Keep fighting Leeds. Never thought I'd ever say that.

Realistically that's never going to happen. We'll have 2 bona fide central mids for sure. It actually wouldn't surprise me to see Arteta play Xhaka and Elneny - he's done it a few times in the big games to stifle the game down and try to win on fine margins.
I agree on Cédric starting, I think he links up better with whoever plays right wing.

Both teams are more dangerous down their left.

I'd like Pépé and Smith-Rowe to start. I think the later will but think he'll pick Willian

Oh Mustafi has just scored a bit of a nightmare own goal for Shalke

I agree with you Rich. To say gooner7’s front six looks unbalanced would put them in with a good chance of the understatement of the year award.

Read a few reviews of Willock since he’s been an Newcastle, I haven’t seen any of it so just relaying the opinion of others who have seen the games. They think he’s playing well, Newcastle’s best player, the best thing I read about him was people saying he’s playing with confidence because he feels superior to those around him in the tw am rather than inferior or hesitant like he has been for Arsenal

Let's be easy on Mustafi. It could be worse. He could have been doing that for us.
I like Mustafi now. I really do. Good luck to him.

Nothng against West Brom as a club but they hired fat Sam so must face the sword. Hope they go down and stay so until fat Sam is gone.

Everton losing at home to Burnley. Villa threw away two points against Newcastle. If anyone puts together a proper run of results they’ll get those European places. Top 4 is too far for us but win the game in hand and beat Everton and we’d only be two points behind them.
Of course it’s all easier said than done but it is in our hands if we can get a run together

Much like everyone else, the most consistent thing about us is our inconsistency. Getting a run together is thus, as you imply, much easier said than done.

Fulham make 2 mistakes trying to play out from the back and City punish them with 2 goals and kill the game 3-0. MOTD do the analysis of it and pretty much everything is praise for Fulham being brave and total agreement that they shouldn’t change the way they play because that’s how Parker sets them up.

Arteta sees something in Willian, just hope his faith pays off in the long-run. But don't take too long.

Hope he comes back next season to rediscover his "Vieira-form" with us. The loan will do him a world of good.

https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/ ... u-20141201

Amani Richards at Arsenal now. Former Chelsea player.

Gotta love the Caribbean accent on the youtube host. I noticed that in London, a lot of Jamaican patois street slang is mixed in with the cockney. All manner of youth were using it. Fascinating to a non Londoner.


Not much of him on video

I hate the feeling on derby days with your stomach in knots. Even at our best, I was nervous playing Tottenham or Chelsea.

I am certain I will not agree with some of the players that will be selected for the NLD but what is essential is that they must concentrate from minute 1. At no time must the team cruise. Spurs are weak defensively and we must exploit that. A home game and we must perform.

We started very well in the Benfica, Burnley and Olympiacos games and then allowed (or graciously helped) the opposition back into the game. If we do get a good start against Spurs I do hope we can see some better game management. In particular, I hope it is made clear to our players that passing the ball to Kane, Son, or Bale in our area is not something to be advised.

Arteta has big selection dilemmas today.
I think Mari has been unlucky not to have gotten more game time. Has looked good every time he has played.
Would like to see Gabriel and Mari together but supposedly that cant happen as both left footers.....not sure I can see the significance of that but hey ho.
For sure the 2 to be dropping out the team for me today would be Luiz and Willian.
I would play Cédric ahead of Bellerin as well.
I think he gives more in defence and attack.
Ødegaard would be rested and Emile Smith Rowe back in in his place. Pépé in for Willian and Aubameyang through the middle with Saka on other wing so......

Leno
Cédric Gabriel Mari Tierney
Xhaka Partey
Emile Smith Rowe
Pépé Aubameyang Saka

Come on you Gunners.
Let's win this!!!!!

Normal for any gooner to be over focused on the derby but the Man Utd vs West Ham match is very important for us as well.

The penalty City won yesterday v Fulham is the sort we’ve been denied for a long time. Saka and Pépé have both had penalties waved away very similar to that one

Xhaka aside I agree with this line up. Fresh legs seem a good idea so Pépé and Emile Smith Rowe getting a run out is logical

Spurs ahead of Arsenal in match day broadcast and commercial revenue

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... n-balance/

Stan Kroenkes legacy is almost complete. He’s been a disaster for Arsenal

According to Ornstein, Martinelli not in today’s squad even though fully fit. All a bit odd now with Martinelli.

Bet he gets used as a makeweight in bringing Ødegaard in full time.

Weird. I’ve certainly seen more game changing moments for Arsenal from Martinelli than I have from Ødegaard so far.

Really really hope not Darren.
It's just bizarre.
The kid is special.
Before he got injured the second time Arteta I'm sure played him in a few games in a row and was singing his praises. I think one of them was the city cup game at home.
It seems since the game he was hauled off at half time (cant remember who it was against, utd at home maybe) he hasnt had a look in.
Will never forgive Arteta if he forces this kid out.

I red another report saying Martinelli had soreness in his tendon around his patella, which would make sense after coming back from a long knee injury

Aubameyang benched for breach of discipline according to Arteta

Took this from Le grove
Great post
Calmed me down a bit re Martinelli

Martinelli is 19 and coming back from a big injury, very few teenagers perform consistently in the PL

Saka didn’t get off the bench in the FA cup final in August, or the Semi Final against City, Smith-Rowe was rescuing Huddersfield from relegation

12 months is a long time in football, particularly at that age, Aubameyang wasn’t a consistent goal scorer until he was 24/25

Saka has 5 PL goals, which is as many as all the other teenagers in the league combined

The obsession around Martinelli + Saliba is strange one

The idea we were going to pair Saliba + Gabriel was unlikely at best, they had less than 100 senior games between them, there’s no way we were going to pair two rookies who hardly spoke a word of English between them

We sign Saliba for €30 million at 18, so we don’t have to pay £60 million at 22, you don’t always get an instant return on investment, sometimes you need to wait for investments to mature, €30 million can still turn out to be a bargain

IMO…. Martinelli is being lined up as an internal replacement for Aubameyang

He’s incredibly raw in aspects of his game, and throwing young players in before they’re ready, can cause more harm than good

Fans losing it over a teenager not getting 20 minutes at the end of a game, is so 2021…

You need to add....’and goes on to be brilliant at another club’
I highly doubt Arteta is forcing Martinelli out. Yes we want him to have more minutes based on what we saw before his injury, but the more rational explanation is Martinelli is coming back from a really big injury, is still only 19 and is having to get used to the tactical plans of a new manager. Arteta sees the players every day in training.
Saka sat on the bench for the fa cup semi final and final and smith-rowe was busy helping Huddersfield avoid relegation. Things can change very quickly to Martinelli especially considering the squad shake up we need in three summer

Edit. David, you just posted the very thing I just read and summarised above

1Leno
17Cédric Soares
23David Luiz
6Gabriel
3Tierney
18Partey
34Xhaka
7Saka
11Ødegaard
32Smith Rowe
9Lacazette

Substitutes
2Bellerín
8Ceballos
12Willian
14Aubameyang
16Holding
19Pépé
21Chambers
25Elneny
33Ryan

He’s dropped Aubameyang for disciplinary reasons?

Wtf. That’s plain weird.

The official club twitter announced he was starting 30 minutes ago ?

This is so Arsenal on a day like today......
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was due to start against Tottenham but was dropped for disciplinary reasons.

Could it be the tattoo thing?

On the Martinelli thing unfortunately he’s the logical sacrificial bunny. I can’t advocate dropping Willian, Pépé or Aubameyang off the bench to accommodate him.

What’s ridiculous is that if Aubameyang has “breached” disciplinary rules then surely he shouldn’t be on the bench either.

If we struggle to score Arteta will get pelters.

But that’s been known for some time and he played mid week ?

Also I thought it was dispelled that it was a while ago

Another one for Arteta’s naughty corner then.

Perhaps he’s a reincarnated school teacher.

We are priceless......if there's a way to **** it up on the pitch, we're 1st there - now it's before games even start. Unbelievable and on today of all days.

It’s incredible isn’t it. I swear there are higher forces at work here.

Weird desicion. To drop Aubameyang from the team so close to kick off signals he's done something quite bad, but then why is he on the bench? Oh well, Lacazette has scored some crackers against Tottenham and he's on a good run of form.