Playing 4-4-2 with the central midfielders we have would be madness. A midfield two is virtually impossible these days. You'd need a Vieira for that.

NO , NO , NO , NO ...... this isn't the time for any experimentation , square pegs in round holes .

Without bigging it up too much this is one of the most pivotal matches in our history . What result we get in a couple of hours has a huge bearing on the rest of the season .

Man City smarting from their recent defeat are next up . They wont want to fall any further behind Liverpool so there is no way in the world will we beat them...... then it's a rejuventated Everton away

Looking at the table there is a gaggle of teams ready to pass us or draw level .

Only Watford and Norwich are adrift . Xmas Day in the bottom three could easily be on the cards .


I'd go similar to Soc . Leno ... Back four ' stay at home ' .... Xhaka , Torriera cemented in front of them .... long balls to Martinelli , Aubameyang , Pépé .......plus either Willock or Saka .

Five dead and another eight missing .... " what are you guys going to do today .... ? I know let's have a wander around an active volcano ...Brilliant idea "

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=12292240

If the alternative is the city game this weekend id be tempted to opt for the volcano. You eventually pass out as your flesh burns anyway

True .... the City game will be death by a thousand cuts .... very painful

I live in a volcanic area ......

I'd say the tourists didn't have the discomfit of burns ; more likely they succumbed to sulphur dioxide , hydrogen sulphide , hydrogen chloride gases .
Maybe falling rocks

Seeing a pregame interview with Torreira and he needed an interpreter. Not that I'm expecting him to speak the Queen's english but just a little surprised.

Well done Freddie apart from Xhaka that’s pretty close to the side I’d pick.

That's in days gone by when we beat them year in and year out .
Just Bergkamp . Pires , Henry , Campbell getting off the bus , scared them sh*tless .

... How the mighty have fallen

We are an arthritic old lion , a couple of canines missing , with his arse backed up to a thorn bush surrounded by a pack of hyenas .

if I was betting the house on it I guess I'd go for a 1 - 0 win to us .

I think for the first time this season the team line up really makes sense. Be interested how they get on.

Far more balanced. Our best full backs in the team. CB being picked as probably the most accomplished natural defenders in the squad (hope they don’t have to face too much pace)
Can even understand Xhaka for his passing though we will miss Guendouzi’s energy.
2 proper wide men who have pace can dribble, create and score.
Özil away from home still worries me
Dropping Lacazette away is probably the right call.

No place to hide now

I like the team today.

It's youthful and pacy and energetic.

No idea if it will work but I like what Freddie's done today and if it goes pear-shaped, which it could, I won't be blaming him at all.

I think its the sort of team most Arsenal fans would like to see.

Personally, I wouldn't have gone for Xhaka and Özil but there are not too many options, bar the kids.

Hoping and expecting Aubameyang to play as striker. Good to see Martinelli getting his chance.

Looking forward to the game for a change.

Bellerin injured in the warm up AMN replaces him

Raw or Fresh, at least a change from the Stale

Özil makes Bambi look aggressive

A tactic I've rarely, if ever, seen employed in football but I have seen it as a strategy in basketball is a quick throw in catching the opposition either unawares, unfocused or disorganized.

Never really understand why I've never recalled seeing it.

You mean like this ?

https://youtu.be/gCWjioIR5MM

Low key start to the game, unsurprisingly with both teams on bad runs of form. Delighted to see Luiz benched, he's been absolute shite since he arrived, and Martinelli teaming up with Tierney on the left.

And now Tierney going off injured

Freddie to Özil "move the ball faster"

In your haste to give him a kick in the nuts .... he does mention THROW IN


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyQZHGhjBoE

Kolasinac who wasn’t even in the match day squad is now on the pitch due to bellerin’s injury in the warm up and now Tierney off injured.

When your luck is out it really is out

Half hearted attempt by Özil

They fail me when I see his name on the team sheet.

Take Özil out of the team. He is not commited.

Here we go again

Xhaka ducks out of that

Ball watching again

Var check for handball - never expected it to be ruled out. Not sure var has given us anything apart from that ridiculous Aubameyang offside goal v Man U

Do they choose morons for the VAR booth?
Why did that decision take that long?
Ridiculous

Comedy back heel from Torreira and it could easily have been two.

Well, no surprises so far. Same script as the previous several matches.

Weeee're *%^@*** *%^@,
Weeee're *%^@*** *%^@
We're *%^@*** *%^@, we're *%^@*** *%^@, weee're *%^@*** shiiittt

Absolutely despair atthe lack of energy or pace in our game.

I posted before this game that this is two teams absolutely devoid of confidence but you just knew that West Ham would find a way out of their recent funk and raise the tempo against us and score first and we’ll struggle to even get a shot to test the gk. no shot on target at the time of writing.

Relegation fight is on. And how many in this team do you fancy in that fight? Complete embarrassment. I’m actually amazed this will likely be only our 5th loss this season! We’ve been second best in every game I can recall this season

Things will keep getting worse until we change the attitude. Our effort levels mean the opposition only have to raise their game to about 75% and they will beat us easily.

Timid, cowardly, gutless, work shy....the failure to even just muster an opening 10 minutes with some sort of energy is shocking

For the nth week running, we are making a *%^@ team look good.

The West Ham keeper might as well stick a kettle in his goal and make himself a cup of tea. He's got *%^@ all else to do.

1 down and still no urgency. Kola is almost guaranteed to pass the ball back instead of front.

Freddie, be brave and take Özil out.

One big difference I see between us and the top of the table sides is that when they are in the opposition third they attack the box and as a last resort pass it back towards the center circle area. They have players at the ready and they make an attempt to get the ball around the 18 yard box for someone to do something useful with it.

I see our players seemingly receive a pass and instead of moving it forward pass it behind them. No sense of urgency, no other player running channels. We are bereft of confidence, not enough players willing to attack.

It’s just a disaster. We just Don’t seem to get a break. I don’t see how you can change this.

Btw that shoulder issue Tierney had has been an issue for a while. I’d expect an extended absence

Hook Özil. You know it makes sense.

Relegation threatened teams view us as a beacon of hope.