Spurs have been drawn away to Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv for the first of their 3 Europa League qualifiers. Sept 17th game with prem games either side.
All because of us winning the FA Cup

By the way, how good were all Arsenal's penalties in the shoot out. Their GK got nowhere near any of them. I was thinking when we signed Willian that we've got a great group of penalty takers now. Aubameyang, Lacazette have taken quite a few for us. Pépé has taken a couple and took them for Lille before. Willian has obviously taken plenty for Chelsea. Luiz loves to step up and take one in a shoot out, and both Nelson and AMN look ice cold when taking penalties.

There was a point when we had Sanchez, Özil, Walcott as our penalty takers where I was never more than 50/50 whether any of them would score.

Now if we can just get a bit of that Man U luck and start actually being given some penalties in games.....

I'm sure many Arsenal fans have always wanted to read Wenger's autobiography when it ever came out, I've read a few biographies but nothing penned by Wenger. The man kept his counsell over so many aspects of football I think it would be fascinating to see what he says in his book. Well, Wenger's official autobiography is out on October 13th.

I doubt it'll be explosive, the man still has too much class to lay it all on the table but I'd hope for some interesting insight

Wenger's book will be interesting reading but it will also have his version of things and that may not be the most accurate in some cases.

Mkhitaryan has joined Roma permanently after we agreed to terminate his contract. So now that both players are officially gone, we can look back at the transfer involving him and Sanchez and say it was surely the worst swap deal of all time? Actually think we got the better end of the deal, but I'd way neither club will look back at the deal with fondness.

Ornstein reporting Gabriel has signed and is in quarantine which is why the announcement has been held up.

Fabrizio Romano (meant to be a very trusted journalist on transfers) says that Ceballos back to Arsenal on loan is very close to happening.

This sounds plausible, but if true you just have to shake your head at how Arsenal communicate with their supporters. If the deal is actually done, then just send out a short message or a tweet and then do the whole presentation video and first interview when he's out of quarantine. It would be a massive lift for the fans to see the deal being done, dragging it out like this just seems to annoy people.

Did Ornstein say when the quarantined period ends?

Yep in quarantine.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/theshortfu ... nouncement

Possibly mid to late next week Bernard.

I read on a Liverpool forum that they don't seem to think much of their keeper when it comes to penalties. But you're right, we've got much better options nowadays.

I read speculation that the quarantine period needs to end before the formal work permit can be granted and therefore Arsenal are waiting for the work permit before they can officially announce the transfer. Which if true does make sense because there’s no point jumping the gun even with a 0.1% chance you might be left with egg on your face. I do agree the communication to fans could be better. That sort of thing doesn’t have to come from the club officially it can be leaked to favoured journalists

Enjoy your trip Jose.

Well, Mkhitaryan era at The Arsenal is over https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1329705/Arsenal-Pierre-Emerick-Aubameyang-transfer-news-Henrikh-Mkhitaryan-gossip-rumours. If memory serves me right (and it often fails me), we had no choice but to take him when Sanchez forced a transfer.

I know I'll get skewered for saying this but I'd have taken Sanchez back if they allowed us to reverse the transfer. Henrikh had no interest at all. Sanchez could at least be blamed for caring too much at times.

As far as Ceballos, its nice but I'm not overly excited. He is a good player who can be creative and offer some semblance of defense but I'd rather the other player, Aouar, we are linked with as well as Özil in his prime. All in all, a good thing, especially if we don't get any other creative center mids.

Seems Man Utd is going after Upamecano. Not a surprise. Man Utd seem to have a knack for turning 'can't lose' transfers into busts. Pogba was a "can't lose". I was very, very worried when they bought him. It was virtually impossible not seeing him be huge for them. Luckily (for the rest of us), Mourinho was there. He either squeezes greatness from players or squeezes greatness out of players. If you get both meanings. (for the pedants).

OGS is growing into the job slowly by slowly but the job may be too big for him.

I’m sure I remember them often saying players had been signed with a qualification along the lines of ‘subject to regulatory conditions being met’, or words to that effect.

I take it there is no word about Aubameyang penning an extension?

The polls have tightened. Several of my more politically active friends who are very progressive are privately saying they think Trump will win. A Trump win should signal to the world America isn't worthy of the place in global affairs we have put ourselves. I'd even argue the fact that Trump is still supported to the degree he is says the same.

On balance, my father thought the same of any nation that could elect Nixon twice.

I understand why he is supported for the most part. It has nothing to do with the economy, it has nothing to do with what most politicians are elected for. This is purely from both xenophobia and seemingly fast changing demgraghics. America went through the same thing in the mid to late 1800s into the new century, when the demographics of immigration changed to eastern and southern Europeans and peoples that bordered the Mediterranean. The first IQ tests for immigration were devised at that time and they worked backwards. They determined through the 'false science' of that day that Russians, Slavs, Greeks, Jews, Sicilians, Turks, Bosnians, were intellectually dullards. Increasingly stricter immigration policies became as a result.

One could argue that we live in a more enlightened day than well over a century ago and that for it to happen today, knowing the errors of the past, is even more damning. The residual effect though has spread into being against anything left of center including climate change concerns, gun control, international trade, international relations with our oldest allies (UK, France, Canada, the EU as a collective, Japan, etc.). I asked one supporter to name one ally we still have with the same relationship as prior to 2016?

My guess is the one even that may change events is a possible economic crash. The Great Depression in America came on the back of 14 years of pro business, Republican rule in the white house (1918 - 1932) and most of the time in Congress. The great crash ushered in 20 years of Democratic party rule (1932-1952) and a complete change in the relationship of government with the people. No matter how right of center you are, if those you put in power are the reason you can't feed, clothe and house you and yours, then you will vote for change. (2008). That said, there are some who will go down with the ship.

No official word, but all the unofficial word is that its a matter of crossing the t's and dotting the i's.
I've seen some suggest that we have the following all lined up and ready to go
Aubameyang 3 year contract
Gabriel signing
Ceballors return for another loan
Holding on loan to Newcastle
Sokratis to Napoli £4.5m (Koulibaly interest from Man City stepping up)
and are preparing a bid for Partey or Aouar.......or both! Dependant on Guendouzi and Torreira sales. Take the last one with a pinch of salt, get the first 5 bits done then work out some more sales and see what we have to play with for another body in CM.

It would be a dream to have a midfield of Partey, Aouar, Ceballos, Xhaka - with Saka, Willock and Emile Smith Rowe to help.

If we could somehow get Aouar it would be a massive coup. I think I'd prefer him to Partey, he's 5 years younger and solves more of our creativity issues.

As we are - top 6
Get those 5 things above done and another top central mid in - Top 4

I think we'd do much better with a sweeper/ball winner than we would a creative midfielder. We need both but we haven't really had a great defensive central midfielder the last couple seasons. Torreira and Guendouzi were good at times, but never consistently good. We are very weak defensively and on the counter. We gave up heaps of goals. We have enough creativity to score on anyone, the FA cup semis and CS show that.
Could we stand more? Absolutely but the need is team defense. And a very good DCM.

The way modern formations work you can't have a sweeper and a creative midfielder/No.10

The only way to do it would be a 5-1-3-1 formation which leaves gaping central midfield holes.

To be able to have a creative midfielder it feels like you need to play 3 in the middle. Gone are the days you played a midfield pair and they did the defensive and creative work together

Hey Rich,
If/when we buy Partey, where would you (or more importantly Arteta) play him?

Ceballos back on loan looks like a done deal. Great news in my opinion, would have prefered a permanent solution, but getting him back is a huge boost. He showed at the end of last season just how good he can be, and he won't need any time to get adjusted to the team or the league. If we can get another central midfielder in and offload a couple of fringe players then this will have been a great transfer window.

Inter Milan was 15m euros for Ivan Perisic. He was on loan at Bayern and they want to buy him for 12m euros. He's 31, vastly experienced, quick and gets goals. It isn't a position we necessarily need now but that is a fantastic deal for anyone who wants him. I think he'd absolutely thrive in the English league

Live video on Arsenal Facebook right now with Luiz and Willian welcoming Gabriel to the club. Done deal!!

Apparently we have signed a Brazilian defender named Gabriel.

Finally found the key to that locked medical room door. Welcome aboard young man.

Finally, Gabriel's a Gunner!

We must have found the list of players outside of Kia's and Raul's black book of contacts as well!

I wonder if his extended medical counts towards the 14 day quarantine?

A 6' 4" right footed central defender paired with a 6' 3" lefty - sounds good to me. Both young, quick, skilful and highly rated - and both on long contracts.

What could possibly go wrong?

This from The Grauniad:

Gabriel agreed to join Mikel Arteta’s side 10 days ago and from that point his arrival was in little doubt. He has been in enforced quarantine since flying to London from France on 24 August, a situation that has six days to run under the government’s Covid-19 rules, but signed his contract last week and will be expected to slot into a new-look backline.

Ceballos makes obvious sense, especially if Real don’t want him, only detail missing is a purchase clause in there. It’s a deal that potentially saves our midfield, as much we could do with another incoming, as any other deals look far from guaranteed.

We surely must have been in pole position to get him back, what was the sum total of Real’s “negotiation tactics” I wonder.

Arsenal revealed Gabriel's signing in a Zoom call between Luiz and Willian who then called up Gabriel to ask him what was taking so long, then they see him in the Arsenal shirt.
All players speaking Portuguese to each other, Gabriel doesn't speak any English yet. Luiz is going to hugely important for Gabriel to settle in to Arsenal on and off the pitch. I get the feeling Luiz already has a huge leadership role at Arsenal.

Also - how white are Gabriel's teeth!

Can't wait to see him in action.
Gabriel was ranked 1st amongst all defenders in France for % of duels won and forward passes per 90 minutes. And compared to all Arsenal's defenders last season his season stats rank him 1st in interceptions, tackles, duels, duels won, aerials, aerial won

Arsenal beat QPR 4-3 in a behind closed doors friendly. No idea what the team was but quite a few players will be away on internationals or not fully back yet so I'd expect quite a few youngsters

Marc Roca close to signing for Atletico from Espanyol. Word is he's being lined up to replace Partey.....

Never heard of him.

From what I've seen of Partey which is only really his Champions League games he sits in the box-to-box type but with more emphasis on the defensive side of the game.

In the current 5-2-3 formation he simply plays as one of the two in central midfield tasked with progressing play and protecting the defence.
If we move towards a 4-3-3 he slots in to the midfield 3, it depends who else is in there as to his exact role. Or in the Man City style 4-1-2-3 he can play as the deepest of the midfielders but I don't really see him as a No.8 adding much needed creativity. His stats certainly don't show an abundance of goals and assists. That is where a player like Aouar or Willian would come in if Arteta is planning on moving Willian more central.

My hope (and guess) is that with the eventual pairing of Gabriel and Saliba that Arteta might be looking for Partey to be the strong defensive midfielder and once Arteta has fixed that strong triangle base to the team he'll be more comfortable moving to a back 4 and still allowing the full backs to push on

PSG have offered 25 million for Héctor. Surely it’s got to be an offer over 35 to sell.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... r-bellerin