I would hope he does. I feel feel he should be our no 1.

7 wins, 2 draws, 0 defeats.
Beat City to win the community shield
Beat Man U
Won our first CL game emphatically
Through to the next round of the league cup

But yet it still feels like we aren’t playing that well yet….?

Being away to WHU 4th round in EFL Cup, is it's still in London. Unless some would have preferred to play away at Newcastle, Liverpool, Blackburn, Bournemouth, Everton, Man U. Let alone the other away sides that won on Tuesday. Not a bad draw.

Anything less than the start we had last season was always going to be a wee bit underwhelming. Last season's start was an anomaly. We snuck up on teams early on.

Also, we had Jesus injured a little bit. We lost Tinder who I think would have been big for us.

From what I've seen so far this season our football is kinda boom or bust.

Absolutely possession obsessed but not creating enough chances. Every game feels like we are in total control mostly but it could explode on us. We can't put teams away in the premier league. It seems so over engineered if I'm honest. I wouldn't say Carragher is correct but i understand his point kinda, everything is so intense and it feels like every game is armed combat. We are winning and its not a complaint but we aren't relaxed or ruthless killers really

Hmmm
There are 15 other teams, and 30 possible draws we could have got (home away to each). There are 6 non prem sides so that’s 12 of the 30 I’d rather have had. There’s also Fulham, Burnley, Everton, Bournemouth I’d rather have, so now I’m at 20 of 30 possible ties, I’d rather play West Ham and Chelsea at home, so that’s 22 of 30 possible ties. So in my view it was the 8th worst tie we could have got out of 30

One thing I noticed in both the Man U and spurs game was how we went long from the gk much more than either of those two sides. Considering we have bought two gk who are great with their feet and have a very technically able defence I’m surprised we haven’t been braver to play out from the back and bring those sides on to us more to then break their press. There were times more so in the spurs match where us going long seemed to give away possession too easily. Both opponents pressed us high but it wasn’t like being pressed by City when they suffocate you and can kill you with one misplaced pass. I think we should have trusted ourselves to bring them on to us and pass around them if they were going to press us high

I will be surprised if he is. I think Arteta has the new bloke as number one. It’s all part of the process

I agree. The fact that we don't turn possession into chances and goals just leads to nervousness, especially when opponents possess significant counter-attacking threats and our own ability to shoot ourselves in the foot at any given moment.

We struggle to break down low blocks, perhaps lacking inventiveness, creativity, incisiveness and quality in the final third, which is surprising given the ability of the players we have. Teams have learned if you double up on Saka and Martinelli a lot of our threat is diminished. As a result we are unable to create enough decent chances to score and put games to bed and it piles the pressure on.

I feel our forward play is over-laboured. We spend too much time trying to find the pass.
We take forever to make a throw-in. Most balls get circled sideways or back when it gets to the final third.
Banging on the same drum here. With Balogun, we can get a Plan B going. He can run at and beat defences. Nketiah is a maybe on most ocassions.

We can probably make an injured 11 better than available 11 right now. Lots of injuries although hopefully a few are available for the weekend but no point risking it with CL and City coming up.
Timber and Partey are the longer term absentees.
Saka, Rice, Saliba, Trossard, Martinelli, Vieira all on the injured list

If they are all out for the weekend then I'd go with:

Raya, Zinchenko, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, White, Jorginho, Havertz, Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe, Nelsen, Jesus
Bench would be very interesting, Ramsdale, Kiwior, Elneny, Nketiah + 3 youth team players

Also, you could swap Havertz, Emile Smith Rowe and Jesus around in the line up (I think Arteta will pick Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe will be on the bench). But I wouldn't mind seeing Emile Smith Rowe in the left 8, Jesus wide right, Nelsen wide left and Havertz up front

Arsenal '92 season in review.

Lokonga who was on loan at Luton picked up a fairly serious hamstring injury and has returned to Arsenal for treatment

Artetas had a press conference. Basically everyone is injured

Any 3 points whatsoever tomorrow

Mourinho's Roma. 6 games, 5 points.

I would like to see us passing over longer distances when we are playing a team of cloggers. Newcastle coming up will do to us what they did to Man City in the League Cup. Taking out our best players in suicidal one two's. Playing longer passes would allow our players to move away from their markers and make any foul more obvious.

Another bonus is we would be passing and moving forward quicker instead of the boring one two'staking us backwards.

We have the passers let's use them.

Another must win game.

spot on

+ no more major injuries please!

Right now, I'd take any result and no major injuries on Tuesday. Even a loss would not be catastrophic. Arteta simply has to trust our fringe players in games like that.

If we can get to Sunday reasonably intact and in a position to pick a good team, it will be a major test passed.

I have no idea what midfield and attack Arteta would pick against City. I would get Rice and Jorghino in. Just make sure that back 4 is solid and well protected, and that we can hold onto the ball further up the pitch. We can't just be kicking the ball to their centre-backs and absorbing pressure.

One of my brothers is an Arsenal fan by extension. He mentions Arsenal sometimes and someone sent him this. It's funny, I'll admit. It's funnier if it was Tottenham.

Brighton changed their gk again for todays game. Looks very much like they have 2 No.1’s. Not seen much made of that in the media…. It’s almost like creating a sh*t storm around Arsenal and Arteta is more interesting and gets more attention and clicks

Seems like saliba, rice and Saka have all made the team. And Vieira and Trossard on the bench. Arteta was downplaying this all week so a nice surprise

Douglas Luiz has been impressive for Villa again. Next summer you’d imagine we might need another central mid….

Imo we should get Watkins from Villa whatever the cost. I feel he fits our game plan more than Tovey who may not be ready to play till later in January.

I honesty don't understand the logic of picking that front three, or Havertz in midfield.

Welcome to fox news. Arsenal have far more supporters who click on the bait and far more haters who will also click on the bait.

I'm happy for Emery. Villa are for real. Brighton are no pushovers as we all know.

Any links?

Which is odd as the Dutch lad is far superior, and we haven’t got two no.1s have we? Raya is clearly Arteta’s preferred pick. I was ok with it, but I don’t like it now.

Nice play and movement from Havertz there

Why am I seeing is pump it clear this season? Saka with an up and under from midfield. Seen it a few times from different players Odd.

Thanks Ash

Saka 1-0

Saka 1-0
Well deserved lead

Lovely ball in from Ødegaard

Yes I think it’s clear Raya is the preferred so it actually makes the scrutiny from the media worse. He bought a new gk and after a few games he bought that gk in. Brighton have just swapped and changed 3-4 times. If Ramsdale wasn’t English there wouldn’t be this uproar. You only have to look at what happened when Ramsdale took Leno’s place, 2 top class gk and the media were loving Ramsdale coming in and doing well

Neto again playing well for Wolves

Thanks Ash

Hmmm does Mikel read the forum. The passing has improved, so far.

Clear cut penalty.

Well done Eddie. Clearly a penalty.