Correct. That's life. That's football. You'll never ever get perfect consistency. What I don't understand is why VAR did not call the ref's attention to VVD's antics in kicking out at Havertz. In the speed of a game a ref has so much stuff to keep on top of he needs help. VVD kicked out and VAR did nothing.

Actually reviewing the game I take that back. I'm totally baffled by why Kiwiors header is a foul, why Martinelli doesn't get that penalty, and by the lenience that the Liverpool players were afforded.

Ten Hag gone.

Such a pity. The fella was highly entertaining.

The Kiwior one was a terrible decision. I don't know what Taylor was looking at. I reckon VAR would have disallowed it for the shoulder on TAA anyway.

The VVD incident is particularly annoying given what our players have been sent off for this season. He's one of those players that is refereed far more leniently than most. He has England captain levels of preferential treatment.

https://x.com/skysportspl/status/185085 ... -j6VVZXEoA

I’m I watching a different sport? The excuse to justify Van der Ven only getting a yellow is apparently the ball is travelling away from goal - it is absolutely not. It’s a straight pass flicked on the ball is travelling in a straight line maybe 10 yards from the centre of the goal.
There is absolutely no doubt that the Palace man would control that ball and get a clear shot 1v1 on the gk.

For all the talk of us supposedly bottling the league last year and how we must win it this year as well never have a better chance how have Liverpool been left out of that conversation? Last season Liverpool were top with 8 games left and then got 12 points out of a possible 24 to crumble massively. Whilst we went 16-1-1 down the stretch. This year Liverpool have their 3 best players in the last 6 months of their contract, two of those players are over 30, Robertson looks a shadow of his former self. This is a much more settled team and has the crux of the league and CL winning players still there, surely it’s Liverpool’s last chance rather than ours when all our most important players are still under 25

Spot on.

They really did fall away badly last season, and hopefully their progress will be upset sooner rather than later this season. They've been riding their luck just a bit.

They’ve started well but they’ve had the kindest fixture list I’ve ever seen to start a league season. I don’t think their midfield is as good as they think it is and in defence they are very reliant on some key men with weak back ups. 3rd at best for them, I don’t see how they’ve moved on from last year

Pretty embarrassing from Real Madrid to boycott the Balon D’Or ceremony just because their man came 2nd. Rodri is bloody annoying but still a worthy winner.

Ancelotti won the coach of the year for the title and champions league, in terms of punching above their weight and expectations I’d say Xavi Alonso has a better season going unbeaten, toppling an 11 year Bayern dominance, winning the German cup and losing the Europa final

If Man U recruit Amorim as their next manager it will cost them £23.5m in both his release clause and ten hag’s compensation. These figures never get taken in to account by fans trying to win the net spend argument, the same as wages which have an astronomical difference - we’re paying close to £100m less per season than City. So when people say Arsenal have actually spent more than City in the last 3 seasons it’s complete and utter nonsense

Absolutely Embarrassing. Imagine behaving that conceited. Pathetic losers

John Brooks is our ref for the Newcastle game - we don’t get reffed by him that often. But the dreaded Jarred Gillett is on VAR again, we seem to have this guy a disproportionate amount considering how many refs there are in the league. I understand that those refs (like Oliver and Taylor) who the PGMOL considers their top refs are going to ref us more as they’ll be given the high profile big games of which we’re involved in but there seems to be no reason to have Gillett so much

Arteta said hopefully Ødegaard can be back before the international break, which is the Chelsea game on Nov 10, our next game after that is Forest on Nov 23 and it seems that’s when Calafiori is pencilled in for a return.

Whilst there are benefits of playing playing for their national team to get match fit ready for us I think if Ødegaard plays again for Norway before he plays for us a lot of Arsenal fans will be pretty annoyed.

Absolutely pathetic.

Gillett on var again for us at the weekend
Gillett will officiate his 4th Arsenal match this weekend (2 as ref 2 as var) out of 9 he was eligible (44.4%) -couldn’t do the Liverpool match as he’s a self confessed Liverpool fan. The chances of this happening randomly are < 0.01% or 1 in 1,037.

In the long list of questions I’d put to the PGMOL would be why are referees not rotated more for each team and why are there such outliers of refs officiating certain teams - particularly when that official has a chequered history of controversy decisions against that team

Loved the longer ball over the top for Saka to run on to. So simple but so dangerous against teams who like to push a high defensive line. We should be clipping this pass more often I think.

Partey has been one of our best players this season. I must admit I thought he was declining and needed replacing this year but he’s been superb. His performance at RB v Liverpool was excellent and I can’t think of many CM in the prem who could perform at that level as a full back.

In the Liverpool game Havertz dropped to the wide right channel (and touchline) a lot. Without Ødegaard we’ve seen a rotating pair of false 9’s with Trossard and Havertz and it’s been Trossard who is more often taking up the classic 9 when we have comfortable possession. It makes me think there could be space for a top class 9 AND Havertz in the same team, particularly where we expect to dominate. Play with an inverted full back to make a 3 in midfield, use Raya as an extra defender in the build up and you’re effectively playing 3-3-4 formation.

Get our full team back after the international break and I’m convinced we can go on a long run of wins. I do also think we need something in January to give us that extra push, another attacker required.

https://x.com/arsenal/status/1851278498 ... -j6VVZXEoA

Partey highlights v Liverpool. Brilliant for any right back let alone a defensive mid having to fill in at right back. Imagine Mac Allister or Gravenberch had to play RB for Liverpool?!

After just 9 games of the season 15 players are 1 yellow card away from a 1 game ban for totting up 5 yellows. 2 have already served a ban.

Is there anyone who thinks there was a dire problem with players delaying the restart that needed solving in any other way than adding on the correct amount of added time and ensuring genuine egregious offences are punished?

https://x.com/eduardohagn/status/185139 ... -j6VVZXEoA

More Gykores spam. He scored free kicks too.

His clean, accurate and hard ball striking is so good and it’s surprising how few players do this consistently. I think Gykores is a better ball striker than almost all of our squad

Is he a team player: does he chase back, square the ball in the area to a better placed team member, can beat players and understand working off the ball. I don’t know the answers and I can’t be bothered researching him, but a few good clips are not enough to turn my head.

Partey back on form is huge. At his best is he one of the best midfielders in the league.

On a similar theme of rehabilitation ... I think Jesus could be close to getting back to his best, and an on form Jesus would be huge weapon in our Arsenal. There have been some great moments in the last couple of game, with some great dribbles and drag-backs. The way he fashioned that chance from the edge of the box at the end of the Liverpool game, and the way he hit it (unfortunately Kellerer was in exactly the right spot to save it--anywhere else and it was in) was superb. It is really sad that the goal after the Kiwior header didn't stand, because he really needs that for his rehabilitation.

Jesus has that maverick, explosive, instinctive quality we currently lack in attack. Havertz is lots of things but explosive is not one of them.

Edit: and I meant to add that Merino also looked very good against 'pool. Apart from CF (I think Jesus is good enough cover for Saka but not for CF) the squad looks very strong and if we get a better run of luck with injuries and card we aren't out of it.

https://youtu.be/LFb3lkC23mE?si=PQp97dAde3rKHmVH
He certainly can provide chances for his team mates, 5 assists this season being quite unselfish or at least recognising others in a better position.
I’m not saying he’s the be all and end all of possible strikers for us, but it’s a pretty small market we’re shopping in. There aren’t many strikers full stop that are capable of taking us to the next level, and lots of those who are would be unattainable. Of course there will be a ‘next big thing’ striker who none of us know about yet, but we’re unlikely to be the place that type of striker comes to hone his game. We need someone to hit the ground running.
Gyökeres when I see him has a bit of Harry Kane about him. He stays as a 9 in the centre of the box, manages to create space and separation between himself and defenders a nd finishes with elite ball striking off either foot. When Harry Kane burst through I remember thinking he was a striker that didn’t really have a weakness but equally didn’t excel at anything, like Henry like pace or Drogba like strength or Suarez like skill….the reality was and is that Kane excelled at finishing amongst plenty of other things. I see Gyökeres in a similar way.
Other realistic strikers for us would be:
sesko - tall and fast and young
Isak - prem experience, expensive, injury issues?
Jonathan David - free transfer in the summer, another similar classic striker, not sure he’s good enough
Muani- said to be unhappy at PSG, likely expensive, is he clinical enough?
Vlahovic - strong, good all rounder, Italy to prem risk? Is he mobile and fast enough?
It’s not an easy market for us to buy from compared to almost every other position on the pitch because an elite striker needs to be the difference between 2nd and 1st.

Partey has already played more minutes this season that he did the the entirety of last season. And people say we didn’t have any injuries last year!

Ange Postecoglou on needing time: "There is a formula there. If you want to look at recent history, there's Liverpool, there's Arsenal".

"There are plenty of others who have not stuck to a process, big clubs and small clubs, and haven't got any progress".

Another manager starting to be under pressure and using Arsenal’s patience with Arteta as a reason why he shouldn’t be under pressure, as though patience with a manager is the only reason teams improve

Hi Rich,

Gyökeres looks the real deal but its so hard to judge in the Portuguese league and £85m is a big gamble.

I agree with your views on the other candidates.

That said, I do think we need more than we've got in terms of striking options. So, what do we do?

It was suggested somewhere that we want Ferguson on loan, presumably with an option to buy, but that sounds like a hard deal to do.

Can it last, though, it feels like we are already overplaying him.

Some of our key players are starting to show signs of some physical fatigue that is leading to injuries. Saka, Gabriel, White etc. A bit like a car when its done so many miles a few things start to go wrong.

whilst I’m directly hit by a few of the things in that budget I really don’t think it’s as bad as many thought or deserves the absolute fear mongering that has taken place.

It strikes me as some basic tweaks that allow the funnelling of funds into a few things that are falling apart.

Gonna hurt me but i can live with it. That’s life

As far as Labour go I agree with you, it could have been worse..

My only worry is that the entepeneurs amongst us are not going to sart up a new business when the employees are the only ones to gain. Why work for peanuts when you can live off your assets/cash in hand.

It’s the hardest position to get right and every possible player we could sign comes with huge amounts of gamble. Buying from within the prem represents the least gamble unless you’re buying an elite talent like Kane from another league but we’re not in that market.
Isak is £100m, Gyökeres £85m, Sesko was £60m release clause last year it will only go up, Muani joined PSG for £70m.

I think there are some really talented attacking players in the lower parts of the league who would add to our squad but they aren’t the explosive No.9 we need. I like Mbeumo, I like Cunha at Wolves, I like Eze, Mitoma, Kudus - not the 9’s we need.

Trying to discover the next big thing is virtually impossible, everyone knows them all already so competition is fierce and therefore clubs are trying to get them younger and younger which means they aren’t ready now.

Isak I really like but his injury record worries me so I’m swaying to Guokeres, I just really like his ability to - put it simply - be in the box, take a touch and smash it in the back of the net!

Indeed. Injuries to others have made these more dependable players a bit more brittle. Arteta doesn’t tend to rotate his best players, expecting them to play 3 games a week as the top players do, but it has felt like we’re relying on too many players having to play 3 games a week. I think it’s the nature of the ridiculous competitiveness of the prem and the drop off in quality of our back ups. We rotated heavily v Southampton at home - on paper the easiest game of the season and it nearly went pear shaped.
Right now if everyone is fit there are maybe 5 players who could come in to the best 11 and not miss a beat, whichever of Calafiori, Timber, White you consider not first choice full back, Jorginho rarely under performs, Merino will be there, Trossard, and maybe Tomiyasu. Potentially Zinchenko against certain teams he can still be very useful.
Which primarily means we’re short of high quality replacements for Ødegaard, Saka and Havertz…..and in the summer a new CM. Perhaps Nwaneri can fill the Ødegaard gap. So for me a striker and a top level winger are the places to strengthen now. Nico Williams would have been a dream this summer.

Wow Setford aside that’s really strong. Saliba, Timber and Kiwior all start.

No excuses here

It was reported that Gyökeres had a €100m (£83m) release clause in his Sporting contract but fresh reports indicate that a new agreement has been put in place.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/other/a ... 25d68&ei=7

I’m nervous about timber, his minutes need to be carefully managed after his long injury, it’s inevitable that he’ll pick up small knocks, almost every player post ACL does. Can’t imagine this was a game we’d have planned to play him in if others were fit. Ben White has just come off a 3 week injury lay off and he may be needed at CB again if Gabriel is out for the weekend.
Shame that MLS hasn’t got another start but really looking forward to Nwaneri.
Get a healthy lead then bring off everyone important and bring on any youngsters would be ideal.

A Jesus goal as well please!

Number36,
T. Setford
Number17,
O. Zinchenko
Number15,
J. Kiwior
Number2,
W. Saliba
Number12,
J. Timber
Number23,
Mikel Merino
Number20,
Jorginho (c), Captain
Number53,
E. Nwaneri
Number11,
Gabriel Martinelli
Number9,
Gabriel Jesus
Number30,
R. Sterling

Substitutes
Number29,
K. Havertz
Number76,
A. Heaven
Number49,
M. Lewis-Skelly
Number51,
J. Nichols
Number22,
David Raya
Number41,
D. Rice
Number7,
B. Saka
Number5,
T. Partey
Number19,
L. Trossard

£50-58m for a 26 year old striker who has scored 41 in 42 including 10 assists in those games is as good as you’re going to get. The only question mark against him is it’s the Portuguese league. Sesko has 16 in 39 over the same period in Germany - similar price but 5 years younger. Or there is Isak scoring 33 in 59 in the same period but in the premier league - and would cost £40m more than the other two. Depends who you prefer

come on Gabby, if you can’t score against this lot with that line up you are toast mate

1-0 Jesus

Martinelli free kick from the left, kiwior nod down at the back post and Jesus volleys it it neatly