it’s worth putting in to contest what he’s done.

Saliba walked the yellow card suspension tightrope for 9 premier league games. Fair play

Current rumor is Onana from Everton

Hi Dec,

Totally agree. As great as it feels to be top and as well as we are playing there is still half the season to go and the wheels could easily come off if we are hit with injuries to say Partey, Saka, Ødegaard or Xhaka. I'd put Zinchenko in that category as well as no one else in the squad can play the inverted LB role like he does. He might even be the most crucial player of all.

The PL is really tough, every game is a battle and every side possesses players who can hurt you even when you are dominating a game.

If the gap is still big with 10 games to go then start believing, but at the moment just enjoy the ride and be cautiously optimistic.

Put it this way, at this stage if I had to put my life savings on who I thought would win the PL I'd still go for City. They have the squad and the experience.

Clubs that have played both us and City say we are playing the best football, but I don't want us to get carried away. The first half told us we are not just a top 4 club in the league but at the high end of that top 4. We are at least, right now, one of the two best clubs.

City will tell us if we are title challengers. I wish the first game would have been a league game. I'd gladly give up the FA cup if we won and drew one in the league against City.

It could even be argued that on form at game time Man Utd were the best team in the league besides us. That on current form, it was harder to beat them after they had beaten City. Tough reasoning with them playing at home against City and playing us away. Reverse that and its a different result most likely.

Complicated situation with them being part way through building a new stadium.

Did anyone see that comment from moshiri that it wasn’t his decision to sack Lampard. Basically more fuel to the fire that the club is owned by usmanov indirectly

Chelsea have bid 55m for Moses caicedo and it’s been rejected and are now going back with a Bigger offer. Potter seemed to be making comments that they should offer 100 million for him I mean ffs

I mean is any of this not mental. Are the football authorities going to look at it.

There was a suggestion they are going back for Fernandez too.

I always thought Neville would have preferred us over City

Who cares?

Cédric to Fulham on loan is close. Would save us nearly £2m from his £100k a week wages

Agree. Nicely put by both.

That would be fitting.

Well supposedly it wasn't his choice. Hence Moshiri's sudden announcement club is up for sale, if Usmanov still connected in any remote way.

Like to see who takes over to complete this buildout.

There are fears Elneny’s knee injury is serious and could keep him out for the season - which may force us in to the market for a central midfielder.

I think we need one.
Trossard gives good attacking cover and Kiwior gives us options to rotate at the back. But in central midfield we’re now massively reliant on Partey/Xhaka/Ødegaard. Only really Ødegaard has cover in Emile Smith Rowe and Vieira. Lokonga hasn’t worked so far and looks like he needs a loan. Partey back up is non existent, if he was out I think we’d have to move Xhaka back there and use Emile Smith Rowe/Trossard in Xhaka’s role

I did read yesterday that Kiwior could possibly play defensive midfield. No idea how much experience he has of that though.

Can Ben White fill in ?

That sounds more promising than throwing in an untested player out of position.

Perhaps Zinchenko can cover Xhaka's position if necessary?

I always think it’s dangerous if you lose a first 11 player to then pluck other first 11 players out of their positions to fill the gaps.

In theory if Partey got injured (with Elneny out as well) you could move Xhaka to deep midfield, Zinchenko to Xhaka’s position and being in Tierney. But it feels like shuffling too many parts.

I don’t know about Ben White there, I prefer Xhaka for the ball progression ability.

Arsenal are likely to try hard for another central mid, remember when we thought Elneny would miss a fair chunk of the start of the season we went with 3 bids for Douglas Luiz at the end of the summer window. Well we’re in the same position now.

Tielemans is still there and easily obtainable, but you’d question why the club haven’t done it yet if they really wanted him. He’s also more Xhaka’s position than Partey.
Reading lots about making a big play for Declan Rice in the summer. He’d be excellent but West Ham won’t sell him mid season when they’re in a dog fight at the bottom.
Onana from Everton is another mentioned, huge guy, more of a screen that Partey’s all round game but could do a job

They will sign somebody there’s no way they will play the polish centre back in that position. Whilst he’s played there it was last season and all his recent games are at centre half. They aren’t moving Ben white either.

Got a feeling this guy might turn up despite our fans pissing his dad off

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... s-29043271


Would feel a bit meh though

It is certainly being looked at. UEFA are bringing in a rule to limit transfer fee amortisation to 5 years. Chelsea are trying to get around FFP by offering these long contracts and amortising them accordingly. It's a very risky strategy because if players don't work out you are stuck with these guys on high wages for years.

We will probably have to wait until next year to see how it impacts on their financial accounts and then see if UEFA will act.

No.idea about the Juve guy, but I agree on the rest. They aren't going to throw in the Polish kid in central.midfield. Elneny is hardly long term cover for Partey anyway. Given our league position and the chance we have to do something remarkable, I think we will bring in a decent midfielder.

Mudryk's eight and a half year contract provoked the thought that even the President of the US doesn't get that long.

We aren't going to get anyone even close to being good enough to do what Partey does for the team (as least not in January).
If Partey gets crocked we'll have to rethink the midfield.

Mckennie looked lively and combative at the WC and might be a good squad addition, but (judging from a very small sample of games) ... as you say , a bit meh...

Man Utd will likely end the season with a trophy, the league cup. I'm hoping Newcastle wins and beats them in the final, but I'd think the odds makers will side with Man Utd I'm guessing. Ironically enough its going to be these two clubs more than likely fighting for the 3rd and 4th spots in the league.

I’ve just read an article lauding the new found ‘dark arts’ employed by Newcastle. It enjoyed how Eddie Howe said ‘we’re not here to be popular we’re here to compete’. It said how Howe had spent time observing Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in his time away from the game, Lascelles has been booked twice as a sub for interfering with the play, Joelinton is the enforcer and has 7 yellows, they waste time, Wilson scuffed the penalty spot before Mitrovic slipped and missed from the spot recently, Jacob Murphy waving off a Saints player when he was carded, the coaching bench launching a bottle at Klopp, tactical injuries to eat up time and how Howe’s ‘handsome’ assistant Tindall can turn ugly with his antics on the touchline.

It’s funny because I thought we’re getting absolutely lambasted for only a fraction of that behaviour. And Arteta has been doing what he’s doing ever since he started at Arsenal and it’s strange that it’s only now that we’re top of the league that people find anything wrong with it. But plucky ‘state sponsored’ underdogs Newcastle are lauded for anything they can do to topple the elite?

Simon Jordan says a lot of things but he got it spot on with Arteta, he said people are getting overly upset because he’s seen as a jonny-come-lately, he shouldn’t be this good this soon, he’s putting noses out of joint and his thoughts and tactical brain on the game are hugely threatening for anyone who still goes for the ‘get in their faces’ approach to winning games. Wenger had to put up with this all his Arsenal career.

How nice to see a list of Arsenal squad wages and not see loads of players who are bleeding the club dry for their wage. It’s been far too long.

As someone commented on The Guardian website, 'What is so exciting and encouraging about this season is that we are clearly the best team in the league over the first half, and by a noticeable margin. And critically, we have backed up important wins with more important wins, and bounced back from our rare setbacks immediately (loss to United, crushed Brentford away next game. Drew with Southampton, crushed Forest next game. Drew with Newcastle, followed up with an away win at Spurs).'

Break our transfer record in a January window. Can’t see it.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba ... 55782.html

Guardiola on Arteta.

"He's an Arsenal fan. He was always jumping and celebrating except against one team... I was jumping and when I turned to him he was sitting there. That team was Arsenal."

"I'm pretty sure if I left before and he was here it would be better. But I extended the contract. I'm sorry and he didn't wait."






…. Reminder people here wanted the bloke sacked last year

Rumor season coincides with the transfer window
Latest is Moises Caicedo @ Brighton

If things go according to level and form the league cup will be Newcastle vs Man Utd and I'm sure I'm not the only gooner who will be cheering for Newcastle that day.

That being said, we may end up facing Man Utd again this season. Right now, we've got to be at or near the top of the favorites for the Europa League cup. Man Utd play Barcelona in the same competition and while Barca should be the favorites, I can't rule out Ten to come up with the right tactics to take Barca.

We could end up with Man Utd again in a Semi or Final. I'd love to avoid it but it could happen. More than likely Barca but again, with their present form, and having a manager who is good at tactics, I can't count them out by any stretch.

Some talk around Ibrahima Bamba

https://www.football365.com/news/arsena ... ase-clause

£26.5m release clause, defensive midfielder but has been playing CB in Brazil this season. He’s only 20

Now Kolo Touré sacked from Wigan.

Kiwior’s agent

“Zinchenko dragged Jakub into the changing room after the game against Manchester United. I think when he saw what kind of atmosphere there was, he already wanted to participate from the pitch.”

Zinchenko fast becoming a huge fan favourite. And to think Gary Neville said he’d watched Zinchenko and said he wasn’t a leader. Despite him being his nations captain and plenty of evidence in City team talks which he led.

The problem I have with Neville and Arsenal is not that he has an opinion that I think is wrong it’s that he refuses to use the evidence in front of his eyes to revise that opinion. Last week you had Carragher talking about Arsenals wide players and Neville was talking about what it was like in his day marking Marc Overmars. That was 20 years ago when everyone played 4-4-2 and full backs overlapped wide men….talk about the perspective of the full back with modern formations, 4-3-3 and how he’d play against Martinelli with no full back overlapping but instead Xhaka popping up between him and his CB, and then Zinchenko dropping in to central midfield.

Sorry not had a chance to post pics etc yet , since Monday I’ve been hit with a real busy week , will aim for next week

Highest yearly wage spends of football clubs.

Remarkable how we’ve slashed our wage bill. All but level with Spurs and between £130-170m less than Man U, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea. For now that helps bridge the gap of not having Champions League money, if we get Champions League money next year which looks increasingly strong we add something in the region of £80m extra revenue per season guaranteed rather than being in the Europa. Someone like Declan Rice may not be out of reach after all

Nketiah deserves an England call up. He can still play for Ghana if he wants. He's proven he can play the lone front man role.