No stream but hearing we’re already 2-0 up after 10 mins
Zinchenko and Trossard with Havertz assisting both

Softlad you're repeating the mistake being made by Sir Keir.

It's not far right except when the Muslim Islamists stir things up.

The English contingent is probably more Labour than Tory, if you check where the biggest demos are.

£10 for this and the Lyon game is proving to be money well spent.

Jesus's 3-0

3-0 Jesus

I find too much of politics now feels like you are painted as wholly one side or another. The reality is most people wouldn’t 100% agree with 100% of the policy and decisions made by the political party you support.

If you’re worried about immigration it doesn’t mean you’re a racist. If you embrace multi-culturalism and believe we have to do our part in taking in refugees doesn’t make you a rampant socialist.

It seems impossible to be able to take more of a middle ground. any view you have leads others to tarnish you with the more extreme views of that right/left initial view. Social media is absolutely awful for stoking the fire of division.

Every time there is a new government or Prime Minister I wonder what their first major challenge will be after the excitement of the win dies down. Might Starmer and Labour’s be civil unrest and racial wars within our own country?

4-0 Havertz

Sir Keirs popularity rating down from 19% to 3%. So many bad decisions he certainly has started with a bang.

People beginning to realise he's not PM material.

Finishing 4-1 excellent performance for a friendly.

Read a few people say Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri look really comfortable in the first team. They’ve played a lot of pre season. The margins for error are so small for us but I’d love to see more of them this season.

With Emile Smith Rowe gone, and Nketiah, Nelsen and Ramsdale could easily follow we need to ensure we have enough home grown players in our 25 man squad

In terms of genuine new players and the famous 'like a new player' we've got a few this year.

Genuine new signing - Calafiori - possibly Merino to come
'like a new signing' - Timber, he basically didn't play for us last year.......but also maybe Jesus who only made 17 starts in the league last season and many of those playing with or through the knee injury......Partey only made 9 starts in the league - I'm hesitant to expect much from him because of his injury record. Then you also have Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly who hopefully come in to replace some unrequired players from last year

A no 9 or a free scoring winger (preferably both but unlikely) would definitely add some stardust to a team that just feels like it needs a little bit extra to really go that extra yard. It's what big teams do, they bring in quality players to freshen things up, raise the bar and put pressure on players to perform.

Looks to be something in the Liverpool move for Zubimendi. If we were keen on him and don't go back in to try to convince him by matching whatever Liverpool bid or triggering the release clause then I hope we've got something else planned. Our team is ready to win things now, we're up against the most complete team the prem has ever seen I hope we don't leave ourselves 1-2 players short

I find this baffling to be honest.
Our interest in him is well stated but the impression was he wasn't interested in leaving his boyhood club and Spain.
What's changed now that Liverpool are showing an interest. Doesn't make sense.
I'd have thought if he doesn't want to go to us then why would he want to go to Liverpool??

Honestly mate, yawn.

It’s a little odd as a midfield of him Rice and Ødegaard absolutely cooks and he would be playing for a basque manager.

I do think it might be evidence that we are pursuing and have identified a difference maker in the final third that could be expensive that hasn’t yet come to light. Our business so far seems very linked to outgoings and the type of signings that are logical but wouldn’t flip the direction of a league title.

Hi david,

Doesn't make too much sense unless our interest in him was not as great as suggested in the press.

I hope you are right but there are a few murmers that if Merino gets done (and that's by no means certain) that could be it for the summer. Arteta is happy with his squad.

Maybe he's been surprised by Nwaneri and MLS and feels they can contribute.

Still feels like we need a striker or a free scoring winger to move up a level.

Hi Rich,

That is the big worry.

This could be our time, the chance is there, we cannot waste it by not strengthening properly this summer.

It seems to be a much quieter transfer window than in recent years. The points deductions last season must have really scared clubs. I read yesterday a story that Man U were allowed some kind of special dispensation to go over the allowed sum of losses for FFP - more than Everton and Forest were allowed as they said a proportion of those losses were due to covid (fair enough but Man U were allowed to carry much bigger losses due to covid than any other club) and due to the costs of selling a proportion of the club to Ineos - which the Glazers should have been paying for. All a bit fishy, especially if you are a fan of one of those clubs who were docked points or had to scramble around selling players before the Jun e 30th deadline.

There was a lot of talk of him waiting to join Alonso at Real Madrid next year when (if) Alonso becomes the manager - which would have made a lot of sense.

The only thing I can think of why he'd turn down offers in Spain and Bayern and us to instead join Liverpool - if indeed this is true - are
1. non of those clubs actually made any offers
2. Liverpool are offering him wages well beyond what the other clubs would have - can't believe this at all
3. Liverpool are offering him more certain game time

I think we hoped we could move Partey on this summer but Partey has resisted a move

I'll be overjoyed if MLS and Nwaneri can step in to the squad and really contribute this year, but its a big ask for both of them at just 17.
Last season we had a big squad but with so many players that didn't contribute, Cédric, Elneny, Emile Smith Rowe, Vieira, Nelsen - these guys hardly played a minute all season. We cant carry players in the squad who don't contribute or Arteta doesn't trust to contribute.

The last 2 seasons we've done very well with injuries, but if we got a couple of big ones to key players its hard to see how we'd mount a title challenge currently.

I thikn we're a CM and a winger/striker short at the moment

My guess from years of transfer windows is with few exceptions, we have no idea how strong links to other players are. Furthermore, we may have a number one transfer target but if the price is out of our budget it just is. And we would normally have a back up player or two. Sometimes these go on simultaneously because or primary target is asking for too much in the deal or we may be using our plan B as a negotiating tactic.

No one really knows. Some things are out the blue. Calafiori wasn't a name we were hearing when the window opened.

Myles Lewis Skelly gives us a great future at LB

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... ances.html

Very suspect.

I think it’s going to be criminal justice, police numbers drastically reduced and our courts have massive backlogs of certain cases. Criminality seems on the rise and been allowed to fester because of the last governments negligence. Starmer is on a hiding to nothing.

Agree with the rest of your post. It’s perfectly logical to be concerned about the level of immigration whilst being disgusted at Farage and the far right lots antics this week.

I doubt that. Seems we are open to selling Nketiah and probably Nelson. I doubt we would be willing to do that if there were no plans to bring anybody else in.

I have to say Eddie isn’t helping himself. I didn’t catch the game but got a text saying he was poor when he came on. Is it that hard to stick the ball in the net for once and get some attention to encourage prospective buyers. It’s being suggested Everton might be interested even if they are broke which is a miracle as the guy can’t score in a brothel.

It was a completely anonymous appearance. Like someone who knows his future is no longer at Arsenal.

Old classics. I love watching these. Especially when I don't know the score prior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j8C-nW53vI&t=3s

What exactly did Farage say or do this week that was an antic or encouragement to riot?

Went to the game yesterday - my last attendance was in April 2010 - Lord Bendtner's injury time winner v Wolves. Bayer looked a little undercooked, as is often the case with pre-season friendlies, but even so, Gunners were good.

Of that 2010 team who might be good enough to replace any of the current guys?

01 Almunia
03 Sagna
05 Vermaelen
18 Silvestre
27 Eboue (Bendtner 64)
31 Campbell
07 Rosicky
14 Walcott
15 Denilson
17 Song Billong (Nasri 71)
09 Eduardo (Vela 79)

Replace any of our first 11, probably none of them. Plenty would be worth a place in the squad.
I could see Sagna as a Tomiyasu-esque utility defender in Arteta’s system
Vermaelen might have made a decent left back for Arteta
Nasri at his peak could have tempted Arteta with that left 8 or left wing positions
Rosicky would make the squad ahead of Vieira
Eduardo at his peak would be a great poacher off the bench for us - certainly better than Nketiah who is our current option for a last throw of the dice
Campbell was past his best at this time, but at his best he’d be in the team - but football has moved on and he’d need to be better on the ball for Arteta even though as a pure defender at his peak he’d be as good if not better than anything we currently have

Mikel Merino was left out of Real Sociadad’s latest squad - seems to be a very big sign that he’ll be our next signing.

I wonder if Arteta will try to play him as the deepest of the midfield hoping his excellent technique, physical stature, aerial and duel winning ability would be well suited.

We could field a team with White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Merino, Havertz and have 7 players over 6ft 2 tall. Really hope we maintain the good set piece record. My prediction is generally we’ll see a lot for fouls being given against attackers in set pieces. The routines with blocking etc have become quite sophisticated and I think the PGMOL will be encouraging refs to watch attackers more. I always think of this as cowards ref decisions. How often do you see a ref give a defence a free kick immediately after a hotly inspired corner. Ensured no goal can be attributed back to a potential wrong decision. Do the same from set pieces in general and it ensures goals aren’t scored from attacking blocks or fouls the ref might have missed, and blow early enough and any goal that is scored is moot because the whistle went long before.

He’s been dog whistling for ages. Practically winking at the camera

https://youtu.be/qikeU5NGqp4?si=StJTnXLm2yzp_jC_

Not to mention pointing out locations where asylum seekers were housed. I wonder where the rioters got their idea

https://youtu.be/G5XKksiSgac?si=2GXdoisU5U_YfY43

He’s set the tone for this happening for years sowing division in this country. Blokes a *%^@

Chelsea currently have 44 players listed in their first team squad. It’s crazy. There is no strategy, their lyre almost just buying anyone that is available. This summer they’ve signed 8 players and if only heard of 2 of them before Tosin from Fulham and Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester. Most players they are signing just feel absolutely bang average.

Marseille have come back in for Nketiah. Their previous bid was £17m I think. Arsenal have held out for closer to £25m. I’d snap their hand off for £25m right now, would be helpful if a prem club came in as well but in reality if you go down every prem club you’d struggle to find more than 3-4 where Nketiah would make a good case for being the number 1 striker

Scholes think Arsenal are missing the mentality to win the Premier League: “Arsenal are clearly not far away. I think the thing they are missing is that bit of mentality where they can actually go on and do it. I think last year, when you’re going to the league with another team, as we were with City, Liverpool and Arsenal, you have to go to their ground and win in a big game. 

“I remember watching the game at the end of last season and City were struggling a bit and Arsenal went there and played for a draw, really, they were delighted with a draw. If you win that game Arsenal win the league, there’s no doubt about that. That momentum was massive. All of a sudden you are killing your main rival, they are gone. It destroys you.

“When I saw the celebrations after that game from Arteta and the players, they were so happy to draw the game and I thought that’s wrong. If you go there at such a vulnerable time for Man City and win, it’s the difference between winning the league and not winning the league.

Just a reminder that City won 9 and drew 2 of the 11 games in the lead up to their home match with us. Definitely struggling a bit though eh Scholes!

Last punditry is the pits in football. Pre determined narrative when the facts don’t back up anything you’re saying

I heard someone else say that, their hot take was not beating city at the Etihad was why we didn’t win the league. Braindead stuff. How can you see Arsenal take 4 points of City and say that’s why you haven’t won the league when you see us drop points in 3 games against Fulham West Ham and arguably Villa that we should have won with better finishing. Desperate for narrative.

So the courts are handing out heavy sentences to the so-called far right activists involved in violence, looting, vandalism etc and rightly so.

However, let's be right about this. Both sides need to be treated equally and that needs to be seen to be done. Gangs of muslims carrying knives,machetes, swords etc need to be dealt with too.

Not sure what the laws regarding swords and machetes and other potentially deadly weapons are but these should be outlawed, just like guns. Have an amnesty where they can be handed in at police stations, then after that impose an immediate lengthy prison sentence to anyone caught in possession without a proper licence. Not going to happen I know and probably unenforceable but something needs to be done.

And what about the two blokes who attacked police officers at the airport. I assume long prison sentences are in the offing, otherwise it just gives more oxygen to the dissenting voices regarding two-tier policing.

What is a bit lost in how good our defence was last year was also how bad so many other top half teams defences were.

We conceded 29, City 34 and Liverpool 41. After that Villa (61), Spurs (61) Chelsea (63) Newcastle (62) Man U (58)

The season before we pushed City and fell away we conceded 43 and that felt like at least 10 too many for a title win. Look how far those other clubs have to go to even be thinking about top 2/3. Each of them need to concede 20 goals fewer to even be in the top 3

23-24 - 14 teams conceded over 60 goals including 4 of the top 7
22-23 - only 6 teams conceded over 60 goals
21-22 - only 6 teams conceded over 60 goals
20-21 - only 5 teams conceded over 60 goals
19-20 - only 6 teams conceded over 60 goals
18-19 - only 7 teams conceded over 60 goals

Why last season did we see presumably so many more goals in the league? I don't think var is anything to do with it because I think that shows it stops more goals than it gives previously. It must be down to playing style with so many weak teams trying to play out from the back and making far more mistakes, perhaps alongside the rise in the athleticism of players making transitions ever more dangerous. But you'd expect those things to show results in a gradual upward curve rather than one season spiking like last did