A quirk of the current table is that of our 8 CL opponents it could easily end up that 3 of them end up in the top 8 elite teams and the remaining 5 all end up outside the top 24 and eliminated

3-0 up we should be making lots

Jesus on for Gyökeres - managing his minutes
Calafiori on for Hincapie (our only fit CB so needs protecting)

Hincapie has had a very good game. He is a mini Gabriel, still a bit raw in his aggression but so was Gabriel when he joined us. I’d still like to see Hincapie at left back flying down the wing and putting crosses in

Would definitely like some proper minutes for Nwaneri

Player name mis-pronunciations by commentators have long been a fun part of the game for years, with Arsenal and England legend Joe Mercer's continual "Johan Cruff" a firm favorite of mine! Hincapie looking strong tonight, but always feel that a yellow card is around the corner?

If Jesus bags one here I don’t think he will be helping Viktors perception

Quick reminder how far we’ve come that we can put a virtual 2nd 11 out and be winning so comfortably in a champions league away game.

Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Mosquera, Calafiori, Rice, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Havertz, Nwaneri, Jesus all not starting today.

Saka? Why?

Saka and Nwaneri on for Madueke and Ødegaard

We are defo riding our luck on the "clean-sheet' front.

Jesus hits the bar

Marli Salmon coming on, CB, only 16 years old

Saka Jesus Martinelli is a pretty tasty front line, though, isn't it?

Indeed. There is no comparison with when Gabs and Saliba are playing.

So do you start Madueke v Wolves? Saka having another rest wouldn’t be the worst thing, at home vs the worst team in the league is exactly when Saka should be rested.

Martinelli should also start, he’ll be full of confidence

Jesus has looked quite good since coming on. He’s more involved than Gyökeres

6 wins out of 6 in the CL

Great result

Huge positive for me is Nørgaard doing a job at centre back

Madueke is something on an enigma. Looks amazing one moment ineffective the next

I’d start him for wolves though. Give saka another day off and reward his performance

Martinelli holding his groin at the end.

Table

So kairut will be an easy home win so the inter game away should see more massive rotation as even if we lost that game we will likely finish top on goal difference from what we have scored already and get versus the bottom team.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ta ... ionsLeague

Inter away should see even more rotation. Start Jesus, Nwaneri, Kepa, Madueke, MLS

Excellent performance with some encouraging individual displays.

Madueke obviously. Doesn't quite have the footballing brain of Saka but very quick and skilful. Can be unplayable on his day.

Martinelli with a belter after an indifferent 1st half.

I thought Gabby Jesus looked more dangerous and more threatening in 20 mins than Gyökeres has done in most of his Arsenal career. Shame he can't finish.

Still not convinced by that Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Merino trio in midfield. Very one-paced and looked wide open to counters at times.

Nwaneri came on and did some really nice things including a couple of decent efforts on goal.

Marli Salmon came on for his CL debut at 16 and the word is he's another really special talent.

Special mention for Raya who was outstanding.

He don't know talking good like me and you. He’s got that Namelexia. He definitely says BAkayo Saka and Mohammed Kudos. Kudos to him for trying.

There is little to no benefit to finishing 1st or 2nd. Teams who finish first or second are kept apart from each other in the knock out rounds until the final.

Wow, what a comfortable win

Both goals from Madueke & Martinelli were superb. That will give other teams more to think about.

Jesus should start against Wolves or at least get lots of minutes. He should also teach Gyökeres how to stay on his feet.

Good to see MLS & Nwaneri get their minutes.

Nice cameo for Salmon.

I was happy that Saka did not over-exert himself. Played it safe. That's the way to go. Keep the legs. Avoid the tackles.

Shout out to Nørgaard & Hincapie for keeping their forwards at bay

And finally, I thought Chris Rock was playing for them. Their Nigerian player, Onyedika, looks much like him

I agree with your thoughts. Why is Arteta holding him back?

I’m definitely overdosing on the optimism juice with this but I can’t get away from the idea that Jesus still has a huge amount to offer us this season. I can’t forget the first half of 22/23 where, in Arteta’s word he ‘changed our world’, injuries have really hurt his time with us but he brings an unpredictable brand of chaos and skill. Havertz and Gyökeres have clearly been bought in to allow us to play a certain way but there is something slightly nostalgic in the era of big men up top again of the smaller technical striker who can cause problems

Agree with Socrates

Our squad is really strong - apart from two areas, deep central midfield and left side of attack

Rice and Zubimendi are critical, we could do with a young player who could backup and be a box to box engine with some defensive skills - we have loads of attacking kids, but none are defensive midfield

MLS could be converted. If he has what it takes to be a full back he could possibly be a central midfielder.

Yes - not a deeper CM though, more of an attacking player for me - clearly Arteta doesn't have a great deal of faith in Nørgaard

He did look very lively. He's got that dynamism and unpredictability/maverick quality that our other forward options lack.

I was also impressed by Nwaneri. He retained possession well and used the ball well.

The caveat is that Brugge were well beaten by that stage.

It would be converting him BACK as through all his youth games he was a central midfielder, it’s only since the club pinpointed him for a pathway to the first team that Arteta started retraining him as a left back. He’s a more natural centre mid so is definitely an option there in a crisis

I heard mention that you get to play all your second leg ties at home throughout the knockout phases.

Decent prize money as well. €2.1m for a win. €700k for a draw. €12.6m so far. Each drawn game adds €700m to a pot that’s shared out at the end of this stage. Top spots take the lion’s share. Finishing top is pretty lucrative.

Few more mills always welcome.

Correct

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_ ... l-decision

Teams ranked 1-4 are guaranteed to be at home second leg in the round of 16 and quarterfinals -- if they get there. Teams ranked 1-2 are also sure of home priority in the semifinals.



.. so basically 1 win from the final 2 games definitely gets us top 2 but 1 draw would probably be fine too unless PSG can claw back a 5 goal difference. Those home return legs will come in handy.

John Obi Mikel on Jamie Carragher: "He sits there week in, week out, telling and teaching people trying to tell people how to win the Premier League. You haven't won it."

I may have plenty to say about Carragher's punditry but I hate people saying he can't have an opinion because he's never won the league, Carragher played at the top level for a long time, under some big name managers and won plenty in his time.

If we reduce every football argument to 'what have you won?' in isolation to try to win every argument its very childish. Phil Neville is one of the most decorated English players of all time

Yes all true, I was mainly thinking the difference between 1st and 2nd is basically nil - you are the two top ranked team and get all the same benefits to the final. We're virtually guaranteed top 2 with a point or 2 more.
Its impossible to think who you might play in the next round as the play offs have to happen first.
play offs are for positions 9th to 24th, but finishing 1st doesn't mean you might play the team who finished 24th.

I'm really torn on Gyökeres at the moment. I really want him to do well and that is probably effecting the bias I look at him with. I can see things that he does that benefit the team and I also don't think the team plays to his strengths but I also think he can do much more, if I'm honest I'm a bit underwhelmed by his overall technical ability.
The Martinelli goal showed a good passive side, he stays high and central and both CB are tight to him which leaves acres of space for Martinelli to go 1v1 and drive centrally in to the massive space left between CB and Full-back. I also see runs in to space he makes and our midfield is reluctant to release him early, on the flip side that low ball in the last minute from Rice is in prime No.9 territory and he was on his heels. Some of his hold up play hasn't been as strong as I'd want and he doesn't get involved in general play.

I know it was just 20 minutes but Jesus just looks far more easy on the eye, he had more touches in 20 mins than Gyökeres in 70. Totally different players of course.

I think when Havertz comes back and is fit he'll be the first choice

https://x.com/HandofArsenal/status/1999 ... 52620?s=20

Another sponsorship deal - the commercials seem to finally be taken seriously

New sponsor to replace Rwanda

https://www.arsenal.com/news/deel-and-a ... artnership

Gyökeres didn't have a pre season and he's only just come back from a hamstring injury

I agree that’s not perfect but I do think stylisticly theres an issue,

I saw it explained best by Tom Canton yesterday. Arsenal play their front three like a trident where the main threats are the 2 wide guys fed by the striker occupying slightly deeper positions but who also contributes.

Gyökeres is used to playing as the tip of a spear instead where he is the primary weapon and fed early. I wouldn’t argue with this opinion as there’s countless videos now of our players not looking to hit him with an early ball.

I like him and think he’s a good addition but there’s definitely some understanding that needs to be developed.

estimated money from european games so far.

City only above us due to the 'value pillar' which must be the coefficient which rewards previous good european performances - this will keep going up for us the more and more we reach the later stages