https://www.football365.com/news/raya-r ... arlie-adam

I think Charlie Adam is right here - The Arsenal 2 GK thing has been blown out of proportion because Ramsdale is English

Bit of talk about clubs bidding for Ivan Toney in January as his ban finishes around then. Arsenal are linked with John Cross from the Mirror saying only his ban stopped us bidding for him in the summer.

It is a gap in our squad to have a target man - but I looked up Toney's height and apparently he's only 5ft 10 - he does very well as a target man and in the air for someone who is not over 6ft

expected goals and expected goals conceded graph from the first 5 gameweeks. Small sample but it shows how solid we've been defensively.
This table is apparently adjusted for the quality of the opposition (not entirely sure how that's done)

On Man U, but for a dodgy penalty not given v Wolves in a game they were thoroughly outplayed in, and a 50/50 penalty given in their favour v Forest who they were 2-0 down to inside 4 minutes Man U would be in the bottom 3.
They deservedly lost v Spurs, Arsenal and Brighton and were very lucky to win their other 2 matches.

I still see them as a team who rely on moments of individual skill and transitions rather than a dominant team plan to overwhelm the opposition

Thanks Rich

I see that graph is adjusted for Strength of Schedule – weighted 70% to NPxG and 30% to NPGoals.

Thought so.

Arteta has ruled Martinelli out of the CL game and said he’s a possibility for the weekend. So at least it doesn’t sound like a bad injury

Good news

The return to CL football is fantastic. However, this first game will affect the NLD. The emotional energy alone of being in European football is going to take something out them. RVN isn't there which is good for me, as I don't like the risk of losing to him.

Balancing CL and the league is obviously going to be an adjustment and I am worried about it. If we progress and are also fighting in the league, well....the risks don't need to be said. Injuries, fatigue, etc. But, that being said, I'd welcome that rather than not being in the CL at all.

Starmer met Macron earlier this week. As a pre-cursor to discussions, they exchanged gifts. Macron gave Starmer some cuff-links. Starmer gave Macron an Arsenal shirt.

Tricky game tonight. PSV are flying.

Quite a difference in the form of our CL opponents. PSV are 2 points clear at the top of their league while Lens are rock bottom of theirs. Sevilla are 4th from bottom but have a game in hand.

Having looked at the CL games last night it seems you can name 12 players on the bench. I'd expect some younger players to get on the bench for us tonight. (I think you have to have 2 gk)
Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Havertz, Ødegaard, Trossard, Saka, Jesus
Subs: Raya, Hein, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe, Nketiah - I think that leaves 3 spots for youngsters

Injured: Timber, Partey, Elneny, Martinelli (not sure what Cédric is doing?)

Have I missed anyone?

Next season's champions league changes format.

It is a single league of 36 teams, you're drawn to play 8 teams based on seedings. The top 8 from the league go straight through to the last 16. teams in positions 9-24 are then drawn in a play off to also qualify for the last 16 - then it is straight KO to the final. So definitely 2 extra games as there are 8 definite games in the group, but possibly 4 extra games if you place 9th-24th.

Also, 2 extra places are available for the two best performing national leagues in europe this year. England are probably the favourite nation to get one of those places so top 5 could get Champions League this year....

Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Ødegaard, Havertz, Saka, Trossard, Jesus.

22Raya
4White
2Saliba
6Gabriel
35Zinchenko
8Ødegaard
41Rice
29Havertz
7Saka
9Gabriel Jesus
19Trossard
Substitutes
1Ramsdale
10Smith Rowe
14Nketiah
15Kiwior
17Cédric Soares
18Tomiyasu
20Jorginho
21Fábio Vieira
24Nelson
25Elneny
31Hein

Elneny is fit and on the bench. Cédric is on the bench as well. No youngsters other than Hein

SAKA! 1-0

We're looking bright down the right and we got Saka running 1v1, they backed off and it created space for Ødegaard who took the shot from the edge of the box, GK parried it but Saka followed in to tuck in the rebound.

Just what we needed.

PSV aren't sitting back - could make for a good game

Saka has his man on toast, more good work on the right, White slides it across goal and Jesus is inches from making it 2-0

Trossard 2-0! - stunning finish from the edge of the box. on the counter, Saka finds him and from 20 yards he strokes it first time in to the bottom corner - he made it look so so simple and it wasn't

PSV are no mugs on the ball, and they like to attack, but they are wide open once we get at them. They're leaving Saka 1 v1 against his full back all the time.

If PSV want to go toe to toe with us - as they currently are - they have no chance. They're so open we look like scoring every time we come forward because there is so much space

Havertz just had a chance over the bar - the crowd are desperate for him to score

Champions League is fun. There are good teams at this level and they don't sit with 11 men behind the ball - our flair players are enjoying the space they're getting

Jesus has just had 2 shots saved well by the gk

This is fun

Jesus 3-0

great run in behind from Trossard, found over the top by Gabriel, picked out Jesus at the back post, first touch immaculate, second touch slammed across the gk in to the far side netting.

It is just utterly brilliant

Very very good half of football.

SPV are happy to try to take the game to us, and to be honest I'm not totally sure we'll keep a clean sheet as they look a bit threatening - the trouble for them is we look 5 times as threatening when we go forward.

Goals for the front 3.

Lets hope we can properly put the game to bed at 4-0 then make some subs to save some legs for Sunday

I’d love him to score too, but I’ve no idea what his role is in this team.

I hoped that he’d show more on the ball in a CL game, but so far he’s done a lot of running around and closing down, but very little else.

Here’s hoping he has more of an influence second half.

De Jong is PSV's star striker who scores the goals but Saliba and Gabriel have dominated him. On the flanks though their two wide men have given our full backs a bit of trouble at times. I could see a Tomiyasu sub on for one of them by 60 minutes

Sevilla v Lens in our group is 1-1 at the moment, that would be a handy result

Nelsen and Tomiyasu coming on. Trossard and Zinchenko coming off

Got that sub right for Tomiyasu

Saliba just oozes class. So calm, so dominant

Emile Smith Rowe and Vieira coming on.

Jesus and Saka coming off for a rest.

4-0 Ødegaard from 25 yards, pinged in the bottom corner. Another superb finish. Nelsen assist

Havertz has gone to CF and it was his run and hold up play that started the move for the goal

The crispness of the ball striking by Trossard, Jesus and Ødegaard for their goals was beautiful to see

Jorginho on for Rice

You can just see with Vieira that he has a different level of confidence this season.

I thought Havertz showed his best when he went up front, some nice touches and hold up play

4-0 FT - fantastic return to the Champions League. Exceptional performance and key players only really playing 60 odd minutes

Great game, with many positives. For me, the standout was Jesus' first touch and movement ...a joy to behold.

Swashbuckling performance. Some of our attacking play was electric and our finishing, for once, was clinical.

Ødegaard was mesmerisingly good and Rice is a colossus.

Havertz grew into the game and showed glimpses of those exquisite touches he is capable of. Needs to start adding goals and assists though.

Emile Smith Rowe and Nelson both looked sharp and Vieira continued to look the part.

Felt a little sorry for Ramsdale, given he did so much to get us into the CL, but Arteta is just ruthless and Raya did little to suggest he is not a slight upgrade.

If to nitpick a bit I thought we were a little too open at times and White struggled a to cope with the pace and trickery of Noa Lang. Better teams might punish us.