Very interesting tactics and positions from the players today.
Seemed like a back 3 with only 1 wing back on the right side in chambers. Xhaka playing left CB and left back and Ceballos drifting over to that left side as well.
With Tierney out for the season it might be something we see more off, there is certainly something more comfortable with a natural left footed out there.
Partey was very good as well. He’s had some criticism recently, I’ve certainly expected more from him - I think the problem is we hold him to higher standards that the rest of our central midfield. With hindsight, even when he’s not at his best he’s still performing better than any other midfielder.

Delighted for Martinelli. He needs to start on that left side in Prague.

Saliba getting some good reviews in France. Exceptional stats for accurate passes and one of the lowest rates of any Cb in the league for being dribbled past.
We need him back with us next season, there is huge talent there. Saliba, Holding, Gabriel, Mari isn’t perfect but there is a balance and a decent set of CB to work with

A good win today. Had that been a loss, most likely a huge meltdown on here. Good we're going into Thursday on a positive mentality. It is a must win after all.

I find the way some media outlets report certain things just odd and unnecessarily painting a picture that doesn’t give any context. I’ve read a lot of outlets shout in capital letters that it was Martinelli’s first goal for 15 months. Nothing in the headline that he was injured for 12 of those!

It’s the same when they churn out stats about team X not having won at team Y for numerous years without pointing out the two teams were mostly in different divisions for most of that time!

"Martinelli out for 4 weeks"

Just when you thought Lacazette should be out....

I'm hoping and praying Martinelli doesn't end up like RvP and is often injured. Tape bubble wrap to him in training or something. It seems every game he starts there is an injury scare.

Now wait and see if The Boss plays the same team the same way, it is an away game, without making too many changes. I'm betting rhein will be 4/5 changes not due to injuries. Hope I'm wrong.

Saka went off injured yesterday and Ødegaard wasn’t fit to play. If they’re not fit and with Martinelli being out, not to mention Tierney, we’re really going to need Willian in Prague. We have to score at least one, so whatever the issue really is with Aubameyang (genuine flu, poor attitude, bad form), him too I reckon. How long is Smith Rowe out for? Will he be fit Thursday?

The injuries are piling up for what I consider the most important game of the season.

There was a good report of the game by James from gunnerblog. He talked about the balance of players in this game and how other players might blend with Aubameyang when he plays.

I think we will knock over Sparta because it is an away game. Our home form has been shocking but away we aren't too bad. The big unknown is what players are actually fit and whether they form a balanced team.

I am not sure what to make of the Aubameyang flu.

One thing I forgot to mention was - a good decision by Arteta to play Xhaka at LB. We need Saka forward. Hope his injury is not too bad. Best youth player I have seen at the club. I think even better than Fabergas given the other players he has around him.

It worked well. I was advocating (reluctantly) playing Saka at left-back simply for that left footed balance, I hadn't contemplated Xhaka back there - probably still have visions of him playing there and defending against Zaha.
With Smith-Rowe and Ødegaard out it was probably more important to get Saka's creative influence higher up the pitch. He was excellent in the No.10 role.
Strange to think earlier in the season we were crying out for a No.10 creative player, at times shoe-horning Willock or Lacazette in to that role, now we have 3 who can play it.

I've read a fair bit online of people really praising Cavani for his movement in the box, a classic No.9. He really is good. It doesn't matter how old he is, he is constantly on the move. Fans often look at the goal being scored and wonders where on earth the defenders were and how the striker had so much space - sometimes you just need to look at the movement of the striker. Cavani is top class, watch his goal and disallowed goal vs Spurs for evidence. Any young No.9 should be looking at this.

Just seen the Cavani disallowed goal from yesterday.

Can’t quite believe it that got disallowed. Surely one of the worst ever

Spurs and Mourinho have mastered the art of cheating in order to manipulate the VAR decision

Well here is a moment in time. I agree with you on this point.

It was Son.

He’s always been a cheat, regardless of who his boss is.

We know united are pretty clued up on penalties and VAR decisions too from Mourinhos time there. Not as bad as spurs but bad

Bizarre set of post match interviews by Ole and Jose. First Ole talks about Son feigning injury and conning the ref, then saying if his own 'son' had done this he would send him to bed without dinner. Jose then jumps on this and sounds deadly serious essentially saying Ole should be ashamed because as a parent you always have a responsibility to feed your children.

What on earth is going on!?

Positions from yesterday's game.
Any guess for what formation you'd say that was?

Ødegaard and Smith Rowe weren’t fit to play yesterday. Will they be able to in Prague? Saka and Martinelli got injured yesterday. I wouldn’t have thought it likely they will and in Martinelli’s case, if he’s out for four weeks he definitely won’t. Who knows what’s happening with Aubameyang but if it genuinely was the flu, hopefully he’ll be over it by Thursday.

If none of Smith Rowe, Ødegaard, Saka and Martinelli are fit or able to play, what are the options? Aubameyang (if he’s over his flu), Lacazette and Pépé as the attacking players? Even though some moan about Aubameyang playing on the left, is there another realistic option apart from Nelson? Partey, Ceballos and Willian in midfield, assuming Xhaka will be needed at left back if Tierney is out for the season?

I’m expecting the away leg on Thursday to be really tough. We have to score or we’re out, even if we don’t concede a goal. If we do concede it gets even tougher. I wish I was as optimistic as you, as in my view Prague away represents the most important game so far this season.

% of minutes given to u21 players:
Arsenal 11.3%
Man City 7.8%
Liverpool 6.7%
Chelsea 5.9%
Man United 4.7%
Tottenham 0%

I heard the interview with OGS on MOTD2 last night. To be fair, I didn’t think he came across too badly. Without saying ‘Son cheated by grossly exaggerating the contact’, he made it perfectly clear that’s what he did think.

MOTD hasn’t been any good since Alan Hansen left. Feels a bit like blue peter these days

That said OGS shouldn’t moan too much

https://youtu.be/To_MGJvRkcI

I thought this was ridiculous

It was a strange analogy but I think Ole did it slightly tongue in cheek - the more bizarre part was Jose's response.

It reminded me a bit of when Fergie claimed his team were better than Arsenal even though we'd just won the title, in response Wenger said "everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home" and I think Fergie took it as some kind of insult directed towards Mrs Ferguson.

Jose doesn't say anything to the media without considering the consequences, its just that they don't sit back and lap it up and kiss his feet over every word anymore. Also, the age old tactic of deflecting attention away from the a poor performance doesn't work because he's too far in now.

I for one am delighted to see the usual pattern of Mourinho's management play out.

Martinelli put out on his social media he's ready to go for Thursday. Saka was shown walking freely back to the bus, doesn't mean he's not injured but lets see.
If the worst comes to the worst then we'd have to go Cédric at LB to allow a midfield of Xhaka, Partey, Ceballos and a front 3 of Pépé, Lacazette, Willian. Not a good time to have an injury crisis

Martinelli - four weeks? I hope not.

The AFC official website has a quote from him saying that the’s happy, tired, and fit to play on Thursday.

That’s good news about Martinelli. Wonder where the stuff about him being out for four weeks came from?

I checked. I’d got the idea that Martinelli was out for four weeks from a post by grantyboy this morning.

Worth marvelling over Partey's assist to Lacazette for the 3rd goal agin. A drop of the shoulder taking him hilariously easily past the man pressing him, then an eye of the needle 50 yard through ball that couldn't have been placed more perfectly. It was De Bruyne-esque. I'm not expecting to see him do it every week like De Bruyne but it was very nice to see. A little bit of a throw back to the days where we seemed to go from our own half to having a shot on goal in 3 or so passes and 5-6 seconds!

It's good to have a meaningful game to look forward to at this stage of the season.
We are so inconsistent I don't think anyone can really be super confident. I wasn't at all confident we would dispatch Sheffield United last night. However, I do think we are more than capable of beating Prague should the team decide to turn up.

We saw the Ghanaian version of Partey.

It's my hope Arteta sees a more enhanced role for Partey. I have to assume he does similar things in training unless he's restricted.

I can quite understand that. Having read grantyboy’s post earlier I was worried enough to go and check his situation.

According to this, Martinelli only took a whack, but should be ok. Not certain about Aubameyang for Thursday. Both Tierney and Luiz are definitely out.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/soccer.nbc ... pdate/amp/

AMN man of the match for West Brom v Saints WB won 3-0

What pisses me off is how Chelsea bought their way into being valued so much.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56725539

Azeez is supposed to be shyt hot maybe he needs to be given a run out.

Watching Brighton vs Everton and it's been said before, but we really should be looking at Bissouma as an option for our midfield depending on how the market looks in the summer. Might be a cheaper option than many of the other ones we're looking at, but he looks a real player. Liverpool have done well with those type of signings from teams from the lower half of the table; Mané, Robertson and Wijnaldum have all done brilliantly for them, showing you can take the step up if you have the quality.