When we first got him, he immediately got my attention because he was being called the 'Polish Vieira'. Okay, a bit over the top, but at the very least, it spoke of his supposed style of play and built.

I also recall he was moved to central defense for a time. I didn't know if it was because he wasn't cutting it as a central midfielder, he found his true calling or was simply just needed there.

To paraphrase Arsene coming 17th is like winning a trophy.

Be not afraid, omoh. The Arsenal and the top flight are practically synonymous.

Looking it up, its well known MUFC were relegated in '74, the Reds in '54. The Arsenal? Never*

Can someone he hasn’t blocked tell him that Arsenal were relegated from the top division in 1913. Okay, a very long time ago. But it’s simply wrong to say “Never”.

Never?

https://blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk/archives/5891

Such irony.

Two parallel statements from the same club.

http://www.skysports.com/share/12166072

https://www.skysports.com/share/12166438

The safety and health of our players is paramount - but not, seemingly, that of their supporters.

Martinelli isn't in the U23 squad tonight, perhaps on the bench for the first team?

Wasn't there just a vote that now allows 9 subs to be named but still only 3 to be used in the prem?

I think you made a good point not too long ago about Arsenal, if they are, being in a relegation battle towards the end of the season. Should it happen, Arsenal have less experience of ‘fighting for your life’ in a relegation struggle than the other clubs who are likely to be down there. I suspect you’re right; that could easily work against us.

Let me say I still don’t expect us to go down. But we have to improve to avoid that possibility and I’m not going to pretend it can’t.

You’re right. He wasn’t there. Chambers and Balogun got our two goals. Mari and Saliba also featured.

The owners are kidding me. Is it not obvious the failure to originally lock down early enough cost the UK lives and any resurgence must be stamped out with strict measures.

Hey ltg,
Thanks. I am aware of that and our history, hence the asterisk and a smiley after 'Never' above.

Martinelli couldn't be healthy at a better time. We need a boost to the attack desperately.

Hmmm

If offered I'd take a 17th place finish right now! History and my head tell me I am being too pessimistic, but our long run in the top flight feels very threatened. Sheffield must surely be unrescuable, but I can see The Baggies and Burnley making a fist of it. Fulham and Brighton, who knows? Normally to avoid relegation a team has to win 9 or 10 matches and add some draws. We have won 4 so far. It could be tight.

Technically speaking Arsenal have never been relegated - it was Woolwich Arsenal!

Do you see the club as founded in 1919, when it was first called Arsenal? Until then it was called firstly Dial Square, then Royal Arsenal, then Woolwich Arsenal, then The Arsenal. Perhaps if Brighton go down they should drop the name Brighton and Hove Albion to become Brighton Albion. Then they will never have been relegated, or promoted for that matter. If they go down how about West Bromwich Albion (WBA) becoming West Bromwich Rovers (WBR)? You could start a trend here.

That's the spirit.

Still no matter what, its an enviable record for being in the top flight. I wish I was around in '74 when Man Utd went down. It must have been surreal at that time, no?

I found a pretty decent page on Arsenal history here :

http://www.stevegleiber.com/history.htm

Non football obviously and given the average age of this forum, probably not much interest, but anyone galvanised by bitcoin being near 17k GBP a coin? Something I've been interested for quite some time.

Thoughts?

I am so used to us playing on Sunday UK time that I just realised we play tonight.will be interested in if he makes any changes

an excerpt:

"...and on the 2nd day, God created The Arsenal and he saw what he had created and said it is very good."

and

"....and he told the Arsenal board. "Beware of those among you who will bring in deceivers (hat tip to Dein). You can have any owner you wish but do not bite into the American apple owner. "

"and because the Arsenal board did not listen to God, he said "You will have pain and suffering and flirt with relegation."

I like the idea of more subs in some form or manner. American football and basketball allow unlimited subs. In basketball its not uncommon if you are up by an insurmountable lead to sub off all 5 starting players. Now, 5 is a lot less than 11. In American football we have 11 players and there are as much as half a dozen or so subs if you are up by an insurmountable lead toward the end of the game.

I like 5 subs, but it also may mean that teams will bring on 5 defensive players to protect a lead and the game will be very boring from that point on. That can be countered with the team losing bringing on 5 attacking players.

I would suggest perhaps allowing 3 subs a half. But you can't accumulate unused subs from the first half.

Lastly, and this is something I've advocated before. I'd like to codify and make the ball being kicked out for injury a rule it must then go back to the team that did it. It's a gentleman's agreement now but I'd like to see it part of the rules.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/55365095

Lock down does nothing but push the spread of the virus to a future date.

The more people that get it earlier the weaker the virus will get.

Getting it appears to give immunity to future stronger mutations.

Australia have been lucky to date, they too will be hit by the virus sooner lr later, don't forget it's now summer for them so less likely to spread.

What has happened to flu this year it appears to have vabiahed????,,

I'm expecting a draw or worse today. I'd love a win obviously but remains to be seen if we can win away these days.

I don' like Everton for personal reasons. Something a fan of another club told me about the club. Yeah, I sound cryptic but so what.

Of late, I had a wee bit of a soft spot seeing them punch above their weight along with Wolves, Leicester and one or two others.

I am so used to us playing on Sunday UK time that I just realised we play tonight.will be interested in if he makes any changes

Yes, it pushes the spread of the virus to a future date when more people have been vaccinated, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, and thus the most vulnerable are better protected.

It's not rocket science Bubble.

You are talking absolute nonsense. No luck in it - lock down to slow or almost stop it. Let’s see what happens when and if it mutates. Already there are different strains.

But at a future date, a vaccine will be well underway for most people like they did for measles, mumps, rubella, etc.

Christ, you've come out with plenty of nonsense in the past, primarily about Brexit, now here you go again about Covid.

Stop reading conspiracy websites.

https://fullfact.org/online/flu-pneumonia-deaths-wrong/

Balogun scored again last night.
We are in real danger of losing the boy if Arteta does not give him real game time even if from the bench.
Wouldn't surprise me if a few bids come in January for him and he will make someone an excellent free transfer in the summer.
Just something about him. Big strong holds the ball well and knows where the net is.
I'd much rather give game time to this boy then Lacazette who we should be looking to move on.
Balogun would be a natural replacement but the odd Europa league cameos wont be enough to keep him.
Artera has to turn on the charm offensive and show a direct route to the first team or he will be off.

Looks like the club are right behind Arteta.
I still am but want to see the likes of Smith Rowe Nelson and Balogun given more time and the likes of Willian and Xhaka dropped for a while.
Lose the cautiousness Mikel and get Buendia or another creative midfielder in January.
Stop playing your favourites and put more trust in the youngsters.
Need to start moving up the table.
Quietly confident about today.
Not sure why but lets hope we put in a good performance and come away with at least a point.

Stop hiding behind an article you've plugged out of the air. My view has nothing to do with conspiracies but is based on facts and figures available to the public.

Nonsense? show me what in particular you consider nonsense.

Till then testing is up to between 300000 to 500000 a day compared to 100 - 200000 in the early days. They are counting infections only which if you accept the above figures would have increased at least 3 maybe 5 fold.

Is it the current deaths? Have you seen the figures for flu deaths?

I await a sensible response......................

For the rest of you who agree it pushes the infection forward and the vaccine will catch the virus, yes it will but the vaccine will not happen overnight , there are tens of millions still to do.

In the meantime thousand so small businesses are going to the wall. Thousands of homes will be repossessed and no doubt there will be hundreds of extra suicides. And still the treatment of cancers, mental issues and hundreds of other serious illnesses are not being dealt with.

42 people below 60 (I think it's 60) have died from covid 19 the rest were people who wer on there way our or seriously ill anyway. A waste of life yes but surely you'd prefer the current average age of those dying stays well over 80 rather than drops to 50/60 say?

Now London will be put in tier 4 and Christmas is cancelled for millions because a virus that isn't killing any more people than flu does every year has suddenly jumped to infect a lot more people. Note I said infects, not puts them in hospital.

We need to see the figures for hospital cases and deaths not infections.

Aubameyang not even in the squad. Tight calf
Leno, Tierney, AMN, luiz, holding, Elneny, ceballos, willian, Saka, Pépé, nketiah

Smith-rowe and martinelli on the bench

Holding captain.
I realise that we’re without some key players but on paper that’s as weak an arsenal team as I’ve seen for years

And the ignorance continues.

UK average annual deaths from complications of flu are 8000 over the last 12 years or so. Covid deaths this year are 66500.

Aubameyang not playing because of a tight calf sounds suspicious. Maybe taking a breather?

Who on here was saying we don't wear our home kits away when its not in conflict with the home side? Now you have me noticing it. lol